Related
Ok, so we've had our first impressions and now we've had our devices for weeks, maybe months, let's give our opinions about the device.
Display
I must admit, I was shocked by the display, I've had many phones and nothing could beat the iPhone 4's retina display, I must admit that I didn't think this tin could come to par with either that or the Super AMOLED display, but damn, it's yummy good.
Handset (Body & Screen)
The body, the material of the phone is sexy, that's the best way to describe it, in my hand though, I must admit, that damn edge hurts your palm after time, so you have to keep the edge out of it after a few mins, damn things a bugger, wish a nice third party case would come and comfort this. As for the screen, as soon as I bought it, I was looking for a screen protector, bought one that doesn't cover it up, so much for the hellish plastic, as by then I managed to get two very tiny scratches on the screen which you can just about see in light, OCD Rage!! so much for Gorilla Glass, I guess it's no good on the fine scratches. Thanks to an XDA member now I've ordered a full screen protector.
Operating System
Ok, since I've used all three leading OS right now, I can be unbiased and fan-boy-less. Android, oh god, I was the dude who couldn't stop rooting, theming, tweaking, I must admit, Android is good, but not great, why? Ok, as much as some may hate the fact of being boxed in by Zune and iTunes, it keeps your music library organised, I prefer iTunes over Zune, as Zune is limited and slow when it comes to syncing a movie. The widgets on Android just makes your screen look like your fridge with a load of untidy sticky notes, iOS lacks it, whereas the Windows is limited which I like, though I do wish the live tiles could be as big as the pictures tile as an option. When it comes to syncing contacts, I disliked the iOS, was way too limited, it's like the contacts were completely seperate, making the phone feel like, it was on the side, it felt like the iOS was an iPod touch with the phone on side, Android was ok thanks to HTC, but without that, it was pretty close to the iOS, lacking. The Windows though, damn, I love this piece of ish, this is the best part of it, it being a great "PHONE" doing it's job their perfectly. Out of all three OS's I have to admit, Windows has been the best so far, as it is a phone, don't get me wrong, the tweaks, customising, rooting yada I love, but it all comes down to it being a phone. iOS comes second and Android third. Why Android? I think we all know now, google was an innovator, but is now an imitator, copy and pasting, nothing eye-catching that I've seen anymore.
Music Player
Oh dear, where do I start? This thing is bloody awful, my mini-disc player sounded way better than this, maybe even my old tape player too, it's dreadful, the guy who was in charge of this must have shot himself or Nokia must have murdered him from the complaints on here and the Nokia forum, but yes, apparently the next update will fix this, I don't know how, as I believed it was hardware related and not software, we shall wait and see. I had to buy a Fiio amplifier because of it, it's doing it's job well, but I wish that I didn't need it, as it adds extra wires and of course an extra gadget I could do without. Damn! It'd be payday for the man who robs me. Loudspeaker, oh god, reminds me off the first phones that had real ringtones, that awful hiss. It makes a great alarm though by being annoying. The iPhone 4 was absolutely brilliant in this department, no problem whatsoever, Android was too, apart from it being an untidy music player.
Battery
Another downer, this phones battery is ridiculous, I'm sorry, as many have stated that their battery life is now better, you're just sacrificing the tools and background apps, dimming your screen i.e. finding ways to save battery, I had an iPhone 4, damn things wi-fi, 3g, GPS was always switched on, Androids, the mother of battery drainers, installing custom ROM's that had battery draining bugs and that don't come close to this. Nokia was always great when it came to battery life, but this is outrageous, one big reason why I'm having second thoughts on this phone.
Verdict
Big red for the verdict, as some may have got tired reading, but what can I say about this phone, it's amazing, not the best, the best when it comes to OS, I'm having second thoughts about this phone, Nokia is plain ignoring everyone, look at their forum, that will give you an example, they were good when it came to customer service, not anymore, I wanted the Lumia 900 later this year to join this phone, but now I'm thinking, if the iPhone 5 is out by then, I may go for that instead, with this phone being kept on the side. The phone has faults, yes, the iPhone had the horrible antenna gate, but, I'm p***** off with Nokia's response to the battery, at one time, they needed the diagnostics app to determine your battery status, now they're telling everyone to not pay attention to it and delete it. The best part of the phone comes down to the fruit Mango, that's the heart of this phone. So I'll give this phone a 7.5/10
Thanks for reading, hope I didn't b**** too much, and please people, if you disagree, keep it clean and friendly, it was my "opinion", you have yours too.
Thanks for the review, I'll give it a go anyway, I got it coming Tuesday, I've currently got a 4S which I love, but something attracts me to this phone, the battery can't be as bad as the 4s, I have to charge it twice a day, it's a joke.
junglebungle said:
Thanks for the review, I'll give it a go anyway, I got it coming Tuesday, I've currently got a 4S which I love, but something attracts me to this phone, the battery can't be as bad as the 4s, I have to charge it twice a day, it's a joke.
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No problem, I highly doubt the new models would be affected by this, I'm sure Nokia sotred them out before shipment. Yes, the phone is defiinitely eye catching. That's why I bought it.
junglebungle said:
Thanks for the review, I'll give it a go anyway, I got it coming Tuesday, I've currently got a 4S which I love, but something attracts me to this phone, the battery can't be as bad as the 4s, I have to charge it twice a day, it's a joke.
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Click to collapse
Kind of off topic but have you disabled some of the location services on the 4S? It constantly searchs for location for the weather update, you can disable this specifically (without disabling location for maps) and double the battery life. My better half's 3GS had a big drop in battery life too due to this.
Boburto said:
Kind of off topic but have you disabled some of the location services on the 4S? It constantly searchs for location for the weather update, you can disable this specifically (without disabling location for maps) and double the battery life. My better half's 3GS had a big drop in battery life too due to this.
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Yes I've tried alsorts, all what you say, but's it really is terrible for battery I'll get the Lumia tomorrow and decide weather to keep the 4S or sell it, I'll probably end up selling it.
junglebungle said:
Yes I've tried alsorts, all what you say, but's it really is terrible for battery I'll get the Lumia tomorrow and decide weather to keep the 4S or sell it, I'll probably end up selling it.
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I hope you don't get a lumia with terrible battery . The chinese are probably mad that Apple are selling all the iPhones overseas and are sabotaging the batteries!
I'm stuck between getting a Lumia or a 4S at the moment. Had a bit of crap customer service from apple which has turned me off (i even cancelled my pre-order), but all the problems with the Lumia are turning me off. If they fix the audio (and put 32GB) then i might get one... or hold off for the 900.
I can't wait to hear how you get on with the Lumia though, mainly because WP7 is really fantastic.
Boburto said:
I hope you don't get a lumia with terrible battery . The chinese are probably mad that Apple are selling all the iPhones overseas and are sabotaging the batteries!
I'm stuck between getting a Lumia or a 4S at the moment. Had a bit of crap customer service from apple which has turned me off (i even cancelled my pre-order), but all the problems with the Lumia are turning me off. If they fix the audio (and put 32GB) then i might get one... or hold off for the 900.
I can't wait to hear how you get on with the Lumia though, mainly because WP7 is really fantastic.
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lol yeah more than likely
I've brought it off someone which is second hand and he's had it since Novemeber, so probably one of the earlier models, we're see with battery I suppose... £200 for it though and mint condition so can't complain, and I really like the look of those live tiles lol
The 4s is an amazing phone don't get me wrong, it really has some amazing features, the camera is second to none, the apps functionality and how iOS has come around to be great really makes it a great phone, I will miss some of the apps if I sell it, Instagram (amazing photo app like twitter follow people etc but you post pictures) iPlayer, Sky Go, TVCatchup, amongst many other great apps.
But in the end I don't think it'll bother me, I like minimal, email, messaging and calls, the WP7 interface looks smart for doing those things and it's not like Apple are ever going to stop producing iPhones, the 5 will be around the corner lol
Regards
PURPOSE
So 1st and foremost, the plan here is to give you my experience with these 2 phones. Granted, I have only used the Axon 7 for about 3 days now and can say I have yet to fully break it in to find everything that may or may not be right / wrong with it. However, this will be a unbiased look and comparison. I'm neither a fanboy or sheep. No brand affiliation. Not a programmer either, just a pro-sumer Senior Member of XDA willing to get trolled, flamed, etc. for sharing a look at these 2 phones. Hopefully, I can give "the everyday guy / gal look" without getting bogged down in stats, variables or benchmarks. Here goes...
MY BACKGROUND
No one special. Just a guy that likes the latest tech... phones being at the top of the list. I am a nerd. No doubt about that. I think anyone that knows about XDA probably is to some extent. No brand loyalty. Recently, I have had the privilege to try out the following phones:
1. Axon 7
2. OnePlus 3
3. HTC 10
4. LeEcco Le Max 2
5. Huawei P9
6. LG G5
7. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
8. Huawei Mate 8
9. Huawei Nexus 6P
10. LG Nexus 5X
11. Samsung Note 5
12. Apple iPhone 6s+
And probably some more, but these are the most recent. Does that make me qualified to make a review... Maybe. It does make me an idiot that likes new phones, though. I am always looking for something that meets my needs but also is a good phone. Currently with TMobile but have been with ATT, Verizon & Sprint at some point over 20 years of using cell phones.
MY NEEDS
I drive about 40 miles everyday to work (yes, my work week is currently 7 days a week with a few occasional days off). So, with this in mind and where I drive, I need the minimum requirements:
1. Can Stream Music
2. Bluetooth is fully compatible with my 2016 vehicle
3. An equalizer of some sort since I have only switch out my new cars speakers for better ones and don't plan on changing or adding a better sound system.
4. Decent pictures when needed
5. As a nerd, I like to "mesmerize" people with a pay with your phone app like Apple Pay or Android Pay
6. Works with my Huawei Watch
7. Relatively not laggy - will sometimes do some ROM-ing or some customization but since I tend to get rid of the phones quickly I try not to void warranties or make it too non-stock
THE COMPARISON
I am looking at my experience with the OnePlus 3 and the Axon 7 under/around these requirements and some normal stuff like battery, screen, snappiness, heat, speakers, etc. Here goes:
SOUND OVERALL
There is not too many times when I do a review comparison where 1 phone just crushes the other... and I don't mean like crushing an empty aluminum beer can in your hand crushing... I mean like BigFoot crushing late model junk cars at the end of a Monster Truck Rally Crushin'.... 'Mericaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Sorry got carried away there a second. Honestly, how phone manufacturers cannot include a system-wide sound equalizer with all the other STUPID GUI tweaks and bastardizations they do to Android especially is beyond me in 2016. Most people are transitioning to bluetooth headphones or have bluetooth in their cars and for the most part use streaming services to/for music. Yes, there is the occasional dude with the $1000 plug-in headphones that also plugs into a in-line $2000 DAC that only listens to download Loseless Quality Music with the Music App that came with the phone.... with a show of hands, how many fall into this category??? Then why pray tell is this the only music equalization most manufacturers are catering too on their phones (Apple included)? I don't know just wanted to rant a little. With that said though, the inclusion of Dolby ATMOS without having to root on the Axon 7 plus its dual stereo forward facing speakers makes this a non-competition. Yes, you could add ViperATMOSBeatsDon'tcare Mod.zip to a rooted TWRP OnePlus 3... but why should I have to? Why can't some system-wide equalizer be included Mr. FlagShip Killer? Look at their own Community Forum and its one of the most active requests since the OnePlus 3 came out (along with actually using all the RAM the phone has)... Good Work ZTE!!! I'm sure for all you headphone people too that the AXON 7 would dominate even though I have zero to judge that on since I have never taken either the OnePlus 3's headphones nor the AXON 7's headphones out of the box.
WINNER: AXON 7 BigFoot- Crushing OnePlus 3 Grave Digger.
BATTERY
People get bent out of shape nowadays about the "wall hugger" syndrome... this is the need to re-charge your phone more than once, twice, 3-times etc. per day and being attached to a charger constantly. Well, we only have ourselves and technology to blame. Battery technology has yet to progress to a point that adequately matches all the other advances cell phones have made... I can remember in the 90's getting my first Li-ion Battery Cell Phone and was like "WOW!!! I can charge this anytime I want, days of battery life, no need to discharge the whole phone before recharging and no need for extra batteries..." Fast forward almost 30 years... AND its the same type of battery... So no phone truly wins here until technology gets better. This too along with our need for skinny things... women, cocktails, bank account, soda, etc. have phones getting increasingly skinnier without ever considering what it has do with the battery is disturbing. If only we could get back to the simpler times of a bagphone, then the battery could be as big as you want it... AHHH, the simpler times. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Really though, the batteries on both phones perform very similar in my use. The place where they differ the most is the charging. For OnePlus 3, you have to use their proprietary DASH Charge as oppose to QuickCharge 3.0. This means you can only buy OnePlus 3 chargers (or some not trustworthy knock offs) to take advantage of feature... it's not so bad now that they made the car charger available again on their website and the phone comes with a wall plug with the feature... it's just a departure from the standard many others are using and requires new accessory purchases... basically a OnePlus Money Grab.... DASH Charge is slightly faster but not enough for anyone but a battery loving neophyte to really take notice.
WINNER: AXON 7 - Sorry QuickCharge 3.0 Industry Standard beats proprietary DASH Charge even though DASH Charge is slightly faster.
HEAT
Not going to spend much time here. Both phones run Snapdragon 820's. Both phones are metal... guess what... they get hot under stress... so no winners here, only losers. Neither had to be powered off for getting too hot though, like my S7 needed to when I was doing its initial setup... so there's that. :good:
WINNER: Both or None... They get hot under processor stress and in the dreaded "At an event and have your camera constantly on then stick it in your pocket only to have 3rd degree burns on your thighs or butt" Test
SNAPPINESS
Neither phone I have taken the time to Mod or root or stare at compassionately... but both perform really well like they should. Now, let the 6GB vs. 4GB debates begin!!! First, it is well known that even after 2 updates, the OnePlus 3's RAM management is still wonky and does not fully utilize all that RAM. No matter. I can't see an advantage yet. Yes you could AnTuTu-whogivesapoop test them all day. I rather just talked about how using the phone feels. Neither have extensive bastardizations over stock android so neither grinds the phone to a halt like TouchWizCement does. I run the BETA of Sense 8 Launcher for All Android Phones on both. Both phones perform well with it. I have played Pokemon GO! on both along with Clash Royale... both run fine. GPS works good on both and locks in fairly quickly. It isn't the best I have seen but not the LG Worst either Until there's another processor to look at, I think most manufacturers are taking full advantage of the limits of the 820. Throwing RAM at it doesn't dramatically do anything either. I guess it good to always have it in your back pocket if needed.
WINNER: ONEPLUS 3 - Simply because it has more RAM, no real-world experience proves it faster. Fanboy Benchmarkers withstanding
************DISCLAIMER / NEWSFLASH************* FOR IT PEOPLE FROM NEW JERSEY AND/OR GENERAL KNOW-IT-ALLS
YES... One can easily claim that RAM on the face of it has nothing to do with Snappiness since no present day Android phone fully utilizes 4GB let alone 6GB of RAM... The point to be made here is that the OP3 although having more RAM has no advantage in snappiness over an AXON 7. With that said, since both phones cost the same, neither phone is snappier, why not pick the one with more RAM based on stats alone... for this particularly on the face of it unrelated category? Furthermore, there has been many tests of the OP3 that show that RAM in a way DOES influence its snappiness when compared to 4GB phones... not because of the amount of RAM but by OP3's RAM MANAGEMENT. Lastly, although it may seem like a marketing ploy now for OP3 to have 6GB of RAM since it is not needed since it is not utilized.... I have kind of heard this argument before... when phones had 1GB of RAM and 2GB phones were introduced, then when 3GB phones were introduced, etc. etc. and from basically every iSheep out there, that more RAM does not necessarily make a phone better or faster. Albeit true for the most part for Apple because they spend a vast amount of time developing their RAM Management and have iOS lock down, for Android and what seems to be a lack of development on this front, RAM amounts increase to handle the sloppiness of the RAM Management and/or lack of focus on developing this overlooked section of the phone's programming. Basically, OP3 moves the needle for better or worst towards 6GB at the same price as 4GB... more is more in this one scenario only...
DISPLAY
Not much to mention here either. Both have good displays. On paper, the AXON 7's is better. I would say that the average person not knowing that one has higher resolution than the other would have a hard time calling it out. Color reproduction is about the same on both as well. Neither have a "always-on" feature which would have been nice. Both have LED's for notifications. Here's where once again you just have to stick with the stats and say....
WINNER: AXON 7 - higher stats mean better screen right!!!!???
PHONE DESIGN
Wow! a bit to talk about here. Let's start on both phones exterior features and design. Both are designed well. Definitely not ugly by any stretch of the imagination. The AXON 7 was designed with help from BMW and significantly improves on the previous generation iteration, like having actual speakers in both of the speaker grill looking forward facing top and bottom of screen. I do have the gold AXON 7... the color isn't the greatest but I wasn't going to wait for the gray one to come out to test it... I might return the gold for a gray if they become available in my return window. The OnePlus 3 is a pretty phone too. It doesn't have a firm like BMW attached to it, but one feels they did a good job of improving on the OnePlus 2 design without getting away from their bread and butter core design elements. With that, I love the alert slider... call me an isheep but I feel to this day that it is the single greatest design advantage the iPhone has had over any Android phone for years now. Although not as perfectly functional as Apples is, the OnePlus 3 is a great feature. Both have excellent fingerprint readers. Very fast. For my use case, a front facing fingerprint reader is better. That's my use case, in a cradle, in my car, that I get in and out of while sometime leaving my phone in the cradle, makes the front facing reader slightly more convenient. NFC chip and camera placement good on both as well. AXON 7 does have one design characteristic that I found annoying and I noticed while playing Clash Royale.... the power button is on the right side of the phone near the center. While playing and trying to drag drop to the top of the screen, you can easily inadvertently toggle the on/off button, this might be the button is overly sensitive or just my clumsiness. OnePlus 3 scores some extras too with swapstyle cases... Why can't other phone manufacturers take notes here. I think it is great that I can get relatively cheap exclusively designed nice looking cases for my OnePlus 3... for the AXON 7, I'm stuck with Chinese knock off cheesy poop designed cases with TPU raining from skies... I need a case and sure the first thing that comes to mind when I get a nice looking professionally designed by BMW phone is to put it into a TPU trashcan of a case because 0.0 (zero point zero) cases by ZTE are available or even look worthy of residing on the phone.... yep, I so love it. AXON 7 does step it up with one thing, SD card compatibility. More storage... sure I can use that anytime...
WINNER: TIED - OnePlus 3 would have won here, but not having SD Card capability is just dumb... especially since you used the space for a dual SIM.
*********************ADDITIONAL DESIGN DISCUSSION************CAPACITIVE BUTTONS ON THE AXON 7**********************
Purposely I left this discussion out about the capacitive buttons on the AXON 7. WHY? You may ask. At first, like many, when I heard that not only does the AXON 7 only have capacitive buttons without the option to toggle to turn them off for on-screen buttons, the buttons themselves do not light up, did make me a little worried. But to not buy a phone based on a untested worry is just fear mongering at it best, plus I bought my AXON 7 from Amazon so that I could easily return it if I hated it. Well, surprisingly the capacitive button "issue" is really just a bunch of hype... yes, I do think that OP3 has the advantage here with the toggle for on-screen and that its buttons light up. However, the AXON 7 does provide a on-screen button solution although it is way more sloppy looks wise then OP3's. The whole light up button thing to me can be excused by what was an intentional design choice by ZTE. So, unlike the OP3 which has its all app and back buttons spread out along the bottom of the display, the AXON 7 distinctively has its all-app and back buttons crowded towards the center closer to the central home button. Why do this? Well, from my use in dark rooms and at night, it makes not seeing the actual buttons not an issue. Let me explain further. I know from muscle memory that the home button is in center of the bottom of screen... pretty easy to hit in a completely dark room unless I'm drunk that is... being able to do this on muscle memory then in turn with a slight adjustment to the right, makes it easy to hit the back button (setup for right hand in the AXON 7's setting) and same to the left with the all apps button. If the buttons were spaced out like OP3's without lights then it would be an issue... but in this case and what I hope is design answering function, the AXON 7 doesn't have an issue... once again to me, maybe not you.... hahahahaha
CAMERA
I have done a couple of these reviews and every time I point out that I am not a big fan of cameras on phones. I went to school for photography and movie making back when film was still used. Have seen lenses that cost more than my current house and have seen Ansel Adams original prints first hand. So, it makes me a camera snob... thus, my opinion of on phone cameras is that they are all Bantha PooDoo. However, improvements are made with every new phone and even though innovations have seem to slow in favor of the pixel wars... one day they might be great.
Looking at both and later I will put up some similar shots from both, each phone have decent cameras. The OnePlus performs better in low light especially however I would not count the AXON 7 out in the cold as I feel that the AXON 7's low light difficulties might be able to be corrected with feature updates. The AXON 7 does have it's ripoff version of a "live photo" that works pretty decent plus some decent scenario modes that just work better for pictures I may take. The OnePlus 3's camera software is just basic with good custom manual settings. The AXON 7 has manual mode as well. Like I said, I will upload some similar shots from each and you can decide.
WINNER: TBD
CONCLUSION
So, what can I conclude? Both phones are awesome... Both have plus and minuses. I don't think there's a clear hands down winner and would not want to argue that point. I can only tell you that beyond everything else that the lack of a system-wide equalizer for sound just annoys little brown stinkies out of me. My commute to work is a big part of my day sometimes 7 days a week. I want to listen to Sirius XM app and Google Play Music so it sound great in my car. I want to set some equalization that make it sound awesome then forget it is even there. Not constant resetting of bass boost, tweaking sound to have it all reset again and again. Why provide a basic equalizer in Google Play Music on the OnePlus 3 that always has the bass setting reset when a call comes in, you switch to a new app or the crappy RAM Management software kicks it out of memory even though you locked it into memory on the all apps screen? That just pains me... If OnePlus does listen to their customer base, maybe just maybe they will add one in a future OTA update. Who knows. Having had the original AXON, I have to say that this phone is definitely an improvement and is worth checking out if you liked the original. I am still a little off-put by the fact that ZTE has done very little to support this phone with accessories like cases and stuff making me hit Aliexpress for the Oscar the Grouch specials that they have there. Could you survive with either one of these phones as your next new phone... of course! Hopefully, this little review will help you out in that decision. Lastly and as always, this is just Some Guys Opinion...
:highfive:
Newsflash - Having 6gb of RAM doesn't make a phone more snappy than a 4gb phone... people need to stop thinking this...4gb is more than enough RAM for even the most hardcore user...6gb is just a gimmick for sales.
gparmar76 said:
Newsflash - Having 6gb of RAM doesn't make a phone more snappy than a 4gb phone... people need to stop thinking this...4gb is more than enough RAM for even the most hardcore user...6gb is just a gimmick for sales.
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Click to collapse
Newsflash- didn't say it did but with proper RAM management it COULD in theory be more snappy if it kept more apps in memory not requiring them to be reloaded. Also if the phones are the same price why not have more. Was pretty much my point. It makes no difference but higher quantity wins out. Your argument is the same for better displays 1080p is good enough why would you need more? Because they can and do... Snore
mahst68 said:
Newsflash- didn't say it did but with proper RAM management it COULD in theory be more snappy if it kept more apps in memory not requiring them to be reloaded. Also if the phones are the same price why not have more. Was pretty much my point. It makes no difference but higher quantity wins out. Your argument is the same for better displays 1080p is good enough why would you need more? Because they can and do... Snore
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lol...why don't you read what you wrote...Snappiness -OP3 simply because it has more RAM.
All I'm saying is you're wrong...the OP3 could very well be "snappier" but it sure as hell isn't because it has 6gb of memory... memory management issues or not...the only time RAM would take away from a modern day smartphone's speed or cause heavy lag would be if it had very low amount of RAM (512mb or 1gb)....even 2gb phones run great on Android M...most high end phones that have 3 or more GB of memory never use all of it...you could load up 250,apps simultaneously and you would never use 4gb of memory...trust me I've tried and I'm using the OP2...most if not ALL issues related to lag these days or just spotty performance in the UK is related to the OS and how the OEM implemented it...heavy skinning, bloatware, etc etc.
gparmar76 said:
lol...why don't you read what you wrote...Snappiness -OP3 simply because it has more RAM.
All I'm saying is you're wrong...the OP3 could very well be "snappier" but it sure as hell isn't because it has 6gb of memory... memory management issues or not...the only time RAM would take away from a modern day smartphone's speed or cause heavy lag would be if it had very low amount of RAM (512mb or 1gb)....even 2gb phones run great on Android M...most high end phones that have 3 or more GB of memory never use all of it...you could load up 250,apps simultaneously and you would never use 4gb of memory...trust me I've tried and I'm using the OP2...most if not ALL issues related to lag these days or just spotty performance in the UK is related to the OS and how the OEM implemented it...heavy skinning, bloatware, etc etc.
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Bra- I know you guys in the UK think you invented English language but...
The whole paragraph explains that neither the Axon 7 or the OP3 is faster or more snappy. In so much as this is true, why not have 6GB of RAM if it doesn't cost more. Thus exactly what I wrote rather than the trainwreck you wrote :
WINNER: ONEPLUS 3 - Simply because it has more RAM, no real-world experience proves it faster. Fanboy Benchmarkers withstanding
Which simply means in headlines, newsflashes or whatever else makes you feel like you are telling someone that you're important that when 2 phones perform the same, might as well have the one with more stuff, regardless if it helps or not...
I prefer that I pick who puts words in my mouth and it turns out you're not one of them
mahst68 said:
Bra- I know you guys in the UK think you invented English language but...
The whole paragraph explains that neither the Axon 7 or the OP3 is faster or more snappy. In so much as this is true, why not have 6GB of RAM if it doesn't cost more. Thus exactly what I wrote rather than the trainwreck you wrote :
WINNER: ONEPLUS 3 - Simply because it has more RAM, no real-world experience proves it faster. Fanboy Benchmarkers withstanding
Which simply means in headlines, newsflashes or whatever else makes you feel like you are telling someone that you're important that when 2 phones perform the same, might as well have the one with more stuff, regardless if it helps or not...
I prefer that I pick who puts words in mouth and it turns out your not one of them
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"BRA" It was spell check that changed UI to UK... would have thought that was clearly evident...but alas...
And I know what he was implying...bra...lol...aren't bras worn by women? Maybe you mean Bruh?
gparmar76 said:
"BRA" It was spell check that changed UI to UK... would have thought that was clearly evident...but alas...
And I know what he was implying...bra...lol...aren't bras worn by women? Maybe you mean Bruh?
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Click to collapse
Nope I meant to call you "bra" and spell check had my back. Bruh is for my bruhs. "Bra" is for someone exactly like you because since you must wear them since you're a little biatch... Trolling flaming gnome. Go get in line for Harry Potter and have a nice day BRA
mahst68 said:
PURPOSE
So 1st and foremost, the plan here is to give you my experience with these 2 phones. Granted, I have only used the Axon 7 for about 3 days now and can say I have yet to fully break it in to find everything that may or may not be right / wrong with it. However, this will be a unbiased look and comparison. I'm neither a fanboy or sheep. No brand affiliation. Not a programmer either, just a pro-sumer Senior Member of XDA willing to get trolled, flamed, etc. for sharing a look at these 2 phones. Hopefully, I can give "the everyday guy / gal look" without getting bogged down in stats, variables or benchmarks. Here goes...
MY BACKGROUND
No one special. Just a guy that likes the latest tech... phones being at the top of the list. I am a nerd. No doubt about that. I think anyone that knows about XDA probably is to some extent. No brand loyalty. Recently, I have had the privilege to try out the following phones:
1. Axon 7
2. OnePlus 3
3. HTC 10
4. LeEcco Le Max 2
5. Huawei P9
6. LG G5
7. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
8. Huawei Mate 8
9. Huawei Nexus 6P
10. LG Nexus 5X
11. Samsung Note 5
12. Apple iPhone 6s+
And probably some more, but these are the most recent. Does that make me qualified to make a review... Maybe. It does make me an idiot that likes new phones, though. I am always looking for something that meets my needs but also is a good phone. Currently with TMobile but have been with ATT, Verizon & Sprint at some point over 20 years of using cell phones.
MY NEEDS
I drive about 40 miles everyday to work (yes, my work week is currently 7 days a week with a few occasional days off). So, with this in mind and where I drive, I need the minimum requirements:
1. Can Stream Music
2. Bluetooth is fully compatible with my 2016 vehicle
3. An equalizer of some sort since I have only switch out my new cars speakers for better ones and don't plan on changing or adding a better sound system.
4. Decent pictures when needed
5. As a nerd, I like to "mesmerize" people with a pay with your phone app like Apple Pay or Android Pay
6. Works with my Huawei Watch
7. Relatively not laggy - will sometimes do some ROM-ing or some customization but since I tend to get rid of the phones quickly I try not to void warranties or make it too non-stock
THE COMPARISON
I am looking at my experience with the OnePlus 3 and the Axon 7 under/around these requirements and some normal stuff like battery, screen, snappiness, heat, speakers, etc. Here goes:
SOUND OVERALL
There is not too many times when I do a review comparison where 1 phone just crushes the other... and I don't mean like crushing an empty aluminum beer can in your hand crushing... I mean like BigFoot crushing late model junk cars at the end of a Monster Truck Rally Crushin'.... 'Mericaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Sorry got carried away there a second. Honestly, how phone manufacturers cannot include a system-wide sound equalizer with all the other STUPID GUI tweaks and bastardizations they do to Android especially is beyond me in 2016. Most people are transitioning to bluetooth headphones or have bluetooth in their cars and for the most part use streaming services to/for music. Yes, there is the occasional dude with the $1000 plug-in headphones that also plugs into a in-line $2000 DAC that only listens to download Loseless Quality Music with the Music App that came with the phone.... with a show of hands, how many fall into this category??? Then why pray tell is this the only music equalization most manufacturers are catering too on their phones (Apple included)? I don't know just wanted to rant a little. With that said though, the inclusion of Dolby ATMOS without having to root on the Axon 7 plus its dual stereo forward facing speakers makes this a non-competition. Yes, you could add ViperATMOSBeatsDon'tcare Mod.zip to a rooted TWRP OnePlus 3... but why should I have to? Why can't some system-wide equalizer be included Mr. FlagShip Killer? Look at their own Community Forum and its one of the most active requests since the OnePlus 3 came out (along with actually using all the RAM the phone has)... Good Work ZTE!!! I'm sure for all you headphone people too that the AXON 7 would dominate even though I have zero to judge that on since I have never taken either the OnePlus 3's headphones nor the AXON 7's headphones out of the box.
WINNER: AXON 7 BigFoot- Crushing OnePlus 3 Grave Digger.
BATTERY
People get bent out of shape nowadays about the "wall hugger" syndrome... this is the need to re-charge your phone more than once, twice, 3-times etc. per day and being attached to a charger constantly. Well, we only have ourselves and technology to blame. Battery technology has yet to progress to a point that adequately matches all the other advances cell phones have made... I can remember in the 90's getting my first Li-ion Battery Cell Phone and was like "WOW!!! I can charge this anytime I want, days of battery life, no need to discharge the whole phone before recharging and no need for extra batteries..." Fast forward almost 30 years... AND its the same type of battery... So no phone truly wins here until technology gets better. This too along with our need for skinny things... women, cocktails, bank account, soda, etc. have phones getting increasingly skinnier without ever considering what it has do with the battery is disturbing. If only we could get back to the simpler times of a bagphone, then the battery could be as big as you want it... AHHH, the simpler times. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Really though, the batteries on both phones perform very similar in my use. The place where they differ the most is the charging. For OnePlus 3, you have to use their proprietary DASH Charge as oppose to QuickCharge 3.0. This means you can only buy OnePlus 3 chargers (or some not trustworthy knock offs) to take advantage of feature... it's not so bad now that they made the car charger available again on their website and the phone comes with a wall plug with the feature... it's just a departure from the standard many others are using and requires new accessory purchases... basically a OnePlus Money Grab.... DASH Charge is slightly faster but not enough for anyone but a battery loving neophyte to really take notice.
WINNER: AXON 7 - Sorry QuickCharge 3.0 Industry Standard beats proprietary DASH Charge even though DASH Charge is slightly faster.
HEAT
Not going to spend much time here. Both phones run Snapdragon 820's. Both phones are metal... guess what... they get hot under stress... so no winners here, only losers. Neither had to be powered off for getting too hot though, like my S7 needed to when I was doing its initial setup... so there's that. :good:
WINNER: Both or None... They get hot under processor stress and in the dreaded "At an event and have your camera constantly on then stick it in your pocket only to have 3rd degree burns on your thighs or butt" Test
SNAPPINESS
Neither phone I have taken the time to Mod or root or stare at compassionately... but both perform really well like they should. Now, let the 6GB vs. 4GB debates begin!!! First, it is well known that even after 2 updates, the OnePlus 3's RAM management is still wonky and does not fully utilize all that RAM. No matter. I can't see an advantage yet. Yes you could AnTuTu-whogivesapoop test them all day. I rather just talked about how using the phone feels. Neither have extensive bastardizations over stock android so neither grinds the phone to a halt like TouchWizCement does. I run the BETA of Sense 8 Launcher for All Android Phones on both. Both phones perform well with it. I have played Pokemon GO! on both along with Clash Royale... both run fine. GPS works good on both and locks in fairly quickly. It isn't the best I have seen but not the LG Worst either [emoji14] Until there's another processor to look at, I think most manufacturers are taking full advantage of the limits of the 820. Throwing RAM at it doesn't dramatically do anything either. I guess it good to always have it in your back pocket if needed.
WINNER: ONEPLUS 3 - Simply because it has more RAM, no real-world experience proves it faster. Fanboy Benchmarkers withstanding
DISPLAY
Not much to mention here either. Both have good displays. On paper, the AXON 7's is better. I would say that the average person not knowing that one has higher resolution than the other would have a hard time calling it out. Color reproduction is about the same on both as well. Neither have a "always-on" feature which would have been nice. Both have LED's for notifications. Here's where once again you just have to stick with the stats and say....
WINNER: AXON 7 - higher stats mean better screen right!!!!???
PHONE DESIGN
Wow! a bit to talk about here. Let's start on both phones exterior features and design. Both are designed well. Definitely not ugly by any stretch of the imagination. The AXON 7 was designed with help from BMW and significantly improves on the previous generation iteration, like having actual speakers in both of the speaker grill looking forward facing top and bottom of screen. I do have the gold AXON 7... the color isn't the greatest but I wasn't going to wait for the gray one to come out to test it... I might return the gold for a gray if they become available in my return window. The OnePlus 3 is a pretty phone too. It doesn't have a firm like BMW attached to it, but one feels they did a good job of improving on the OnePlus 2 design without getting away from their bread and butter core design elements. With that, I love the alert slider... call me an isheep but I feel to this day that it is the single greatest design advantage the iPhone has had over any Android phone for years now. Although not as perfectly functional as Apples is, the OnePlus 3 is a great feature. Both have excellent fingerprint readers. Very fast. For my use case, a front facing fingerprint reader is better. That's my use case, in a cradle, in my car, that I get in and out of while sometime leaving my phone in the cradle, makes the front facing reader slightly more convenient. NFC chip and camera placement good on both as well. AXON 7 does have one design characteristic that I found annoying and I noticed while playing Clash Royale.... the power button is on the right side of the phone near the center. While playing and trying to drag drop to the top of the screen, you can easily inadvertently toggle the on/off button, this might be the button is overly sensitive or just my clumsiness. OnePlus 3 scores some extras too with swapstyle cases... Why can't other phone manufacturers take notes here. I think it is great that I can get relatively cheap exclusively designed nice looking cases for my OnePlus 3... for the AXON 7, I'm stuck with Chinese knock off cheesy poop designed cases with TPU raining from skies... I need a case and sure the first thing that comes to mind when I get a nice looking professionally designed by BMW phone is to put it into a TPU trashcan of a case because 0.0 (zero point zero) cases by ZTE are available or even look worthy of residing on the phone.... yep, I so love it. AXON 7 does step it up with one thing, SD card compatibility. More storage... sure I can use that anytime...
WINNER: TIED - OnePlus 3 would have won here, but not having SD Card capability is just dumb... especially since you used the space for a dual SIM.
CAMERA
I have done a couple of these reviews and every time I point out that I am not a big fan of cameras on phones. I went to school for photography and movie making back when film was still used. Have seen lenses that cost more than my current house and have seen Ansel Adams original prints first hand. So, it makes me a camera snob... thus, my opinion of on phone cameras is that they are all Bantha PooDoo. However, improvements are made with every new phone and even though innovations have seem to slow in favor of the pixel wars... one day they might be great.
Looking at both and later I will put up some similar shots from both, each phone have decent cameras. The OnePlus performs better in low light especially however I would not count the AXON 7 out in the cold as I feel that the AXON 7's low light difficulties might be able to be corrected with feature updates. The AXON 7 does have it's ripoff version of a "live photo" that works pretty decent plus some decent scenario modes that just work better for pictures I may take. The OnePlus 3's camera software is just basic with good custom manual settings. The AXON 7 has manual mode as well. Like I said, I will upload some similar shots from each and you can decide.
WINNER: TBD
CONCLUSION
So, what can I conclude? Both phones are awesome... Both have plus and minuses. I don't think there's a clear hands down winner and would not want to argue that point. I can only tell you that beyond everything else that the lack of a system-wide equalizer for sound just annoys little brown stinkies out of me. My commute to work is a big part of my day sometimes 7 days a week. I want to listen to Sirius XM app and Google Play Music so it sound great in my car. I want to set some equalization that make it sound awesome then forget it is even there. Not constant resetting of bass boost, tweaking sound to have it all reset again and again. Why provide a basic equalizer in Google Play Music on the OnePlus 3 that always has the bass setting reset when a call comes in, you switch to a new app or the crappy RAM Management software kicks it out of memory even though you locked it into memory on the all apps screen? That just pains me... If OnePlus does listen to their customer base, maybe just maybe they will add one in a future OTA update. Who knows. Having had the original AXON, I have to say that this phone is definitely an improvement and is worth checking out if you liked the original. I am still a little off-put by the fact that ZTE has done very little to support this phone with accessories like cases and stuff making me hit Aliexpress for the Oscar the Grouch specials that they have there. Could you survive with either one of these phones as your next new phone... of course! Hopefully, this little review will help you out in that decision. Lastly and as always, this is just Some Guys Opinion...
:highfive:
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Click to collapse
Thanks but no thanks... You actually didn't influence my thoughts. More like 1 step forward, 1 step backward, your pros fit both phones matched your cons
Sent from my SM-A9000 using Tapatalk
Thanks for your comparison! Not sure why people are so arrogant or condescending. Appreciate your effort writing this up so some of us can make a better decision.
ashburton said:
Thanks but no thanks... You actually didn't influence my thoughts. More like 1 step forward, 1 step backward, your pros fit both phones matched your cons
Sent from my SM-A9000 using Tapatalk
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That's the whole point. Too many so called "real" reviews online do not give an honest opinion and are influenced by the author getting free stuff, free phone, etc. My point is to not make you say "hey I need to go get one of these phones now" but rather "I did know that and didn't know this... now I do." Thanks for reading!
Charkol said:
Thanks for your comparison! Not sure why people are so arrogant or condescending. Appreciate your effort writing this up so some of us can make a better decision.
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Yep!! You got the point exactly. I'm not here to "influence" anyone into making a decision. I'm not a ZTE or OP3 salesperson. Just laying out real world facts as I see them (Thus the title of the post). Too many blog reviews make phones out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread or the bottom layer of poop in an unattended bird cage (like the stuff stuck to newspaper on the bottom). The fact of the matter is that these people tend to be influenced in other ways (monetarily, free stuff, etc.) to make or break a review. Just because I posted in the AXON 7 forum, does not mean that the AXON 7 wins every category automatically. The AXON 7 is a good phone but not without some flaws, same with the OP3. It's knowing what flaws you can live with and which ones you can't that should influence your decision rather than Some Guys Opinion hahahahahaha :highfive:
Post some stats of battery life comparison. I highly doubt the A7 gets better battery than the OP3.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
mahst68 said:
Nope I meant to call you "bra" and spell check had my back. Bruh is for my bruhs. "Bra" is for someone exactly like you because since you must wear them since you're a little biatch... Trolling flaming gnome. Go get in line for Harry Potter and have a nice day BRA
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I'm an American and am embarrassed to read what you wrote.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
darkjedi said:
I'm an American and am embarrassed to read what you wrote.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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You are an American?
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
darkjedi said:
I'm an American and am embarrassed to read what you wrote.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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I am too but he stopped commenting so there's that. Sorry I know it was very lame
brickedvice said:
Post some stats of battery life comparison. I highly doubt the A7 gets better battery than the OP3.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Didn't say it did actually.... I said it performed similarly. I also said that the OP3 actually charges faster. Why did I pick the AXON 7 then.... well, that's the question isn't?
Oh wait... it's right there in the Battery paragraph if you only took time to read thoroughly... thanks!
I guess, that the snappiness of the OnePlus 3 isn't only because of more Ram, but also because of the much slimmer Oxygen OS.
I didn't receive my OnePlus 3 so far, but even when it's faster, I think I can't live without those awesome speakers of the ZTE Axon 7.
mahst68 said:
Didn't say it did actually.... I said it performed similarly. I also said that the OP3 actually charges faster. Why did I pick the AXON 7 then.... well, that's the question isn't?
Oh wait... it's right there in the Battery paragraph if you only took time to read thoroughly... thanks!
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Your review was kind of big b.s that's why no time to waste on reading all of it. Do a better job next time. Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
Cypher_01 said:
I guess, that the snappiness of the OnePlus 3 isn't only because of more Ram, but also because of the much slimmer Oxygen OS.
I didn't receive my OnePlus 3 so far, but even when it's faster, I think I can't live without those awesome speakers of the ZTE Axon 7.
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Yep. I wish I could get past the sound thing. Unfortunately it consumes about an hour of my day everyday if not longer. You'll enjoy the OP3. Great phone!!
brickedvice said:
Your review was kind of big b.s that's why no time to waste on reading all of it. Do a better job next time. Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Why is it a bs review? Explain
Hello,
I'm looking to buy this phone. I currently have an Axon 7, but I can potentially return it if I order soon, and this phone is half the price for similar specs.
Therefore, I wish to know a few things, if anyone will oblige:
1. Can people please take some screenshots of the interface? I want to see just how cancerous the skin is. Specifically, I would like to see settings.
2. Can someone get me LxW measurements on the screen please? I thought 5.5 wouldn't be much smaller than six, but it turns out it almost fits on that screen. I love phablets!
2.5. Can somebody run some benchmarks? I'd be particularly interested in seeing The slingshot one from 3dMark.
3. How'd you say the camera is, in your subjective experience?
3.5. As presumably the folks here have followed development fairly closely.... how's it looking for Lineage/CM/Something else close-ish to stock? If video recording is the only issue, I have no problem with that.
4. Anything else I should know?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
you can find most of those info on YouTube and gsmareana.
btw why would you return your axon 7 for a max 2?
appsmarsterx said:
you can find most of those info on YouTube and gsmareana.
btw why would you return your axon 7 for a max 2?
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X2
All you ask is in youtube.
Actually, it isn't, hence why I came here. I know the rules. Look and then ask for help, my annoyance is how often I do and am dismissed out of hand by people who don't realize that several hours of googling for some obscure answers can be otherwise resolved in a few minutes f their kindly donated time with a ruler and some perspective, and that's when Google does actually have something. In this case, I'm confident to say it lacks what I'm interested in knowing in more than superficial detail.
Or at least, 4 hours into YT and written reviews and I have yet to see what I'm asking for. Please, if you're going to tell someone to just google it, make sure it actually will help, and if not, don't waste time with such an answer.
I've seen only the launcher a very quick look at the settings root, and no dropdown for notifications in that time.
As to photos, I trust the people here to be more in my camp in terms of expectations. The cam looks sharp enough.
Nobody has yet listed the screen dimension in anything but the diagonal, and I don't have a good point of reference for that. I also see fairly rampant issues w/ the fp scanner, and id be interested to know whether those have abated.
As to why I would replace an Axon 7 with it... the 7 is $513 cad. The LE Max 2 is $270 cad. 47% cheaper. It's a lot of money to leave on the table if the differences are negligible.
2 min in google:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-leeco-le-max-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yBjaMT5nXU
https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare/leeco-le-max-2,zte-axon-7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWf8LC7Z210
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifnXV6g87mY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP9eAgfZnac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-L-0sMjLPE
if you want know more info about the interface there are plenty of videos on eui.. and there are plenty of benchmarking videos too.. why waste 4 hours?
if you don't like the stock launcher, install something like Nova or Pixel.
dimensions
http://m.gsmarena.com/leeco_le_max_2-8051.php
156.8 x 77.6 x 8 mm (6.17 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)
appsmarsterx said:
if you want know more info about the interface there are plenty of videos on eui.. and there are plenty of benchmarking videos too.. why waste 4 hours?
if you don't like the stock launcher, install something like Nova or Pixel.
dimensions
http://m.gsmarena.com/leeco_le_max_2-8051.php
156.8 x 77.6 x 8 mm (6.17 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)
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Of the phone, not the screen, I want the screen dimensions and I'd rather have avoided having to do algebra to get it. I checked GSMarena already. I did get some of the more obvious things like Benchmarks out of the way, along with photos, but I don't trust the interface to remain the same on a generic branding.... I wanted to see it specifically on this phone, and every review I've found, if they even address such things, only offers brief flash of the root menus.
One thing I would really like to know it's almost certain the reviews don't touch upon.... how is the hitbox for the capacitive buttons? I have a BLU Pure XL too, and those are extremely narrow, it's quite annoying.
TheLastCanadian said:
Hello,
I'm looking to buy this phone. I currently have an Axon 7, but I can potentially return it if I order soon, and this phone is half the price for similar specs.
Therefore, I wish to know a few things, if anyone will oblige:
1. Can people please take some screenshots of the interface? I want to see just how cancerous the skin is. Specifically, I would like to see settings.
2. Can someone get me LxW measurements on the screen please? I thought 5.5 wouldn't be much smaller than six, but it turns out it almost fits on that screen. I love phablets!
2.5. Can somebody run some benchmarks? I'd be particularly interested in seeing The slingshot one from 3dMark.
3. How'd you say the camera is, in your subjective experience?
3.5. As presumably the folks here have followed development fairly closely.... how's it looking for Lineage/CM/Something else close-ish to stock? If video recording is the only issue, I have no problem with that.
4. Anything else I should know?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheLastCanadian said:
Of the phone, not the screen, I want the screen dimensions and I'd rather have avoided having to do algebra to get it. I checked GSMarena already. I did get some of the more obvious things like Benchmarks out of the way, along with photos, but I don't trust the interface to remain the same on a generic branding.... I wanted to see it specifically on this phone, and every review I've found, if they even address such things, only offers brief flash of the root menus.
One thing I would really like to know it's almost certain the reviews don't touch upon.... how is the hitbox for the capacitive buttons? I have a BLU Pure XL too, and those are extremely narrow, it's quite annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard size hitbox, warriors rogues dks should still stay behind the boss, ranged attacks should still be made from max range 30-40 yrds.
Used screen size is 126mm x 71mm. Will answer more when I can, not had it long.
Well, I bit.
The Axon 7 is nice, but if we're being realistic I mostly just use my phone for web browsing anyway. Paying $513 for that doesn't make much sense when I can get similar specs for $270. We'll see. Worst case scenario I suffer with it for a while and then just buy a flagship when my cheap ass finally learns its lesson.
TheLastCanadian said:
Well, I bit.
The Axon 7 is nice, but if we're being realistic I mostly just use my phone for web browsing anyway. Paying $513 for that doesn't make much sense when I can get similar specs for $270. We'll see. Worst case scenario I suffer with it for a while and then just buy a flagship when my cheap ass finally learns its lesson.
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Click to collapse
I've been in your camp 1.5 years ago. Coming from Xperia, I said I want to buy a cheap one until a good flagship comes out. And so I bought the Le 1s, a 200$ phone when it just came out. I have to say that I was impressed that I can do whatever I need with it with so much ease, and it doesn't have to cost a kidney.
However, when Le Max2 came out, I ordered it immediately and handed over the 1s to my mom who is still using it without problems as we speak.
The interface is the same, I can tell you that there are no big differences, so if you will google the interface of any LeEco phone, it will be the same as on Max2 as far as I'm concerned.
The screen is a bit bigger than on the 5.5" phones and thus the footprint is taller and wider. Somehow a little difficult to sit with it in the front pocket. I remove it when driving, sitting at the table, most of the times I forget to take it out when I'm putting my shoes on and I do feel it.
Should I ask, why not go for the Pro3 when it has a bigger battery, FHD 5.5" screen, better CPU? The difference between FHD and QHD were tested with a photo taken from a mirrorless camera and it turned out it's very hard to spot the better sharpness on Max2 than on Le 1s.
I would go for the Pro3 now but my dad is yet to get used to touchscreen phones, so I'll keep it a bit more.
Considering the price/ what you get, as of now, I'd still go with LeEco anytime. The thing to keep in mind is to order it 2-3-4 months after release because the price would have dropped significantly.
valy_cta said:
I've been in your camp 1.5 years ago. Coming from Xperia, I said I want to buy a cheap one until a good flagship comes out. And so I bought the Le 1s, a 200$ phone when it just came out. I have to say that I was impressed that I can do whatever I need with it with so much ease, and it doesn't have to cost a kidney.
However, when Le Max2 came out, I ordered it immediately and handed over the 1s to my mom who is still using it without problems as we speak.
The interface is the same, I can tell you that there are no big differences, so if you will google the interface of any LeEco phone, it will be the same as on Max2 as far as I'm concerned.
The screen is a bit bigger than on the 5.5" phones and thus the footprint is taller and wider. Somehow a little difficult to sit with it in the front pocket. I remove it when driving, sitting at the table, most of the times I forget to take it out when I'm putting my shoes on and I do feel it.
Should I ask, why not go for the Pro3 when it has a bigger battery, FHD 5.5" screen, better CPU? The difference between FHD and QHD were tested with a photo taken from a mirrorless camera and it turned out it's very hard to spot the better sharpness on Max2 than on Le 1s.
I would go for the Pro3 now but my dad is yet to get used to touchscreen phones, so I'll keep it a bit more.
Considering the price/ what you get, as of now, I'd still go with LeEco anytime. The thing to keep in mind is to order it 2-3-4 months after release because the price would have dropped significantly.
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My brother has a OP3T, and while I won't say there's anything inherently wrong with 1080, I can definitely see a difference in images on my 2K Blu Pure XL. I need a phone that has ROMs available, as I really don't trust the Chinese to design a non-garbage OS, and a major part of the allure for the Le Max 2 was the 5.7" screen. I'd have taken just shy of six if I could've gotten it, but alas, some compromises must be made.
It'd also be simple insanity to argue against a $270 price point on a phone that people say isn't inherently flawed (aka: not garbage). The axon 7 costs $513, for services/components I'm unlikely to use (I rarely put anything on phone speakers, and rooting would void their warranty anyway - plus, I take impeccable care of my devices).
Then go for it if you're into a bigger screen. 270 cad will sure be a cheap purchase but I do suggest to go for 4/64 version for few bucks more. I have 4/32 and after transferring some pictures from my camera, keeping some ROMs, apps, having my own pictures in, looks like some 4-5 GB left. I'd have to clean to use multirom Also go for the Grey version as the Rose Gold is too pinkish depending upon the light, but it's mostly pink...
To keep it short:
Pros:
- big screen
- sufficient RAM and a very good CPU
- easy to tinker with
- USB C
- Dual SIM
- cheap
- practically unbrickable
Cons:
- somehow twistable up to some extent, but nothing major; you can bend it back with your own hands, and had never been an issue
- quite large for the pocket
- camera could've been better
This is my opinion about the Max2. I would buy it again if you'd ask me
valy_cta said:
Then go for it if you're into a bigger screen. 270 cad will sure be a cheap purchase but I do suggest to go for 4/64 version for few bucks more. I have 4/32 and after transferring some pictures from my camera, keeping some ROMs, apps, having my own pictures in, looks like some 4-5 GB left. I'd have to clean to use multirom Also go for the Grey version as the Rose Gold is too pinkish depending upon the light, but it's mostly pink...
To keep it short:
Pros:
- big screen
- sufficient RAM and a very good CPU
- easy to tinker with
- USB C
- Dual SIM
- cheap
- practically unbrickable
Cons:
- somehow twistable up to some extent, but nothing major; you can bend it back with your own hands, and had never been an issue
- quite large for the pocket
- camera could've been better
This is my opinion about the Max2. I would buy it again if you'd ask me
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Do you know if they make this in a gold (yellow) colour?
I cancelled my order because while the images and colour description said "Golden", their chat reps insisted it would be Rose Gold, which doesn't do it for me.
They do have Gold (as they call it Force Gold) which is like normal yellow version. The other Gold is Rose Gold.
Do search for "Force Gold" color.
I have had a Nexus 6P since August 2016 and originally I loved the phone, beautiful display, snappy performance, stock Android, and a terrific camera. But over the months I've started to dislike it more and more. Bulky, heavy brick with a battery that would drop 1% every minute and wouldn't hold charge well even when on airplane mode powered down. And when I did charge it up, it would overheat like a ***** and if I really needed to use the phone while charging, it would lag the phone so hard despite running "one of the smoothest Android experiences on the market." And somedays the phone would just be blazing hot (not fast ) and I would have to throw it in the freezer to cool off. (and gaming was even worse so I stopped, so great waste of 64GB storage)
Moving on from battery and charging; I loved the stereo speakers for blasting videos but taking phone calls, I could barely hear anyone and would have to press phone super close to my ear drum to hear, and when I had iPhone there was no problem like that.
The screen was great, bright vivid but drained battery so I used black wallpaper and srgb mode. I got tired of the onscreen key nav buttons and there was no immersive mode. I was surprised there was no dark theme nor night mode for this phone. Yes the screen was solid and didn't take any scratches or cracks from falls nor from laying next to my keys. And the brightness settings were so fake. Yes you had a toggle from low to high, but the screen was literally the same brightness no matter what option you selected, only the battery saver option would actually dim the screen which is ridiculous. And talking about dim screens -- impossible to see anything on it even at "max brightness" outdoors, even shaded areas I would have to squint so much to make out "oh missed call from mom."
Not everything was bad, I did love the Google Feed and the Data Saver option when I had to watch my data usage but doesn't apply when I have an unlimited data plan. I was actually shocked by the lack of customizability with this phone. You couldn't do much with it. Yay you can move apps wherever and leave hugs gaps on screen and add some widgets but that was about it. Again no dark themes, little choice for wallpaper, no options for multi gesture other than 2-press power button to quick launch camera... But that camera was beautiful but was a nightmare when trying to pics outdoors, b.c you can't see whats on the screen.... And that super laggy HDR tho. Froze my phone several times as well. Snapchat lags everyday with phone as well.
And then the nail in the coffin was the Boot Loop of Death. I was on my way to Yankee Stadium, meeting up with a few friends when it happened. Phone in pocket and I go pull it out to make a call to figure what Gate we are all meeting up at and I see the Google logo. So I think to myself how weird, maybe my slim jeans (i don't wear skinny) were too tight and turned the phone off? So i try turning it on and yep you know what the loop of death is. Made my phone blazing hot and unusable. And my electronic ticket for the game was on there as well.... (luckily I made the game b.c of someone's reliable iPhone) Then the support to get this issue resolved was a nightmare. Google refused since it wasn't bought from their online store; Best Buy refused unless I payed $140; and so I shipped to Huawei and it took then 4 WEEKS to repair it (including a WHOLE WEEK to send me a shipping label THRU EMAIL!!!!) Ridiculous!!!
So overall a shocking terrible experience despite what everyone (esp. major tech vloggers on Youtube said). Never again am I purchasing a google phone. Utterly and purely disgusting. Oh hang, you may say it get timely updates! Um ok, so I say to you why get get updates as soon as they launch when you know there may be problems with that update as well which will make your phone unstable. (Forgot which update it was which made the SIM card not readable...)
Wow so um this kinda turned out to be a rant, but my question is: Is it worth upgrading from the Nexus 6P in 2017?
And if so which phone would you choose ($500 max price range -> unless there is a deal with a flagship phone)
Is the OnePLus 5 a good choice to upgrade too?
No IMHO. Most of the things that you described that you hate seem to be from Bad apps or something reacting badly with your phone. Battery wise also replace the battery and it's good to go for another year. Find out the culprit that is heating up your phone and get rid of it and you should be good to go again. I've had absolutely no issues with my phone and when I did it was because of an app not because of the phone.
Geezerooo said:
No IMHO. Most of the things that you described that you hate seem to be from Bad apps or something reacting badly with your phone. Battery wise also replace the battery and it's good to go for another year. Find out the culprit that is heating up your phone and get rid of it and you should be good to go again. I've had absolutely no issues with my phone and when I did it was because of an app not because of the phone.
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Click to collapse
How do I even replace the battery, I'm not breaking the phone. This doesn't have a removable back. Also even when I got the phone shipped back to me from Huawei it would heat up like a pancake and all I had were the stock apps that were downloaded with the phone. If you seem to have no problem with yours, I'll gladly trade my phone for yours since as you said "the phone is good to go."
Also how is waking up to a phone that actually gave me burns ok? And the phone was off....
Can I get a professional opinion?
GenericMIKE said:
How do I even replace the battery, I'm not breaking the phone. This doesn't have a removable back. Also even when I got the phone shipped back to me from Huawei it would heat up like a pancake and all I had were the stock apps that were downloaded with the phone. If you seem to have no problem with yours, I'll gladly trade my phone for yours since as you said "the phone is good to go."
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Click to collapse
I said MY phone is good to go. Also just stating my opinion as per the IMHO.
i dont seem to have the problems you described however the snapdragon 810 is known for being warm, like my Xperia Z3+ 810 was heating up like crazy, i could cooked a whole egg on it. But that phone was a complete mess.. closed sourced phone.. all we could do is temper with the kernel , underclock etc..
Nr 1, dont use original facebook/messenger/cancer app, use a lite version etc..
2. Debloat your phone
3. Dont play games
4Mess around with diffrent kernels and find what suits you.
Also if youre a owner of the nexus line phones, then you need to flash custom roms/kernels. Thats almost the only reason ive gotten my self a 6p (big screen , good sound, awsome camera)
if u want a close "google stock rom" experience try Cortex Rom.
The fact that the phone does not have a removable back will not prevent you from replacing the battery, plenty of teardowns available everywhere.
If your phone came back from Huawei in such bad conditions, you should contact them again.
I have mine since April 2016 and I replaced my battery last week, now it's running great again. I managed to replace the battery cuz I don't see any reasonable phone to replace my N6P, I'm putting my hope on Pixel 2 (despite the price) - might be an option.
Kungencortes said:
i dont seem to have the problems you described however the snapdragon 810 is known for being warm, like my Xperia Z3+ 810 was heating up like crazy, i could cooked a whole egg on it. But that phone was a complete mess.. closed sourced phone.. all we could do is temper with the kernel , underclock etc..
Nr 1, dont use original facebook/messenger/cancer app, use a lite version etc..
2. Debloat your phone
3. Dont play games
4Mess around with diffrent kernels and find what suits you.
Also if youre a owner of the nexus line phones, then you need to flash custom roms/kernels. Thats almost the only reason ive gotten my self a 6p (big screen , good sound, awsome camera)
if u want a close "google stock rom" experience try Cortex Rom.
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Click to collapse
How do I debloat my phone? I barely have anything on it anyway. And yes I don't use Facebook messenger nor the app. And when I buy a phone expect the software to have basic features included which is why I got Nexus 6P with the stock Android since I was coming from a line of iPhones ever since 3GS. That's why the OnePlus interests me, it's has the software and the customizability already there.
Yep that's why I got the 6P as well, big screen; loud stereo; and good camera. But other than that atrocious. It makes me want to cry. (And the on screen keys take up too much space)
Grushteniak said:
The fact that the phone does not have a removable back will not prevent you from replacing the battery, plenty of teardowns available everywhere.
If your phone came back from Huawei in such bad conditions, you should contact them again.
I have mine since April 2016 and I replaced my battery last week, now it's running great again. I managed to replace the battery cuz I don't see any reasonable phone to replace my N6P, I'm putting my hope on Pixel 2 (despite the price) - might be an option.
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Click to collapse
Not even the OnePlus 5?
GenericMIKE said:
Not even the OnePlus 5?
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Click to collapse
I must say that I don't know much about this phone. Is it stock / easy to tweak as Nexus is? If yes, I might consider it as well.
Grushteniak said:
I must say that I don't know much about this phone. Is it stock / easy to tweak as Nexus is? If yes, I might consider it as well.
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Click to collapse
Yes it's stock Android with a light skin over which gives even more useful features like dark mode and etc.
GenericMIKE said:
Yes it's stock Android with a light skin over which gives even more useful features like dark mode and etc.
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Click to collapse
I saw some pictures of it and I'm not that impressed, I still have faith on Pixel XL 2 - S8+ is a very decent phone too, but the screen proportion they adopted now made me sad
I'm probably beating a dead horse here, but I'm waiting to see the Pixel XL 2. Unless it adds significant features that the 6P is lacking like water resistance, dual cameras, and smaller bezels, I might wait for the Pixel 3 or OnePlus 6/5T.
frap129 said:
I'm probably beating a dead horse here, but I'm waiting to see the Pixel XL 2. Unless it adds significant features that the 6P is lacking like water resistance, dual cameras, and smaller bezels, I might wait for the Pixel 3 or OnePlus 6/5T.
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Click to collapse
Man all you guys (n gals) seem to love the Nexus 6P...
But why??? I don't understand. It's such a heavy piece of hot garage.
GenericMIKE said:
Man all you guys (n gals) seem to love the Nexus 6P...
But why??? I don't understand. It's such a heavy piece of hot garage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if you run a good ROM and kernel, I only have heat issues when compiling substratum themes
GenericMIKE said:
Man all you guys (n gals) seem to love the Nexus 6P...
But why??? I don't understand. It's such a heavy piece of hot garage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had nothing but a great experience with my 6P. No complaints whatsoever. If someone else is having issues, that's them, not me.
If your car has been running flawless for 10 years but your neighbor with the same car has broken down countless time, does that mean your car is garbage?
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
richii0207 said:
I've had nothing but a great experience with my 6P. No complaints whatsoever. If someone else is having issues, that's them, not me.
If your car has been running flawless for 10 years but your neighbor with the same car has broken down countless time, does that mean your car is garbage?
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Click to collapse
Ridiculous how it has to be a luck of a draw when you purchase a device....
Disappointing. Anyways got a lawsuit against Google and Huawei already in motion.
GenericMIKE said:
Ridiculous how it has to be a luck of a draw when you purchase a device....
Disappointing. Anyways got a lawsuit against Google and Huawei already in motion.
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately, it occurs with all devices. I've seen every device I've owned since the OG Droid have their share of complaints. Some companies offer a return policy in the event you don't like the device and offer warranty for defects.
I've seen people complain about device defects but refuse to get a warranty exchange? Others complain about not being able to get an exchange past the warranty expiration.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Just get an iphone. You seem to have drunk their marketing juice, and you will always complain until you get an iphone.
Just get an iphone, and enjoy Apples "reliability"
shadowcore said:
Just get an iphone. You seem to have drunk their marketing juice, and you will always complain until you get an iphone.
Just get an iphone, and enjoy Apples "reliability"
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Click to collapse
Why is this the go to for everyone on here? Do we need to be die hard on either or side and make fun of peoples preferences?
Reminds me of the pathetic Dodge vs. ford people and it's pretty sad.
I just sold my iPhone tbh
crixley said:
Why is this the go to for everyone on here? Do we need to be die hard on either or side and make fun of peoples preferences?
Reminds me of the pathetic Dodge vs. ford people and it's pretty sad.
I just sold my iPhone tbh
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Click to collapse
I dont mind people supporting the brands they like, but I prefer arguments. I know what iphones are like. I have seen the 4s first hand. And not only was I not impressed, I was shocked at the amount of overhead in simply transfering files.
Then I was shocked at how Apple nickle and dimed everything.
Even if the device was perfect, I would refuse to support Apple becuase of their greed and anti-consumer decisions.
They could be using standard technology, but they use propietary one, and as a result make every gadget expensive.
They dont support headphone jacks.
Their devices are obscenely expensive for what they offer.
They force people to use itunes.
You cant install third-party stores, unlike in android.
The interesting part is that other OEMs copy apple, from their design to their hardware decisions.
Apple makes the OS 64bit, others follow!
Apple introduces fingerprint scanner, OEMs follow!
Apple removes headpohone jack, OEMs follow!
Motorola, HTC, OPPO, Huawei,Xiaomi, Samsung, LG
All of them copy apple.
They are the "champion" of the smartphone business.
If apple decided tomorow to offer smartphones without screeens, you can bet your kidneys they will copy Apple.
I'll start with my final thoughts, the LG G8X is a mid tier phone with a flagship design, spec wise its on the lower end of the "flagship" phones. Without the second screen the G8X would be a easy pass.
I've had the phone for about a month now, design wise its not premium, its not smooth or fluid around the edges front to back, the buttons sticks out a bit too much IMO, compare to my S9 plus its about the same thickness maybe a 2mm thicker front to back. it feels ok in the hand, I would never want to drop it, unlike all the other major brands I could not find a case or screen protector from Amazon Canada that was not shipping from China. I end up going to ebay to find a case, even the retailer could not find a case, this is how far LG have fallen.
Costco no longer carry LG phones nor does Rogers and best buy since the G7. Back to cases, it seems in other regions LG gave a case and headphones with the phone, for that frak you LG that was a shyty thing to do, for now I have to keep the phone in the dual screen case to protect it. Not including a case to all market is a disappointing move on LG part. (update) I just sold my S9 plus, the buyer was surprised the phone was used because of the condition the phone was in, zero scratches anywhere on the phone because I had a screen protector and various cases on the phone since day one ( Our secret don't tell the buyer I dropped that phone at least 5 times ). I finally received 2 case I bought from ebay as I could not find any local retailer with any LG G8X accessories.
Before I forget, the charging cable needs to be longer its too short to use with the magnetic adapter, it looks really cool on youtube, that's because its super light weight but once you plug the cable in depending on where or how far your plug is it will not work, the weight of the cable going down my side table have caused the phone to not charge because the magnet came loose which led me to buying a new wireless charger because the G8X did not work with my was current wireless charger.
On to the important stuff, the second screen works (yeah), it turns on sometimes by itself when I don't want it on or it turns off and will not turn on until you disconnect the phone and reconnect it, I've had to power down the phone a couple times to get the second screen or the outside info screen working again. As for software, many of you already know its sucks, first off out of the box the unit was not working properly I had to a factory reset twice not a big deal but I never had to do this with any other brand new phone in the last 10 years. I tried using the the LG keyboard but had to change it to the GB.
I've notice I have to hit the back button 2, 3 times for anything to happen, same with the home button, I know I pressed it from the taptic feedback, sometimes there's just a delay either way we should not have these kind of issues on 2019 major brand phone "flagship" at that.
To conclude again the LG G8X is not a flagship phone design and software wise, the idea is great and somewhat refreshing but it is not a game changer in its current form. Software aside if this phone with dual screen cost $10 to $100 more it would be a major pass for me, without the dual screen it would be a major major major major pass at its current price, it would have priced lower than the one plus phones. New G8 can be had for $400 Cad so there you go.
I just got mine and i only got it as a second phone. This phone is a novelty to me. I think that any tech enthusiast buying this phone will buy it with extremely low expectations. This is an LG after all. The same company that hasn't turned a profit since Q3 2014
It's regrettable if you thought you would get flagship performance from this phone. I got it for the party tricks.
Other than that everything you said was spot on and i agree wholeheartedly.
Yeah, I had to disable things like Mini-View and Floating Bar, just because they don't work reliably enough. There are just lots of little things like that. The Samsung equivalents on my Note 8 works much more reliably and has better UI/UX.
It has much promise and potential, but they gotta work on the software and make the UI/UX more cohesive. Now, it's just too rough around the edges.
I think you have buggy phones. I have not had any issues with the duel screen turning on or off. For gaming (Call of Duty) the dual screen is amazing! Wide View is rubbish though as the case is too thick, but works ok for Facebook, seems to add to the experience not detract. Even if you end up reading from only one screen, knowing from peripheral vision what is coming next actually enhances the viewing experience.
I will admit the phone is a bit laggy at times but fingers crossed LG will release Android 10 and we'll get some improvements.
inzimam said:
I think you have buggy phones. I have not had any issues with the duel screen turning on or off. For gaming (Call of Duty) the dual screen is amazing! Wide View is rubbish though as the case is too thick, but works ok for Facebook, seems to add to the experience not detract. Even if you end up reading from only one screen, knowing from peripheral vision what is coming next actually enhances the viewing experience.
I will admit the phone is a bit laggy at times but fingers crossed LG will release Android 10 and we'll get some improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to agree with inzimam here. I haven't had any issues with this phone as of yet. It hasn't exhibited any of the characteristics that have been complained about thus far. No lag (at least, no more lag than what is to be expected from a phone), no stuttering, no screen randomly turning off and if it is off I can always get it to turn back on.
As far as the OP is concerned, yeah, if you wanted a phone that was easy to find cases for, you should have gone with an iPhone. Or at the very least, a Samsung. Cases have been and will always be cheap and plentiful for those phones. Everything else, good luck. You are gonna need it.
atirox said:
I'll have to agree with inzimam here. I haven't had any issues with this phone as of yet. It hasn't exhibited any of the characteristics that have been complained about thus far. No lag (at least, no more lag than what is to be expected from a phone), no stuttering, no screen randomly turning off and if it is off I can always get it to turn back on.
As far as the OP is concerned, yeah, if you wanted a phone that was easy to find cases for, you should have gone with an iPhone. Or at the very least, a Samsung. Cases have been and will always be cheap and plentiful for those phones. Everything else, good luck. You are gonna need it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I respectfully disagree with both of you, I forgot to mention when in "dark" mode the notification is still white, how ridiculous is that, the software needs cleaning up, at least 3 times this week the second screen turned on when I unlocked the phone, I know for sure I did not have it on before. Today I got another vague update, no info other than it will make the phone work better, really LG.
You're I could've bought pretty much any other phone and found a case at locally not just an Iphone or Samsung, you bringing up 2 other popular brand is a moot point because you can find cases for Moto, Nokia, Sony, HTC, Honor, Huawei easily. Consumers voicing their opinion is the least we can do, we deserve better not just mediocre like what we got from LG.
I'm using the G8X without the dual screen case right now, I have to be honest its not a upgrade over my S9 plus, this have nothing to do with branding, I still have my G6, I'm no fanboy, I have a Android tablet and a Ipad mini, I see things for what they are..
I haven't reached yet, can anyone tell me if we can remap the google assist button, I hated it on my S9 plus I hate it the same on the G8X.
Thinking on your comment regarding the cases, only a id$#t would suggest to buy another phone if I wanted a case to protect my hard earn money that spent on this phone, finding a case was one issue but it shouldn't be one seeing that LG gave a case to other regions. The product should entice others instead companies after companies are dropping LG phones or their accessories, please leave this fanboyism out of this. LG as company could very well be in trouble, their phones are not selling as well as they should be, more and more companies are coming out with Oled panels so Lg and Sony are no longer the only game in town, in a few years LG oled TV will be meh in the marketplace.
LG needs to clean up the software on their phones, better build, stick to the innovation for at least 3 years, oh, the V50 got Android 10 why not the LGX the last phone you released?
sonspot said:
I respectfully disagree with both of you, I forgot to mention when in "dark" mode the notification is still white, how ridiculous is that, the software needs cleaning up, at least 3 times this week the second screen turned on when I unlocked the phone, I know for sure I did not have it on before. Today I got another vague update, no info other than it will make the phone work better, really LG.
You're I could've bought pretty much any other phone and found a case at locally not just an Iphone or Samsung, you bringing up 2 other popular brand is a moot point because you can find cases for Moto, Nokia, Sony, HTC, Honor, Huawei easily. Consumers voicing their opinion is the least we can do, we deserve better not just mediocre like what we got from LG.
I'm using the G8X without the dual screen case right now, I have to be honest its not a upgrade over my S9 plus, this have nothing to do with branding, I still have my G6, I'm no fanboy, I have a Android tablet and a Ipad mini, I see things for what they are..
I haven't reached yet, can anyone tell me if we can remap the google assist button, I hated it on my S9 plus I hate it the same on the G8X.
Thinking on your comment regarding the cases, only a id$#t would suggest to buy another phone if I wanted a case to protect my hard earn money that spent on this phone, finding a case was one issue but it shouldn't be one seeing that LG gave a case to other regions. The product should entice others instead companies after companies are dropping LG phones or their accessories, please leave this fanboyism out of this. LG as company could very well be in trouble, their phones are not selling as well as they should be, more and more companies are coming out with Oled panels so Lg and Sony are no longer the only game in town, in a few years LG oled TV will be meh in the marketplace.
LG needs to clean up the software on their phones, better build, stick to the innovation for at least 3 years, oh, the V50 got Android 10 why not the LGX the last phone you released?
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Click to collapse
Hey, never said that I was right. Just that I haven't had those issues yet.
I agree with you about the dark mode notifications. I suspect that it has something to do with dark mode not officially being available for Android 9... Coming from the LG V30, I'll take any dark mode I can get though.
Not sure where you live, but where I've lived, unless you have an iPhone or Samsung, your options are to order a case online, or order a case online... The HTC One M8 is the last phone I had where cases were actually stocked somewhere in a decent selection... The HTC 10 had a pathetic offering of one case I found at Bell in Vancouver. The case on that phone was almost like Randy's kid brother Ralphie getting wrapped up by his mother to go to school from the movie A Christmas Story. The V30 had exactly double the number of cases as the HTC 10 did, and both were equally as pathetic. The better case was utterly useless after 3 months as it was falling apart. So while I may be an id#$t for suggesting purchasing another phone, it always seems to be that ic you want a decent case to protect your phone, the answer seems to be iPhone or Samsung cause i can never find anything but the cheap chinese garbage cases that wont protect anything let alone a glass sandwich.
As far as fanboyism goes, you should have seen me when Nokia announced they were gonna be purchased by Microsoft... Or when HTC sold its engineering division to Google... This isn't fanboyism... LG would need to make a product that I don't immediately want to re-skin with a third party launcher before I'd consider being a fanboy of LG. ... You know what? I'd even settle for an Android OS upgrade that doesn't drop almost 24 months since that version of Android launched. (Looking specifically at the Android 9 update for the V30 H933 model.) I don't even want a cleaned up OS... I just want a freaking update!
To be honest, all the good phone makers of years gone by are in financial trouble unless they are Apple or Samsung... Nokia got sold to Microsoft, HTC sold its soul to Google, Motorola sold numerous times only to be acquired by Lenovo, and just like that relationship, the big names that are left are still here because they have massive companies backing them up. They don't have to turn a profit to stay alive... Those who did are no more, or aren't what they used to be. If memory serves correctly, Sony and LG haven't turned a profit in phones in close to 5 years. HTC is all but dead, Nokia is a sliver of what it used to be, and we know what happened with Motorola.
(Edited for clarity)
I'm gonna chime in because I've had ever single G and V series device since the G3 so I'm a big fan of LG devices.
I really tried to love the G8X. I think the price point in the us at least (albeit I'm in Canada) is spot on. The concept is fun and the screen is actually pretty nice. I liked the ui although slightly disappointed with night mode not having dark notifications. That will change with Android 10.
Theme system is still great. Actually lg has the best theme system on the market. I'm not talking about variety or quality but rather ability out of box to theme virtually anything with little restrictions.
I found battery life to be exceptionally good. I am also impressed with the sound quality of the device. It is a very loud device.
The second screen is cool and works very well. It obviously adds a lot of bulk and weight to the device. I found myself not actually using it after about a month. For me at least it just isn't needed. I don't play enough games and it just was more of something to show off to people like a hey look at this. But for my use it was impractical.
Camera is a big disappointment from what I'm used to with LG. I think they could have done better. Especially the front one. Mind you I don't do many selfies at all, but when I tested it I was disappointed.
Fingerprint sensor is absolutely horrible. I tried to pretend it wasn't crap but it really is bad. Slow and doesn't consistently work as many have complained. In the end I had to admit it just sucks. The animation for it was badass though. Having no face unlock is kinda disappointing. Even just regular face unlock would have been fine as it always worked well on other non tof devices.
What really killed me was how for at least Canadian devices for almost 2 months now LG has allowed devices to have broken LTE. November security patch broke LTE and lg simply told users to just not use lte and switch to 3g. I did find a fix and made a thread for it. Mind you my fix breaks voicemail shortcut. It does restore LTE. They still have not addressed this. That is completely unacceptable.
So I made the decision last week to sell my G8X. It pains me to say it but I feel I made the right call. It just isn't good enough. My G8 is just so much better and has better features imo.
I'm still kinda bummed about it but I did what I felt I needed to do to recover my money as best I could before the device that I just couldn't love no matter how hard I tried lost too much value.
I've had my G8X for about a month now, coming from a V30. Is it a gimmick? Sure... but it's an incredibly useful gimmick. I've had none of the issues the OP refers to. Zero crashes or second screen shutdowns. I find the fingerprint sensor to be only marginally worse than the case-back sensor on the V30, so to me it's a nonissue.
Complaining that without the second screen the G8X isn't all that is IMO a head-scratcher. The only reason to buy the G8X is for the second screen. If you're not going to use that, I don't know why you would buy this phone.
The charging issues I'm not going to address, as I have Qi wireless chargers both at home and my office, so I have yet to even try wired charging.
Do I wish the case front wasn't mirrored and a fingerprint magnet? Yes. Do I wish the front screen was more than a tiny notification screen? Yes. Since the case is a USB-C accessory, my hope is that either LG or third parties develop other second-screen options that improve the functionality and usability of the second screen case. That's the interesting thing about this approach compared to the "folding phones" model: accessory case replacements and improvements can presumably be acquired without having to replace the original phone.
Negan said:
Fingerprint sensor is absolutely horrible. I tried to pretend it wasn't crap but it really is bad. Slow and doesn't consistently work as many have complained. In the end I had to admit it just sucks. The animation for it was badass though. Having no face unlock is kinda disappointing. Even just regular face unlock would have been fine as it always worked well on other non tof devices.
What really killed me was how for at least Canadian devices for almost 2 months now LG has allowed devices to have broken LTE. November security patch broke LTE and lg simply told users to just not use lte and switch to 3g. I did find a fix and made a thread for it. Mind you my fix breaks voicemail shortcut. It does restore LTE. They still have not addressed this. That is completely unacceptable.
So I made the decision last week to sell my G8X. It pains me to say it but I feel I made the right call. It just isn't good enough. My G8 is just so much better and has better features imo.
I'm still kinda bummed about it but I did what I felt I needed to do to recover my money as best I could before the device that I just couldn't love no matter how hard I tried lost too much value.
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Click to collapse
Sad to see you go, But I totally agree with the fingerprint scanner. It's pitiful. Pathetic. Sorry excuse for a fingerprint scanner. As far as LG software goes, well, you know my opinion on that... The worst part about being stuck on the Android 8 update was Bluetooth on the V30 was so beyond buggy it was a freaking joke... I get your frustration with their pathetic software..
heavyharmonies said:
I've had my G8X for about a month now, coming from a V30. Is it a gimmick? Sure... but it's an incredibly useful gimmick. I've had none of the issues the OP refers to. Zero crashes or second screen shutdowns. I find the fingerprint sensor to be only marginally worse than the case-back sensor on the V30, so to me it's a nonissue.
Complaining that without the second screen the G8X isn't all that is IMO a head-scratcher. The only reason to buy the G8X is for the second screen. If you're not going to use that, I don't know why you would buy this phone.
The charging issues I'm not going to address, as I have Qi wireless chargers both at home and my office, so I have yet to even try wired charging.
Do I wish the case front wasn't mirrored and a fingerprint magnet? Yes. Do I wish the front screen was more than a tiny notification screen? Yes. Since the case is a USB-C accessory, my hope is that either LG or third parties develop other second-screen options that improve the functionality and usability of the second screen case. That's the interesting thing about this approach compared to the "folding phones" model: accessory case replacements and improvements can presumably be acquired without having to replace the original phone.
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Agreed as well. What's keeping me here is I've found the second screen to be useful more than I thought I would, it's supposed to have a Quad DAC (I suspect the ESS Sabre 9218 out of the standard G8, but no one will tell me), and finally, because my pathetic phone carrier wont stock the standard G8.
atirox said:
Sad to see you go, But I totally agree with the fingerprint scanner. It's pitiful. Pathetic. Sorry excuse for a fingerprint scanner. As far as LG software goes, well, you know my opinion on that... The worst part about being stuck on the Android 8 update was Bluetooth on the V30 was so beyond buggy it was a freaking joke... I get your frustration with their pathetic software..
Agreed as well. What's keeping me here is I've found the second screen to be useful more than I thought I would, it's supposed to have a Quad DAC (I suspect the ESS Sabre 9218 out of the standard G8, but no one will tell me), and finally, because my pathetic phone carrier wont stock the standard G8.
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Only thing I disagree with is the fingerprint scanner. It's not the best but it's definitely not horrible. Coming from the V30 which worked 10/10 times, the G8X works about 9/10 times. However, I still wish it had a face unlock. It would be nice to have it automatically unlock after opening the second screen.
I use the dual screen case about 50% of the time. Having two screens is super fun and useful but I find myself using it less and picking up my V30 more when I have it attached.
There are a few software hiccups that I do find annoying, mostly when I'm using the gestures so I just stick to the button navigation. Also pulling down the notification shade looks kind of janky so I hope they fix some of the animations.
I'm trying hard to love this phone but LG software experience is making hard. The fingerprint sensor is a 7/10 for me, battery life is a hit or miss, with the same usage, the phone in the case no dual screen sometimes I will get 6 hours screen time with 30% battery end of day but other times only 3.5 hours screen on with 34% end of day, more of the latter in my experience. As some mentioned the software is not smooth, be it flickering, delay or just not smooth, comfort view keeps turning off for not reason; lately I've been thinking about my S9+, I'm no fanboy I know Samsung had their issues but it was a better experience all around..
Anyhow hope we get android 10 soon and hopefully it fixes some of these issues, sad thing is you can pickup a G8 for around $300 Canadian, like I said if there was no second screen the G8/V50 would be a better buy if you're looking for an LG phone. I going to try a day or 2 without the dual screen case to see if I get a more consistent battery life.
I'm not hating on LG I just wish they would clean up their software before the go the way of BlackBerry. I think in the next week or so I going to post it for sale, just hope I don't lose money on it. I love the concept, idea, just from the wrong company. The LG G8X should've been released with android 10, instead LG is doing the same old thing, I would take a cleaner experience over android 10 but since I'm not getting either from LG I'll just complain and move on lol.
FYI you can turn on the second screen using the "knock on" or double tap feature.
Some of you that have issues with the screen turning on by itself could just be you accidentally double tapping that screen while handling the phone.
I was also able to find a case for it at The Source.
It's just a basic Pure Gear slim clear case, but the hard case packaging that it came in makes a great storage case for the dual screen when I'm not using it.
I personally love the feel of the phone in the hand being glass all around and not having a camera hump, but it's a slippery unit so a case is pretty necessary.
And the weight of 192 grams makes it feel like a premium device in the hand that could take some abuse (minus broken glass, but that's all phones nowadays).
I was on the fence about keeping the phone when I initially upgraded, and was contemplating returning it for an S10, but I figure the S10/S10+ are going to drop dramatically in price very shortly, whereas I think the G8X will hold it's value longer having the dual case option, and it being less expensive initially.
So far I'm having a good experience, but I may put up for sale or trade for an S10+ in the near future simply because I have zero clue if and when LG will be updating this thing to Android 10, never mind 11....
No way was I going to go for a newer Pixel with their abysmal battery life and no option for an SD card.
Also, anyone who tells me they can tell a difference between the 855/855+/865 I have a bridge to sell you...
ATRIXXIRTA said:
FYI you can turn on the second screen using the "knock on" or double tap feature.
Some of you that have issues with the screen turning on by itself could just be you accidentally double tapping that screen while handling the phone.
I was also able to find a case for it at The Source.
It's just a basic Pure Gear slim clear case, but the hard case packaging that it came in makes a great storage case for the dual screen when I'm not using it.
I personally love the feel of the phone in the hand being glass all around and not having a camera hump, but it's a slippery unit so a case is pretty necessary.
And the weight of 192 grams makes it feel like a premium device in the hand that could take some abuse (minus broken glass, but that's all phones nowadays).
I was on the fence about keeping the phone when I initially upgraded, and was contemplating returning it for an S10, but I figure the S10/S10+ are going to drop dramatically in price very shortly, whereas I think the G8X will hold it's value longer having the dual case option, and it being less expensive initially.
So far I'm having a good experience, but I may put up for sale or trade for an S10+ in the near future simply because I have zero clue if and when LG will be updating this thing to Android 10, never mind 11....
No way was I going to go for a newer Pixel with their abysmal battery life and no option for an SD card.
Also, anyone who tells me they can tell a difference between the 855/855+/865 I have a bridge to sell you...
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If you check kijiji, the G8X is selling for less than the S10 or S10+, too late to get rid of it now, you'll lose money. Even sadder is the s9 and S9+ are getting Android 10 updates while the G8x is still in wind. This is my last LG phone, I can't in good conscience support them, I don't think we the consumers are asking for much from a company that claims to produce "flagship" devices.
Like I said, the idea was a good one but everything else is sloppy not on par with a major flagship smartphone.
I wonder if LG is going to use Covid-19 as a excuse to continue delay of Android 10 update release for the G8X. I'm done with this company, they don't deserve our money.
ATRIXXIRTA said:
I was on the fence about keeping the phone when I initially upgraded, and was contemplating returning it for an S10, but I figure the S10/S10+ are going to drop dramatically in price very shortly, whereas I think the G8X will hold it's value longer having the dual case option, and it being less expensive initially.
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Without the 2nd screen, these are going for 200 USD on ebay, which is crazy for a 6 month old phone. I'm thinking about picking one up.
man this guy is a harsh critic. the phone is great. it's mid-range, so expect mid-range at a nice price point. but this thing has got several flagship features that set it it above other devices in this price range, obviously the dual screen, but also headphone jack + quad dac and surround sound, snapdragon 855, SD slot + 128gb built in, excellent cameras, insane battery life, sleek and quality design. I got it so cheap with Sprint (50% off plus free dual screen) that I can't imagine complaining about it, but maybe if you paid full price unlocked it would be different. great phone imo.