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I had HTC Desire for nearly 3 years, and it is a great phone, but I think it is time to upgrade, because:
- it is annoyingly slow with my regular set of programs installed, even on fastest available roms
- it doesn't have kernel 3.0, and because of that JB roms have shortcomings
- a little bit too small screen for GPS navigation
- really crappy camera
- somewhat short battery life
Some time ago I had a chance to look at Galaxy S2 in person and it looked like a perfect phone (at least for 2 minutes I had it in my hands).
Somewhat bigger screen, more internal storage, kernel 3.0.
I use custom roms, so big development community is important for me. I have been spoiled by Desire as it (still) has a large one.
Galaxy S2 would cost me around 170-200 euro to get it.
Should I take that, or look for something else in this price range?
My requirements:
- larger screen (not necessarily much larger)
- android (duh)
- solid build quality
- large development community
- noticeably faster CPU than Desire (Dual+ core would come in handy)
- microUSB
- good/very good camera
- good battery life
- price up to 200 euro (used)
- would be nice if it had FM transmitter (not receiver) but it is not necessary
- it must by BLACK or therebout
I also considered s2 but there's one serious setback to it. Namely, the screen is amoled and without pentile matrix.
What's bad about it you ask? pixels that are frequently used lose color and items that you have on screen for most time are somewhat paler than the rest of the screen, and you can see their shadow for the whole time, ppl reported that with all amoled displays and non pentile of s2 is even more susceptible to that. That happens even to devices 3 months old, depending on how heavily they are used I guess. You can google it to see for yourself, just type galaxy s2 amoled burn in. There are also few good YouTube vids showing that. Items that you usually can see are burned in status bar, soft keys from your most used app, keyboard, alarm icon and "fully charged" sign across the screen as during night charging the phone lights up when battery is full and keeps the screen on until you turn it off or unplug it/on some ROMs at least, stock including/.
Is Desire not affected by that?
Then what else would you suggest?
Only first edition of desire pvt1 I believe had amoled screens, the rest are sporting slcd which is not organic and does not suffer from this burn in effect.
impactor said:
I had HTC Desire for nearly 3 years, and it is a great phone, but I think it is time to upgrade, because:
- it is annoyingly slow with my regular set of programs installed, even on fastest available roms
- it doesn't have kernel 3.0, and because of that JB roms have shortcomings
- a little bit too small screen for GPS navigation
- really crappy camera
- somewhat short battery life
Some time ago I had a chance to look at Galaxy S2 in person and it looked like a perfect phone (at least for 2 minutes I had it in my hands).
Somewhat bigger screen, more internal storage, kernel 3.0.
I use custom roms, so big development community is important for me. I have been spoiled by Desire as it (still) has a large one.
Galaxy S2 would cost me around 170-200 euro to get it.
Should I take that, or look for something else in this price range?
My requirements:
- larger screen (not necessarily much larger)
- android (duh)
- solid build quality
- large development community
- noticeably faster CPU than Desire (Dual+ core would come in handy)
- microUSB
- good/very good camera
- good battery life
- price up to 200 euro (used)
- would be nice if it had FM transmitter (not receiver) but it is not necessary
- it must by BLACK or therebout
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for SGS2+. It is newer phone, available almost at the same price as SGS2, probably have warranty and no burn-in effect of any major cosmetic wear.
But I think there is no black variant, but dark blue.
Price is 200-230 EUR.
HTC sensation
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app
dvd777 said:
Go for SGS2+. It is newer phone, available almost at the same price as SGS2, probably have warranty and no burn-in effect of any major cosmetic wear.
But I think there is no black variant, but dark blue.
Price is 200-230 EUR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the model number of that one? Galaxies have very confusing customer names.
impactor said:
What is the model number of that one? Galaxies have very confusing customer names.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I9105 if l'm not mistaken.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z C6603 via Tapatalk 2
S2+ makes no sense, is more expensive than regular s2, has same screen with same setbacks and worse gpu, videocoreiv vs Mali 400.
Sensation seems good, but I've got no experience with that phone.
If you want a dev community supporting your device, avoid htc phones. HTC is terribly slow when it comes to releasing updates and sources.
If I helped, hit the thanks button!
What you like
totalnoob34 said:
If you want a dev community supporting your device, avoid htc phones. HTC is terribly slow when it comes to releasing updates and sources.
If I helped, hit the thanks button!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree with you. But again, it is on him to pick something that he likes. We are here to suggest him.
I like HTC Because of Sense,speed (on some new devices) new features big rom list's etc. I dont like samsung bcs every new phone (LG,ZTE,Nokia,Sony, and many more) are copy of Samsung,Same android UI, same phone design i will say. JUST A COPY .
HTC Have some original from begining of production for me that is a great and like i sayed i will suggest you to buy some HTC Model (HTC One X, HTC Sensation.not new but very good, HTC One v (it is not so special but it is very good,speed, and it is very Cheap)
But if you want to buy some other phone mark Yes i will suggest you to but SGSII or SGSIII Mini. Mini have small Display but have great camera great speed great support and what is importatt you can find it for 170/80 Eur
If i helped something to you give FIRST THANKS to my profile
+1 for the sensation, i baught mine used for 100 euro and its like brand new, i got it off a guy cheap coz it was stuck in bootloader lol, i got it home, flashed a ruu then s-off & rooted and it has great dev support, loads of sense roms, 3.5 - 3.6 - 4.1 - 4+ and now waiting for team venom to release sense 5. Also loads of JB - AOSP roms and 4.3 JB roms, really is a great phone with good hardware to handle all roms.
About sensation, the newer roms have working camera/video or is it stuck with that issue like our old desires?
And how do you cope without the trackpad, I tend to write lengthy emails/forum posts and it's a great tool when I want too correct something, yet no other phone has it. does it mean trouble for guys like me?
freebird24h said:
About sensation, the newer roms have working camera/video or is it stuck with that issue like our old desires?
And how do you cope without the trackpad, I tend to write lengthy emails/forum posts and it's a great tool when I want too correct something, yet no other phone has it. does it mean trouble for guys like me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
everything works, and i never really used trackpad on the desire.
I would never buy sensation. Death grip issues and dust under screen glass is way too much for me. Sgs2+ is ftw in my opinion.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z C6603 via Tapatalk 2
Meh, I am stuck.
I read around here that s2 display is horrible when compared to s3.
s3 has even cheaper feel, and is 100-170e more expensive
Sensation is useless to me.
Price of S4 is absurd...
impactor said:
Meh, I am stuck.
I read around here that s2 display is horrible when compared to s3.
s3 has even cheaper feel, and is 100-170e more expensive
Sensation is useless to me.
Price of S4 is absurd...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What bout One X/S? In ireland they going for bout 175 - 225 euro, good all round phone and fairly solid.
One S would be good bargain, but no official 4.2.2 for him. He is eol already, unfortunately. One X is expensive, like S3.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z C6603 via Tapatalk 2
My friend is selling his One X for 200 euro in mint condition, he dont use it, its just sitting in his drawer. I was gona buy it but i always wanted a sensation lol. If ur interested i could say to him, he has it a while so maybe i can get it cheaper for u. Postage would be round 10 euro. Let me know
P.S - im not dodgy r that, user k3lcior had no gps antenna so i gave him mine from my desire (coz my desire is dead), free of charge, and i posted it to poland.
well if I may make a suggestion, I would say get the Nexus 4
Pros: (according to what you listed)
larger screen and clearer screen
will always have the latest and greatest Android OS since its from Google
I don't remember the build quality on it but I know its at least better than the desire
haven't checked the dev support but since its a bit more open.... should still be better than the desire
very fast 1.5GHz quad-core CPU
microUSB
8MP camera and a 1.3MP front cam
decent 2,100 mAh battery
and most importantly it comes in Black
Cons:
its $300 which about 224 euros (so slightly over budget although sorta worth it)
no FM trasmitter
limited storage and no SD card expansion
so really its an amazing phone, its mainly only brought down by not having an SD card slot but if you find the 8 or 16GB models fine then I'd say go for it.
Anyone have any insiders on something without Sense 7 on the M9??
I'll be frank. I LOVED my M8. Best Android phone I've owned aside from its shortcomings, namely the camera. Right before I dumped Verizon and along with the M8 I had a pure stock 5.0.2 Android Rom and thought I was in love. I recently purchased a M9 Developer edition straight from HTC with the hopes that they would release whatever it is (source code, maybe?) to be able to build a pure edition of AOSP without Sense.
It took me a month to decide between the Nexus 6 (too big too small of storage), S6 (exynos in house SoC and small battery), Moto X 2nd gen (bad camera), HTC M9 (overheating issues), the 1+1 (too small of storage) and the Saygus (Still isn't out yet!?) All of them had some stupid catch. I knew my M8 got hot at times but wasn't a big deal so I went with the M9. Mine now has S-OFF with the 1.40 firmware on the venom rom, I flip between a T-mo and Cricket SIM depending on coverage because I travel - A LOT. Every week I'm somewhere else. Texas, Montana, Philly, Chicago.. this week I'm in Denver. Next week I'm in Texas.. following.. Tennessee.. so I need the large storage for my media (music, movies, etc). That being said, one of the BIGGEST things I need on my phone is Viper4Android.. which requires very little, but at the time I decided to purchase a phone, it didn't support the Exynos processor, only the qualcomm. Now I see that's changed already. I think my problems would be solved if I could have some way purchased a S6, bought a Mophie to extend battery and rooted with viper. Buuuuuuut, the audio power out (mW) is so low, I'd have to go back to using my external FiiO E6 headphone amp with my Westone 4 IEM's. But I digress. (Sorry)
Anyway, I'm hoping something happens soon or I don't know what I'm going to do. All the experimentation with ROM's loaded with Sense are cool and all.. the development work in the venom rom is absolutely amazing, but I don't care much for tweaking size, color, menus, etc. I truly wish we could get a 100% stock lollipop rom for this phone.
If anyone has read through this post, I'm sorry it's so long winded, but if there's anyone out there that has good headphones or IEM's ($500 or more) and you use Android, can you share your setup and tell me if I'm just using that as an excuse to stay with the M9??
Thanks guys!
I'm looking forward to AOSP (or AOSP-based, ie CyanogenMod) myself. There's an active thread discussing progress on building CyanogenMod for the M9, but it's pretty broken yet.
Like you, I'm ready! But in addition to being patient, it would probably help to remember that this phone was released just under two months ago. Throw in the fairly revolutionary 64-bit processor and it's reasonable to guess that we're a bit away from an AOSP ROM.
On the optimistic side - Google has released Android for it's 64-bit based Nexus 9, so maybe a build for the M9 isn't too far away! Here's hoping.
I am for it, but historically CM/aosp etc on new devices is a mess for at least 5-6 months POST release. I'm talking 5-6 months minimum after they get all the hardware working. I would prefer it over sense7 but not until all the wakelock and battery issues are solved.
Right now you can flash viper, chose desensed options and use a launcher like nova (and dont forget to get viperdark theme)
Hey,
I have been struggling for a few months trying to pick my next phone, I've been using an ancient GS2 for at least 3 years now...
I was gonna go with the 6P but the SD810 is worrying me... And the M9 has that thing as well...
The M8 looks like a good choice.. I just have a few questions :
1- How is the dev community ?
- I usually stick with phones for at least 2 years, and I always like running the latest version of Android...
2- are AOSP ROMs stable ?
Coming from an Exynos device, it had countless issues with AOSP roms,... Lot's of stuff didn't work properly on AOSP.. Is it the same case here or everything is stable enough...
3- Is there any known hardware defective that are known about the phone.. Just to be careful when purchasing
4- How is the battery ? SOT ?
And finally, do you recommend to buy it, or there's better choices out there ?
Cheers..
biascoblix said:
Hey,
I have been struggling for a few months trying to pick my next phone, I've been using an ancient GS2 for at least 3 years now...
I was gonna go with the 6P but the SD810 is worrying me... And the M9 has that thing as well...
The M8 looks like a good choice.. I just have a few questions :
1- How is the dev community ?
- I usually stick with phones for at least 2 years, and I always like running the latest version of Android...
2- are AOSP ROMs stable ?
Coming from an Exynos device, it had countless issues with AOSP roms,... Lot's of stuff didn't work properly on AOSP.. Is it the same case here or everything is stable enough...
3- Is there any known hardware defective that are known about the phone.. Just to be careful when purchasing
4- How is the battery ? SOT ?
And finally, do you recommend to buy it, or there's better choices out there ?
Cheers..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Great dev community(much options), about official software updates, 2 yrs of htc's commitment is ending in March 2016.
2. Most are stable, some MM are stil WIP
3. No hardware issues(like it was on One m7 with camera)
4. Depends on kernel and rom(with doze, battery drain is like 1-3% per night) i get ussualy 5hrs of sot, with tweaks and low brighteness i can get ~7hrs of sot
If you can find some good deal, go for it, great build/sound and fast UI. Camera is meh, but with proper angle and close shots, it's good enough.
Imotep95 said:
1. Great dev community(much options), about official software updates, 2 yrs of htc's commitment is ending in March 2016.
2. Most are stable, some MM are stil WIP
3. No hardware issues(like it was on One m7 with camera)
4. Depends on kernel and rom(with doze, battery drain is like 1-3% per night) i get ussualy 5hrs of sot, with tweaks and low brighteness i can get ~7hrs of sot
If you can find some good deal, go for it, great build/sound and fast UI. Camera is meh, but with proper angle and close shots, it's good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?
Its still worth it and the device has a official gpe (Google play edition) rom.
biascoblix said:
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, there are plenty units out there...USA carriers,DEV Edition, ASIA WWE, WWE international... try to get wwe(unlocked version), btw you can do S-OFF($25) and RUU to whatever you want.
Just a quick viewpoint from me. I hate my M8. For the first 6 months it was great, then I had the camera lens issue (which was easily rectified with metal Polish but shouldn't have been a problem in the first place). Then my vibrate motor packed in. Then it came back to life a couple of weeks later but it folded again and has been dead for the past 4 months. I get random freezes on various roms and the battery gets so hot I can't hold my phone sometimes. Maybe I got a lemon (my wife got an M8 the same time as me, also had the camera lens issue bit nothing else) but it's really hurt my confidence in HTC. I've had HTC handsets almost exclusively for the past 11 years, and given how weak I view the A9 (or X9) I will be abandoning HTC thanks to how poor the M8 has been for me.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Imotep95 said:
Oh, there are plenty units out there...USA carriers,DEV Edition, ASIA WWE, WWE international... try to get wwe(unlocked version), btw you can do S-OFF($25) and RUU to whatever you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the one am getting is probably the unlocked international...
I'm new to HTC phones here, what exactly is S-OFF and RUU ?! ?
biascoblix said:
Yea, the one am getting is probably the unlocked international...
I'm new to HTC phones here, what exactly is S-OFF and RUU ?! ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-off is like 100% unlock, you can flash firmwares, sound mods(with adsp) etc, RUU: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656721
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
dazultra2000 said:
Just a quick viewpoint from me. I hate my M8. For the first 6 months it was great, then I had the camera lens issue (which was easily rectified with metal Polish but shouldn't have been a problem in the first place). Then my vibrate motor packed in. Then it came back to life a couple of weeks later but it folded again and has been dead for the past 4 months. I get random freezes on various roms and the battery gets so hot I can't hold my phone sometimes. Maybe I got a lemon (my wife got an M8 the same time as me, also had the camera lens issue bit nothing else) but it's really hurt my confidence in HTC. I've had HTC handsets almost exclusively for the past 11 years, and given how weak I view the A9 (or X9) I will be abandoning HTC thanks to how poor the M8 has been for me.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, Interesting.... Yea, HTC currently is in a really bad position, the A9 & X9 are certainly a joke... But I can't really find a good phone with an active dev community with the same price range...
Imotep95 said:
S-off is like 100% unlock, you can flash firmwares, sound mods(with adsp) etc, RUU: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656721
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I know if it's S-off or not ?
and if the one i got was "S-on", Is it "S-off"able ?
biascoblix said:
How do I know if it's S-off or not ?
and if the one i got was "S-on", Is it "S-off"able ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, its s off-able
S-On(security on), S-OFF(seurity off)
Yes, if its new, its S-ON, only dev edition comes with S-Off.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Imotep95 said:
Sure, its s off-able
S-On(security on), S-OFF(seurity off)
Yes, if its new, its S-ON, only dev edition comes with S-Off.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, Thanks very much for your help...
I'll give myself a few days of more research.. but I'm probably going to get it... can't really find another alternative for the same price with an active dev community ..
Thanks again,
Cheers..
and oh, MERRY CHRISTMAS...
biascoblix said:
Hmm, Interesting.... Yea, HTC currently is in a really bad position, the A9 & X9 are certainly a joke... But I can't really find a good phone with an active dev community with the same price range...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's the bit that sucks the most, after all its the original HTC built XDA that bought this site to light many years ago. That's why I'm leaning closest to the Nexus 6P at the moment as a possible next phone as it doesn't need too much hacking to be what I want it to be. But I'm not 100% happy with the 6P either, but I don't want to wait another year to see if HTC can pull something decent out of their hat. M8 seriously ruined it for me
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
dazultra2000 said:
Yeah that's the bit that sucks the most, after all its the original HTC built XDA that bought this site to light many years ago. That's why I'm leaning closest to the Nexus 6P at the moment as a possible next phone as it doesn't need too much hacking to be what I want it to be. But I'm not 100% happy with the 6P either, but I don't want to wait another year to see if HTC can pull something decent out of their hat. M8 seriously ruined it for me
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really wanted to get the 6P but here's why I didn't..
1- SD810.... Just NO !!
2- A lot... I meant really A lot of defective units.. especially with the screen.. A lot of units are coming with irregular colored screens...
3- Price... yea, surely it's currently priced at 500$... but i'm afraid to use forwarding service to ship it to my country here coz of the huge amount of defective units.. and local retailers here selling it for 650$.. NO THANKS... and I can see you're from the UK, you're getting ripped off.. it's roughly about 700$ for the 6P in the UK !!
biascoblix said:
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched from the HTC One M7 to the M8 - 2 months ago for the same price of 350$. Got it off Ebay. It was an imported T-mobile version from U.S unlocked, so there is no warranty. If you're getting it at the local store with warranty I'd suggest picking it.
Good stuff I've noticed:
The phones battery is a quite a difference from the M7. The battery is slightly larger and the processor is more efficient. 2 months later with Skydragons Sense Rom with Marshmallow, the battery life is still great.
The M7 gave 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of On screen time (If I was not gaming much) , while this phone goes beyond 3.5 hours. It lasts over a day with moderate use and gaming.
The phone doesn't heat up crazy like the M7 did. Expect it to get warm, it's metal build.
The speakers are much louder than the M7. Along with this factor and the amazing battery life I was convinced that the phone was worth upgrading to.
The camera is decent and rather nice in low light conditions. However if camera is really important to you I'd suggest avoiding this phone.
HTC Sense is way better than stock android. The launcher itself is so handy. Music player is the best I've used, simple and effective.
The phone feels exotic in the hand, super premium.
Sound output without the equalizer(Boomsound) is hands down one of the best you will get.
Huge development community.
Has SD card support which the previous phone didn't have.
Cons:
Boomsound on earphones and headphones is really atrocious. The Beats Audio which was on the M7 was waaaayyy better! If you get this phone, just turn off boomsound on headphones.
The phone is curvy and hence becomes super slippery, just be careful handing the device, it's prone to slipping out of your hand. Worth mentioning this phone is heavy.
Dual Camera at the back is gimmicky.
Some of the OEM's software is poorly implemented and of late HTC has been messing some of them up. Example: Blinkfeed with ads and recommendations, HTC TV and Notes.
Has on screen buttons instead of the HTC M7's capacitve. And on screen buttons are rubbish.
The speaker grilles trap dirt easier than the previous model, you can however use a tooth brush or needle to clean them.
The power button is on top and a pain to reach. Doesn't help that the phone is taller than the M7 .
The top camera in the back can get damaged due to poor protection as compared to the main camera. You can still click photos, but can't use the dual camera effects. Also you will keep getting an error message "Dual camera is blocked..."
Defective Models: Yes there are models which ship with the dual camera damaged. If you get an opportunity to test out the phone first, check the camera. If you get the dual camera is blocked - just request if he can drop the price for you further. You will still be able to use the main camera.
This phone is not perfect and is HTC's Rough Diamond. With the processor, sound quality and dev support, I'd recommend it.
dar87 said:
I switched from the HTC One M7 to the M8 - 2 months ago for the same price of 350$. Got it off Ebay. It was an imported T-mobile version from U.S unlocked, so there is no warranty. If you're getting it at the local store with warranty I'd suggest picking it.
Good stuff I've noticed:
The phones battery is a quite a difference from the M7. The battery is slightly larger and the processor is more efficient. 2 months later with Skydragons Sense Rom with Marshmallow, the battery life is still great.
The M7 gave 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of On screen time (If I was not gaming much) , while this phone goes beyond 3.5 hours. It lasts over a day with moderate use and gaming.
The phone doesn't heat up crazy like the M7 did. Expect it to get warm, it's metal build.
The speakers are much louder than the M7. Along with this factor and the amazing battery life I was convinced that the phone was worth upgrading to.
The camera is decent and rather nice in low light conditions. However if camera is really important to you I'd suggest avoiding this phone.
HTC Sense is way better than stock android. The launcher itself is so handy. Music player is the best I've used, simple and effective.
The phone feels exotic in the hand, super premium.
Sound output without the equalizer(Boomsound) is hands down one of the best you will get.
Huge development community.
Has SD card support which the previous phone didn't have.
Cons:
Boomsound on earphones and headphones is really atrocious. The Beats Audio which was on the M7 was waaaayyy better! If you get this phone, just turn off boomsound on headphones.
The phone is curvy and hence becomes super slippery, just be careful handing the device, it's prone to slipping out of your hand. Worth mentioning this phone is heavy.
Dual Camera at the back is gimmicky.
Some of the OEM's software is poorly implemented and of late HTC has been messing some of them up. Example: Blinkfeed with ads and recommendations, HTC TV and Notes.
Has on screen buttons instead of the HTC M7's capacitve. And on screen buttons are rubbish.
The speaker grilles trap dirt easier than the previous model, you can however use a tooth brush or needle to clean them.
The power button is on top and a pain to reach. Doesn't help that the phone is taller than the M7 .
The top camera in the back can get damaged due to poor protection as compared to the main camera. You can still click photos, but can't use the dual camera effects. Also you will keep getting an error message "Dual camera is blocked..."
Defective Models: Yes there are models which ship with the dual camera damaged. If you get an opportunity to test out the phone first, check the camera. If you get the dual camera is blocked - just request if he can drop the price for you further. You will still be able to use the main camera.
This phone is not perfect and is HTC's Rough Diamond. With the processor, sound quality and dev support, I'd recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that detailed comment...
I'm coming from the phone that was barely able to shot decent 720p videos
literally anything would be an upgrade for me... the M8 is great compared to its price...
and the dual camera is a joke, i know that.. I'll probably be running AOSP roms which I don't think utilize it anyway...
biascoblix said:
Thanks for that detailed comment...
I'm coming from the phone that was barely able to shot decent 720p videos
literally anything would be an upgrade for me... the M8 is great compared to its price...
and the dual camera is a joke, i know that.. I'll probably be running AOSP roms which I don't think utilize it anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might want to try a GPE Rom like this instead of an AOSP one.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2706391
dar87 said:
You might want to try a GPE Rom like this instead of an AOSP one.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2706391
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That looks great... Can't wait to get my hands on the phone... I'm gonna be buying it asap..
First of all, apologies for the poor english and if these questions were already answered. I already read some of the things i wanted to know so but it was some months ago.. i'm hoping most have changed.
I have a moto g1 since it came out. It had Android 4.3, received update for 4.4, 5.0 and 5.1.. I never had the need for a custom rom.. the stock ones are super stable. Nowadays 1GB of ram is nothing, even for a light user like me.. i literally only have 3 or 4 light apps apart from gapps.. A custom rom will give me more features but won't make my phone (much) faster.
I had my eye on this phone for a while now but there are some things that make me think twice. I have some questions for you.
-Lets start with acessories.. is there any screen protector on the market right now for the Z2 that doesn't peel on the edges of the curved glass? If you have one, can you post a pic so i can see if it stays neat?
-Is the phone receiving official updates? Are they any good? Did those stupid quirks i read about some months ago vanish?
-Is there a way of putting soft navigation buttons on the official rom (i don't care about the gestures on the fingerprint reader)?
-What's the state of the custom roms compared to the official? Not talking about having more features.. are they as stable as the original ones and does everything that works on ZUI, also works in the custom ones?
-For someone that doesn't want a phone with a screen larger than 5" (something smaller would be even greater), do you recommend this phone or have a better alternative at the same price point (~200€)? I highly value the stock android design and above all, something stable. I don't mind a phone with less ram and even lower specs than the Z2 if it meets those things i prefer on a phone..
-Are the community roms making good progress? By this i mean, do you think we can have something near 100% stable in the future or the lack of source code will never allow it?
Many thanks!
It is receiving software updates. I don't know about which "quirks" you are talking about but the updates are okay... Not perfect minor bugs in notification bar etc.
Yes you can enable soft navigation buttons. Its in settings.
You can also go for redmi 4.
But for 11000₹ this phone is a steal deal in my opinion. I bought it for 15k.
PS. I too was a moto g1 owner before this and I also have most of your doubts.
-Lets start with acessories.. is there any screen protector on the market right now for the Z2 that doesn't peel on the edges of the curved glass? If you have one, can you post a pic so i can see if it stays neat?
-> Somehow, i never put glass/screen protector for every curved glass phone i ever had including this one. Well this is personal tho..
-Is the phone receiving official updates? Are they any good? Did those stupid quirks i read about some months ago vanish?
-> Yep. Yep, they're pretty good on developing. Which one?
-Is there a way of putting soft navigation buttons on the official rom (i don't care about the gestures on the fingerprint reader)?
-> Yep, built in
-What's the state of the custom roms compared to the official? Not talking about having more features.. are they as stable as the original ones and does everything that works on ZUI, also works in the custom ones?
-> ZUI wins on Camera, so far. Porting ZUI cam status is on progress
-For someone that doesn't want a phone with a screen larger than 5" (something smaller would be even greater), do you recommend this phone or have a better alternative at the same price point (~200€)? I highly value the stock android design and above all, something stable. I don't mind a phone with less ram and even lower specs than the Z2 if it meets those things i prefer on a phone..
-> Go for it, awesome phone at its price, but dont expect too much on Cam, its 13/5..
-Are the community roms making good progress? By this i mean, do you think we can have something near 100% stable in the future or the lack of source code will never allow it?
-> Yeah, they're fookin awesome developers, lots of ROM goin Official right now.. have a try on RR or DU
Many thanks!
No Worries, cheers!
I appreciate your replies. The phone now is out of stock on gearbest (the only place i can buy so i don't pay customs).. let's see if it comes back since the brand is apparently dead now.
I am a big fan of cell phones and installing custom roms.
In the past I have had several oneplus like the o 3t, 6t, 7pro, and without a doubt the one that has disappointed me the most is the one I have now, the 9 pro European version.
It was already a big shock the purchase price, but I longed for the old days in which you could find dozens of functional roms for your oneplus and enjoyed exploring it.
Before I bought it I saw that there was community so I decided to get the 9 pro... but after half a year I am quite disappointed.
It makes me sad that there is no rom with all the features perfectly validated, battery life and customization superior to the stock rom and with the native camera app, I always believed that custom roms served to improve the stock one (very sloppy compared to previous times), but at the moment it is not so.
I admire developers a lot, and I know how difficult it is, just maybe my mistake was waiting for this oneplus to have its soul of the past, and now I don't know if it has a solution or it is better to sell it before its price plummets.
Unfortunately, the stability does suffer on the 9 Pro. It's one of the things you'll have to live with. To be fair, most phones aren't that great in 2022. Samsung has horrible battery life and Apple's caught in that iCloud scanning controversy. Pixel 6 is meh for a phone, the chip just can't keep up.
So pick your poison.
aforocars said:
I am a big fan of cell phones and installing custom roms.
In the past I have had several oneplus like the o 3t, 6t, 7pro, and without a doubt the one that has disappointed me the most is the one I have now, the 9 pro European version.
It was already a big shock the purchase price, but I longed for the old days in which you could find dozens of functional roms for your oneplus and enjoyed exploring it.
Before I bought it I saw that there was community so I decided to get the 9 pro... but after half a year I am quite disappointed.
It makes me sad that there is no rom with all the features perfectly validated, battery life and customization superior to the stock rom and with the native camera app, I always believed that custom roms served to improve the stock one (very sloppy compared to previous times), but at the moment it is not so.
I admire developers a lot, and I know how difficult it is, just maybe my mistake was waiting for this oneplus to have its soul of the past, and now I don't know if it has a solution or it is better to sell it before its price plummets.
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Click to collapse
if you think stock OS is better than custom rom for the 9pro, just stick with stock.
if you are not satisfied with the result from people who do support custom roms in their free time, maybe think about doing it yourself instead of complaining.
also there is probably a reason, why the stock cam is not available in any custom rom...
there are great gcam alternatives, that work well.
for me the custom rom is way better, after the OOS 12 disaster from oneplus.
aforocars said:
It makes me sad that there is no rom with all the features perfectly validated, battery life and customization superior to the stock rom and with the native camera app, I always believed that custom roms served to improve the stock one (very sloppy compared to previous times), but at the moment it is not so.
I admire developers a lot, and I know how difficult it is, just maybe my mistake was waiting for this oneplus to have its soul of the past, and now I don't know if it has a solution or it is better to sell it before its price plummets.
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I'm afraid you don't understand how development works. Custom ROM developers rely mainly on how developer friendly a phone manufacturer is. OnePlus has known a steady decline in community support in the past few years. You would be amazed how difficult it is to make components like a fingerprint reader or camera work properly if no sources are released. This is a massive challenge that this community struggles with every single day. To be honest I'm even surprised they get the hardware working so fast. I'm not familiar with today's hacks but I remember the camera of the OnePlus "Bacon" One was quite the piece of work. I am still thankful to @Sultanxda for the near magic he performed on this and many other devices. Interesting read: Cameras in Custom ROMs: How Developers Make Hardware Work without Source Code
But that was then, "simpler times". With all added security measures by Big G nowadays and how reluctant OnePlus has become to cooperate with the very community that made them so great it can only have become more difficult. They say "added security" but they really mean "protecting our economic interests". If custom development is so important to you it should've been a part of your selection process when buying a new phone. That's what I asked myself when I was looking for a device for my son: "What's cheap, has a decent battery, some gaming capabilities and has a solid development community?". I got him a Xiaomi Poco M3, no regrets. I've been on the 6T for over 3 years now and will likely be on the lookout for an upgrade later this year. Development will be an important selling point. Nothing looks promising! If it's going to be as 'open' as they claim, it will have amazing community support.
TL;DR: Don't look to independant devs about quirky ROM development, complain to the companies about their lack of community support instead.
vincemue said:
if you think stock OS is better than custom rom for the 9pro, just stick with stock.
if you are not satisfied with the result from people who do support custom roms in their free time, maybe think about doing it yourself instead of complaining.
also there is probably a reason, why the stock cam is not available in any custom rom...
there are great gcam alternatives, that work well.
for me the custom rom is way better, after the OOS 12 disaster from oneplus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vincemue said:
if you think stock OS is better than custom rom for the 9pro, just stick with stock.
if you are not satisfied with the result from people who do support custom roms in their free time, maybe think about doing it yourself instead of complaining.
also there is probably a reason, why the stock cam is not available in any custom rom...
there are great gcam alternatives, that work well.
for me the custom rom is way better, after the OOS 12 disaster from oneplus.
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Click to collapse
The point of my comment was not any criticism of developers, maybe I should have put this " I admire developers a lot" in bold.
Neither stock rom nor custom roms are what they used to be in oneplus devices.
Timmmmaaahh! said:
I'm afraid you don't understand how development works. Custom ROM developers rely mainly on how developer friendly a phone manufacturer is. OnePlus has known a steady decline in community support in the past few years. You would be amazed how difficult it is to make components like a fingerprint reader or camera work properly if no sources are released. This is a massive challenge that this community struggles with every single day. To be honest I'm even surprised they get the hardware working so fast. I'm not familiar with today's hacks but I remember the camera of the OnePlus "Bacon" One was quite the piece of work. I am still thankful to @Sultanxda for the near magic he performed on this and many other devices. Interesting read: Cameras in Custom ROMs: How Developers Make Hardware Work without Source Code
But that was then, "simpler times". With all added security measures by Big G nowadays and how reluctant OnePlus has become to cooperate with the very community that made them so great it can only have become more difficult. They say "added security" but they really mean "protecting our economic interests". If custom development is so important to you it should've been a part of your selection process when buying a new phone. That's what I asked myself when I was looking for a device for my son: "What's cheap, has a decent battery, some gaming capabilities and has a solid development community?". I got him a Xiaomi Poco M3, no regrets. I've been on the 6T for over 3 years now and will likely be on the lookout for an upgrade later this year. Development will be an important selling point. Nothing looks promising! If it's going to be as 'open' as they claim, it will have amazing community support.
TL;DR: Don't look to independant devs about quirky ROM development, complain to the companies about their lack of community support instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I probably know the world of development a lot better than you think... , I wasn't complaining at all about the developers, just my misconception that oneplus was what it used to be.
aforocars said:
I probably know the world of development a lot better than you think... , I wasn't complaining at all about the developers, just my misconception that oneplus was what it used to be.
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So we're basically saying the same thing? Alright then! Easy discussion. Maybe literally say you're disappointed in OnePlus next time, that would've made more sense.