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For some time now I have the Meizu MX3 phone and I would be very happy if I can share my thoughts and my personal opinion about this really unique device . Meizu is very known company from before. So I think I don't need to write anything about them.
About packaging except the MX3 you get also the USB cable and charger. All accessories are in white color. I must admit because the packaging was very smart and cool packed, legal different from other.
Meizu MX3 is 1st smart phone in the world which has edge-to-edge design. In other words it means it almost without bezel or to be precise edges are very thin. So this is very cool because of that the device can be smaller with bigger screens. The phone is completely made of plastic, the build quality is high. The front side is completely protected with gorilla glass 3 and the back cover has hyperglaze finish. In my personal opinion the phone is really cute and I think you will also agree with me on this.
Meizu MX3 has 5.1 inch display. Display has resolution 1080 x 1800 pixels. The screen is very sharp and it has enough strong brightness including viewing angles. In this combination the screen gives about 412 ppi what I believe is really impressive. AsI said in the beginning the screen is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with Native Damage Resistance technology. So in my opinion the screen in one word is perfect.
Alt.the MX3 is not the newest model it is still a good device these days. Because it has very powerful hardware under the hood like Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chipset with 2 GB of RAM and for graphics PowerVR SGX544MP3. From this you can see that this hardware is strong and in 99.9% you will be able to do anything you want to do. For example you can play any game you want if you like gaming also as an average user you can go to the Internet, check your mail or listen to the radio. I have also tested the device with several benchmark test applications and below you can see the results.
If you love to photograph then the Meizu MX3 is good choice because it has good quality camera. It has 8 megapixel camera with led flash. I photographed in several different conditions and in my opinion photos are good. Of course there are phones with better camera but if you are not to the mending then you don't need to worry about it. Also below you can see photo examples.
According to this blog GPS works out of box. You don't need to do any modifications and GPS does not need Wi-Fi or network help. So there are no problems. I am telling you this because many Chinese smartphones has GPS problems because of bad antenna or something else.
It has built in battery with capacity of 2400mAh. According to the Meizu it gives autonomy of 400 hours in standby mode with 2G connection and about 385 hours with 3G connection.
As conclusion I can say that Meizu MX3 is still good device with many good features. It has high build quality, really nice design, strong hardware, good camera and many other things. If you want you can go to the official website for more information and also you can like their official Facebook page.
Any questions please ask
thank you
Introduction
Just like most Chinese brands, also CUBOT entered the market of the so-called “Battery Smartphones” starting from the CUBOT H1. The CUBOT H2 is entirely based on its previous model, but with an upgraded CPU, increased RAM and a Better Chassis and some other minor differences. Somehow they have removed the IR Trasmitter but this is something that, in my opinion, almost no one uses nowadays with the diffusion of Smart TVs & Home Appliances.
This is the CUBOT H2 Smartphone
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Hardware
The CUBOT H2 Smartphone features a mid-range SOC, MT6735A, that is able to handle every daily task without major issues. It is supported by a plenty amount of RAM, 3 GBs, improving multitasking and device’s reactivity while running heavy apps. Also, just like the latest Xiaomi MI5, it features a screen supported by an ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting, but its resolution is just HD (1280x720), the maximum officially supported by this SOC. Battery Capacity is just a bit lower than the CUBOT H1, 5000mAh instead of 5200mAh, but it doesn’t mean that battery life has been impacted. Follow my next paragraphs to know more.
Unboxing
Packaging comes with many accessories: 1x Screen Protector (Tempered Glass) with Wipes, 1x SIM/MicroSD tray Eject Tool, 1x OTG Cable, 1x Micro-USB Cable (really nice quality), 1x 5V/2A USB Charger, 1x Quick Start Guide and the Smartphone (of course). No Headset included.
CUBOT has focused its attention on the design, the device feels extremely solid (much better than my Galaxy S4) thanks to the Zinc Titanium chassis, there is no Keys Rattling at all and it is Slim enough considering that there is a 5000mAh Battery inside. Sincerely, this is the best-built Smartphone I have ever tried. Well Done CUBOT!
It is just 15.0x76.5x0.9cm, compact enough and it weights 232 g, not so lightweight but with a Metal Chassis and an Huge Battery inside you can’t expect something lighter.
On the front side there is the 2.5D Curved Display, that makes the usage of the device much more ergonomic. The Glass is enclosed in a Metal Frame, which increases the device’s toughness.
The upper front side of the device features a Front-Facing Camera, an Earpiece, a Notification LED and the Sensors hole that includes Light, Proximity and Gesture Sensors.
Just like many other devices, also this LED is an RGB variant, so it supports multiple colors and you can customize them via the Settings app. It is used as for Notifications and Charging status.
The lower front side of the device there are the Soft-Keys Navigation Buttons (not retroilluminated), and an almost hidden Microphone Hole. A nice idea to keep the whole design the most clean possible.
On the back side there is a Curved Plastic Cover, with a nice texture that makes the whole device feel Premium. This cover isn’t hard to remove, making any future battery replacement much more easier that devices with Glass/Metal back cover.
The upper rear side of the device features a protunding Camera supported by a Dual-Flash (Single Tone) configuration.
The lower rear side of the device features a noticeable Brand Logo, some little words about the Device and a big Speaker hole.
As you can see, CUBOT take care of many details, especially regards the Metal Chassis. It is absolutely perfect, without any little defect. Thanks to the CNC treatment, the whole chassis is made to be the most comfortable possible. I’m really impressed, I hope that CUBOT won’t abandon this extreme attention to the details.
Unlike some other Chinese Smartphones, the SIM Card/Micro-SD tray has been well designed to allow the usage of a Micro-SIM and a Micro-SD without having to replace your SIM with a Nano variant. So you can use a Micro-SIM and a Micro-SD in the same time.
Device
Screen
CUBOT choose to include an innovative IPS screen on this device, I still need to find the brand and the model, but they declare that it has an ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting, just like the Xiaomi MI5 then, and I must admit that under direct sunlight I was still able to see the screen without any issue at all.
Under normal usage, the screen is almost everytime bright, even if brightness is set to low-medium. It’s a pity that its resolution is just HD, but Quality is just awesome, you won’t be able to see any pixel at all, it is really sharp and white reproduction is perfect. Comparing the screen with my Galaxy S4, you can see that CUBOT H2 screen looks much better as regards white reliability.
I have used my Galaxy S4 Light Sensor to measure CUBOT H2 maximum brightness. I don’t have a professional Lumen Meter, so this (Lux) is the only value that I can provide you.
About Viewing Angles, the screen doesn’t suffer any kind of issue, it behaves perfect in every single condition.
As you can see, Image Contrast is accurate while Saturation is a bit too high, so Colors look pretty vibrant, similar to Super AMOLED Screens. This is something pretty personal, so I won’t express my opinion about.
Camera
Back Camera performs pretty well, even if I’m not sure that the resolution is interpolated to 13mpx or not, but, just like almost all Chinese Smartphones, the noise level is a bit high. If CUBOT works a bit more on the Camera software, I’m pretty sure that Photos Quality will be improved.
There are no major issues with low-light photos, HDR makes Photos just a bit brighter.
Under medium sunlight Photos looks pretty good, detailed and with Vibrant colors.
Thanks to the Dual Flash configuration, low-light photos gets improved pretty well. As you can see, my cat looks much detailed here. Even without Flash, quality isn’t too bad.
Auto-Focus speed is decent, nothing extremely fast (no PDAF here), but neither extremely slow. It is as fast as on my Galaxy S4. Under low-light conditions it tends to be a bit slow, but I think this is software-related so it can be improved a lot in the future.
About Videos, there is no Optical Stabilization here, but Software Stabilization (if enabled) does its job (but producing that famous fisheye effect), and there are no major issues here too. Maximum Supported Resolution is 1080p (named as Video Quality – Fine). I can say that this is enough for standard medium quality videos, do not expect ultra-high quality.
Front-Facing Camera is much better than what I thought, Brand and Model are unknown yet though. Again, I don’t know if resolution is interpolated to 8mpx or not, but Photos are pretty good. Here you can find a comparision between front (left) & back (right) camera.
Maximum Supported Video Resolution is 720p, and Quality is just fine as you would expect from a Front-Facing camera.
Audio
Speaker’s Sound lacks a bit of Bass, but it is loud and with a nice clarity.
I have measured its loudness using my Galaxy S4 Microphone, here you’ll see its maximum power.
Unfortunately, it is positioned on the back, so if you place the device on a table you could experience volume issues, but this doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing. What matters here is the quality.
Also in-call, it is pretty loud, sound tends to get distorted a bit at maximum volume, but this device doesn’t support VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) so Call Quality is just the standard AMR-WB (16000 Hz) on 3G Network.
Earpiece is absolutely perfect, its sound is much better than my Galaxy S4, it isn’t extremely loud it produces a clean and high-clarity sound. Probably the device i have ever tested as regards in-call quality.
Device’s microphone is perfect too, I have tested it with many calls, and every single person I have called said me that he/she was able to hear me perfectly, better than how my Voice was recorded using my Galaxy S4.
Summarizing these results, I can say that the Audio Sector has been accurately developed by CUBOT.
Telephony and Mobile Network
Thanks to the 4G Band 20 support (some other Chinese Smartphones don’t have it), I’m almost always and everywhere connected to the 4G Network of my Mobile Network Provider (TIM Italy).
Also 3G Signal Reception is accurate, actually I never managed to get connected to the 2G Network of my Mobile Operator because there was always some 3G Signal available. A good quality Antenna has been used.
4G Network Speed is decent, it highly depends on your Mobile Operator and mine isn’t pretty good. While 3G Network Speed, is just fine. (MT6735 supports maximum 21.1mbps)
Battery Life
When you’ll first charge your device, you’ll find more or less 50% of Charge, I recommend you to charge the device completely before you start to use it. That’s to improve battery calibration accuracy.
Battery Life is just awesome, I managed to reach more than 9 hours of Screen-On Time, with Wi-Fi, 4G, Location & Sync ON. I have also turned on screen-off gestures (double-tap to wake), and during the night I have lost more or less 15% of battery so I don’t recommend to enable them if you are interested in improving battery life.
My second full-charge wasn’t pretty accurate, I have charged the device measuring current with a USB Tester and it recorded just ~4750mAh instead of the 5000mAh declared. I’ll measure this value again after more charging cycles and update this review. I know, declared value is always higher than real value, but nearly 300mAh of Battery Capacity is missing here.
For Daily Usage, even if stressed a lot, this device won’t have any issue regarding battery life, it will be able to reach the end of the day even with some residual charge left.
Also, this device support 5V/2A Quick Charge, so you won’t have to worry about charging time. I can confirm that this is working because the USB Tester measured more or less 2A of charging current.
Software
Even if this is a new device, CUBOT choose to use Android 5.1 release instead of latest Android 6.0 for some unknown reason. Anyway, all seems to work fine. They customized some parts of the software such as Lockscreen, Notification Bar, Launcher and Phone/Contacts app.
Lockscreen reminds the old Android Kitkat, with a Ring to unlock the screen or open Phone/Messaging app.
Launcher is similar to MIUI variant, without App Drawer and with some nice possible customizations.
Notification Bar seems to be similar to TouchWiz variant, with many useful toggles. It is pretty smooth too.
The Phone/Contacts app is something that probably you have already seen somewhere. This is extremely similar to the MIUI v5 variant, just with different colors.
The last customized part of the OS is the Recent Apps screen. It included a Task Killer button and a Used/Free RAM Indicator. It works extremely well.
Just like other last-gen Mediatek Devices, there are some typical features such as Gestures (Somatosensory), Scheduled Power On/Off, etc…
The pure and clean Android Experience hasn’t been impacted so much, only some parts of the OS are not like Stock Android, but nothing that can make its usage harder than usual.
Something that I have really appreciated is that CUBOT doesn’t install any third-party app (except Clean Master, removable), and there are no Chinese words anywhere, so the software has been properly developed for foreign markets. Really nice Company Policy.
Also, the UI is always responsive and smooth, with no lags at all. It’s nice to see that a Chinese company focuses its attention on the software, and I can confirm this because they are also providing frequent OTA Updates for their models.
Benchmarks
I have used 3DMark, Antutu Benchmark, Epic Citadel, GeekBench 3, GFXBench, AndroBench, PCMark (Work) and Vellamo (Browser & CPU Tests) to stress the device to the limit. I won’t test Games or Video Playback because there are already some related tests included in these Benchmark suites.
3DMark – GPU Performance isn’t extremely good, OpenGL 3.1 & 3.0 tests require lots of power, and this is where the GPU falls.
AndroBench – eMMC Performance seems to be pretty high, especially as regards Reading Speed. Pretty good considering that this isn’t the last-gen of eMMC (4.5 instead of 5.0)
Antutu Benchmark – I won’t say a lot about this benchmarks, this isn’t as reliable as others. I’m providing this just for benchmarks lovers.
Epic Citadel – As you can see, Gaming performance isn’t extremely low, there is enough power to handle games without major issues, you just won’t get ultra-high framerates.
GeekBench – CPU Performance is as good as other CPUs with the same configuration (4x Cortex-A53), decent for daily tasks.
GFXBench – Well...GFXBench score is low, really low. This benchmark suite is even more heavy than 3DMark, so you can’t expect a better score here.
PCMark – As you can see, only Video Playback score is a bit low. Pretty good.
Vellamo
Browser score tends to be a bit lower than expected, but Chrome score is just behind another device with an Octa-Core CPU, so this isn’t something that should be ignored.
The same for the CPU score, the device is just behind others with Octa-Core CPUs.
Summaring all results, I can say that this device provides enough power to handle daily tasks and light gaming. You can’t expect more from a Mediatek MT6735 CPU.
Conclusions
Unlike most of all Chinese companies, CUBOT publishes CE, FCC & ROHS certificates about each device, so if you’re interested about CUBOT devices safety, you can just go here: http://www.cubot.net/support/ and read them. This is something rare to find in China, and it makes you think how much a company is interested in foreign markets where Safety comes first. This doesn’t mean that China isn’t interested in Safety, but there are many users that want to know SAR Values, Certificates and so on about a Smartphone before buying it, so this is something pretty useful.
Summarizing all results, I can say that this is one of the best mid-range device available on the market. Great Quality Chassis, Bright and Sharp Display, Superb Battery Life and Excellent Call Quality are the major positive features about this device and I can really recommend it if you are searching for something that satisfies these qualities.
Price is pretty low, the device is sold by almost every shop that sells Chinese Smartphones and it has been certified to work on other markets than China.
Rating: 8.7
Packaging and Accessories: 8.5
Design and Materials: 9.5
Performance and Heat Dissipation: 7.5
Screen: 9
Camera: 7
Sound: 9
Battery Life: 9.5
Software: 9
OEM Support: 8
Price: 10
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/84ZmJ
Official Website: http://www.cubot.net/smartphones/h2
You can buy it on many online shops.
Reserved
Reserved 2
wow, nice review, do you have video review?
PetaX8 said:
wow, nice review, do you have video review?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't make Video Reviews yet.
Does Cubot H2 have a notification LED?
Starzi said:
Does Cubot H2 have a notification LED?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, it has been written.
Battery Updates.
5000mAh Battery Capacity is confirmed.
About Battery Life, i used the device for two days without charging it, and this is the result. (4G On, WiFi almost everytime Off, Used as WiFi Hotspot, Medium/High Signal). I have rebooted the device 2 times, and starting for the first reboot it stopped recording the Signal stats, so don't worry about it. I haven't used Airplane Mode.
Looks good.
20160328 Stock ROM provided by CUBOT:
https://mega.nz/#!NNRHjY4Z!NU1BwEfZ-DlCN_iZgemweFPtsc0UL73bdFqBbRUjksU
Camera, eMMC and other Real Specs (taken from my H2):
It seems that this device won't be updated to Android 6.0.
Have you managed to get your notifications to show up on lock screen? As this is most frustrating and Cubot don't seem to have a fix...
Phr33ky said:
Have you managed to get your notifications to show up on lock screen? As this is most frustrating and Cubot don't seem to have a fix...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's because they are using a custom lockscreen.
Alberto96 said:
No, that's because they are using a custom lockscreen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there anyway to rectify this at all?
Phr33ky said:
Is there anyway to rectify this at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need to check it, but it would take time because this is something implemented in the framework.
Alberto96 said:
I need to check it, but it would take time because this is something implemented in the framework.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be really interested to see if it's possible, as it's had me tearing my hair out, and Cubot seem to think the notifications should be popping up with no solution themselves.
Is there any possibility to instal cm on H2?
Can someone confirm if encrypt phone option (settings>security>encrypt phone) is available? thanks
mefi1 said:
Is there any possibility to instal cm on H2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, unless someone works on it.
luks333 said:
Can someone confirm if encrypt phone option (settings>security>encrypt phone) is available? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is.
LEAGOO Venture 1 - Information & Reviews - 5.0" HD | MT6753 | 3GB | 32GB | Leather
LEAGOO Venture 1 (V1)
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Specs:
Dimensions: 148.5 * 71.8 * 11.1 mm
Weight:
Chassis: Metal Body with calfskin on the back
SoC: MediaTek MT6753
CPU: ARM Cortex-A53, 4x1300MHz + 4x1300 MHz, Cores: 4 + 4
GPU: ARM Mali-T720 MP4 600MHz, Cores: 4
Network: 4G Cat.4 (150MBps)
RAM: 3 GB
Storage: 16 GB/32 GB
Memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
Display: 5.0 in, IPS, 720 x 1280 pixels, 24 bit
Protection:
Battery: 3000 mAh, Li-Polymer
OS: Sec OS 1.0 (based on Android 5.1 Lollipop)
Back Camera: 3264 x 2448 pixels (8MP), interpolated to 13MP
Front Camera: 2560 x 1960 pixels (5MP), interpolated to 8MP
SIM card: Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
Wi-Fi:
USB: 2.0, Micro-USB
Bluetooth: 4.0
Positioning: GPS, A-GPS
Other Features: Fingerprint Scanner
Colors: Black, Brown, Red
Click to expand...
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Leaked News:
LEAGOO V1 Comes with Good Specs and Different Design
Maybe the LEAGOO T1 gained most of the media attention lately, but the company has already a new device ready for release, the LEAGOO V1, a device that differentiates from most current smartphones in terms of design.
LEAGOO markets the device as both a luxurious as well as a secure device. The security comes from two directions. The first is the fingerprint sensor that comes on almost low-to-mid devices and ensures that the device gets unlocked only by the fingers of the user. The second is its OS, called Sec OS (from Security) and is based on Android. No further details are known about it.
But what about luxury? To achieve a certain level of luxury, the company has decided to use real calfskin to dress the exterior of the device. Unlike other devices that had pseudo-leather back covers, the LEAGOO V1 is a combination of metal and leather.
On the hardware side, its main specs are:
- Octa-Core SoC
- Support 4G
- RAM + ROM: 3G+16G / 3G+32G, 128GB microSD support
- Fingerprint sensor
- LGQC 5V/1.5A (LEAGOO Quick Charge)
- 5’’ HD Display
- 8.0MP + 13.0MP front/back camera
- 3000mAh battery
- Sec OS 1.0 (based on Android 5.1)
More information can be found on www.leagoo.com
Reserved
Maybe the Leagoo T1 gained the most attention of the media lately, but the company has already a new device ready for release, the Leagoo V1 (or Venture 1), a device that differentiates from most current smartphones in terms of design.
From now to 18th October there will be a presale of the LEAGOO Venture 1 on AliExpress, with a nice discount.
Leagoo markets the device as both a luxurious as well as a secure device. To achieve a certain level of luxury, the company has decided to use handcrafted first-class calfskin to dress the exterior of the device.
And the security comes from two directions. The first is the fingerprint sensor that comes on almost low-to-mid devices and ensures that the device gets unlocked only by the fingers of the user. The second is its OS, called Sec OS (from Security) and is based on Android 5.1 (or maybe 6.0?, i'll ask a confirm for this)
UPDATE: Confirmed, Android 5.1 is here.
LEAGOO Venture 1 is here to against Vertu Aster T
Vertu is the company that does not need a further introduction when it comes to luxury devices. But recently LEAGOO Venture 1 also catches lots of attentionsdue to its similar luxury leather materials and design. Leagoo Venture 1 is here to challenge Vertu Aster T.
Why they are similar?
Both of them are used handcrafted first-class calfskin to dress the exterior of the device. Both of them can support the latest and faster 4G network. Both of them can be customized by customers’ need and can been crafted as an exquisite expression of refinded aesthetic. But depending on the different material, Vertu Aster T price will*also be different.
As for the specifications, Vertu Aster T is featured with 4.7 inches screen with a*resolution of 1080 × 1920 , 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 13MP*rear camera with LED flash, 2.1MP front camera and it will be running Android 5.1.
Leagoo Venture 1 features a 5.0-inch 720p display and is powered by a MediaTek MT6753 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz. It also packs 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and 128GB maximum memory expansion. It adopts rear 13MP Sony camera with true-tone flash and an F/2.0 aperture. 8MP front camera with 84° wide angle adds more interest. The fingerprint sensor has become almost essential on today’s smartphones. Leagoo Venture 1 adopts it but Vertu Aster T does not. LQC v1.5 fast charging technology is used to charge the large 3000mAh battery on Venture 1, for a faster, safer and cooler charging. But Vertu Aster T is just only 2275mAh. Both of them are based on Android 5.1.
Besides, Venture 1 adopts Dual Secure OS to protect its security. It is possible to switch from the personal OS to business OS freely. Using hardware encryption, two separated OS should be able to work perfectly with no chance of info-leaking. All files are sealed in a private storage space and to ensure the safety of all files, the Venture 1 monitors every access, showing all history record of unlocking th Deata protection. In addition, by setting password, all Apps in the device can be locked and no one can get in without a password. (unless you manage to hack it).
I bought one!
Just to say that I've bought one of these Leagoo Venture 1 (V1) 'phones (16Gb, in the Amber Brown if you're interested...). I found information about them hard to come by so I thought I'd post a few thoughts a few days into ownership. If you have any questions, I'm not the person to ask as I don't visit XDA very often.
So, I took the plunge. I happened to be browsing AliExpress, looking for another item, when I spotted an advert for this 'phone. I was intrigued with the looks, that combination of leather and metal is hard to ignore. I clicked on the ad. and thought how striking looking the 'phone was, I also was rather taken by the looks of the launcher, with it's almost entirely black and white theme, I liked the simplicity.
Then, the price caught my eye. Just over one hundred pounds. At that price, I could almost afford to throw it away I reckoned. A few seconds later it was ordered. Delivery for me took eleven days although it was estimated at up to fifty days. Perhaps I was lucky in delivery? Other orders from AliExpress have taken sixty days, so maybe I was just lucky?
And what of the 'phone itself? It came in a reasonable quality cardboard box with a sleeve cut into a 'V' shape to highlight the 'Venture' brand on the front. Inside there was a SIM tray removal tool, charger with European pins and 100V - 240V capability, a micro-USB cable, headphones and quick-start guide. The 'phone had a screen protector fitted but this picked up so much grease and fingerprints I took it off after a day.
In use the screen is very clear, very bright and very sharp. As the resolution is only 1280x720 I wasn't expecting something this good. I've found no dead pixels so far either. The 'phone is very quick and responsive in general use, web sites load much much quicker than my previous Oppo R5 or Huawei P6 and I've noticed no slowdowns in use, nor any issues with excessive heating - again, both the Huawei and Oppo could get rather warm in use. The fingerprint scanner does take some time from putting the finger on the scanner to unlock the 'phone, though I suspect that the scanner works quickly, and the delay is in the unlocking as once or twice I've tapped my finger on quickly then removed it yet the 'phone has still unlocked with my finger off the scanner. The rear camera resolution seems average, it is claimed to be 13MP, pictures taken are ~4Mb in size and do look rather heavily compressed, the P6 and R5 possibly were both better in this respect. I don't suppose the camera is any worse than any other similarly priced 'phone though. For a while I had a Huawei P9 (Leica dual lens) and BlackBerry Priv, both had better cameras, I liked the BlackBerry Priv the most of all my 'phones for camera quality. I have an excellent Pentax camera for taking pictures with, I only use my 'phone if I've forgotten the Pentax or my reserve Ricoh cameras. If you use your 'phone for photography, perhaps consider something else? If I could add one thing, it would be NFC. I had a couple of 'phones for a short period which both had NFC and I really liked using 'Tap n Pay' so I would have liked to see this but it seems as though a minority of China made 'phones offer NFC as it reportedly isn't widely used in native China.
In the physical metal, glass and leather the 'phone looks very well made. It is rather heavy but this weight seems uniformly distributed and it feels 'right'. The metal on the sides has a quality finish to it and again, feels lovely. The metal surrounding the fingerprint scanner and camera lens looks to my eye to be cast aluminium and slightly lower quality but still very good. I can't say whether the leather is indeed calfskin as Leagoo claim, but it does look good. You probably could get some jealous looks from other people who might assume it is a Vertu (assuming they know what a Vertu looks like) as the two do look similar.
The 'phone has dual SIM capability, I haven't tried this only having one SIM and a microSD card in the 'SIM2' slot. It certainly works on the Virgin network in the UK (EE), again, I only have a standard 3G data plan so can't vouch for 4G capabilities.
Battery life so far has been excellent. Having used it more than I would during any normal day while setting it up, restoring apps, text messages, adding widgets and the like, I've still had around 70% battery by bedtime. In comparison, the P6 would be flat, with less use, in about eight hours. I could eke the R5 to about thirty six hours with very light use. If I remember, after my first week is over, I'll update this thread to give a more thorough report on the battery life. [Update] I've now had the 'phone for around four weeks and I'm getting very good battery life. I'm only having to charge the 'phone after three days of use. I recently had a BlackBerry Priv and before that, a Huawei P9 (not the P9 Lite), both of those managed from 8am on day one to 10pm day two before needing a charge. The V1 can easily go from 8am on day one to 10pm day three before needing a charge, if I stretch it, I can just squeeze 10pm on day four. This is without needing to select the low power battery saving mode. I am a light user, but I'm not using this any more or less than the previous 'phones yet still getting great battery life.
[Update] The stock launcher is a little unusual (even for a Chinese 'phone) in that widgets can't be resized from their original dimensions. Usually long pressing on a Widget brings up some resize arrows that can be used to stretch widgets into custom sizes, the Venture 1 launcher doesn't seem to have that option at all (or at least I haven't found it if it exists). Similar to other Chinese 'phones, there is no App drawer. All the Apps are located on the home screens. There seems to be no way of selecting which screen is designated as 'Home', the first screen is seemingly fixed as the 'Home' one. I have also found a few other 'inconsistencies' in some of the Apps. Leagoo include their own App store which appears to be a close clone of the native Android Play Store, but with the addition of being able to indicate the version number of an App along with an option to not update that App, or to skip an update. I haven't used the App myself other than to see what it was and if it differed from the Play Store, so I might have misinterpreted the way it works a little. The Leagoo Email App again appears to be a clone of an earlier version of the Android Gmail App. It has a black theme which better fits the overall theme of the 'phone so I use it in preference to the Gmail App. It requires all senders to be individually given the right to display pictures which I'm sure an earlier version of the Gmail App did. It is seemingly classed by Google as an 'insecure' Application so isn't allowed to access a Gmail account unless permission for insecure Apps is granted. This initially makes it appear as though the Email App isn't working. When it is setup with your user name and password, it reports that it can't connect and your username or password are incorrect. This had me confused for some time, when I logged onto my Gmail account on my iMac I could then see the warnings about an insecure app trying to access the account. Once permission was granted on the iMac, the Leagoo Email App worked as expected. The Leagoo Messages App has one other 'gotcha' which I'll pass on. If you are trying to save an attachment, long press on the attachment, select save from the menu and you are sent to a screen with a thumbnail of the attachment with what looks like a back arrow, a tickbox by the attachment, and nothing else. Going back doesn't save, long pressing the thumbnail doesn't save. Hmmm... Looking really closely on the top right of the screen reveals two OK and Cancel options - written in black text, over a black (leather texture) background. Clicking the OK option saves the attachment. Aha! Three days on and off it took me to realise that!
In summary, I love it, at the price there can't be many other 'phones that look anything like it, the fact that it performs far better than I expected is the icing on the cake. I couldn't give it a higher recommendation.
There is a video review which can by found by searching for: Leagoo V1 (Venture 1) Review English [4k] which I thought rather informative.
Review (part 1)
Introduction
This is the LEAGOO Venture 1.
Hardware
This device is still powered by the pretty old, but rocking stable, Mediatek MT6753 SOC clocked at 1.3GHz, but thanks to the HD-only screen, there are no performance issues at all. It features 3GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM and a 8MP Rear Camera, unfortunately interpolated to 13MP.
Unboxing
Packaging comes with many accessories, just like all LEAGOO devices: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 1x 5V/1.5A USB Charger, 1x Quick Start Guide, 1x Warranty Certificate, 1x SIM Card Tray Eject Tool, 1x 3.5mm In-Ear Earphones (...cheap...) and the Smartphone (of course). A plastic screen protector (high-quality) is already applied and no TPU Cover is included.
Following Vertu's Design, this Venture 1 has a Leather Back Cover that looks amazing, together with a Full-Metal Chassis and Glossy Borders. In my opinion, the design is great, just like its build quality. This is probably the best built LEAGOO Smartphone after the T1 Plus.
It is 14.84x7.17x1.15cm, bigger than most 5 inches devices but it doesn't matter with this type of device. It weights 209g, considering the amount of Metal and the Leather Cover, it couldn't have been better.
On the front side there is the Standard (no 2.5D) Display and the upper front side of the device features the standard set of things: a Front-Facing Camera, an Earpiece, and the Sensors hole that includes Light, Proximity and Gesture Sensors. Is the Notification LED here? Yes, it is. (RGB)
The notification LED isn't the brightest you can find on a smartphone, and unfortunately, it isn't customizable. At least it is here though, still better than nothing.
On the lower front side there is the Soft-Touch Keys zone with Menu, Home and Back buttons, together with the Microphone in the Center.
On the back side there is the Leather Cover (non-removable).
The upper rear side of the device features the Camera Sensor, a Secondary Microphone for Noise Suppression, an Unknown Hole that i don't know what it is used for, a compact rounded Fingerprint Scanner and the Dual-LED - Dual-Tone Flashlight.
On the lower rear side there is just the LEAGOO logo, the Speaker is positioned on the left side of the device.
Device
Screen
LEAGOO choose to use an HD-only screen for this device, and considering the CPU, this is the best choice, but is it a good panel too? So and so. Color Accuracy and White Balance is OK, nothing to complain about, but there is a slight banding issue (visible in the Viewing Angles test).
Light Sensor supports partial light changes, this is its maximum brightness.
Viewing Angles are as good as you would expect from an IPS screen. Notice the Banding Issue i mentioned before.
Camera
Just like the T1 Plus, also this one features a Sony IMX219 Camera Sensor for the Rear Camera that is an 8MP Sensor, advertised as 13MP due to interpolation, and the result is as good as you would expect from an 8MP Camera, but with an issue.
Photos Quality is OK, especially while focusing near objects or for Macros with a great image details and low level of noise, but there are issues with the Auto-Focus, because i wasn't able to take a properly focuses shot for Panorama or any long-distance type of Photo. Somehow, this issue isn't here if you enable HDR mode so...this is funny.
"HDR off" on the left and "HDR on" on the right. HDR processing seems to work just fine.
Photos taken on medium light conditions are decent.
Macro Photos, as already said, are great.
As regards the Flashlight, it is sufficiently powerful to take some nice shots indoors, but not enough for outdoor shots.
As regards Video Recording, somehow LEAGOO capped the maximum resolution to 720p30 (why?). Anyway, the quality is decent and the frame-rate is stable enough.
Front Camera is a Standard Wide-Angle variant GalaxyCore GC5005 (5MP), something you will find on almost all Chinese Devices with this price target.
Audio
Speaker's Quality on this device is lower than average (no low-frequencies, low-medium volume), but i think this is due to the fact that the device is Waterproof so there may be an Water Filter that might be reducing the quality.
As regards the Microphone, the quality is great, but it couldn't have been worse thanks to the Dual-Microphone Configuration. In-Call quality is average, nohing to complain about.
GPS
Just like all MT6753 devices, the GPS is good with almost instant satellites lock and decent signal.
Indoors on the left, outdoors on the right.
Telephony, Mobile Network & WiFi
LEAGOO provides full european bands support (and also American, if you buy the "Version A" variant), with 4G Band 20.
3G Signal Reception is accurate too, actually I never managed to get connected to the 2G Network of my Mobile Operator because there was always some 3G Signal available. (luckily there are no coverage issues here)
4G Network Speed is low, lower than other devices i have reviewed in the past, meaning that there is a Software Issue somewhere in the Mobile Data management. I hope that this gets fixed with the next OTA update.
Somehow WiFi 5GHz is not supported here. Connected at 65MBps to my 2.4GHz network, i managed to obtain a maximum of 36mbps, with medium-high signal.
Battery Life
I have measured the real battery capacity using my USB Tester, and it seems that the real battery capacity is just slightly compared to what LEAGOO declares. (declared 3000mAh, real ~2930mAh).
This is the PCMark Battery Test. Minimum Brightness, WiFi On, Sync On, Airplane Mode Off. Considering the Battery Capacity, this is a great result.
As regards battery charging times, the 5V/1.5A charger is good enough to charge the battery in almost 2 hours.
Software
Just like all LEAGOO devices, this one doesn't have a Clean Android OS with AOSP-like GUI, unfortunately, but they choose to personalize the old Android 5.1 release, naming it SecOS. (i guess secure os)
What to say, the OS is smooth, but it feels a bit unpolished. Check some pictures attached below.
Just like other last-gen Mediatek Devices, there are some typical features such as Gestures, Scheduled Power On/Off, etc…
Luckily LEAGOO choose to include a Magnetometer/Compass here.
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware analysis seems to detect some malwares on this device, two of them can be removed (disabling the app), but one is built-in (SystemUI)
The Fingerprint Scanner isn't one of the best i have ever reviewed, but it is still usable and accurate enough. Being an Android 5.1 device, the implementation isn't native so this is a limitation.
Review (part 2)
Benchmarks
I have used 3DMark, AndroBench, Antutu Benchmark, Epic Citadel, GeekBench 4, GFXBench, PCMark (Work 2.0, Computer Vision, Storage & Work 1.0) and Vellamo to stress the device to the limit. I won’t test Games or Video Playback because there are already some related tests included in these Benchmark suites.
3DMark – GPU Performance is mediocre, something expected when this MT6753 is stressed to the max.
AndroBench – eMMC Performance is superb, comparable with high-end devices.
Antutu Benchmark – I won’t say a lot about this benchmark, this isn’t as reliable as others. I’m providing this just for benchmarks lovers.
Epic Citadel – 3D performance is acceptable considering the GPU.
GeekBench – CPU Performance is nearly as good as other CPUs with the same configuration (8x Cortex-A53), multi-core score is impressive though.
CPU
Compute
GFXBench – Well OpenGL 3.0 benchmarks are pretty intensive, and this is where an outdated GPU lacks power.
PCMark – Common MT6753 Performance here, not the worst neither the greatest.
Work 2.0
Computer Vision
Storage
Work 1.0
Vellamo – Just like previous tests, there are no gains compared to other MT6753 devices.
Conclusions
Summarizing all results, it is clear that this device isn't perfect, there are some minor issues here and there that can be fixed via an OTA Update. I consider this as a cheap reply to Vertu's Expensive devices.
This device has some great potential that can be easily unlocked. I know, it is still powered by the old Android 5.1, together with the old MT6753 chipset, but if you are not looking for the latest technology in your hands, and if LEAGOO fixes some issues (including the removal of Malware!), it might be one of the best choices for those who are in search for elegant and business-like devices, at a reasonable cost.
In the current state, i can't recommend it, unless you really like it.
Pros:
Impressive Build Quality
Fast eMMC Internal Storage
Dual Microphone
RGB Notification LED
Compass/Magnetometer is here
Cons:
Still running on Android 5.1
MT6753...just outdated nowadays
No Gyroscope
Bugged Rear-Camera Auto-Focus
Muffled Speaker Sound
Rating: 8.0
Packaging and Accessories: 9
Design and Materials: 10
Performance and Heat Dissipation: 7.5
Screen: 8
Camera: 7
Sound: 7.5
Battery Life: 8
Software: 7
OEM Support: 8
Price: 8.5
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/5x6GD
Official Website: http://www.leagoo.com/mobile/V_Series/Venture1.html
You can buy it on many online shops. Official, and authorized, Retailers are listed in the LEAGOO website.
Thanks for the wonderful and detailed review.
I want to know if you have an idea when The V1 will be getting the android 6.0 marshmallow update? OR if it will get any updates at all..
Thanks
gykes said:
Thanks for the wonderful and detailed review.
I want to know if you have an idea when The V1 will be getting the android 6.0 marshmallow update? OR if it will get any updates at all..
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll ask LEAGOO and let you know ASAP.
Alberto96 said:
I'll ask LEAGOO and let you know ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be great.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Any update as regards my question concerning marshmallow upgrade for the V1?
OR would it be possible to flash in a 6.0 ROM and keep the stock Dual Sec Os 1.0 launcher?
I just wanted to add an update to my comments on the Leagoo Venture 1.
I bought mine in February, at the start of June, I started getting pop up adverts appearing in my notification area. All the ads I saw were for Uber, every one. I tried to get rid of them but couldn't, they'd almost instantly reappear again. If I opened the 'recent apps' area, it would close again by itself, and if I tried to rearrange apps in the app drawer, any apps I was dragging and dropping would be dropped in odd places as the screen redrew itself every few seconds.
It took me some time to find out what was going on so I thought I'd mention it here so that should anyone else suffer the same fate they wouldn't struggle as I did.
I looked in: System > Device > Apps > All
I found I had two copies of 'Shell', one was ~750kb in size, one was ~30Mb in size. Selecting the ~30Mb one, I force closed it and then uninstalled it. This stopped the popup adverts. I then installed "No Root Firewall" and set it to run at boot. Watching the apps that then attempted to access the network, I only enabled access for essential services, I prevented the app called "Software Update" which claims to be written by com.rock.gota from accessing the network/internet at all and if I see it running, I close it. I can't disable or delete it as I haven't rooted my Leagoo.
Since doing this I've had no further problems. It could have been another app causing the popups, if they return, I'll update this post.
For those interested in getting a cleaner ROM that SHOULD not have the adverts issue, try this one: https://mega.nz/#!0U1wQJQD!qaUwFmjffsmDVJSMp95Y37wQnH0lGNCautRg4vOiyhY (Flash via SP Flash Tool)
It is made for the ikimobile kf5 bless (Venture 1 rebrand), but i adapted it to work on the Venture 1 just by replacing the scatter and preloader. 100% working fine here, tested.
Enjoy.
Alberto96 said:
For those interested in getting a cleaner ROM that SHOULD not have the adverts issue, try this one: https://mega.nz/#!0U1wQJQD!qaUwFmjffsmDVJSMp95Y37wQnH0lGNCautRg4vOiyhY (Flash via SP Flash Tool)
It is made for the ikimobile kf5 bless (Venture 1 rebrand), but i adapted it to work on the Venture 1 just by replacing the scatter and preloader. 100% working fine here, tested.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there ,, i know this a very old thread but i have one Leago v1 and i want to ask you what are the proper steps to flash this rom.
I just flashed and the phone its not starting at all .... black screen. I am now on the official rom and the adverts issue its there.
propably i have to unlock boot loader ....
So if you please guide me step by step ...
Thanks in advance
colossus_r said:
Hello there ,, i know this a very old thread but i have one Leago v1 and i want to ask you what are the proper steps to flash this rom.
I just flashed and the phone its not starting at all .... black screen. I am now on the official rom and the adverts issue its there.
propably i have to unlock boot loader ....
So if you please guide me step by step ...
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NJcDBkLk8zMwyv2BTqRjn2NB_ZOWKjP1fRpSVr44Oxk/edit
Alberto96 said:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NJcDBkLk8zMwyv2BTqRjn2NB_ZOWKjP1fRpSVr44Oxk/edit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank alot m8. Really appreciate your help.
My current phone, a Google Pixel 3 XL, needs to replaced pretty soon as the USB port is somewhat broken and replacing it does not seem to really be worth it, due to some other things (brightness, camera, etc.) I am annoyed of.
I have been eying the new Sony smartphones for a while now and I am not sure whether it is really worth the 400€. My other choice would be a Samsung A52 5G and now I am wondering what you guys think about this Sony phone so far.
- Is the camera really as bad as the reviews suggest?
- Is the display bright enough to (properly) use it in the sun?
- etc.
cheers,
fd
I don't mind the camera. Though, I upgraded from an aging Sony Xperia XZ1c, so it's has a fair few more features than I am used to. I know that the Pixel line has historically had great pictures due to a combination of lenses and implementation/software. The implementation is where Sony lacks (especially on the Auto side). But... I don't often use my camera, so I don't often notice any issues with the results. It's fine for me!
I have not had much issue with display brightness in sun.. it is noticeably dim, but certainly not unusable.
Depending on your location in the world, you may want to check band support on the device and cross reference with with your country/carrier. The US is limited, the rest of the world may not be as much.
On paper, the Samsung A52 looks better, but I haven't looked much in to it. Around the same price, you may be able to find some deals on a Google Pixel 4a 5g if you want to stay with the Pixel line.
To me, the 10 III was worth it. I don't need flagship features, and the short comings don't bother me. I've used Sony devices for the past 12 years, and appreciate their effort to remain in the mobile space despite lacking sales. I think the 21:9 is pretty cool and works really well for the endless scrolling most folks do. The narrow width of the device is what I like most; it's the same width as my old XZ1c, but a bit taller.
I realize this is all a bit subjective to personal experience, but that's just how it is.
Hope this helps!
I've got this phone almost entirely due to the lack of a notch or some other obstruction to the display, and because of that aspect alone, I consider it worth it. The other good thing is Sony's Open Devices program, of which this device will hopefully be a part soon, opening up the possibilities for Sailfish OS, Ubports, etc. if that's your kind of thing.
But if you don't care about these additional features, then you can probably find a better bang-for-buck device without much effort. Especially if you don't get the wireless headphones deal from Sony.
Can't really say anything about the camera as I don't use it all that often (if it takes pictures, it's sufficient for me). Also not sure about the screen visibility in the sun as due to the pandemic I mostly stay inside anyways (working from home).
I am coming from Xperia XZ1 compact... the 10 III is only slightly bigger, and again a good device for outdoor use. Still water/dust resist, extremely fast and accurate position fix, display is perfectly bright outside, and due to the 12:9 format, you can hold, carry and operate it very good with just one hand. Performance is outstanding, of course - battery runtime is good.
No issues with the camera. Sure you will get an even better camera when you pay three time of what it costs, but for the price I would call it a very good device, worth every penny. Especially, I find the telephoto lense very useful. Sharp and natural pictures.
Magisk is working fine.
OP, I probably go with the Samsung. It supports a shared SD card slot, yes a data drive ie a dual drive handheld is now possible for you.
Used correctly this feature will become indispensable. All critical data goes on the SD card; OS, apps and temporary files on internal memory. You simple backup from the SD card then. When doing a reset factory you can reload everything from the SD card; no cloud, Playstore or PC needed. Hell yeah.
Samsung's are the most customizable stock Androids on the planet. Hundreds of free theme and icon packs on the Galaxy Store.
Samsung's tech support just plain sucks leaches on your ball sack bad though. If you're Android fluent this will not be an issue more than likely.
Sony tech support is no gem either
Samsung's tend to be bright but you should never use a AMOLED display in direct sunlight!!!
Samsung is at top with displays. This one could be a bit brighter... and live a shorter life.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Smartphone Review - Another chapter in a success story
The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G comes with a Snapdragon 750G, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal memory, microSD card support, an IP67 cerfication and a large 4500-mAh battery. However, the main feature of the Korean smartphone is a quad-camera system with a 64-MP main sensor.
www.notebookcheck.net
The newer Samsung cams are good, I have a Note 10+ and it captures great images.
Play with both first. Seeing them in person is worth a thousand pictures...
A comparison:
Compare Sony Xperia 10 III vs. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G - GSMArena.com
m.gsmarena.com
Read more reviews on both.
Consider a used flagship model in excellent condition. Most Samsung batteries aren't that hard to replace.
Android 11 sucks, Pie is still my preferred weapon. So with a new phone you're stuck with 11 and it's lame CPU cycle eating scoped storage. Pie is still quit secure.. don't buy into the scare hype.
blackhawk said:
A comparison:
Compare Sony Xperia 10 III vs. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G - GSMArena.com
m.gsmarena.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it really depends on what to do with it.
For me, the main pro's for the 10 III: Corning 6 instead of 5, slimmer and more lightweight - perfect for outdoor use. With the Samsung, I had issues with the size of my pockets and my hand ;-)
oel7 said:
I think it really depends on what to do with it.
For me, the main pro's for the 10 III: Corning 6 instead of 5, slimmer and more lightweight - perfect for outdoor use. With the Samsung, I had issues with the size of my pockets and my hand ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The glass difference isn't much between 5 and 6 unless you drop it without a good case.
With no case don't think Corning 6 will save it... it's still glass.
Both are readily scratched by sand.
AGM G2 Guardian5G Unlocked Rugged Smartphone | Thermal Monocular Long Detection Range: 500m/yd
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
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Main Features
* Qualcomm QCM6490
* Long Range Thermal Monocular
* 6.58' FHD+ 120Hz Display
* 108MP Rear Camera
* 7000 mAh Battery
* Waterproof, shock and dust proof. Certified IP68/IP69K/MIL-STD-810H
* 109dB Loud Speaker
* 8/12GB + 256GB Storage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source: AGM Mobile Website
Stay tuned for further Information
5G
Band: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, n41, n66,n71, n77, n78,n79
NSA: Support, Option 3x/3a
SA: Support, Option 2
MIMO: n1/n2/n3/n7/n66/n77/n78/n79 Four Downstream, Single Upstream, n41 Four Downstream, Dual Upstream
SRS
SA SRS: n41:2T4R,n77/n78/n79:1T4R NSA SRS:n41/n77/n78/n79 1T4R
HPUE: n41/n78/N79: Total Power 26dBm
EN_DC
CA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ChipsetChipset: Qualcomm QCM6490
CPU: Kryo 670
GPU: Adreno 643
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
StorageCapacity: UFS2.2, 8G+256G & 12G+256G
Expandable Storage (TF Card):Support , 512G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ScreenSize: 6.58'
Resolution: FHD+
Refreshing Rate: 120HZ
Cameras
Pixels
108MP Rear Camera
20MP Infrared night vision Camera
2MP Macro Camera
256*192 Thermal Camera (10mm lens)
sensor: TBD
Flashlight: Support
Front Camera
Pixels: 32M
sensor
Sound
MIC: Dual-mic
PA: 3.5W Speaker
Stereo: Not Support
Motor: Support
Speaker Effect: Default algorithm
Headphone Effect: No
Speaker: AGM Iconic Speaker
Direction: Back
WLAN agreement: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Battery
capacity: 7000mAh
installation method: built-in
Fast Charging: Support, 18W
Dock Charging: Support
Durability requirements
Operating temperature: -20°C~60°C
Degree of protection: IP68/IP69K/810H
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I pre-ordered the G2 Guardian and received it 4 days ago. I charged it to 100% when I received it and have not since charged it again...4 entire days of pretty heavy usage, still I have 30% battery. Just about to fill the MicroSD up with music. Hopefully by the time it's fully charged again my battery usage metrics will be calibrated and I can work on some proper usage figures for everyone.
Why did I make this purchase/ My use case:
I work in forestry in Northern Australia. It's sweaty as hell, storms develop quickly and whatever I use will get wet multiple times per week through one or the other. Overall I look after my gear with great care, but some things are unavoidable: water, dust, plant matter slowly filling all of my pockets and getting into my gear through whatever orifice is available. Much like Eels, it finds an entrance where it can. I spend much of my week smashing around in the undergrowth. Being able to wash my devices periodically is important, good quality port covers are equally important.
Another must-have for me is a battery that won't let me down. If I manage to hike to the furthest point from my vehicle within a given parcel of land then it's a major problem for me if my battery runs out and I lose the GPS track that I am running, or cannot collect the remainder of my data taking a different path back to my vehicle. My time is wasted, my sweat and exertion are wasted and I've got to climb a bunch of 35+ degree slopes back to the car for no gain. For this reason, the company iphone and ipad are in the bin where they belong. Both devices constantly let me down one way or another, neither of them are designed to do what I do, even in a lifeproof case.
To solve these issues, I ran the Ulefone Power Armor 13 for over a year. It was a great device, I customised the hell out of it but eventually I got tired of carrying a 498gram brick in my pocket. At home without a belt, it would pull my pants down. It was JUST fast enough not to annoy me, and I really enjoyed how deeply I had customised it but I became annoyed with how poor the camera could be sometimes, and with just how heavy it was, but moreso how cumbersome the form factor was and how cheap it looked and felt.
In a flash of brilliance, I replaced the Power Armor 13 with a Galaxy Xcover 6 pro. Paid outright for the device, bought a couple of spare batteries and rubber port covers for the 3.5mm and USB-C ports, and patted myself on the back for being the smartest man alive. The extra speed of the Snapdragon 778G was just what I had been looking for, the retention of an IP68 rating even with a replaceable battery and the moderately rugged construction seemed to be more than enough for my workday, and I could much more easily slip this thing into the pocket of my jeans before heading to the bar on the weekend. No more laughter when producing my phone from my pocket, no more having to explain how I could possibly need a half kilogram phone...I just looked like a normal person, with a normal life.
It lasted 2 months. I got caught in a storm, the Xcover 6 pro was in my backpack. That IP rating is not worth the paper it is written on. Not only did it fail spectacularly, I'm pretty sure it almost caught fire doing so. It got indescribably hot to the point that I knew it was absolutely dead. No amount of time spent in bags of rice would resurrect it, and after a last ditch effort trying to dry it out in direct sunlight I could see that constant exposure to heavy sweat during my work had also managed to penetrate whatever miserable water ingress protection it had. There were literal salt crystals falling out from near the battery terminals: this thing had been getting moisture past the rubber gasket whilst in my pocket for the entire 2 months I'd owned it.
At this point, Samsung can go and boil their bums. I had been a militant supporter of their Galaxy Active lineup, simply unable to understand why anyone would choose their regular lineup when the Active line existed. Once they dropped the Active I had to look elsewhere, but I was over the moon to see that they had done an xcover device that wasn't completely and utterly under powered so I caved. Fool me once... they're dead to me, and so is the possibility of me owning a 'normal' phone. It's just not going to work for me.
After drying my tears I set about scouting out a new rugged phone that would meet all of my needs without pulling my pants down. I have also recently had to start doing koala spotting again, and even though we have a $2400 thermal scope available at my office, there is only 1. I can't carry it with me all the time in case somebody else needs it, and to be perfectly honest I've found it pretty inadequate once the sun rises. Once there's sunlight on the trees it's pretty much useless, and having to peer through a monocular makes it dangerous walking through the bush. The hardware specs of the scope are so low that it is ridiculously clunky to use, and it is endlessly refreshing the sensor. I wasn't happy with it, and I always had to drive back and get it, so the presence of a thermal camera on my everyday phone became appealing. Imagine my joy when I got home to find that pre-orders for the AGM G2 guardian were just about to start. BOLD claims in the promo literature, but I decided to roll the dice.
Initial impressions of the AGM G2 Guardian after 4 days:
I had some serious trepidation about this purchase. I know that AGM have been around for 14 years or so, and I have come really close to buying several of their devices over the years. The AGM X3 was right up my alley, but for $1000USD in 2019, it was a much easier choice to grab a second hand S8 Active for a few hundred bucks.
The purchase experience through AGM's official eBay store felt sketchy. They shipped me an AU power adapter on the day I pre-ordered, marking the device as shipped. Once the adapter was delivered my buyer protection started counting down. Honestly, in spite of their constant assurances I felt like I was about to get scammed especially since I got it for such a comparatively low price as a pre-order.
I was also nervous about the price I had paid for a rugged phone made in Shenzen. Even though AGM have always positioned themselves as the premium offering in this space, often choosing absolute top of the line Snapdragon SOC's rather than poxy mediatek chips, and having a European design team for their entire range it still seemed like an awful lot of money given the competition.
As soon as I held the G2 Guardian in my hands the reason for the additional price tag compared with the competition became obvious. Even before I turned it on this thing felt TIGHT. Not a rattle in sight, and whilst the 400 grams is still very heavy for a phone, it carries the weight well and manages to feel extremely high quality, reliable and a little bit sexy all at the same time. I'm not sure how to describe this, because it's only 98 grams lighter than my Power Armor was, but I barely notice this thing in my pocket. It feels great to hold and even though I acknowledge that I am part of a very small and very weird group of customers...I think it looks cool as hell and the ergonomics are great. Everything is where you want it to be including the fingerprint sensor. Every time I pull it out of my pocket, I get that nugget feeling. It feels built to last and extremely high quality.
Once I powered it up and started going through the setup process I really started smiling. The first thing that really brought home that nugget feeling was the quality of the haptic feedback. I assume a decent quality motor combined with just how solid the body of the device is has given a fairly nice result here.
Overall an absolute 10/10 for satisfaction on the physical characteristics of this device.
Chipset
Qualcomm QCM 6490 industrial processor.
2.7Ghz, 8 cores, 6nm process. 5G, Wifi6/6E. 8 or 12GB ram.
There's not much to say here. This thing absolutely flies, and sips battery whilst it's doing it. It's faster than the competing 778G by a decent margin and has far better multithreaded performance. It also destroys even the best Mediatek Dimensity chipsets in competing rugged phones clocking in at just under 600,000 Antutu score in V9. No, it's not as fast as a snapdragon 8 Gen1, but it also won't get overly hot or need a purpose built animation to see your battery empty whilst playing games or doing demanding processing.
Display
120hz refresh rate (though I have to assume it is adaptive given the battery life and lack of manual setup options) and a very tasty 2408x1080 400ppi results in a fast, flowy and vibrant display. Let me be clear, this absolutely bashes the pants off my previous 2 phones, but I have to assume it wouldn't be in the ballpark of the latest S23 or anything like that in terms of image quality. The 120hz display is a massive bonus here, and a great implementation. I've never seen this thing lag or skip. It's a really rewarding user experience that looks and feels great and is always buttery smooth. AGM have not provided customisation options here. There's no ability to lock it to 60hz or change the resolution. Ordinarily I wouldn't be happy with this, but given the battery life and quality of experience it seems like they've dialed it in exactly where it needs to be.
Cameras
The main camera is a 108mp Samsung lens. Obviously this lens is extremely capable of taking good photos. Plenty of depth and colour, and it is extremely fast. Unfortunately the combination of a lack of image stabilization and a very basic camera app implementation lead to a lot of dud photos unless you get lucky with the natural lighting conditions being absolutely perfect. I find myself having to take 5 or 6 photos of the same scene or subject to guarantee 1 good shot. It is really reliable up-close on stationary objects, and in this use-case it seems to thrive, producing consistently good images.
There is work to do here for AGM. At present, this high-quality and perfectly capable lens is going to waste a lot of the time because the camera app is so basic. You can tell that the hardware is infinitely capable, but it is absolutely screaming for a port of GCAM or a LOT of development on their in-house app. I don't think it even has HDR at present and configuration options are extremely limited.
Front camera is a 32mp unit that provides a really smooth video calling experience, quality is good. Not sure how good it is at selfies because selfies are for children.
There's also a 20MP Sony night-vision camera. This works well, and I believe it is activated by choosing 'infrared detect' in the camera app and probably plays some role in the thermal function I guess (?).
Finally, the last 'normal' camera is a 2MP Macro Camera. This works really well for Macro shots but I have to wonder what kind of insanity led to the inclusion of a macro lens rather than a decent wide-angle sensor in an outdoor focused device. 90% of my photos on my last few phones have been taken with the wide-angle sensor and it is going to take some serious getting used to not having one. Obviously I knew this before purchase, but I miss my wide-angle lenses already.
Thermal Module
Here is the big daddy, and obviously the focal point of this device. A 10mm lens paired with 256x192 thermal image resolution and 25hz video resolution.
AGM have knocked this out of the park. With zero exaggeration, this is the best thermal scope I have ever used. I have used devices with higher thermal detector resolution (384 x 288), but even in devices that cost over $2200AUD, these sensors are paired with absolute garbage processing power. This leaves you with a really clunky user experience. These specialist devices are also often plagued with really terrible battery life, and having to hold it up to your eye is downright dangerous given the understory you are more than likely walking through if you have a use for such a device.
Combining a decent sensor and a 10mm lens with the very respectable hardware at the heart of the G2 Guardian eliminates all of the problems inherent to a standalone thermal monocular. They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and this applies double to thermal scopes. To ALWAYS have this thing available in my pocket is a massive advantage.
Thermal Range (Detection Range VS Recognition Range) and performance
I was pretty dubious of the claims made by AGM here. Well, I was wrong. At night, there is a very comfortable recognition range of around 100 to 200 metres depending on the size of the animal, and a detection range (how far out you can actually identify a heat signature is present) well over 500 metres, again, depending on the size of the object.
The thermal app interface is fast and responsive, and there is an entire galaxy of configuration options including the ability to set up your own custom thermal ribbon colour modes to suit your use. The timelapse function will be awesome for monitoring wildlife, and the analysis tools are crazy good. Both auto-focus and manual focus modes are brilliant, and I find myself wishing they had put a similar amount of effort into the main camera app.
Temperature measurement range is disappointing in the Guardian variant which I believe is only capable of 0C to 150C with accuracy. I believe this was a necessary compromise to allow such an amazing long range thermal camera experience. The G2 Pro variant does not have such impressive long-range thermal capability, but has accurate temperature measurement between -20C to 550C. This was an easy choice for me, it's far more useful for me to be able to detect an animal or heat signature at long range, than to tell the exact temperature of that object up close.
I have had a FLIR sensor previously on the very first CAT phone, and it was not even in the same universe of what the G2 Guardian is capable of. Hands down, this is the best bit of thermal gear I've ever used and I have access to several very expensive standalone units - the implementation on the G2 Guardian is genuinely impressive. They have made the jump from what is a cool gimmick on most phones, to a genuine work or hunting tool. I am blown away here.
The most impressive feature of the thermal experience is how well it works in daylight conditions. Many extremely expensive scopes are completely useless in daylight. As soon as sunlight starts to hit tree trunks, it's time to give up and go home. I'm not exactly sure how AGM have overcome this challenge, and obviously it will always work better at night or in the early morning, but even at 10am in full sun I have been able to ID animals very easily.
Firmware and customization potential
The Android implementation here is completely and utterly bloat free. The only non-google apps AGM have installed is their camera app, their thermal camera app and the AGM service app, where you can input the particulars of your device and purchase date, and submit a help or service request. There is also a third party launcher, but I never touched it - I installed Lynx launcher from my google backup before I even made it to the homescreen...i know what I like at this point.
The remainder of the UI experience is practically untouched, sharing most similarities to the latest Pixel devices including some of the fancier features including the ability to screenshot beyond the current display area of a web site, the juicy larger sized quick settings menu, extra dim mode, bedtime routines etc etc. There are extra settings menus present for the user defined key (though very basic, can't even set a vibration
I have to commend AGM here for providing such a beautiful stock android experience and not going ham with some janky over zealous skin.
Whilst I have not unlocked the bootloader or rooted this device, I have verified that flicking the OEM Unlocking switch in developer options does have the desired result, and that you are able to gain access to the bootloader via ADB reboot bootloader. This is good news for the future, with many devices from mainstream manufacturers now shipping without even the ability to access the bootloader.
It seems like there is potential here, but at present I do not have a reason to proceed any further down this path. Time will tell how well AGM support these devices long term with incremental updates but so far all they have promised is that they will provide regular Android security updates, and that their camera and thermal apps will be developed on an ongoing basis. I would not be surprised if we never see Android 13 or 14 here, but I could be wrong.
It would be a massive roll of the dice to flash a GSI or custom rom here given the amount of device specific, niche hardware. In all likelyhood, unless AGM decide to expend the resources to support this type of development in-house (and why would they?), any attempt to install a non-factory rom will result in the loss of your thermal camera, infrared camera and probably the sick flashlight as well.
At some point in the future I may attempt to root this phone but for now most of the reasons I have for doing so have already been solved in-house.
The battery optimisation and power management is absolutely killer and unobtrusive, giving an outstanding result for daily use. All of the bluetooth codecs you could possibly want are there including APT-X, APT-X HD, LDAC, AAC - so i've no need to force these in via magisk modules.
Activating the amazingly handy 100 lumen flashlight on the top of the phone via hardware key on the side is a default feature...this is one of the big reasons I usually root my phones. If they would add haptic feedback when it's activated, I'm happy and probably won't root at all.
Connectivity
3G and 4G signal reception on this device is better than anything I've owned previously. I was sweating bullets about VoLTE and VoWifi working on this out of the box because I have been completely reliant on wifi calling at home on all my other phones, which generally only manage 1 bar of cellular signal at best.
The great news is that VoLTE and VoWifi did work immediately out of the box, but given that I now have consistently better coverage with the G2 I'm less reliant on it. When it does kick in, it seems to do so seamlessly. All I could really ask for here is clear visible delineation between Wifi calls and HD voice/ VoLTE calls.
Wifi reception is also very good with very little degradation even at considerable distance from my router. Unfortunately I do not have access to 5G or Wifi6 to truly test it. On the previous 5ghz wifi standard it is easily able to hand me the full capacity of my starlink connection. Overall I feel like they really prioritized antenna location and design in this device. All of the other features are cool, but first and foremost this is a GREAT phone.
Tiny touches
AGM G2 Guardian is one of those cases where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I assumed the 3.5watt speaker on the rear would be a gimmick...wow. This little speaker is worth its bulge. It's loud, clear and gives even the simple act of unlocking the device some serious presence. For podcast listening when I'm out in the shed or out in the bush and don't want to risk headphones masking the early warning signs of any slithery surprises it is absolutely fantastic. For music, I own several small bluetooth speakers that do not have this quality or volume. They have tuned the output in such a way that even at max volume there is no distortion, it's just loud and clear. I thought being on the rear of the device would be a disadvantage but they've overcome this with pure power.
The torch is one of my favourite features. I'm a total torch nerd but this is one less thing that I have to worry about having on my person, and the output is more than enough for most simple tasks at night. To have this with me at all times is a huge boon, and it is a million times better than even the brightest LED flash style flashlight on most phones, and emits from the top so is much more usable.
Bluetooth implementation here is INCREDIBLE. Stability of all bluetooth codecs has been fantastic, with no skipping and fantastic range. Even on my tiny earbuds, I am able to walk to the other end of my house with no skips or disconnects. This is about 25 metres. For comparison, my xcover 6 pro would constantly skip just from facing the wrong way in my pocket, and would give me about 10 metres unobstructed in the house. That's some serious power from the AGM, and decent thought put in to location of the antennas.
Best of all, when connecting any bluetooth audio device, a quick popup appears to inform you which codec is active! This is such a great little touch that saves me jumping through 3 layers of developer options to ensure that I am actually using the codec I want when my headphones connect.
A labour of love
In one of their recent long-form videos on youtube, an AGM representative claims the Bill of Materials cost for parts and labour to bring the G2 Guardian to completion is $740USD owing mainly to the expense of the thermal module.
If this is true, this leaves AGM with a very slim profit margin on this device. It seems their motivation here is purely to grow their brand, get more AGM devices into the hands of users in this small segment of the market and really make a great device to be proud of. You can feel it.
If you have ever considered a rugged device, or are sick of destroying your expensive mainstream ones this may well be the halo product you have been waiting for. The attention to detail here is hard to put into words until you've used one for a few days.
Concerns
-Even the large RAM X-Grip can only just hold this device in a vehicle owing to the bulge on the rear. It is secure in there, but only just. If AGM were to release a purpose built vehicle mount for these, I'd absolutely buy one.
-AGM Specs on their website still claim 10W wireless charging even now. It appears that either A) this is a lie B) it uses some non-standard wireless charging standard or C) They are claiming their dock accessory as wireless charging which I suppose would technically be true...but I have not yet received my dock and seems a bit disingenuous
It turns out there is wireless charging present, it's just very difficult getting it to pick up given the shape of the rear and the thickness of the case. Presently charging at 10W after some very careful balancing. I eagerly await the charging dock!
-Thermal module is fairly exposed and picks up every smudge imagineable. This does not impact use, and I do not have any scratches yet. AGM claim hardness of this glass is very high, but I can't think of a way to protect this lens when it is not in use.
-Main camera software needs some help. As detailed previously, you can get great photos out of this hardware combo, but it doesn't happen often enough. Maybe the in-house team can pull something together, but I can't help but think it would be a better outcome to get a port of GCAM running well, and enjoy all of the software processing and HDR trickery that comes with it. I may start having a mess around here myself.
That's about it. 99% of people won't read my wall of text, but for those seriously considering this purchase I hope this goes some way to helping you make your decision.
I have used rugged devices from every major player in this space. This is by far the best experience I've had with any of them. This phone absolutely slaps.
Camera samples attached with some compression from google photos.
Daylight closeup outdoors under cover
Daylight outdoors closeup subject
Daylight indoors close-up
Daylight sneaking distance, medium size eastern grey kangaroo
Outdoors 9am daylight photography sample
Night. Termite mound in foreground. Cow approx 60m away
Night. Small kangaroo @ 70-75m
Your browser is not able to display this video.
Alright I'm off to the races.
Shamim's Gcam port opens and appears to take photos, doesn't lag. It's night here right now, but this is where I will be starting my customisation journey.
Shamim: SGCAM_8.7.250.XX.44_STABLE_V4FIX
Download SGCAM_8.7.250.XX.44_STABLE_V4FIX by Shamim.
www.celsoazevedo.com
Have you got the gcam port working? And if so how is image quality?
davecotefilm said:
Have you got the gcam port working? And if so how is image quality?
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Click to collapse
Yes it's working and very stable with both main camera and front camera stills + video all good.
Image quality is great but I need to figure out how to make a config file for this device, never done one before. HDR is a little too extreme on both HDR modes.
I'll put a couple of comparison images together over the weekend. That link I posted is a great base to start building from, and stability seems to be zero issues so this is already a win.
I did some up-close shots and GCAM really made them pop. Landscape stuff looking a little alien with HDR effect at present.
Anyone got a good resource for getting started with GCAM config? Seems like the hardware is fully compatible with this build so shouldn't be too many barriers.
Okay yes I'm thinking this will be my next phone :-D Just need price to drop a bit!
bandario said:
Yes it's working and very stable with both main camera and front camera stills + video all good.
Image quality is great but I need to figure out how to make a config file for this device, never done one before. HDR is a little too extreme on both HDR modes.
I'll put a couple of comparison images together over the weekend. That link I posted is a great base to start building from, and stability seems to be zero issues so this is already a win.
I did some up-close shots and GCAM really made them pop. Landscape stuff looking a little alien with HDR effect at present.
Anyone got a good resource for getting started with GCAM config? Seems like the hardware is fully compatible with this build so shouldn't be too many barriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to get into the configs, but does gcam give it any image stabilization?
bandario said:
Yes it's working and very stable with both main camera and front camera stills + video all good.
Image quality is great but I need to figure out how to make a config file for this device, never done one before. HDR is a little too extreme on both HDR modes.
I'll put a couple of comparison images together over the weekend. That link I posted is a great base to start building from, and stability seems to be zero issues so this is already a win.
I did some up-close shots and GCAM really made them pop. Landscape stuff looking a little alien with HDR effect at present.
Anyone got a good resource for getting started with GCAM config? Seems like the hardware is fully compatible with this build so shouldn't be too many barriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay awesome, I'll get it as my next device and follow this thread I suggest contacting the dev from the gcam link, he can help with configs if he can ask you for files etc. Then once built just attach the apk here!
I installed "SGCAM_8.7.250.XX.44_STABLE_V5_ENG_PACKAGE" on G2 Guardian and it is working fine on the main camera and the front camera and has software based image stabilization option. However, I don't see any option for Night vision and macro cameras. May be proper config is required.
bandario said:
Yes it's working and very stable with both main camera and front camera stills + video all good.
Image quality is great but I need to figure out how to make a config file for this device, never done one before. HDR is a little too extreme on both HDR modes.
I'll put a couple of comparison images together over the weekend. That link I posted is a great base to start building from, and stability seems to be zero issues so this is already a win.
I did some up-close shots and GCAM really made them pop. Landscape stuff looking a little alien with HDR effect at present.
Anyone got a good resource for getting started with GCAM config? Seems like the hardware is fully compatible with this build so shouldn't be too many barriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the review and mentioning of GCAM software. I installed it and It has many more options then the stock AGM G2 Guardian app. Thanks
vicki20july said:
I installed "SGCAM_8.7.250.XX.44_STABLE_V5_ENG_PACKAGE" on G2 Guardian and it is working fine on the main camera and the front camera and has software based image stabilization option. However, I don't see any option for Night vision and macro cameras. May be proper config is required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never will. It's a small miracle that it works out of the box with main and front cam for stills and video. To get any other lens involved would require huge input from AGM on a non-sanctioned project messing with google code. It won't happen. I'm just grateful they used standard enough hardware calls that we can build from a stable base on main cam.
davecotefilm said:
I'll try to get into the configs, but does gcam give it any image stabilization?
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Click to collapse
Yes, AI image stabilisation standard to GCAM. To be honest I actively avoid phones with hardware OIS because vibrations when mounted to my motorbike kill the mechanism leaving me with a dead camera. I'm super happy to have GCAM fake OIS.
Thinks you for all this informations about agm guardian, I want to buy from ebay agm store, I want to ask you about zoom quality of the main camera? Can you post image and videos with zoom at least x8 or x10
samienemy said:
Thinks you for all this informations about agm guardian, I want to buy from ebay agm store, I want to ask you about zoom quality of the main camera? Can you post image and videos with zoom at least x8 or x10
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Click to collapse
It does not have a telephoto lens. Max zoom is 8X and it looks as bad as you imagine. If this feature is important to you, buy something with a telephoto lens.
GCAM
AGM Stock CAM
It cost over 1200$ I will wait for less price
samienemy said:
It cost over 1200$ I will wait for less price
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Click to collapse
$859USD on Ebay. AGM web shop is wild, changes price if you view it multiple times getting more expensive every time.
bandario said:
It does not have a telephoto lens. Max zoom is 8X and it looks as bad as you imagine. If this feature is important to you, buy something with a telephoto len
bandario said:
It does not have a telephoto lens. Max zoom is 8X and it looks as bad as you imagine. If this feature is important to you, buy something with a telephoto lens.
View attachment 5889529
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Click to collapse
There is an option in SGCAM to increase zoom capability. I am able to get it working up to around 35x
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Click to collapse
To what end? At 8X it already looks like a psychedelic cartoon.