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Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
verifiedthug said:
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
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Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
shaunwwfc said:
Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
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Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
*Detection* said:
Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
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Thanks for your thoughts. I am going to closely monitor the price for the next fortnight. With really good feedback I think I would go for it right now. Having read multiple reviews now I am leaning towards seeing what the s10 can offer, especially battery wise.
ssalehh said:
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
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Thanks for your reply! I am starting to think that!
I second waiting to see how the S10 plays out since you are planning on keeping your new phone for the long haul. I actually just purchased a used S9 and am very happy with it (haven't had it long enough to comment on battery life). If you can afford the up front cost, the used market for mint/very good handsets is very competitive right now. However, the launch/trade-in deals for the S10 should put you in the ballpark of the S9 deals you are seeing now.
Edit: Plus, S9/S9+ deals should be great after S10 launches.
I've been the Galaxy as a daily driver since the S8 came out, and when the 9 was released I upgraded.
The S8 size was pretty decent, but when I went to the S9, it was a tad bigger and noticeably heavier. Honestly I like smaller phones. The S9+/Note phones are just too big for me.
Pros: Great screen, great camera, I get decently fast charging time.
Cons:
-Battery life is "fair". For work I use my phone a lot to research on ebay and take pictures. It just doesn't seem enough. I've tried some optimizations such as FHD+, black background, black theme, battery saver programs, no major social media apps running ( usually i used the web based) and I am a bit disappointed. If I use my phone a fair amount in the morning I feel like I will be low later on and will need to charge. Honestly that seems to be one of my bigger drawbacks. If I could get a full day of use from early in the morning to the evening no problem, I'd be good.
- Samsung lag. Oh yes it's here. When going from ebay app to camera, to stock sms app, youtube, I get hiccups more than I'd like to see. I have animations to .5x to make things feel snappier, but I just wish the optimization was better. I won't switch to an iphone, but man after playing with an iphone and seeing how fluid it is, I am a bit envious. I won't switch to Apple, that's just me. Sometimes the auto-rotate doesn't seem to respond as smooth as iPhone.
- The edge screen. Meh. Was cool at first, but it makes glass protectors difficult. You have to pretty much go with Whitestone dome glass, and it's expensive. And then that breaks and you need another $35. I am exploring other options and recently found a glass protector that uses loca glue and UV application just like the whitestone for $18 on Amazon. It has arrived, just haven't put it on yet. I can live without the edge screen.
Today I tested out the Google Pixel 3 at Best Buy. Surprisingly it was only a tad smaller than the S9, but it did weigh less. But maybe that small difference in size does help better with one handed use. Pixel 3 is on Android P, and I played around with it and it was very fluid like the iPhone. I have a promo with T-Mobile on a payment plan for my S9, but if i could just jump right over to the Pixel 3 I would.
I'm hoping Android P will make things better, more optimized and better battery life. Personally, if you have to get a phone now, I like the Pixel 3. Since I'm stuck in a promo paying for this S9, I will most likely upgrade to the S10 when it comes out.
Jeez, I can't stand reading "samsung lag". Now let's be honest and call it "Android lag", because out of 100 different Android phones just Pixels and OnePlus do not show *any* type of stuttering *ever*.
shaunwwfc said:
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
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If you like the phone bro get it. I own S9, Nokia 7.1, Essential Phone, OnePlus 6, & Pixel 2. All are more or less the same on battery life. Use adaptive brightness & close apps you're not using. Other than that leave Android to do it's job at RAM management, etc. I heavily use my S9 because it's my newest toy and I consistently get 6+ hours of SOT. I don't play games on my phone or do prolonged video streaming.
Hope that helps
Upgraded from the S7 to the S9 for around 400€. It is not worth the money imho. The design is great, no question, the fingerprint sensor is way faster - but other than that there is not much to gain here. The camera is marginally better but not worth the money and the battery life is quite disappointing. I would wait for the S10 or other phones next year.
sot from s9+?
shaunwwfc said:
Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
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Its a good phone, I have the Exynnos variant and battery life sucks but otherwise its great, speakers are great on it, much better than my works iPhone 8, the screen is great also, I don't normally like Samsung but I really like this, plus it has a headphone jack.
But the battery life is the major downside, I would certainly get a good battery bank.
Finally if I was to choose now I would likely get a Pixel 3 XL, 3 years of updates sounds amazing to me.
If you do more than just the basics, get the Plus or Note. I got the straight S9 because it was on offer (30GB on EE no upfront cost £32/month) and although it was a steal it's a pain in the arse. I have the smartwatch and a Pokeball (So that's 2 bluetooth devices it's trying to keep up with) and play Pokemon Go with messaging apps and an overlay, and it's doing all this kind of stuff at once, 4GB is nowhere near enough RAM on Android. iOS could manage it easily, but Android is not iOS...
The result is it lags like crazy. Usually just as I want to do something quickly like take a photo and it sits and chugs for a minute (presumably out of memory and using storage as swap space) instead. Or the fingerprint reader will take like 5 seconds to register and unlock. I regret skimping, and wish I'd just splashed out and waited for the Note.
Hello there,
My main phone just broke, and for now I can't afford a recent flagship, although I have two options for my budget. (both the same price)
As the title says, I have to choose between a Huawei P20 PRO [128 gb / 6 gb RAM] and a Samsung Galaxy S9 [Exynos 64 gb/ 4gb RAM] (not plus).
So, I would like to ask you if I can get some guidance, I have read reviews and watched a lot of videos, but I'm still not sure...
I'm interested in a reliable device, a day battery for me is enough, a great all rounder camera in any condition.
I just have some concerns about the Huawei device, no OIS, no headphone jack and no Micro SD slot is a really turn off for me, but I would like to know if the experience overall compensate this (if any of you have switched between these two). For the Samsung, I have seen that night or low light pictures are not as good as the Huawei, and so is the battery (3000 mAh vs 4000 mAh).
Thanks in advance, I would really appreciate your answers.
Hi, just sharing my experience with you about the s9. I have never owned a p 20 pro but before I got my first s9, I did a quick hands on with the p20 pro. I was more swayed by the s9 because at the time, one of the main selling points was the quality of the stereo speakers on the s9, something which was missing on the s8.
I traded in my first s9 after a while and went through a series of phones including the Note 9, s10+ and finally the oneplus 7 pro. A few months back, I came across an s9 demo unit on the cheap. Everything in the box was untouched and after checking for burn in and scratches, I bought it. I used it together with my 7 pro and ultimately decided to sell the 7 pro and keep the s9.
Sounds a bit crazy but the s9 was always at the back of my mind when I was using the other phones. It is a very good all rounder phone. I have no regrets giving up faster charging, a bigger screen, higher refresh rate and faster processor for useful features like notification light, headphone jack, iris scanner and a higher resolution because of its smaller size.
One ui 2.1 has given it a new lease of life and although there will not be any further android version updates, my only plan is to change the battery when the time comes.
I'd be interested if Samsung did an iPhone SE makeover of the s9. I might consider a new phone then.
I only have the S9 not the P20, but if I were you I'd rather choose the latest phone available out there. since it has more recent software, unlike the S9 which I believe this year is the last year that the phone is still got the software update unless you use the updated custom rom. also there are a lot of phones that has long battery life, higher storage, higher ram, maybe a bit better camera than both s9 and p20, and again more recent software. I think it's more worth it rather than buying a 3 y/o flagship phones.
Also nowadays I feel like running stock firmware on this phone is still reliable, it's not buttery smooth like it used to that's why I'm using the custom rom. other than that, this phone really fits my hand perfectly that's what makes me still considering this phone as my daily driver.
But that's just my opinion tho
I have the p20 pro and I'm thinking to switch to the S9.
I can say that the batterie is awesome on the huawei, I get 7h On Screnn with 25% left.
But i hate the caméra, it makes good images at low light but on daylight it's horrible. Hdr sucks, oversharpening, human faces are Just drawed with oil painting, front caméra is blurry and overexposed. I prefer Xiaomi mi A3 with Gcam. Vidéo is also bad.
Emui 10 is also full of bugs. I regret switching from S8+ and Xiaomi Mi9T to P20 pro.
S8+ was much better and with gcam it's amazing, i'd like to switch to s9 but i think i Will regret it because of the ppor battery life.
Of course the big main screen is the #1 positive.
If anything is going to break this deal its
#1 the small cover screen first and foremost.
#2 it's the cameras but I've been surprisingly OK with the ZF3 shots lately.
How Bout you?
i shifted to all apple last year and im so in love with my iphone 12 pro max, i love the eco system
but i still want to buy Samsung as i love the extra customization and its like tab and phone
my main concerns
are there any cases from rhinoshield or any well known brands? my phone falls to much from my hands
my last s20 ultra have so much focus issues that never wanted to go back to samsung, maybe i got a defective unit 12 pro max cam is awesome
the inside screen quality, i watched a durability test and the nails still damage the inner screen
I went the opposite way. I just returned my z-fold 3 because of the battery life and the cameras. The s-pen flip case was absolutely horrid. I just feel for a $1,900 phone, it was underwhelming. I'm hoping on the z-fold 4, they put the s-pen solo in the phone. It just wasn't the note replacement I hoped it would be. I ordered an s21 ultra 512 GB but I won't be here till the end of the month so I'm looking forward to that now.
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
I went from S21 Ultra to Fold 3, I certainly won't be going back to to a candy bar phone again. The cameras do a good enough job for me, the S21 camera array would have been nice, but I do wonder how much it would bump the price up.
I don't mind the outside screen either, certainly easier to type 1 handed, where the S21 U was quite wide to use like that.
I found this video the other day, regarding the cameras
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Maybe in your opinion but I have my own. The cameras are basically up to par with my Note 20 5G. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice to have a folding screen but I am not. Cellular reception also was worse and I have a feeling that is what was killing the battery. By all means enjoy your F3 and I'll enjoy my S21. Like I said, I am looking forward to the Fold 4.
I love my fold3. The battery life isn't great, but try turning off your 5G. That should help out quite a bit. Plus you won't be able to tell the difference with the speeds unless you're using ultra wideband.
S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021
S21U to ZF3. I've gotten settled into the Fold 3 after a few days - I had to swap out my email app of choice (Nine) for Outlook to help with the battery (Nine has always been a bit of a hog, but it tips the scales to "not a full day" whereas Outlook plays nicer). I'm now getting a full business day (12hrs) but not much more.
I've got a little stand and BT keyboard taking its place as an iPad Mini Pro as welll...
I will miss the S21U cameras (I still have it...not giving it up so quickly!) so it's def form vs. function.
My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.
xenx said:
My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.
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Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)
mickliq said:
Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)
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Well, didn't usually carry the tablet with me as much as use it around the house. That said, yes. Not only is the tablet a second battery, it's a larger second battery. I expected higher usage, I just didn't expect as much as I should have. I do have the ability to bring a battery if needed, I just don't need to in most cases.
Totally get it. It's just helpful to think about the loss of the large 2nd battery
dezborders said:
S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021
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rockky said:
Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.
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I took the ZF3 and S21U out together today and did camera tests on my own and was amazed how well the ZF3 matched the S21U. (cept for zoom and macro)
Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.
iceepyon said:
Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.
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S21u outside of USA and SK has the "inferior" Exynos chip which has different performance and heat management (and also different ISP for processing images taken with cameras)
It's a difficult question ... Upgrade from S21u to F3?
Personally I'd say if you want to try foldable phones the F3 is the one to go for
If camera is most important to you stick with the S21U
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol
dezborders said:
My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol
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So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL
kxdaorbit said:
So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL
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As a phone enthusiast (read addict), I have owned in the last 12 months.... Note 20 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Xiaomi Mi 11 5g, S21 ultra and now the Z Fold3.
The Fold 3 is 1000s times more advanced and exciting to use than any of the other devices mentioned above... however the Z range cameras are stuck at 12mp from 2019 S10 era.
I agree pictures taken with a Z Fold3 are good or even excellent in most cases....
however, if you claim 2.0 optical zoom in F3 is technically as good as 10x optical zoom in S21U , or thar 108MP with Laser autofocus on S21u is not "better" than basic 12mp main lens on the Z Fold, you are mistaken my friend
(and lets not even begin to discuss the 4 FOUR! megapixel under-screen-camera lol )
To clarify .... I ABSOLUTELTY LOVE my Z Fold3!
I just think Samsung has missed the opportunity to release the ULTIMATE "UNBEATABLE" smartphone by not including 2021 spec camera module from the S21 Ultra. (The Note range always matched or exceeded the cameras in the S range from 6 months previous so why not do the same with the Z range?).
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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hi, i have switched from s21u(exy) and battery on p6 pro is amazing comparing to samsung(9h+ p6 pro / 6h s21u - same usage)(p6pro 42h/one charge / s21u/28h) . not only battery, i like the mini rounded corners of p6 pro, software is good enough(its new), will be better after fex fixes.
Thanks so would you say it's a good choice over the s21 ultra
brockyneo said:
Thanks so would you say it's a good choice over the s21 ultra
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yeah, right now best choice, i am selling my s21u
Thanks might get it ordered today and pass down the s21 ultra to the lad
After the Pixel 1 stopped getting updates two years ago, my wife and I finally upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 512 GB model, because for the first couple of years after the Pixel 1, I was waiting to buy another Pixel until they came out with a 256 GB model, and then by the time they did, I needed a 512 GB model so I still waited.
The Note 10+ hardware is great. I hate the software. I use my personal phone for my work too, my work uses Google for everything, and apparently, it's common with Samsung devices that they have sporadic syncing of GMail and Chat/Hangouts. When I told my brother about the problem I was having (and I did try deep-diving settings about not optimizing for battery usage, and not killing in the background, and even factory reset), my brother, who had only just bought his family their first smartphones maybe 4 years ago and go the Galaxy S9+, said that he assumed that's just the way Android is. It's not. I never encountered such bad GMail and chat syncing and notification behavior on any other phone.
For chat-type notifications, it was hit and miss whether I would receive timely ones. I could never narrow down what made the difference. For GMail, sometimes I wouldn't get a notification of an email until 45 minutes to even 2 hours later. Multi-tasking on the work computer, sometimes I wouldn't look at my GMail browser tab for long periods of time, and my boss likes to use chat quite often too. Half the time, I did happen to see the email in the browser tab, read it, and even deleted it (for non-critical things), and then later on my Samsung would let me know I have that "new" email. I already saw it and deleted it! Crazy.
There were other things Samsung gimped compared to other phones (Do Not Disturb...), and it also managed to duplicate all my contacts in a way that they're not recognized as duplicates so they can't be automatically de-duped.
Thankfully, back on the P6P 512 GB bandwagon, I no longer have those issues, and we quickly sold our Note 10+'s. So my answer is I'd trade any Samsung for a Pixel. Loved the Samsung hardware, but the software just doesn't cut it for me. The only thing I miss from the Note is the stylus from time to time, which would be handy for Pixel's magic eraser when you have to really fine-tune some erasing.
Oh yeah - I haven't had any issues with my battery life in the month I've had the phone. For the last five years, I never quick charge any phone, I only charge once the phone gets down to 25%, and I take the phone off the charger at 75%. I never charge overnight. The Pixel 6/Pro have Adaptive Charge to help battery life, but my 25-75% battery range lasts me 24 hours normally anyway. I don't own any quick chargers except my original Pixel 1 charger, and I don't use it.
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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If multiple days of battery life is a bad thing, or the camera is too good for you.... you might want to stick with the samdung.
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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I did the same thing, and battery is good after about a week or two. You have to give the adaptive battery time to learn your habits. Not sure where you heard the camera is bad. That's the best part of the phone.
roirraW edor ehT said:
The only thing I miss from the Note is the stylus from time to time, which would be handy for Pixel's magic eraser when you have to really fine-tune some erasing.
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There are 10 billion options for capacitive screen pokey things on Amazon. I can't tell you which ones I have, because I can't read the font they used to identify themselves, but works pretty good.
Owning currently both devices here I can maybe share a few thoughts, subjective of course as many of those base on what I like/dislike:
Pro S21 Ultra:
+ build quality
+ display quality
+ overall maturity of the software
+ better standby drain
Pro Pixel 6 Pro:
+ genuine, clean Android with less bloat
+ snappier UI
+ active battery life
+ Camera: much lower noise and much better dynamic range in low light
+ Camera: less heavy-handed noise-reduction/resharpening
+ (slightly) less weight
+ much more development friendly (no hassle bootloader unlock without lost warranty, no Knox.....)
All in all I like both phones, what makes me moving back to the S21 Ultra (or maybe again Mi 11U) is memory - sadly Google only sells the P6P with max 256GB in Germany which I find a bit too small for my purpose.....
And a few more words on the camera: Samsung has its own way in image processing and in many cases this leads to loss of details in grass/leaves/.... which I dislike. The Pixel 6 Pro gives much better results here, as with many indoor shots specifically of pets/kids.... So overall I much prefer the Pixel camera, this doesn't mean the Samsung camera is bad, though - it isn't !
The only thing I like about my s21 ultra is the display screen. Other than that, 6 pro tops it off. (The 6 pro is on par with the iPhone 13 max's camera btw) With the exception of the video quality of course. The iPhone is still the king for shooting high quality videos.
I have both. These are the most notable differences that I have noticed in using both extensively over a few weeks.
Everything else not-mentioned seems the same/equivalent between the two devices.
Battery; The Samsung has better battery life out of the box, hands down. I regularly saw 7hour screen time and easily made it 24 hours or more on a single charge. The P6P gets about 4-5hours screen time and only about 20-22hours on a charge.
Can only hope the P6P gets better with updates. I returned my first P6P because I thought something was wrong with it. Unfortunately, the second one is the same. It's bad (for some people, but apparently not everyone).
Temperature; You have to try really hard to make the Samsung work up a sweat. The P6P seems to get warm at random times without much going on (browsing forums, for example). Then other times when you would expect it to get warm (watching videos), it runs perfectly cool. Very strange.
Camera; There's nothing better or easier than the P6P when trying to produce consistent great quality pictures. Despite superior hardware in the Samsung S21 Ultra, overall picture results are handicapped due to inferior software/processing, especially in portrait mode. It has gotten better with updates, but still gets beat handily by P6P.
Size and Weight; The P6P is more hand/pocket friendly. It is noticeably thinner and lighter than the S21 Ultra, making it more comfortable in the pockets that I carry it in (back pocket or front shirt pocket). The S21 Ultra feels like a small cinder block in the pocket compare to the P6P.
Charging; Despite better technical sheet specs for the P6P, it charges inconsistently and slower than the S21 Ultra. It's not by a small margin either, P6P takes about 2x longer.
It also tends to get warm to the point of thorttling during charging. The S21 Ultra is consistent, and charges very fast and doesnt get very warm (certainly never throttles).
Software; I suppose this could be preference. If you like the Samsung software look and feel, then it's perfectly fine. It really runs almost flawlessly compared to older TouchWiz crap from Samsung. I prefer the look and feel of pure android from Google.
Napa7m said:
I have both. These are the most notable differences that I have noticed in using both extensively over a few weeks.
Everything else not-mentioned seems the same/equivalent between the two devices.
Battery; The Samsung has better battery life out of the box, hands down. I regularly saw 7hour screen time and easily made it 24 hours or more on a single charge. The P6P gets about 4-5hours screen time and only about 20-22hours on a charge.
Can only hope the P6P gets better with updates. I returned my first P6P because I thought something was wrong with it. Unfortunately, the second one is the same. It's bad (for some people, but apparently not everyone).
Temperature; You have to try really hard to make the Samsung work up a sweat. The P6P seems to get warm at random times without much going on (browsing forums, for example). Then other times when you would expect it to get warm (watching videos), it runs perfectly cool. Very strange.
Camera; There's nothing better or easier than the P6P when trying to produce consistent great quality pictures. Despite superior hardware in the Samsung S21 Ultra, overall picture results are handicapped due to inferior software/processing, especially in portrait mode. It has gotten better with updates, but still gets beat handily by P6P.
Size and Weight; The P6P is more hand/pocket friendly. It is noticeably thinner and lighter than the S21 Ultra, making it more comfortable in the pockets that I carry it in (back pocket or front shirt pocket). The S21 Ultra feels like a small cinder block in the pocket compare to the P6P.
Charging; Despite better technical sheet specs for the P6P, it charges inconsistently and slower than the S21 Ultra. It's not by a small margin either, P6P takes about 2x longer.
It also tends to get warm to the point of thorttling during charging. The S21 Ultra is consistent, and charges very fast and doesnt get very warm (certainly never throttles).
Software; I suppose this could be preference. If you like the Samsung software look and feel, then it's perfectly fine. It really runs almost flawlessly compared to older TouchWiz crap from Samsung. I prefer the look and feel of pure android from Google.
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I think a lot of what you're putting down as negatives against P6P comes down to gservices and broken "pixel features". I'm running pure (google free) AOSP on mine. I pulled it off the charger this morning at 5:30 (7.5 hours ago). Currently have 1.5 hr screen on time and the battery is at 92%, and so far the battery gauge appears to be pretty linear. I've also NOT noticed ANY substantial heating up. It runs pretty cool consistently -- note that heat comes from the battery, so it makes sense.
Also, there is no magic battery BS in AOSP.
I upgraded from a Note 20 Ultra 512Gb and the battery on my P6P is phenomenal compared to the Note 20. There have been issues for some on the P6P but I've been using my 512Gb unlocked variant with no issue at all. Just make sure you set your P6P from scratch and don't transfer data from your S21 Ultra. Also the standby drain is the best I've ever had, took it off the charger at 9PM at 100% and at 8:30 the next morning was at 99%. Not everyone is having the same results that I have.
I had both for a while. S21 ultra for the last 9 months. Tested them side by side . I don't think the pixel is better than the s21 in any single way, they are actually so similar. I prefer the maturer Samsung email and calendar software but that's subjective. The biggest difference, which matters for me was that the pixel has more global 5g and LTE bands than the s21. I used Nova and mimicked the s21 completely. Really couldn't tell the difference except screen better on s21 IMHO.
if I didn't already own the s21 I would have bought the pixel but because they are so similar and it isn't an upgrade but more a move to the side, the change didn't make sense.
Display, build quality, signal quality and probably smoothness are all better on the s21U. However I prefer the camera on the P6P and also Pixel Android to OneUI. The S21U is a solid, well built device and I don't think the P6P is an upgrade, if anything it's a slight downgrade.
Thanks for all the replys I'm still on the fence at the minute lol,can I root the pixel 6 pro and have no problems like knox,drm keys etc like other devices have? And if ibdecude to want to unroot can it be returned back to totally factory as if it was never rooted? I haven't rooted for years and miss been able to uninstall apps etc and is viper4android still going strong or is there another app in its place thanks
Stick with the S21 Ultra. I went from a Note 20 Ultra to the Pixel 6 Pro. I love the camera, the better speakers, cleaner software experience, but overall it doesn't feel like an upgrade. The 5G reception is slightly worse, Android 12 has lots of quirks, charging speeds are much slower, and customization is currently very limited. It's possible that it will improve with updates and custom ROMs but its current state is underwhelming. To be honest, I'm already looking forward to the S22 Ultra.
brockyneo said:
Thanks for all the replys I'm still on the fence at the minute lol,can I root the pixel 6 pro and have no problems like knox,drm keys etc like other devices have? And if ibdecude to want to unroot can it be returned back to totally factory as if it was never rooted? I haven't rooted for years and miss been able to uninstall apps etc and is viper4android still going strong or is there another app in its place thanks
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Yep, no bad sides to rooting or later unrooting at all, just jump through some well established hoops as far as banking apps are concerned. It didn't bother me and it was the first time I ever did what I needed for safety net and banking apps to not know I'm rooted. No one can tell you ever had it rooted if you re-lock the bootloader after restoring to 100% stock and then factory reset, which will re-disable the OEM unlock option on Developer Options.
You just never can automatically update to each months OTA, have to follow the proper manual procedure to update and stay rooted. I did it every month for over three years that I had the Pixel 1.
If you value the camera, root and stock Android then get the Pixel. If you don't value those then stick with the S21U. I came from the S21U so I can honestly tell you that the S21U is definitely a better all around device but the fact that I can root really made my decision easier to go with the Pixel. No, the Pixel isn't any smoother than the S21U as I've had both; they are pretty much the same in the smoothness department. Anyone who disagrees is lying to themselves.
Hi. Hello. First post in the XDA.
Dissapointed Samsung Galaxy A70 user here.
I'm thinking about s21 FE
I've seen many questions and problems about this device.
The thing about Samsung is, idk.
I can buy s21 FE 256GB(Snapdragon) for like €517 ($567.17).
I'd like to know more from your experience and view about this device.
Pros, cons,. .....
Telephoto didn't suprised me at all. I don't know if it underperforms somehow in indoor places.
I'm just shooting my shot here to ask about, because I see phone as an investment, a tool to achieve goals.
Or if are any alternatives.
Doubts tho.
Slow charge, waiting for miracle from gcam.
I don't know if anyone ever replies on this, but any reply would be helpful
Thank you in advance
Mr. Nobody01 said:
Hi. Hello. First post in the XDA.
Dissapointed Samsung Galaxy A70 user here.
I'm thinking about s21 FE
I've seen many questions and problems about this device.
The thing about Samsung is, idk.
I can buy s21 FE 256GB(Snapdragon) for like €517 ($567.17).
I'd like to know more from your experience and view about this device.
Pros, cons,. .....
Telephoto didn't suprised me at all. I don't know if it underperforms somehow in indoor places.
I'm just shooting my shot here to ask about, because I see phone as an investment, a tool to achieve goals.
Or if are any alternatives.
Doubts tho.
Slow charge, waiting for miracle from gcam.
I don't know if anyone ever replies on this, but any reply would be helpful
Thank you in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S21 fe Snap, last. I miss the freedom from my Xiaomi. But the s21 Fe is a good phone. The battery is good for normal playing (I've a Xbox). The brightness of mi note 10 better outside, but this one is good enough. Camera before was better, but this good too. And a customized MIUI version with magisk and bootloader unlocked don't voided my guaranty. Charging is slow...
Mr. Nobody01 said:
Hi. Hello. First post in the XDA.
Dissapointed Samsung Galaxy A70 user here.
I'm thinking about s21 FE
I've seen many questions and problems about this device.
The thing about Samsung is, idk.
I can buy s21 FE 256GB(Snapdragon) for like €517 ($567.17).
I'd like to know more from your experience and view about this device.
Pros, cons,. .....
Telephoto didn't suprised me at all. I don't know if it underperforms somehow in indoor places.
I'm just shooting my shot here to ask about, because I see phone as an investment, a tool to achieve goals.
Or if are any alternatives.
Doubts tho.
Slow charge, waiting for miracle from gcam.
I don't know if anyone ever replies on this, but any reply would be helpful
Thank you in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So here's the thing. (Snapdragon version). The phone feels smooth. Smoother than the previous S20 FE, but not as smooth as S21 Ultra and the S10+. It's still 120hz capable but I'm talking more about the scrolling speed. It's like it's deliberately slower to feel non-flagship ). I have no idea why, it's hard to explain but if you have the chance to go into a store and test, you might understand what I mean.
As far as the telephoto goes, yes. it's absolute crap in indoor shots. It tends to be blurry and I have a LOT of autofocus errors with it. Even in broad daylight, I cannot get it to focus where I need it to. Pressing the touchscreen to focus is no help either because it's very slow and right when you thought it just found the focus, it jumps out and it's blurry again. Very hard to make it consistent compared to a P20 PRO for example. I don't know what they did but, in this regard the S20 FE had a smarter and faster focus. It's the same sensor but something is definitely wrong with the software. To this day I have changed 4 S21 FE's and the 3x autofocus problem was with all of them.
Video wise, it's great. A bit over-sharpened but if you don't care too much it's great. The S21 FE actually records in 30FPS compared to the previous S20 FE which recorded in variable fps and which also had a lot of skipped frames even with the 4.1 update.
Great brightness, even with direct sunlight.
Great weight, and size, great panel and colors, no issues with it.
GCam does not work properly on the S21 FE. It freezes on the main lens and right now there is no solution for this.
Transfer speed with the cable to the pc is so slow you could actually go to the grocery store while downloading a 4 GB file from it. This was very surprising to me as my previous S21 Ultra was blazing fast. It's a lot better using WIFI and Samsung Flow app.
As far as the charge goes, I don't know. I'm always using slow charge over night and find that the battery lasts me 7h with screen on time and 60 hz.
No SD card slot sucks. Also, you cannot use analog headphones even if you have a dongle. You need the special one from Samsung which has a built in DAC and from what I've heard it's noisy. I've actually bought a FIIO transmitter to use my analog headphones via bluetooth.
Some people complained about the signal, I didn't feel anything weird with it.
Selfie cam is a bit crappy. No autofocus, and oversharpened.
Recorded sound is very good, very clear. I was pleasantly surprised by this.
The thing is, I don't know of another great deal right now. Samsung's UI is the best I've seen. All the others are either chinese phones with poor software or very expensive apple products. In spite of all the cons mentioned... Samsung nailed it with the S21 FE.
I bought this phone (Snap) via samsung trade in programme and i got it for a great price. I was considering this and Pixel 6 but at the end i got this for half of the price.
I am really satisfied with photos and video (main lense)
Like it was stated previously the telephoto is so so and bad in low light.
Battery life could be better. I think you can get to 5-6h SOT on 60hz and a bit more with power saving but i feel it could be optimized more. I think they could automate refresh between apps. I know you can do it on your own through bixby routines, but it could be more seamless.
I have it now for 2 months and the experience of owning this phone was a joy, no problems whatsoever.
Randi03 said:
Transfer speed with the cable to the pc is so slow you could actually go to the grocery store while downloading a 4 GB file from it. This was very surprising to me as my previous S21 Ultra was blazing fast. It's a lot better using WIFI and Samsung Flow app.
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Yes because the cable you get out of the box is a USB 2.0 cable. I had a 3.0 cable and tested the transfer speeds and it was much faster transferring a 4gb file.
If you mean something else, elaborate.
I used the same 3A, USB C datacable that I used on the S21 Ultra and the difference is quite dramatic.