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[Q] Dilemma: Z1 Compact, Z2 Or ?

Hey guys,
Have been longing to upgrade my smartphone gear, current using Live Walkman(2012), and I am petty much acquainted with Sony's devices now. My main criteria is to have low profile screen, ie. 4.5 Inch and lower so had my eyes locked on Z1 Compact, but after seeing few reviews on the tube and checking the troubleshooting section of the forum, I am kinda confused.
I do not wish to wait for newer compacts because that wont just end there and I do not change phones frequently as well, so I expect to use for 2years. So would like to know if there's an alternative to Z1C or just go for it.
PS: Would like to know from the owners of Z1C, does the volume boost really have the impact on the external speaker sound? I do not listen to music on speakers or something but I do want to get alerted, If I'm in "noisy" situation or similar.
Thanks

probably wait for z2 compact or get z2 if there's no z2 compact coming..
z2 is alot better than z1 or z1 compact.. since it fixes alot interms of hardware imperfections and brought some good features as well

@kurikapooh: SpiritBreak3r clearly stated that he doesn't want to wait for newer models and it should not be bigger than 4,5". Did you even read the post?
@SpiritBreak3r: Maybe I can help since I am currently in the same situation. For days I have been looking for compact normal-sized phones. I have/had the following in my selection: Sony Xperia Z1 compact, Moto G, HTC One Mini, HTC One Mini 2, LG G2 Mini. I am 98% percent sure that I will get the Z1 compact. What is important to me: good camera, good battery, small size. In short this is why the other phones were dropped:
HTC One Mini has a really bad camera, and at most average battery
HTC One Mini 2 is too big and has a bad battery (half of use time of the Xperia), also is more expensive than xperia and slower.
LG G2 mini is much slower than xperia and has worse resolution (I think there was something else, but I can't remember right now)
Moto G is too big and the camera is too bad for my requirements.
They also have som advantages over the xperia like for example the HTC minis have very good speakers and have good build quality. The LG G2 is very cheap and has a good camera. The Moto G is very cheap and still good (except the camera).
In the end Xperia has OK speakers, good camera (the flash problem can be fixed), its the smallest phone of them all, its very fast, the battery is good, its waterproof which is a nice gimmick. Also I really want to have slo-mo recording in 120fps which imho needs a good CPU, so again one point for the xperia.
This might be helpful to you: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1_compact-review-1037p3.php
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/si...torola-Moto-G/phones/8283,8378,7702,8390,8208

mugoftee said:
LG G2 mini is much slower than xperia and has worse resolution (I think there was something else, but I can't remember right now)
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Maybe stupid back-buttons?
And I really don't get why everyone says the Z2 is so much better than the Z1, all it has over the Z1 series is (arguably much) better speakers, better screen (but not over the Compact, Z2 and Z1C are both IPS) and a faster CPU. But hardware-wise it ends there. Certainly not something worth waiting for if you're after the Compact version of the Z2. I personally find the Z1 series more comfortable to hold than the Z2 series as well.
@SpiritBreak3r I am running CyanogenMod and the speaker is pretty loud, but I know for a fact that it goes way louder on stock Sony ROMs if you use the audio boost features. What is it you are confused about?

Rekoil said:
I am running CyanogenMod
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Are you using a snapshot or did I miss a stable release? Also does cyanogenmod offer the software stabilization during video recording of the original ROM?

I just went ahead and purchased the Z1 compact today. Loving this phone already, but I was quite used to cynogenmod's features, like "Right top corner swipe brings the quick settings". Only disappointing were the speaker.
I got by default 4.4.2/.757 Build, so planning to root it right away and unlock the bootloader so I get the speaker's boosted up. Did anyone get the boost working on the .757 build?

mugoftee said:
Are you using a snapshot or did I miss a stable release? Also does cyanogenmod offer the software stabilization during video recording of the original ROM?
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CyanogenMod doesn't do stable releases, 10.1 was the last, the closest you'll come these days is the M-snapshots. I am running nightlies though. Don't know about the stabilisation.

Rekoil said:
CyanogenMod doesn't do stable releases, 10.1 was the last, the closest you'll come these days is the M-snapshots. I am running nightlies though.
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OK, I didn't know there were no stable releases anymore. Is everything working?
Rekoil said:
Don't know about the stabilisation.
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Could you make a video on the phone and check if the image is shaking or not. You can see the difference in these videos:
with software stabilization on Xperia Z1 compact
without stabilization filmed on a Nexus 5.

mugoftee said:
OK, I didn't know there were no stable releases anymore. Is everything working?
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Issues with WiFi-tethering, camera starts pretty slow, besides those I have no complaints.

SpiritBreak3r said:
I got by default 4.4.2/.757 Build, so planning to root it right away and unlock the bootloader so I get the speaker's boosted up. Did anyone get the boost working on the .757 build?
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Yeah, I rooted and unlocked the bootloader and flashed the volume boost zip for the compact located on the list here. It really gives the sound a good boost so it's well recommended.

Does anyone experience a glitch when you're listening to the music and you make a call, and when it resumes the, Sound seems to be in "Mono" stream?
I tried poweramp and Walkman app, and face this issue and it is quite disturbing having the music switch to mono output.

60fps / 4k camera mod for Z1 Compact on CM12.1

Hello forum,
i've been getting incredible resources and advice from this place which enabled me to make my phone like new, saving me quite a lot of money probably.
One of the few remaining things to make my setup perfect is to unlock the 60fps / 4k feature using a camera mod.
I know that the Z1's never got those features unlocked despite apparently having the same camera chip as the Z2 which has those features because the Z1 and Z1c weren't powerful enough and overheating.
Now i've found quite a lot of resource about unlocking those features on the Z1's, but both this thread as well as this Lollipop specific solution didn't work for me (camera apps / modes [like in WhatsApp] crash).
I've tried both mods from my functional backup.
Please excuse that i still don't know much about the matter. I might also flash a MM based custom ROM some time, so i don't know if these camera mods are bound to certain android versions.
If it's Lollipop only, i'll stick to that and don't upgrade to MM but i wouldn't like to go back to KK.
Any help, tipps or links to resources would be much appreciated! =)
Specs:
Device: D5503 amami (Sony Xperia Z1 compact)
Kernel: 3.4.0-cm-g28a6663 (Maybe this is an issue? I don't know much about kernels except they are the software layer between the OS and the hardware...)
CM Version: 12.1-20160710-NIGHTLY-amami (Android 5.1.1 Lollipop)
Recovery: TWRP
Rooted: Yes (SuperSU)

It does only work with Sony Stock Roms not CM!

einfachgaer said:
It does only work with Sony Stock Roms not CM!
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Oh, i see. So it only works with KitKat and Lollipop i guess, thanks for the info.
I was wondering though because when i am in camera mode in any camera app i get a true 60fps video feed (recorded and tested with a screen recorder), but not in video mode...
I'll try if i can actually make it work with any stock rom but i think i don't wanna miss CM13 (just flashed) now ^^'

Actually the Z1 and Z1c is more than powerful enough. When I record in 4k 55MBit/s the CPU uses 4 cores at 0,96GHz (roughly 70-80% load on each core) and hovers around 55 degrees celsius after 5 minutes (overheating threshold is 72 degrees) aswell as uses SteadyShot in 4k which requires even more of the hardware. That's on my Z1 with stock LP ROM. If anything due to the nature of SD800 being x86 (32Bit) compared to the relatively rushed x64 (64Bit) architecture of newer SD8XX SoCs means it uses less resources and heat less than SD810 and newer. SD800 is a beast!

Question about Z5 Premium in 2018

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.

General advice on buying this phone

So, I'm in a market for a new phone, and my current best bet is the xiaomi mi 10T pro. Now, since it's locked on my local telecom provider network, I can get it with a new 2 year contract, so no returns possible. Reading tons of reviews, and user experiences, I came to conclusion that it's a great hardware phone with a really crappy sowtware. The phone I cvan get has a MIUI12 version, but they can't say is it 12.0 or 12.5.
What are my concerns? I see that the biggest issues is car bluetooth connectivity, and WiFi connectivity. Both major issues for me.
I have a 2012 renault Scenic that doesn't use android auto, but a proprietary (arkamys and tomtom) system. If the phone comes with android 10, and I don't install any updates until a less buggy version of android 11 MIUI comes out.. should I be ok? Or if the system is android 11 out of the box.. Should I expect constant problems and simply avoid the phone? Are all xiaomi phones running MIUI12.5.1. affected?
Custom ROMs are not an option because that would void the 2 year warranty.
thank you

The Mi10T Pro is an excellent choice that gets better with every update.
I actually hated this phone a lot when I bought it due to the auto screen dimming being too harsh, so I also bought a Samsung Galaxy 20 FE 5G, then a P30 Pro, then a Poco F2 Pro and finally a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (& I tested them all equally) What I found was I hate under screen fingerprint sensors (the side mounted fingerprint sensor detection on the Mi10T Pro is instant) and despite the camera arrays on all the other phones being 'on paper' better I found the Xiaomi phone 'on average' took better shots. Also video recording is night and day better than all the other phones I tested with very little shimmer and balance correction/focus when the light started to get low.
As for MIUI I have never had an issue apart from the woefully lacking security updates but hopefully now I've manually updated to 12.5.5 (I was on Jan 2020 update waiting for an EU 12.5.1 from 12.1.1) updates should come quicker (& it's very stable)
As for connectivity I have not encountered any issues with Bluetooth streaming or connecting to headphones but I do not have the accessories you connect to.
Lastly the prices for these phones should drop like a stone as they have just announced the Mi11T & Pro so you may find it cheaper to buy one used after the Mi11T & Pro is released.

So.. you say I should go for it...Current price is around 270$.. Don't believe it will drop that much... more likely it will get taken out of the offer.

the main negative aspect of this phone is the camera... i came from lg v20 because it was the latest flagship phone with the infrared feature. a five years old phone still takes better pictures then the 10t pro... you rarely use the 108mp cam because the software sucks. so you are stuck with 13mp... also, this phone is missing some basic features like you cant plug and play using type-c to hdmi output....but for the price, is definitely a nice cheap phone to have for work maybe lol. or use it as a universal remote haha

I came from a huawei P7 phone...gone to samsung A30... Anything is better than A30. I don't need any special bells and whistles.. just that the bluetooth connectivity works, and GPS signal is stable..

paul999 said:
the main negative aspect of this phone is the camera... i came from lg v20 because it was the latest flagship phone with the infrared feature. a five years old phone still takes better pictures then the 10t pro... you rarely use the 108mp cam because the software sucks. so you are stuck with 13mp... also, this phone is missing some basic features like you cant plug and play using type-c to hdmi output....but for the price, is definitely a nice cheap phone to have for work maybe lol. or use it as a universal remote haha
Click to expand...
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Change the Format to 3:4 in the drop down menu in Miui camera to have the pixel binned 27MP resolution.

So...I'm not getting any viable information here. If I get this phone, and keep it on android 10, ignoring updates, will the Bluetooth and WiFi work normally, and glitch free?

creborn said:
So...I'm not getting any viable information here. If I get this phone, and keep it on android 10, ignoring updates, will the Bluetooth and WiFi work normally, and glitch free?
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The wifi and Bluetooth are basic things that will work just right but it depends also on the devices which they connect to.

Question Help an old timer out

I'm totally lost. I've been off of Android for a couple years now, and absolutely hating my switch to Apple.
Long story short, my last android was a note 10 (att). Which I hated due to the locked bootloader. I had rom'd and rooted every device I had until that point. I still have my oneplus5 that I use for various things iphones (still) won't do.
I'm on an iPhone now, but going back to Android. It looks like everything has changed? (Including this forum..what a mess) I can bootloader unlock us Samsungs now?? What am I missing? I've been avoiding Samsung due to their prior bootloader locking but generally like their devices..

You can unlock the bootloader, but Knox will be permanently tripped. So some things like Secure Folders and SHealth won't work anymore. Also, you will lose OTA support until you clean flash and relock the bootloader.
And lastly, Samsung went out of its way to break Camera2 API and RAW support on some camera modules, for example the front camera module on the S22 and S22 Plus. That means you won't be able to take front camera photos with Google Camera ports (but "basic" camera apps will work), along with video recording being limited to 30FPS (some GCam ports can "force" the recording to 45FPS but the framerate is unstable. On stock, however, everything works well with the Samsung Camera (meaning you, for now, will have to stick with OneUI if you want complete camera functionality).
Now about custom roms:
There are no device-specific roms for now, but there are GSIs. Thanks to them, we can enjoy many custom roms (there are some subjectively minor bugs, though, like 5G, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and a half-working proximity sensor).

That's a shocking change of mind?
I've never cared about Knox, I don't use banking apps nor pay for anything with my phone...
I'm a little confused about the camera limitations you mention. Just unlocking breaks them? I do a lot of slow-motion videos for diagnosing mechanical timing issues at work.
Are all the carrier phones unlockable? I'm with att now but considering moving to tmobile.

ummduh said:
That's a shocking change of mind?
I've never cared about Knox, I don't use banking apps nor pay for anything with my phone...
I'm a little confused about the camera limitations you mention. Just unlocking breaks them? I do a lot of slow-motion videos for diagnosing mechanical timing issues at work.
Are all the carrier phones unlockable? I'm with att now but considering moving to tmobile.
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1. Great, then you are among the lucky ones that don't have to worry about Knox-related garbage. Banking apps will work with root, the same thing can be said about
2. The camera limitations aren't related to the bootloader. Samsung has its own camera library which dictates functionality. In layman terms, they intentionally broke the "functionality paths" present and used by default in other manufacturer devices, made their own custom ones and their Samsung Camera app uses those "new paths".
With the base S22, you will be able to use pretty much all the functionality of the camera as long as you are using the Samsung Camera.
But logically, the Samsung Camera app is exclusive to OneUI and is gone on custom roms. That's when you lose the ability to record videos beyond 30FPS and the front camera won't work on e.g. Google Camera ports.
The only definite issue (no matter if you are using OneUI or AOSP), if I remember correctly, is while using the Pro Samsung Camera app (I don't remember its name) as it craps itself due to the front camera not having RAW support (simply put, Samsung comically broke its own "pro camera app" functionality on the non-Ultra models just to make people buy the S22 Ultra instead of the base S22 and S22 Plus...it's either that or genuine incompetence, but I bet on the former).
TLDR
As long as you are on stock, with or without root, the camera will fully work with the default Samsung app. But if you flash an AOSP rom, you will definitely lose 60FPS video recording (and this is only a guess, but I'd bet you also won't be able to record slow-motion) and the front camera won't work on any better camera app.
Someone IS working on trying to modify the library to fix the mentioned crap, but that might take a while.
3. I am not that informed about USA's carrier restrictions, but from what I remember your devices are carrier-locked as long as the device you got from a payment plan is under the 12/24-month contract period. After that, you should theoretically be able to SIM-unlock it. But this is ONLY if the info I have is correct (I live in the EU so I can only say what I remember from other people's discussions).