Develop Bugs

M9, S6, N6 or G4? What should I buy?

Which one should I buy?
Really like the front speakers from HTC and Nexus 6. But dont know what is the best choice overall.
Here in my country the price of them are very similar.
Thanks.

If you are looking for a crack-flasher phone with no bugs on custom ROMs, Nexus is the way to go. If you want a nice audio experience, M9 it is. If you want a DSLR-like camera, G4 is your weapon. And if you want the more mainstream, less dev friendly but overall awesome device, GS6!
Sent from my SCH-I535PP using XDA Free mobile app

Csetoue said:
Which one should I buy?
Really like the front speakers from HTC and Nexus 6. But dont know what is the best choice overall.
Here in my country the price of them are very similar.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What else are you looking for?

sezamer66 said:
If you want a DSLR-like camera, G4 is your weapon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice joke....

Cryosx said:
What else are you looking for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My last phones were Moto X and HTC M8.
I loved them both.
Moto X had a horrible battery life, and I gave it to my wife, that was in need of a phone.
My M8 was perfect, but I though that, as the Moto X, had a bad camera... Really smooth, excelent battery life, and a nice front speaker. I forgot my M8 on the top of my car, while I was putting my baggage on it.
I saw S6 and G4 on the store. Pretty nice phones, but I dont know if the their android will keep smooth after installing my stuff like it was on M8 or Moto X.
G4 has a nice camera. I like cameraphones (had also a Nokia 808, before). But when I travel, I always take my dSLR with me. G4 would be a nice pocket cam, but doesnt have front speakers (I always watch ytube videos and use loudspeaker for calls - like to have my hands free while in my workdesk).
My first smartphone was a Galaxy S1, and my wife has a tablet Note 2014. Im a bit traumatized with touchwiz. Too laggy. Before I bought them both, they looked awesome and smooth on the store. I felt a bit tricked by Samsung, and never bought nothing else from them after these products.
Nexus looks like a big Moto X. Better battery life, better camera, but its a bit huge, and its not 64bits (I think it may have a lesser longevity cause of that than the others). Probably, its smooth, and it has front speakers as well.
Im really tempted to buy M9, but the all the reviews tell that its camera is worse than the M8 camera, and its front speakers is also worse than those from M8's. Dunno If its battery life is better or worse (can anyone tell me?) than M8's battery. Also, dunno if, after installing some apps, it keeps smooth and quick as M8 (can anyone tell me about this, too?).
Really in doubt about what to buy. My friend told me to take a look on Sony Z3, and my other friend told me to keep waiting for the incoming gadgets (but Im without any smartphone, bad bad ).
Help.

Csetoue said:
My last phones were Moto X and HTC M8.
I loved them both.
Moto X had a horrible battery life, and I gave it to my wife, that was in need of a phone.
My M8 was perfect, but I though that, as the Moto X, had a bad camera... Really smooth, excelent battery life, and a nice front speaker. I forgot my M8 on the top of my car, while I was putting my baggage on it.
I saw S6 and G4 on the store. Pretty nice phones, but I dont know if the their android will keep smooth after installing my stuff like it was on M8 or Moto X.
G4 has a nice camera. I like cameraphones (had also a Nokia 808, before). But when I travel, I always take my dSLR with me. G4 would be a nice pocket cam, but doesnt have front speakers (I always watch ytube videos and use loudspeaker for calls - like to have my hands free while in my workdesk).
My first smartphone was a Galaxy S1, and my wife has a tablet Note 2014. Im a bit traumatized with touchwiz. Too laggy. Before I bought them both, they looked awesome and smooth on the store. I felt a bit tricked by Samsung, and never bought nothing else from them after these products.
Nexus looks like a big Moto X. Better battery life, better camera, but its a bit huge, and its not 64bits (I think it may have a lesser longevity cause of that than the others). Probably, its smooth, and it has front speakers as well.
Im really tempted to buy M9, but the all the reviews tell that its camera is worse than the M8 camera, and its front speakers is also worse than those from M8's. Dunno If its battery life is better or worse (can anyone tell me?) than M8's battery. Also, dunno if, after installing some apps, it keeps smooth and quick as M8 (can anyone tell me about this, too?).
Really in doubt about what to buy. My friend told me to take a look on Sony Z3, and my other friend told me to keep waiting for the incoming gadgets (but Im without any smartphone, bad bad ).
Help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're upgrading from M8, be prepared for the differences to be very subtle. I did this but was expecting basically the same phone only with some minor/under the hood improvements. And this is exactly what the M9 is. I loved the M8 and I love the M9 more, but it's probably only about a 10% improvement.
What carrier are you on? If your carrier doesn't already have a direct path to the 2.X firmware, I'd either get the developer edition or budget an extra $25 to obtain S-off. I'm att and couldn't imagine having to wait for them to give me an update. I think they finally pushed lollipop to the M8 in freaking March or April.

Csetoue said:
My last phones were Moto X and HTC M8.
Really in doubt about what to buy. My friend told me to take a look on Sony Z3, and my other friend told me to keep waiting for the incoming gadgets (but Im without any smartphone, bad bad ).
Help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The M8 is at least $300 on eBay so its half the price of the high end right now. I'd tell you to go get another M8 and save some money. Comparing it to the M9, the M8 has better battery life with a much more battery efficient processor that keeps the phone relatively cool. The performance difference between the S801 and S810 is negligible, you're just not likely to notice. Daylight shots should be better on the M9 whereas night shots are better with the M8. Speakers are somewhat better, Dolby surround stuff is pretty nice. In terms of development M8 is leagues better right now. I'd highly recommend skipping this generation and waiting for the new Nexus, HTC Hero device coming later this year, or the M10 next year.
There also a noticeable difference between the M8s screen and the M9s. If you liked the M8s you might not like the M9s.

All these flagships are pretty nice, and all of them have possible problems:
-S6: Pink tint on white, Board traces under sunlight, exploding battery, illogical TW
-M9: Screen wake lag (will be fixed by OTA), QC 2.0 that not always work, cracked camera glass (though still a minority)
-G4: Touchscreen issue (could be fixable by OTA), leather backs can loose color quite fast, huge lack of roms
On the good sides:
-S6: Very good camera both low light and daylight, gorgeous screen (when you don't have the listed faults)
-M9: Gorgeous camera in daylight (RAW) , Superb music, Fastest UI ever, quality Roms, best UI and apps (Sense 7)
-G4: Gorgeous screen, Superb camera in both daylight and low light, faster UI than S6
All of the 3 have advantages and cons, now see which one fits you better!
For example if you prefer larger screen the G4 is more suitable

jollywhitefoot said:
If you're upgrading from M8, be prepared for the differences to be very subtle. I did this but was expecting basically the same phone only with some minor/under the hood improvements. And this is exactly what the M9 is. I loved the M8 and I love the M9 more, but it's probably only about a 10% improvement.
What carrier are you on? If your carrier doesn't already have a direct path to the 2.X firmware, I'd either get the developer edition or budget an extra $25 to obtain S-off. I'm att and couldn't imagine having to wait for them to give me an update. I think they finally pushed lollipop to the M8 in freaking March or April.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cryosx said:
The M8 is at least $300 on eBay so its half the price of the high end right now. I'd tell you to go get another M8 and save some money. Comparing it to the M9, the M8 has better battery life with a much more battery efficient processor that keeps the phone relatively cool. The performance difference between the S801 and S810 is negligible, you're just not likely to notice. Daylight shots should be better on the M9 whereas night shots are better with the M8. Speakers are somewhat better, Dolby surround stuff is pretty nice. In terms of development M8 is leagues better right now. I'd highly recommend skipping this generation and waiting for the new Nexus, HTC Hero device coming later this year, or the M10 next year.
There also a noticeable difference between the M8s screen and the M9s. If you liked the M8s you might not like the M9s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vegetaleb said:
All these flagships are pretty nice, and all of them have possible problems:
-S6: Pink tint on white, Board traces under sunlight, exploding battery, illogical TW
-M9: Screen wake lag (will be fixed by OTA), QC 2.0 that not always work, cracked camera glass (though still a minority)
-G4: Touchscreen issue (could be fixable by OTA), leather backs can loose color quite fast, huge lack of roms
On the good sides:
-S6: Very good camera both low light and daylight, gorgeous screen (when you don't have the listed faults)
-M9: Gorgeous camera in daylight (RAW) , Superb music, Fastest UI ever, quality Roms, best UI and apps (Sense 7)
-G4: Gorgeous screen, Superb camera in both daylight and low light, faster UI than S6
All of the 3 have advantages and cons, now see which one fits you better!
For example if you prefer larger screen the G4 is more suitable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, guys!
Im in Brazil.
Here, the price are:
- M9 US$750
- G4 US$700
- S6 US$700
- N6 US$700
- Note 4 US$650
- M8 US$600
- Z3 US$600
- Z3C US$450
- Moto X US$400
If I could, I would wait for the next gen from HTC (the one named Hero).
But Im without any smartphone right now.
Id like to buy something that could lasts for the next 2 years.
Still, hasnt decided, yet. Have to make this until the next weekend.

I'd get the M8 over the M9. If you're bored with HTC phones then maybe try the Z3 compact. Battery life on that is supposed to be amazing. Not sure about anything else with the compact though.

should I buy this phone? 10/2015

Hi guys
Looking to upgrade from my Galaxy S4 i9500 which has been loyal to me for the past 2 years. I work in IT so I get to do lot of mobile work on my phone. Looking for a phone with a larger screen 5.5-5.8 for a budget of up to $550.
Looking at the specs`of all the recently released devices, the LG G4 stands strong and the price is great ($430 new on eBay). I don't really care for a finger print sensor. Maybe in a week after the release of V10 or G4 Pro, the price will drop even more.
so if you were me at this point of time, would you buy the LG G4 again? Go for a different device?
peace!
tom

I bought it recently It is great
The only phones I can compare to the G4 -for me- are:
*Moto X-Style for its metal body, front facing camera flash light, stock android experience, cool Motorola Gestures, out of the box quick charger (Quick Charging 34% in 15 min), 52 score in water and dust resistance (however some youtube videos showed G4 resisting water too but nothing official), front facing speakers with a nice camera score Dxomark. However, you may need to watch comparisons between it and G4 to tell which you would prefer, I am still loving the G4 manual mode..
also I think Moto X-Style will get better custom roms support than G4 specially other models than 815.
*and Nexus 6P for its metal body, Greater camera score in Dxomark site !! no comparisons available yet with G4 !! fingerprint sensor, Google fast and direct updates, front facing speakers and bigger battery but no sdcard, and it will have much more custom roms than the other 2 phones..
In case you went for any of them, you will miss the Pedometer, IR blaster, Quick Circle case view and Manual Shutter speed in the G4

Hi M7mdA7md7sein
Thank you very much for your detailed answer, the 2 alternative devices you have mentioned are exactly the 2 I was considering!
I think that your answer and my research has led me toward the N6p.
Thanks a bunch!

My previous was S4 as well.
Just got mine yesterday. So far, so good.
I was between G4 and Moto X Style. Since I got G4 for much less, I went for it.
Basically, I was all the way to X Style, but camera. I use camera a lot, and G4's camera is cool. Still learning though (auto gave me some bad pics in low light).
That's it. As already written, my concern is about ROMs /root / community support, but it's too soon to tell everything about it (for me).

I'd stay far away from this phone, especially if you are heavy into the modding scene. I bought mine at launch and it has been nothing but a headache for me, but I have plenty of phones to compare it to, so based upon my usage, this will be my first phone to sell as soon as that time comes. For the price, you could spend a little bit more and get a phone with a hell of a lot more dev support and a better overall build quality. This is one of the very few phones that still has the microsd slot and a battery that can be changed, but with today's technology that is no longer a necessity for me anymore. I am on my 2nd unit and I have had nothing but issues. There are plenty of people that love this phone, but for me, this stays on my desk more than my calculator does... If these features are what you need on a phone then go right ahead, but I just thought I would add my opinion because not everyone is happy with this device. Take a look around the forums and I do believe this is what you will see, and not a whole lot more...

Hi Tom,
I have owned the G4 since mid July and I still think it is brilliant. My only wish would be for a nice easy root path. I continue to run the device completely stock and haven't done anything to it at all. In the end my phone is a work horse before it is a toy.
I wrote a review of this phone back at the end of July - http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/lg-g4-review-t3167563 which I have just re-read and I still agree with what I wrote. Since then the leather back of my phone how shows a few marks but has held up well over all. Mostly I have a darkening and polishing of the corners which correspond to how I hold the phone when playing games or surfing the web.
Back Plate https://goo.gl/photos/6eQtwh6jSqJUFdKj6
Corner https://goo.gl/photos/athTYeZuLNeC1PYBA
I think what sums it up though is my wife wants a phone with a better camera than what she has currently and I am seriously thinking about recommending the g4.
Ps photos were taken with the G4

You are welcome
Glad to help ) Hope you will enjoy this phone

Was going to preorder LG G5 but will wait for M10 now

The value of the preorder for the LG G5 means you get $932 worth of equipment for $632. It was very tempting, but I don't want to preorder it and then wish I had waited for the M10. I really want the M10 to be top dog. Rumor is going around there is going to be a M10+ with a 5.5" screen but nothing about when or where it would be released. That's the one I'd rather have.

I'm waiting too.

MrNetwork said:
The value of the preorder for the LG G5 means you get $932 worth of equipment for $632. It was very tempting, but I don't want to preorder it and then wish I had waited for the M10. I really want the M10 to be top dog. Rumor is going around there is going to be a M10+ with a 5.5" screen but nothing about when or where it would be released. That's the one I'd rather have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if it still a rumor, I would stay away for the M10+ and buy the M10. If you look in the past, you'll see that the "+" variant never had good development compared to the non "+" one. Might not be an issue if you don't care about custom roms...

i just saw these 2 videos and i got disappointed with LG, i wasn't going to buy it but i expected more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GQ43cF5TuU
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyP_cEpp2Zo

alray said:
Even if it still a rumor, I would stay away for the M10+ and buy the M10. If you look in the past, you'll see that the "+" variant never had good development compared to the non "+" one. Might not be an issue if you don't care about custom roms...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. I'll heed your advice.

codeglitch said:
i just saw these 2 videos and i got disappointed with LG, i wasn't going to buy it but i expected more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GQ43cF5TuU
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyP_cEpp2Zo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All metal? Ha! I'm glad I resisted and didn't buy this. After watching these, I would have been unhappy. Thanks.

codeglitch said:
i just saw these 2 videos and i got disappointed with LG, i wasn't going to buy it but i expected more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GQ43cF5TuU
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyP_cEpp2Zo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! Hopefully the HTC 10 will be better.

Me too

codeglitch said:
i just saw these 2 videos and i got disappointed with LG, i wasn't going to buy it but i expected more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GQ43cF5TuU
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyP_cEpp2Zo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That tear down video is a plus for me. The phone is easy to repair! The only criticism he makes is the "lack of premium feel". Personally that is way down on my list of concerns. I am not looking to impress anyone with how great my phone looks and I doubt anyone gives a damn anyway. I look for the features I want first and foremost. I have to admit I was not happy with how thin the glass over the screen is on the other video. That does kind off suck but I don't think it is a deal breaker for me.
I have a G5 arriving tomorrow. The camera and the replaceabe battery are what sold me. The free extra battery and charge case and the free 360 degree camera made me jump on it. I will miss the wireless charging now I am accustomed to it and have charge plates sitting everywhere! I only wonder if I should hold off opening the box until I can find out more about the HTC 10 after it is released on the 12th. I

I believe LG is on to something-- a modular phone has been my geek dream since the birth of smartphones! However, I don't think the first generation "beta" of this feature is going to be where it's at. There are a couple WOW mods (Battery and camera) that are simply awesome, but otherwise this first iteration is just a really nice albeit average phone with some snap-in "meh."
If the M10 fails to impress, the G5 is probably what I'm going to get. I didn't pre-order the G5, so I won't be getting the package either way.

I pre-ordered the G5 as I wasn't convinced of the HTC 2016 flagship a month ago.
However my pre-order for the G5 has now been delayed to the 22nd April and as a result I've been following the build up and now really liking the look of the HTC 10.
If it has a 5.1 inch or bigger LCD (not AMOLED), SD 820, 4GB RAM, I think I'll cancel my G5 and get this. I'd want the black face though, either with silver back or black back, I don't like the white fronted version in the leaks....
Time will tell tomorrow.

The G5 is a flop. Most of the reviews say it's half baked and pretty lackluster. The only good thing anyone has to say about it is that the camera is good.
I am currently using the S7 Edge but I have one more Jump until June. (I am on T-Mobile's Jump on Demand program which gives me 3 upgrades a year). I was going to maybe move to the G5 or the HTC 10 since I wasn't all that impressed with the S7E. After the major update T-Mobile pushed out for the S7E last week, my mind changed and I am now extremely impressed with the S7E. The battery lasts forever and the touchscreen is no longer overly sensitive.
That being said, I will wait to see what the HTC 10 brings. I love the look of the phone and I like Sense more than TW. The only thing I wish it had was a larger display but I can live with 5.2".
At the end of the day, the G5 is already crossed off the list. I played around with one in the store and was totally unimpressed. It felt like crap in my hand. The chamfered edges are too sharp and feel uncomfortable while I'm gaming in horizontal view. The display is also very average. Not impressed one bit. I wouldn't call it bad but it wasn't what I'd expect from LG. When it comes to looks, I know it comes down to personal preference but damn the G5 us fugly. When you hold a S7E next to it, you can just see that the S7E is on a whole nother level when it comes to sleekness. Everything wasn't bad for the G5 though. The UI felt snappy and I didn't notice and lag/jitters.

I like the look and feel of the G5. I think all the phones pretty much look the same and I really don't care that much about it anyone. I don't think anyone is getting laid because their phone is so impressive. I have been wanting a wide angle shooter on a phone for years...awesome! I have always carried spare batteries. I can always go from 10% to 100% in seconds.....also awesome!
Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk

LG g5 is DOA. I'm returning mine. Better competition. The build quality alone isn't very good as that gap between the module and Chassis is frustrating. Moreover, the camera isn't as good as the S7 Edge.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I've cancelled my g5 order. It getting delayed was definitely meant to be as I've ordered the htc 10 for only £13 more

After seeing the HTC 10 today it's looking very promising. Much better than the G5.

What do you mean by better? The finish and feel might be slicker but that is not my main concern. I will miss the wireless charging on my S3 but the 10 doesn't have that either. The replaceable battery and wide angle shooter are what makes me want the G5. No matter how great the phone looks it ain't much good if the battery craps out on you at 2AM and you are not at home! Zero to 100% in seconds will always be a winner for me. I always carry a spare battery. No matter how strong the battery life of the S7 is it will not be as good in a year! The fee charge cradle, spare battery, and 360 camera cinched it for me (I see the T-mo offer on the 360 cam had been extended so you can still get it).
Did you see the breakdown review on juryrigeverythind.com (I think that is it)? The G5 will be very easy to repair. That makes up for a little sloppiness in built to me, as long as everything works ok from the start. I think they all look like cell phones. If you want to look cool get some new clothes, nobody is looking at your phone and judging you on it!
None of the reviews fault the G5 on performance, it is a beast. Most of the reviewers discount the friends module aspect of the phone because there are not many now and it is questionable what will develop. Still, the idea that I might get surprised with some cool new module feature is a plus for me. Who doesn't get a little bored with the phone after a couple years? I think the G5 is getting unfair treatment by a lot of reviewers.
Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk

The big cross against G5 is the locked (or unlocked custom as seen on Tmobile variant) bootloader. That's a big one for me. I was looking at G5 and gave up on it because of that.
As for battery, I just carry a 10k slab and charge up my phone using that if I am not next to a wall or laptop or pc. Who wants to reboot the phone for a replaceable battery! So, I will likely not use that unique feature of G5 ever.

Going to wait and see what this feels like in hand, coming from 5.5 and up phones I don't want this to feel tiny in my hands.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've had my G5 for 2 days now. Build is good- the modular piece seams nicely, feels good in hand. Tested for light bleed- minimal bleed on top and only noticeable in darkened room with test app, very accceptable. I read about someone having a proble with the audio jack- mine is very tight. Someone said they had hissing sound with BT- mine is great with my jawbone and my car unit. Battery time is ok, maybe not great, I tend to be a heavy user. Quick charge is very fast, about 1% per minute. I look forward to receiving the spare battery, unlike previous poster I do not mind rebooting my phone, especially if I can go from 15% ot 100% in 30 seconds! Camera is very good, lover the wide angle. It seems that the metering only has center weight and matrix which disappoints but I may not be understanding the interface, need to find a manual, phone only comes with a quick start guide so I guess I can download from LG. Overall I am very happy. Can't wait to play around with promo 360 camera when it arrives!
Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk

Overall love

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 LG G5, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the LG G5 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Well, I hate this phone. Mine couldn't survive a 12" drop onto a parking lot without severely shattering the display.

smacsteve said:
Well, I hate this phone. Mine couldn't survive a 12" drop onto a parking lot without severely shattering the display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it committed suicide as it no longer loved you.
You should have tried relationship counselling, but now it is too late.

Unrootable means un usable in my eyes. Plus the battery lasts about 6 hours.

Not sure why you can't use it without root, I am. And my battery last all day with 4G.
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

Absolutely love this phone, and yes, I do sleep next to it . Everyone will have their own opinions, mine personally is this is a great phone. Love the camera, battery time is great (although having 2 batteries help), and finally a usable phone outdoors without having to really focus on the screen(very bright screen is what I mean). I would really love to have root, but I have patience, this nonsense of "no root no phone" kind of irks me but when you're spoiled you're spoiled.

LG G5 more hits than misses
Upgraded a number of family phones to the LG G5. I'm a bit old school and prefer simple flip phones. We would probably still be using Samsung Rugby flip phones if they worked with our carrier.
If you're in the market for a high end phone that's more than shiny, with lots of usable practical features and actually includes the latest available technology, consider the LG G5. We think it definitely has more hits than misses.
1. The 3 Cameras, make the phone one of the best camera substitute
2. Modern CPU (Qualcomm 820, currently top of the line) helps performance, battery efficiency, spectrum / wireless performance.
3. 4GB RAM useful for multitasking and running large demanding software
4. 32GB internal built in storage
5. Expandable storage with Micro SD (sorry Apple)
6. Miracast, industry standard screen sharing
7. IR Blaster
8. USB-C, the modern USB port the industry actually agrees and moving towards
(including devices from Apple, Google, Microsoft, LG, etc).
9. User removable / replaceable battery
10. Modular, and easy repair-ability
11. FM capable - enabled depending on carrier
12. A major phone brand / model thus more available accessories
13. Price point - best value for high end / flagship phone
Cons - what's missing that other devices may offer
1. Water / Dust proof - a nicety, and can be added to the LG G5 via certain cases.
2. Premium Metal / Glass feel - subjective. The LG G5 is all aluminum but covered in a primer paint. Besides, most folks I know use a phone case.
We have a number of mobile lines / phones within our family. Our last few phones have been Samsung, from Samsung flip phones to Android devices Galaxy T989D/S2X, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4. When we were up for replacements, we going to go with Samsung Galaxy Note 4, but it was no longer available, replaced by the Note 5. The Note 5 was more expensive than the Note 4. It was hard to justify paying more for a successor that included less than its predecessor - no Micro SD, no IR, no removable battery. Note 5 excluded usable practical features for a shiny exterior, and wasn't even water proof. We heard new phones were coming March / April 2016 so we waited and eventually decided on the LG G5. We believe it to be the best value, and offered the opportunity to award a vendor trying to innovate.
Ultimately it's just a phone, but at least it has the more important convergence features covered, mainly solid phone features, and solid camera.
** Unrelated, but its thanks to XDA community and other enthusiasts who help keep golden oldies such as the T989/S2X and Note 2 phones kicking. There's several Marshmallow ports for T989 and Note 2

LightJak said:
Absolutely love this phone, and yes, I do sleep next to it . Everyone will have their own opinions, mine personally is this is a great phone. Love the camera, battery time is great (although having 2 batteries help), and finally a usable phone outdoors without having to really focus on the screen(very bright screen is what I mean). I would really love to have root, but I have patience, this nonsense of "no root no phone" kind of irks me but when you're spoiled you're spoiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a G5 (on AT&T) yesterday as a gift from my work and am coming from a Moto G with custom ROM's galore. The only thing I really miss is forward and back arrows in the nav bar for typing and Chrome Pie. Why pie controls aren't native to Chrome and requires root access is absolutely stupid.
Every other root function I used on my Moto G was to make up for the limitations of the device. No need now. Holy crap this thing is fast as hell and thanks to doze, standby is crazy. The SD 820 is an absolute beast of an SOC. And this is only my first full day on it. Going on a hike later today and can't wait to use the camera on this thing. So far I am very impressed with this phone.

Just received my EU h850 in the mail on Wed, already unlocked and rooted. No build quality issues at all.
Don't know why some are having battery issues. I easily get 24hrs of use with 5+hrs sot
That's with gaming,youtube, browsing,and Bluetooth
The screen uses much less battery than my Sprint g3...and even with custom everything on my g3 this phone performs sooo much better in everyway.
I think carrier branded g5 have a lot of bloat killing battery
Haven't heard a bad thing about unbranded h850 yet

Got mine from O2 in the UK and love my G5... O2 have put no bloatware on it at all and it therefore has good battery life. I have a G4 and the G5 flies compares to it (I loved the G4 too even though it had it's issues!). The only negative point is that getting a good tempered glass screen protector is going to be a nightmare as the screen is clearly quite flexible (hence the corner buckles etc) and so getting one to fit perfectly is going to be a challenge. Having said that, this is a very new phone, and all new3 models have odd issues (software/hardware), so if it becomes a problem then I'll RMA it to O2 or LG and get it swapped.

Hate some of the software tweaks, but this is a damn fine phone.

All in all, this is a pretty good phone. I'm really liking the wide angle lens and the fingerprint sensor. (This is my first phone with a fingerprint sensor)

adamelphick said:
Got mine from O2 in the UK and love my G5... O2 have put no bloatware on it at all and it therefore has good battery life. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here and agreed... awesome standby time as well... My only issue with it is, I wish the screen and always on display were brighter outside and the overall volume was a bit louder, especially when using your own ringtones, like my G4. When I set up mine.. I didnt bother with the App drawer update, to me.. it was a new phone, new UI so I went for a bit of a change instead of copying my old G4 setup... made me feel like Ide actually bought a new phone.. and im finding it much simpler and enjoyable to use.
I find the UX5 much slicker and faster to use, more responsive and I can fly through tasks, OneNote and OneDrive.. Very Happy with my G5, also the 0.2" screen reduction makes no difference after a day or so

For the ATT G5 is there a way to save pictures/files/videos directly to the memory card or does that require root?

Love it. I'm not crazy about the design but a 2.5$ case makes it look badass.
Camera is outstanding, battery life is good (30 hours with 4 hours SOT , brightness is set to Auto, BT and NFC off).
The phone works fast and doesn't overheat.
I'm happy

Loving my G5 had it a few months now, bought the Spigen Rugged Armor case really nice, snug fit. Great camera, battery life & blazing fast, great screen, fingerprint scanner works amazing its really responsive, i was pretty surprised actually at how well the fingerprint scanner works .... Don't care for root to be honest, only thing i really liked about being able to root my old G2 was having AdAway installed. USB-Type-C is a god send especially in dim light.

Camera FTW
LightJak said:
Absolutely love this phone, and yes, I do sleep next to it . Everyone will have their own opinions, mine personally is this is a great phone. Love the camera, battery time is great (although having 2 batteries help), and finally a usable phone outdoors without having to really focus on the screen(very bright screen is what I mean). I would really love to have root, but I have patience, this nonsense of "no root no phone" kind of irks me but when you're spoiled you're spoiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also love the camera and settings provided on the LG G5. My only disappointment might be the capture time when using HDR mode. Aside from this, the video and picture quality is worthy of this benchmark phone, and the wide angle option adds a new enthusiasm for taking your phone with you on the scenic route.

From South Africa here. I have the H850 G5 as well, and no bloatware whatsoever. Battery lasts me a full day under moderate to heavy use (That does not include the camera). The auto-brightness is on point (but gets a little too low in a dark room to make watching videos or gaming comfortable). Battery charges fully in 28min from 1% whilst turned on. It's blazing fast. I have games in the background that I get back to hours later, and the memory never fails. Best phone I've ever owned.

I like almost everything about this phone minus the flimsy quality of the lcd quoting/Glass as its getting scratched very very easily, same is the case with back camera glass/visor.
Unfortunately, i wasn't using any screen protector earlier and i'd tried to clean the screen with a very soft microfiber cloth but to my surprise even that cloth had left some tiny hairline scratches. I couldn't believe my eyes at first but this was the fact sadly
I am not sure now if i can get rid of these scratches as i really love neat and clean phones.
Sent from my LG-H850 using XDA-Developers mobile app

I upgraded from an S3 that had been in service since it's release and had never failed me. It just became a bit dated and the battery was due for replacement. I caught the G5 for $1 at Best Buy so I said what the hell. My first unit didn't last 12 hours before dying. However the replacement is on it's 4th charge/discharge cycle and is seamless. I hope that the first unit was just a fluke because this thing hums. I hadn't even tested any other phones since owning the S3 so the speed and fluidity of the G5 blows me away. I cannot wait for rooting capability to customize it even though the factory setup isn't bad and not as restrictive as others I have dealt with in the past. I am giving it 3 stars for now due to the DOA unit I first received though.
JD

After using G6 for a month, I am back on G5: A short comparison...

I have used a G5 for the most part of this year. Then I upgraded to V20 for a brief period (mostly for the free projector and T-mobile promotion ). V20 was a great device, but was too big for me. Then I upgraded to G6. While it was a nice phone for average consumers, I felt like I have downgraded compared to G5 in many aspects. So, after using it for a month I am back to my good old G5! I am just gonna list my reasons below.
1. Camera: No real improvement in camera performance. Just some more megapixels in the wide angle one. I use the wide angle camera a lot, so it was a good thing, but not that important. G6 is using phase detection autofocus, compared to the laser in G5. While this is good in some situation, G5 takes much better macro-mode pictures due to laser focus.
2. Infra-red: Gone. How come they decided to remove a feature, rather than upgrading?
3. Display: G6 got a nice display, but this 2:1 aspect ratio is simply wasted real estate on top and bottom. At least on V20 the extra space was used for something useful (the second display)
4. Notification LED: A big minus. Always-on-display is good, but a LED is a lot more functional and visible. The AOD also takes a toll on the battery. Despite larger battery in G6, on my usage level the battery performance was no better than G5.
5. Removable battery: I was a big fan of the samsung note series until they ditched the removable battery in note5. Since then I used all the LG flagships, because they kept the battery removable. I hope they keep the removable battery in V30.
6. Root-ability: As of now, G6 is not rootable, and I believe there is a good chance that it will never get root. Performance improvement in SD821 is unnoticeable compared to SD820, specially when I can use a custom kernel in G5 to suit my preference.
With G6, LG basically made an eye-candy targeting a consumer base who buys Samsung and apple for the flashy looking phones. For me a phone is about functionality, not a fashion statement. While the glossy look of G6 is aesthetically pleasing, the trade-off in functionality was simply not for me. I really do hope that LG doesn't target the same market for V30. In that case G5 might as well be my last LG phone. But my G5 is going strong with zero issues, and I believe it will serve a good long time.

Agree with you on most counts. I've had every LG "G" phone since G2 and like you, V20 due to the good promotion on price and minibeam projector. V20 I too found was too big, though that quad-DAC really does make a difference. Audio is superb on it. Just got G6 and on my first week of usage. I like it so far and in hand, it feels great, as it feels like a "candybar" again, not the overly wide feeling where your hands feel stretched with G3, G4, and V20. G5 was a nice sized phone with tons of features and a seriously underrated phone. I will say this, performance on G5 and V20 was topnotch at the beginning but they too underwent the typical Android slowdown after a few weeks of use. I'm talking programs that crawl, camera super slow to open, general navigation slow, and twitchy, stuttery browsing... none of which is really apparent on an iPhone... unfortunately, Android still can't seem to figure out the buttery smooth part (maybe Pixel?). The battery life on G5 did really stink though and there's no way I could go an entire day without changing out the battery, which becomes a ritual and it's not like it's hard, but it is annoying (I had 3 batteries). My G5 wasn't without problems though - it has that notorious GPS issue... GPS signal is absolute garbage (there's an in-depth XDA thread on it) and even after sending back the G5 to LG for repairs, it developed the problem over time... so GPS is really crippled on this phone (for me and many other unlucky ones) and as most can agree GPS is one of those crucial features, I can't go back to my own copy of G5.... maybe I can pick up another used one for a good price with a good GPS unit... but that's too much trouble. I like G5 but I don't love it THAT much to go through all that trouble... if I am honest, V20 really has got it all... except the size part. V20's wide angle camera is I think slightly less wide than G5's. I like G5's wideness better.
G6 - just beautiful... but you're right. No more replaceable batteries... and LG gave the US people a normal (stinky) DAC, not like the one in V20... oh boy, you can literally hear the difference. But I also noticed LG's own music app stinks - install a 3rd party - I installed Pi Music Player and the audio quality is noticeably better than the stock music player, despite the stinker of a DAC. LG says the US customers wanted wireless charging over DAC... c'mon seriously? With USB-C, charging is so easy... I'd rather have a better DAC. And removal of IR really hurts. Maybe most didn't use it but I travel a lot for work and stay at hotels... I find myself using IR quite often to change the input source of the TV (for plugging my laptop via HDMI, using Chromecast, etc).
LG... please don't go along with the "norm"... You will not win and you will no longer have any key differentiating feature.

I have to agree, I've had my G6 about a month now and I'm not that impressed. I've had several random reboots​, and the screen freezes. If we had root, I could work with it but since we don't, I tend to use my G5 more and more..

Which rom do you use on LG G5?

loretta1980 said:
Which rom do you use on LG G5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock rooted with Asgard kernel.
If you don't need WiFi calling or VOLTE, Fulmics rom is a good option.

H830 and H850 are the only variants that can be rooted right? Does the 830 have all the bands necessary for ATT LTE? Or do you have to go with the 850?

suhridkhan said:
In that case G5 might as well be my last LG phone. But my G5 is going strong with zero issues, and I believe it will serve a good long time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well you lucky
mine main camera died after 2 months
i installed another main camera module and didnt work
so i have a G5 with non working main camera and the wide angle is not good for everyday pics
i like the G5 so much but that ripped my heart appart