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I'm due for an upgrade in a month, is the Razr M still a good choice? Or should I spend the extra cash for the S3.
I'm very happy with the RAZR M and this is my fourth Motorola Droid. I like the smaller size phone, build quality is very good. I've read some complaints about the 4G signal not being as good as with other phones. In my experience I do notice it on 3G often but really don't pay much attention unless I'm using it as a hotspot. This is one of the best Android phones I've had.
I haven't tried the S3. My last experience with a Samsung phone wasn't good, it was a while ago so I really can't comment on the S3.
What's important to you? What are you using your phone to do? I don't watch movies, sometimes listen to music. Don't really play games on it either. I mostly use it for work calls, text, email, todo list and keeping track of where I'm spending my work time. Some browsing and navigation too.
It comes down to what you want. The S3 is large. The RAZR M is compact. Both have root exploits and all that, but the S3 does have more development so far. I love my M. I was on an S3 kick not too long ago but steered away when I saw some battery usage. I like going a full day with plenty juice to laugh. I'm sure it's achievable with an S3, but with my usage, it wasn't at that time. Both are great devices, and it's nice to have such a dilemma.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Apples and oranges. S3 is a big ole phone (too big IMO) with a zillion added layers and features. For me there is no comparison. The S3 is big and gaudy in form and function, the M is sleek and simple in form and function. You may like the added features and if top notch camera performance is top priority you might prefer the S3 but the M has no significant flaws that stand out or would give me phone envy to anything out now. The M is built like a tank compared to the S3 as well.
Thanks for your input everyone. I plan to soon join you all in the RAZR M community
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
This thread hasn't been active lately but just wanted to put it out there that I recently switched from the S3 to the Razr M and haven't looked back!
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2
If your are looking for something with more functionality and support , get the S3 . If small and compact with nothing special , get the RAZR M . Note that the RAZR M is a lot heavier than the S3 .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
I had an S3 and a Razr M at the same time....and I had to go with the Razr M, just for size purposes. I just could not get used to a larger phone like the S3 (after using it for about a week). Don't get me wrong, it was nice in practically all other aspects....but damn that is a large phone.
ChuckLezz said:
I had an S3 and a Razr M at the same time....and I had to go with the Razr M, just for size purposes. I just could not get used to a larger phone like the S3 (after using it for about a week). Don't get me wrong, it was nice in practically all other aspects....but damn that is a large phone.
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Click to collapse
This thread is very helpful. I'm trying to decide between an S3 and the M. In some ways very much the same and in others they are very different.
Both have huge processing power and are fast. Same processors I thought but S3 has 1GB more ram. My guess would be that S3 will get more overall support from manufacturer and the ROM community since its a flagship phone.
The M being close to vanilla android though without hacking is nice. They did seam to give it Jelly Bean pretty quick. Quicker than most other phones...so maybe it will have a longer shelf life with Motorola.
The size is where we go in 2 different directions. I think after following the trend of going after bigger screens which is great for viewing purposes...I think I'm tired of my pocket being stuffed with a big phone. So the size might be whats influencing me to get an M.
My brother kept asking me what phone to get on an upgrade. He was a Blackberry user and given his history for having a phone work and last him for days, I told him to go to Razr Max. No other device I know has the battery life of this device.
I got to use and see the device in action. Very basic, despite it's carrier loaded apps. But what impressed me was the battery life. I'm still on GS2 gets the job done more development, but the battery of Razr Max can't be matched. I was impressed.
I've been loving mine. I went from a Galaxy Nexus, which I found to have pretty terrible battery life to this.
I found myself going into a VZW store one day and noticing the phone. I didn't like the narrowing edges of the previous RAZRs, but this one was different. Even after trying out the iPhone 5, the Rezound, and a few others, I found myself back in the next couple of days to check it out again. Within a week later, I bought the phone.
I'm having that phone itch again now, but I keep finding myself trying to find a device with great battery life. I've settled on a Note 2 for my phone-itch, but the $700 price tag on VZW is holding me back.
pez910 said:
I've been loving mine. I went from a Galaxy Nexus, which I found to have pretty terrible battery life to this.
I found myself going into a VZW store one day and noticing the phone. I didn't like the narrowing edges of the previous RAZRs, but this one was different. Even after trying out the iPhone 5, the Rezound, and a few others, I found myself back in the next couple of days to check it out again. Within a week later, I bought the phone.
I'm having that phone itch again now, but I keep finding myself trying to find a device with great battery life. I've settled on a Note 2 for my phone-itch, but the $700 price tag on VZW is holding me back.
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Click to collapse
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
Sent from my Nexus 7
Leraeniesh said:
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts. I secretly despise Samsung for their button placement and functions (the front three) .
I switched from a SGS3 to a Razr M recently. I think the Razr M is better.
Build quality - The SGS3 is entirely plastic and feels very cheap. Pulling off the back to get to the battery / sd card / sim literally makes my cringe every time, the back is a cheap piece of plastic. The physical buttons vary in quality between phones (I had THREE SGS3's due to manufacturing / software defects) but feel very cheap all around. Surprisingly the M is heavier despite being smaller than the SGS3, probably due to it's superior build quality. The frame of the M appears to be metal, and they power/volume buttons on the side feel very nice.
Form Factory - Although the screen of the M is only .5" smaller, the feel of the size of theses phones is like night and day. The S3 feels HUGE (to me) and the M feels iPhone 4 sized (which to me, is a huge plus).
Signal/Voice - My SGS3 would frequently drop 4g, even after two replacements. Much better reception / call quality on the M.
Camera / Mics - The microphone on the M is better, hands down. Pretty close to the mic quality of the iPhone 4, which was amazing. The SGS3 has a slightly better camera (12 MP vs 8MP iirc) and it does show. But for facebook / instagram pictures the M camera is just fine, and the stock camera software on the M is superior in my opinion.
OS Feel - Touchwiz on the SGS3 is bad and you know it. The stock rom on the M just feels faster then the stock on the SGS3.
Screen - The SGS3 (obviously) has a bigger and better screen. The M screen definitely seems lower density but unless you're reading small, small print, you won't notice. I've heard reports that the M screen is brighter, but I think they're about equal.
Modding - Any SGS3, even on verizon, can get a bootloader unlock. I don't think the American non-dev M's can. There is also a HUGE homebrew rom community for the SGS3 compared to the M. However, that being said - the stock rom on the M is not bad at all. I'm personally a stickler for using unmolested android roms, but the M's stock rom fits me nicely. The M does have a root exploit, so you can strip out crap you don't want (which for me, was 4 or 5 apps).
Battery Life - I can't comment on the battery life of the M since I haven't had it long. The SGS3 certainly does not live up to it's alleged battery life in my opinion. I unplug every day at 7 AM for work, and by the time I am home at 5PM, and some days I don't even use the phone the entire workday. The phone has around 50% battery left if I don't even use it during that time.
Overall, if you want a larger screen and a bigger modding community, go with the SGS3 if you can deal with the cheap plastic build. If a smaller screen device is what you want and only a minor mod community is ok, then the M is definitely a better choice because of it's quality.
That's my two cents.
Trying to compare these two phones is like compairing a Lexus with a Chevy Cobalt . Of course the S3 would be the Lexus . We have several of both phones on family plan . If you take a lot of photos or videos , you would want the S3 . You will get a hour or so more from the battery on the M , however , its a small phone . My wife has the smallest hands I've ever seen and she actually prefers the S3 . Its lighter and thinner which offsets the overall feel of the S3.
My signal is better on the S3 in terms of call quality and signal strength . And for some reason lte appears faster as well .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
huedawg said:
Trying to compare these two phones is like compairing a Lexus with a Chevy Cobalt . Of course the S3 would be the Lexus
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Click to collapse
Not really seeing that analogy given the Ms superior build quality, like processing power and performance. I see it as more of a minimally optioned BMW 135 vs a loaded BMW 535. Sure the 535 is larger, with more gadgets, roomy and luxurious but the 135 has the same engine under the hood, is small and nimble and the driving purist would take more pleasure in owning the 135. Oh for some reason this particular 535 is built quite flimsy compared to thee 135 for some reason :silly: The M is certainly not inferior to an S3 as a cobalt compared to a lexus would suggest, its just minimalistic..
stanlalee said:
Not really seeing that analogy given the Ms superior build quality, like processing power and performance. I see it as more of a minimally optioned BMW 135 vs a loaded BMW 535. Sure the 535 is larger, with more gadgets, roomy and luxurious but the 135 has the same engine under the hood, is small and nimble and the driving purist would take more pleasure in owning the 135. Oh for some reason this particular 535 is built quite flimsy compared to thee 135 for some reason :silly: The M is certainly not inferior to an S3 as a cobalt compared to a lexus would suggest, its just minimalistic..
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Click to collapse
I agree to a small extent , I mean , it is a decent little budget phone that is far from high end . To each their own .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Nice phone
Leraeniesh said:
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree about the buttons. It took a few seconds of looking at it in the store for me to realize those button were on the screen.
The high screen size/phone size ratio is one of the things that sold me.
This is my very first smartphone, and while I like the idea of being able to to watch videos, the idea of carrying around something "phablet" sized was unappealing. I'm used to a very small phone.
I've only had it since the weekend, and so far, no buyers remorse.
I switched over to the M in December, after I got fed up with my T-Mobile Galaxy S II for the last time! To be honest, I was so pissed at my TMobile/Samsung, that I just marched into the Verizon store without doing much research on phones, and the RAZR M just caught my eye. Before that, I had my GS2 and GS4G, so I was very used to Samsung and their Touchwiz, which was basically the only form of Android I really knew.
I must say that I'm still very impressed with the RAZR M. Took me a while to get used to the smaller screen and size, but now I really prefer it to the other gigantic phones out there. And the speed and power seem to be on par with any other phone I've tried. I loooove Moto's version of Android, seems to be as close to vanilla android as you can get. I dont miss anything about Touchwiz at all!
And the battery lasts all day an then some. I usually have about 50-60% left when I go to bed at night. Very impressed!
jonnythrice said:
I switched over to the M in December, after I got fed up with my T-Mobile Galaxy S II for the last time! To be honest, I was so pissed at my TMobile/Samsung, that I just marched into the Verizon store without doing much research on phones, and the RAZR M just caught my eye. Before that, I had my GS2 and GS4G, so I was very used to Samsung and their Touchwiz, which was basically the only form of Android I really knew.
I must say that I'm still very impressed with the RAZR M. Took me a while to get used to the smaller screen and size, but now I really prefer it to the other gigantic phones out there. And the speed and power seem to be on par with any other phone I've tried. I loooove Moto's version of Android, seems to be as close to vanilla android as you can get. I dont miss anything about Touchwiz at all!
And the battery lasts all day an then some. I usually have about 50-60% left when I go to bed at night. Very impressed!
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Click to collapse
i never used any samsung phone for ugly design and plastic material and feels very cheap .
but i see samsung tuchwize is realy absurd .
i hope buy faster new razr m - i - hd or atrix hd
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Google Pixel, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Google Pixel is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Only had the phone 3 days, but it has the most cohesive feel of all the Android devices I've owned, not as featureless as my Nexus 7, not over the top like my older HTC/Samsung devices. Switched to Nova Launcher, then switched back to Pixel launcher because it felt a better fit.
I love it. But I'm having some buyer's remorse. I still give it an 8 out of 10. A 10 would have been better than my previous in most categories, even if marginally.
The Pixel is more expensive than my 6P. It's subjectively uglier than my gold finish all metal 6P. It has no front firing dual speakers. It's speakers aren't as good as the 6P's. It has no 64gb option as my 6P did. And I know people may slate me for this, the 6P had a better camera. By a big margin.
So why the high rating? Well, the Pixel feels better in the hand. This is primarily due to the size. The build seems more solid and more dense. The software feels more natural, although this is hard to quantify. The Pixel doesn't exhibit any throttling that my 6P did, which is a huge improvement. It just seems a more polished finish.
It has excellent EIS and I think the 6P should have been given this as it's just software magic, AFAIK. But it is what it is.
No nightmares in the battery department. Quite stable in fact. My 6P was starting to drain quicker than I liked.
Did I say it's the only viable smaller handset with top end hardware? I find it so liberating to be using a smaller powerhouse again.
Most of all, it's just very reliable and dependable.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
I actually very much love this phone, I was expecting a lot to be hype, yet battery is good, cameras awesome see attached pics, and overall it's probably the best phone I owned in awhile, I was using an iPhone 5s, missed mu Android,. Operating system is fast and responsive and split screen multitasking is great especially with YouTube and chrome open
subhani said:
I love it. But I'm having some buyer's remorse. I still give it an 8 out of 10. A 10 would have been better than my previous in most categories, even if marginally.
The Pixel is more expensive than my 6P. It's subjectively uglier than my gold finish all metal 6P. It has no front firing dual speakers. It's speakers aren't as good as the 6P's. It has no 64gb option as my 6P did. And I know people may slate me for this, the 6P had a better camera. By a big margin.
So why the high rating? Well, the Pixel feels better in the hand. This is primarily due to the size. The build seems more solid and more dense. The software feels more natural, although this is hard to quantify. The Pixel doesn't exhibit any throttling that my 6P did, which is a huge improvement. It just seems a more polished finish.
It has excellent EIS and I think the 6P should have been given this as it's just software magic, AFAIK. But it is what it is.
No nightmares in the battery department. Quite stable in fact. My 6P was starting to drain quicker than I liked.
Did I say it's the only viable smaller handset with top end hardware? I find it so liberating to be using a smaller powerhouse again.
Most of all, it's just very reliable and dependable.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Click to collapse
Im sorry but the 6P does not have a better camera. Coming from a 6P as well i agree with some of your viewpoints but the camera isn't a valid arguement. While the 6P camera is good its not at the level of the pixel.
I've used android phones, I've used iPhones. If this is what Google has to offer with its first Pixel phone I'm excited for Pixel 2 already. The camera rocks, love the quality of photos, the UI is intuitive and fast. Opening apps feels instant for me at least no delay. Have yet to see the device slow down. Almost elliminates the need to shy away from stock one can be hopeful that Verizon doesn't end up blocking depixel8 otherwise I may end up unlocking the bootloader if I see they do.
I use an Android and iPhone handset concurrently for work-related reasons. The Pixel is great, and compares very favorably with the iPhone.
Battery: I used to run all intensive apps like Waze and streaming audio through the iPhone, now I don't fear running them on the Android.
App switching: You know when you're chatting with someone and you look something up to further your discussion along? The Overview button double-tap for switching back and forth is so great.
Fingerprint reader: Is faster than the iPhone 6.
You can probably get a nearly identical experience with a Xiaomi or Oneplus phone without spending $650+. I remember even seeing one of the new Xiaomi flagships featuring the same camera sensor. But I hoped that the Pixel being was it is, it'll be a more bug-free experience.
I bought this phone expecting to not like it and sell it in a few weeks. It doesn't have an sd card slot or a removable battery. That's a pretty big deal to me. But I got the 128gb and started allowing Google to back up my pics. I can go 16 hours on the battery with 4 hours SOT. That's exponentially better than my MXP or pretty much any other phone I've used. I have grandfathered unlimited on Verizon so my choices are slim if I want root. Everything about this phone works very well. It's super quick and feels good in the hand. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with it.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
I adore this phone. By far my favorite phone I've owned (S3, EVO 4G, EVO 4G LTE, HTC M8, Galaxy Note 5, Samsung Fireball, LG V20, LG V10). The experience has been unparalleled for me.
It's a great phone, but not worth the price tag that comes with it.
I would consider this to be the "photographer's phone." It has a great camera and amazing EIS. As well as unlimited original photo hosting on Google Photos.
Did I mention it has UNLIMITED, ORIGINAL photo hosting on Google Photos?
Don't get me wrong, there could be better cameras out there, but you just can't beat that perk of having a Pixel.
As a long time samsung owner, this device is a breath of fresh air. If it were more water resistant, and had wireless charging, it'd be a perfect 10.
what overall love for Power Users?
i searched little bit and it seems ok but i want to ask from real life power users?
ease of rooting and number of custom roms & mods
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Geeks Empire said:
what overall love for Power Users?
i searched little bit and it seems ok but i want to ask from real life power users?
ease of rooting and number of custom roms & mods
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Power user here. Previously owned a Galaxy Note 5 and 7. I got the 128GB because I like to store lots of high-quality music files and 4K film. The auto backup photo/video feature is tremendous.
If you're on a normal Pixel (non-Verizon), rooting is a joke. Very simple. Custom ROMs are awesome - PureNexus is amazing and so are OctOS and RR. Not a ton of options but they've got everything you need. Dirty Unicorns is available too (no Slim ROM, sadly).
JoeHockey said:
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root your phone and you can get those things you desire.
Actually, with Tasker, you could probably make the twist camera thing fairly easily. Probably don't need root for that, either.
Thanks for the tip, I'll have to look into Tasker.
PsiPhiDan said:
Power user here. Previously owned a Galaxy Note 5 and 7. I got the 128GB because I like to store lots of high-quality music files and 4K film. The auto backup photo/video feature is tremendous.
If you're on a normal Pixel (non-Verizon), rooting is a joke. Very simple. Custom ROMs are awesome - PureNexus is amazing and so are OctOS and RR. Not a ton of options but they've got everything you need. Dirty Unicorns is available too (no Slim ROM, sadly).
Root your phone and you can get those things you desire.
Actually, with Tasker, you could probably make the twist camera thing fairly easily. Probably don't need root for that, either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Upgraded to a 128gb unit in December from a HTC ONE M8 and love almost everything about it.
Seriously, the difference in cameras is just amazing. I've got a big family and we all use different phones, and going from one of the worst cameras to the best camera is absolutely incredible. It runs fast, I can play PSP games on it. The rapid charge? 15% to full in an hour?! seriously, just amazed.
I have 2 complaints, the speaker is just terrible in comparison to the M8 (best sounding phone I've ever used) and how I hold my phone in my right hand with my pinky on the bottom to keep it from slipping it just mutes it. Second complaint is location services just kill my battery. When my M8 was new, I once got 3 days on a full charge, with the Pixel I'm resembling those iPhone wallhuggers everyone likes to joke about.
JoeHockey said:
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an app for the twist camera. Made by the same guy who made ForceDoze.
tobalaz said:
Upgraded to a 128gb unit in December from a HTC ONE M8 and love almost everything about it.
Seriously, the difference in cameras is just amazing. I've got a big family and we all use different phones, and going from one of the worst cameras to the best camera is absolutely incredible. It runs fast, I can play PSP games on it. The rapid charge? 15% to full in an hour?! seriously, just amazed.
I have 2 complaints, the speaker is just terrible in comparison to the M8 (best sounding phone I've ever used) and how I hold my phone in my right hand with my pinky on the bottom to keep it from slipping it just mutes it. Second complaint is location services just kill my battery. When my M8 was new, I once got 3 days on a full charge, with the Pixel I'm resembling those iPhone wallhuggers everyone likes to joke about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is much better than comparable Androids devices. I've never had such great battery life, honestly. Interestingly, I had an M8 for a year and did NOT get close to 3 days (not even 2). Coming from an LG V20, V10, Note 5 and Note 7 (and watching my wife's S7), this battery life is tremendous. I literally don't ever pay attention to battery anymore. I go to bed with 30-50% usually. I just charge overnight (why not?) to be safe.
But yes, the sound of M8 was unparalleled. Why they quit on that feature I'll never understand.
Overall I am pretty happy with the Pixel. I don't like large phones so i am glad Google offered a smaller version. I used to have the Nexus 5x (still do) but the Pixel has been lag free. Anyone who has been using Google's devices long enough knows the thing starts to lag and the only thing to get rid of it is to totally format every so often. This has been running great so far so I am happy.
One thing I hope Google does not do is eventually become like Samsung or Apple where they totally lock down the device. The price point was already bad enough, but if the attempt to become mainstream to the point where the phone cannot be customized I will be very unhappy.
If they want to sell their product as "Pure Android", that should include customization outside of their OWN OS. Locking things down is no better than Apple or Samsung.
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Moto G4 Play, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Moto G4 Play is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The device is one of the best in the low cost range, but not in stock rom, the development of it is very good, there is no shortage of surprising news, and the community grows very fast
From the moment that I purchased this phone, I have not felt any regrets for doing so:
There are a lot of ROMs for the harpia (Moto G4 Play) in XDA, there is a decent amount of internal storage available for plenty of apps (16GB), the processor (Snapdragon 410, Quad Core, 1.2GHz) has never disappointed me with slowness, there is 2GB of RAM which is more than enough for multitasking, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and LTE support, which contributes to very fast cellular speeds. There is as well VoLTE, which I have never had the opportunity to try out, since my carrier does not support it yet.
The only things, that I would have loved to be featured in the device, are the fingerprint sensor, a camera which worked greater under darker conditions, NFC and .. the compass sensor?! (I don't know what was the deal with removing the compass sensor.. Seriosly, Lenovo, why would you do that?)
Overall, I am going to rate the phone with 4/5 stars and would recommend it to everybody who does not mind about the missing features I have mentioned above (I can perfectly live without them, they do not ruin my user-experience the slightest bit).
I just got the phone Yesterday (for $34, which I find to be an amazing deal!), and as kid (14) who had an LG Leon (MetroPCS version with XenonHD mod), and a crap tablet (2 MP rear camera, speakers are VERY QUIET, and take nearly 5 MINUTES to boot) this is a HUGE upgrade to me. I really like the FM Radio, since it really comes in handy whenever I'm out (I have no service on this phone so...). The camera is a little better than the Leon and I'm excited to be using something that has Android Marshmallow (and soon to be Nougat! ), and not Lollipop. I'm still finding stuff about this phone I love (like how many ROMS I can choose from for this phone).
I've been using flagship (mostly Samsung) devices for years. Got this one when my Note 5 got stolen and my spare first gen Moto X had a broken microphone. It actually surprised me quite a lot! I mean it has an LCD screen with a quarter of my last phone resolution, but it looks fine, although not at the moment since I broke the original screen and this newer (I believe fake one) has less brightness and saturation. The camera is good, pretty much the same as the 2013 Moto X. The battery life is insane, even with a custom rom. It's tough, it's durable, and pretty much doesn't need a case to go everyday. It was going to be my temporary phone until the Note 7 arrive, something that we know that it never happened. But I like it. It's not blazingly fast like my other devices, but for normal taks (web browsing, Whatsapp and light 2D games) gets the job done. Altough it's not the best phone I've ever had, it's the one I like the most, and that's because I don't have to baby it like other fragile glass/metal devices. This thing went underwater for two hours and went out turned on and still working, and dropped it in the middle of Times Square the last vacations (had a hard time looking for the battery tho). Yeah, I love it, until I get my hands on the Note 8.
The only thing I hate is the lack of a gyroscope sensor. Seriously, was it necessary? GPS is almost unusable without it. You have to walk to any direction in order to see where you're heading.
Excelent!!
I got 2, one for my daughter in white/gold and one for me in black.
I did a lot of research before buying as I wanted something affordable but also with a decent (not great) screen and camera, but most importantly, I checked here to see if the phone had an active development community (a must), which it does!
Hey guys.
After so many years I've been with Samsung, it's time to leave them, I really can't stand my Note 3 any more guys (I'm still on 4.4.2 Android)
I was looking for a new phone and I found this device which looks amazing, with excellent specification, good camera, battery life, and clean OS without any crap or anything and the best thing is the price! only 622.39$ for 128GB damn son!
So I decided I'd buy the phone soon but first I have questions I'd love you to help me with
1. How many screen hours do you have? (heavy/basic use)
2. How is the camera? (Rear and front camera) also, I've seen some good reviews about her on youtube but I saw in the official forum of the device bad reviews about her after the last update 5.0.4. how bad is it? ( I don't care about 4K.. just 1080p)
3. things that I should do after I get the phone? better rom or something?
4. is there any bad thing that I should know?
5. Do you recommend the device? If yes/no, explain why
Thank you and please don't tell me to wait for 1+ 6
(I really hate my note 3 guys.. can't stand it anymore)
I had the Galaxy S7 for awhile. I was a Samsung fanboy back in the captivate to S3 days, back when bootloaders were unlocked. With my S3, I was always flashing ROMs that were closer to stock Android. Samsung's flagship phones are beasts, but Samsung's stock ROM just kneecaps the hardware (there truly is no reason for lag when I'm light use). Then the 2013 Moto X came out. No longer was I compelled to flash a ROM that was close to stock, I already had a phone close to stock. Not to mention the extras Motorola (before Lenovo) added to the Moto X made the user experience much more immersive, and did it well. Long story short, Lenovo **** the bed with the 3rd gen Moto X, I couldn't live with an LCD screen, and went back to Samsung soley for the screen. I was then fixed into the horror that is TouchWiz (I don't care what Samsung calls it these days). The OnePlus 5T has brought back, for me, those days with my first Moto X. Sure, it doesn't fit in the hand like the Moto X, but it's curved edges aren't uncomfortable. The screen is just enough. I never notice a difference in sharpness between my S7 and 5T unless I'm trying. I do miss the camera from the S7. Though, with a reasonable amount of effort, this phone can produce wonderful pictures.
That is all.
beefgoat said:
I had the Galaxy S7 for awhile. I was a Samsung fanboy back in the captivate to S3 days, back when bootloaders were unlocked. With my S3, I was always flashing ROMs that were closer to stock Android. Samsung's flagship phones are beasts, but Samsung's stock ROM just kneecaps the hardware (there truly is no reason for lag when I'm light use). Then the 2013 Moto X came out. No longer was I compelled to flash a ROM that was close to stock, I already had a phone close to stock. Not to mention the extras Motorola (before Lenovo) added to the Moto X made the user experience much more immersive, and did it well. Long story short, Lenovo **** the bed with the 3rd gen Moto X, I couldn't live with an LCD screen, and went back to Samsung soley for the screen. I was then fixed into the horror that is TouchWiz (I don't care what Samsung calls it these days). The OnePlus 5T has brought back, for me, those days with my first Moto X. Sure, it doesn't fit in the hand like the Moto X, but it's curved edges aren't uncomfortable. The screen is just enough. I never notice a difference in sharpness between my S7 and 5T unless I'm trying. I do miss the camera from the S7. Though, with a reasonable amount of effort, this phone can produce wonderful pictures.
That is all.
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SGS3 was my first smartphone and I love it but hate so much the bootloaders + TouchWiz, I flash so many roms and stuff
Then I bought the Note 3, damn the phone was so good in the first few months and I flashed one room and delete almost every samsung bootloaders or cancer ****, the phone went from bike to airplane. but.. still had lags and problems like I wrote
and now I'm want to leave Samsung for good and go to oneplus
The screen is still a big thing for me. After nearly a decade of staring at an OLED display, LCD displays simply don't cut it.
Being a Samsung Galaxy S8 user in the past, now using OP5T. I can say that the battery life is incredible. With moderate usage im getting 7.5hrs of screen on time. Yes i must say that moderate usage meaning normal day to day usage with no or very little gaming.
Coming to screen quality its superb. The sharpness and the color reproduction is fantastic. Talking about the camera, im not satisfied firstly because of the fact that the front camera doesnt have portrait mode. Second the rear camera takes shaky or blurry images in moderate lighting condition. In daylight, it will give you awesome photos but when you come to indoor situation, it will tend to produce noise and also the camera produces blurred shots. Lack of filters and some basic options in the camera app.
The UI is super fast. After using this device, you will feel like every other android phone is damn slow. Its so fast.
Now talking about whether you should buy or not. Yes you should buy as this is one hell of a beast in every aspect except the camera. But only buy the 8gb variant if you want 128gb internals not because of the extra ram as the 2gb extra ram doesnt make any difference in performance. Hope i answered all of your questions.
I also shifted to the 5t from Samsung. The phone is good, leaving the camera ofcourse. But there are many flaws which I am finding these days like Samsung Health doesn't work in this phone(you can ignore this point if you didn't use it), wifi hotspot stops when you use the call, getting wideline l1 is a mess as the service centres don't know a thing about it, accepting the call downwards still a mess for me(you can ignore this point too). The screen is good but not as good as Samsung ofcourse. Considering the 6 will have a notch and they will launch a 6t few months later, get a s8+ in the same price. It will have a slot for the memory card too, better camera, better screen, water & dust resistant. Cheers.
I'm coming from a Samsung S4 that replaced a Samsung S2, and I'm very happy that I did.
This was the best battery and performing Smartphone that I have.
I'm experiencing with very heavy usage like lots of hours watching YouTube videos I have 9 to 10 hours of screen on time, for more light usage never less than 7 Hours screen on time.
The camera is it weakness, but it's not that bad at all.
Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
verifiedthug said:
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
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Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
shaunwwfc said:
Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
*Detection* said:
Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
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Thanks for your thoughts. I am going to closely monitor the price for the next fortnight. With really good feedback I think I would go for it right now. Having read multiple reviews now I am leaning towards seeing what the s10 can offer, especially battery wise.
ssalehh said:
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
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Thanks for your reply! I am starting to think that!
I second waiting to see how the S10 plays out since you are planning on keeping your new phone for the long haul. I actually just purchased a used S9 and am very happy with it (haven't had it long enough to comment on battery life). If you can afford the up front cost, the used market for mint/very good handsets is very competitive right now. However, the launch/trade-in deals for the S10 should put you in the ballpark of the S9 deals you are seeing now.
Edit: Plus, S9/S9+ deals should be great after S10 launches.
I've been the Galaxy as a daily driver since the S8 came out, and when the 9 was released I upgraded.
The S8 size was pretty decent, but when I went to the S9, it was a tad bigger and noticeably heavier. Honestly I like smaller phones. The S9+/Note phones are just too big for me.
Pros: Great screen, great camera, I get decently fast charging time.
Cons:
-Battery life is "fair". For work I use my phone a lot to research on ebay and take pictures. It just doesn't seem enough. I've tried some optimizations such as FHD+, black background, black theme, battery saver programs, no major social media apps running ( usually i used the web based) and I am a bit disappointed. If I use my phone a fair amount in the morning I feel like I will be low later on and will need to charge. Honestly that seems to be one of my bigger drawbacks. If I could get a full day of use from early in the morning to the evening no problem, I'd be good.
- Samsung lag. Oh yes it's here. When going from ebay app to camera, to stock sms app, youtube, I get hiccups more than I'd like to see. I have animations to .5x to make things feel snappier, but I just wish the optimization was better. I won't switch to an iphone, but man after playing with an iphone and seeing how fluid it is, I am a bit envious. I won't switch to Apple, that's just me. Sometimes the auto-rotate doesn't seem to respond as smooth as iPhone.
- The edge screen. Meh. Was cool at first, but it makes glass protectors difficult. You have to pretty much go with Whitestone dome glass, and it's expensive. And then that breaks and you need another $35. I am exploring other options and recently found a glass protector that uses loca glue and UV application just like the whitestone for $18 on Amazon. It has arrived, just haven't put it on yet. I can live without the edge screen.
Today I tested out the Google Pixel 3 at Best Buy. Surprisingly it was only a tad smaller than the S9, but it did weigh less. But maybe that small difference in size does help better with one handed use. Pixel 3 is on Android P, and I played around with it and it was very fluid like the iPhone. I have a promo with T-Mobile on a payment plan for my S9, but if i could just jump right over to the Pixel 3 I would.
I'm hoping Android P will make things better, more optimized and better battery life. Personally, if you have to get a phone now, I like the Pixel 3. Since I'm stuck in a promo paying for this S9, I will most likely upgrade to the S10 when it comes out.
Jeez, I can't stand reading "samsung lag". Now let's be honest and call it "Android lag", because out of 100 different Android phones just Pixels and OnePlus do not show *any* type of stuttering *ever*.
shaunwwfc said:
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
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Click to collapse
If you like the phone bro get it. I own S9, Nokia 7.1, Essential Phone, OnePlus 6, & Pixel 2. All are more or less the same on battery life. Use adaptive brightness & close apps you're not using. Other than that leave Android to do it's job at RAM management, etc. I heavily use my S9 because it's my newest toy and I consistently get 6+ hours of SOT. I don't play games on my phone or do prolonged video streaming.
Hope that helps
Upgraded from the S7 to the S9 for around 400€. It is not worth the money imho. The design is great, no question, the fingerprint sensor is way faster - but other than that there is not much to gain here. The camera is marginally better but not worth the money and the battery life is quite disappointing. I would wait for the S10 or other phones next year.
sot from s9+?
shaunwwfc said:
Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a good phone, I have the Exynnos variant and battery life sucks but otherwise its great, speakers are great on it, much better than my works iPhone 8, the screen is great also, I don't normally like Samsung but I really like this, plus it has a headphone jack.
But the battery life is the major downside, I would certainly get a good battery bank.
Finally if I was to choose now I would likely get a Pixel 3 XL, 3 years of updates sounds amazing to me.
If you do more than just the basics, get the Plus or Note. I got the straight S9 because it was on offer (30GB on EE no upfront cost £32/month) and although it was a steal it's a pain in the arse. I have the smartwatch and a Pokeball (So that's 2 bluetooth devices it's trying to keep up with) and play Pokemon Go with messaging apps and an overlay, and it's doing all this kind of stuff at once, 4GB is nowhere near enough RAM on Android. iOS could manage it easily, but Android is not iOS...
The result is it lags like crazy. Usually just as I want to do something quickly like take a photo and it sits and chugs for a minute (presumably out of memory and using storage as swap space) instead. Or the fingerprint reader will take like 5 seconds to register and unlock. I regret skimping, and wish I'd just splashed out and waited for the Note.