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Hello.
I'm looking for a new phone, my budget is around 340 USD and therefore Lenovo P2 has really caught my eye. I'd like to ask a couple questions.
1. How is the bootloader unlock procedure? Is it known to be problematic or causing any issues with ultimately not being able to unlock the bootloader? Coming from an LG device, I want to be extra careful regarding this.
2. I plan to have this device for a longer period of time, around 3-4 years. Is Lenovo P2 a viable choice in this regard? Will it be able to hold off for that long, in terms of ROM support and general performance/usage?
3. How do custom ROM development prospects look right now for the device? Can I expect good custom ROM support from this device in the coming years?
4. How satisfied are you with your phone? Would you recommend it to me? Is there anything you don't like about the phone?
Thanks in advance.
1) submit unlock request through the phone and the bootloader should be unlocked 14 days later.
2) original ROM support - highly unlikely. Custom ROM - depends on how well received the phone is by the community. Might be too early to tell still. Performance etc, I don't think any high-end phone from 3-4 years ago can compete with mid range phone's today. So I can only imagine P2 being as sluggish as entry level phones today in 3-4 years.
3) can't comment. If you want custom ROM support, flagship Samsung and Nexus might be a better option?
4) battery life is exceptional, but I really wish it was smaller. The camera is not excellent either.
Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk
Are you planning to use this phone in the USA? If yes, don't purchase it. The us networks are not supported.
ken218 said:
1) submit unlock request through the phone and the bootloader should be unlocked 14 days later.
2) original ROM support - highly unlikely. Custom ROM - depends on how well received the phone is by the community. Might be too early to tell still. Performance etc, I don't think any high-end phone from 3-4 years ago can compete with mid range phone's today. So I can only imagine P2 being as sluggish as entry level phones today in 3-4 years.
3) can't comment. If you want custom ROM support, flagship Samsung and Nexus might be a better option?
4) battery life is exceptional, but I really wish it was smaller. The camera is not excellent either.
Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the answer, very much appreciated.
I'm aware that it probably won't get official ROM support, but I hope that custom ROMs will be usable, i.e. that all the issues like the fingerprint scanner and notification LED will be fixed.
Most of the Nexus options are overpriced where I live, but maybe Nexus 6 could be an option(?).
Rom Support and reception seems to be starting well 2 months from this conversation... don't you think ?
(that's what made me buy it + full french 4G support)...
Fobos531 said:
Thank you for the answer, very much appreciated.
I'm aware that it probably won't get official ROM support, but I hope that custom ROMs will be usable, i.e. that all the issues like the fingerprint scanner and notification LED will be fixed.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me put it this way: I still use my old Note 3 as remote control for Xiaomi Smart Home. It runs on last official Android 5.1. All those custom ROMs are crap. Nothing just headache.
Its a great budget phone
How's the phone holding now?
i'm planning to get this one just for normal usage like streaming , chat, browsing, etc
and how's the heat during those kind of usage?
considering xperia design is totally to my liking, and the battery is above 3k mAh, kinda want to downgrade? into this phone from mi5, as the docomo dumps are quite cheap here
Thanks in advance !
I'm pretty happy with the phone. Heat is not so much of an issue.
seilent said:
How's the phone holding now?
i'm planning to get this one just for normal usage like streaming , chat, browsing, etc
and how's the heat during those kind of usage?
considering xperia design is totally to my liking, and the battery is above 3k mAh, kinda want to downgrade? into this phone from mi5, as the docomo dumps are quite cheap here
Thanks in advance !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are getting on good price ( 50% of the price since 2015) then go for it
Z5p is a gem!
How can I unlock bootloader and install TWRP, any guide?
i am also a user of z5P dual variant e6833, currently it has stock android 7.1.1, could anyone share the link of any post where i can find the list of all stable custom roms for z5p phone? unfortunately there is no linage rom available for this phone
After having this phone for 3 years, the first thing you will need to realize is stock battery even left in storage will have degraded past the stock level of battery, with little to no use over that time you'd be lucky to get even a stock unopened z5p with more than 60% of its original battery life.
The main issue with heat I've experienced has been during GPS use especially on warmer days.
The camera after unlocking and using non stock ROMs (even with DRM saved) as non stock ROMs don't use the DRM enhancements camera quality is noticeably less quality. So if you want to keep DRM quality you need to keep to stock roms, even custom stock ROMs need those enhancements enabled to be functional.
The overall speed, performance, battery life and functions of the phone are all good.
One thing to note also is latest official ROM is 7.1.2 so no Oreo, no project treble and no future proofing of the software. We also have a very, very quiet rom development.
You may enjoy the looks of Sony phones. But they don't support their hardware long enough for them to truely shine. We got 2 major ROM updates, with fixes in between that was what they reported as what they'll support.
This happened over a 16 month period. They dropped support for the phone as soon as Oreo came out, because they wanted everyone to upgrade to the ZX range.
Meaning a lot of us here that paid 1000+ dollars for their handset got less than 2 years of support from the manufacturer.
Companies like Samsung, Motorola and apple have put over 5 years support into most of their handsets. Software support is important due to app updates needing later OS versions to work. Meaning at some point the Z5 range will fall off the wagon even in terms of unofficial support.
Either way I hope you choose well a new device. Even though I like my phone, and will stand by my choice to purchase it, I would not recommend it to anyone else and urge them to find a better device with better software support.
Hello
My phone is oneplus 7t pro, im looking forward to get redmagic, but i have some questions
-How is the phone overall for everyday use (main use not for gaming mainly)?
-should i get 5g or 5s?, i learned that they removed the L shaped cable + the 55w adapter from the 5s
-how is the phone dev support, i dont need much actually as like my op7tp stock rom rooted with my modifications
Do u advice getting this phone or stay with the op7tp
Thank u
Nightf0x_007 said:
Hello
My phone is oneplus 7t pro, im looking forward to get redmagic, but i have some questions
-How is the phone overall for everyday use (main use not for gaming mainly)?
-should i get 5g or 5s?, i learned that they removed the L shaped cable + the 55w adapter from the 5s
-how is the phone dev support, i dont need much actually as like my op7tp stock rom rooted with my modifications
Do u advice getting this phone or stay with the op7tp
Thank u
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Op7t is a good phone already. Personally if i had that phone i'd keep it as is, if you jist plan to use it for phone, browsing, youtube, etc you're not gaining anything.
But benefits of the phone are.
- UFS 3.1
- more ram
- better benchmarks if thats your thing
- excellent gaming
-crazy long range wifi
- 144hz refresh rate ( again if thats your thing) i use 60 to 90hz
- has a fricken cooling fan built in.
The rom is surprisingly stable and seems to work well.
For android 10 there is a bootloader bypass, that allows you to root and install custom recovery without unlocking your bootloader ( unlocking bootloader corrupts your fingerprint reader)
There is already a official beta for android 11, it has a few battery bugs but should be fixed soon, with a global release a few weeks after china official release.
Now not so much.
- not water proof at all. ( There is literally two huge holes on either side for the fan) water = paperweight
- camera post processing could be better
-limited 5G supported bands ( be mindful the 5g does not work great everywhere, and it only has a few bands to support so check eith your current and local Service providors for 5g signal info.
Overall its a great phone. Worth it if you not fussed over 5g support, and the fact its not IP rated at all.
Replacing an already decent phone thsts up to you i replaced a 6 year old phone for it so it was worth it to me.
Patrick Morgan said:
Op7t is a good phone already. Personally if i had that phone i'd keep it as is, if you jist plan to use it for phone, browsing, youtube, etc you're not gaining anything.
But benefits of the phone are.
- UFS 3.1
- more ram
- better benchmarks if thats your thing
- excellent gaming
-crazy long range wifi
- 144hz refresh rate ( again if thats your thing) i use 60 to 90hz
- has a fricken cooling fan built in.
The rom is surprisingly stable and seems to work well.
For android 10 there is a bootloader bypass, that allows you to root and install custom recovery without unlocking your bootloader ( unlocking bootloader corrupts your fingerprint reader)
There is already a official beta for android 11, it has a few battery bugs but should be fixed soon, with a global release a few weeks after china official release.
Now not so much.
- not water proof at all. ( There is literally two huge holes on either side for the fan) water = paperweight
- camera post processing could be better
-limited 5G supported bands ( be mindful the 5g does not work great everywhere, and it only has a few bands to support so check eith your current and local Service providors for 5g signal info.
Overall its a great phone. Worth it if you not fussed over 5g support, and the fact its not IP rated at all.
Replacing an already decent phone thsts up to you i replaced a 6 year old phone for it so it was worth it to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My main reason behind the idea of changing is because that my op7tp battery degraded also much its now 85% battery health, and there is no any op support here in the country where i stay in so thats why im thinking about a change
If you want a game solely for gaming features, then it is a great phone. I wouldn’t use it for daily use as my primary phone though.
The software is not great for everyday use. I get regular restarts and cant share screen captures, laggy when swapping between open apps after using for a while. Call quality is not great, everyone has trouble hearing me no matter what app I use for making the calls, including video calls. I wouldnt say the high refresh screen is any better than my huawei mate 20pro or note 9.
I wont use mine anymore, it was a waste of money as I didnt buy it for gaming. Because of the software issues i wouldn't even give it to my kids.
I've just received my global op11 a few days ago and I'd like to share my experience after also having a Motorola x40 CN version for a couple of weeks.
I paid 530£ for the Motorola but honestly it's so much better than OnePlus. Better software, more features, Wireless charging, ip68, better speakers(not louder but more bass) and telephoto camera seems better. Unfortunately because it was a Chinese variant, that means no possibility to lock BL on global Rom like OnePlus and no support, warranty etc. Limited Google services. It also seems to warm up a bit more than Motorola
Now for the OnePlus 11.
I pre-ordered and received a 100£ discount and a speaker which I'm planning to sell for 150£ și technically I'm only paying 550£ for the phone itself.
What's better about the OnePlus is the main camera and battery and also much better support because it's a more popular device and I get EU warranty and proper Google services.
Conclusion is:
If the Motorola launches x40 globally and it's in the same price range or has discounts or offers equivalent I would 10000% go for Motorola. It's a much much better phone
XDRdaniel said:
I've just received my global op11 a few days ago and I'd like to share my experience after also having a Motorola x40 CN version for a couple of weeks.
I paid 530£ for the Motorola but honestly it's so much better than OnePlus. Better software, more features, Wireless charging, ip68, better speakers(not louder but more bass) and telephoto camera seems better. Unfortunately because it was a Chinese variant, that means no possibility to lock BL on global Rom like OnePlus and no support, warranty etc. Limited Google services. It also seems to warm up a bit more than Motorola
Now for the OnePlus 11.
I pre-ordered and received a 100£ discount and a speaker which I'm planning to sell for 150£ și technically I'm only paying 550£ for the phone itself.
What's better about the OnePlus is the main camera and battery and also much better support because it's a more popular device and I get EU warranty and proper Google services.
Conclusion is:
If the Motorola launches x40 globally and it's in the same price range or has discounts or offers equivalent I would 10000% go for Motorola. It's a much much better phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting thanks for your small review about the moto X40, I also ordered one from china.
Do you think we could just flash the EU rom from the edge 40 when it comes out? As both phones are identical.
I just wonder also what you mean with no possibility to lock BL on global Rom? Does it mean we can't unlock the bootloader of the Moto X40?
jody2k said:
Interesting thanks for your small review about the moto X40, I also ordered one from china.
Do you think we could just flash the EU rom from the edge 40 when it comes out? As both phones are identical.
I just wonder also what you mean with no possibility to lock BL on global Rom? Does it mean we can't unlock the bootloader of the Moto X40?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't relock bootloader on Global, it'll bricked like Xiaomi chinese phone.
I live in China and I also used moto x40 for a week (then returned it), and now I've used OnePlus 11 for over a month.
There are obviously some reasons that I can't accept with moto x40:
- The screen is easily getting touched by mistakes, especially on the edge of the screen. Sometimes even if I just hold the phone in my hand and do not move my fingers at all, the phone still thinks I'm touching the screen.
- Sometimes the system is stuck while scrolling in a list view, especially in the "global" apps (e.g. twitter, youtube).
Overall the hardware of x40 is good, but the software is less good than I expect.
OnePlus 11 has a higher price, (￥4000 for x40 and ￥4400 for OP 11, both are 256GB models), but it's reasonable because OP 11 has 16 GB RAM (x40 has 12GB).
OP 11 also has a better camera and a longer battery life.
The only downside for OP 11 is the type-c port is running at USB 2.0, which limits it to 480 Mbit/s. x40 has a full-featured USB 3.2 port, including video outputs.
L0nelyE4rth said:
You can't relock bootloader on Global, it'll bricked like Xiaomi chinese phone.
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Click to collapse
Hmm okay so that means you cant get official updates anymore if you unlock BL? Need to flash them manually? That's a bit dissapounting indeed but not impossible to do .
Are we sure phone will get bricked on the x40 if we try relock BL? Is this a common issue?
hronro said:
I live in China and I also used moto x40 for a week (then returned it), and now I've used OnePlus 11 for over a month.
There are obviously some reasons that I can't accept with moto x40:
- The screen is easily getting touched by mistakes, especially on the edge of the screen. Sometimes even if I just hold the phone in my hand and do not move my fingers at all, the phone still thinks I'm touching the screen.
- Sometimes the system is stuck while scrolling in a list view, especially in the "global" apps (e.g. twitter, youtube).
Overall the hardware of x40 is good, but the software is less good than I expect.
OnePlus 11 has a higher price, (￥4000 for x40 and ￥4400 for OP 11, both are 256GB models), but it's reasonable because OP 11 has 16 GB RAM (x40 has 12GB).
OP 11 also has a better camera and a longer battery life.
The only downside for OP 11 is the type-c port is running at USB 2.0, which limits it to 480 Mbit/s. x40 has a full-featured USB 3.2 port, including video outputs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your opinion, what was your SOT with the x40? I'm having a note 20 ultra and my SOT is pretty bad on this phone I got only around 4hours and mostly I need to charge it second time during the end of the day. Was hoping the moto x40 would have better battery
jody2k said:
Thanks for your opinion, what was your SOT with the x40? I'm having a note 20 ultra and my SOT is pretty bad on this phone I got only around 4hours and mostly I need to charge it second time during the end of the day. Was hoping the moto x40 would have better battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I barely check the SOT...
Basically, I charge it every day and a half. The charging speed is amazing, it only took like 20 minutes for a full charge.
jody2k said:
Interesting thanks for your small review about the moto X40, I also ordered one from china.
Do you think we could just flash the EU rom from the edge 40 when it comes out? As both phones are identical.
I just wonder also what you mean with no possibility to lock BL on global Rom? Does it mean we can't unlock the bootloader of the Moto X40?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea you can flash global Rom . There's already sellers on AliExpress shipping it with global Rom.
I mean that once you flash global Rom you can't lock the bootloader. You can only lock BL on official Rom.
You can easily unlock BL and flash ROMs but you can't lock back unless you're back on original Rom
jody2k said:
Hmm okay so that means you cant get official updates anymore if you unlock BL? Need to flash them manually? That's a bit dissapounting indeed but not impossible to do .
Are we sure phone will get bricked on the x40 if we try relock BL? Is this a common issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% sure you'll get bootloop if you relock on different Rom. And no, even if you buy from AliExpress a Chinese version with global Rom, you won't get OTA
jody2k said:
Thanks for your opinion, what was your SOT with the x40? I'm having a note 20 ultra and my SOT is pretty bad on this phone I got only around 4hours and mostly I need to charge it second time during the end of the day. Was hoping the moto x40 would have better battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not amazing but not bad either considering the capacity of the battery. I was happy with the sot
Alright perfect thanks for the info guys !
Let's hope we'll get a XDA forum section soon for the moto X40 / edge 40
jody2k said:
Alright perfect thanks for the info guys !
Let's hope we'll get a XDA forum section soon for the moto X40 / edge 40
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a section on 4pda
I got my eye on x40 long time, before comming out..
I hope they are not stupid and lounch Global version.
But, i read the Motorola is Bad (to be elegant.) to updates and fixing bugs.
I see many people selling they Edge 30 Ultra., which is a very well equipped (hardware) phone. I am 10.000 % that is the reason.
One thing you are missing is that OnePlus now offers good software updates, whereas with Motorola you will be lucky to get quarterly updates that are buggy. OnePlus 11 also has far superior battery life and better rear cameras, with a more active development community.
I'm contemplating purchasing the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact in 2023, but I have some concerns about its outdated Android 9 OS and the inability to install custom ROMs on the DOCOMO SO-02K VARIANT due to the locked bootloader. I would greatly appreciate your insights and advice on whether this device is still worth considering. Here are a few factors I'm considering:
Performance: Despite being released a few years ago, the Xperia XZ1 Compact boasts a powerful Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. Can it still handle everyday tasks smoothly, or does it struggle with more demanding apps and games?
Software Support: Android 9 seems outdated, especially with newer versions available. Is it still receiving security updates, and is there any indication of an official update to a more recent Android version? Additionally, are there any reliable custom ROMs that can breathe new life into this device, despite the locked bootloader?
Camera Quality: The Xperia XZ1 Compact's 19 MP rear camera was highly praised at its release. However, with the rapid advancements in smartphone photography, does it still hold up? Are there any notable limitations or issues I should be aware of?
Battery Life: How does the battery hold up in 2023? Does it still provide a decent day of usage, or does it drain quickly?
Alternative Options: Considering the limitations of the Xperia XZ1 Compact, are there any other compact-sized smartphones with better software support and customization options that you would recommend?
I understand that technology moves quickly, and the Xperia XZ1 Compact may not be the latest and greatest. However, I'm particularly drawn to its compact size, robust build, and Sony's reputation for durability. I value the opinions and experiences of the XDA community, so any insights you can provide would be immensely helpful.
Thanks in advance for your input, and I look forward to your responses!
Best regards.
Hi and welcome! That's a lot of questions - and a lot of very subjective information. I'll try my best to answer where I can. For context, I still use mine as my daily driver.
Performance: That all depends on what you want to do. Can it handle the most demanding modern games? Probably not, but what do you really want to play? It's a compact phone that's 5 years old. It wasn't the strongest for games at the time. Can it run most apps just fine? Yes. I've not run into much that have a problem, but I'm also not doing anything too intense, and I know that. Of course, phone processors have largely been commoditized by now, despite what manufacturers would like you to believe.
Battery: Again, it's all about what you do with it. What are you running? It of course won't last the whole day playing video with the screen on full brightness. But no phone will. Battery is more tied to screen size than anything else. Your particular mileage may vary depending on whether your device is used, and how well the previous owner treated it in terms of charge cycles and limiting. Mine easily lasts a day, but I don't tend to use it super heavily. Draining quickly is usually a sign of greedy apps or a busted battery.
Camera: I don't personally have strong opinions on cameras, so can't really comment on whether you like the quality - people have very different requirements. It's perfectly adequate for my needs. Will it be as good as modern phone cameras? Certainly not. Most modern phones have multiple sensors with different kinds of lenses - which drastically changes what's possible. Do you care about that? Only you can answer.
Stock Software. I can say with 99.999% certainty that Sony is never going to release an official update. Don't hold your breath. It's 5 years old, and very outdated. I don't believe there are any more security updates, and again do not expect any.
Custom Software: Let's be 100% clear. There's a locked bootloader, that you have the ability to unlock - but not re-lock. If you don't unlock it, you cannot install a custom rom. Full stop. That's the case for every phone. If you unlock it ... then you can do whatever you want. There are many custom roms available (check out that subforum here), including to the most recent version of Android 13 (via Lineage OS 20). But you'll have to do a little bit of work. If you do unlock it, I recommend doing the pre-work to back up your TA partition, since it will help a little with the camera should you decide to go back to stock.
Alternatives: Again, lots of opinion here. What do you define as "compact"? I'd argue that there are no comparable modern phones that are anywhere near this size, other than the iPhone mini ... and I don't like Apple/iOS. Maybe you don't mind that. Maybe you're willing to go up an inch in screen size, and that's still small enough for you. It also depends on what other features you need/want - like a SD card slot, headphone jack, 5G, etc. To me, there's nothing better, which is why I still use my XZ1c. I know other people that swear by some of the Pixels, Zenphones, or even a few of the smaller Samsung phones.
Finally, you mention the DOCOMO SO-02K version. I don't know where you live, but it runs different firmware (Japanese) and a different set of apps. I think the OS version is even older, and has fewer updates. It's missing NFC (and I think some other sensor), and some of the wireless bands. And as you say cannot be unlocked - though I vaguely recall a post of someone saying they were able to.
Unless you know what you're doing, I would not advise getting that version. The standard G8441 version is a better and more flexible buy unless you live in Japan (and are OK with the lock) or know what you're doing. If you're serious about the phone, it's worth paying a little extra to be sure about what you're getting.
I hope that helps! And remember that this is all just the opinion of one member, but I've at least tired to be as impartial as I can.
tonsofquestions said:
Hi and welcome! That's a lot of questions - and a lot of very subjective information. I'll try my best to answer where I can. For context, I still use mine as my daily driver.
Performance: That all depends on what you want to do. Can it handle the most demanding modern games? Probably not, but what do you really want to play? It's a compact phone that's 5 years old. It wasn't the strongest for games at the time. Can it run most apps just fine? Yes. I've not run into much that have a problem, but I'm also not doing anything too intense, and I know that. Of course, phone processors have largely been commoditized by now, despite what manufacturers would like you to believe.
Battery: Again, it's all about what you do with it. What are you running? It of course won't last the whole day playing video with the screen on full brightness. But no phone will. Battery is more tied to screen size than anything else. Your particular mileage may vary depending on whether your device is used, and how well the previous owner treated it in terms of charge cycles and limiting. Mine easily lasts a day, but I don't tend to use it super heavily. Draining quickly is usually a sign of greedy apps or a busted battery.
Camera: I don't personally have strong opinions on cameras, so can't really comment on whether you like the quality - people have very different requirements. It's perfectly adequate for my needs. Will it be as good as modern phone cameras? Certainly not. Most modern phones have multiple sensors with different kinds of lenses - which drastically changes what's possible. Do you care about that? Only you can answer.
Stock Software. I can say with 99.999% certainty that Sony is never going to release an official update. Don't hold your breath. It's 5 years old, and very outdated. I don't believe there are any more security updates, and again do not expect any.
Custom Software: Let's be 100% clear. There's a locked bootloader, that you have the ability to unlock - but not re-lock. If you don't unlock it, you cannot install a custom rom. Full stop. That's the case for every phone. If you unlock it ... then you can do whatever you want. There are many custom roms available (check out that subforum here), including to the most recent version of Android 13 (via Lineage OS 20). But you'll have to do a little bit of work. If you do unlock it, I recommend doing the pre-work to back up your TA partition, since it will help a little with the camera should you decide to go back to stock.
Alternatives: Again, lots of opinion here. What do you define as "compact"? I'd argue that there are no comparable modern phones that are anywhere near this size, other than the iPhone mini ... and I don't like Apple/iOS. Maybe you don't mind that. Maybe you're willing to go up an inch in screen size, and that's still small enough for you. It also depends on what other features you need/want - like a SD card slot, headphone jack, 5G, etc. To me, there's nothing better, which is why I still use my XZ1c. I know other people that swear by some of the Pixels, Zenphones, or even a few of the smaller Samsung phones.
Finally, you mention the DOCOMO SO-02K version. I don't know where you live, but it runs different firmware (Japanese) and a different set of apps. I think the OS version is even older, and has fewer updates. It's missing NFC (and I think some other sensor), and some of the wireless bands. And as you say cannot be unlocked - though I vaguely recall a post of someone saying they were able to.
Unless you know what you're doing, I would not advise getting that version. The standard G8441 version is a better and more flexible buy unless you live in Japan (and are OK with the lock) or know what you're doing. If you're serious about the phone, it's worth paying a little extra to be sure about what you're getting.
I hope that helps! And remember that this is all just the opinion of one member, but I've at least tired to be as impartial as I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in India and only the Japanese Docomo version is available here, the XZ1 Compact was never officially launched here but now many refurbished phone sellers are selling the Japanese imported variant.
As I said, the answer is different based on where you are and what's available.
I don't know the quality of the refurbishers there, which means (in particular) the battery life of the phones is less certain.
I'm sure it's possible to order from places online, but I can't tell you the difference in price, or whether that's worth the extra expense to you.
The Docomo version has slightly different hardware and cell bands. I don't know if you care about the NFC chip, and you're on your own to figure out if it will work with your local service providers.
A quick search on XDA shows that it's possible to still unlock the SO-02k model:
Can XZ1 Compact SO-02K run Custom ROMs?
I have successfully unlocked the bootloader for my SO-02K. Can I flash Lineage OS on it or are those only meant for G8441? Are there Custom ROMs for SO-02K? Thank you in advance.
forum.xda-developers.com
Xz1 compact Docomo unlock status
I have an xz1 compact Docomo. The bootloader status is No. however I can use my operator's sim. Is there any way to change bootloader status to YES? Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
forum.xda-developers.com
Guide to "using" Docomo XZ1C?
I have a Japanese/SO-02K XZ1C, What is the process to get TWRP/custom ROM/root onto here? Is it worthwhile? (I understand it will lose NFC, will the battery still be usable?) Or should I just use ADB to debloat the phone and be content with...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will have to pay extra in order to do it - probably around 2000 INR (give or take). Is that worth it over another phone? Again, I cannot make that decision for you. Only you can decide how "compact" is compact enough for you.
And this thread about battery drain might be worth keeping in mind in case you run into it:
[SOLVED] Battery drain on custom ROMs running on SO-02K(Japanese docomo model)
I'm using Xperia XZ1 Compact SO-02K (Japanese docomo model) unlocked bootloader via qUnlockTool. I installed some custom ROMs like LineageOS 18.1, Havoc OS 4.8, 3.11. Any ROMs doesn't go to deep sleep so the battery drain is so bad. I installed...
forum.xda-developers.com
tonsofquestions said:
As I said, the answer is different based on where you are and what's available.
I don't know the quality of the refurbishers there, which means (in particular) the battery life of the phones is less certain.
I'm sure it's possible to order from places online, but I can't tell you the difference in price, or whether that's worth the extra expense to you.
The Docomo version has slightly different hardware and cell bands. I don't know if you care about the NFC chip, and you're on your own to figure out if it will work with your local service providers.
A quick search on XDA shows that it's possible to still unlock the SO-02k model:
Can XZ1 Compact SO-02K run Custom ROMs?
I have successfully unlocked the bootloader for my SO-02K. Can I flash Lineage OS on it or are those only meant for G8441? Are there Custom ROMs for SO-02K? Thank you in advance.
forum.xda-developers.com
Xz1 compact Docomo unlock status
I have an xz1 compact Docomo. The bootloader status is No. however I can use my operator's sim. Is there any way to change bootloader status to YES? Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
forum.xda-developers.com
Guide to "using" Docomo XZ1C?
I have a Japanese/SO-02K XZ1C, What is the process to get TWRP/custom ROM/root onto here? Is it worthwhile? (I understand it will lose NFC, will the battery still be usable?) Or should I just use ADB to debloat the phone and be content with...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will have to pay extra in order to do it - probably around 2000 INR (give or take). Is that worth it over another phone? Again, I cannot make that decision for you. Only you can decide how "compact" is compact enough for you.
And this thread about battery drain might be worth keeping in mind in case you run into it:
[SOLVED] Battery drain on custom ROMs running on SO-02K(Japanese docomo model)
I'm using Xperia XZ1 Compact SO-02K (Japanese docomo model) unlocked bootloader via qUnlockTool. I installed some custom ROMs like LineageOS 18.1, Havoc OS 4.8, 3.11. Any ROMs doesn't go to deep sleep so the battery drain is so bad. I installed...
forum.xda-developers.com
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Yeah, I don't think it's worth spending an extra 2000 rupees just to unlock the bootloader of a now 6-year-old phone, to be honest. I believe it would be better for me to get a phone like the Redmi Note 9, which is 3 years old, to use as a secondary device. It's easier to unlock the bootloader and install custom ROMs on it, which was my initial motive that led me to consider the XZ1C. Of course, I won't have the small form factor or the premium metallic build of the XZ1C, but it seems like there's simply no other alternative in this price range.
It's possible I did the currency conversion wrong. I don't know how much the phone would cost refurbished - I would have guessed somewhere around 10,000 rupees, if not more.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the price range for you.
How important is the compact to you? I would happily pay a 10-15% premium for that if it were an option.
But price might be more important factor for you than size, and there's no shame in that.
Or you could try the Stock version and re-sell it if you don't like it. I know it has a bunch of bloatware you can disable via ADB, but I'm not sure if the camera software is as good as the Sony one - which also impacts part of your question.
As I said in my first post, there just simply any other alternatives at this size anymore, and you're going to have to compromise somewhere. You either have to go Apple - and iOS, the XZ1c - with it's older hardware and potentially higher price, or a different Android phone - and compromise on the size. Only you can decide which option is the right one for you.
tonsofquestions said:
It's possible I did the currency conversion wrong. I don't know how much the phone would cost refurbished - I would have guessed somewhere around 10,000 rupees, if not more.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the price range for you.
How important is the compact to you? I would happily pay a 10-15% premium for that if it were an option.
But price might be more important factor for you than size, and there's no shame in that.
Or you could try the Stock version and re-sell it if you don't like it. I know it has a bunch of bloatware you can disable via ADB, but I'm not sure if the camera software is as good as the Sony one - which also impacts part of your question.
As I said in my first post, there just simply any other alternatives at this size anymore, and you're going to have to compromise somewhere. You either have to go Apple - and iOS, the XZ1c - with it's older hardware and potentially higher price, or a different Android phone - and compromise on the size. Only you can decide which option is the right one for you.
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Can't afford to spend more than 8000 rupees; yeah, you guessed it right. For me, price is greater than size in this context. The XZ1C Docomo variant is going for 6000-7900 here right now.
Well, at 6000, plus an unlock for 2000, you're just inside your budget. But I realize that's pushing it.
But you should do some looking around and price-checking yourself. I only followed the first link in one of the threads. There might be cheaper options, and you could see if they'd give a discount to you in another country, or for a significantly older phone. It never hurts to ask.
Or maybe you can find a refurbished one that's already unlocked - though that's probably not too likely.
If it's just a secondary device, then perhaps the compact-ness is less crucial to you. But the Redmi Note 9 is a good cm wider, not to mention a lot taller and more than 25% heavier. But I have heard good things.
I suspect once they're unlocked, they're equally easy to install custom ROMs on.