Develop Bugs

Superior lag when short on RAM

Hey XDA!
I recently took back my Nexus 4 just for the sake of comparing ... and it turned out being faster than my 4 years newer N5X in specific scenarios!
My main problem with the Nexus 5X is that it easily runs short on RAM (due to the x64 chip?) and Facebook + Messenger are enough to make everything lag like crazy. Not to mention Spotify and navigation together. On my Nexus 4 I used to run more than 20 apps and services in the background without any downgrade in performance. I understand the issue and I just wanted to confirm if I am by some chance the only one experiencing this.
Thanks

facebooks android apps are not really known for their great and resource friendly performances. i personally have not yet run into such problems, but that doesn't say much.
what i imagine could cause that difference in performance is the respective device specific OS version. newer/more powerful devices get features (enabled), that others don't get, which in turn lowers the difference in IRL performance. for example, as can be seen in side-by-side comparisons, the N6P takes around 10s longer to boot up than the N5X out of the box, despite having superior hardware components, so there must be a reason for that.
with your N4vsN5X case and your mention of the RAM shortage, the first word that shot into my mind was 'zRAM'. afaik marshmallow finally includes this feature, but does the OS manage it intelligently and is it even enabled on the N4 at all?

Jump from S8 to Google Pixel - worth it?

I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.

dylansmith said:
I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - even after its EOL it will remain smooth, since we'll still have some dev working on it.
2 - mods other than visual customization are not needed on the Pixel XL. At least not to save battery.
3 - Hopefully the Pixel XL (although looking a little bit similar to the iPhone) will never be comparable with an iPhone.
4 - I don't own a S8 as I don't like Samsung devices, so i can't answer, sorry...
5 - Pixel XL 2 will most likely be released this autumn. Camera is already very nice in my opinion. If you have some money, go ahead. Otherwise wait six more months. It's up to you...
Cheers...

As someone who mainly used Samsung phones in past, I will not even consider S8 as anything. Why? Because of two reasons. First one is a personal requirement. I simply need a phone with smoothly working and consistent UI, which will lag the least, which will be reliable and not throw plenty FC and stuffs. And second one is a FACT. You wanna use an Android phone for real? Then use an android phone for real. Pixel IS Android. Samsung phones are Android in name. If you compare features of the two then Pixel will feel really dull, lacking in features.
Out of Pixel vs S8, I don't even see any point why in God's name would one choose the S8 over Pixel. Only one thing better is less bezels causing a huge and better display. Otherwise that glossy back panel, that fingerprint sensor positioning, a hardware second voice assistant button, jeez! And I am not even saying anything about their new Grace UI.
Pixel 2 will come out same time like Pixel 1 came out, around October.
After using Pixel for three months I have to say the phone simply rocked in most parts, incredible software experience, though still no iOS, that's why I sold it, incredible camera, that I can't forget from my mind, tremendous call quality, clean loud speaker etc., if someone really wanna buy an Android then there is no better phone, or nothing comes even close at this point.

I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?

dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Can't speak for the camera as for advanced sbot I'd use a DSLR. :good:
My GPS works well, no issue...
Your right, my SII gps.conf had to be tweaked to work properly.
Cheers...

dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No manual controls. Only you can increase or decrease exposure that's it. Lowest shutter speed will be 1/4 with HDR+ I think, no less than that. And no, third party camera apps don't do **** here, all are basically meaningless.
But HDR+ as a whole is leagues ahead than other phones. I have never seen any phone capturing this much details in low light. The camera is brilliant in any way you at it. Just there are two problems, sometimes in low light it keeps focusing on the subject, and there is a blown out effect around light sources in a photo, which looks pretty bad when zoomed in.
GPS accuracy of the phone was awesome. Can't speak for iPhone but most accurate Android, fastest too, I have ever used.

I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?

loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
All models directly bought from Google can be unlocked.
Verizon, EE, maybe others, not sure. You can find more infos by reading this forum, it's here if you search... Those can be unlocked if the Android version is 7.1 with an exploit called dePixel8: http://theroot.ninja/depixel8.html
On newer version, the exploit has been patched. If i was you, I'd rather look for a Google version if you want an unlockable bootloader...
Cheers...

loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from S7 to Pixel XL and love it, but I'll go ahead and warn you; if you want the unlockable bootloader, don't buy it from Verizon, order it from the Google Store. The Verizon model (includes getting it at Best Buy) has an permanently locked (can't be unlocked) bootloader on current firmware, but the Google Store source Pixel should always be unlockable no matter what firmware it's updated to. Hope that's accurate, I think it is, unless someone comes up with an exploit to allow unlocking the Verizon bootloader.

Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).

Droid1019 said:
Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...

5.1 said:
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.

Droid1019 said:
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Ah... I understand you. Yeah the Verizon policy is really annoying for those wanting an unlockable bootloader.
Also, what makes other manufacturers better as they should pack the same technology in their new chips as well, no?
Cheers...

Hell-to-the-nah-naaaah

Without Xposed, I won't even consider an S8.
Actually, I wouldn't even if they got LOS or AOSP ROM's.
Even back when Galaxy phones did get that type of ROM support, they were always buggy A.F.
Wasn't till I got a Motorola X Pure and Google phone till I found out what a "stable" custom ROM was.
I was rooting & ROM'ing Galaxy Skyrocket, S3, S4, Note 3, Note 4... never had such stability as since the Pure and Pixel.
Sucks too, because I want those new slim bezels, 1000 nit screen, extra water resistance and glove mode if they still have it.

dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
dylansmith said:
Is it true that it is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
dylansmith said:
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not true. You don't actually need to do mods to keep a 1-2 year old Samsung flagship phone running fast, smooth, and low-battery sucking. Perhaps your problems are with Google Services settings and Google's inability to fix bugs in their software. Avoid that software, use Samsung's instead.
dylansmith said:
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is true. Google Pixel XL will be a very basic phone with limited capabilities.
dylansmith said:
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is true. You will lose quite a bit. Here's a list in no particular order:
1) Infinity Display / Curved edges / sense of style / 84% screen to body ratio.
2) Best brightness and best brightness in sunlight ratings.
3) HDR screen certification.
4) IP68 water and dust proofing.
5) Gorilla Glass 5 durability.
6) Wireless charging and Fast Wireless Charging.
7) Micro SD card expansion.
8) Best in class low light camera performance. Best in class camera sharpness performance. Best in class selfie camera.
9) Bluetooth 5.0
10) Always On Display.
11) LTE-4CA, twice faster LTE.
12) Samsung Pay, which works everywhere, even without NFC terminals. Works with magnetic stripe readers, which is unique, because no other pay systems can do that.
13) Iris scanner security.
14) SpO2 meter, heart rate sensor.
15) Desktop dock option with optimized desktop OS.
16) Bixby - **** Bixby. Minus 10 points here.
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!

nabbed said:
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
...
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things
1 - The Pixel XL gives me 7 to 8 hours SOT, location and assistant all on normally. On standby, drain is less than 1%. I call that impressive.
2 - 821 may be the "not the best" but it is still the second best. I have both the iPhone 6 (not S), and the OnePlus One (running a Snapdragon 801) and they're both still rocking it and are smooth as butter. They are both 3 years old. Nothing gets slowed down or becomes heavy and stuttering unless you're installing a crapload of useless things on it. Pixel being a Pixel will get Android O and even Android P, which will surely optimize it even further.

dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P

alluringreality said:
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what changes have you made?
Rooting aside - as for the first time I do not feel a need to root a device.

A lot of my setup relies on Tasker to automatically make setting changes, so it requires root or something like AutoTools Secure Settings on an unrooted phone. My impression was that typically turning off adaptive brightness when indoors may be one of the bigger battery savers from the list. I also had issues with my phone burning through lots of battery when I left wifi on, so automatically shutting off wifi when not in use was another big battery saver, although I hadn't tried changing "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" before installing Tasker. I doubt if the average person would benefit much by things like turning off Google Assistant, but I was trying to get the best standby battery life that I could for the times when I just use the Pixel as nothing more than a phone for talking and texting.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71146945&postcount=301

mini-Review of the 8 Pro / 12Gb RAM / 256Gb storage version

Introduction
I have never written anything like this before. You might know me as the creator of the Omega kernel for the 6T, and now the 8 Pro. But I wanted to share my experience coming from a OnePlus 6T, to help everyone make a better decision whether to upgrade or not -> I'll cut to the chase... Upgrade now.
I have been using the OnePlus 6T since it was released in November 2018. Before I had almost every OnePlus since the 2, but kept changing between the current top iPhones and OnePlus-es. That changed with the 6T. I was blown away by the speed and responsiveness vs the iPhone 8 Plus I had before that, and Google really upped their game with Android Pie.
Since the 6T I never really wanted to get back into the Apple ecosystem, Android was just too good to use.
Kernel devving on the 6T was also very enjoyable, once a person finds out some of the quirks of the OnePlus code additions.
Enter the 8 Pro
I'll just say this comparing it to the 6T (I never wanted to try the 7 Pro series because of the pop-up camera): OH MY GOD. It's like going from a Fiat Panda (no offense to Fiat) to a Tesla. It's mind-blowing.
The looks. The blue on the 8 Pro is so beautiful, this is the first time I will keep the clear case on the phone that was provided in the box.
The speed. I know, it's mostly a perception, because of the 120Hz display, but oh my does that make a difference... Of course there is the 865 chipset, faster RAM, etc, but that screen is what blows you away the first time you boot it up.
The feel of the device. It's heavier than the 6T, but that's a good thing. You feel it's sturdier.
The experience. It's like opting for the red pill. You never want to go back. I think OnePlus perfectly nailed the combination of hardware and software on this one. After so many years a true flagship.
Setup
It took about an hour to setup from scratch. Yes, I know there is a OnePlus Switch app, but that would rob me from experiencing the setup itself, and I need that. Blazing fast.
Near stock Android experience, with just the right additions. I can tweak to exactly how I like it.
For those who are like me, and want to turn off vibration for everything (since I find it annoying). Go into USB debugging mode, and do:
Code:
adb shell
Code:
appops set android VIBRATE ignore
This disables all standard Android vibrations. If you are finnicky and want to be more granular, or do away with vibrations coming from a certain app:
Microsoft Teams - which I use quite a lot - seems to ignore every single setting I have in notifications, but you can disable app-specific vibrations with:
Code:
appops set com.microsoft.teams VIBRATE ignore
Just substitute "com.microsoft.teams" with the package name you want to turn vibrations off for...
I always disable Sleep Optimization, as I need to have notifications always.
Initial thoughts
Now this is a flagship. Incredible. From the way it feels in your hand, to how blazing fast it is. Battery seems good (see attached screenshots) - I know it has to settle in since it has only been 16 hours, but still. I'm impressed.
By default the screen is set to 120Hz but FHD display. I changed it to 120Hz and QHD resolution. I mean why have a phone like this if you don't enjoy to the max?
How is it vs the 6T?
Huge upgrade.
Camera - will test further over the weekend, but one-two pics I already took are much crisper and more vibrant
Speed - incredible jump forward, and the 6T is still no slouch in 2020...
WiFi - much more stable, seemless roaming now works fully on my home mesh router system. It didn't on the 6T...
OxygenOS - I know most of the added stuff in OOS 10.5 will come to the 6T, but the additions are very nice. Horizon lights, the new fingerprint animation, raise the phone to quiet the ringtone, are all very nice touches.
As I spend more time with the phone I will update this thread accordingly. If anyone has any questions, don't be shy to ask.
The display
OK guys, after two weeks now, let's talk about the display.
Few points: resolution, size, refresh rate, colors, brightness.
Resolution:
You can run in in 1080p or 1440p - some say they can't tell the difference between the two, but I personally can, and I can't go back to FHD... Text is crisper, photos have more detail, it simply looks better. And I read a lot of emails, so it's good to have beautiful fonts on the screen -> BTW I stay on stock Android's Roboto fonts, I simply prefer the more condensed fonts.
Size
6.7". Damn. I never thought I would have such a big screen, but after two weeks my wife's iPhone XR's 6.2" is just small. Because of the size, more calendar entries, more emails, and all my Fitbit stats actually fit on one screen! ...finally
One thing, though. On 1080p, the display density is set differently than 1440p. So if you switch to 1440p (QHD), all text becomes bigger. I'm not that old (yet), so you can actually go into System - Developer options - about 2/3 down Drawing - Smallest width - and change from 411 to 432. Now the scaling is the same as with 1080p, but the fonts are still crisper. (This took me two weeks to figure out )
Refresh rate
This is the biggest jump from my 6T. At first, I was like "yeah it's smooth". After a week, I looked at my son's Pixel 3a, and I asked "what's wrong with it?!?". Then I looked at my wife's iPhone XR, and I asked "what's wrong with it?!?" I'm now spoiled with the 120Hz, and now my work laptop seems slow...
This is the red pill I talked about.
And now the technical part: frame render time is around 6ms, meaning that there is virtually no dropped frame. It took precision to tune the hardware and software to perfection, and it shows!
Colors
Two categories: bright(er) screen is perfect. Colors are accurate, and photos show exactly what it is in real life. Perfect.
Dimmer screens do seem to have a green tint (standard settings), and overblown blacks (DC dimming). But this is something I'm certain will be fixed in an upcoming update, so I'm not worried.
Brightness
After the refresh rate, this is the next best thing. I started testing the phone inside, so it was nothing special. But when I used it in the car as a GPS, even in direct sunlight I was able to see everything clearly. Incredible. Compared to the 6T, and even an iPhone 8 Plus, this thing is bright, and beautiful to look at!
Performance
OK, so next up is performance. It's now been a bit more than 3 weeks with the phone, and I've had ample time to check out performance. Again, this is coming from the 6T.
Few points: general feeling, multitasking, gaming.
General overall feeling
It's fast
In more detail LOL: With the 6T, after booting up the phone, I always had to give it 4-5 hours to "settle in", and after that time performance was great. With th 8 Pro, I'm not really seeing that. It's already fast to begin with.
My primary usage is: emails, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, phone calls, camera, photos. I do tons of multitasking, listen to music in the meantime, etc., and not a glitch, no lag.
Some raw performance indicators: snapping multiple portrait shots one after another is finally working. The 865 chipset does wonders for this, and on the 6T I had to wait 2-3 seconds before I could shoot again.
Multitasking
Snappy, no reloading of apps, everything stays in memory. And now with 12Gb of RAM, everything stays in memory even if I use the most memory-hog app of all, the camera. Switching on a "regular" work-day between emails, calendar, Teams, Spotify, etc. is so seamless, it's an incredible experience.
Everything stays in memory (it does get cleared overnight to help with idle drain, but I'm good with that). Coming from the 6T (and maybe that has to do with the kernel moving from 4.9.y to 4.19.y), memory management is tons better than before. Background task killing decisions are much better, and not once have I had Fitbit close on me during an exercise, it always was able to track my GPS in the background.
Another (previously taxing) scenario was: biking with Fitbit tracking my stats in the background, checking out Google Maps where I am, and doing a Whatsapp video call (I have a bike mount). On the 6T, after the video call, it started killing either Fitbit or Maps in the background, now it's all good.
I guess all this can be attributed to two things: better memory management code written by OnePlus (YAY!), and the faster LPDDR5 memory. All in all great.
Gaming
I'm not much of a gamer, I'd consider myself a social gamer. I occasionally have Clash Royale installed - when my son also installs it . But, it's limited to 60fps, and on top of that the Android code optimization is terrible, so not much of an experience there.
But lets' talk about two games in particular that manage higher FPS: Fortnite and Pokemon Go.
Fortnite: I just had to try it. I rarely play on my PC, but with all the hype, I wanted to try it on the OnePlus 8 Pro. And WOW - they really mean business...
In the menus and before playing, it's limited to 30fps (I guess to save battery, and it doesn't matter in the menus anyways), but during gameplay it was just as smooth as my gaming PC which has a 90Hz monitor. Impressive. And I even got to 4th place! :victory:
If anyone of you is into playing FPS on your phones, this is a game-changer. Also, because of the high RAM, in-game experience is top notch, with zero lag.
Battery seems decent, based on my 20-minute round, I reckon one can go around 4 hours of playtime, which is quite incredible.
Pokemon Go: Previously, my biggest gripe with Android was the performance (or rather lack of...) of Pokemon Go, especially compared to iPhones. The game takes full advantage of the 120Hz display, and it's simply gorgeous. Throwing curveballs is a breeze, and overall exprerience is now MUCH better than the iPhone. Plus add to that that I could probably manage 5-5.5 hours of game time with a full charge.
Summing up
I guess when you have a powerful phone, it doesn't matter what you throw at it... It simply performs incredibly well. And the 8 Pro is a damn powerful phone.
Camera
OK, it's camera time! It's now been 4 weeks with the phone, let's talk about the camera. Again, this is coming from the 6T.
Few points: general feeling, everyday shots, videos, low light.
General overall feeling
This rocks. On the 6T, I almost always had to shoot multiple shots to ensure I have a good picture there. Now - my use case is mostly taking pictures of the family, and they are always moving Also, family sports don't have when there is good lighting, so I was almost always struggling with getting good pictures...
Not anymore. In the first few weeks I did take multiple photos (habit I guess), but it's no longer needed. 95% of the time the photo I take is simply perfect. I think the biggest testament to this is my broader family, and everyone uses iPhones -> since the 8 Pro, they keep on complimenting me on the quality of the photos, and always ask me what phone I have
Everyday shots
Yes, because the family is always moving around (including our rabbit), it's very difficult to get a decent picture. With the 8 Pro, it's actually very easy to do that now. I guess because of the better sensor, shutter times have been reduced, so motion is no longer showing on the pictures (unless of course there is significant movement). But these are the more difficult scenarios.
For simpler scenarios, like group picture with everyone posing, the rabbit laying down, etc., the pictures are perfect, good enough to immediately take to a print studio, even without editing.
Videos
Honestly, this is the best part I am lucky to have a 21:9 QHD monitor, and I love watching movies on it. I was always bummed that none of the previous phones was able to shoot in that format. With the 8 Pro, they introduced Cinematik 4K. I now always shoot in this mode, in 60fps. And oh my it's beautiful. It already fills the whole screen on the phone, and it's immersive, but when I show the family the videos on my home computer, they are in awe. And it's perfectly fluid with 60fps! And this captures every single detail in sports, so perfect.
Low light
I only include this section because for some reason people actually take photos in low light...
Now in the Netherlands it only gets dark after 11PM, so this is a bit difficult to test, but every single dusk picture I took turned out perfectly, again prompting my family members to ask me what kind of phone I have. LOL
That sums it up (for now), do let me know if you have any questions!

Screenshots attached

My personal setup
Accounts, setups
- One personal Gmail account, IMAP idle
- One family-level Outlook.com account for the family calendar, push sync
- One company Office365 account for work, push sync
Apps
- Calendar: Google Calendar
- Email: Nine Email - works perfectly with all accounts, as well as supports dark mode and email aliases
- Gallery: OnePlus gallery - it's fast and also shows an icon for portraits
- Social apps: Twitter, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, Google News
Settings
- Screen set to QHD and 120Hz, automatic brightness
- WiFi and Bluetooth scanning both disabled
- Disabled "Hey Google" for the assistant
- Dark mode, of course
- Disabled haptics, as per post #1
- Disabled Bluetooth Discoverable
- Disabled Sleep Standby Optimization - I want to receive all notifications as they arrive, even at night

Great Review, i also had the 6t as my daily driver before. As i bought the 8 Pro i remember your last words about the 6t, that you will not switch to another Phone... And now you bought the exact device as me...
Don't know whats better: The Phone or that it will run with omega Kernel.
Thank you.

xx00xx1990 said:
Great Review, i also had the 6t as my daily driver before. As i bought the 8 Pro i remember your last words about the 6t, that you will not switch to another Phone... And now you bought the exact device as me...
Don't know whats better: The Phone or that it will run with omega Kernel.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I loved the 6T. Like I said, I wasn't too happy about the 7 Pro's pop-up camera, but already the 7T was tempting. But then the leaks came out about the 8, it started to look better.
And I have to say, this is one hellova' phone.

Great review & sums it up rather nicely, I have the 12/256gb Glacial Green and I just love it.....? For the same reasons as yourself. Owned every OnePlus from the 3T but this is the first that really is a true flagship......:good:

Duncan1982 said:
Great review & sums it up rather nicely, I have the 12/256gb Glacial Green and I just love it.....? For the same reasons as yourself. Owned every OnePlus from the 3T but this is the first that really is a true flagship......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved the 3T. That selfie camera was a league of its own. I remember trying to compile CyanogenMod for it. Good ole days...
And back to 8 Pro - I was testing frame rendering this morning, and per-frame rendering time is ~5ms. So even on QHD resolution with 120Hz there are no frame drops. Simply incredible.

kristofpetho said:
I loved the 3T. That selfie camera was a league of its own. I remember trying to compile CyanogenMod for it. Good ole days...
And back to 8 Pro - I was testing frame rendering this morning, and per-frame rendering time is ~5ms. So even on QHD resolution with 120Hz there are no frame drops. Simply incredible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh yes the good ol' days .......? To me I'm like chainfire i used to root and mod all my devices, now there is not so much of a need to, as much as I'm sure your kernel is fantastic, I'll just stay stock, locked.....?
Which is unusual for me as with all OnePlus devices it's been the first thing I have done, now im not so much compelled to (again I'm sure your kernel is fantastic).
Enjoy and have fun with it, I'm sure you will.......:good:

Duncan1982 said:
Ahhh yes the good ol' days .......? To me I'm like chainfire i used to root and mod all my devices, now there is not so much of a need to, as much as I'm sure your kernel is fantastic, I'll just stay stock, locked.....?
Which is unusual for me as with all OnePlus devices it's been the first thing I have done, now im not so much compelled to (again I'm sure your kernel is fantastic).
Enjoy and have fun with it, I'm sure you will.......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... Don't tell anyone, but I'm also bootloader locked currently...

kristofpetho said:
Well... Don't tell anyone, but I'm also bootloader locked currently...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shhhhh you typed that out loud .......? Who knows I might get tempted to unlock, but like I said it would only be for kernel, as all other mods are not needed or there are no other reasons.......root is something that has unfortunately died.
Before we needed to, there was a reason to, now it's not so much......anyway broken record .....?
#Oneplus you nailed it with the 8 Pro......?

Duncan1982 said:
#Oneplus you nailed it with the 8 Pro......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agree

Duncan1982 said:
root is something that has unfortunately died.
Before we needed to, there was a reason to, now it's not so much......anyway broken record .....?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to disagree on this, as I think it still mostly depends on what you're going to do with your device, the way you use it, the level of 'freedom' you need to have on your system/apps.
Having been root on each and every device I've had for the past 10 years, I know I could never go backward. Not just because of adblockers (yeah, I could use a vpn-based adblocker but battery consumption is not comparable) or for Lucky Patcher, but for the level of control that you get on almost every part of your system and apps.
But I guess it depends on people, different devices for different needs
(no intention here to start a debate on whether root or non-root is best, just sharing a different opinion, peace ^.^ )

Surfeur-des-Reves said:
Have to disagree on this, as I think it still mostly depends on what you're going to do with your device, the way you use it, the level of 'freedom' you need to have on your system/apps.
Having been root on each and every device I've had for the past 10 years, I know I could never go backward. Not just because of adblockers (yeah, I could use a vpn-based adblocker but battery consumption is not comparable) or for Lucky Patcher, but for the level of control that you get on almost every part of your system and apps.
But I guess it depends on people, different devices for different needs
(no intention here to start a debate on whether root or unroot is best, just sharing a different opinion, peace ^.^ )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely some do require for a few things, also some like the freedom of the device is theirs.....no debating and each has their own take on the matter .......:good:

I still root, but it's definitely far less necessary than it was a few years ago. I do it for Google dialer and vanced and that's about it now
Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

Duncan1982 said:
Absolutely some do require for a few things, also some like the freedom of the device is theirs.....no debating and each has their own take on the matter .......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crzycrkr said:
I still root, but it's definitely far less necessary than it was a few years ago. I do it for Google dialer and vanced and that's about it now
Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. For some people, root is still a necessity. To each their own.

kristofpetho said:
Introduction
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on your new phone and kernel.

Sounds like a great device. The price tag on the purchase of two of them right now which is what I would need, is a little too steep. If I'm able to switch, I'm glad to have the 6t's as a backup device if needed

Great review kristfpetho!!!
I will be getting one soon..

Good Read! I'm impressed with my 8Pro Green Machine! Cool ?

Thanks for the review, I am waiting till end of November for buying a new phone so probably go for this or for the 8t but don't know what the price will be and if it's worth the upgrade or go for the cheaper 8pro at that moment... I guess 6 months difference in hardware or software won't make it a huge difference I assume.

Question Extreme lag on Exynos model

Hi. I've had the phone for a bit more than two weeks now, and especially the past week this phone has been unbearably laggy. At times, video playback will lag behind audio (not on bluetooth or anything), app transitions are extremely sluggish, and anything to do with camera cannot even come close to sustaining 60fps. I'm not even playing games or doing anything intensive on this phone, just social media and taking pictures here and there. I haven't used any ADB debloating tool due to the fear that it'll break functionality, but if that helps i'll take a go at it. Has anyone been experiencing similar performance issues with the Exynos model? I am seriously regretting "upgrading" from my broken OnePlus 6T, at 3 years old it was so much more performant than my S22. How would I even go about diagnosing this? Thanks in advance.

During set-up of the phone,did you use Smart Sitch to restore a back-up of any data ?

brouwerchris said:
During set-up of the phone,did you use Smart Sitch to restore a back-up of any data ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I've set up everything from scratch. I've tried increasing RAM+ to 8GB from the default 4, but it hasn't helped.

sgokan03 said:
No, I've set up everything from scratch. I've tried increasing RAM+ to 8GB from the default 4, but it hasn't helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure increasing the RAM+ value, which essentially represents the swap memory, your phone slows down because you're using more of your phone's storage for things the RAM memory should take care of. 8GB is plenty enough for daily usage. There's no need for what Samsung did.
Try turning the feature off altogether with "adb shell settings put global ram_expand_size_list 0"

dragos281993 said:
I'm pretty sure increasing the RAM+ value, which essentially represents the swap memory, your phone slows down because you're using more of your phone's storage for things the RAM memory should take care of. 8GB is plenty enough for daily usage. There's no need for what Samsung did.
Try turning the feature off altogether with "adb shell settings put global ram_expand_size_list 0"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read this somewhere else as well (with how much bloat there is in OneUI I thought maybe they put the RAM+ feature there for a reason), I'll try to run it with 0 for a while and report back. Still, could this actually be the cause for this much stuttering?

sgokan03 said:
I've read this somewhere else as well (with how much bloat there is in OneUI I thought maybe they put the RAM+ feature there for a reason), I'll try to run it with 0 for a while and report back. Still, could this actually be the cause for this much stuttering?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry! 0 actually sets it to default, which is 4gb. Set it to 2 from the settings, reboot and see how that goes.
Try reading this thing. It should give you an idea of what Ram+ is. While you're at it, got to the first page and have a look there. It's a very detailed thread on what you need to do to either get rid of the bloatware, tweak your phone and so on, without root.
[DISCONTINUED] Samsung Galaxy One UI - Optimization Guide
THIS IS A SUGGESTED CONFIGURATION FOR SAMSUNG DEVICES OUT OF SUPPORT/CLOSED I - RECOMMENDED SETTINGS To Start With - Factory Reset before starting optimisations - Factory Reset after every Major update (One UI/Android) - Remove SIM before first...
forum.xda-developers.com

dragos281993 said:
Sorry! 0 actually sets it to default, which is 4gb. Set it to 2 from the settings, reboot and see how that goes.
Try reading this thing. It should give you an idea of what Ram+ is. While you're at it, got to the first page and have a look there. It's a very detailed thread on what you need to do to either get rid of the bloatware, tweak your phone and so on, without root.
[DISCONTINUED] Samsung Galaxy One UI - Optimization Guide
THIS IS A SUGGESTED CONFIGURATION FOR SAMSUNG DEVICES OUT OF SUPPORT/CLOSED I - RECOMMENDED SETTINGS To Start With - Factory Reset before starting optimisations - Factory Reset after every Major update (One UI/Android) - Remove SIM before first...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, good to know. I'll go through the thread (the message you sent was also helpful, I assumed it'd do the swapping once the memory is full) and debloat this as much as I could. But I still have to ask, is this the performance that I was supposed to expect from an 800€ phone?

sgokan03 said:
Okay, good to know. I'll go through the thread (the message you sent was also helpful, I assumed it'd do the swapping once the memory is full) and debloat this as much as I could. But I still have to ask, is this the performance that I was supposed to expect from an 800€ phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cancelled my preorder of the Exynos S22 because it took too long. I then ordered it from a store that brings international variants of all sorts of phones. My current S22 is from Hong Kong (TGY). What did I notice while using the phone? The battery life is TERRIBLE. I come from an iPhone 13 Pro which I used for almost 4 months but got rid of because of iOS. That thing was insanely good. I had absolutely no worries about the battery wherever I went and no matter what I was doing on it, because it was that good. Before that I used a Pixel 5, which was also the first phone which changed the way I charged my phone. Based on my usage, a full charge lasted me about 85-90% of what the iPhone lasted, so it was pretty close. This thing, TERRIBLE. I rooted it and cut the frequencies of all 3 core clusters almost in half to get half an hour more and get a little over 4h SOT.
So to answer your question, no it's definitely not worth it. I paid for this piece of rubbish 920€. Based on the experience I had so far, I wouldn't pay more than 600€ on it. I even wanted to return it and was looking to go back to a Pixel 5 which I regret selling in the first place, but after taking it out of the original white bumper case, in which I put it the second I unboxed the damn thing, I noticed small scratches all around the aluminium frame, which is supposed to be able to withstand a nuclear blast, based on Samsung's marketing BS. So the store tagged it as non-returnable because it's not "as new" anymore.
In conclusion, this is a terrible phone just because the battery is too small and the chipset is too inefficient for it, incompatible. And you are even "luckier" with your Exynos variant. FYI, Samsung sold SD variants of the S22 lienup in Koreea this time. Probably they didn't want to dissapoint their own people with their experimental chipset.

sgokan03 said:
Hi. I've had the phone for a bit more than two weeks now, and especially the past week this phone has been unbearably laggy. At times, video playback will lag behind audio (not on bluetooth or anything), app transitions are extremely sluggish, and anything to do with camera cannot even come close to sustaining 60fps. I'm not even playing games or doing anything intensive on this phone, just social media and taking pictures here and there. I haven't used any ADB debloating tool due to the fear that it'll break functionality, but if that helps i'll take a go at it. Has anyone been experiencing similar performance issues with the Exynos model? I am seriously regretting "upgrading" from my broken OnePlus 6T, at 3 years old it was so much more performant than my S22. How would I even go about diagnosing this? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
It's true, there are reports everywhere of this problem. Every media app will stutter the image for a milisecond (twitch, instagram, youtube, etc) and the sound gets out of sync. A reboot works only for a couple of hours. Changing the ram will not solve this.
There are a lot of reports of this issue on the members app and they are aware of it. They say a patch will come but a lot has passed and the phone is almost unsuable for me. If I could, I would have return it.
I suggest you also report this on your members app.

gonsa said:
Hi,
It's true, there are reports everywhere of this problem. Every media app will stutter the image for a milisecond (twitch, instagram, youtube, etc) and the sound gets out of sync. A reboot works only for a couple of hours. Changing the ram will not solve this.
There are a lot of reports of this issue on the members app and they are aware of it. They say a patch will come but a lot has passed and the phone is almost unsuable for me. If I could, I would have return it.
I suggest you also report this on your members app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, I went through a billion reviews before getting this thing, none of them mentioned this. It's been almost a month since I got the phone so I probably can't return it. And even if I could, I really don't have the time to switch phones, with banking apps and backups and crap it takes too much time for me to just constantly jump between ROMs or phones. Was the S21 this bad as well? How is everyone even recommending Samsung phones to people?

There was an update relased today. I installed it and checked the performace right away.
It's still there! every video starts with a micro stutter. What the hell Samsung...

gonsa said:
There was an update relased today. I installed it and checked the performace right away.
It's still there! every video starts with a micro stutter. What the hell Samsung...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got the update as well. I'll try to install it but from your comments doesn't seem hopeful to actually help the issue. Still nice that they're this fast with updates though.
Side question, does video quality suck for you guys? Especially with the ultrawide, I get 2013-quality videos with a ton of artifacts, and its not even 60fps? (shows up at 41fps on file details).

Galaxy S22 has audio-video sync issues that need to be fixed
Samsung's latest Galaxy S22 flagship series is pretty darn good, but it is not perfect. Some lingering performance and stability ...
www.sammobile.com

Being fan and satisfied with Xiaomi for 6 years, I returned to Samsung (S22, exynos) 2 weeks ago to realize the biggest mistake I did! It charges slow, battery drain fast, multitasking gets slow, camera is disappointing at night and sticky in fast hand motions. Generally you can't count on it!
900€ trash 🫣. I can't even sell it .
Never, NEVER again Samsung.

Agree with everything that's been said here. I returned the s22 exynos and got my money back. I'm back to the s10e snapdragon version that works flawlessly with no lag, stable 60fps at games. The s22 is just a beautiful device but it doesn't work well at all, games suck hard playing on it at like 35-40 fps with lots of frame drops, and I dont think the updates are going to make any miracles with all this experimental hardware. A lot of stupid marketing on useless 4nanometres cpu that overheats and suffers from throttling. Are you kidding me?
I'm very happy with this s10e hongkong version, 3 years, updated to 4.0 and soon 4.1. After trying the s22 I found out that's not for what l had Samsung in mind due to my previous good user experience.
By the way: I debloated it as I know what to delete and what to keep not to lose any functionality. Battery wasn't as bad as other users, I was getting about 5-6h sot in 12-15h usage, but the phone lags bad in games and some menus. It has unforgivable issues as the desynchronized sound/video in youtube n other stuff for such a high price. Samsung ain't getting my money this time. Let's wait for pixel7- s22 Fe - Nothing Phone (1)
edit
ps: I believe it's a bad year regarding CPU. The 888 and 8gen1 are known for heating and eating more battery. So far the s21 series are better than the current s22, the pixel 6 series got some issues as well and yet another experimental CPU. One of the best choices is still the oneplus 8T? Come on. Wake up android market, some oldschool users are migrating to apple, which isn't on my plans personally.

Not that it's gonna change anything, but here's an update: the lag's worse than ever, audio playback will cut out randomly, media playback on the notification panel barely works. I still can't believe nobody outside this thread is talking about how despicable this phone is.

After the latest avda update with tons of debloating, the phone is running almost like a midrange phone.
I will keep it due to the size factor and cameras. But this is really unacceptable for the money asked.

xjust said:
After the latest avda update with tons of debloating, the phone is running almost like a midrange phone.
I will keep it due to the size factor and cameras. But this is really unacceptable for the money asked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Way too late to return it, nor do I have the time to go through the whole find a phone set up a phone process anyway. I'm gonna try to keep it as pristine as possible until the S23 and/or the Pixel 7 is out and see if I can trade-in for a reasonable price.

for me, it might be the iphone 14 pro

I'm missing tons of notifications and alarms now. This phone just keeps getting worse.

Question Few questions about the S22

Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!

Limited max of 256gb internal storage, max of 8gb of ram, no expandable storage, and a small 3700 mAh for a power hungry Snapdragon.
Rounded display corners and a lousy ~87.4% screen-to-body ratio. blah.
Snapdragon's are notoriously hard or impossible to root. The stock launcher is superior to any 3rd party launcher.
If 5G and a variable refresh rate display (which are known to have multiple issues including less color/gamma accuracy) aren't important to you a N10+ in good condition or new is a better choice and cheaper. It's a solid performer.
Otherwise OP phones seem to have a better track record than the last 2 generations of Samsung's.

Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You lose nothing by waiting. I don't buy a new phone every year or two in part because it's always a crap shoot. Waiting reduces the odds of getting stuck with a dud. 128gb isn't much storage; my minimum is 256 and that's with a 1tb SD card used as a data drive. Basically it's my PC, all my PC's are dual drive, even laptops.
I keep seeing good things about OP, they seem to have less display issues. For a gamer that might be a good choice. My requirements are different from yours, I have one game which runs well
I really like Samsung's UI and the Good Lock family of apps that modify it. The almost endless free icon packs and themes on the Galaxy store. Pixels homescreen's look gaudy and barren by comparison. Not many stock mods either. Samsung's can run very well stock once optimized. They need to be optimized... and that will take time until you're up to speed.
Warning, learning curve ahead. That's another big reason I don't upgrade firmware or devices often if the device is fulfilling its mission. I'm a conservative pragmatist and will use whatever comes in handy. Think it through and get what best suits your requirements and fullfills the mission with minimal maintenance. That's all the counts
Media server in progress; 240gb in mostly .wav files, over 150gb, many are hd movies. All stream seamlessly from the V30 rated card. When watching them from storage my SOT is as low as 6%@hr vs browser streaming at 12%@hr. Writes at about [email protected] from internal storage.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Because color accuracy and calibration directly impact gamma accuracy/calibration the fixed rate refresh rate display of the superb N10+ display is uniquely qualified for this role. My decision wasn't rushed or arbitrary when I went with a second N10+ as a backup. It was purely mission and fun oriented. For my purposes no other device even today is better suited or qualified... which is sort of sad.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The P7's screen can "only" reach 90Hz while all S22 variants can go up to 120Hz, so it's not comparable.
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Pixel 6 and 7 series are only older samsung exynos (oops tensor) devices with vanilla google os ...
If you're worried about S22's battery, just don't compare it with bigger phones, or at least just do some maths to convert its most relative known SOT to correspond to the target compared device's capacity. You'll end up saying "it's great for a 3700mAh battery, really great ..."

DaReDeViL said:
The P7's screen can "only" reach 90Hz while all S22 variants can go up to 120Hz, so it's not comparable.
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Pixel 6 and 7 series are only older samsung exynos (oops tensor) devices with vanilla google os ...
If you're worried about S22's battery, just don't compare it with bigger phones, or at least just do some maths to convert its most relative known SOT to correspond to the target compared device's capacity. You'll end up saying "it's great for a 3700mAh battery, really great ..."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of SOT are you seeing now on an optimized S22? What's SOT with 5G disabled or if locked to 60hz?

DaReDeViL said:
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good! The model I can buy locally is SM-S901E/DS, and I don't live in the US, so according to what you're saying, I can root it, right?

blackhawk said:
What kind of SOT are you seeing now on an optimized S22? What's SOT with 5G disabled or if locked to 60hz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was getting easy 5 to 7 hours SOT a day with no special optimization. 120Hz, no gaming, no social networks, just calls, surfing, taking pics, whatsapp messaging, youtube (revanced), ... and some fews other boring apps.
I can even get more if I switch from 4G to 3G and creating a 4G manual routine when needed (because why keep power hungry 4G during the day while I only need its speed occasionally)

TheeWolf said:
Good! The model I can buy locally is SM-S901E/DS, and I don't live in the US, so according to what you're saying, I can root it, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yes, you can!

Battery aside rest phone is awesome and compact. In n era of TV sized phones this phone is a beast

DaReDeViL said:
I was getting easy 5 to 7 hours SOT a day with no special optimization. 120Hz, no gaming, no social networks, just calls, surfing, taking pics, whatsapp messaging, youtube (revanced), ... and some fews other boring apps.
I can even get more if I switch from 4G to 3G and creating a 4G manual routine when needed (because why keep power hungry 4G during the day while I only need its speed occasionally)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, what's 3G? No such thing here anymore.
I run 4G with wifi always disabled. Google play Services, and Gmail are at most times disabled and all cloud apps never run. Playstore is rarely enabled. About 80 packages are blocked.
WhatsApp is likely killing more than it's fair share.
My stock N975U1 is getting a lot better SOT even with a derated battery (3400-3700 mAh).
My question is what's eating so much power, is it the display, 5G, the Android version (scooped storage)?
These newer phones have more efficient ram and the SOC should be more efficient as well.
Even now streaming vids I get 12-14%@hr. The battery is near replacement level (20% degraded)... when I get around to it.

blackhawk said:
Lol, what's 3G? No such thing here anymore.
I run 4G with wifi always disabled. Google play Services, and Gmail are at most times disabled and all cloud apps never run. Playstore is rarely enabled. About 80 packages are blocked.
WhatsApp is likely killing more than it's fair share.
My stock N975U1 is getting a lot better SOT even with a derated battery (3400-3700 mAh).
My question is what's eating so much power, is it the display, 5G, the Android version (scooped storage)?
These newer phones have more efficient ram and the SOC should be more efficient as well.
Even now streaming vids I get 12-14%@hr. The battery is near replacement level (20% degraded)... when I get around to it.
View attachment 5742873
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol HSPA+ and even GPRS are still available in my country. Switching to 3G allows me to have slightly more SOT.
Regarding optimization, I learned the hard way that too much tinkering can give inverse results and even kill the "smart" part of the smartphone.

DaReDeViL said:
Lol HSPA+ and even GPRS are still available in my country. Switching to 3G allows me to have slightly more SOT.
Regarding optimization, I learned the hard way that too much tinkering can give inverse results and even kill the "smart" part of the smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No 3G here killed my oldest phone.
Yeah if you go too nuts optimizing it will end up biting you. Beginning with Android 10 Samsung added dozens of small systems apks that mostly to modify the UI. Most shouldn't be touched.
My list of blocked packages is almost the same for the Q loaded N975U1 as used on the Pie loaded N975U though. Took quit a while to work it out the first time... dependencies are a witch.

For me the phone is fine in most regards.
Exynos is plenty fast for daily use and battery life is supposedly better than snap.
I am new to Samsung as well and am not impressed by modding options.
To me it is clear that Samsung is the most Apple like android.
Rooting is no issue, but you will lose DRM verification, so lower quality YouTube Netflix and such.
A PC is always needed to flash an update, which for some of us has been impossible without full wiping by the way.
I can get 2 days with light use similar to what you described.
I do have 5g disabled as 4g is crazy fast already where I live/work.
A bit of debloating, mostly as i am annoyed by all these apps being there.
Oneui is actually quite good, but some mods with good lock and running nova.

bamn said:
For me the phone is fine in most regards.
Exynos is plenty fast for daily use and battery life is supposedly better than snap.
I am new to Samsung as well and am not impressed by modding options.
To me it is clear that Samsung is the most Apple like android.
Rooting is no issue, but you will lose DRM verification, so lower quality YouTube Netflix and such.
A PC is always needed to flash an update, which for some of us has been impossible without full wiping by the way.
I can get 2 days with light use similar to what you described.
I do have 5g disabled as 4g is crazy fast already where I live/work.
A bit of debloating, mostly as i am annoyed by all these apps being there.
Oneui is actually quite good, but some mods with good lock and running nova.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
A bummer with DRM, I thought this was exclusive to Sony (I currently own Xperia XZ2 compact), didn't think I'd encounter the dilemma whether to root or not because of this DRM again.
A question (for everyone here), how is call quality? Can you hear the other person clearly, can they hear you clearly? Is the speaker loud enough when on speaker?
I know it's a basic question but it's something I thought about because Google started rolling out "Clear calling" in the Pixel 7 and although I'm very much leaning to the S22, this seems like an important advantage of the Pixel (unless somehow the feature will reach Samsung or people with other phones).

Yeah DRM sucks a bit, especially since the screen is worth the quality content.
I found out after rooting only, but I can definitely live with it.
To me rooting is still worth it in the end.
Not much to say regarding call quality, i don't call a lot.
I have never been bothered with the quality or speaker volume so I suppose it's not very bad.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks!
A bummer with DRM, I thought this was exclusive to Sony (I currently own Xperia XZ2 compact), didn't think I'd encounter the dilemma whether to root or not because of this DRM again.
A question (for everyone here), how is call quality? Can you hear the other person clearly, can they hear you clearly? Is the speaker loud enough when on speaker?
I know it's a basic question but it's something I thought about because Google started rolling out "Clear calling" in the Pixel 7 and although I'm very much leaning to the S22, this seems like an important advantage of the Pixel (unless somehow the feature will reach Samsung or people with other phones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DRM can be fixed by magisk modules.
Call quality is great even on loudspeaker.

TheeWolf said:
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I have SD version. I used to flash Custom ROMs on all my previous phone after those stop receiving updated OS. Also for not missing out new features. Right now, with 4 years of OS guarantee by Samsung, I don't see myself going for custom ROMs on my S22. I use Magisk and a few other modules.
2. Battery life is very subjective and personal. For me, it lasts 24 hours on a single charge with 30% left before I charge it again. I don't play heavy games. I have Sudoko, Alto's Adventure, and Flappy Bird (hahaha).. Just to pass the time when I am waiting for someone or something. That's it. I save the heavy/real gaming for bigger screens and PC (for better experience)
I too had less than ideal battery endurance during the first two weeks. It's been the case for the past Samsung devices I have used. So, I knew it would improve after settling in. I resetted the phone before I manually configured the apps and transferred my old data to S22. (Painfully long process) Usually do with Titanium Backup Pro but I wanted it to be a fresh start.
On a regular day.. Connected on WIFI always. 2 SIM cards (1st 2G/3G/4G and 2nd only 2G). I use Slack with 3 different workspaces. 5 Emails on Gmail ( 3 syncing regularly), 1 Samsung account syncing, 2 more work emails syncing on Samsung Email app. Some Chrome use. FlipBoard, Pocket, and Medium reading at the end of the day. Whatsapp, Whatsapp Business, and Telegram usage. Google Drive and Sheet. A few pics here and there.
10 mins of Social media if neeeded. Sometimes music. No watching videos on a regular day. Some 30-60 mins of calls. Buds Pro and Amazfit T Rex Pro connected always.
I get 4 to 5 hours of Screen on Time with 22 to 24 hours overall usage, still with 30% battery remaining. I don't spend time outdoor during day time, so the screen doesn't have to be fully lit. Auto Brightness manages it. Biggest draw on battery for me is the video call, some 18-20% an hour. Next is the outdoor navigation for 10 mins, lost like 3-4%.
I have removed FB app, MS apps and a few Google apps. Also a few Samsung apps which I found no use for. Though I have Root, I found ADB is much easier than Root for removing/disabling these apps. 120 Hz Adaptive refresh rate on. Adaptive Battery. Add some apps to Deep Sleep. That's it. Greenify didn't seem to make a difference in my usage. So stopped.
Accubattery Stats are like.. Discharge 1% an hour on Standby and 10% an hour on screen usage (Wifi and indoors). (I have installed around 100 third party apps on this phone)
I was waiting on the sidelines for the first few months. Was waiting for Samsung to release some updates and improve the battery endurance (as usual). Online reviews were mostly negative due to their usage patterns. My usage is different from theirs. I am still little upset at Samsung for being a jerk by reducing the battery capacity instead of increasing it, just like any other greedy company. So the negative reviews are necessary to call out their wicked move. Hey, if your usage is something like mine, you can go ahead. It's not bad at all. Better battery than my S8 when it was new and 20% less efficient than my S20 FE 5G or A52.
3. I am on One UI 5.0 Stable/Rooted. So far, So good. Minor but good improvements from One UI 4.1. I am using Nova Launcher Prime.. been like this for the last 5 years. I just don't like the homescreen and app drawer arrangements on One UI. That's all. Everything else is so good. I personally love One UI for its functionality. It has evolved a lot. People complain about bloatware either have not used One UI 3 or later versions on flagship devices. Bloatwares are there in mid and low end devices, that too getting less nowadays (comparing with M12).
4. I too was tempted to try custom Kernel during the first week. But I wanted to wait and see what this device had to offer in terms of battery life. I am happy without custom kernel. Flashing Custom ROMs and kernels are just like any other Samsung phones. But I find it much easier than Moto or Xiaomi phones.
5. I replaced my S8 with S20 FE 5G and I didn't like the size. I replaced it with S22. Compactness, easy to use. Better cameras than S20 FE 5G. Average battery life. Good build. One UI is good. If I had the chance to decide again, I would still choose S22 over Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. Overall experience matters than a few extra features.
I hope this helps!
Edit: One UI 5.0 has come with a feature, Bixby Text Call - similar to Pixel's Call Screening feature. I have no use for it. I haven't tried it. Currently, the translation/transcription only supports Korean language.
Call Quality with and without Wifi Calling/VOLTE enabled, is super clear for both parties. Better than any phone I have used, even their own S8, A52, and S20 FE 5G. Even on loud speaker, I would sit a few feet away from my phone and still it would be clear to both parties without any issues. We also have inbuilt sound quality settings to tweak to our needs. I found this for the first time on One UI 4.0

@Vorion Thank you so much for this very detailed answer!
By the way, about the Bixby text call, from what I understand it's not like the Pixel's call screening feature, it's actually designed to make you communicate with someone in a "text call" - you type messages, the other side hears your messages in a Bixby's automated voice. What the other side says you will read as it will be converted to text.

TheeWolf said:
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had my S22 for approximately 2 months and am not happy with it. It is more to do with Samsung than the device because I had a S9+ before and traded it for the S22. The Samsung advertising leaves a lot to be desired. It said I could get a S22 Ultra with my tradein for only a couple hundred. As it turned out the S22 was almost full price. They said the offer was for a S22+ traded in for S22 Ultra would only be a couple hundred. So I settled for the S22. I just should have had my S9+ fixed (The front and back separated from the frame). The S22 doesn't have a micro card slot so you can't add memory(storage). The side buttons are different fromt he S9+ and positioned differently so I continually hit the wrong buttons. I don't know the Pixel 7 so I can't compare that one. I just know I'm not happy with the S22.