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Motorola Moto 360 (2014) Smart Watch Review
First off, yes you read the title correctly. This is a review of the original 360 and not the brand new one. Why you may ask, well in part because I’ve been meaning to write this for ages and partly because there are simply somethings that you do not pick up on if you have used a device for 2 weeks. Something’s you discover only when you have lived with something for a long time and its only then you discover that there are things, had you been aware of, you may not have bothered getting one. Think of it like a marriage. The first while is all fun and laughter but time can breed contempt. So how well has the 360 held up? Should you snap one up cheap and what lessons have we learnt going forward? Let’s see shall we.
First Impressions: Ahhh casting the mind far back into the depths and it arriving in its round box. Ooh so pretty. Inside the watch itself, round too sitting there, it looks bloody good. They have gone out of their way to make you think that the 360 is a watch, not a smart phone or tiny computer, it’s a watch, round and above all a joy for the eyes to behold and well…………… they pretty much nailed it. The 360 was pretty much the unquestioned pretty one among the first wave of Android Wear devices. It is deserved.
Picking it up and it feels so plush and quality. The strap is real dead cow and feels nice to the touch, the facia with its bare metal glass. So much pretty and quality to the touch. I’m not wild about leather straps, I’d rather metal but it seems that Motorola decided that they couldn’t use standard watch strap fittings. I don’t know if it’s just to be awkward but it’s a bloody annoyance. Something that the new one has corrected so clearly Moto picked up on the feedback. Additionally while the leather strap looks nice it has a traditional buckle mechanism, which is not the most straightforward for taking on and off with regularity. This is going to be an issue going forward.
Specifications: Display 1.56” 320 x 290, 205 ppi, Backlit LCD IPS, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3, Watch Case Dimensions, 46 mm diameter x 11.5 mm high, Weight 60 g (without strap), Battery 320 mAh Wireless charging with charging dock included, Processor TI OMAP™ 3, Memory 4 GB internal storage with 512 MB RAM, Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, Wi-Fi, Sensors Pedometer (9-axis sensor), Ambient light sensor, Optical heart rate monitor (PPG), Water Resistance IP67
It also comes in 2 colours, black or silver and a few strap combos too. Though they are proprietary watch straps which is just odd. I mean why do it, urgh.
Accessories: It came with a charger with a built in USB cable, grr. It also came with its little charging dock and a normal micro USB cable for it. If you want more things, like more straps or screen covers, as ever hit up eBay. Sad that they didn’t use normal watch strap attachments but for a bit more money you can still get a fair assortment of straps.
Fit/Comfort: Perfectly fine. It’s a watch, granted it’s a little big for a watch but not wildly so. On it went, and that was basically it. I’d have preferred a metal strap but not enough to go to the bother of actually changing the strap myself.
Screen: AMOLED lovely gorgeous prettiness. The screen is also mostly round, with what’s been dubbed the “flat tire” at the bottom. When the 360 first came out feelings were mixed, some didn’t mind and that thought that it was a good trade-off for having super thin bezels. It’s a shame both perfectly round and thin bezels can’t be had but……. in use you just pick a facia that doesn’t light up the whole screen. Something that isn’t noticeably missing the bottom and then honestly, I didn’t really miss it. Sure when playing with watch faces, perfectly round ones with something obviously missing was the only time it bothered me. Most of the time in use, I didn’t only not mind but I never really even noticed it was there. You just forget that there is anything missing.
However……………… while the “flat tire” thing didn’t bother me what did was the round screen. Does a round screen look pretty, oh god yes it does. Then it’s an AMOLED which just looks sooooooooooooooo pretty it’s just gorgeous, there is just no way around the fact that the 360 is a lovely, super pretty thing. Thing is, there is a reason why we use rectangular monitors and TV’s. A round screen is just stupid. The UI clearly wants things to be square and text especially gets partially cut off at the top and bottom of the screen where it rounds off. It just hammers the functionality and having a Moto 360 and a Sony Smart Watch 3, the Sony is the one I pick up and want to use every day.
UI: Android Wear is Android Wear. It’s in a reasonably rapid state of development still being only a year old. On the whole it’s good, however there is still the screen, rounded and thus missing bits from the top and bottom, issue. The UI is just simply not made with round screens in mind and thus it’s a pain. However the problem is the round face and not the UI in my opinion. Trying not to turn this into an Android Wear review which is a different article entirely. However expect things like swiping in from the upper left to be regularly, mildly frustrating. It’s not terrible but I did get on my nerves.
Features: So the stand out things on the 360, for me, are the round screen, its stunningly good looks, its heart rate sensor and lastly its Qi charging. Now if you are in the know you’ll notice that those are basically the differentiation points between the 360 and the Sony 3.
So that round screen. See above frankly. Pretty but at the price of usability. It really is very pretty but the cost for me is just too high. However if you kept this maybe just for going out of an evening, when pretty really matters then great. It is such a pretty thing.
Heart rate, well it kinda works but it doesn’t seem to continuously monitor so while it is interesting, if you’re a fitness freak why would you be using this device? It would be like wearing dress evening shoes for running. It’ll do the job but it’s clearly the wrong tool for activity.
Qi. Ahhh you know I love Qi charging and I can tell you that every watch should have it. That you slap it down in its little dock, you can instantly see that it’s charging, that any Qi charger works are all boons. It makes charging the thing every night (and you will be charging it every night) not just into a requirement but it turns into a little clock. It lights up with a clock face in the right orientation. Just perfect for living on a bedside table. All Wear watches should have Qi charging.
Build Quality: On the surface, its perfect. The construction quality is exemplary and it’s simply beauteous to behold to both the eye and the fingers. Note that while perfectly built it doesn’t mean you can’t break it. The watch straps and put under pressure can shatter the back screen. While that’s fairly rare it’s a stupid design flaw not a manufacturing issue.
Usability: Take a wild guess what causes a usability issue? Yep that round screen. While it wasn’t as awkward as the Sun S2 with its bevelled edge making it hard to touch things near the edges. The 360 is clean glass right to the edge so you can access it all perfectly. The issue is that the UI is clearly intended for a rectangular screen. So that isn’t really the 360’s fault per say but you get the idea. It doesn’t make anything impossible to do or really much different but a square screen would just be better.
Battery: Well it has a 360mAh battery. The battery is not the issue though, the issue is the screen. That super pretty AMOLED screen you see, needs to be actively transmitting light to be seen. It is an emissive screen and its battery hungry. Then you have the option to have it auto light up with a flick of the wrist or you can have it run in a dim passive mode most of the time so it’s something you can glance at and see. This however is battery destroying. Leaving the screen on and the battery life just plummets like a lead weight. If you make use of the thing or have the dim always lit up feature in use then expect to start charging the thing halfway through your day. I get that the battery itself isn’t the problem, nor can it really grew much physically but that’s not my problem, it’s for Moto engineers to solve. Even if you use it without passively being on still expect the thing to want charged every single night.
Connectivity: So its main method of world communication is via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. That’s great, it pairs to your phone, the phone does the thinking and data transmission all over that power sipping Bluetooth connection. You also have the option to use Wi-Fi. You can use it to keep your phone and watch in communication, via Wi-Fi and the internet. You know, for when your phone is out of Bluetooth range yet you still need to be connected to it, if not physically near it. Why you may wonder, I certainly did. The only scenario I can see it popping up is if at work you go to the bathroom, leaving your phone behind but are waiting for some urgent email. You need that notification that it’s come in. It’s a stretch I know, mostly it’s a stupid feature that just further hammers the battery. Of course you can just leave Wi-Fi off which is what I do.
Value: When it launched it was what, £200. So pretty but yeah that battery life. Now with its successor just announced, this will have practically identical functionality and features. Seriously they changed almost nothing, as I see it they have added a smaller one for girls, moved the button up a bit and altered the strap attachment to that of a normal standard watch. Like every other watch on earth. Price though, well this one’s fallen so I saw somewhere selling it for £113. The New one is retailing for US$300, that’s £200 and that’s before VAT and the obligatory you’re not an American price hike. So that makes the old one probably less than half the price of the new one. To me that seems like pretty reasonable value in comparison to the new one.
Conclusion: So what have I learned from the Moto 360 (2014.) I’ve learned that pretty only gets you so far. The 360 is pretty, it’s the prettiest Android Wear device I have seen and the old one, to me is still better looking than the new one. I get that while I *****ed about the straps being some weird proprietary thing and that it can break the glass back of you put them under pressure but…… damn it’s a good looking device. If you want a Wear watch for going out, to look great in a business meeting to impress someone for whatever reason or situation the old 360 is a damn fine looking machine. Oh and that AMOLED, ooooooh just soooooooooooooooooo much pretty.
However, those good looks have left it compromised. Round screen, they are just awkward and there is a reason we don’t use round screens or round sheets of paper, it’s a pain. That strap, the weird fit attachment. Yeah, so for me that means I’m pretty much not changing the strap. I’d really like one with a clasp rather than a buckle because the battery life is such that you need to take the damn thing off every 20 min to charge it. Granted its little dock is cool but you really need one for the office and one for your bedside. Though in fairness any old Qi charger will do fine. AMOLED, it’s just the wrong tech for a watch. I need always on to glance ta the thing and that while better than lighting up a whole LCD screen it is still too battery heavy.
So should you buy one? Well I’d easily buy this over its successor, its price slash makes it waaaaaaaaay better value and offers practically identical functionality and features. Still you have to want to sacrifice usability to get that super pretty round screen. for me, na I’ll take the Sony but if you want something to visually impress on a budget, the old Moto 360 is pretty (oh so pretty) option that won’t destroy your wallet.
The screen on Moto 360 is LCD and not AMOLED. AMOLED will be better for a watch because it consume less battery for always on screen with mainly dark background.
Moto 360 1nd and 2nd are LCD IPS
LG Watch R / Urbane are P-OLED
Huawei Watch are OMOLED
Some phones are great to take camping because if you play Asphalt 8 long enough, the back warms up to the ideal temperature that can bake bread. Rate this thread to express the extent to which the Samsung Galaxy S7 stays cool under extended heavy use. A higher rating indicates that even when playing strenuous games for long periods of time, the phone doesn't get uncomfortably warm.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
what i find is that my device (S7) stays very cool under conditions that my other device (m8) would overheat. now i dont play traditional games on my smartphone but i do run chess engines against each other on all 4 cores and typically after about 10 minutes i would have to stop because my m8 would reach over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). under more strenuous conditions the s7 only reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) after running for close to an hour. although the phone got physically hot which may be alarming, but i relied on an app to measure the internal temp. once i get a case for the s7 i probably wont even notice.
all in all, these results blew me away. i will try this again after i root the s7 and overclock it. but for now im very impressed.
The question here is does it throttle and how fast does it start throttling? A lot of people are complaining about the heat but really it should be hotter. The new heat pipe is supposed to disperse the heat to the frame away from the processor. Now if it is only hot where the processor is located like my s6 then that is a problem.
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk
I've been pleasantly surprised with how cool the device stays as well. I keep it in an Incipio DualPro (although I find myself taking it out often either for Gear VR time, or just because the damn phone is nice to look at) and tend to go on usage binges frequently. Even throwing in a little gaming here and there (mostly Clash of Clans which used to warm up the S5 pretty easily.) So far, so cool. Even wireless charging (slow or fast) seems to run cooler.
If it's throttling to keep the temperature averages lower, then it hasn't been of detrimental effect to my own usage patterns so far.
I am actually hater of Android phones, but the features provided by Samsung Galaxy S7 and edge S7 are truly amazing. actully I personally saw after charging all Android devices they get heated. But I must say this S7 and S7 Edge are not from this family. Also there are some great features like water residence technique.... etc.
does it get hot when constantly using the facebook app(Like my S6 overheats sometime when using it often due to heavy usage)? i'm buying the S7 next week
After a few days of use I can say that it does not even get warm much less hot while doing anything I normally do, including gaming and I play a wide range of games on my phone including some pretty graphical ones. The only time it has felt warm at all was when I was first downloading and trying all of my VR games, not sure why though because I played a couple hours of VR last night and it did not heat up at all, maybe it was burning in?
Both my S7 and my wife's S7 get very warm. I immediately noticed it on the first boot for both devices when the Play Store was installing all of our apps. Installing about 50 apps took over a hour. I think both of our devices are defective as they are not consistently running smoothly as well the LTE speeds are 50% slower than our previous S6 and S6 Edge. So far a factory reset has not corrected the problem for either device. That said both S7's still score very high with Antutu 128000-129000. It's all very odd.
Lastwurdz said:
what i find is that my device (S7) stays very cool under conditions that my other device (m8) would overheat. now i dont play traditional games on my smartphone but i do run chess engines against each other on all 4 cores and typically after about 10 minutes i would have to stop because my m8 would reach over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). under more strenuous conditions the s7 only reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) after running for close to an hour. although the phone got physically hot which may be alarming, but i relied on an app to measure the internal temp. once i get a case for the s7 i probably wont even notice.
all in all, these results blew me away. i will try this again after i root the s7 and overclock it. but for now im very impressed.
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I switched from the M8 to the S7 and my M8 never got this hot. My S7 is always getting warm and the battery life sucks. I got it 3 days ago and have yet to play a game or watch media on it and it still heats up and the battery is down in the teen % by late afternoon.
Qualcomm SD820 sucks unfortunately. Gets hot, bad battery life, ****ty DAC.
ThoreauAZ said:
I've been pleasantly surprised with how cool the device stays as well. I keep it in an Incipio DualPro (although I find myself taking it out often either for Gear VR time, or just because the damn phone is nice to look at) and tend to go on usage binges frequently. Even throwing in a little gaming here and there (mostly Clash of Clans which used to warm up the S5 pretty easily.) So far, so cool. Even wireless charging (slow or fast) seems to run cooler.
If it's throttling to keep the temperature averages lower, then it hasn't been of detrimental effect to my own usage patterns so far.
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a bit off topic.. how is that incipio case working out for you. i've been eyeing it but haven't read any feedback. is it a slick case or does it have some texture for the grip? rubbery or plastic? thanks for any help.
konoplya said:
a bit off topic.. how is that incipio case working out for you. i've been eyeing it but haven't read any feedback. is it a slick case or does it have some texture for the grip? rubbery or plastic? thanks for any help.
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I had the same model case for my S5 and loved it. It was bulky but was the kind of added protection I was looking for when i was out hiking or backpacking.
The version for the S7 (S7 Edge, specifically) feels more streamlined to me. Definiteky thinner materials, and because it has to keep the two long sides of the phone fairly clear due to the edge screen, it's a good bit more flexible (i can pop the phone in and out without having to first separate the two case layers.) I'd expect the non edge version for the s7 may be more in line with what I remember from my S5 days.
That said, the grip/texture is a nice balance between slick and grippy. It has a rubbery feel, but it doesn't snag on its way in and out of a pocket. Its just enough to know that it won't slip outta the hand.
Meanwhile, on the heat subject again, the s7e managed to reboot itself during a VR session and when it came back up, it seemed to have forgotten a lotta settings. Edge panels were no longer selected, double tap home yo launch camera went away, and probably 8 or so others that I noticed eventually. Easy enough to set them back, but thats the first time ive ever seen something like that on an android device. I can't say for certain that it was heat related, as it couldve rebooted due to any number of unfound software bugs, but it certainly had become fairly toasty during that session.
ThoreauAZ said:
I had the same model case for my S5 and loved it. It was bulky but was the kind of added protection I was looking for when i was out hiking or backpacking.
The version for the S7 (S7 Edge, specifically) feels more streamlined to me. Definiteky thinner materials, and because it has to keep the two long sides of the phone fairly clear due to the edge screen, it's a good bit more flexible (i can pop the phone in and out without having to first separate the two case layers.) I'd expect the non edge version for the s7 may be more in line with what I remember from my S5 days.
That said, the grip/texture is a nice balance between slick and grippy. It has a rubbery feel, but it doesn't snag on its way in and out of a pocket. Its just enough to know that it won't slip outta the hand.
Meanwhile, on the heat subject again, the s7e managed to reboot itself during a VR session and when it came back up, it seemed to have forgotten a lotta settings. Edge panels were no longer selected, double tap home yo launch camera went away, and probably 8 or so others that I noticed eventually. Easy enough to set them back, but thats the first time ive ever seen something like that on an android device. I can't say for certain that it was heat related, as it couldve rebooted due to any number of unfound software bugs, but it certainly had become fairly toasty during that session.
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so in other words you'd recommend this case? thanks for the info btw. very helpful.
No problems with heat or battery here. Way cooler than my s6.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
jonahtriangle said:
No problems with heat or battery here. Way cooler than my s6.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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+1
jonahtriangle said:
No problems with heat or battery here. Way cooler than my s6.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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Definitely cooler than my s6 and to the person stating this phone gets hotter than his m8 did, you DEFINITELY must have a bad phone. The m8 and m9 always got very hot in my experience this phone is almost like ICE in comparison. My s6 even was cooler than either of those 2 and the s7 is even cooler than the s6. Battery life seems to be a little better than my s6 as well.
Pretty rough
I switched from my old S4 to the S7 on day one, and equipped it with all of the same accessories. I work in a kitchen, and it's often extremely hot on the line, but even in an Otter Defender my S4 would rock all day as a bluetooth music player connected to our soundbar. Ever since the switch I will get between 30-45 minutes only running DoubleTwist on BT before I get a hard reset from overheating. I've taken to leaving it in the pantry, but now I have to run off the line every time I want to change the song or the volume. As a desktop builder I understand the compromises between heat, performance, and cooling, but this seems a little sensitive.
I have g935f. Before that i had G920f and i have to say, best phone i ever had in my hands. No heating... Playing games for a few houers and no throtel no overheatin. Batthery is much bether than on S6, but i think that MM for S6 is more optimized for S6 then S7. Abouth heat, i think that the diference is in CPU. Exynus VS Snapdragon...
JAYNO20 said:
Definitely cooler than my s6 and to the person stating this phone gets hotter than his m8 did, you DEFINITELY must have a bad phone. The m8 and m9 always got very hot in my experience this phone is almost like ICE in comparison. My s6 even was cooler than either of those 2 and the s7 is even cooler than the s6. Battery life seems to be a little better than my s6 as well.
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Can I just ask you. What's the average temperature your device sits at when using it? And the maximum you've gotten it up to. I need to compare mine to it as I came from a s5 which didn't really get hot. But because the s7 is new I'm also quite paranoid with the heat and need to see if I have a defected device or not. And please state wether you have exynos or sd
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------
Strazzi said:
I have g935f. Before that i had G920f and i have to say, best phone i ever had in my hands. No heating... Playing games for a few houers and no throtel no overheatin. Batthery is much bether than on S6, but i think that MM for S6 is more optimized for S6 then S7. Abouth heat, i think that the diference is in CPU. Exynus VS Snapdragon...
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Click to collapse
Do you have exynos or snapdragon? I've got exynos and I experienced a average of 33 degrees Celsius, is that normal or average
thafz said:
Can I just ask you. What's the average temperature your device sits at when using it? And the maximum you've gotten it up to. I need to compare mine to it as I came from a s5 which didn't really get hot. But because the s7 is new I'm also quite paranoid with the heat and need to see if I have a defected device or not. And please state wether you have exynos or sd
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------
Do you have exynos or snapdragon? I've got exynos and I experienced a average of 33 degrees Celsius, is that normal or average
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I don't have any temperature measuring programs on the phone, but it rarely even feels warm. It will show heat a little more than your s5 does because its glass and metal but the s7 runs cooler than my s6 and the s6 wasn't really a hot phone either IMO.
Hi,
I am confused between S7 Active and S7 with Exynos processor. Would really like to know what you guys think. These are some points that have kept me in this limbo:
1. Scratches and Scuffs: Plan to use this phone for atleast 2 years but I am afraid S7A will look really bad if I drop it multiple times as the outer material on S7A can be scuffed. I would rather put a good protective case on the regular S7 and change the case if it becomes unusable.
2. Batteries: One of the main reasons why S7A is popular is because of its huge battery (4000mAh compared to the S7's 3000mAh). However, I read in multiple blogs that S7 Exynos battery life is significantly better than the S7 with Snapdragon. Since S7A is only with Snapdragon, would like to know how it compares to S7 with Exynos.
3. Cost: I am able to find a new S7 with exynos for $550 on Amazon where as S7A is $800.
I am sure this question is relevant for those who are looking to buy an S7A. TIA.
1: It's a rugged phone in most respects, the IP68 rating ensures the dust and water-resistance (not water-proof as so many people get wrong) will keep it working in some environments where other devices might just cough up a dustball literally and die when dunked. There are cases for the Active which make it even bulkier but some aren't so bad - SUPCASE once again makes their Unicorn Beetle case and they're very useful overall. I'd get one for my GS7A but I like the camo green look to it and they aren't making a yellow/black Beetle case so that's that.
As for scuffs and scratches, it's bound to happen if you actually make use of the device in various environments but that will happen to any device - think of the Active as an S7 with a few extra features and a built-in case, if you will.
2) The 4000 mAh battery in the Active consistently gives me 2+ days of battery life since I've had it and that's about 2 weeks now. I typically get at least 2 days and some hours before it gets to the 2-3% point and that's with screen brightness about 40-45% most of the time (if I'm outdoors I just set it for Auto brightness so I don't have to fiddle with it as I'm moving from place to place). Screen on time has been averaging about 6.5-8 hours depending on usage for me.
I only use cellular service when I'm out and about moving around but if I'm within range of actual Wi-Fi service that works I have Tasker set to disconnect and switch over - at home I don't use cellular at all. For the record I barely use my cellular service to be honest, I never give out my carrier number and I use Google Voice for all phone calls and SMS usage. Only 2 people know my carrier number, my Wife and a family member in case of emergencies and that's it (well my carrier knows it of course but they don't have any reasons to call me).
I have zero complaints about the battery life, so that's my position on it, and of course it's a Snapdragon 820 which is damned fast. I have an LG G Flex 2 (Wife uses it) and it's a Snapdragon 810 and the best Antutu score I've had on it running pretty cold to start was about 92K - I tested the Active the other day and got just shy of 142K which is damned impressive to me. So considering the Snapdragon 810 is an 8-core device (big.LITTLE) and the Snapdragon 820 is a 4-core device (still big.LITTLE) Qualcomm made some rather outstanding architecture changes to have such a remarkably higher score with half the number of cores is stunning.
My usage is not typical, mind you, with me not using cellular 24/7; I only use it when actually needed aka not connected to Wi-Fi someplace. Other people will have vastly different experiences and battery life so again, I don't consider my usage typical in any respects. I made a thread here talking about the battery life I've been achieving:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-active/how-to/battery-life-simply-amazing-t3469942
3) Yes the Exynos can be found for less and the GS7A is obviously carrier locked to AT&T as the only seller but it can be unlocked for GSM carriers worldwide after purchase (especially if you buy it outright you can get the unlock code the same day from AT&T). The Exynos models are also the only ones that have root right now iirc, I might be wrong on that but I think I'm correct. And there are some custom ROMs out as well but I might be wrong on that one too - I don't do much poking around in the Galaxy S7 forum here since I know the Active will more than likely never get root or custom ROMs, it's just not a popular device overall.
Having said that if I had to choose for myself I'd still get the Active but that's just me. I prefer it over typical "consumer" models meaning the pretty shiny glossy slick slippery S7 models including the Exynos-based ones. I don't care about 8 freakin' cores - on the G Flex 2 my Wife is using I have it rooted and use EX Kernel Manager to enforce a quad core setup (2 big cores, 2 LITTLE cores) and she gets damned impressive battery life - not nearly what I can get with the Active but even so, it lasts much longer than having all 8 cores enabled.
Yes there's a price premium on the Active but I personally think it's worth it. Be aware that the GS7A does have Gorilla Glass 4 but the actual part you touch to use it is a polycarbonate layer on top of the GG4 that protects it and helps increase the shatter-resistance. Because that top layer is not Gorilla Glass 4 itself it is more prone to scratching but Samsung does offer replacements if necessary. My advice: if you do get the GS7A, get a nice screen protector of some kind for it whether you get something made from a plastic composite or whatever or tempered glass and it'll protect the polycarbonate later.
Basic gist for me: I don't care about the looks of the device, really. The G Flex 2 has a damaged glass surface to it, actual pieces of glass are missing in the lower left hand corner but the digitizer still works 100% and my Wife has zero issues using it. It has a few cracks in it too but the damage is almost entirely contained in the lower left hand corner and not directly over the IPS LCD panel itself so, just a crack or two that stretches from one corner to the other but you really have to be looking for it to notice it.
The Active is a damned fine device but if the price is too much for what it offers, grab the Exynos and he happy I guess.
The S7 Active was built for basically rugged and outdoor use, its battery is greatly increased from 3000mAh to 4000mAh. Reports have indicated it can last you 2 days of moderate-heavy use easily.
Samsung also claims it can survive drops of up to 5 Feet without the glass shattering or anything. The sides and corners are also thicker to safeguard from drops as most accidental drops hit the sides or the corners of the phone.
The back has also been changed to somewhat of a textured plastic obviously to aid in the phone's strengthened outer covering.
Buttons have been replaced by capacitive buttons and the fingerprint sensor/home button is retained.
Overall if you really want a rugged phone without a case, something that you can take anywhere and you know it can withstand the elements the S7 Active is for you. But mind you it comes with ALOT of pre-installed bloatware.
An alternative/cheaper option would just be to just get the S7 Exynos, purchase something like an Otterbox Defender and one of those IP68 Rated Powerbanks and you'd essentially have the "feel" of a rugged device. This option is if you want more customization options, as the Exynos variant of the S7 is the only unlockable variant. ( Root and Custom Roms/Kernels etc. )
Either way, they're both great devices and it all boils down to what would you use it for. Good Luck
Just noted I crossed another day of use - I really do love this phone so far.
The only thing I can complain about (if even that) is the Camera seems to take a lot of energy which is somewhat interesting. I spent some time outside taking photos (with Auto brightness on) and it was damned sunny here in Las Vegas yesterday so I was expecting the display to use more power but that wasn't the case: in the first hour of using the GS7A for photo snapping I noted that the Camera accounted for roughly 45% of the battery used during that 1st hour - the screen came in at like 15% even with full brightness outside. Kinda weird and I wonder if that's something a software upgrade might help with but even so, this camera does seem to hit the battery pretty hard when it's in use. The area by the Power/Sleep button gets quite warm when the Camera is in operation as well.
But I still love the battery life, absolutely.
I noticed this when playing certain heavily graphical games under max graphics settings. It's distractingly uncomfortable. I then ran benchmark tests. This is the hottest running phone I've ever used! Few users notice this issue cause few users use the phone for anything other than youtube, chrome, and casual games like skyforce and dead trigger.
I think I know why. The OnePlus company was very upset when people noticed their OnePlus 2 exhibited the biggest amount of thermal throttling among its peers, so with their new OnePlus 3 they simply disabled thermal throttling and let the phone sustain the same performance over time at the expense of massive heat output. The skin temperature on the metal surface of the phone, especially at the top where the chipset is located, gets just shy of 50 C which is what causes first degree burns. Sometimes it can reach that temp and surpass it.
I saw disassembly videos of this phone and there's no design and engineering thought put into thermal dissipation, they just slapped the motherboard at the top and the battery at the bottom. Contrast this with other phones like HTC where they give thermal dissipation careful consideration by putting the motherboard in the middle, then attatching a copper layer on top of it to radiate the heat outward to the edges. Even the ZTE Axon 7 has some kind of heat pipe going through it though I don't know how effective it is.
This kinda makes sense. I've been following OnePlus 3 devs on reddit and they never once gloated about their phone's sustained performance. This is because they know the only reason it didn't throttle was cause they just let it burn your hand.
I'm truly disappointed. The only phone to date that I've seen has excellent thermal dissipation and sustained performance was the HTC One M8. It was truly the best phone ever designed for gaming. Not to mention its immersive dual front facing stereo speakers. It seems we'll never have another phone like that again.
Pong Lenis said:
I noticed this when playing certain heavily graphical games under max graphics settings. It's distractingly uncomfortable. I then ran benchmark tests. This is the hottest running phone I've ever used! Few users notice this issue cause few users use the phone for anything other than youtube, chrome, and casual games like skyforce and dead trigger.
I think I know why. The OnePlus company was very upset when people noticed their OnePlus 2 exhibited the biggest amount of thermal throttling among its peers, so with their new OnePlus 3 they simply disabled thermal throttling and let the phone sustain the same performance over time at the expense of massive heat output. The skin temperature on the metal surface of the phone, especially at the top where the chipset is located, gets just shy of 50 C which is what causes first degree burns. Sometimes it can reach that temp and surpass it.
I saw disassembly videos of this phone and there's no design and engineering thought put into thermal dissipation, they just slapped the motherboard at the top and the battery at the bottom. Contrast this with other phones like HTC where they give thermal dissipation careful consideration by putting the motherboard in the middle, then attatching a copper layer on top of it to radiate the heat outward to the edges. Even the ZTE Axon 7 has some kind of heat pipe going through it though I don't know how effective it is.
This kinda makes sense. I've been following OnePlus 3 devs on reddit and they never once gloated about their phone's sustained performance. This is because they know the only reason it didn't throttle was cause they just let it burn your hand.
I'm truly disappointed. The only phone to date that I've seen has excellent thermal dissipation and sustained performance was the HTC One M8. It was truly the best phone ever designed for gaming. Not to mention its immersive dual front facing stereo speakers. It seems we'll never have another phone like that again.
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Click to collapse
One, things depend on temperature of surrounding so if ambient temperature are low then no problems and second I know this they didn't disable thermal throttling they just raised the temperature at which it starts.
As a personal opinion my op3 never got hot(not above 40) even after extended periods of gaming (3-4 hours straight).I have other devices that can easily hit 70 but they don't fell hot due to plastic body and this phone has metal that's why it will be more hotter feeling.Have a good day or night
Sorry for my bad english
Dupleshwar said:
One, things depend on temperature of surrounding so if ambient temperature are low then no problems and second I know this they didn't disable thermal throttling they just raised the temperature at which it starts.
As a personal opinion my op3 never got hot(not above 40) even after extended periods of gaming (3-4 hours straight).I have other devices that can easily hit 70 but they don't fell hot due to plastic body and this phone has metal that's why it will be more hotter feeling.Have a good day or night
Sorry for my bad english
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Click to collapse
It's ok you're English being good
So ambient temperature here is 17 C, very cold. I also viewed youtube comparison videos from user YourTechGuide who checks the temps during benchmarks, his results were always the same: OnePlus 3 was always around 10 C degrees hotter than any phone he was comparing it with.
Also one last thing, OnePlus 3 metal surface temps is the one that reaches 50C, its internal temp (the one read by CPU-z) can surpass 70C and 80C.
@Pong Lenis
Which firmware are you currently using?
Even while charging and playing games the phone only gets slightly warm. It performs much better than any other phone I had before.
Nothing to worry about, this phone is realitive cool, keep in mind our GPU could power a Xbox 360. Expect a little heat.
Pong Lenis said:
It's ok you're English being good
So ambient temperature here is 17 C, very cold. I also viewed youtube comparison videos from user YourTechGuide who checks the temps during benchmarks, his results were always the same: OnePlus 3 was always around 10 C degrees hotter than any phone he was comparing it with.
Also one last thing, OnePlus 3 metal surface temps is the one that reaches 50C, its internal temp (the one read by CPU-z) can surpass 70C and 80C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange never heating issues here but one thing who will anyone run back to back benchmarks what I am saying the test is not very realistic we don't push our devices that much for that much peroids(I also saw the video of back to back an tutu benchmarks on op3) the test is very unrealistic I think.
One more thing I could be wrong also and if someone can correct me with a reason they are welcome:laugh:
I'm addicted to mobile gaming. Every morning during my commute to work I get out my phone and start playing Fortnite. Sometimes I get so absorbed in the game to the extent that my 50-minute commute passes by in the blink of an eye. Naturally nothing gets me more excited than new tech that could make gaming better, even something as simple as more screen makes me happy.
But this notch really gets to me. A lot of times I thought I'd pressed the right button, only to find out that I'd actually poked the notch, and in the next second I'm out of the game.
So when I heard about Honor's new notch-less View 20, I thought that could be the phone for me. My only concern though, is whether the hole-like camera is robust enough to withstand scrapes or bumps. I'm quite clumsy and don't want to break it every time the phone slips out of my hands. The new design looks a bit fragile…
Has anyone got their hands on a View 20? Any gamers have phone recommendations? Please let me know if you think the money's worth it!
Hi there,
I have the honor View 20 and would like to start off by saying, this is one of the best phones for gaming. It has the powerful kirin 980 paired with huaweis GPU turbo 2.0 and has liquid cooling.
Regarding the robustness, I would definitely recommend buying a tempered glass screen protector as the glass on the phone isn't gorilla glass so you'll see scratches form when you drop it or put it in your pocket with for example your keys. This goes for the back of the phone as well. I wanted to use the phone for a day without the case and once I got home found that there was a faint scratch on the back. So definitely get a glass screen protector and either buy a case or use the one included
After playing a few games on the Honor View20, I can say that it is definitely one of the best options for someone who spends a lot of time gaming. The phone never got warm and the performance is amazing. It will be interesting to see how to ToF camera is used more in the future for gaming. They have a few games that use it now, but it's more or less a gimmick at this point. Overall it's a very good gaming phone.