Hi everyone,
Question for you on this, which one would you suggest, by experience? I do understand both devices have minor differences, like the "correct" camera position at S7, 120Hz, but as well the poorly LCD screen on Tab S7.
As someone who owns a S4 Tab (which is very unpopular on XDA community overall), what would you suggest personally? I want to upgrade mostly due low RAM, bad placement for S-Pen, keyboard constant disconnect, but mostly due 0% of someone starting a LineageOS development (LineageOS GSI has several issues, and I'm not expert enough on Android development to start my own).
Seems like S5E and S6L has already lot of development around LineageOS, and is likely S6 and S7 tab could receive something as well.
As far I read most of QA comments, seems like most people owns a S7+ due better screen mostly, but personally is out my budget and too big from my perspective.
Many thanks!
If you want to know which tablet is the right for you:
You've give yourself the answer in the last sentence
The s7 has one of the best displays available, although it is not an OLED. I would not care about the OLED /LCD displayfight.
It's like the ultra highres and 120Hz discussion: most people love the crispness and fluety, not realizing both is deactivated due to performance or battery savings. Go in a shop and try it, you can deactivate it and see yourself. There even are people praising it in forums, not knowing the program they are using not even support it.
When it comes to professionalism you have to avoid OLED due to the lack of color calibration and color acurracy. That's the reason its a pure consumer thing. And for the latter, marketing always try to make things essentiall you actually do not need.
But as soon it comes to proffesionalis (this) android tablet is not for you at all. From an artist perspective major apps are missing (although getting better) and the s-pen technique is a big draw back, beside the form factor. Same for office work: Dex still is a pain, the office packages are working not like on a Desktop and yes: you'll hate the keyboard at the end of a working day (so use a standard BT one instead). Or even better: spend much more money and buy a surface PC.
From a consumer perspective OLED are great, love it on my mobile especially in pitch dark. But honestly: 99% of the time you're not realizing it and the battery saving bla bla is not worth the discussion. If I would have welcomed it on the s7: sure. But I would not have spend 100 € more for it.
Consider your use case. For a simple multimedia device: wait for the s7 light. If you need a device primary for note taking and some more sofisticated multimedia stuff, the s7/s7+ is for you. The RAM and CPU are great for painting (as long it's on concept /sketching level) and a good alround device on the go.
The s6 was out of focus for me due to: the pen form factor, the camara position, and especially not having an update option in 3 years. If you can deal with all: go for it.
To make it short: consider what you want. If the s7: wait for a good deal. In case you need 8GB of Ram and a bigger screen spend the extra money for the s7+.
Oh well broke my Pixel C Tablet today changing the battery . I been living with the Pixel C Tab and my Nexus 6 phone running LineageOS for years just looking for some feedback on what might be a fun and logical upgrade that should have good LineageOS Rom support going forward ?
Have s4 s6 and now s7+ only the people who compromised for the lcd s7 over the oled s7+ will tell you oled doesn't matter, just like tvs. Either get s6 or s7+ the oled is amazing.
gottahavit said:
Have s4 s6 and now s7+ only the people who compromised for the lcd s7 over the oled s7+ will tell you oled doesn't matter, just like tvs. Either get s6 or s7+ the oled is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem is no rom or LineageOS support for the Tab S7+ your on your own once the updates stop
Markeee said:
Problem is no rom or LineageOS support for the Tab S7+ your on your own once the updates stop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By that time the s8 will be out and I'm sure there will be roms soon, but honestly very little need, these days I find very little need to root and only look for roms if I really need an OS update which hasn't happened since my old tab s 8.4 which is still going strong on lineage.
Don't get me wrong rooting and ROMing are great to have, but I find current Android customizable enough for most things and don't pick my devices based on that. I'd rather root my phone than my tab and I wouldn't sacrifice oled for root or roms
gottahavit said:
By that time the s8 will be out and I'm sure there will be roms soon, but honestly very little need, these days I find very little need to root and only look for roms if I really need an OS update which hasn't happened since my old tab s 8.4 which is still going strong on lineage.
Don't get me wrong rooting and ROMing are great to have, but I find current Android customizable enough for most things and don't pick my devices based on that. I'd rather root my phone than my tab and I wouldn't sacrifice oled for root or roms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said I would love to get the S7+ its the best out there now my first choose but at the end of the day its also important for me to have some good rom support and the fact that the the S7+ has absolutely none right now leaves me worried we may never see any materialize ?
So thinking maybe last years Tab S5e is the best possible compromise considering it has official LineageOS support and blessings its just missing the 120Hz display not quite as big and not as nice of a upgrade power wise.
Sucks I'm torn and can't decide ?
TAB S7 PLUS VS TAB S5e | PROS AND CONS
https://youtu.be/5qff9-2Yiw8
gottahavit said:
Have s4 s6 and now s7+ only the people who compromised for the lcd s7 over the oled s7+ will tell you oled doesn't matter, just like tvs. Either get s6 or s7+ the oled is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, sorry no. Your marketing talk even is obsolete as Micro- and Q-LED is the new hype
To make it short.
For simple consumers: go to a shop and see yourself. If you like perfect blacks, oversatturation and high contrasts: go for OLEDs. You definitely will see the difference next to a s7.
If you would be in (photo-)graphics or arts on a professional level: you would not even ask that question. You would know that's OLEDS will never be an options (color accuracy, calibration, etc.).
Just keep in mind: OLEDs show the strongest burn-in. But: as long you do not work all day long with a single programm (office, photoshop, eclipse, etc.) or use it as a display device with areas showing almost static output (e.g. home automation at a wall, infotainment in cars), this will not be a problem. Typing this on a 3.5 year old galaxy s8, with still no real notable burn in. Only the color shifted over the years. But thats s.th. you can adjust for.
And: I would have taken the s7+, but the OLED is a no go for me.
---------- Post added at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------
Markeee said:
Well said I would love to get the S7+ its the best out there now my first choose but at the end of the day its also important for me to have some good rom support and the fact that the the S7+ has absolutely none right now leaves me worried we may never see any materialize ?
So thinking maybe last years Tab S5e is the best possible compromise considering it has official LineageOS support and blessings its just missing the 120Hz display not quite as big and not as nice of a upgrade power wise.
Sucks I'm torn and can't decide ?
TAB S7 PLUS VS TAB S5e | PROS AND CONS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the reason you want to have good rom support?
Just wondering. Same for 120Hz: you know that apps have to support it specifically? Most don't, for obvious reasons...
One UI is a great enhancer when it comes to tablet support on Android. My pretty old Note 10.1 sucks without. You'll notice it, when missing.
The best option for me is a rooted s7 stock rom. Just kept it unrooted for guaranty reasons, in half a year... .
Best tablet UI but open for adjustment. Of course, you should not put your bank account on it. But frankly, all other features missing with root I would preferably have on my phone than this device.
basthet said:
Well, sorry no. Your marketing talk even is obsolete as Micro- and Q-LED is the new hype
To make it short.
For simple consumers: go to a shop and see yourself. If you like perfect blacks, oversatturation and high contrasts: go for OLEDs. You definitely will see the difference next to a s7.
If you would be in (photo-)graphics or arts on a professional level: you would not even ask that question. You would know that's OLEDS will never be an options (color accuracy, calibration, etc.).
Just keep in mind: OLEDs show the strongest burn-in. But: as long you do not work all day long with a single programm (office, photoshop, eclipse, etc.) or use it as a display device with areas showing almost static output (e.g. home automation at a wall, infotainment in cars), this will not be a problem. Typing this on a 3.5 year old galaxy s8, with still no real notable burn in. Only the color shifted over the years. But thats s.th. you can adjust for.
And: I would have taken the s7+, but the OLED is a no go for me.
---------- Post added at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------
What's the reason you want to have good rom support?
Just wondering. Same for 120Hz: you know that apps have to support it specifically? Most don't, for obvious reasons...
One UI is a great enhancer when it comes to tablet support on Android. My pretty old Note 10.1 sucks without. You'll notice it, when missing.
The best option for me is a rooted s7 stock rom. Just kept it unrooted for guaranty reasons, in half a year... .
Best tablet UI but open for adjustment. Of course, you should not put your bank account on it. But frankly, all other features missing with root I would preferably have on my phone than this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow I hope you were joking about QLED/nanopixels being the best thing right now! You know that's just fake logos that say "we can't make OLEDs but we want you to think we do"?
As for color accuracy, I actually do a lot of drone footage and photo, but admittedly I'm no PRO and I don't edit on my tablet(I edit on my 28" 4k IPS HDR), but I did read the reviews and comparisons which put the S7+ above the S7 and the Ipad Pro when in Natural color mode. You can also calibrate yourself. I prefer the amoled for reviewing my video since most video is produced to HDR for display on an OLED TV. I find if it looks good on my tablet it will look close to the same on my LG OLED.
I guess it all depends what you want to do with the Tablet and what you are producing and for what target. I was not trying to say there is no place for the LCD(although I don't have one), just that some people on the forum are telling others not to worry the LCD is just as good as good as beautiful as AMOLED and that's just not true.
Also I have every Tab S Amoled made except the s5 and not one of them has Burnin or any significant loss of vibrancy. Personally if I couldn't deal with the 12" I would have stuck with my s6 over the s7 LCD.
gottahavit said:
Wow I hope you were joking about QLED/nanopixels being the best thing right now! You know that's just fake logos that say "we can't make OLEDs but we want you to think we do"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... that's because Samsung does not sell QLED but half backed solutions only calling them QLED - there are even ads with references clarifying, what SAMSUNG means by "QLED".
I was referring to real quantum dot emitters, not having these color-offsets and color depended life time problems the (AM)OLED still has. Still hoping for next year...
gottahavit said:
As for color accuracy, I actually do a lot of drone footage and photo, but admittedly I'm no PRO and I don't edit on my tablet(I edit on my 28" 4k IPS HDR), but I did read the reviews and comparisons which put the S7+ above the S7 and the Ipad Pro when in Natural color mode. You can also calibrate yourself. I prefer the amoled for reviewing my video since most video is produced to HDR for display on an OLED TV. I find if it looks good on my tablet it will look close to the same on my LG OLED....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well - there you got it. Everybody here replays this marketing bla bla from sellers and samsung or reviewers (most likely from YouTube) putting the AMOLED superior to the LCD.
Please do not feel offended, I do not try to argue with you. All I want to say is that the quality of a display is not defined by simple "blackness" and slangs like "vibrancy". Even the slang "Natural color" is a hoax - OLED just cannot produce them. Samsung (like LG, Sony, etc.) tries to manipulate it towards, and might get quite close, but after a while, colors shift away. A nightmare for people have to relay on color accuracy.
Same for their algorithm to reduce the burn-in effect. I also have an OLED (older than 3 years). No notable burn-in - but the price you pay is pixel shift and out-greying. If you are sensitive to one: OLED is not for you. If you don't care or not even notice it: great!
To make it short: It's hard to say in general, if the LCD of the s7 is worse compared to the s4/s6 and even the s7+ OLEDs. Best is to grep one and see if it fits you needs. For a LCD the s7 is really good and same goes for the s7+ as an AMOLED. Both (techniques) have their strengths but also weaknesses. I was rather happy, when I found the s7, as I do not have to spend my soul for an iPad Pro + I do not have to care about unexpected color reworks as soon as I switch back to my PC.
However, still hating Samsung for their crappy S-Pen technique... But well - you get what you pay for
Thanks for the replies I appreciate the discussion and feedback .
I'm coming from an old Pixel C Tablet I just broke the thing trying to replace the battery. That unit lost android update support years ago but managed to stay alive through roms and LineageOS which was nice I looked forward to kind of lived for those updates like most nerds otherwise I probably would of replaced it long ago. I'm still running with my Nexus 6 on LineageOS updates.
So I wasn't really even thinking about replacing it but now that it gone may as well have some fun get something new and considering I usually keep my **** so long like 5 yrs I may as well try get the latest and the greatest.
At first didn't know what to get but didn't take long to realize there's really no new android tablet options out except Samsung which kind of sucks coz rooting flashing Samsung bit more complicated not as straight up easy for me as dealing with the pixel which is super easy. With Samsung knox I have to re-learn that mess not looking forward to that and seems alot of people having issues dealing with it
Anyways I only really use the tablet for watching videos it will never leave my house leaning towards the S7+ just trying to snag a deal is all
basthet said:
Well, sorry no. Your marketing talk even is obsolete as Micro- and Q-LED is the new hype
To make it short.
For simple consumers: go to a shop and see yourself. If you like perfect blacks, oversatturation and high contrasts: go for OLEDs. You definitely will see the difference next to a s7.
If you would be in (photo-)graphics or arts on a professional level: you would not even ask that question. You would know that's OLEDS will never be an options (color accuracy, calibration, etc.).
Just keep in mind: OLEDs show the strongest burn-in. But: as long you do not work all day long with a single programm (office, photoshop, eclipse, etc.) or use it as a display device with areas showing almost static output (e.g. home automation at a wall, infotainment in cars), this will not be a problem. Typing this on a 3.5 year old galaxy s8, with still no real notable burn in. Only the color shifted over the years. But thats s.th. you can adjust for.
And: I would have taken the s7+, but the OLED is a no go for me.
---------- Post added at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 AM ----------
What's the reason you want to have good rom support?
Just wondering. Same for 120Hz: you know that apps have to support it specifically? Most don't, for obvious reasons...
One UI is a great enhancer when it comes to tablet support on Android. My pretty old Note 10.1 sucks without. You'll notice it, when missing.
The best option for me is a rooted s7 stock rom. Just kept it unrooted for guaranty reasons, in half a year... .
Best tablet UI but open for adjustment. Of course, you should not put your bank account on it. But frankly, all other features missing with root I would preferably have on my phone than this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Markeee
Keep in mind that - unfortunately - the situation for android tablets is a bit different nowadays.
Almost all new tablet specific features come from Samsung (Dex, etc.). Google and the other brands dropped tablet support almost completely. That implies also lineageOS - relaying on google - will most likely not offer new tablet specific features in the future. Hence, putting a custom rom on it will result in a draw back compared to One UI.
The good: with a s7/s7+ you will get all the new tablet specific stuff for 3 years and be up to the notch. As Samsung still tries to catch up to Apple that's the best you can get.
The bad: after 3 years you most likely will been stucked - or forced to make the step back to linageOS if you want Android 14+. Samsung managed to make porting their One UI features quite difficult.
However, time will tell. If google rediscover their tablet love, being again the driving android force for tablets, this situation will be totally different in 3 years.
When it comes to custom roms and video watching only: all I'm talking about will not be such of an issue, as all the mentioned features are more in the direction of writing, drawing, UI-integration, etc.
However, keep in mind that Netflix and other streaming portals suppress usage with rooted devices. Here the Knox counter is a big problem you might come over (e.g. via Magisk), but that needed to be supported by s.o. . Time will tell if the community will do, or not.
Moreover, reconsider the s7/s7+ completely. Both are rather expensive and target people using the Pen heavily (e.g. drawing, painting). Here you still need the fastest processor, as mush Ram as possible and a digitizer - and you have to pay for it. Have you considered going with a tablet w/o S-Pen?
If the question is only the ease to put custom rom on: well I'm rather sure here you will find the first noteworthy solution. And: simplifications of that will come later. But for Custom rom support I am not so optimistic: most owner would probably think like me, that most (unofficial) linageOS ports will lack the tablet features One Ui offers. Hence consider rooting and flashing not worth the hazel...
For better or worse I just pulled the trigger and ordered the Tab S7+, 256GB, sometimes just want to say WTF least I was able to snag a deal $582.61 before tax's free shipping. I'm sure I won't use take advantage of the pen but still nice to have all these premium features for a change.
Spending extra will be negligible considering how long i plan on keeping this thing. Hopefully years down the road when support ends there will me some other options to keep this thing alive .
Here's the slickdeals link below still an active deal if anyone's interested
https://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=143059996&postcount=732
basthet said:
@Markeee
Keep in mind that - unfortunately - the situation for android tablets is a bit different nowadays.
Almost all new tablet specific features come from Samsung (Dex, etc.). Google and the other brands dropped tablet support almost completely. That implies also lineageOS - relaying on google - will most likely not offer new tablet specific features in the future. Hence, putting a custom rom on it will result in a draw back compared to One UI.
The good: with a s7/s7+ you will get all the new tablet specific stuff for 3 years and be up to the notch. As Samsung still tries to catch up to Apple that's the best you can get.
The bad: after 3 years you most likely will been stucked - or forced to make the step back to linageOS if you want Android 14+. Samsung managed to make porting their One UI features quite difficult.
However, time will tell. If google rediscover their tablet love, being again the driving android force for tablets, this situation will be totally different in 3 years.
When it comes to custom roms and video watching only: all I'm talking about will not be such of an issue, as all the mentioned features are more in the direction of writing, drawing, UI-integration, etc.
However, keep in mind that Netflix and other streaming portals suppress usage with rooted devices. Here the Knox counter is a big problem you might come over (e.g. via Magisk), but that needed to be supported by s.o. . Time will tell if the community will do, or not.
Moreover, reconsider the s7/s7+ completely. Both are rather expensive and target people using the Pen heavily (e.g. drawing, painting). Here you still need the fastest processor, as mush Ram as possible and a digitizer - and you have to pay for it. Have you considered going with a tablet w/o S-Pen?
If the question is only the ease to put custom rom on: well I'm rather sure here you will find the first noteworthy solution. And: simplifications of that will come later. But for Custom rom support I am not so optimistic: most owner would probably think like me, that most (unofficial) linageOS ports will lack the tablet features One Ui offers. Hence consider rooting and flashing not worth the hazel...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Markeee
I am in a similar situation like you.
Fortunately my pixel C is still working.
Nevertheless I am starting looking for a replacement.
How do you like the Samsung so far?
Did you root it?
I am really sceptical bec of all that Samsung bloatware and this other Samsung stuff, as well as the lack of custom ROMs. The hardware is for sure much better...
My use cases are mostly watching videos, web surfing, emailing. I love the external keyboard for my pixel c, i wonder if there is something similar in the Samsung world...
Greetings from Vienna!
Markeee said:
For better or worse I just pulled the trigger and ordered the Tab S7+, 256GB, sometimes just want to say WTF least I was able to snag a deal $582.61 before tax's free shipping. I'm sure I won't use take advantage of the pen but still nice to have all these premium features for a change.
Spending extra will be negligible considering how long i plan on keeping this thing. Hopefully years down the road when support ends there will me some other options to keep this thing alive .
Here's the slickdeals link below still an active deal if anyone's interested
https://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=143059996&postcount=732
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From personal experience I find the screen on the Tab S7 to be brighter, more vibrant and with truer colors than on the Tab S6. I compared my S6 side by side with my wife's S7 while watching a video and the S7
's screen was much more pleasing to watch. The S6's screen was simply too dark so I lost detail in the shadows and the colors seemed muted even with the display set to Vibrant.
This sort of surprised me based on the comparison reviews I've seen that said the S6 had the better display.
Related
Hi, I am looking for a highen tablet and the two that are considered the "best" are the Google Nexus 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. 60% of the time that I will be using this tablet is going to be for android app development and quick reference, ie googling a question. The other 40% is mostly going to be used for school and sometimes games . Any ideas which one I should get? Thanks.
RandomAwesomeGuy said:
Hi, I am looking for a highen tablet and the two that are considered the "best" are the Google Nexus 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. 60% of the time that I will be using this tablet is going to be for android app development and quick reference, ie googling a question. The other 40% is mostly going to be used for school and sometimes games . Any ideas which one I should get? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you really need the wacom tablet features, for you I'd say the Nexus 10 without any hesitation. The Nexus line has developers as a target audience, and it'll be faster to get Android updates. As far as 10" tablets go, there simply is no better option for development. The higher resolution screen and A15 processor also make it more future proof than the Note 10.1.
RandomAwesomeGuy said:
Hi, I am looking for a highen tablet and the two that are considered the "best" are the Google Nexus 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. 60% of the time that I will be using this tablet is going to be for android app development and quick reference, ie googling a question. The other 40% is mostly going to be used for school and sometimes games . Any ideas which one I should get? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nexus 10
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
As long as you posted it in the n10 forum all the comments will say buy n10 because they already prefered it over other devices, same will happen when you post in the note forum , so the best way to know is to try both by yourself and decide, both are the best in market btw so don't go for anything other than them
Sent from my GT-N8000 using xda app-developers app
I can't really tell you which is better because both are "good" tablets. Neither is great in my opinion, though for me, I preferred the nexus 10 over the note 10.1 (and I own a note phone).
Reasons: Nexus 10 resolution is fantastic but the contrast compared to a superAMOLED screen is pittiful. Nexus 10 displays blacks like greys. Still, the resolution makes up for it because even with my eyeball one inch from the screen, I cannot see a pixel.
Another negative that nexus is probably not so good for developing is 4.2.1. At least half my apps crash on the nexus, or are simply not optimized for the crazy high resolution. While developing for 4.2.1 would be smart, keep in mind that most devices are still on ICS or gingerbread still. When I go to an app in the market half of the 1 star reviews are from people saying it crashes on xxx device running 4.0/2.3 android.
So pick you poison. Luckily the note 10.1 can be found on "deals" for less than the $500+ nexus 10.
LxMxFxD said:
I can't really tell you which is better because both are "good" tablets. Neither is great in my opinion, though for me, I preferred the nexus 10 over the note 10.1 (and I own a note phone).
Reasons: Nexus 10 resolution is fantastic but the contrast compared to a superAMOLED screen is pittiful. Nexus 10 displays blacks like greys. Still, the resolution makes up for it because even with my eyeball one inch from the screen, I cannot see a pixel.
Another negative that nexus is probably not so good for developing is 4.2.1. At least half my apps crash on the nexus, or are simply not optimized for the crazy high resolution. While developing for 4.2.1 would be smart, keep in mind that most devices are still on ICS or gingerbread still. When I go to an app in the market half of the 1 star reviews are from people saying it crashes on xxx device running 4.0/2.3 android.
So pick you poison. Luckily the note 10.1 can be found on "deals" for less than the $500+ nexus 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I pretty agree with this, but my apps don't crash on 4.2.1, none, and nexus 10 costs 400$ and 500$, not only 500$.
I would go for the nexus 10. Better screen, better support, fast updates, and no stupid Samsung UI. Oh and the nexus has one of the newest exynos processors.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
specter491 said:
no stupid Samsung UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "pure Google" thing is getting funny. What could possibly be better about having less features rather than more? Back in the days of 512K of RAM when SoCs were slow and overlays crude, poor performance drove people to AOSP/AOKP and de-bloated custom ROMs. That's not really the case anymore. The h/w is now more capable than the UI and apps running on it.
I played with a friend’s N10 over the holidays and, feature wise, it was a barren wasteland compared to the Note. The phone UI on a 10" tablet is bizarre. Similarly he was amazed at what the Note could do that his N10 couldn't. The N10 has a faster SoC than the Note but when you factor in the PPI it's pushing and that memory bandwidth is hard-partitioned to support the display it's certainly not any faster. And with app incompatibility because of the resolution some apps behave poorly or don’t work at all.
The Note has IO accessories available to match the N10's ports, takes up to a 64GB exFAT SD card for expansion, has an IR port, larger speakers than the N10, and gets significantly better battery life and charges 1/3 faster. It also doesn't have light bleed. Without question the N10 will get updates ten times faster than the Note. But so what, it'll still do 1/3 of the things the Note can do right now. It'll just be Google's barren OS with updates. I've disabled Google Now because I don't use any of their native apps that it depends on to harvest data and for some reason it thinks I work at a McDonalds because I stop at one frequently. As a value-priced consumption device with a great display the N10's a solid choice. For people interested in creating and managing content the Note's a better choice. Its 147PPI display is fine for pics and videos and doesn't require upscaling like the N10's display does. It's obviously not as good for text and computer generated content like the UI and that's a compromise you have to make to get the additional features. So for people looking for something beyond consumption I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Note. It's already sold 5MM units and I'd be surprised based on its limited distribution if the N10's sold 1MM.
OP, if the things in this video mean anything to you consider the Note. If all you care about is consumption and the display the N10's a better choice.
BarryH_GEG said:
The "pure Google" thing is getting funny. What could possibly be better about having less features rather than more? Back in the days of 512K of RAM when SoCs were slow and overlays crude, poor performance drove people to AOSP/AOKP and de-bloated custom ROMs. That's not really the case anymore. The h/w is now more capable than the UI and apps running on it.
I played with a friend’s N10 over the holidays and, feature wise, it was a barren wasteland compared to the Note. The phone UI on a 10" tablet is bizarre. Similarly he was amazed at what the Note could do that his N10 couldn't. The N10 has a faster SoC than the Note but when you factor in the PPI it's pushing and that memory bandwidth is hard-partitioned to support the display it's certainly not any faster. And with app incompatibility because of the resolution some apps behave poorly or don’t work at all.
The Note has IO accessories available to match the N10's ports, takes up to a 64GB exFAT SD card for expansion, has an IR port, larger speakers than the N10, and gets significantly better battery life and charges 1/3 faster. It also doesn't have light bleed. Without question the N10 will get updates ten times faster than the Note. But so what, it'll still do 1/3 of the things the Note can do right now. It'll just be Google's barren OS with updates. I've disabled Google Now because I don't use any of their native apps that it depends on to harvest data and for some reason it thinks I work at a McDonalds because I stop at one frequently. As a value-priced consumption device with a great display the N10's a solid choice. For people interested in creating and managing content the Note's a better choice. Its 147PPI display is fine for pics and videos and doesn't require upscaling like the N10's display does. It's obviously not as good for text and computer generated content like the UI and that's a compromise you have to make to get the additional features. So for people looking for something beyond consumption I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Note. It's already sold 5MM units and I'd be surprised based on its limited distribution if the N10's sold 1MM.
OP, if the things in this video mean anything to you consider the Note. If all you care about is consumption and the display the N10's a better choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just like stock doesnt work for you, Touchwiz simply doesnt work for others. Some dont like it because its ugly, some dont like it because it introduces compatibility problems with apps (a really big concern for this post considering OP is a dev), some dont like them because they slow down the device (more so with Motorola's skins). The only advantage I see with Touchwiz over stock is the multiwindow stuff, and then its nothing that others, be it Google themselves or devs here, couldn't replicate.
Jotokun said:
Just like stock doesnt work for you, Touchwiz simply doesnt work for others. Some dont like it because its ugly, some dont like it because it introduces compatibility problems with apps (a really big concern for this post considering OP is a dev), some dont like them because they slow down the device (more so with Motorola's skins). The only advantage I see with Touchwiz over stock is the multiwindow stuff, and then its nothing that others, be it Google themselves or devs here, couldn't replicate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It also has S-Pen features, but as you said, it really goes both ways.
Also, it's not a question of "can" they do it. It's more of a question of "will" they do it. Just because Google or some dev "can" replicate it, doesn't mean it'll come to the N10.
I'm not siding with either one here, but they both have their merits and faults.
As for app development, I'd think the N10 is a better choice for you mainly because it'll be up to date software-wise for a long long while and you can continue to develop apps.
Jotokun said:
Just like stock doesnt work for you, Touchwiz simply doesnt work for others. Some dont like it because its ugly, some dont like it because it introduces compatibility problems with apps (a really big concern for this post considering OP is a dev), some dont like them because they slow down the device (more so with Motorola's skins). The only advantage I see with Touchwiz over stock is the multiwindow stuff, and then its nothing that others, be it Google themselves or devs here, couldn't replicate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're absolutely right - it's a matter of individual choice. With h/w having reached the state it has performance increases are measured in milliseconds. For people that are more interested in benchmarks and picking up 1/10 of a second in screen transitions than actually getting stuff done a Nexus device is an excellent choice. By the time you add (if they exist) non-integrated third party apps from developers ranging from excellent to sketchy to replicate the Note's features you have as much (if not more) bloat on it and the apps don't work as well together. Can you wireless transmit content from your N10 to any HDMI-equipped output device? By the time Miracast reaches critical mass the N10 III will be out. Someone above mentioned Nexus as a developers platform. Those days are gone too. With value-based starting prices for the N4/N7/N10 of $299/$199/$399 respectively and a decidedly lower focus on build quality Nexus is now a mainstream consumer product with its lead feature being price/value. The GN which was a revered device on XDA only sold 750K copies. That sort of says something about what's really important to making a device commercially successful and being “pure” and getting “fast updates” doesn’t seem to be it.
BarryH_GEG said:
The GN which was a revered device on XDA only sold 750K copies. That sort of says something about what's really important to making a device commercially successful and being “pure” and getting “fast updates” doesn’t seem to be it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GN was banned at least once in the US from my knowledge, and given the short lifespan of smartphones, it's only natural that the GN was already superseded by the imminent S3.
lKBZl said:
I pretty agree with this, but my apps don't crash on 4.2.1, none, and nexus 10 costs 400$ and 500$, not only 500$.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 10 16GB is $444 with shipping & tax, Nexus 10 32GB is $553 with shipping and tax.
I got mine on a "deal" from staples because I had a $10 off coupon and shipping was free. After tax it was still $533. Google charges tax to every state in USA as far as I know, except the states without a sales tax. New Hampshire?
As for apps crashing... HDhomerun 2 crashes constantly, chrome has completely locked up my device, and other apps just randomly force close. I've only had the device for 2 days and its running completely stock. I know that over time things will crash less so i'm not complaining a whole lot. But its quite annoying.
404 ERROR said:
The GN was banned at least once in the US from my knowledge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was banned very late in its lifecycle when sales were already down to a trickle because better spec'd devices had been out for a while. The point that I was making is that the GN was available at subsidized prices similar to other phones with overlays from the U.S. carriers. Its "pureness" and "fast updates" didn't sway mainstream consumers for it to have sold so poorly during its peak selling period. Outside of XDA, people like overlays because they make devices easier to use which is why the OEMs offer them.
Here's an article talking about it...
Google just can't catch a break with its Nexus phones. While the "pure Google" experience of the company's Nexus phones tends to generate fanatical loyalty from extreme Android frothers, it seems to appeal to almost no one else. In a federal court today, a Samsung lawyer said the sales of its latest Galaxy Nexus phone were "so miniscule" that it isn't a threat to anyone. Samsung's lawyers said the company took in about $250 million from the Galaxy Nexus during the first two quarters [where revenue is in the billions] it was on sale. That isn't nothing, but it's far short of a hit. Available on Verizon, Sprint, and in an unlocked model for T-Mobile and AT&T, the Nexus managed to sell at about the level of T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G when it had its two best quarters. It fell far short of a hit like Sprint's Epic 4G or Verizon's Fascinate, according to court documents from Samsung's big California patent case against Apple.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408712,00.asp
BarryH_GEG said:
It was banned very late in its lifecycle when sales were already down to a trickle because better spec'd devices had been out for a while. The point that I was making is that the GN was available at subsidized prices similar to other phones with overlays from the U.S. carriers. Its "pureness" and "fast updates" didn't sway mainstream consumers for it to have sold so poorly during its peak selling period. Outside of XDA, people like overlays because they make devices easier to use which is why the OEMs offer them.
Here's an article talking about it...
Google just can't catch a break with its Nexus phones. While the "pure Google" experience of the company's Nexus phones tends to generate fanatical loyalty from extreme Android frothers, it seems to appeal to almost no one else. In a federal court today, a Samsung lawyer said the sales of its latest Galaxy Nexus phone were "so miniscule" that it isn't a threat to anyone. Samsung's lawyers said the company took in about $250 million from the Galaxy Nexus during the first two quarters [where revenue is in the billions] it was on sale. That isn't nothing, but it's far short of a hit. Available on Verizon, Sprint, and in an unlocked model for T-Mobile and AT&T, the Nexus managed to sell at about the level of T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G when it had its two best quarters. It fell far short of a hit like Sprint's Epic 4G or Verizon's Fascinate, according to court documents from Samsung's big California patent case against Apple.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408712,00.asp
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Click to collapse
I thought it was much earlier, but regardless, you're right in that fast updates and pureness don't sell. But I sincerely doubt that hardware itself is also what makes sales soar. Yeah, the S3 sale is simply outstanding, but I'm sure the majority of S3 owners only bought the S3 because it's something new (among the iPhones) and because they "heard" from nearly everywhere that it's a smartphone that can compete well against the iPhone. And yes, the hardware helps with that definitely, but the majority don't care if it has an Exynons 4412 SoC inside clocked at 1.4 gHz.
What I consider as the best reason for poor Nexus sales is that Google just sucks at advertising. I never saw once in my life a billboard or a TV commercial about the Galaxy Nexus on it. I only knew about it because I like tech and try to keep up with what's new. I see Google doing a better job with the recent Nexus line though, but now that Samsung has gained so much popularity with its own flagship line, people are going to keep their eyes on any new pure Samsung products (the S4 and Note III).
So how does this relate to the OP - it really doesn't .
I will have to agree that anything in the Nexus line is a better developer platform. Yes, it's commercialized as an average consumer product, but the long support from Google will give it the advantage in development because you can continue to develop apps without having to worry about breaking compatibility in newer devices. Also, you won't have to deal with ROM ports that may work but also may also not work completely.
Google Nexus 10 or Note 10
I think that is one hard question to ask? I think Galaxy Note 10 is really awesome phablet, i mean, tablet if you really like writing or drawing stuff on the go, but the size can be the problem if you want to carry it to public area.
So maybe you should pick up Note 5.5-inch instead.
Google Nexus 10 is also one great device, especially with its eye-pleasing screen and fast performance. I also like when Google Earth is run on this device.
Yeah, it's hard question.
Hi all, thank you for your responses. My next question is: I been going to stores looking for the tablets on display, but no luck for finding a Nexus 10. Does it feel cheap? Also from going to the stores, I really like the feature on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that has the navigation controls on the bottom left and the toggles/notifications menu on the right, but the nexus has only the navigation controls in the center. Is it bothersome or does it feel normal to use. Note: I have been using an iPhone and iPad for regular use/programming, and I only had contact with an android device at the stores and using the strictly developer use only android tablets at school, they are all 7-inch tablets, and you get in a lot of trouble if you play with them. Thank you, again.
First thing you'll notice is the screen on the N10 is miles better than the Note 10.1. When the Note gets a SAMOLED I'm getting one. Until then the N10 is the better machine. Plus the faster CPU, and they're both Samsung, why would anybody choose a Note 10.1 instead? Only the stylus. So make that your pivot question. Do you need a stylus or not.
RandomAwesomeGuy said:
Hi all, thank you for your responses. My next question is: I been going to stores looking for the tablets on display, but no luck for finding a Nexus 10. Does it feel cheap? Also from going to the stores, I really like the feature on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that has the navigation controls on the bottom left and the toggles/notifications menu on the right, but the nexus has only the navigation controls in the center. Is it bothersome or does it feel normal to use. Note: I have been using an iPhone and iPad for regular use/programming, and I only had contact with an android device at the stores and using the strictly developer use only android tablets at school, they are all 7-inch tablets, and you get in a lot of trouble if you play with them. Thank you, again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus certainly does not feel cheap. The plastic has an almost rubbery feel, not at all cold like metallic tablets and not rigid or creaky like most other Android tablets. IMO its one of the best feeling tablets out there.
The buttons on left, notifications on right are how things were done on Android tablets from 3.0 through 4.1. The new layout doesn't quite feel as natural in landscape, but it was done in the name of consistency with phones and probably is the right move for the future. While Samsung might stick with the traditional layout, there's also a very good chance that in a future firmware update the Note 10.1 could adopt the N10's button layout. I wouldn't say its bad, far from it. The old layout is just a little more comfortable, since if you're holding your tablet with both hands you dont have to let go on one to do something (home/back/etc.).
Jotokun said:
The Nexus certainly does not feel cheap. The plastic has an almost rubbery feel, not at all cold like metallic tablets and not rigid or creaky like most other Android tablets. IMO its one of the best feeling tablets out there.
The buttons on left, notifications on right are how things were done on Android tablets from 3.0 through 4.1. The new layout doesn't quite feel as natural in landscape, but it was done in the name of consistency with phones and probably is the right move for the future. While Samsung might stick with the traditional layout, there's also a very good chance that in a future firmware update the Note 10.1 could adopt the N10's button layout. I wouldn't say its bad, far from it. The old layout is just a little more comfortable, since if you're holding your tablet with both hands you dont have to let go on one to do something (home/back/etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, from my knowledge, the Nexus 10 has two pull down menus from the top, is this correct? And what is each one? Also, Does any one know if there is a rom/mod that enables the old layout? Thanks, again.
Hi Guys,
After owning several iPhones back in the day (up to the 3GS) and then Nexus One, Nexus S and Nexus 4 (skipped the Galaxy Nexus) and a Nexus 7 tablet, always on (unrooted) stock Android, I couldn't resist the temptation and got myself a 32GB LG G2 (European version).
Why not wait a few weeks for the Nexus 5 ?
The main reason is that the LG G2 has just the perfect hardware specs for me, there is nothing I would realistically want more. The Nexus 5 will have smaller screen and smaller battery. Also, the last 3 versions of Android did not bring any significant useable stuff to the table in order to make me really want to update, so the newest Android update is not so important to have.
The other reason is that I am really bored of stock Android. There are some things that Google will stubbornly never add or change, and I'm not one to install custom ROMs all day. For example, I can't set different sound volumes for the call ringtones and notification ringtones. And the notification LED is so neglected by the stock Android (on phones that have it). I gave my "old" Nexus 4 to my girlfriend, and although she loves to speed over her old Galaxy S Advance, she immediately begun asking where are the "gimmicks" that Samsung included into its software and that she used all the time. This is saying something.
One minor reason is that I have had hardware problems ALL of my Nexus devices, despite the fact that I take great care of them: the Nexus One's power button became loose and broke over time (HTC support really sucks !), the Nexus S capacitive sensor burned in a corner (display assembly replacement), the Nexus 7 speakers broke and now sound is very distorted. The Nexus 4 screen was a bit yellowish when I received it, I read that it's from the glue bonding the glass layers, it improved over time but never had the correct colors, it always had a subtle yellow tint to it.
Why LG G2 ?
Just a quick glance at the competition and my previous experience with various brands made me choose the G2. The iPhone is really out of question due to the microscopic screen and lack of notification LED (it's incredible how a business user can live without a notification LED), the Galaxy S4 and HTC One have outdated hardware (I mean, if I pay the same price, why not get the latest hardware), the HTC One has a microscopic, unusable notification LED (and I don't wish you to need something from the HTC technical support !), the Galaxy Note 3 is really too big. I have never used a spare battery with any of my phones, and never used a microSD card, so these missing features are just not minuses for me. The lack of removable battery (and thus the inclusion of a bigger battery) is in fact a huge plus.
The Motorola MotoX has a very nice notification feature, but it pulsates too slow (indicating battery concerns) and the rest of the hardware is too average and I can't see it as an upgrade over the Nexus 4 (plus it's not available in Europe although I could get it if I really wanted to).
The LG G2 hardware
I will say that the excellent, biggest-in-class display, the impressive battery life and the very small bezels (phone fits in my front jeans pocket !), combined with the killer 'Knock On' feature make this phone an easy choice over any other phone right now, hardware-wise. Not to mention the newest Snapdragon 800 processor. I am even pleased by its camera capability, pictures always look very sharp because of the optical stabilization, although there is too much noise reduction and loss of detail (however resized for web/facebook, pictures look great). The fact that it has an FM radio is a huge plus for me, because I needed a radio to listen to my favorite talk show between the parking lot and my home, and it's proven to do its job great so far
The LG G2 software
Believe me when I say this, the stock Android is extremely boring compared to LGs software. It's so refreshing to see many user-needed features included in their software. I don't care for most of them, but they don't get in the way either. However, some of them are really useful and I never see Google implementing them in their stock Android. For example, I can now set different ringtone volumes for notifications and calls, I can access the phone files from my computer over my home network, I have a very customizable battery saver that kicks in when needed, etc.
There is only one thing that bothers my in LG G2's software: the notification drawer has some items that you can never remove from there, like the screen brightness, ringtone volume and a row with some shortcuts. It's not unbearable, but I prefer that to only be used for notifications. At least they could move their bloatware controls *after* all the notifications instead of before them.
Conclusion
I really like the LG G2. I think it trumps every other phone at this moment, but this is not the important thing. The important thing is that I don't have to charge my phone every day (it sometimes lasts 3+ days !), it has a great screen for web reading and browsing and it's just a well-designed phone.
Good review, vanilla android was a performance necessity when phones weren't power houses. I too enjoy the gadgetry of mfg skins. I still like stock android for my tablet, but for my primary device, I like the bells and whistles.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thnx for this review. I love my g2 more lol!
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk 2
Well i suppose the camera is better than just for facebook and instagram. Its a 13mp for god's sake!
Fille84 said:
Well i suppose the camera is better than just for facebook and instagram. Its a 13mp for god's sake!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The megapixel count really doesn't matter, if you take a picture with an old 5 Megapixel Canon DSLR you will blow any smartphone out if the water. The pixel size / sensor size and lens quality does matter a lot.
The LG G2 camera is quite surprisingly good for a smartphone camera with a 1/3 inch sensor. The lens seems very good. But the resulting image is heavily post-processed to eliminate noise due to small pixel phtosites. Unfortunately fine detail is gone as well, but this is only visible on full-size images. Basically the camera software is optimized for instant picture sharing with little to no user post-processing, which is a correct thing to do in a smartphone.
I for one would prefer a noisier but more detailed image which I could post-process with a dedicated suite like Adobe's Lightroom. But I guess this is what big cameras are for...
Thanks for this review. I like it
Nexus 5 = Crap
This are the technical characteristics of the upcoming Nexuseless 5, I prefer LG G2 ever.
4.95″ 1080p display
32GB and 16GB internal storage
2GB RAM
MSM8974 aka Snapdragon 800 at 2.3GHz
8MP OIS rear camera
1.3MP front camera
2300mAh battery <<<<<<---- Why are they still using this crap battery!!?????
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Proximity/Ambient Light, Pressure
Slimport compatibility
Micro SIM slot
Notification light
Wireless charging
NFC
Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth 3.0 was also listed, but this is most likely an error.)
UMTS/GSM/CDMA/LTE compatibility
More details of the Nexuseless 5 here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/173744848/LG-D821
I cant make my mind up about the LG g2 or the nexus 5 the nexus 5 looks nicer but the G2 has better specs.
G2 in my opinion looks so sexy and honestly that's one of the many reasons I bought it. Its different with the home button setup on the back and has the specs to last a long time for me. Also running stock and with 5 hour screen time I'm way over 24 hours of use
Sent from my LG-D800 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
blair287 said:
I cant make my mind up about the LG g2 or the nexus 5 the nexus 5 looks nicer but the G2 has better specs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks is Subjective, IMO Nexus 5 just has two advantages over G2, Price and Timely Updates. That is it.
My views are that personally the phone is just a little to big for me to use comfortably. I would have preferred say 5" screen with the narrow bezzels making the device slightly narrower and easier to hold - but thats just a personal preference. I would have also liked a textued back to the phone (at the moment i am using a skin to give it texture) as this phone is on the maximum edge of what is comfortable to me i dont want to add to the size with a case, i also dont want to lose the look ad feel i have from the device (the 'in the hand feel') you get.
All in all however these were not a deal breaker for me as there was nothing else out for me to consider at the time (like the moto x but not available in uk) so bought the g2 sim free.
After a couple of weeks of use i started to dislike elements of the lg software and its design and just found that adding a launcher just gave me other issues. What is great now is that the dev community is really picking up for this phone and roms are starting to appear so you now have the option to pretty much have whatever you want on your phone. You can go pretty much bare bones android without any of Lg's bloat but you an also add whatever elements of Lgs stuff you like to the vanilla rom so giving you the best of both worlds.
So to sum up.....for me the device has awesome specs, latest processor, excellent camera, amazing battery life, great development options to customize to your personal liking. Only thing for me is the size but maybe thats just because i have short stubby fingers
At the end of the day its all about choices, beauty is that now you have choices so if the hardware tickles your fancy you can customize till your hearts content and end up with your perfect device
hpsauce37 said:
My views are that personally the phone is just a little to big for me to use comfortably. I would have preferred say 5" screen with the narrow bezzels making the device slightly narrower and easier to hold - but thats just a personal preference. I would have also liked a textued back to the phone (at the moment i am using a skin to give it texture) as this phone is on the maximum edge of what is comfortable to me i dont want to add to the size with a case, i also dont want to lose the look ad feel i have from the device (the 'in the hand feel') you get.
All in all however these were not a deal breaker for me as there was nothing else out for me to consider at the time (like the moto x but not available in uk) so bought the g2 sim free.
After a couple of weeks of use i started to dislike elements of the lg software and its design and just found that adding a launcher just gave me other issues. What is great now is that the dev community is really picking up for this phone and roms are starting to appear so you now have the option to pretty much have whatever you want on your phone. You can go pretty much bare bones android without any of Lg's bloat but you an also add whatever elements of Lgs stuff you like to the vanilla rom so giving you the best of both worlds.
So to sum up.....for me the device has awesome specs, latest processor, excellent camera, amazing battery life, great development options to customize to your personal liking. Only thing for me is the size but maybe thats just because i have short stubby fingers
At the end of the day its all about choices, beauty is that now you have choices so if the hardware tickles your fancy you can customize till your hearts content and end up with your perfect device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what kind of issues did you encounter when adding a launcher? and what launcher?
I appreciate everyone's reviews here!
sdsubball23 said:
what kind of issues did you encounter when adding a launcher? and what launcher?
I appreciate everyone's reviews here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You name it i tried it!
Nova, smart launcher, Aviate, Adw.....
To be fair to these launchers though they probably were not really issue's. Just little things that frustrated me about them, could have been the inability to do something or set something up with them, notifications, different custom options etc.
Most people would probably not even have experienced it or have issue with it.
The thing i was leading to really was the fact that now with a good dev community coming on board with this device (been quite overlooked generally in my opinion until now - availabilty in some countries may have been the reason for this though) that there are many choices for people now.
If the hardware of the device fits the bill then you are no longer tied with elements of the stock build you dont like and pretty much change every bit about it one way or another - just means taking that step of rooting and flashing. Dont get me wrong im no developer or expert in this field but as someone who is particularly fussy and difficult to please with phones and software etc (must be my ocd) everyone has options and its really not that difficult once you have done it a few times.
Bottom line is if someone dosent like the stock ui/experience you can change and have whatever you want
I know my comments above may seem obvious to many especially as we are on a developer site however a lot of people come to the site for opinions and information and who may have thought about making changes but never actually taking the final steps. I did and now i have changed the things that frustrated me without the need to just change the device again! Like i said i am major ocd and fussy about phones but it does at least give a little more longevity to the device if these options are here.
Hope this makes sense lol
ps - sorry didnt mean to hijack or step on the thread.
Thanks :good:
hpsauce37 said:
My views are that personally the phone is just a little to big for me to use comfortably. I would have preferred say 5" screen with the narrow bezzels making the device slightly narrower and easier to hold - but thats just a personal preference. I would have also liked a textued back to the phone (at the moment i am using a skin to give it texture) as this phone is on the maximum edge of what is comfortable to me i dont want to add to the size with a case, i also dont want to lose the look ad feel i have from the device (the 'in the hand feel') you get.
All in all however these were not a deal breaker for me as there was nothing else out for me to consider at the time (like the moto x but not available in uk) so bought the g2 sim free.
After a couple of weeks of use i started to dislike elements of the lg software and its design and just found that adding a launcher just gave me other issues. What is great now is that the dev community is really picking up for this phone and roms are starting to appear so you now have the option to pretty much have whatever you want on your phone. You can go pretty much bare bones android without any of Lg's bloat but you an also add whatever elements of Lgs stuff you like to the vanilla rom so giving you the best of both worlds.
So to sum up.....for me the device has awesome specs, latest processor, excellent camera, amazing battery life, great development options to customize to your personal liking. Only thing for me is the size but maybe thats just because i have short stubby fingers
At the end of the day its all about choices, beauty is that now you have choices so if the hardware tickles your fancy you can customize till your hearts content and end up with your perfect device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 5.2" G2 isn't that much bigger then the Galaxy Nexus 4.65". It is thinner but taller/wider by a few millimeters. Not much difference.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
[/COLOR]Awesome to see a "stock android fan" praise LG's UI..Great review from someone who obviously knows what the android experience should be....i have a vid on my channel on how you can keep the notifications down a few lines and stays were you leave it, all as long as you have a few notifications, you never need look at the top part.....some ppl do not realize this : )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaMdxvvZYFE
Ms D.
Cst79 said:
Hi Guys,
Why LG G2 ?
Just a quick glance at the competition and my previous experience with various brands made me choose the G2. The iPhone is really out of question due to the microscopic screen and lack of notification LED (it's incredible how a business user can live without a notification LED), the Galaxy S4 and HTC One have outdated hardware (I mean, if I pay the same price, why not get the latest hardware), the HTC One has a microscopic, unusable notification LED (and I don't wish you to need something from the HTC technical support !), the Galaxy Note 3 is really too big. I have never used a spare battery with any of my phones, and never used a microSD card, so these missing features are just not minuses for me. The lack of removable battery (and thus the inclusion of a bigger battery) is in fact a huge plus.
The Motorola MotoX has a very nice notification feature, but it pulsates too slow (indicating battery concerns) and the rest of the hardware is too average and I can't see it as an upgrade over the Nexus 4 (plus it's not available in Europe although I could get it if I really wanted to).
Conclusion
I really like the LG G2. I think it trumps every other phone at this moment, but this is not the important thing. The important thing is that I don't have to charge my phone every day (it sometimes lasts 3+ days !), it has a great screen for web reading and browsing and it's just a well-designed phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well said...
welcome to the club! (happy owners of G2)
Hello everyone,
I would like some opinions coz i'm about to buy one of the title's phones.
In my country there is a difference in price about 50 euros between 6p and s7 edge but that's not a matter to me.
I do care about developing apps on android and i do care about every possible update by google.
I would like also to have better support on roms/kernels and stuff in the future
Google stops guaranteed updates on 6p - September 2017
What is gonna be the advantage of having a nexus device after it?
Is it still possible to find better support + custom roms for 6p instead of s7 after September?
Thanks a lot
I considered the Edge, an year ago, when I bought my 6P. But I wanted a larger and bigger screen and the edge just wouldn't cut it.
Check the S7 edge forums to see how it is the development, but at this stage and considering its still somewhat a recent device, theres naturally less roms and development support (also due the fact this is a nexus which makes development much easier).
If a bigger screen and development arent so important for you, I'd say it's a good phone, I have friends that own it and are happy with it.
I have my 6P for more than a year. If I could go back I would not get the 6P and wait to take the S7 Edge. There are plenty of ROMs available for S7 Edge and also more diversity in them. I mean that the ROMs here for the 6P are basically all the same(don't everyone rush to correct me. I know they come with a lot of extras, but they are basically an extra menu and no so much or no at all changes in the Android user exp). I miss the opportunity to have the choice to try some more "exotic" options like MIUI(there is MIUI rom in the forums, but it's dead and with lots of bugs so... don't count it), ColorOS and stuff like this.
And also the S7 Edge has wireless charging, ip68 and microSD support. I really miss the SD(I came from Note 3). I am tired of cleaning up when shooting some high res videos or pics :/
And also the camera on S7 Edge is considered one of the best or maybe the best till date.
This is my subjective oppinion ofc.
Check the S7 Edge forum to see what development looks like.
As far as Nexus phones go, my Nexus 5 (2013) is running Nougat just fine right now.
xchatter said:
I have my 6P for more than a year. If I could go back I would not get the 6P and wait to take the S7 Edge. There are plenty of ROMs available for S7 Edge and also more diversity in them. I mean that the ROMs here for the 6P are basically all the same(don't everyone rush to correct me. I know they come with a lot of extras, but they are basically an extra menu and no so much or no at all changes in the Android user exp). I miss the opportunity to have the choice to try some more "exotic" options like MIUI(there is MIUI rom in the forums, but it's dead and with lots of bugs so... don't count it), ColorOS and stuff like this.
And also the S7 Edge has wireless charging, ip68 and microSD support. I really miss the SD(I came from Note 3). I am tired of cleaning up when shooting some high res videos or pics :/
And also the camera on S7 Edge is considered one of the best or maybe the best till date.
This is my subjective oppinion ofc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you mean, and that is the "problem" with nexus devices, all roms are CAF/AOSP based with little support for third party roms like MIUI and ColorOS and all that stuff.
Looking back 5 years ago we could find those roms for lot's of devices, now I think things are getting more "stricter" in that sense.
But hey, I got a 6P exactly for this so.. while all "aosp/caf" look alike, they are so damn smooth and functional!
MidnightDevil said:
I understand what you mean, and that is the "problem" with nexus devices, all roms are CAF/AOSP based with little support for third party roms like MIUI and ColorOS and all that stuff.
Looking back 5 years ago we could find those roms for lot's of devices, now I think things are getting more "stricter" in that sense.
But hey, I got a 6P exactly for this so.. while all "aosp/caf" look alike, they are so damn smooth and functional!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hardly doubt someone buys a nexus and thinks "hey, I'd love a MIUI on my phone". Hahaha.
I was in the same position when I finally decided to go with 6P. In terms of hardware, I think S7 Edge is a superior phone with a better battey life (except for the camera which I think 6P's much better especially in lowlight and with HDR+).
However, in terms of rom development and software support, S7 Edge is really lagging behind. Not to mention with most of these vendors such as Samsung, Sony, etc., when you switch to another custom rom, you lose the camera quality and many other exclusive functions available only on their own official roms. Thus, I think only nexus phones (which sadly have come to an end) and now oneplus phones should be your choice when custom roms and fast updates are your thing!
I my own opinion, the S7 Edge isn't better than the 6P. The two are a very good photo-phone. I think the 6P is slightly better than the S7 in low light environment and use HDR+ like a charm.
Remember that the S7 Edge is newer than the 6P with release date 6 month after the 6P. I love the 6P for the multimedia experience with the 2 speakers in front of the phone with a really better immersion when you are watching movies or playing games.
When you buy a Pure android phone, it's for developpement purpose or to have a phone with an OS as clear as possible isn't ?
If you want an exotic ROM, buy an exotic phone
airbat said:
I my own opinion, the S7 Edge isn't better than the 6P. The two are a very good photo-phone. I think the 6P is slightly better than the S7 in low light environment and use HDR+ like a charm.
Remember that the S7 Edge is newer than the 6P with release date 6 month after the 6P. I love the 6P for the multimedia experience with the 2 speakers in front of the phone with a really better immersion when you are watching movies or playing games.
When you buy a Pure android phone, it's for developpement purpose or to have a phone with an OS as clear as possible isn't ?
If you want an exotic ROM, buy an exotic phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The front speakers on 6P are like every phone should have them, no doubt. I don't know how the vendors did not learn already this and are still putting them on the sides or even back. This is great plus!
For the low light... I guess it is arguable. I have a friend with S7 edge, and I have to admit, he got better ones than me. :/
---------- Post added at 02:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:15 PM ----------
MidnightDevil said:
I understand what you mean, and that is the "problem" with nexus devices, all roms are CAF/AOSP based with little support for third party roms like MIUI and ColorOS and all that stuff.
Looking back 5 years ago we could find those roms for lot's of devices, now I think things are getting more "stricter" in that sense.
But hey, I got a 6P exactly for this so.. while all "aosp/caf" look alike, they are so damn smooth and functional!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, with the old nexus-es I had, I got to try all kinds of stuff. And this was the best, since you get some unique ROMs and some of them match to your liking. Now - not the case anymore. :/
And for all of the guys who comment bad about the more unknown and distant ROMs(most chinese), I think they get their knowledge by just reading some articles and watching videos or maybe some old experience.
For example - I still have my Galaxy Note 3 with latest MIUI 8(all s-pen , camera mods and other stuff works perfectly). It is just as fast as my 6P and it is 2013 phone.
Now there are only few phones(at least from the late flagships) that you have the opportunity to try quite a number of totally different ROMs in terms of overall expirience.
adsubzero said:
I hardly doubt someone buys a nexus and thinks "hey, I'd love a MIUI on my phone". Hahaha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends, it wasn't my first reason obviously, AOSP above all, but for who used MIUI before and enjoyed it, one can only wonder
MidnightDevil said:
I considered the Edge, an year ago, when I bought my 6P. But I wanted a larger and bigger screen and the edge just wouldn't cut it.
Check the S7 edge forums to see how it is the development, but at this stage and considering its still somewhat a recent device, theres naturally less roms and development support (also due the fact this is a nexus which makes development much easier).
If a bigger screen and development arent so important for you, I'd say it's a good phone, I have friends that own it and are happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s7 edge screen is only .2 inches smaller (it's 5.5 inches) and due to having no on screen buttons you wouldn't notice.
That being said, I had the s6 edge. Camera, screen and build quality were much better with the edge. It really is a sexy phone imo.
The lack of updates got to me though, and since the s6 was exynos there were no ROMs. The s7 edge has a snapdragon so development would be much better no doubt. I would get the s7 for sure
Been a long time since I did a forum post, but need help with a decision I am faced with and was hoping someone can help...
So, I got the Samsung S9+. It's great. Does has some lag issues (particularly scrolling) . Screen is nice. Battery is ok. Wireless charging and camera is great too.
My dilemma comes since Google recently announced a $200 off promo for the Pixel 2 XL (if you finance). I would not have considered getting it since the price was way out of proportion to the phone you were getting, but now with the reduction in cost... The question is:
Should I return my S9+, save the Carrier Financing and go with the Pixel 2 XL (now more reasonably priced)?
Mind you to return my S9+, it will require a little hoop jumping and some pain with my carrier, but what doesn't?
Anyone had both phones or have both phones... thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
You read all the VS. articles on the net, and they are about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine... you guys are the "real world" users... wanting your honesty will help a great deal!
Great post well written (not usual ramblings) ok so is the Pixel XL 2 worth the hoop jumping, yes it most certainly is. Will it be worth it to ditch the S9+ to get the Pixel XL 2?
Well that depends on how important certain features are to you, for example Wireless charging? Or expandable storage? Will 128gb be enough?, is it ok that the Pixel has only ip67?
Ok also to clarify as you have probably read & seen about the Pixel 2 XL's Display. The S9+ has the best display period .....,however there is nothing awful about the Pixel XL 2's it's blown up a bit, wait I won't argue that blue shift is there, it is, however it's not that bad and after using it for now 3 months I don't notice, or pay attention to it.
The pixel XL has the best camera in a smartphone (at present) or rather perhaps their post processing, regardless it's really that good. Updates are another obvious factor for the Pixel, front facing speakers, battery life is much better on the Pixel, design although basic, is unique and enjoyable, it's fast &, fluid.
So if I were you weigh up what's important to you, but you wouldn't be disappointed with the Pixel, especially with $200 off, it's a absolutely fantastic device to use, I love my pixel & I think you would appreciate it as much as the rest of us Team pixel users do :good:
Any more questions feel free to ask :good:
I have both the devices with me. Pixel 2xl beats Samsung s9 plus hands down.
I was having a note 8, just 3 months old. Sold it and went for s9 plus.
Trust me pixel 2 xl is the one to go for. The only reason I keep a Sammy device is for its extra skin features like secure folder app, screen resolution and the premium feel.
REST all the pixel 2 xl wins... Be it fluidity, speaker output, camera quality
Duncan1982 said:
Great post well written (not usual ramblings) ok so is the Pixel XL 2 worth the hoop jumping, yes it most certainly is. Will it be worth it to ditch the S9+ to get the Pixel XL 2?
Well that depends on how important certain features are to you, for example Wireless charging? Or expandable storage? Will 128gb be enough?, is it ok that the Pixel has only ip67?
Ok also to clarify as you have probably read & seen about the Pixel 2 XL's Display. The S9+ has the best display period .....,however there is nothing awful about the Pixel XL 2's it's blown up a bit, wait I won't argue that blue shift is there, it is, however it's not that bad and after using it for now 3 months I don't notice, or pay attention to it.
The pixel XL has the best camera in a smartphone (at present) or rather perhaps their post processing, regardless it's really that good. Updates are another obvious factor for the Pixel, front facing speakers, battery life is much better on the Pixel, design although basic, is unique and enjoyable, it's fast &, fluid.
So if I were you weigh up what's important to you, but you wouldn't be disappointed with the Pixel, especially with $200 off, it's a absolutely fantastic device to use, I love my pixel & I think you would appreciate it as much as the rest of us Team pixel users do :good:
Any more questions feel free to ask :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick come back...
I don't know... I mean the S9+ has the 845 Processor and 6GB of RAM and it's jitter on scrolling is sickening at times. I could assume that Samsung will fix this with an update at some point (like they always do) .
It's so hard to choose... I like the wireless charging, samsung pay and of course SD card expandability , but I am not going to keep any phone more than a year... Plus, getting the security updates and newest android releases is pretty decent.
damn... decisions, decisions...
Just being able to charge and listen to music at the same time without using any stupid adapter, makes the S9+ the ideal phone. Also, wireless charging is somewhat important since I have a lot of chargers already
However, Pixel's ecosystem and fluidity is something that I miss from the S9
drtushar said:
I have both the devices with me. Pixel 2xl beats Samsung s9 plus hands down.
I was having a note 8, just 3 months old. Sold it and went for s9 plus.
Trust me pixel 2 xl is the one to go for. The only reason I keep a Sammy device is for its extra skin features like secure folder app, screen resolution and the premium feel.
REST all the pixel 2 xl wins... Be it fluidity, speaker output, camera quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I hear too...
The lag on a new phone with better specs just bothers me.... I'm sure samsung will release a fix plus something to help with battery... but I don't know if I want to wait that long..
t-shock said:
Just being able to charge and listen to music at the same time without using any stupid adapter, makes the S9+ the ideal phone. Also, wireless charging is somewhat important since I have a lot of chargers already
However, Pixel's ecosystem and fluidity is something that I miss from the S9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i know... having wireless charging is definitely important...
I don't listen to music anywhere but my car normally at its radio is Android Auto compatible... I can see how headphone jack thing still gets people upset, but it's not that big of a factor for me! :highfive:
I just came from the Pixel 2 XL because the hardware itself was a disaster. My blue tint was tragic and just sad compared to my terrible ancient iPhone (any angle past 30 degrees was ocean blue), the edges had problems with touch sensitivity, and then the charging port fried (I returned it at that point). The battery wasn't great for me either.
The P2XL camera processing is better and the actual phone is definitely less laggy, though.
Keive said:
I just came from the Pixel 2 XL because the hardware itself was a disaster. My blue tint was tragic and just sad compared to my terrible ancient iPhone (any angle past 30 degrees was ocean blue), the edges had problems with touch sensitivity, and then the charging port fried (I returned it at that point). The battery wasn't great for me either.
The P2XL camera processing is better and the actual phone is definitely less laggy, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You thinking you got a “bad Apple” with your pixel? No pun intended
mahst68 said:
Been a long time since I did a forum post, but need help with a decision I am faced with and was hoping someone can help...
So, I got the Samsung S9+. It's great. Does has some lag issues (particularly scrolling) . Screen is nice. Battery is ok. Wireless charging and camera is great too.
My dilemma comes since Google recently announced a $200 off promo for the Pixel 2 XL (if you finance). I would not have considered getting it since the price was way out of proportion to the phone you were getting, but now with the reduction in cost... The question is:
Should I return my S9+, save the Carrier Financing and go with the Pixel 2 XL (now more reasonably priced)?
Mind you to return my S9+, it will require a little hoop jumping and some pain with my carrier, but what doesn't?
Anyone had both phones or have both phones... thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
You read all the VS. articles on the net, and they are about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine... you guys are the "real world" users... wanting your honesty will help a great deal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want real world users?, I can tell you I had the Pixel 2 XL and now I'm having the S9+, and I can surely say I would never pick the Pixel 2 XL again.
This is my first Samsung device, but honestly, it has everything you wish in a phone.
Pixel 2 XL camera is overrated, and moreover, S9+ kicks Pixel 2 XL ass in low light conditions. I did many tests, in many light conditions, and I can tell you that the Pixel 2 XL doesn't taken a pic you can't take with another flagship phone. Yes, is true that the dynamic range and the HDR+ is magic, but quality and detail is poor overall, and Pixel 2 XL always put a lot of noise and grain in the pictures when the light is missing. I watched all the reviews and videos about the camera, and the day I had it in hand, it was a huge disappointment because quality is not that impressive.
With the Pixel 2 XL you are risking a lot in terms of quality, because is not only about the blue tint, is also the black crush, the black smearing, problems with speakers, with screen, with other internal components... Pixel 2 XL has the worst quality control I have even seen in a smartphone, a lot of people are returning theirs, and even after 4-5 exchanges, they still are not satisfied with the device. Even stores are running away from them, because they have the highest return rate ever seen in a device, and distributors don't want to sell this device anymore, because is a headache with warranty and service. Hardware problems can't be fixed by software!.
Moreover, Google and distributors are still sending units from October and November, even 4-5 months after they were manufactured, which for me look really suspicious, and make me think they are just selling the ones that other people sent back.
Stock Android is for XDA people, but real world people appreciate the fact of having options and gestures in a phone, and not being obligated to root or install custom ROM's to get certain useful functionalities; did you see Android P?, is a ripoff of Samsung Experience and Android now is copying useful things from other manufacturers, which I'm not saying is a bad thing, but then where's the creativity and the step forward?.
The ONLY true reason to pick the Pixel 2 XL would be the updates, but otherwise, I would stick with the S9+ and never look back. I don't care about updates since Nougat, because nothing has changed too much, and Project Treble will make updates easier for everyone. But be aware, because Google tends to mess the older devices, we saw it with the Nexus 6P when the first Pixel came out, and now that we have the Pixel 2 XL, there are a lot of issues with the first Pixel. They are behaving kind of Apple slowing down phones or making them unusable.
With the S9+ you get the latest hardware, and all those issue you mention, I don't have them at all, but maybe because I'm using Exynos version; anyway, S9+ for me is smoother and faster than Pixel 2 XL and I don't have any doubt that any problem you can have will be fixed through software.
Ask me whatever you want, I know both devices really good.
:good:
No phone now is terrible.....we have reached a point where it's marginal in a lot of ways.
It just depends on features and Samsung has many....:good: for some that is great, others it's annoying.
I'm no Fanboy I just like my tech, I even have an iPhone X which I very much like :good:
So the Pixel doesn't kill or win hands down (not from my perspective) however it does offer a better user experience in terms of Updates, it offers a better Camera, all be it perhaps all In the post processing, but it's magical :good: and no Samsung hasn't trumped, but that's not saying the camera on the S9+ is terrible (It's most definitely not) I like it :good:
Samsung camera reimagined (Marketing) Camera improved yeah it is from my point (had the S8+ to) But it's not as big as advertised
It's tough but I don't have to choose, but if I had to and was in your shoes, then I would be thinking of what's important & what's not, the Pixel is where I would go, and I'm sure the S10 or if Samsung rename, is where your going to find the most improvement.
Go Pixel then see what next year brings :good:
If you like firmware updates on a monthly basis, go with the Pixel XL2. If you want to mod, unlock bootloader, root, etc Go with the Google Pixel XL2. I loved my Google Pixel XL and regret getting rid of it... The only thing is you go to get use to the a/b partitions and flashing. There are only (3) devices at this time, that i know of, running a/b partitions...the Google Pixels. both 1 and 2, and the Moto Z2 Force ( which i just bricked 2 in 4 days). But all devices eventually will be going that route, flagships at least....
*edit*
By the way, Security with the Pixel 2 is better because it gets the monthly security patches., on a monthly basis, the way devices should get updates. KNOX is for corporate companies and unless to the regular consumer, other then secure boot, i recently found out.
*edit x 2*
Whatever you do, DONT GET A VERIZON Pixel because they dont allow Boot Loader Unlocking, UNLESS the device is booted with a different SIM card, other then Verizon, you can Unlock Boot Loader and still be on verizon...
I just switched from a Pixel2 XL. I can say that the idea of having a pure stock android directly from Google's kitchen was my first argument to get the pixel2 xl but the user experience and hardware didn't seduce me enough. I continuously felt having a missing feature to make things easier, like swiping to make a call or send sms, or take a screenshot then edit it and send it, showing the hand to take a selfie, listening via 2 Bluetooth headsets to same music my wife and I, ...etc
One can say that there are workarounds for most of "missing" features but it doesn't even come close to it and I didn't pay so much to be in need of 3rd party apps to have fade copies of essential (missing) features ...
Some other "necessary" features can only be obtained by installing xposed, like realtime network speed meter, call recording, customize navigation bar ...
Concerning the hardware, I hated the display not only because of the tint but for two other major reasons: 1. Feels like cheap plastic especially if you knock on it in the middle. 2. While using it on daydream vr, the screen has bad quality and an ugly black tearing (which can also be seen without vr).
VR is also a major argument for me to switch to S9+. There you CAN see how marvelous the screen is and how complete is the oculus ecosystem !
The camera on pixel2 xl is not that wonderful as it is said. The S9+ camera is really practical and powerful and accurate (personal pov).
About stereo speakers, it was also a tempting feature on pixel2 xl but hearing the stereo surrounding sound of S9+ is a great pleasure. A sound more realistic and with sufficient bass (sort of).
Also, I was disappointed with pixel2 xl when I recorded a video then found out its sound was mono while S9+ records videos in stereo and makes watching them a great experience !
As a flasholic, I hated the A/B seamless updates thing which makes flashing and experimenting a lot harder and troublesome.
Lag lag lag, the bad word sticking to touchwiz since ages. I don't find it laggy at all especially when considering the amount of its features. One can remove 99% of bloatware and additional stuff and gain the "legendary" nude android smoothness but then, it's nude ! I didn't pay for that. People tend to compare by benchmarks. The S9+ is doing really well on that part, but in everyday use I am sure I CAN achieve regular stuff on my S9+ faster than on Pixel2 XL !
All that being said, I again feel I'm using a "smart"phone .
Edit : I was also tempted by the long-term updates which I could get 3 years long on the pixel2 xl but, hey, are we keeping our devices more than a year ? Hell no, so why bother ? I enjoy the best looking and functioning device now until another better one seduces me...
googy_anas said:
The camera on pixel2 xl is not that wonderful as it is said. The S9+ camera is really practical and powerful and accurate (personal pov). .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most of your points, but you've got to be kidding regarding the camera. The pixel camera is still consistently the best out there.
Goronok said:
I agree with most of your points, but you've got to be kidding regarding the camera. The pixel camera is still consistently the best out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not kidding but I'm not a professional too. All I can say is that my S9+ pictures AND videos look better than what pixel2xl gave me. (Still personal pov)
Can I test a little bit here, I won't name the device the photo was taken with .....
First one .....
Second one :good:
What one is the Samsung? I can tell you which one is way more accurate in colour, and the better of the scene, both same auto settings and exactly the same conditions :good:
I've had both and like the S9+ at least a little better. I returned my 1st P2XL for a very blue display. The 2nd one started flashing brightly when the display went off. I got a good one for the 3rd, sold it before something else happened. After returning 2 units I lost my love for the device. Stock phones are so capable now I've lost the urge to root & mod. I really like the S9+, it just works well & the display is beautiful. It'll hold me until the P3 comes out. They are both great but I've never returned anything twice for defects. Some on here have had 5 or 6 rmas.
I had a S9+ and a Pixel 2 XL. The S9 went back for horrible black crush and smearing. Take your brightness way down and scroll through something. Also try to watch a video on Netflix. I ordered another S9 to see if it's and isolated incident. Problem is there's a thread on Android Central with the same issues. I put the S9 and Pixel next to each other. They smearing and crush looked identical. I've always been a stock Android guy, but the stereo speakers and other features on the S9 almost have me won over...if the next screen is better.
Has anyone gone from a OnePlus device to the S21? I'm curious to hear your thoughts. I currently have a OnePlus 7 Pro, and I've been waiting for the 9 series launch, to see what they had to offer. After seeing the specs and reading/watching a ton of reviews of the 9 series, I'm on the fence between upgrading to a 9 or the Galaxy S21. I prefer to root my phones. I'd like to hear your experience, if you've made this similar switch.
7T user here and looking to buy the S21. Only main thing I'll miss is having a second user account which I can switch to use different login for apps. Shame there isn't any smaller flagships with SD 888
Tldr; if you aren't willing to adjust to OneUI, want a mid-sized phone with great battery, or want to have a different phone than your friends, oneplus 9. Otherwise get the s21 off swappa and you'll love it!
I had a Oneplus 7 Pro (and every non-T oneplus since the Oneplus one). After that I got a oneplus 8 and was pretty happy with everything except the camera. Ended up getting a base S21 for a great deal on swappa ($600 a week after launch). First samsung since the Note 2 and am very impressed with OneUI 3.1. Camera is fantastic, size is much better, flat screen rocks, case selection is endless, really digging wireless charging, speakers rock, battery is a little inconsistent (definitely not the 8-10 hours SOT I'd get on the oneplus 8, but plenty for a day of use). The screen is GORGEOUS (colors, fluidity, etc are way way better than the 7 pro and the 8). I do miss the offscreen gestures a bit, but sideactions is a pretty great substitute. What won me over was GoodLock. It really does make the stock rom feel like a custom rom and it's 100% stable.
Also, s21 ultra fixes the bad battery life of the s21 base. Also has super fast charging.
OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5T, S21 plus.
I'm happy with the purchase, the SW is good, only few more add-ons. You can beabloat it very quickly.
Battery is good on Plus model with my usage always 4g-5g 7+ SOT one day usage or 5 hour 2 day usage.
Very good audio and display. Little bit of theming thanks to GoodLock app
I'd love to know what I can debloat without affecting anything.
If you want to root then stay with OnePlus, it is easier. I migrated from a OP 6T to a S21+ and I love it. I do miss the option to root. You can unlock/root samsung but only if you get international/exynos variant and then no warranty, or pay a ridiculous bootloader unlocking fee and likely lose warranty as well. No such issues with oneplus.
I guess if you are not a US customer then this is a nonissue for you.
I went with the S21 Ultra. There really isn't much gain for me in root anymore. I did like Adaway and Viper, but the Samsung phone has very good audio controls. And I'm using dns.adguard.com as a private DNS server in the connection settings. It's been working fine so far for minimizing those annoying ads.
ledvedder said:
I went with the S21 Ultra. There really isn't much gain for me in root anymore. I did like Adaway and Viper, but the Samsung phone has very good audio controls. And I'm using dns.adguard.com as a private DNS server in the connection settings. It's been working fine so far for minimizing those annoying ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have found that root is not really needed anymore, a lot of the old benefits of root are now implemented in official releases. The biggest one for me was spoofing location, but I still have my OP 3T and OP 6T so I can always use those if I want to do any spoofing.
I had OP 8 plus and after a year got tired of recurring problems, namely bluetooth issues with connecting or more accurately losing connection with my Galaxy Watch 3. Went back to samsung and got the 21Ultra on Tmobile. LOVE. IT!!! system wide font changing. Fast fast fast. Battery tremendous. 512GB memory. Screen gorgeous. And CAMERA IS UNBELIEVABLE.
not and one plus user but I did come from a pixel. I disabled a bunch of samsung apps as soon as I got the s21+. So far I dislike the phone a lot. I miss the modding and the ASOP experiance. The Amount of Bloatware on Samsung phones is way to much and in your face. Hardware wise I have no complaints. Just wish a stock rom would come out.
ledvedder said:
I'd love to know what I can debloat without affecting anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB AppControl 1.6.2 Extended has it all in preset options and allows you to revert back easily should you disable something in error.
Have used it on several ASUS, Samsung, LG .. tablets and phones without issue
Manuals for ADB AppControl
One of the many things that I'm loving about my S21 Ultra over my OnePlus 7 Pro is that I'm getting service in areas that I was never able to get it with the OnePlus.
ermacwins said:
7T user here and looking to buy the S21. Only main thing I'll miss is having a second user account which I can switch to use different login for apps. Shame there isn't any smaller flagships with SD 888
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I was also disappointed to discover this feature was MIA. After years of exclusively using AOSP based ROMs it seemed like a poor oversight on behalf of Samsung after switching... That is, until I discovered the Secure Folder function.
To be completely honest, while there are a few features missing (like specific quiet hours, an easy way to turn off notifications, etc), I much prefer the Secure Folder sandbox to running a second user. It's effectively the same thing but without the clunk of switching back and forth.
OP5T here. Only thing I miss is Dash charge. Otherwise the jump (OZ Exynos here) was the right timing. This has all the refinement it needs for my use, it seems to just work. Appreciate the great screen, stereo speakers, refined design. OneUI has come a long way.
I was a hater but I'm enjoying the experience. Remove the Samsung apps that mirror google native apps, aka bloatware, and it's all good in my books.
I switched from a OnePlus 6T to the S21 5G - mostly because of opportunity, since I was offered a low price. Otherwise I would probably have waited for a good price to get the OnePlus 9.
Nevertheless, I am positively surprised by the S21. One UI 3 is greatly designed. Battery performance is a little disappointing, but some debloating and customizations (root based) made it acceptable. Theming support is a little mere as of now (syngery, substratum, ...) but that's the same for lots of Android R devices atm.
As a power user heavily relying on root, the process of rooting was a little unpleasing, yet everything is working great.
What I don't like:
- Exynos. Why not have the Snapdragon for all of the world? Exynos has always been behind its Snapdragon pendant. The performance difference has gotten less significant, but still: The Snapdragon version is the stronger one.
- Rooting is more complicated and breaks OEM warranty.
- Lack of good Gcam ports, but this is just a matter of time.
I've been more than pleased with the S21 Ultra without root so far. I've been rocking in for a few weeks. I don't feel the need for V4A, since Samsung has a really good EQ and sound enhancements. And a combination of Blackada and DNS66 has been working to block annoying ads.
Reacon said:
Hey, I was also disappointed to discover this feature was MIA. After years of exclusively using AOSP based ROMs it seemed like a poor oversight on behalf of Samsung after switching... That is, until I discovered the Secure Folder function.
To be completely honest, while there are a few features missing (like specific quiet hours, an easy way to turn off notifications, etc), I much prefer the Secure Folder sandbox to running a second user. It's effectively the same thing but without the clunk of switching back and forth.
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Can I have a 2nd YouTube app and Gmail app running?