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I'm really torn.
I currently have the HTC One S and really love the form factor and build.
The issues that really make me want to upgrade include: No expandable memory or removable battery, smallish screen, mediocre screen res and pentile (although it is bright and has good coloration), outdated resources - especially the 1 GB Ram, and useless notification light.
The other piece of info is that I am using Simple Mobile.
The ZL seems to take care of all of the above (except the battery), but does it do it by enough to justify a full price purchase?
1) While it can take an sd card, (I think) it is is limited to 32GB and has only 16 GB built in. The HTC One Dev Ed has 64 GB (best) and the S4 has 16 or 32 and can take a 64.
2) While the ZL has a 5" 1080p, it loses some real estate from the onscreen buttons and the washout at angles (I saw it firsthand at the Sony Store), while the One & S4 seem to have amazing screens (each in their own way - super lcd vs amoled)
3) In the resource department, the 600 or Octa don't seem to be significant upgrades to the S4 Pro and all 3 blow away the One s. (Antutu: One S = 10,644, ZL = 20,743. The One & S4 are 2-4k higher).
4) Notification Light - ZL by far.
And yet, it just seems like Sony did a lot of things mediocre on the ZL (by current flagship standards).
The screen already mentioned.
Battery Life.
The reviews are hard on the ZL's camera also. One interesting negative I came across is that it only takes 1 mp stills during video.
I'm not crazy about the onscreen buttons. Are there mods to make more use of them i.e. NavBar/NavRings? Has anyone tried using an app like Swipe Pad with them?
Can the toggles in the Notification Panel be removed? I'd rather use something like Elixir or Widgetzoid.
What I really like:
The price! I'm seeing the 6502 as low $515 no tax and 6506 $540, while the S4 or One would be more like $700 or more after tax.
The Power Button placement and the physical camera button (the One's placement on top is really unacceptable).
Lack of Carrier bloatware and yet fully compatible with both AT&T and T-Mobile.
The sound and screen enhancements and tweakability (Bravia, White Balance, xLoud, etc.)
And some more questions:
How is the rear speaker for music and in calls compared to the S4? The Note 2? By it's placement and the way the camera comes out a little it looks like it might have the "N8 effect" on a hard surface.
How is call quality on T-mobile?
Will the camera work better/differently on CM or in stock using something like Camera Zoom fx?
Thanks a lot in advance. I've spent many hours doing research, saw all the phones in person at the stores, etc. but it's such a large purchase so I'd really appreciate the feedback!
ymmp said:
I'm really torn.
I currently have the HTC One S and really love the form factor and build.
The issues that really make me want to upgrade include: No expandable memory or removable battery, smallish screen, mediocre screen res and pentile (although it is bright and has good coloration), outdated resources - especially the 1 GB Ram, and useless notification light.
The other piece of info is that I am using Simple Mobile.
The ZL seems to take care of all of the above (except the battery), but does it do it by enough to justify a full price purchase?
1) While it can take an sd card, (I think) it is is limited to 32GB and has only 16 GB built in. The HTC One Dev Ed has 64 GB (best) and the S4 has 16 or 32 and can take a 64.
2) While the ZL has a 5" 1080p, it loses some real estate from the onscreen buttons and the washout at angles (I saw it firsthand at the Sony Store), while the One & S4 seem to have amazing screens (each in their own way - super lcd vs amoled)
3) In the resource department, the 600 or Octa don't seem to be significant upgrades to the S4 Pro and all 3 blow away the One s. (Antutu: One S = 10,644, ZL = 20,743. The One & S4 are 2-4k higher).
4) Notification Light - ZL by far.
And yet, it just seems like Sony did a lot of things mediocre on the ZL (by current flagship standards).
The screen already mentioned.
Battery Life.
The reviews are hard on the ZL's camera also. One interesting negative I came across is that it only takes 1 mp stills during video.
I'm not crazy about the onscreen buttons. Are there mods to make more use of them i.e. NavBar/NavRings? Has anyone tried using an app like Swipe Pad with them?
Can the toggles in the Notification Panel be removed? I'd rather use something like Elixir or Widgetzoid.
What I really like:
The price! I'm seeing the 6502 as low $515 no tax and 6506 $540, while the S4 or One would be more like $700 or more after tax.
The Power Button placement and the physical camera button (the One's placement on top is really unacceptable).
Lack of Carrier bloatware and yet fully compatible with both AT&T and T-Mobile.
The sound and screen enhancements and tweakability (Bravia, White Balance, xLoud, etc.)
And some more questions:
How is the rear speaker for music and in calls compared to the S4? The Note 2? By it's placement and the way the camera comes out a little it looks like it might have the "N8 effect" on a hard surface.
How is call quality on T-mobile?
Will the camera work better/differently on CM or in stock using something like Camera Zoom fx?
Thanks a lot in advance. I've spent many hours doing research, saw all the phones in person at the stores, etc. but it's such a large purchase so I'd really appreciate the feedback!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the ZL and am using a 64GB SD card with no problems being recognized. Also I've had an iphone 5, htc one for a week and the ZL's battery is better, way better than the htc one and a little better than the iphone 5. Actually really impressed with battery life for a 5" screen that is 1080P. As far as the screen being washed out at an angle that's true but useless criticism as far as i'm concerned. The only time I can see it washed out is when it is at an angle i would NEVER use it. Looking right at the screen for normal use it's as good as any phone out there, HTC one included. As far as the onscreen buttons, I wouldn't have it any other way, its the way android was designed anyway. When I had the htc one for a week the buttons on there just sucked (and why they went from 3 to 2 buttons i have no idea, stupid decision). It takes 2-4 presses usually to get them to work, not that way with the onscreen buttons. I have no regrets on getting this phone.
All I can say, coming from a droid 3:
- The screen is awesome.. personally the viewing angles dont bother me at all since I use it from front angle
- Yes the screen uses a lot of power, but it also did on my droid 3 and that screen sucked major ass. Also, the idle time is the best I've seen on any recent smartphone. With wifi I can stay a fixed percentage for 2 hours easy. When you use it it will drop reasonably fast but it's OK because you still have 95% when you start watching a movie I always can go through 1 day.
- It's super fast. 2GB is awesome
- The camera is supposedly getting better with every update
DoubleYouPee said:
All I can say, coming from a droid 3:
- The screen is awesome.. personally the viewing angles dont bother me at all since I use it from front angle
- Yes the screen uses a lot of power, but it also did on my droid 3 and that screen sucked major ass. Also, the idle time is the best I've seen on any recent smartphone. With wifi I can stay a fixed percentage for 2 hours easy. When you use it it will drop reasonably fast but it's OK because you still have 95% when you start watching a movie I always can go through 1 day.
- It's super fast. 2GB is awesome
- The camera is supposedly getting better with every update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing I like, I have a Galaxy S2-i9100 and use it with a otterbox case, the ZL with a simple clear case is as 'small' as my S2 in the otterbox.
and it feels real solid. I still have to hack it. but all in all it seems to be a very good phone...
Make sure you switch on the Stamina mode for the battery...
Video on this is crystal clear... have not toyed with the camera...
I hope Sony comes with AOSP for the ZL...
Ans 64GB SD should work... on most devices... folks prefer to format it exFAT which may not be supported on some custom roms but factory images definitely support it.
G
Many people out here are talking about issues with screen bleed on this tablet
I think that the issue here is there are 2 different screen issues with this tablet that people are referring to collectively as light bleed:
1)Screen bleed
2)Edge lighting visibility
Screen bleed as I define it is something visible usually on a dark background where white light leaks out on certain areas of the screen. Almost all LCD have some degree of this and some are better than others. Often increasing the display brightness on the drak screen magnifies it. And fleing the chassis of the tablet often will shift where it bleeds.
This tablet does have some issues with this, more so than my Nexus 7 ( I lost leaving it on a plane) did.
Edge lighting issue many have posted pictures on here an youtube calling it screen bleed is something different. It seems to consistently be the bottom of the tablet in portrait mode. It is most visible on a white not black background and at lowest intensity (non auto brightness of less than 20% and it is noticeable). IT is always 7 bright/dark areas in sequence. While I am no expert in LCD technology, LCD compared to Amoled have a backlight. If the backlight is lit at the edge, it is quite likely that as one lowers the screen brightness the edge lighting at its origin might be slightly brighter than the surrounding area giving off this effect. Above a certain brightness the edge lighting is overwhelmed by the brightness of the panel and is no longer visible
For those that don't understand here is a video someone posted on youtube that demonstrates on his GPAd what the edge light issue is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmiSEC3rbHI
Now I replaced my first tablet (white one) because it had this and significant light bleed.
Picked up a black one and the light bleed is negligable. below 50% brightness it is not there and truthfully light bleed is an issue more when viewing in darkness where there is little ambient light and corners of the screen wash out with light. The fact I have none is great!!!
But........I have the same issue of the 7 areas of brighter whites at the bottom edge of the screen when brightness is below 20-25% (non automatic).They are mostly noticeable against a white background and more so when in full screen mode or white button bar is selected, or if using in landscape mode where it will then show on the right side of screen.
I am torn as to whether I should return or not. Seeing the many who have same issue and it now being there on 2 tablets from different stores and different colors (hence different manufacture runs) I suspect that this is more or less present in all G Pad 8.3 tablets. Some of us are just more likely to see it as one needs specific situations for it to be visible.
I loved my nexus 7HD before i lost it. Though I had some issues with it:
While 32gb, no expandable storage
touchscreen was not the best
Was feeling kind of small given I have a note 3 as my phone.
As such I decided to get a replacement. My final candidates were:
Ipad Mini retina display- Great Screen and app ecosystem (wife has ipad so lots of apps purchasesd as well...) But, 100$ more no expandable storage and stuck in the walled garden. Plus already have large selection of bought apps, and books/magazines in google play.
Amazon HDX8.9- I think this is the best hardware out for the money. Still light, large vibrant very bright hi res screen with insane battery life. If there was a way to get stock android on this I would jump on it. But Amazon store is limited and side loading while fine for the odd app is not how i want to fill my tablet. I can't customize it as far as looks go and while some google apps can be side loaded they don't al work or work well and there are a lot of FC. Also being in Canada, Amazon prime doesn't really benefit me as the video and music services are not available there. IT is a shame as I think I am still tempted to buy this tablet just based on the great intermediate size with best hardware
Gpad I thought this would be the perfect replacement for my Nexus 7HD. Based on reviews the added screen size without much weight and loss of pocketability. A still vibrant high PPI though dimmer screen (don't really use out doors much and seemd fine sitting in my car today leaving bestbuy). While not on latest kitkat there are good roms out there and likely can eventually swap out software fro GPE should I want. Meanwhile the LG skin adds some cool functions like Q slide apps, knock on qpair.....Seems like it is the right size, right resolution, expandable storage Better speakers than Apple... If I didn't have the edge lighting issue this tablet would be near perfect. I don't mind slightly less battery life as I will be able to charge it at night and seems most are getting 6+ screen tme and 1-2 days stdby.
Windows 8.1 Tablet (Lenovo or Dell Venue Pro Intriguing and right size at 8 inches though decidedly lower esolution and would have to forego my library of google play apps ....though having windows and full office could have some value though there is no current way to get a wired connection to a monitor or TV.
So.....in spite of the EDGE light screen issue, what should I do?
What are those of you who have noticed same thing doing or have done?
Hmmm now I am not sure what to do.
First one I bought was a white one. It had traditional light bleed in 2 corners and had this bottom edgelight issue at low brightness.
Returned it for a black one. This one is better in that it has no light bleed except the bottom edgelight issue. This occurs at brightness below 20-25. IT is not an issue during day time as I am needing brightness above 40 to comfortably enjoy the screen.
But for night time use I have to kepe the tablet a bit brighter than I prefer so as not to see it under some circumstances, I.e. landscape viewing.
I am trying to decide if it is worth returning as I love everything else about it. I am on vacation in the US and do not have the time to keep going back and forth to various best buy locations hoping for a better unit. Especially since seems the black model is in limited supply with nearest store 30 minutes away. However also given the exchange rate on my credit card, Returning it will likely cost me 20$ based on how the Credit card companies charge....
Have you tried using a screen filter off of Google play store. I used one on my galaxy 7.7 for night time use.
I would see if a third time is the charm. Return the unit and ask if you can turn on an inspect the next unit before leaving. See if you can find one that is acceptable before walking out the door. To me, the G Pad is best unit out there in the 8" space. Fire HDX8.9 is nice, but as you mentioned, it doesn't support the Play Store and requires everything to be side loaded. Additionally can't really customize the UI at this time. Hardware is killer, but until you can drop standard Android UI on top, G Pad is better option. In regards to Ipad Mini, it's nice, but absurd at that price. If you were to go for iOS, better off with the Air as it can be had for about $60/70 more. To me the Windows Tablet is not really an option. Depends on what you plan to do with it. I've read mixed reviews with the Windows Tablets. Good for some productivity apps and browsing but not so great at gaming. Still do quite a bit of games, so for me not an option.
Again, recommend giving it one more try and exchanging the unit and see how it goes.
cbb77 said:
I would see if a third time is the charm. Return the unit and ask if you can turn on an inspect the next unit before leaving. See if you can find one that is acceptable before walking out the door. To me, the G Pad is best unit out there in the 8" space.
Again, recommend giving it one more try and exchanging the unit and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. ...
Went to a third best buy location tried 4 different gpad as salesman let me test them.
All had same issue. I will keep it anyway. Switched for the white again though. Prefer the feel of the back and no finger prints
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk
Anyone who decided to return their s7 and go for the HTC 10, is there anything you miss from your s7?
Thanks!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/help/planning-to-switch-s7-edge-t3371639
I really want the HTC 10 but their shoddy release so far is making me very impatient. I may be forced into an S7, sadly.
The only thing I miss is the wireless charging.
I have both phones currently.
What I've noticed so far that I miss about the s7: it's narrower. With the leather case on it, it's only 20 thousandths of an inch thicker than the htc10 without a case. The case selection for the s7 is so much better. I'm sure it's more than cases, but that was the issue I encountered the most. The screen auto brightness adjusted faster on the s7. The s7 being waterproof... I actually have this cross my mind every day or two, but I haven't been in a situation yet where it would have mattered.
For the HTC, the radio is better. I'm on Verizon, specifically the CDMA radio has better reception for longer. The speakers are better for sure. I'm getting 30 to 45 minutes better battery life on average. It's nice not theming everything black by necessity. The home button being capacitive is so nice compared to the s7. Fluid Android is fluid.
Both phones are Verizon.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using XDA-Developers mobile app
Forgot the waterproof thing. Would be nice to have, but in 20 years I've never lost a phone due to water damage so not a huge loss. Screen on the S7 is brighter outdoors.
I miss the multi window on most Samsung's
I miss the battery life my exynos s7 edge provided. However I'm still making it the entire day with my HTC so it's not a big deal
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the replies!
Came from a T-Mo S7 Edge to a T-Mo HTC 10.
Right off the bat, the most glaring advantage that I missed from the S7 Edge was the screen. The colors just pop on that gorgeous amoled. In the days since I've bought my HTC 10 I've grown to like the cooler color temp on the LCD but I'd trade it for those oversaturated colors in a heartbeat lol.
Battery life has been a wash for the most part between both devices with the S7 Edge pulling ahead slightly (3600 mah battery so its to be expected).
Performance wise -- Sense blows Touchwiz out of the water. Its gotten better with each iteration of Touchwiz but micro-lag and even sustained lag rear their ugly heads when navigating through Samsung's flavor of Android. The HTC 10 handles everything with ease and never slows down. S7E does as well for the most part, but the lag is unavoidable in some instances. All of this being said, I did find the S7E to run much cooler than my HTC 10.
Finally, if you plan on making any modifications or if you're somebody who is into tinkering with your Android devices, avoid the S7/S7E at all costs. The HTC 10 is the best device for this due to dev friendly community and HTC's willingness to allow you to modify their devices. The HTC 10 has an unlockable bootloader and some day has a very good chance of seeing many competent AOSP roms. AOSP on the S7/S7E is currently a pipe dream. Even custom roms are a no go at this point and Samsung's knox/bootloader security only becomes more of a pain in the ass for devs with each iteration. It really has taken a toll on what used to be a thriving community for the Samsung devices.
All in all, I am extremely satisfied with switching from the S7E to the HTC 10 for what its worth.
I actually went through the S7, HTC 10 and landed on the S7 Edge. Here's my opinion for what it's worth:
I really thought this would be the perfect HTC phone, and I actually really wanted it to be the one since I think the company has had great ideas in the past that have been trampled by poor execution. My first Android phone was the HTC One M7, and aside from the so-so camera, it was one of my favorite phones ever. BoomSound, Sense, and the phone's overall look were something totally new and refreshing. After reading the reviews of the M8's camera, I decided to pass and went back to Apple for a year. When the M9 came out, I jumped on it, and quickly jumped off after I had a few days to learn all about the Snapdragon 810 and its thermal issues. I picked up an LG G4 next, which was serviceable, but nothing special. I always had my eye on HTC though waiting for the 10.
Once it came out, I made sure to read all the reviews that I could, crossing my fingers that HTC would hit the mark. After I saw that the camera was finally up to snuff, I took the plunge and bought it. $699 is a steep price for a phone, but I managed to catch the $100 discount offer and got it for $599 before tax, which was great. I also got it in 2 days, which was nice considering I heard that some people here on XDA were having ordering problems.
After using the phone for a few days, and comparing it side-by-side to the S7, I started to make a mental list of pros and cons
PROS
- Screen: HTC has always had good screens on their flagships, and the 10 is no different. Bright and vibrant colors with great viewing angles. Obviously they're not as saturated as Samsung's AMOLEDs, but you can set the LCD display to vivid mode to approximate it, or sRGB mode for nice accurate colors
- Sound Quality: While the external speakers aren't as good as the original BoomSound, they're more than capable and produce an interesting sound. The BoomSound equalizer settings also makes your music sound great with headphones. I didn't get to test out HTC's own earbuds though since they didn't come with the US version
- Build Quality: The phone feels as solid as ever, but that's also a con that you'll see below
- Battery Life: I never had any trouble getting through a whole day of texting, web browsing, light gaming and listening to music
- Camera: While it might not be able to quite pass Samsung, it gives them a good fight. Easily the one of the top cameras on the market behind the Galaxy Brothers, and HTCs best camera ever. The selfie cam is great too, and it's actually better than what Samsung has to offer on it's S7 models. My only little gripe with the rear camera is that the laser autofocus can be a little spastic, going in and out of focus when you activate it, but I feel like another software update can take care of that
- Fingerprint Scanner: One of my favorite features. It was really quick to read my fingerprint, and since it's a a capacative sensor instead of a physical button, you don't have to press it down to activate the display and scanner. Just put your finger on it and it works
CONS
- Sense: I loved the previous versions of Sense, but I think HTC toned this one down a little too much. I appreciate the fact that there aren't any duplicate apps like there are on most devices, but I feel like taking out the HTC Gallery and Music apps was a mistake. Visually, this version is a mix of classic Sense and stock Android, which doesn't always combine well. Some of Sense's elements (like the weather clock) are starting to look a little dated compared to the competition too, so the contrast between MM and Sense is a little jarring on some menus. I also don't understand why HTC kept the 4x4 homescreen now that the phone has a 5.2" display. With so much real estate to work with, the gaps between apps are pretty big, and I feel like there should be a setting to go to 5x5 since most other OEMs include that. The Quick Settings menu also can't be modified like it could be in older Sense versions and competitor UIs, and you have to either double pull to extend it, or swipe down with two fingers. If I wanted a Nexus, I'd have bought one
- Build Quality: As I mentioned above, the phone feels really solid, almost to the point of being heavy. It weighs 6 grams more than my old G4, which was mostly plastic, and you can feel it. It's very noticeable when it's in your pocket, and makes a bit of a thud when you put it down on a table. Even adding a thin TPU case to it also increases the weight to the point where I felt uncomfortable handling it one-handed
- Screen-Body Radio: My LG G4 had a 5.5 inch display and was 148.9 mm tall. The HTC 10 has a 5.2" display and is 145.9 mm tall. So the phones are relatively the same size and the 10 has a noticeably smaller screen.
- FM Radio: HTC has included FM radio support from the M7 - M9, and I was really surprised that it didn't continue that trend with the 10. Carriers like T-Mobile & AT&T are requesting that OEMs enable their device's FM chips, and T-Mo just got Samsung to flip the switch on the S7's radio, so I don't understand why HTC didn't just keep doing what they were already doing.
- Headphone Jack: Most phones had their headphone jack at the top up until a few years ago. Putting it at the bottom made it easier to just slip the phone in your pocket without tangling the headphone cord. With the advent of fingerprint scanners, it made even more sense, since you could grab the phone and unlock it before you even got it out into the open. Having the jack back up at the top made me have to think every time I pulled it out and have to flip it back around.
- Notification LED: Back when I had the M7, I was OK with having a tiny notification LED embedded in the speaker grid that only flashed 2 colors, even though other OEMs already had multicolor LEDs that could be programmed using their own software or apps like Lightwave. Three years later, the only thing HTC has changed is that the LED is just below the speaker. It still only blinks amber or green, so there's almost no opportunity to customize
I really wanted to like this phone, and I tried very hard to convince myself that it was good enough, but at the end of the day I was disappointed that HTC spent the last year getting so many things right like the camera and the phone's overall look, and blew it on some other areas that would have been really easy wins. Granted, nothing that I listed above is a horrible flaw, and I know that everyone has their own list of requirements for their ideal device, but I felt like I was making too many compromises with the 10. I know that I could always load up a ROM or download a new launcher, but it would only solve a few of my cons.
Again, these are my personal opinions, and my thought process is that if I'm going to spend that much on a flagship device that I want to keep for 2 years, I need to feel like I'm getting what I paid for. Unfortunately the 10 didn't quite hit that mark. It's not a bad phone by any stretch, and it may be the one for you. I decided to return my S7 and the HTC, and went with the S7 Edge, which rocks a 5.5" screen, 3600 mAh battery, and is only 5 mm taller than the 10. It's also 4 grams lighter and 1.3 mm thinner, and feels a lot better in my hand even with a case. It costs about $70 more the 10 at full retail, but I feel like you get a lot more for your money.
Maybe the water resistance feature, otherwise, I didn't care for anything else. The 10 seems solid, doesn't lag as much as the samsung. I am unlocked and rooted , so it is something I am grateful for after rocking the s7 for only 1 months.
I am getting better battery performance with the HTC 10 compared to what I got with the s7.
Personally nothing is missed I had the s7, now it's my wife's lol
Love this HTC 10
Got the s7e one week to test, before i got my preordered htc 10. Screen(manufacter;sharp) is much better and much more natural than the S7 "comic style" display no matter which calibration i used. Also there are "pentile micro dots" visible while zooming in a white page on the amoled of the s7.
UI: Much smoother, and the stockish design of the ui is perfect for me as i came from a thc m7 gpe. Also less bloatware on the 10.
Cons: thermal throttling seems to be more a problem of the 10 as on the s7e exynos. Hope custom kernel or software update will change the clocking, as it throttles the CPU at 38degrees celsius to 1,36 max clock at the moment.
S7e cam is slightly better in my opinion.
Which fingerprint sensor do you guys think is better?
I had a s7e, I find the fingerprint sensor on the 10 better. I haven't really had too much throttling so far either.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I've heard in quite a few reviews that the HTC 10 sensor is superior to the S7/S7 Edge.
Alot of S7/S7 Edge reviews describe the sensor as hit or miss.
Sammae7 said:
I've heard in quite a few reviews that the HTC 10 sensor is superior to the S7/S7 Edge.
Alot of S7/S7 Edge reviews describe the sensor as hit or miss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I see.
Just to be clear, I own neither but have played with both in store and I do extensive research before purchase.
Based on the above, I do much prefer the HTC 10.
xperia x root said:
Got the s7e one week to test, before i got my preordered htc 10. Screen(manufacter;sharp) is much better and much more natural than the S7 "comic style" display no matter which calibration i used. Also there are "pentile micro dots" visible while zooming in a white page on the amoled of the s7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be kidding. If you set any Samsung phone to "Basic," it is the most color accurate display on a smartphone, period. There is no "comic-ness" to it. It is a true reproduction of sRGB which actually looks extremely dull and boring, but it's accurate. The 10 is an LCD which is vastly inferior to OLED panels in phones. Worse viewing angles, and subjectively terrible contrast since 1700~:1 is garbage compared to infinite contrast.
I find it hard to believe you can see "micro dots" on a 500+ PPI screen. I can make out the edges of pixels on my 6P due to lack of antialiasing, but I haven't tried to on the S7E. Either way the 6P had to be up in my face, and I had to look hard to see it. But there were certainly no visible dots.
Lifehags said:
Which fingerprint sensor do you guys think is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 10's fingerprint sensor pad is too small in my opinion, but it is still better than the S7/E. Reason being it's capacitive, and a hair faster. Samsung are idiots for continuing to use a physical home button, and one you have to press to unlock the phone. But the accuracy rate of the S7/E is a lot better than it ever used to be - especially if you program the same finger twice (something I do on every device anyway). It may tell you the finger is already programmed, but just do the initial scan really far back from the pad of your finger, then it will let you scan wherever you want to again.
Have my exynos s7 edge on sale while I got this one to use. The HTC 10 is a great phone but in my opinion, not better than the s7 edge. What I miss mainly is the screen. I love LCD but the AMOLED display on the s7 edge is quite Good. Don't like the over saturation but got used to it. It's a darn good display. Sadly my HTC 10 display has a pink tint to it and the bottom of the phone has a strong pink tint to it (likely not a sharp panel from the few comments I've seen here and there). So far, battery life has not been great. My s7 was one of those that went long on battery. I can Un plug at 7 am and plug back in at midnight with 7 hours screen on time. With the same usage on my HTC, I'd be charging only @ 6pm with less screen on time. Also the camera is descent but doesn't focus like the s7 edge does @ night and ui wise, I've spent the phone micro stutter much more than my edge but not to the annoying degree. That's about it. What I live about this phone...the damn DAC. Holy crap it's good. Even listening to spotify feels like I'm listening to something almost magical lol.
Small things. GPS takes a while to lock and wifi module isn't as good as the exynos. I have 175mbps connection. I get the full thing in my room with both phones. In my restroom, 20 feet away from my room, my HTC only pulls 50mbps while the galaxy pulls 125mbps. Also, I got wifi in my car while parked in the street in front of my house. With the HTC, wifi disconnects in the exact same spot.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
After returning the Nexus 6p for the battery issues on a brand new device, I'm considering buying the Z Play.
A thing that makes me doubt is the screen. The resolution is the same of my 3 years old Nexus 5, but with a bigger screen, so the overall PPI is worse.
I have stopped by a couple of shops but they only had the Moto Z, so I haven't been able to test the screen of the Play.
So my question is, is the screen really good when you look at it? I don't want to buy it and after first boot realize that even the Nexus 5 screen looks smoother...
It's a good looking display. Not as good as my 2K screen on my S7, but it is good for a 1080p screen. It's also an AMOLED, so the colors look nice and it has an amazing contrast ratio.
The PPI is amazing. QHD screens are nice but not massively different than FHD screens.
I love the screen, I think it's great and coming from my note 4, I don't even notice a difference. But honestly unless you're using it for VR you probably won't be able to tell a difference between 400 and 500+ PPI.
Compared to the 6P that it replaced, it really is a nice looking screen. Plenty bright even at the lowest setting, but I noticed vertical lines running through mine. Has anyone else noticed that?
None but I do get lag after the phone is not used in 3 or 4 hours. Haven't tried to flash a factory md5 yet but if it keeps it up
i'll have to get rid of it. Its really basic when it comes to stock settings and havent found an app to restore some tuning options.
honestly, the screen was my biggest concern coming from the S7 Edge (the edges on the Edge were just annoying).. but i really can't tell the difference, visually.
the moto Z play screen is just damn good. bright colors, clear lines. it just works. plus the phenomenal battery life just adds to the perks of this phone.
When some text appears in different colors on black background, it is clearly to notice that red is on a higher level than white and blue a bit below white. This is a thing I had with Samsung Galaxy S3 also, and I was glad when I wasn't using AMOLED anymore. Thought with smaller structures (resolution much higher) it would be less obvious, but it is clear to see. Under other circumstances the screen is really fine.
Its awesome!
After months of "which phone next?", I was solidly set on the X⁴.
While researching this purchase, I found the unlocked, for all US carriers, Z2 Play.
Dilemma revisited...
Is the Z2 Play worth the extra $100?
It does have double the internal storage and ups the RAM by 1GB, so it could easily be justified, with that.
Big concern, will Moto Actions, Voice and Display be the same, on both of these as it is on the Moto X Pure Edition?
I'm really hooked on the custom wakeup word and reading my text to me, while driving.
I'd appreciate opinions and other 'vs.' thoughts.
Hey man, Moto Actions, Voice, and Display are all present on the Z2P. The big difference that you need to think about is that the X4 is 5.2 IPS, has a dual camera and no mods. Meanwhile the Z2P is 5.5 AMOLED, single camera, and you can use mods.
kiden said:
Hey man, Moto Actions, Voice, and Display are all present on the Z2P. The big difference that you need to think about is that the X4 is 5.2 IPS, has a dual camera and no mods. Meanwhile the Z2P is 5.5 AMOLED, single camera, and you can use mods.
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Unfortunately, there is no custom wakeup word in Moto Voice. I played with the app at best buy and it seems to only have 'show me' commands, but I bought Z2 unlocked version on swappa anyways.
Now, I have a 6P 128 and a Moto X Pure 32 to sell.
I'll keep my Moto X Pure 64 as a backup.
ETA, got the wife an X4 and the battery life is just as great as the Z2 Play.
I've had the Z2 Play for almost 2 months and with same daily usage, the battery life far exceeds the MXPE and 6P.
Hey Pablo, after another month, do you have any words of wisdom on preference between the Z2 and X4? I doubt that I would buy any mods for the Z2, but I like the storage capacity it offers. I will definitely root the phone also and it looks like Z2 is ahead in that area right now also. On the other hand, I like the water resistance, display screen, and dual cameras of the X4. I am not having huge problems with my XPE now; battery life is not great and internal storage is jammed full. So I would like to get a new phone, probably by February. Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts.
G_Man18 said:
Hey Pablo, after another month, do you have any words of wisdom on preference between the Z2 and X4? ....
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Click to collapse
I was stuck between these two, but ended up with the Z2. The 4 GB RAM and 64GB internal storage did it. I've had it just shy of three months and the wife has had the X4 for a month. With what I now know about the two, the Z2 would be an easy choice for me.
I prob won't get any mods, either, but the thinness is awesome in my pocket, especially compared to the MXPE.
The X4 is a decent phone, but a few things bother me:
A) Only 32GB internal storage which has 13GB taken up by OS files. I've read that it's some doubling of files, in order to make updates smoother.
B) 3 GB of RAM. The wife has not reported lag issues, but I want more RAM to enable the phone to be able to handle future needs.
C) The camera has a really bad lag, between pressing the go button and the pic actually being captured. I've side loaded a Google Camera apk and every time I test it, it snaps pics right after the button is pressed, but in real world use, she misses what she is trying to capture. Very frustrating.
D) Lack of availability of good cases. I like hybrid cases, like Speck or Incipio, with a hard back and grippy sides. There are no major manufacturers cases available for the X4.
E) X4 is kinda fat in thickness, when compared to the Z2 and I prefer the larger screen on the Z2.
Both batteries greatly out perform the MXPE, even when new. With the same daily usage and charging, I am usually left with at least 50%. The MXPE often required charging, in the evening, in order to make it to bed time.
I am really happy with my Z2 choice. I have been using the ONE BUTTON NAV feature and it's pretty awesome. Sometimes I forget which way to swipe it, when in landscape, using a nav dock and sometimes BACK goes all the way to the home screen, instead of just back one page in the app being used, but overall I like it.
I have rooted it and themed it. Making the backgrounds black is my major motivation for rooting. Since lollipop arrived with all of its white backgrounds and icons I have been a theming junkie. I'll be trying Xposed and Gravity Box, soon, but only for a few tweaks.
I really like tempted glass screen protectors! I think they feel better than a bare screen and they give me security piece of mind. I am using a TG PROJECTOR, to I can't recall which, and it is serving me well. It does not cover the entire screen side to side, but covers enough and the cutouts are accurate.
I have the Sleo snap case for weekend carry and is a great low profile and grippy case. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B072562YNT/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have a Speck Presidio for work days and it's quite grippy.
I also have an Otterbox Commuter for days that require even more protection, but is had a smooth back and is a bit hard to hold on to. I have a GadgetShieldz for a different phone (Z Force I think) that I will add to the back of the Commuter, in hopes of adding grip.
ETA: got the Gadgetshieldz camera and body protectors. I'm not impressed. The sandstone finish seems just as slippery as the Commuter case and the camera protector does not have precise cuts. I reckon they are cheap for a reason.
I have tried this camera protector, but they did not stay applied and are plastic, not glass.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B074FTS66N/ref=oh_aui_i_sh_post_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have GadgetShieldz camera films for both phones on their way, also.
I tried this case, before better cases were available and returned. It is cheap and not grippy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071ZS9R1X/ref=oh_aui_i_r_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Too bad you missed the $350 price, from Moto's site, that was running for a few weeks! There are a couple on swappa.com right now.
After reviewing both, I've determined the Z2 Play as the far superior option. It's faster (even though not on paper), the camera's better, the software's better, and it has a nicer AMOLED screen.
https://thematridox.com/2017/11/17/moto-x4-review/
https://thematridox.com/2017/07/31/moto-z2-play-and-new-moto-mods-review/
Thanks again Pablo for your thoughtful review/comparison. It did help me decide on the Z2P, and they are marked down again on the Motorola site. Not quite as good as the Black Friday deal, but good enough for me to order one. Now I just need to read up on the best root method so I am ready to go when it gets here in a couple of days.
I've got my Z2 Play (4/64) a few months ago. My wife got new X4 (4/64) this christmas. Both phones has advantages and disadvantages. Z2 Play have a better screen (AMOLED) and X4 have a much much better camera (apart from Z2 Play, wich is rubbish in photoshooting...).
Another voice from me, I've bought both phones :
Moto X4:
+ better camera support on XDA (stock camera is OK, but modded GCam... is often better, especially low-light)
+ newer chipset (better LTE modem - 600 Mbit, Bluetooth 5.0, faster graphics)
+ longer foreseen future (as it's chosen by Google for its Project Fi)
+ water/dustproof
- smaller storage (I've just discovered that - having almost no custom apps, just Spotify and GCam plus e-banking) I have only about 5.5 GB left
- hybrid dual-sim tray
- microSD card can only be formatted as portable storage
- slightly less "snappy" device (but this is just an impression maybe, really hardly noticeable)
Moto Z2 Play:
+ bigger, more impressive screen
+ more RAM (so slightly "snappier", just a little bit)
+ more storage
+ Mods support
+ dual SIM and microSD support at the same time - no "hybrid" slot
- GCam currently not possible (and probably never will be), so camera is noticeably worse, despite of its 1.7 aperture and laser AF
- single main camera (well, I really love the wide-angle one on Moto X4)
- Lenovo already has broken its built-in equalizer after one of latest updates - not working (but at least it sounds really OK even without EQ...)
- worse LTE modem (300 Mbit)
Common for both phones :
+ great battery life !
+ really nice sound via headphones
+ great, highly sensitive FM radio tuner
+ fantastic design and build quality
- so-so support for now