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It is August 3 2013 and this phone has been out for a little while now. I am looking for a new phone because I need to switch carriers. I currently have a Galaxy Note 2 and I absolutely love it. I see that Sony announced they will update it to 4.3. The screen is only 0.5" smaller then my Note 2. The Sony has a higher resolution though. The battery life doesn't seem to be a problem for most of you (I checked the battery thread). Do all of you who currently own the Sony absolutely love the phone? Do you wish you tried a different phone? I love the look of the phone.
I am stuck between the Galaxy S4, HTC one, and this ZL. The S4 seems to have a ton of bloatware that I will never use but since the Google edition was announced, I might be able to flash a stock version of android on it once they figure out the battery drain issue. Same goes for the HTC one. I love the Sony for no apparent reason. It looks like a decent phone on paper and I remember reading about how Sony is really making an effort to help out developers. They also seem to keep updating this phone (4.2.2 and 4.3).
I need to decide soon so I appreciate any responses!
Edit** was this phone really just released 4 months ago? For some reason I thought it was older.
It's your decision of course and nobody here can really make that decision for you... it's a very subjective topic and you will get 100 different "answers".
However, I'll give you my highly subjective and personal opinion... for what it's worth.
I have both the Z and ZL, a GS3 and have had an HTC One. The GS3 is a reliable and usable phone that is easy to mod. It does everything well, except the screen is really unreadable outside. The 2 particular key points for me on phones, other than the ability to function reliably as a phone, are a good notification LED and a decent FM radio. The Radio is quite passable on the GS3. I bought an HTC One to replace the GS3 and was both impressed by some aspects and seriously disappointed by others. The notification LED is a joke and the FM radio was chronically insensitive to the point of being worthless. Plus the speaker grilles didn't fit correctly. It lasted a week and then got returned.
The GS4 doesn't have an FM radio... pathetic discrimination
Anyway, on to Sony...
The Z was bought in lieu of the H1. I've always liked Sony and SE phones, they are designed in Scandinavia and it shows, certainly in the electronic design and qualification. I also bought the ZL whilst on a business trip in Germany a week or two later. Both phones are great, but I prefer the ZL - because it is physically smaller (thicker but nicer to hold), has a better screen (higher brightness and contrast plus better viewing angles), no flaps to mess about with, the Sony logo is on the phone not the ASF (gives you more options) and has a slightly better notification LED. The FM radio is fantastic on both, although for some reason the Z is more sensitive, by about 10% I reckon. I also prefer the easy access SIM and SD card slots. The loudspeaker on the ZL is not restricted by waterproofing and is thus a fair bit louder...
So for me, the ZL is my phone of choice. It does everything I need and well. Sony are quick with updates and there are no obvious bugs. The UI is rather less "Noddy" than TW and less intrusive than Sense. The call quality is excellent too, in case you need to use it as a phone!!!
So it's down to what is important to you...
That was a awesome post very informative of different phones. I just got a zl to replace my broken HTC one xl and I love it I'm a big Sony fan they make solid products and I've never had a issue and when I have Sony has been quick to respond. It's a good choice
Sent from my Xperia Arc using xda app-developers app
It's honestly a great phone and highly underrated. Maybe it is a very polarizing phone, in that some hate it while others absolutely love it.
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
riz157 said:
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had someone offer me a HTC One + $50 the other day. I just don't see the appeal.
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Andre Verissimo said:
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The One has LTE and notification toggles. To the OP. I switch phones A LOT so I've had all the big boys and I have to say the ZL is a really nice phone. The One is definitely a good competitor though. As for the S4 that has been my least favorite as it feels so cheap and i hate the home button. It all depends on personal preference but as for me I'll probably keep this for the next 2 months and then get the Moto X.
I think the answer depends on your timetable and perspective:
On 8/7, the LG G2 is going to be announed, which will be the first American-carrier snapdragon 800 phone. A month later, Samsung is expected to announce the Note 3 and a Galaxy S4 advanced. By the late fall, there should even be a Nexus 5.
Battery may not be a problem for us... but we don't have notes. We have small phones with giant screens and have (relatively) low standards like a phone lasting 12 hours on a charge rather than the Note's 2 day/no charge norm.
--
I like the ZL (bought 3 months ago). It has met my needs pretty well. I find that it's easier to make a mistake flashing mods and have bootloops needing reflashes... compared to my Samsung experience. I dislike its bluetooth stack... as I have to disable wifi for it to facilitate phone calls in my car. I have a slight feeling of it being the stepchild of the Sony family, as the developer of the only kernel stopped supporting the phone (he never owned it) and the custom roms are not as numerous as the Xperia Z. I had an AT&T LG Optimus G (same processor, smaller screen, wider body) directly before it and the SGS3 before that. I don't wish I had the HTC One.
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, screen quality is much much better after the Update. Camera vise its really improved. If i am at a party with friends its like they want me to click pics from my ZL and day light pics are just great.
Compression Issue has been fixed in HDR. So its less noisy in low light condition with HDR.(Really Improved)
close up i would prefer my ZL.
But macros are not that great.
New update increased screen responsiveness. Frankly speaking Its getting better in every update.
But Beware, in Some phones there seems to some sort of Microphone bug which i am facing right now.(software May be as it works in everything else like recording)
Happy with Sony Xperia ZL Using from Past 5 Months.
Price has also been reduced. so its a best buy as of now.
IMO,if you need phone that trending (more dev support),go for HTC One or S4,since it also have Google Edition
but here few advantage of ZL to me:
-compact size 5' screen: -it slightly thicker than z,but more compact,it have thin bezel (fit into my pocket)
-omnibalance design: -slightly curve on the back,which support better grip,not need for cover since it make from plactic (still look premium)
-don't have to worry to put with key in pocket (still you should at least use screen protector to prevent direct scratch)
-camera : hv 13mp back n 2mp front,can recorded full hd video,have hdr,and hv dedicated shutter key with 2 press mechanism
image captured viewed beautiful on the phone with bravia engine 2 on
-notification light: at bottom,look really premium to me
-hv expandable storage (compare to HTC One)
-hv ir blaster: can control tv (compare to xperia z)
-speaker: average to me (htc one better i think) but it still able to make me up in the morning (i'm a heavy sleeper xD )
the earphone include is good enough (but can't compare it with high end earphone)
-sony software that does matter : walkman,album,movie,etc- support BE2,xloud,clearphase equalizer,which make music better
disadvantage:
-highly under rated (less dev support,however most dev in xperia z do port to zl,we still hv CM,PAC support )
-camera apps takes some times to launch (about 1-2 sec)
-screen does hv limited viewing angles but still visible in bright sunlight (with the help of UI itself that mainly white/grey colour)
Last word: xperia ZL does not hv the hype of other phone such as HTC One or S4 but it does hv enough power to run almost any apps in the play store,moreover with gr8 support from sony,i believe you could stay in stock firmware for quite sometimes,i used to unlock my bootloader and use custom rom for a week (to do this make sure you read all FAQ first if you not used to sony devices) but i'm back to stock and i'm happy with what sony offer to me
---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i suggest you bring ur current phone and compare it with zl at retail shop,i u satisfied then grab it,if not choose others,review is useful but sometimes the company hv push updates to the phone to fix/improve the problem appear,while review stay the same,for example we recently received updates that improve touch sensitivity,ram management,camera low-light performance,etc,the latest firmware changelog can be view here
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
htc one vs sony zl
After many reviews online, I could not decide between One and ZL, so I bought both on eBay for my personal evaluation but will sell the other one later. HTC One is very good phone, high contrast screen, hi-powered speakers and responsive touch (very good if you want to watch YouTube). But, my choice is Sony ZL. There are much talks on the internet about washed screen on ZL. Do not believe it and I tell you why. For some reasons Sony designers chose to use the theme with dark grey background and white letters which is easier for eyes for long time but losing on sensation of hi-contrast. However, if you can choose a dark theme, it will change the game. Also, latest updates for ZL tend toward black background. Really, do you think that Sony, that makes TVs, laptops and professional monitors can not make phone screens? The speakers of One is better but that does not apply for the speaker when you make a phone call, which is sensational for ZL with xLoud and noise canceling enhancements. Overall the ZL looks and feels much more modern with very thin bezel while the One feels like an upgrade from old one. I thought BraviaEngine is there for commercial reasons but its really good when you watch movies and videos.
ZL is a awesome device. Its that developers don't do anything currently. There is a dev kamarush who said if he get the device he will do the kernels. But he didn't have money AFAIK. Some1 should come and help the community. Looks like we gotta donate a device to a very well know xda member: suggestion - tonyp, slim_rick, pulser_q2 etc etc
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk 4
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
Agree that the screen (as stated in my post above) is not at all bad. Better than the XZ
Sent from my C6503 using xda premium
devilsshadow said:
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
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Click to collapse
I agree 100% ! I just love it.
The viewing angle is indeed deficient but I dont care. Its still bright and colorful. The FM radio and the loads of media formats it can play built in, are a great plus for me Really enjoyable device. Cant wait for an aokp 4.3 custom rom
unoo said:
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
ihsan123 said:
i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
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Click to collapse
I never use the sPen. I don't care about the speakers either because I never use external speakers in a phone. I never heard anything bad about the screen but I make the assumption that sony makes TV's so that can make a decent cell phone screen haha. The more I think about it, I just want a properly functioning phone. If Sony updates it then that is great but as long as it is smooth and everything works then ill be happy. It is going to be my phone for the next 3 years so it needs to last!
Hey guys, so I'm going Tablet hunting and have come down with 2 leading candidates, the Pipo M7 Pro, a Chinese Tablet. or the Nexus 7 (2013).
The only thing that worries me is the development. As a Flashaholic I'd like a tablet with decent dev support, and I haven't seen any dev support for the Pipo M7 Pro.
Now, the Nexus 7 Multi touch and GPS/random reboot issues have me here at bay, making the debate a bit more intense.
I'll probably use my tablet for reading, school related work or gaming/listening to music (rarely though, I'll probably have my Galaxy Nexus for that which works fine really(or a Nexus 5 by the time it comes out ))
Any recommendations/Opinions/Point of views will be appreciated.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Nexus 7, most of not all the "issues"with it are a very vocal minority, overflowing a small problem, of it were half as big an issue as they try to make ir to bbr, ir would be all the blogs
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4
Small, yes.
Vocal, yes.
Very real, though. And, to some degree, acknowledged by the powers that be at Google...
The people posting, including myself, have been through 2-3 of more N7 2013s.
It's the luck of the draw. It may only effect a few percent, but over the multi thousands sold, it's a percentage that needs to be taken seriously.
If you purchase one, be sure that it's from a seller offering a good return/exchange policy.
z0phi3l said:
Nexus 7, most of not all the "issues"with it are a very vocal minority, overflowing a small problem, of it were half as big an issue as they try to make ir to bbr, ir would be all the blogs
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly every blog I've read mentions it. But I guess I'm just on that "unlucky and unconventional" part of the internet.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Been thru quite a few "shows" ... the TF101, the 2012 Nexus 7 & now the 2013 Nexus 7...
I still don't hesitate a bit to buy one. Heck, I even wish there is a refurbished sales right now.
danvee said:
Small, yes.
Vocal, yes.
Very real, though. And, to some degree, acknowledged by the powers that be at Google...
The people posting, including myself, have been through 2-3 of more N7 2013s.
It's the luck of the draw. It may only effect a few percent, but over the multi thousands sold, it's a percentage that needs to be taken seriously.
If you purchase one, be sure that it's from a seller offering a good return/exchange policy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it is a hardware issue? And not software related?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Your guess is as good as theirs right now....
Chinese stuff is just not up to par as brand name stuff yet. Their specs look great, benchmarks are great, but in reality they are far far apart when you use both side by side.
I have a Ifive X2 with a RK3188 and it lags like hell, battery is good, screen is nice, but real world performance is just awful. Since I got my Note 8 from repair, I dont use the X2 at all anymore.
For the small price difference it just makes no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7.
Nutsonfire said:
Chinese stuff is just not up to par as brand name stuff yet.
I have a Ifive X2 with a RK3188 and it lags like hell, battery is good, screen is nice, but real world performance is just awful.
For the small price difference it just makes no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This Pipo M7 Pro isn't a fastest tablet in the world and after a bit of customizations is in real world usable. The screen is impressive, good battery, very good Wi-Fi and the firmware is stable. I don't regret my (old ) Nexus 7
M7 is great for browsing internet, reading books and multimedia but not too suited for video games.
I am satisfied but not enthusiastic.
Inviato dal mio M7 pro usando Tapatalk 4
dpaganello said:
This Pipo M7 Pro isn't a fastest tablet in the world and after a bit of customizations is in real world usable. The screen is impressive, good battery, very good Wi-Fi and the firmware is stable. I don't regret my (old ) Nexus 7
M7 is great for browsing internet, reading books and multimedia but not too suited for video games.
I am satisfied but not enthusiastic.
Inviato dal mio M7 pro usando Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your opinion.
Nutsonfire said:
Chinese stuff is just not up to par as brand name stuff yet. Their specs look great, benchmarks are great, but in reality they are far far apart when you use both side by side.
I have a Ifive X2 with a RK3188 and it lags like hell, battery is good, screen is nice, but real world performance is just awful. Since I got my Note 8 from repair, I dont use the X2 at all anymore.
For the small price difference it just makes no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pipo is a pretty good Chinese company, we're not just talking about those ripoff chinese companies you find on Ebay, and I have used Rockchip based devices and can vouch for them, they're not as bad as you say.
So your "no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7" is kind of stereotypical and not really reliable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Jimlarck said:
Thank you for your opinion.
Pipo is a pretty good Chinese company, we're not just talking about those ripoff chinese companies you find on Ebay, and I have used Rockchip based devices and can vouch for them, they're not as bad as you say.
So your "no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7" is kind of stereotypical and not really reliable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First,
I agree with the above line in bold.
Second,
If you aren't in a hurry to buy a tablet, I'd wait to see what the TegraTab and the LG G Pad 8.3 end up being like. That's what I'm going to do when I return/exchange my N7 flo for the 3rd time. I'm on my 2nd one now, so hopefully the 3rd try will be the the charm! I expect both those options to be more expensive, but if either of them is within 100 of the 32gb N7 flo (as long as it's 32gb or 16gb with a microsd), then I'll probably give it a shot.
Third,
If you absolutely want a tablet right now, I can't recommend the N7 in good conscience. Having had two with the same exact issue(multitouch), I would say the odds are pretty good that you'd get one with the same issue. That said, if the N7 is what you like and you don't mind potentially returning/exchanging it, get one. Just be sure to buy from somewhere with a good return/exchange program. I've had pretty good luck with Best Buy so far, as well as Amazon. I'd choose Best Buy if there's one near you for ease of returning/exchanging, i.e. no wait time.
Good Luck!
Jimlarck said:
Thank you for your opinion.
Pipo is a pretty good Chinese company, we're not just talking about those ripoff chinese companies you find on Ebay, and I have used Rockchip based devices and can vouch for them, they're not as bad as you say.
So your "no sense to consider Chinese stuff vs a Nexus 7" is kind of stereotypical and not really reliable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have one of the latest and greatest Chinese tabs as I write in my post.
Yes they are better then what they used to be but they still lack in some aspects. These tabs using the RK3188 chip in real life are just not want the benchmarks want you to believe. The Chinese keep cutting corners where they shouldn't and it shows. So yeah it looks like you get a lot for 200$ but when you use it you understand why its cheaper.
It's no surprise that all the high end Chinese tabs and phones end up using Qualcomm and Samsung CPUs and cost almost the same as brand name stuff.
Nutsonfire said:
I have one of the latest and greatest Chinese tabs as I write in my post.
Yes they are better then what they used to be but they still lack in some aspects. These tabs using the RK3188 chip in real life are just not want the benchmarks want you to believe. The Chinese keep cutting corners where they shouldn't and it shows. So yeah it looks like you get a lot for 200$ but when you use it you understand why its cheaper.
It's no surprise that all the high end Chinese tabs and phones end up using Qualcomm and Samsung CPUs and cost almost the same as brand name stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since when are benchmarks actually safe, legitimate and trustworthy?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Jimlarck said:
Since when are benchmarks actually safe, legitimate and trustworthy?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are not, but fans of Chinese stuff like to go crazy about them and use them to compare with brand name products. If I see two products with similar scores I would expect similar function but clearly it's not the case.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
I had Asus Infinity TF700T before, but I was very disappointed about the build quality and the lagging of the device. I hated that tab every moment. I didn't install custom rom because it required unlocking the device and loosing the warranty. So I sold it and bought Pipo M7pro.
I like the screen and size of the tablet and this is much faster and smoother than Asus TF700. Also the build quality is better than on Asus, which had loose screen even repaired three times for warranty.
Multi window feature is pretty cool! Check the video from youtube.
I'm really satisfied of this cheap Chinese tab!
Sent from my M7 pro using Tapatalk 4
So after reading some of your messages and doing some more research on my own. I've decided to wait until October, if the Nexus 7 multitouch problems have been resolved (they're addressing the problem at their warehouses/manufacturers or fixed it on an update) I'll buy it, if not, then Pipo M7 Pro will have to be my choice.
Really like the N7 but what use is there buying it when chances are that I'll get a broken Tablet, no, I can wait, I trust Google that they'll resolve this soon, it isn't the first time they've encountered a problem with manufacturers, like the N4 for example, with the infamous exploding back(I did think it was spontaneous and comical so I did have a laugh about it, hopefully the owners got a replacement though)
Thank you all for your messages and opinions. Especially those who gave their completely unbiased opinion and thoughts.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Jimlarck said:
So after reading some of your messages and doing some more research on my own. I've decided to wait until October, if the Nexus 7 multitouch problems have been resolved (they're addressing the problem at their warehouses/manufacturers or fixed it on an update) I'll buy it, if not, then Pipo M7 Pro will have to be my choice.
Really like the N7 but what use is there buying it when chances are that I'll get a broken Tablet, no, I can wait, I trust Google that they'll resolve this soon, it isn't the first time they've encountered a problem with manufacturers, like the N4 for example, with the infamous exploding back(I did think it was spontaneous and comical so I did have a laugh about it, hopefully the owners got a replacement though)
Thank you all for your messages and opinions. Especially those who gave their completely unbiased opinion and thoughts.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I think the Chinese phones and tablets may have some issues but then again so do other phones. In my opinion it is best to wait for a very comprehensive review before you buy. And only buy from a near-by supplier that is willing to take it back if it is faulty, do not buy direct from China because it is unlikely to get your money back, plus the shipping costs and customs would make it uneconomical to return items.
For example, a year ago I bought a Chinese phone, with superb specifications. It seems to have two faults (at least). First, it is very fussy with the SD card, many applications do not work with it and especially GPS Navigation applications that store huge maps on the SD card. Secondly the GPS receiver is either broken or simply very, very bad. My dedicated Garmin GPS, my wife's iPhone4, my son's Samsung S3 : they all lock on to the GPS almost instantly. The Chinese phone needs to be absolutely stand still for like 5-10 minutes before it can lock on. Completely useless in the car for example, I have to stop the car, and then wait 5-10 minutes so it can lock.
Someone said above that high-end Chinese phones and tabs use Qualcomm and Samsung parts and not their own. Well, no **** Sherlock! That qualifies as one of the most idiotic statements I have read. Every single electronic device in the world uses parts made by various/hundreds of other manufacturers. This has always been the case. I would not expect the Pipo M7 Pro to have components made by Pipo - and it does not matter anyway. My Sony VAIO laptop does not use a "SONY" CPU, or chipset, or GPU, or memory, or capacitors, or resistors, actually I doubt that a single component inside my laptop is actually made by Sony, except perhaps the badge!!!
I have to say, I bought the 2012 N7 as well as my 2013 and both were flawless from the start. My fiancee got my 2012 when i bought my new one and it's still going strong. The only issue I have at all with the 2013 is a delayed wake when using a magnetic cover. That's obviously a software issue, as leaving Bluetooth on fixes the problem.
Oh and Zilliman, your Chinese phone sounds like my old Samsung Captivate. That thing had the worst GPS I've ever seen. Developers worked hard to fix it but it was never very good. Completely useless even when walking, let alone driving.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
RKight said:
I have to say, I bought the 2012 N7 as well as my 2013 and both were flawless from the start. My fiancee got my 2012 when i bought my new one and it's still going strong. The only issue I have at all with the 2013 is a delayed wake when using a magnetic cover. That's obviously a software issue, as leaving Bluetooth on fixes the problem.
Oh and Zilliman, your Chinese phone sounds like my old Samsung Captivate. That thing had the worst GPS I've ever seen. Developers worked hard to fix it but it was never very good. Completely useless even when walking, let alone driving.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a problem for those with N7 Pro : the speakers crackle at high volume.
Do not buy M7 Pro
OK I guess finally I may have something to help after getting so many helps from this nice forum.
I live in China and I'd say I'm quite familiar with Chinese tablets and nexus devices. (proud owner of both types) I've yet to find a Chinese native brand tablet that marches either Nexus 7's build quality or OS stability. (always search for teardown pics before decision) Usually they have small problems here or there, but you don't have a bug list and workaround thread in a good forum simply because they don't have enough users.
There are worth buying Chinese tablets though. They are usually much cheaper than Nexus 7, don't have fatal problems, have good user base and forums to post workarounds of those small issues, and recently they start to come in so many varieties of screen size. (there used to be a time when they are mainly 7" widescreen, before the mighty Nexus 7's arrival.)
IMHO if you prefer 7" tablet, just grab the new Nexus 7. If not, don't buy M7 Pro for the following reasons:
1 Rockchip is not as friendly to devs as its rival SoC company Allwinner. I can find unofficial CM10.2 on AllWinner platform but I find almost nothing on Rockchip;
2 RK3188 seems strong, but in practice it's not a good chip for HD "Retina" display due to poor design choice of a single channel 32bit memory controller, which results a memory bandwidth that nearly kills GPU performance. BTW that's just a fraction of bandwidth compared to the new Nexus 7. I heard the GPU performance is so poor that even stock launcher can't go butterly smooth.
However RK3188 + a 1024*768 display is fine.
Summary: don't buy RK3188+HD display like the M7 Pro; strongly recommend new Nexus 7
correction: No Chinese SoC performs well on 1080p display. I'd guess 720p is the limit.
Hope it helps
Guys i am stuck in a dilemma between these two phones Nexus 5 and Xperia ZL.they cost the same here in my place actually Xperia ZL costs a bit less ($50).I really love the compact and rectangular slate like design of Xperia ZL and hate the rounded design of Nexus 5.my budget only allows me to get 16GB variant of Nexus 5 and here in India cloud storage is a far fetched dream so i am stuck with the 12GB space of Nexus 5 which i think is on a lower side.but the community support and S800 chipset of Nexus 5 are the attractive points of nexus 5.so considering you guys are using xperia ZL for some time now what do you think about the performance of s pro chipset,is it enough for browsing internet and i am not worried about gaming as i rarely use mobiles for gaming.I appreciate your help guys.
thank you.
If you are not using your mobile for gaming, why are you worried about performance at all? The Xperia ZL has no single problem with browsing the internet as long as the website or the app you are using are well-coded. I'm using Cyanogenmod 10.2 on my ZL and it works nearly flawless (1 or 2 minor bugs which don't interfere with stability).
thanks for the reply.btw what about the display.the image quality.whichever review i check they end up saying that the display is bad.i don't care about viewing angles,how is the quality when you are viewing it straight in front of you?
I had both for a few days - and ended up selling the Nexus 5 and keeping my ZL.
For me the reasons I didn't like the nexus 5 were:
-Poor external speaker quality / placement (holding phone in landscape almost always ended in the speaker being completely muffled).
-Camera quality - Xperia ZL's camera had it beat and the nexus 5 doesn't have a hardware camera button.
-no IR blaster
That being said, the nexus 5 was SMOOTH, and I mean SMOOTH. Whipping around in the OS was instantaneous, and the ability to unlock the bootloader with almost endless custom rom support is really nice. But overall I still preferred my "bootloader unlock = no" ZL.
thanks for the reply.one thing i observed when going through the thread that some models bootloaders can be unlocked and for some its not possible.is it depending upon the carriers?
so if i get a model without any carrier bound to it,so is it possible to unlock the bootloader?
i know its difficult to answer this question but if you know you can answer.thanks.
If you buy it unlocked directly from Sony you should be able to unlock the bootloader.
Before you buy it check in the settings if Bootloader unlock allowed = Yes.
sukesh1090 said:
Guys i am stuck in a dilemma between these two phones Nexus 5 and Xperia ZL.they cost the same here in my place actually Xperia ZL costs a bit less ($50).I really love the compact and rectangular slate like design of Xperia ZL and hate the rounded design of Nexus 5.my budget only allows me to get 16GB variant of Nexus 5 and here in India cloud storage is a far fetched dream so i am stuck with the 12GB space of Nexus 5 which i think is on a lower side.but the community support and S800 chipset of Nexus 5 are the attractive points of nexus 5.so considering you guys are using xperia ZL for some time now what do you think about the performance of s pro chipset,is it enough for browsing internet and i am not worried about gaming as i rarely use mobiles for gaming.I appreciate your help guys.
thank you.
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Click to collapse
As an indian, who was in the same dilemma two weeks back, i can say that i made the right choice in going for the ZL. The expandable memory is a huge necessity in 1080p phone, which you will use to consume media, im sure. Also, nothing can prepare you for how small this phone feels in hand and the quality finish, which an LG phone can not provide. Just get your self a seprate pair of earphones, as the provided ones have low volume. Side note : Install the honami camera mod. It's the most fun ive ever had with a camera.
---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 AM ----------
sukesh1090 said:
thanks for the reply.btw what about the display.the image quality.whichever review i check they end up saying that the display is bad.i don't care about viewing angles,how is the quality when you are viewing it straight in front of you?
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Click to collapse
sukesh1090 said:
thanks for the reply.one thing i observed when going through the thread that some models bootloaders can be unlocked and for some its not possible.is it depending upon the carriers?
so if i get a model without any carrier bound to it,so is it possible to unlock the bootloader?
i know its difficult to answer this question but if you know you can answer.thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The indian version has an unlockable bootloader, and head on, the screen quality is extremely good, almost as good as my dad's HTC one, and equqal if you tweak the white balance settings.
thanks you guys.i thin k i will go with xperia ZL.i really love its design and i always loved the sound quality of Walkman phones.
Xperia ZL Pros
1. Better camera performance
2. Much better design
3. Better speaker
Nexus 5 Pros
1. Better processor
2. Custom Romsssssss you know what i mean
3. Better display
Battery backup of both devices is on poor side
Sent from my C6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
yeah only thing about XZL that haunts me is lack of custom roms.I don't know why there are so less custom roms for ZL,it has decent hardware and it used to be the flagship model but still less roms.i am interested in illusion rom if it gets to the stable build,thats more than enough as it has all the features of all roms.but teven that rom is stuck without any updates from last 2 months.
kumar abhishek said:
Xperia ZL Pros
1. Better camera performance
2. Much better design
3. Better speaker
Nexus 5 Pros
1. Better processor
2. Custom Romsssssss you know what i mean
3. Better display
Battery backup of both devices is on poor side
Sent from my C6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nexus 5 dsplay is better only in terms of viewing angles. Contrast and color wise its quite poor. At least head on, the ZL display is excellent, while having better outdoor contrast as well.
The point of comparison based on performance is little vague here, Because Processor of ZL is OLD, However the added advantage of ZL is that of Camera, IR blaster, Compact Design. Display is better in contrast and colours than Nexus 5, however vewing angles are not. trust me you wont really use in such angles. if you carry lot of Movies and music i would just suggest you to buy ZL as nexus is limited by storage where as ZL supports additional Storage of 64GB over 16 GB inbuilt.
Gaming
Its really good, i can play games like Asphal 7,8 deadzone at high graphic quality without any lag,
Browsing
Browsing is k considering that default browser is chrome which is by default laggy, but there are better browsers in playstore.
Recent update in nexus 5 has increased camera drastically.
Faster updates in Nexus, however Sony has announced 4.4 for ZL which will be available by next month.
at this point considering limitations best buy would be ZL where you get better features than Nexus, or in some case equal results,
battery is same in both, ZL gives 2 days in normal usage with wi-fi, txting , 2 hours of songs, an hour of game play with auto brightness at 30%. dono about nexus.
Before you Buy check the review on Local service of Sony, at some places there are really bad
thanks, I will check sony showroom or service center as most of my friends use Samsung soapbar (S4 ;p ) .
AFAIK the 4.4 update for all the models is scheduled to start from early 2014,4.3 will be released by next month.for my preferences the only place where nexus 5 outweighs XZL is custom roms but i also love sony's android overlay so i might stick with it for sometime.
thanks, I will check sony showroom or service center as most of my friends use Samsung soapbar (S4 ;p ) .
AFAIK the 4.4 update for all the models is scheduled to start from early 2014,4.3 will be released by next month.for my preferences the only place where nexus 5 outweighs XZL is custom roms but i also love sony's android overlay so i might stick with it for sometime.
xperia zl has insanely bad battery life, i am not sure about nexus 5 but for me, xperia battery life kills my experience.
Hi guys ,
With Google's latest Nexus 5 out in market , i am sure lot of loyal Gnex users might be looking to buy one. I had a look at N5 at store and had a quick comparison against my rooted gnex running CM11 and was unable to find a standout thing that makes me buy N5 .
Throwing this question to you guys , if you own both N5 and Gnex or planning to buy one , What is the single best thing\feature you like in Nexus 5 over Galaxy Nexus.
Thanks !!
The proper camera (after firmware fix)
The fluidity, yes it just flies
The solid 4 hr gaming I've done on it. The phone doesn't get as hot as the N4 or GNex to when you play graphic heavy games.
Did I forget the 60hr DSP tunneling playback?
But the Nexus 5 can't top the audio quality of the GNex.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Misledz said:
The proper camera (after firmware fix)
The fluidity, yes it just flies
The solid 4 hr gaming I've done on it. The phone doesn't get as hot as the N4 or GNex to when you play graphic heavy games.
Did I forget the 60hr DSP tunneling playback?
But the Nexus 5 can't top the audio quality of the GNex.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Is Camera really good , i have heard not so good reviews about it.
How is battery ? My Gnex on CM11 last for good 1.5 days atm
namz said:
Is Camera really good , i have heard not so good reviews about it.
How is battery ? My Gnex on CM11 last for good 1.5 days atm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my POV it's amazing. I have nothing against the camera. It takes great shots and I really love it. I'd recommend it to people if I have to.
And battery life is good. Could be better with optimizations and all but gaming wise? It's awesome. Depends on how you use your phone. I can't vouch for your usage and say mine is better lol.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
I'm looking forward to a better camera, faster processor, bigger screen, and 1080p. Also, I held one, and it feels great in hand. Just waiting for my Verizon contract to die.
For me....official updates. I can acknowledge the better hardware, but the simple fact that the phone will be getting official updates I think is the best thing. An obvious observation, yes, but it makes it a lot easier than going through XDA threads to decide on a ROM and kernel to use, as well as a proper gapps file (don't get me wrong, I still love the XDA community and the customization through ROMs and kernels for my GNex).
XOOM XOOM!
I really like this phone but I want to know your opinions about if is a good buy after one year released, specially considering I want to keep it for around 1.5 years..
I'm specially concerned about battery life, good software and updates or community development, ...
Also I wanted to ask this questions about the phone:
- is there any way for recording in 1080p 60 fps?
- can you drop screen resolution to 1080 for battery savings?
-Ok google with screen off drains much battery? (Most useful feature, in my Nexus 5x doesn't drain battery due to sensor hub)
I really love the phone but I'm not sure it still worthing it considering new phones like p10 and that maybe is not so big upgrade from Nexus 5x
-battery life is average 4.5hours screen on time, same as my previous Nexus 5X while my current phone 3T is never under 6hours based on the same usage.
-developement based on what your want. For me I only want a good kernel that work best with stock rom giving best battery life and performance, getting rid of kernel wakelocks but the problem is that you can't find a good kernel here. Some kernel arm for performance only. Phone's getting heat quickly while some base on stock and add extra features which are gimmick anyway (many wakelocks are still there).
-the screen of HTC is pinky which is a deal breaker for me. Love it more on Nexus 5X
-camera can't beat Nexus 5x.
-WiFi is the worst thing. Go think again.
-The phone is hell stable. Never giving a single issue and smooth all day. If you want a phone that just works and premium feel.
This is just my opinion.
Definitely worth buying!
I'm not having heat issues, and battery is fine considering that you can do a full charge in 1.5 hours. Camera is comparable with all the other flagships and beats many of them in many areas. Wifi is ok, never had issues that would made me consider it as "the worst thing".
It's a nice phone, very robust, and it should easily last for 1.5 years. Development/support for the phone is great and you can easily root it (which is essential nowadays for ensuring that you get the best out of your phone).
Worth buying but I'd probably get the pixel, you could wait for the S8 (if that's your thing)
Personally I'd wait for the HTC 11, I'm guessing it'll be a beast.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
If you can get a good deal then it definitely worth it. i doubt they will make a better device. i plan to keep using mine the next 2 years and never sell it. i am in love
To be fair the issues i am facing are,
Battery life can't get more than 4 hours SOT on very high usage.
very high battery drain when i go out, LTE Enabled + max brightness with normal usage.
carbon grey color scratch easily.
keaheng said:
-battery life is average 4.5hours screen on time, same as my previous Nexus 5X while my current phone 3T is never under 6hours based on the same usage.
-developement based on what your want. For me I only want a good kernel that work best with stock rom giving best battery life and performance, getting rid of kernel wakelocks but the problem is that you can't find a good kernel here. Some kernel arm for performance only. Phone's getting heat quickly while some base on stock and add extra features which are gimmick anyway (many wakelocks are still there).
-the screen of HTC is pinky which is a deal breaker for me. Love it more on Nexus 5X
-camera can't beat Nexus 5x.
-WiFi is the worst thing. Go think again.
-The phone is hell stable. Never giving a single issue and smooth all day. If you want a phone that just works and premium feel.
This is just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have any of those problems. US unlocked. Good battery life. No "pink" screen. WiFi is superb. Running Viper10 3.5.0 with EX Kernel. Smooth and responsive. Does everything I want it to. I haven't seen any other phone I would upgrade to at this time. That's my $0.02 keep the change.
The phone is good and battery life exellent. Wifi could be better. But I miss security updates from HTC. No update since January.
I would suggest you to go for it, since prices are down, developer support is awesome lots of los+sense roms....perfromance is good (820 can be easily compared to 821), camera is decent enough my brother got s7 and we both click awesome pics....also with nougat voLTE is also there so worth buying it...
Thanks for responses. I think I will not be buying it just for the battery
In most of my phones (htc m7, nexus 5x...) battery died when going outside with LTE and high brighness
I like to enable features as google now, ok google everywhere...even google fit, that require too much battery
I recommend s7 edge...best battery ever...amoled screen...killer camera...good development
Javi22 said:
Thanks for responses. I think I will not be buying it just for the battery
In most of my phones (htc m7, nexus 5x...) battery died when going outside with LTE and high brighness
I like to enable features as google now, ok google everywhere...even google fit, that require too much battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with not getting it however this phone can outperform all those phones you've mentioned and their successors whilst running more things and quicker by quite some way.
It truly is a beast of a device. If you did get the 10 you would not be disappointed, I'm running the pixel launcher with Google assistant, Google allo, amongst others battery life isn't massively different from the iPhone 7, S7 edge, all the new phones and I see the day out the day out quite easily, so it does perform.
I just assumed you'd like to be at the forefront of what's out there as I would want to be, for that reason I'd hold off getting the 10, but not because it isn't a capable device, or can't run against the best other phones out there, far from it mate.
EG: I've had a GameCube emulator running Zelda the Windwaker 90℅ of the first island at near 30fps all the way, which is no easy feat.
As I said before, if it were me at this moment, I'd say the pixel, or if I was smart I'd say the S8 (if you don't mind Sammy, has to be a good phone to make up for the notes blowing up)
Personally it has to be the HTC 11, or whatever they end up calling it.
[emoji6] but thats me.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
dladz said:
I agree with not getting it however this phone can outperform all those phones you've mentioned and their successors whilst running more things and quicker by quite some way.
It truly is a beast of a device. If you did get the 10 you would not be disappointed, I'm running the pixel launcher with Google assistant, Google allo, amongst others battery life isn't massively different from the iPhone 7, S7 edge, all the new phones and I see the day out the day out quite easily, so it does perform.
I just assumed you'd like to be at the forefront of what's out there as I would want to be, for that reason I'd hold off getting the 10, but not because it isn't a capable device, or can't run against the best other phones out there, far from it mate.
EG: I've had a GameCube emulator running Zelda the Windwaker 90℅ of the first island at near 30fps all the way, which is no easy feat.
As I said before, if it were me at this moment, I'd say the pixel, or if I was smart I'd say the S8 (if you don't mind Sammy, has to be a good phone to make up for the notes blowing up)
Personally it has to be the HTC 11, or whatever they end up calling it.
[emoji6] but thats me.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's a capable device, just that I require a good battery life so I can use the phone as a smartphone, with everything enabled as I like, and it eats the battery so...
I don't like Samsung so I'll wait to see new htc however I don't think I get it because of the price. I will wait for a future one plus with smaller screen or a Huawei p10 when it drops its price
Enviado desde mi Nexus 5X mediante Tapatalk
I am debating about the same. I am still holding to my old M8 but the battery life is not so good and the top speaker is distorting the sound and I love my stereo front speakers. But I think I will wait for confirmation on the expected HTC 11 and see if it´s much better.
Once thing I am worried about is that we still don't even have a leak or rumor about the 11. Could it be that no 11 is coming and it´s vaporware?
Cheers
If you like an all metal phone, then yes it is still worth buying it. If you'd like latest specs and a glas body then you'd better wait and get the HTC Ocean. I'm sure it will come, but HTC currently is good at keeping it's secrets, as it seems.
Sent from my htc_pmeuhl using XDA Labs
5m4r7ph0n36uru said:
If you like an all metal phone, then yes it is still worth buying it. If you'd like latest specs and a glas body then you'd better wait and get the HTC Ocean. I'm sure it will come, but HTC currently is good at keeping it's secrets, as it seems.
Sent from my htc_pmeuhl using XDA Labs
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Click to collapse
So you believe that the Ultra was an indication that the all metal chassis phone trend from HTC has ended for good?!
Badelhas said:
So you believe that the Ultra was an indication that the all metal chassis phone trend from HTC has ended for good?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I'd guess so.
Sent from my htc_pmeuhl using XDA Labs
I just bought a "mint" Verizon HTC 10 for only $395 from Swappa with S-OFF($25 already saved). Here is my list of factors when purchasing a phone:
I live in a Verizon only reliable area.
I will only use this type of phone: Rootable (with good development behind it), SDcard slot, headphone jack, USB-C
My backup LineageOS S5 is on it's last leg physically, really needed a new phone.
Prefer one handed phones.
Prefer OEM's that encourage unlocked bootloaders and rooting (HTC, LG, and OnePlus seem to be it)
Strongly prefer front facing stereo speakers.
Prefer IP68
Prefer OIS, with large megapixels (for low light)
Dislike glass phones (don't need wireless charging tradeoff for crackable back panels).
Dislike camera bumps
From that list, the Verizon HTC 10 EMEI activates easily on Verizon, is rooted, has SDcard slot, headphone jack, USB-C, 5.2 display (one handed), metal body, and OIS with large megapixelas, and is from a OEM that encourages the phone OS freedom.
The 3 things the HTC 10 fails to check for me are:
No IP68, but at least it's IP53.
No front facing stereo speakers, but at least it has 1 front facing tweeter with a sideways woofer to make BoomSound...better than most other phones on the market.
No camera bump, but I put cases on my phones anyways.
Got to ask you guys I'm undecided between the Huawei P10 or the HTC 10.. I've only had HTC's since back in the days of when they made the XDA's for O2 with Windows mobile.
Which phone would you choose.. so far the only thing I really like about the P10 is that it has 128GB of Memory and well the 6GB of Ram doesn't hurt either.
Finally I bought Xiaomi mi5s. But it happens that aosp/lineageos roms are great but camera quality and battery are much worse
And I refuse to use miui
So I'm thinking again about htc 10. My question is about roms. Since htc won't update software anymore, I would like to know if developers do the job...
I mean, are dev roms as good as stock roms? (I see it has offical support for great roms like Resurrection remix or Mokee
That would be the point for buying it or not
It also has official support for Lineage OS and they've announced it will get a stock android O update (which will probably come around January if history repeats itself). The developers are keeping up with security releases, so if that's your biggest concern then get a non-stock based rom and run with it. I'm pretty happy with the phone. The one downside to running non-stock based roms (AOSP or LOS based) is that you'll lose HDR on the camera.
For the record, I picked mine up last month. It's a Sprint model that I unlocked the sim and LTE bands on and am running it on T-Mobile.