Hello,
I thought I'd post a quick review for anyone considering a Verizon G3. I'm sure others have reviews to give as well. My last 2 phones were the Verizon S3 and Verizon S4. I also had many HTC phones going back to WM.
Battery life - at first I'd say it was comparable to my S4 but then I went to all applications and disabled a bunch that were on after I activated my phone - now the battery life is great - I've had it on but unused and uncharged since last night (1 push email account - no texting, no imdb, no calls) and it only went down 5% in 12 hours (BT enabled, WIFI disabled). The screen activity does seem to use more battery life than my S4 and so does GPS. Otherwise phone talk time seems to have about the same battery drain. I only use BT for making calls so BT is on 24x7. FYI I just got the Plantronics EDGE and it is amazing (I also have the Sennheiser presence which has better battery life but overall I like the Edge much more.
Charging - the phone is picky about chargers. I've used the same chargers I've had for years for my Nexus, S3, S4, Plantronics and Sennheiser headsets but the G3 said it wasn't acceptable and wouldn't use it to charge. On the plus side the included charger does seem to charge it quickly. Biggest disappointment - that it didn't come with a wireless charging backplate.
Signal strength - I'd say it has only slightly better voice signal reception than the S4 but every bit helps (e.g. calls from the cement garage beneath my apartment complex). Data seems a teeny bit slower though when running speedtest. I haven't done enough testing for this to be an accurate or detailed analysis.
Overlay - I have to say it seems zippy enough to me and as user friendly as the Samsung although different so it takes a teeny bit of getting used to - except the back arrow - that took a lot since it is on the opposite side from where my thumb automatically tried to go when I wanted to go back.
Screen - great size. I don't think the contrast is as sharp as the S4 - you can say it is color saturation or whatever you want - in the end it still means some things are as well separated. There is a color adjustment some say impacts contrast but what it does is adjust colors - not contrast IMHO.
Buttons - I thought I'd really freak out about not having the hard buttons where I had in the past but that was easier to get used to than the back button - I'm finally used to both though.
Bloat ware - both Samsung and LG have some apps I'd love to just uninstall but until you root them, you are stuck with the crap although most of it you can disable. Health was the very first thing I would uninstall if I could.
Issues - no issues so far other than the charging one. No reboots or hangs. My guess is that people are installing an app that doesn't play well with the G3 or perhaps the current version of Android. I admit I don't have more than 15 apps I install myself. The only ones I really care about are truecaller(mediocre call blocker/id app), Tesla (flashlight), call history, cal widget (calendar for home screen) and the rest are items I only use occasionally - e.g. ip calcs, where's my car, speedtest etc. I tried some live wallpapers and went back to static ones - attempting to keep every bit of battery life. I had a hard time pairing my BT headset with my new phone - perhaps there is something different about the process on the G3 - I ended up using NFC and it worked instantly.
Conclusion - I like the phone a lot although I'm sure the S5 would have been an excellent choice as well. I like the screen size on this a bit more but I like the contrast on the Samsung screen. I notice the difference in large 4K TVs right away but for a screen of this size the S4 resolution was fine. You really have to look to notice the difference.
I changed the soft button placement on mine to make back on the right side.
squeeze said:
I changed the soft button placement on mine to make back on the right side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an excellent idea. It turns out - I use back more often so it is more comfortable to me in the LG position although I admit it took me many many many fumbled pressing of the wrong button before I'm used to the new layout.
Nice review. Think I will be picking up one this week.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
teamhurtado said:
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S3 to the G3 would be a huge jump in battery life alone (but so would a jump to the S5). If you play games with your phone I'd go with the S5. If you just want to root them - I really couldn't say which would be better suited for that.
teamhurtado said:
Thoughts on jumping from an S3 to the G3? Just picked up an S5 for the wife (currently has a Droid 4, yikes) due to slightly better battery life and camera from what I've read. Debating myself whether or not to run with the S3 or the G3. I typically play with my phones more than my wife so the S5 may be out due to it's lock down by VZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know how the camera works out. I found from my experience that it was too slow especially at night shots.
---------- Post added at 02:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 AM ----------
boe said:
That's an excellent idea. It turns out - I use back more often so it is more comfortable to me in the LG position although I admit it took me many many many fumbled pressing of the wrong button before I'm used to the new layout.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. I am right handed so I need it close to the right thumb.
squeeze said:
[/COLOR]
Hi. I am right handed so I need it close to the right thumb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm right handed as well - but my thumb is more comfortable extended than bent so I prefer it on the left now that I'm used to it but if you prefer it close, I think you made an excellent suggestion about reassigning it.
boe said:
The S3 to the G3 would be a huge jump in battery life alone (but so would a jump to the S5). If you play games with your phone I'd go with the S5. If you just want to root them - I really couldn't say which would be better suited for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Catch is the S5 has less than half the storage and when L releases, ART sucks up 25% more storage and needs about 1GB more floor to operate stably. If a light to medium user, IMO the G3 is the best newer device overall. If a heavy user, I would not recommend the G3, but JMO. I would hold off for the 805 models that will release that are to battle the evil iPhone 6 army this fall.
Note 4 is looking sweet, but even bigger than the G3. Touch Wiz is an easy Nova fix. Do not be surprised if LG releases the G3 Plus as well this fall. Not seeing LG staying out when Samsung releases the "Prime" and Note 4. The industry is fully expecting new Android devices to combat iPhone 6.
I wonder if the reason the carriers priced the 3/32 as they did (about $100 less than normal for these specs) due to a looming new model?
rushless said:
Catch is the S5 has less than half the storage and when L releases, ART sucks up 25% more storage and needs about 1GB more floor to operate stably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me what are L and ART?
boe said:
Can you tell me what are L and ART?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android L is the newest Android release coming this fall, it's currently released as a beta but will most likely be android version 5.0 (currently 4.4.4). Art is a runtime for apps, it improves speed and such but also requires more storage per app. You can manually activate ART but it's not finished (phones currently use Dalvik). it'll be the the default runtime for Android L and will finally be stable as well. Battery life will also jump up around 36% because android L and ART manage apps / the phone far better.
The 36% was in a very controlled scenario of what apps and usage. For heavier use, there will be little improvement since the main drainers are the display and chipset, closely followed by the radios.
Overall the only thing everyone will notice is less storage space.
rushless said:
The 36% was in a very controlled scenario of what apps and usage. For heavier use, there will be little improvement since the main drainers are the display and chipset, closely followed by the radios.
Overall the only thing everyone will notice is less storage space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know - thanks.
Can anybody that upgraded from a Note 3 specifically comment on radio performance on the G3? Maybe a quick comparison of dBm if possible? I'm pretty satisfied with my Note 3 but the RF hasn't really been that great. From what I've read so far the G3 seems to have strong signal reception.
untouchablez said:
Can anybody that upgraded from a Note 3 specifically comment on radio performance on the G3? Maybe a quick comparison of dBm if possible? I'm pretty satisfied with my Note 3 but the RF hasn't really been that great. From what I've read so far the G3 seems to have strong signal reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G3 has SLIGHTLY better call reception - not huge but I can make calls a LITTLE more reliably in bad places e.g. partially underground parking garages. Not as much as I hoped but better than my S4. Data speed seems a teeny bit slower. Not the exact same as the Note3 but I've had reception problems with every Samsung phone I've ever had on Verizon - starting with the Galaxy Nexus, S3, S4...
Are there any swift key users out there. I have noticed some lag with the keyboard and lag overall....Now this leads me to my next question, a deadspot where the delete key is, but easily fixable by shutting off screen and back on...Would you determine thats software or hardware issue?
I guess you wanted us to chime in as well? Here's my review...
This is the second phone I’ve purchased without seeing it first. I have to say it’s a great phone, but if you’re looking to pay full price to keep your unlimited data, then I do not feel it’s worth the $600+ if you already have a premier device. I’d go so far as to say, if you have a G2, I wouldn’t upgrade to the G3. The differences between the two are not that big in my opinion. Since I was able get the phone for $99+ activation fee and tax, I do feel that it is well worth that price to upgrade from any device that you are unhappy with.
Screen – If you love AMOLED, you’ll hate this screen. It’ll seem washed out to you and not as crisp. If you hate AMOLED, you’ll love this screen. It’s that simple. AMOLED screen always seem to have that “In Your Face” feeling to me. They actually hurt my eyes and I’ve never been a fan of them. After spending years in the Motorola line, I never got used to a sharp display. The toned down QHD display of the G3 is perfect for my eyes even when it’s 100%.
Battery – A lot has been said about the battery life on this phone. The screen does pull down the battery more than other phones, but it still lasts all day. That’s all I care about. Can I get through an entire day with the phone? If so, then the battery is good. I typically watch a little NetFlix, read some emails, play a few games, maybe turn on the hotspot for a little browsing with my tablet, then go to bed with it around 20-30%. As far as I’m conserved, that’s good battery life.
Size – My opinion, this is one of the best features of this phone. The 5.5” display does not feel like it’s that big because the phone is not that much bigger than its predecessor the G2. The thin bezels are a thing of beauty and most of what you see is the screen, not blank real-estate. However, the bottom bezel is just big enough that it works great for holding the phone while playing games without touching the screen.
Software – While the Android software is pretty much the same 4.4.2 that LG put out for the G2, they have added a few features that work well with the bigger screen. QSlide is a nice feature and one, which if you remember it’s there, can be very useful. It allows you to open an app in front of the current app as a window. Of course there’s only certain apps this works with. I am mixed about the SmartTips. I haven’t seen anything that is useful to me, but maybe I don’t need anything “Smart” enabled? As for Smart Bulletin Screen, I turned it off. It would have been better if they had designed a “Blinkfeed” style window here instead of a combination screen for SmartTips and LG Health.
IR Blaster – This one is finicky. I found that the IR port had to be directly facing the equipment to work. I most cases, you have to point it right at the device and not in the general direction. For me, it’s not a big deal as I really never used it on the M8.
Camera – I love the camera. It’s basically the same one from the G2 and I loved the G2’s camera. I haven’t really noticed any difference in the focus speed of the camera, so I am not sure if the laser focus is a gimmick or not, but the camera itself works just as you’d expect and it is right up there with the premier phones of today.
Signal – I do wish LG had improved the radios. I went around with the G2 and G3 reading decibels in different areas. I saw no difference between the two phones leading me to wonder if they even did anything to the G3’s radios. SpeedTest were also identical and I live in an xLTE environment. I have even had the G3 slip into 3G mode where the G2 always stayed in 4G. I’d have to say this is the biggest disappointment for me. (If it continues to slip into 3G mode in certain areas, then I will consider switching back to the G2.)
Conclusion: If you’re looking to move from the latest and greatest phone (IE: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, or even the LG G2), I would advise against it. There’s just no noticeable upgrade from today’s premier devices. However, if you’re unhappy with your current phone, then the G3 is one to consider. I do believe that this phone will be my main carry device for the next year or so. Well, maybe until the iPhone 6 is released…
We should also see two Samsung phones to counter the iPhone 6 launch and maybe a 805 version of the G3.... Maybe.
Not a full review yet, that's to come soon. But here's my unboxing and first impressions/first look at the device!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40hMAEae1NA
boe said:
Hello,
I thought I'd post a quick review for anyone considering a Verizon G3. I'm sure others have reviews to give as well. My last 2 phones were the Verizon S3 and Verizon S4. I also had many HTC phones going back to WM.
Battery life - at first I'd say it was comparable to my S4 but then I went to all applications and disabled a bunch that were on after I activated my phone - now the battery life is great - I've had it on but unused and uncharged since last night (1 push email account - no texting, no imdb, no calls) and it only went down 5% in 12 hours (BT enabled, WIFI disabled). The screen activity does seem to use more battery life than my S4 and so does GPS. Otherwise phone talk time seems to have about the same battery drain. I only use BT for making calls so BT is on 24x7. FYI I just got the Plantronics EDGE and it is amazing (I also have the Sennheiser presence which has better battery life but overall I like the Edge much more.
Charging - the phone is picky about chargers. I've used the same chargers I've had for years for my Nexus, S3, S4, Plantronics and Sennheiser headsets but the G3 said it wasn't acceptable and wouldn't use it to charge. On the plus side the included charger does seem to charge it quickly. Biggest disappointment - that it didn't come with a wireless charging backplate.
Signal strength - I'd say it has only slightly better voice signal reception than the S4 but every bit helps (e.g. calls from the cement garage beneath my apartment complex). Data seems a teeny bit slower though when running speedtest. I haven't done enough testing for this to be an accurate or detailed analysis.
Overlay - I have to say it seems zippy enough to me and as user friendly as the Samsung although different so it takes a teeny bit of getting used to - except the back arrow - that took a lot since it is on the opposite side from where my thumb automatically tried to go when I wanted to go back.
Screen - great size. I don't think the contrast is as sharp as the S4 - you can say it is color saturation or whatever you want - in the end it still means some things are as well separated. There is a color adjustment some say impacts contrast but what it does is adjust colors - not contrast IMHO.
Buttons - I thought I'd really freak out about not having the hard buttons where I had in the past but that was easier to get used to than the back button - I'm finally used to both though.
Bloat ware - both Samsung and LG have some apps I'd love to just uninstall but until you root them, you are stuck with the crap although most of it you can disable. Health was the very first thing I would uninstall if I could.
Issues - no issues so far other than the charging one. No reboots or hangs. My guess is that people are installing an app that doesn't play well with the G3 or perhaps the current version of Android. I admit I don't have more than 15 apps I install myself. The only ones I really care about are truecaller(mediocre call blocker/id app), Tesla (flashlight), call history, cal widget (calendar for home screen) and the rest are items I only use occasionally - e.g. ip calcs, where's my car, speedtest etc. I tried some live wallpapers and went back to static ones - attempting to keep every bit of battery life. I had a hard time pairing my BT headset with my new phone - perhaps there is something different about the process on the G3 - I ended up using NFC and it worked instantly.
Conclusion - I like the phone a lot although I'm sure the S5 would have been an excellent choice as well. I like the screen size on this a bit more but I like the contrast on the Samsung screen. I notice the difference in large 4K TVs right away but for a screen of this size the S4 resolution was fine. You really have to look to notice the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I may ask, which apps did you disable/turn off after you set up your G3? I am curious what you found to be the battery hogs that you don't or won't need. Everyone has different needs, but knowing what others did will help others as well.
Related
Switched from iPhone 4 to a white note, been using an iphone since 2007, thats 5 years in a row!! after one hour with the note i have no regrets!
who else switched?
the only thing i miss is one app, scramble with friends
I play Words with Friends on Android with people on iPhones.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
Apple makes great MBPs and wireless routers. That's about it. The iphone was good in 2007.
I can't think of a single reason to own one now instead of any Android
remyxd said:
Switched from iPhone 4 to a white note, been using an iphone since 2007, thats 5 years in a row!! after one hour with the note i have no regrets!
who else switched?
the only thing i miss is one app, scramble with friends
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Scramble with friends will make its way to Android eventually. Probably soon.
I switched from 3gs . . . lol.
I actually just popped on the forums to comment on the fact that I am, for one, IMPRESSED by the battery. For how huge this phone is and everything. . . it's utterly amazing. I've been on red for the better part of an hour. Just paid two Kaiser bills (they take seemingly forever to pay) over the phone with speaker phone on and the screen on the whole time. Barely dropped a couple of percent.
I don't have an allegiance to either system but I am torn atm
I really like the idea of the Note:
- GIGANTIC screen
- replaceable 2500 mAh battery
- g-maps navigation
- power control widget
The only problem?
I can't really find anything wrong with my iPhone 4S either...
- Great battery life on the 4S
- I don't mind a 3.5' screen (hell I've even used a 2.7' HP Veer before and have been ok) but I wouldn't mind a 5.3' screen either
- Great camera on both
- Great screen quality on both (love both AMOLED and IPS)
- Both sides have all the core applications I need
- Garmin GPS app gives turn by turn directions
- Siri and Google dictation services are basically a wash
- I don't feel "locked down" by Apples system like most here do. I figure out how to conform either system (iOS or Android) to fits my needs
Decisions decisions...
Just switched from an iPhone 4 to a white Galaxy Note with a blue flip cover. I love it so far. I've rooted it, removed all the AT&T/Samsung Bloatware, Installed Go Launcher and have a bunch of emulators. I regret nothing!
I just switched to the note from an Iphone3gs today. So far the experience has been amazing, wish I switched over earlier!
Another iPhone 3GS convert here... just picked up my carbon Note tonight, and I think I'm in love.
I've been running CM7 on my Nook Color for the last year, so I've had plenty of time to test out the Android ecosystem. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic to finally be 100% free from the confines of iOS, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do with the Note.
/w00t and stuff
Switched from iphone 4 myself, got the white note yesterday. Its a handful lol, been doing a lot of research on this site since I am a noob.
I'm a big apple and linux user, and my previous phone was an iPhone 3GS. I'm really enjoying the Note so far, and android in a nice new experience for me. I think my favorite thing is how if you feel that something isn't working the way you think it should, there's an app for that.
A lot of the things I've been doing so far have been toward making it do things that the iPhone got right that you never really had to think about, but now that that's all sorted everything is brilliant.
Excelsior!
I've been on an iPhone since the original...this phone was the first one different enough and against everything that apple believes that i know i won't be disappointed when the iPhone 5 comes out....I love it!
Welcome to all of you. You shall not be disappointed with Android. Once some custom ROMs start coming out, our phone will be a beast for a long time...not that it isn't already. Glad you all finally came over from the dark side! Haha.
Switched from a 4s to the Note yesterday. I'm pretty sure it has already ruined me for smaller screen phones. I turned my iPhone on today connected to wifi to play Scramble and it already felt like the smallest phone in the world. My Note is running great and I don't see me going back.
Picked up the Note today at Best Buy at full retail. I currently have the iPhone 4S 64 and here are my thoughts.
The Note is huge but I knew that and it doesn't bother me to much because it fits nicely in my pocket. I have none of the lag issues with the UI some state. The OLED screen is very nice. Blacks are black colors are punchy. The reddish/pinks can be a bit blown out as with any OLED screen I have seen. I can't even tell its a pentile display due to the hi res. The phone is a bit slippery so I will need a case to help with that but then the phone will be even bigger . As with all Androids I have tested, battery charging is slow as hell. Im guessing about 3 hours for a full charge on the Note vs. 1 on the iPhone. I love how I can wake up in the morning forgetting to charge my Iphone. I realize its at 20 percent and by the time I am out of the shower and ready to go its at 60%. The Note took 45 mins to go from 35 to 50% roughly. Also due to the size I can easily do everything with my 4S in one hand. I can with the Note but its a bit awkward and I am afraid I might drop it. I have decent size hands and can grip a basketball in one hand.
With that said, the Note is my favorite Android on the market. If you are an Android fan and don't mind the size then give it a try. I always go back to iOS. Right now since I am swapping my iPhone sim back and 4th all I get is HSPA+4G and not LTE 4G (San Francisco). Supposedly I will need to call ATT to change to an LTE plan but then I am not sure if it will work properly in the 4S. I would not mind keeping both and just switching based on my needs/mood but many of my friends use iMessage so that makes it a bit challenging.
Switched from an iPhone 4. I have no regrets and will never go back!
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note.
richard371 said:
As with all Androids I have tested, battery charging is slow as hell. Im guessing about 3 hours for a full charge on the Note vs. 1 on the iPhone. I love how I can wake up in the morning forgetting to charge my Iphone. I realize its at 20 percent and by the time I am out of the shower and ready to go its at 60%. The Note took 45 mins to go from 35 to 50% roughly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple thoughts,
A. This is an apples and oranges comparison because the battery in the Note has a significantly greater capacity, it will obviously take longer to charge.
B. I came to the Note from the Infuse which also had long recharge times because Samsung's charging scripts are conservative. There are ROMs like ZEUS that incorporate different charging scripts and will fully charge that phone in an hour and a half or so.
C. Once a CWM recovery is out for this phone, development will pick up and different governors will come into play which, when incorporated with an ext4 file system, will make the phone faster and less of a battery hog.
Give it time, you will fing your iphone becoming less and less used until you wonder why you haven't sold it. At least that's what happened to me.
--Mike
Sent from one of many Samsung devices.
MobileData said:
Give it time, you will find your iphone becoming less and less used until you wonder why you haven't sold it. At least that's what happened to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use my iPhone more and more as time goes on (and this is coming from someone who is getting the Note soon). My smartphone, doesn't matter iOS or Android, gets tweaked until it takes care of every single electronic need of mine.
I switched from the iPhone 3GS and love most things about the Note so far, especially the size and flexibility. However, I don't like the voicemail function. I much prefer the simplicity of the iphone visual voicemail that is just there and you tap to listen, rather than having to call a phone number to access and then hit a variety of number to retrieve, save, or delete. Maybe there's a visual voicemail app out there??
ap3604 said:
I don't have an allegiance to either system but I am torn atm
I really like the idea of the Note:
- GIGANTIC screen
- replaceable 2500 mAh battery
- g-maps navigation
- power control widget
The only problem?
I can't really find anything wrong with my iPhone 4S either...
- Great battery life on the 4S
- I don't mind a 3.5' screen (hell I've even used a 2.7' HP Veer before and have been ok) but I wouldn't mind a 5.3' screen either
- Great camera on both
- Great screen quality on both (love both AMOLED and IPS)
- Both sides have all the core applications I need
- Garmin GPS app gives turn by turn directions
- Siri and Google dictation services are basically a wash
- I don't feel "locked down" by Apples system like most here do. I figure out how to conform either system (iOS or Android) to fits my needs
Decisions decisions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you are equally happy with both os offering, then might i suggest you look at it from a different angle. What hdtv would you buy? A 32 inch HDTV (iphone) or 55 inch HDTV (note)?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717
Because I promised
Quick background: I've had iPhones until earlier this year when i took the plunge and nabbed an Unlocked Galaxy Nexus GSM, Great phone, but some things with it I just couldnt get past (16gb of storage and the EH audio amplification...Also i want fond of 4.2 on it) which lead me to search for another phone, Tried the Galaxy S3 but was disappointed and returned it, And now about a weekish or so ago I got myself the One X+, So lets delve into my opinion on the device for anyone on the fence
First Impressions, Build, Ergonomics and Screen
The build of the One X+ is fantastic, Far better than the S3 or Galaxy Nexus, it feels nice solid and most importantly for a $200-on-contract smartphone, premium, The grippy texture to the finish makes it a delight to hold and I never feel like im going to drop the bloody thing at the drop of a hat, The Capacitive buttons are also in my opinion much nicer than the hard button on the S3 (One of the major stumbling blocks with the S3 was the fact i found that button WAY too hard to work) Though I think the Galaxy Nexus' on screen buttons are still the most elegant solution... If I had one little complaint in regards to the ergonomics its that the volume buttons sit flush and undefined on the chassis of the phone, which has taken me a bit to get used to, Id prefer them to be raised a bit, but its a minor complaint. Overall the fit and finish of the phone is the best of any other phone I've ever owned, it feels solid and like its going to hold up to 2 years of use
Moving on, the screen is one of the most important bits of ANY smartphone and the One X+ doesnt disappoint, its easily got the nicest screen I've ever seen on a smartphone (And i did LOVE the AMOLED on my GNex so thats high praise!) its big, its bright, colors are saturated and the black level is nothing to scoff at, Albeit not as inky black as an AMOLED, Text is sharp and easily readable as well, and unlike the AMOLED screen on my GNex it doesnt chug my battery flat, it also stays looking nice even at lower brightness levels, The multitouch on it works well and accurately... Other nice things are the nicely beveled edges at the screen which makes swiping, say to another page of the homescreen or to move icons from one screen to another, a real treat and the fact it stays pretty clean and comes clean easily (Its not a fingerprint magnet the way my iphone or the S3 was, The S3 was actually terrible because i couldnt clean the fingerprints off worth a darn...)
Sense/Software
This is my first experience with Sense and only the second Skinned android version I've used and I gotta say I'm in the group that likes Sense, I get the reasons folks dislike it, but I'm finding I actually prefer many aspects of it over stock Android, in particular I do like the messaging app on it which just seems to work a bit better than the one on my GNex, and I do rather like more than one of the widgets it comes with (The small 4x1 Weather + Clock widget for instance) but I do see how these things could drain the battery or processor... I like how it asked me after dismissing one tutorial if i wanted it to keep bringing tutorials up and when i said no it never brought up another one (Unlike Touchwiz which would NOT stop bringing up tutorials even after i told it to knock it off)
The music app has rapidly become my favorite music app, I just like it, I dont like Google Play Music and Doubletwist had its problems in my opinion (Namely it tended to mess up if someone sent me a text or called me and wouldnt resume playing until i completely exited it and reloaded it, Not to mention it did NOT play well with 4.2, also the random thing i had to toggle on and off a few times everytime i started played music or it just continued the same "random" assortment of songs from the last play through..) by comparison the Sense music app just works better, looks pretty attractive and is easy for me to navigate, Also the included ringtone maker is a VERY nice touch that removed the need to install an app to do so...
The phone and Calendar apps are also very very nice, far better than the stock Android counterparts.. I love how the lock screen works as well with only ONE complaint, I dont think theres a way to launch Google Now from the lock screen... (If you know a way please tell me)
Google Now is better than it was on the GNexus shockingly, it transcribes my voice a lot quicker and more accurately than my GNex ever did..
I pretty much disabled all the AT&T crapware on my One X+ as soon as I got it, and I recommend you do as well, I know from many reports here one of the apps will chew up your battery if you dont disable it so yeah, The only ATT App I have on there and use is the Visual Voicemail one, Beyond that theres a demo of Mass Effect Infiltrator installed which is actually nice, its a game I bought on a friend's iPad and while I liked the concept, their old iPad ran it like junk and i felt the game was more suited to a phone screen over a tablet, Im not sure I'll drop $3.99 to unlock the full version, but as a demonstration of what the Tegra 3 could do in terms of graphics I found it a lovely demonstration
The stock browser is pretty nice as well and supports flash, Performance on it is VERY good, Seems on par with my Flash-browser of choice on my GNex (Dolphin) theres a really stupid and annoying toolbar enabled by default but 5 seconds in the settings menu banishes it to nothingness, Of course for non-flash sites I use Chrome, but the stock browser is the nicest stock browser I've ever used
About the only complaint i can throw at Sense is the keyboard, Which is pretty bad for me personally, Lots of typing errors and problems... But to be honest thats a minor complaint given how many alternate keyboards there are for Android
Performance
Performance wise this phone is a powerhouse, I have not had any issues with it stuttering, slowing down or anything no matter how hard i push it, No games have had noticable framerate problems (The GNex had problems with a couple games I played) the interface works smooth and buttery and it definitely feels like the most powerful Android device I've owned, Flash works smooth and buttery and gives me no issues as well which is VERY nice
Gaming I havnt found a single game it cant run perfectly(Albeit, i havnt done TOO much gaming on it)
As for other performance, the radio and antenna seem to be excellent, Unlike the S3 my One X+ doesnt hop on and off between HSPA+ and LTE every 2 seconds schizophrenically (Which made my S3 lose 20% of its battery in a 20 minute long errand and signalled the final nail in the coffin that lead me to return it), My One X+ hasnt lost connection even when I've taken it to the places I know have poor coverage so I'm quite happy with that bit of it
LTE performance will vary on your area but I get around 8mbps in my house (Which is 2-bar bordering the edge of LTE territory) to a high of 36mbps i got when i was out of the house at a 4-bar LTE location, Which is certainly nothing to scoff about, Wi-Fi works well for me, and I've yet to notice any problems with my Wi-Fi dropping at night or when its been locked for a long time like other users have reported...
Call quality is excellent, People are loud and clear, The speakerphone is also the first one i've found i can actually USE in a car and hear the person...
Camera
I'm the worst person to ask about camera quality on smartphones, For what I use them for even the "Bad" Galaxy Nexus camera was great for me, I carry my EOS 7D with me just about everywhere so if I want to take a nice picture I will pull that out instead..
That said, the cameras are very nice, I love how responsive it is with pretty much no shutter lag, it focuses quickly and very accurately and tends to do a good job with exposure as well, Photos have a good amount of detail to them and skintones are rendered pleasingly, Theres plenty of artsy filters if thats your thing as well, Only complaint is the focal length of the front facing camera seems a bit long for a self portrait, i have more problems framing it than with other smartphones I've owned, But the quality is also far superior to the other phones I've had
The stock sound effects for it are REALLY FREAKING ANNOYING however
Audio Quality
Obviously one big reason I picked up the One X+ was to get something with better audio quality than the GNex, The GNex isnt THAT shabby, but it does lack "oomph" and struggled to drive even my mobile headphones (I had to have it cranked to 100% all the time to get them decently audible and even then it was eh...) Volume+ helped a bit but 4.2 broke Volume+ leaving me in a bit of a rut...I also personally felt it made the phone sound "Strained" at times to deliver the volume i desired... The external speaker was also frequently barely audible, I usually heard the phone vibrating over the actual ringer...
Thankfully the One X+ is worlds apart from the GNex in that department, The external speaker is LOUD and easily heard, its also of surprisingly good quality and is actually one of the best little built in speakers I've heard, it also has a good amount of "depth" to it and renders low frequencies admirably for what it is, Overall the external speaker impressed me
But that pales in comparison to the headphone output, Which has simply left my jaw on the floor and exceeded my expectations, the headphone output is easily the best I've heard of any smartphone or MP3 player I've owned, it has exceptional clarity and detail to it with or without the Beats optimizations on... Speaking of those optimizations I was actually shocked I liked them and I did find they made a very noticeable difference in the output quality, Now note... they are simply a set of equalization curves they may not work for everyone due to differences in music and headphones... but in my case they've worked well and further enhance the music and video watching experience
For the record I've tried my One X+ with three sets of headphones, a set of Shure IEMs, a pair of Klipsch Image Ones and a pair of Sennheiser HD280s, Only the HD280s gave it a bit of trouble... they still sounded good, albeit not to their full potential (For the record the HD280s are a set of cans that REALLY need something meatier than a smartphone to drive them..) My primary music listening is Rock and Metal, with a bit of electronic, pop and other things thrown in there for good measure, So far I havnt found anything that the One X+ doesnt excel at playing back
Oh and the headphone output will also go VERY loud, I dont even turn it up past halfway except with a couple very low volume songs i have...
Battery Life
And now onto the massive elephant in the room whenever folks talk about the One X+... Battery life... The best way I've found it is "Jekyll and Hyde"... Let me explain
Use the phone normally, for phone calls, text messaging, maybe reading a webpage or checking email and the battery life is superb, Even some light gaming, like a little Cut The Rope or some such and the battery is VERY good and should easily get most folks through a day, Even watching a youtube video or two, either using the Youtube app or the stock browser and desktop youtube website doesnt excessively drain the battery...
....But fire up say, Mass Effect Infiltrator and watch your battery life burn...
Which seems very "No crumb sherlock" but it was definitely surprising to me after coming from the Galaxy Nexus where the screen, not the processor, was the worst offender to my battery life, Which simply means it didnt much matter what i did on the GNex if it involved the screen, the battery was going to drain at the same rate
Truthfully in my experience, the One X+ is as good as the S3 I had, Primarily because of that aforementioned issue the S3 had with staying connected to a tower, Its actually equal to my GNex's stock battery as well, which is very impressive considering this phone is packing LTE and a Quad Core processor in its svelte package
In terms of numbers, according to GSam my average battery life is 14h 40m, The most I've run it for was 16h with almost 3 hours of screen on time, To me, this is perfectly fine considering the rest of the phone and for most folks, you should easily be able to get through the day without a problem, I am connected to Wi-Fi pretty much all day, but even using LTE didnt seem to impact the battery life all that much...
Now a note, I dont really try for battery saving either... I have my phone syncing to gmail, syncing to google now, location services on, GPS on, i have that little weather widget thingy i mentioned up above on too which uses battery.. Screen is fixed at 33% brightness.. I just use it, like i usually use it, so a mixture of a bunch of things depending on what im doing that day...
One nice thing I also noticed is unlike the GNex, when the battery hits 20% its not a panic moment, 20% on my GNex meant "Find a charger in 20 minutes or im dead, Jim", on my One X+ 20% means i still have a few hours left and theres no need to rush... Which is nice, I had to buy an extended battery for my GNex, for this? I dont really feel I need one (I might get a battery case however)
Do I wish it had a 3500mah battery? Of course, But it doesnt, and thats fine, For me its an acceptable sacrifice
Quick Comparison To Other Phones For AT&T and Why I Didnt Buy Them
Galaxy S3, I technically actually bought one of these and returned it, theoretically it has better battery life, but only a dual core phone, also it runs TouchWiz which i found naggy annoying and way too like iOS for my tastes, it has a MicroSD slot, but that just adds an extra $20 to the price tag to get a 32gb card (and if you want 64gb you're looking at an extra $60 to that price tag) , not built as well and ergonomically it was a pain in my hand and i constantly felt i was about to drop the dumb thing when i was using it, in my case the battery life was completely atrocious because it could NOT hang onto a signal and would scizophrenically bop between HSPA and LTE every 2 seconds which made doing things on it virtually impossible, I also didnt feel it was all that fast over the GNex running 4.1 (At the time however, the S3 only had 4.0 so.. I guess this isnt entirely fair) Also I feel the blue color looks like someone colored it with a Bic pen... Really my ownership of the S3 went from initial jubilation over a brand new shiny smartphone to finding problem after problem before i even got home with the darned thing...
Galaxy Note II, Bigger screen, bigger battery, cool S Pen features, but it runs TouchWiz which I consider worse than Sense and the ergonomic problems I had with the S3 are even worse because of it, its also a bit too big to fit in my pocket comfortably and I was way too worried Id end up dropping it, I tried it out in the store even and it just wasnt comfortable for me, and a bunch of the things i just rattled off about the S3 are likely true about the Note as well... So yeah
LG Nexus 4, Better processor, stock Android 4.2, better battery life (I think?) and a great price ($350 no contract) however it only has, at best, 16gb of storage and that just wasnt working for me as it was, Plus theres no LTE on it as well which is a negative when you have LTE available where you live
Summary/TL;DR
Overall the One X+ is easily my favorite smartphone on the market right now, I'm immensely happy with my purchase and I dont see another phone I'd rather have right now, it would be my number one recommendation to anyone looking at a phone on AT&T, it just has a great combination of features and in my opinion the only real big drawback is the so-so battery life, But even then I'd call the battery life "Average" and not bad, The only phone I've seen with truely spectacular battery life is the Droid Razr Maxx HD.. Which isnt available on AT&T... Personally I can live with the battery life, Im never too far from an outlet and even if i was, the phone seems to do just as good as most of the other smartphones I've owned, I've tried so hard to find little problems with it and honestly, I gave up, I'm really not having problems with it (Well except the bloody keyboard..) and just constantly finding new things to love about it...
The only reason I'd caution against it for some folks would be if they were really intending to play intense 3D games on the thing constantly, Because thats going to murder your battery stupidly fast... And people who do need VERY good battery life are best looking at a different phone as well, or considering a battery case for it...
I gotta give it to you, Kenji, that's like one of those high-end-in-depth reviews one would read from many of tech sites...nicely approached and couldn't find many typos I'm sure people looking to buy 1X+ Will find it helpful, thanks, as you promised
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
Dottcent said:
I gotta give it to you, Kenji, that's like one of those high-end-in-depth reviews one would read from many of tech sites...nicely approached and couldn't find many typos I'm sure people looking to buy 1X+ Will find it helpful, thanks, as you promised
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
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Thank you, I do my best, I was worried it was WAY too long but I wanted to be as complete as possible and make sure I mentioned everything I could think of
I was also concerned I was going to catch flak for railing on the S3 and Galaxy Nexus
KenjiS said:
Thank you, I do my best, I was worried it was WAY too long but I wanted to be as complete as possible and make sure I mentioned everything I could think of
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I'd say 99% of us enjoy reading positive reviews of our fave devices, so the longer the read and more in-depth info the better.
KenjiS said:
I was also concerned I was going to catch flak for railing on the S3 and Galaxy Nexus
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You posted in the right device thread so you'll only get positive criticism here
Sent from my HTC One X+ using xda premium
I found the radio in the SGS3 to be pretty poor myself. HTC seems to make phones that can catch and hold a signal when you're out in the boonies and I've only found Motorola radios to be better. And the better it can keep a signal, the less battery you loose so all the better!
As for dumping on the SGS3 and the Note 2, you are preaching to the choir here Kenji, but your review puts it through the same paces as the bigger tech blogs. We like our HOX+ here and, while you can always argue for the Samsung phones because they are good in many ways, they're just not "right" for folks like me.
Thanks guys
I'm kinda regretting not applying when one of the Android blogs recently put up a Google+ Post saying they were looking for writers
As a side note, I installed Swiftkey, I'm enjoying it, though im really not used to auto correction (It DOES work very well in this instance because its learning some of the stuff i type)
Second note is that today's battery life is currently at 2.5 hours screen on, 13 hours 18 minutes total, 17% left (Roughly another 2-3 hours standby/light usage for me) I really have to say the battery life is not atrocious and thats more than enough to last me the day obviously (Took it off the plug at 9:30 this morning, its now almost 11 at night..) That included some Radiant Defense in there (Not the most demanding game, but i enjoy it! Its a shame Neon Defense which was my favorite now doesn't function 100% right because OpenFeint is no more... At least thats what im assuming is the problem...)
I wonder if my lack of using Facebook/Twitter on my phone is why im getting such great battery life..
Anyways, my only debate is to sell my Galaxy Nexus (Which likely will cover what i paid for my One X+) or keep it around as a modding toy...
Now this is me being VERY bad with my battery:
Basically nothing but Youtube and PlagueInc for 3.75 hours.. Not really sure how many other phones would beat this (Even my GNex with the extended battery might, MIGHT have gone to 5 or 6 doing this, but still, Thats with a 3500mah extended..)
I'm mostly excited about the screen. Hoping for the best with the battery.
On a side note: I'm tired of fake bidders on ebay bidding my S5 up to silly high prices.
J3ff said:
I'm mostly excited about the screen. Hoping for the best with the battery.
On a side note: I'm tired of fake bidders on ebay bidding my S5 up to silly high prices.
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Well the section seems pretty nice so far. Not a lot of posts though. I hope it gets better over time.
It will. Especially since only a handful of people have the device. When everyone gets it this place will blow up
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
jreed2560 said:
It will. Especially since only a handful of people have the device. When everyone gets it this place will blow up
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Just thinking about tomorrow...
Mine just delivered to my company!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
mediumraresteak said:
Mine just delivered to my company!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Nice - be sure and come back and tell us about it!
J3ff said:
I'm mostly excited about the screen. Hoping for the best with the battery.
On a side note: I'm tired of fake bidders on ebay bidding my S5 up to silly high prices.
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I actually find the display on the S5 a lot better. More contrast and brightness with less battery use compared to the G3. G3 display looks dim unless cranked above 80% brightness. S5 only needs 40% to look the same and this is due to the power need of Qhd.
One big trump though is the G3 has twice the app storage. If "forced" to pick, the storage has the edge for me on the G3, but I do not find the Qhd display as a positive reason to buy. Would have preferred a great 1080p display for better contrast, brightness and more battery life.
Spent three hours with the G3 and besides the design, the biggest thing for me is the full screen mode and how it manages the display nav bar. MUCH better than any previous device besides the similar UI design of the G2. LG did a GREAT job mitigating Google's stupid display nav bar from taking space.
rushless said:
I actually find the display on the S5 a lot better. More contrast and brightness with less battery use compared to the G3. G3 display looks dim unless cranked above 80% brightness. S5 only needs 40% to look the same and this is due to the power need of Qhd.
One big trump though is the G3 has twice the app storage. If "forced" to pick, the storage has the edge for me on the G3, but I do not find the Qhd display as a positive reason to buy. Would have preferred a great 1080p display for better contrast, brightness and more battery life.
Spent three hours with the G3 and besides the design, the biggest thing for me is the full screen mode and how it manages the display nav bar. MUCH better than any previous device besides the similar UI design of the G2. LG did a GREAT job mitigating Google's stupid display nav bar from taking space.
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Meh, I run mine at 100% all the time.. as long as it charges wireless we'll be all good.
So far really liking it :good:
Very light, screen brightness is not an issue indoors next to a large sliding glass door, haven't tried direct sunlight yet. Battery drained pretty quickly from from 50% to 10% but I was on the phone for about an hour and installing a bunch of apps over wi-fi, hopefully that improves with a few battery cycles.
phone is much nicer and smoother then I thought it would be. these forums made me very nervous to get it but i am glad i made the jump. I love the bigger screen compared to my m8. i can even see the screen outside. lol
How would you say the sound compares shawnten to your M8? Good to know you can see outside, alot of reviews had me nervous about getting.
tia
So I've been playing with the phone for a good 4 hours or so. Let me tell you this screen will spoil your eyes (in a good way). I'm upgrading from a GS3 so I don't know if it is as big a jump for those of you with a 1080p screen, but I just happened to turn on my old phone and man what a difference!
For those of you who have been playing with your G3's for a while, go back and take a look at your old phone really quick. it will really make you appreciate this screen.
I remember getting the same feeling with my retina macbook pro. yeah it looks pretty nice when you start using it, not a huge deal. But after using it for a week and getting used to it, if you go back to 1440x900 laptop it hurts to look at something so low res.
I preordered this phone and then began regretting it after reading people's issues with the screen, battery life, hissing noises through headphones, and auxiliary problems.
I'm glad I didn't back out. I've been constantly playing with this thing and I'm over 8 hours from a full charge and am at 35%. Coming from a pitiful gnex battery life, I'm thrilled.
The screen is gorgeous. No halo effect like others have said. Brightness is not an issue at all.
The sound through my headphones is really good. I wish it had a better built in equalizer, but I can deal with that. Absolutely no hissing sound in the left channel as others noted. I used the Bluetooth through a vehicle with no hitch and tried and aux cable I had without any problems either.
This is only day 1, but I'm seriously impressed by how simple this thing works.
Wife went into the Verizon store while I was at work, and picked up two LG G3s to replace our Galaxy S 3's.
Just finished rooting with IO Root, installing Titanium, and giving this thing a whirl.
So far, I'm really loving the screen and the feel and size of the phone. No heat issues here. I've seen a little UI lag here and there, but that's only because I'm LOOKING for it. Intend to throw on Nova Launcher anyway, so that doesn't bother me.
Looking forward to spending the rest of the evening, getting this bugger set up. No regrets so far!
I ordered mine Monday. Got an email Tuesday afternoon saying they were shipped (1 each for the wife & I). Verizon shipped them earlier than the 7/17 date they had advertised AND upgraded everyone to next day, instead of 2 day shipping(supposedly). Got it at 6pm yesterday(Wednesday). Worked night shift last night so I was tinkering with it all night and all I can say is WOW! Amazing phone. Haven't experienced any lag or the other issues that have been reported. Screen is brilliant. I watched this week's episode of Last Ship and it's night and day compared to my former Note 2. Crisp resolution, brilliant colors. Just perfect.
The camera's pictures come out as if you were looking at the actual scene with your own eyes.
Love the form factor. It's screen is as big as the Note 2 yet it's nearly a 1/4" smaller on all 4 sides. Can't wait to get it in a case though. I'm babying it like it were a crystal vase. When you work in a plant environment, double layer protection is a necessity.
Lastly... Verizon's network is STRONG! Never had speeds like this on Sprint 4G (Sprint let us out of our contract because the new house I moved to 6 months ago is in what Sprint calls a "fringe zone" between two towers and I couldn't get reliable service at all) . First thing I did was run some speed tests in my house. Got anywhere from 36-48mbps in 5 tests in a 10 minutes window. My charter Internet wifi was averaging 15-22mbps in that same time. The last tests I ran on my Sprint service yesterday was . 09mbps. Unreal!
Very happy with my choice of the G3.
First Impressions...
Due to the larger size, it feels immensely lighter than the S4 I am coming from. However, I thought the same thing when I moved from my Bionic to the S4, so no big deal. As someone stated earlier, after playing with it for a few hours, a quick glance back to my S4 is amusing. The difference in size, especially in terms of text, is painfully obvious. While the screen is not as bright as my old device, I appreciate the relatively natural color representation as opposed to Samsung's general explosion of color. Dropped all the animations down to .5x and switched over to ART. So far I'm only noticing a little lag here and there, but nothing different from the S4 I am leaving behind before I slapped Hyperdrive on it.
Speaker sounds pretty good for a mobile device (thankfully I've not had the chance to be spoiled by the HTC One), though I need to test both my headphones and my aux jack before I know for sure. I'm already in love with having the headphone jack on the bottom of the device. Reminds me of my old Zune HD. As Kellex over on Droid-Life is so fond of saying, I really don't see why all manufacturers haven't adopted this yet. It makes so much sense.
The camera appears to be much more responsive than I've become used to. As far as how the pictures come out, I'll have to take a few side by side shots with my S4 and load them on to my laptop to get a better idea of accurate color reproduction. Something tells me the G3 will win out all day long.
One odd thing that is bugging me: The WiFi connection seems to be slower than my S4 when it comes to downloading/updating apps. Hopefully this is just a quirk with it being a new, never used device that will settle down in a day or two.
Call quality/Cell Reception cannot be tested for another 12 hours or so unfortunately. That's when I'll head to Verizon and have them move the device to my line. I'm hopeful though, given the rather abysmal signal I seemed to have with my S4 at times. Granted, I was rocking a Motorola before the Samsung, and I still swear by their radios above all other manufacturers.
Also, as someone else mentioned on the general forum: Leo's Fortune looks absolutely amazing on this device.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS (M8 user)
I picked mine up last night after trading in my M8(Edge). First thing I noticed was the build quality and weight of the G3. It doesn't have that premium heft I've grown accustomed to, but it doe have a very nice fit and finish despite having a faux aluminum backplate. Its light weight is a nice plus when compared to the M8 though.
One thing I will miss are the front facing speakers of the M8. Those puppies are LOUD and they made quite a difference when playing games or watching something on YouTube. Not a deal breaker by any means, but you'll definitely notice it. The G3 speaker isn't bad by any stretch and unless you're coming from a One, it'll sound clear and crisp.
The screen is PHENOMENAL to say the least. While there isn't much in the way of 2k content yet, the resolution is definitely appealing. Words, pictures, videos, everything is SHARP and vibrant. The colors have a more natural tone and aren't as warm as the M8; neither a good nor bad thing unless you prefer slightly saturated tones.
The camera is another area where the differences become more apparent! The G3 camera is better in EVERY possible way you can imagine. I didn't know what I was missing out on until this morning when I took my first few snaps. Seriously, not even a close race here. I know some of the review sites will say that isn't true and the UltraPixel camera is fine, but believe me when I say that it's WEAK. Pictures on the M8, come out nicely outside or in well lit areas, but those 4mp just don't do it justice. The G3 autofocus is insanely quick, probably the fastest I've seen to date. Being able to tap anywhere on the screen to take a picture is also a nice touch as well.
One problem I've noticed it that there is a little lag with animations. Not sure why that is, but it doesn't feel as fluid as the M8(stock or GPE). Slides, the keyboard, animations, just feels slightly off. Could just be my imagination, but it does seem that way.
All in all you WON'T be disappointed in the phone! It's a great device and improves on the G2 in every single way.
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
Ok so here goes. Most recently using M8, S5(which up for sale).
Build:
Device has a pretty decent build and falls somewhere in between the M8 and S5. Not as heavy and premium feeling as the M8, but is more balanced in the hand.
Screen:
Looks great--not as bright as M8 or S5, but I don't think it needs to burn my retina with brightness. Looks crisp and sharp and is completely visible this morning in the bright direct sun of Colorado(very bright and close). I'll pay close attention to this later when I'm outside.
Performance:
This is where it's letting me down so far. Jittery, stuttery and not fluid. I see it in the apps, menus and homescreens. To me this is even worse than the S5 was out of the box and isn't even in the league of the smoothness of the m8 or iPhone 5s. I've disabled a lot of bloat already and it looks like it'll need to be rooted much like the s5 to reach potential unless it's purely due to pushing the extra pixels. I enabled ART and that was even worse so I'm back to Dalvik runtime.
Camera:
Only taken a handful of photos, but they look pretty great and should be on par with the better camera phones. Not sure if it'll top the s5, but maybe it will.
Speakers:
Loud and clear--easily hear alerts/ringtones.
Hopefully some of the fluidity issues can be addressed via dev or by LG because clearly this device has a lot of potential.
cdd543 said:
Ok so here goes. Most recently using M8, S5(which up for sale).
Build:
Device has a pretty decent build and falls somewhere in between the M8 and S5. Not as heavy and premium feeling as the M8, but is more balanced in the hand.
Screen:
Looks great--not as bright as M8 or S5, but I don't think it needs to burn my retina with brightness. Looks crisp and sharp and is completely visible this morning in the bright direct sun of Colorado(very bright and close). I'll pay close attention to this later when I'm outside.
Performance:
This is where it's letting me down so far. Jittery, stuttery and not fluid. I see it in the apps, menus and homescreens. To me this is even worse than the S5 was out of the box and isn't even in the league of the smoothness of the m8 or iPhone 5s. I've disabled a lot of bloat already and it looks like it'll need to be rooted much like the s5 to reach potential unless it's purely due to pushing the extra pixels. I enabled ART and that was even worse so I'm back to Dalvik runtime.
Camera:
Only taken a handful of photos, but they look pretty great and should be on par with the better camera phones. Not sure if it'll top the s5, but maybe it will.
Speakers:
Loud and clear--easily hear alerts/ringtones.
Hopefully some of the fluidity issues can be addressed via dev or by LG because clearly this device has a lot of potential.
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I'm also coming from an S5.
The screen def did NOT blow me away like I was hoping.. I don't get it... the icons are HUGE, why have such a high res screen if they arent going to take advantage of it..
It's also not as BRIGHT as the S5 and I feel like the blacks are blacker on the S5..
I'm already missing the side keys for volume.
I sure hope that the phone gets its act together and cuts out the choppiness, it's very noticable and I'm not really impressed with how fast it is either. I guess this completely needs to be rooted and rommed. I sold my S5, so I'll be sticking with this one for a while.
The size is perfect though. Exactly what I wanted!
I decided to get an Alpha as the prices in Switzerland, where I live, are fairly low for unlocked, brand-new devices, and my ageing Nexus 4 was in a dire need of replacement. Today I received my brand new, unlocked "dazzling white" Alpha!
This is my first non-Nexus android. I decided not to install the Google Now launcher on it immediately and give TouchWiz a try, just to see what it's like.
I've been playing with it for a couple of hours, and setting everything up, so here are my first impressions and troubles.
1. It looks lovely, it's so thin, metallic frame, beautiful soft back plastic. Great stuff.
2. The phone is obviously much more capable speed-wise than my Nexus 4, but it's not as fluid as the Nexus 4 (which had Lollipop 5.0.2). Some apps are really choppy, such as Hangouts. It's a strange overall experience: some things load very quickly, but it's not polished and the choppy-ness can be fairly annoying, especially when it causes it to miss touch inputs.
3. Certain apps cannot be uninstalled (e.g. Dropbox, which I don't use). They can only be disabled. On a bright note, Facebook is not installed and while the phone has some bloatware, it's not excessive. So far I ignored all the pre-installed apps (none seem useful at a glance), but I'll look at them more in detail when I get a chance.
4. The fingerprint scanner is not anywhere as bad as I believed it would be. Ok swiping is not as convenient as simply pushing the button, but otherwise it recognises my finger in one or two attempts. So far never worse than that.
5. The battery is obviously very small and I think this phone will last through a full day only with light use. I'll report back after a few days, but so far it went from 56% to 12% alarmingly fast - also, of course, I was installing and setting up stuff on it.
6. The camera seems ok. Indoor shots are so-so. The live-view in HDR more is nice, the focus indicator is nice, the interface is simple and clear. Overall colour balance is good. While I personally use a DSLR for anything more serious, the phone's camera is good to have for impromptu situations. For that, I think it would be adequate. It's certainly better than the Nexus 4 camera.
7. I'm not mad about the colours used by TouchWiz, especially that dirty green, and the drop-down settings are a bit too busy for my liking. This is fairly minor stuff. Otherwise everything seems to work by and large similarly to a Nexus phone.
8. I cannot find a method to swipe away all the notifications. Which is strange, especially since TouchWiz does have a way to close all the recent apps, which is very useful (and not even Lollipop has this feature).
9. I quite like the Samsung keyboard. It's got a little row of numbers on top, which I find very useful. The word suggestions are good. The best feature - I configured two languages on it, and if you "code-switch" (i.e. mix languages when typing) it will display suggestions and corrections appropriately. Without manually changing the language. Great stuff, very Blackberry-ish.
10. It doesn't work with the "Android file transfer" OSX application. At all. It's as if the phone is not connected, and there's no "enable USB file transfer" option on the phone, as on a Nexus device. I'll try later on Windows.
11. Bluetooth is off by default when booting the phone, and it doesn't remember the last enabled state. I don't understand why.
12. It has a lot of horrible "music" ringtones and just one that sounds remotely like a phone.
13. It was a pain to connect it to my LG watch. It just didn't work - reboots, reinstalls, re-pairs etc did nothing. That is, until I factory-reset the watch, then it worked.
14. I thought I wouldn't like the hardware Back and Recents buttons, and I thought I'd like the Home button. It's the other way around - got used pretty quickly to Back/Recents, but I'm not impressed with the Home button. It's a bit fiddly, it moves around a little and doesn't feel as precise and satisfying to press. The side buttons (power/volume) are great though.
15. The call quality is very good, better than the Nexus 4.
16. The screen is great, with good colours, great blacks and contrast level. It's punchy without being in-your-face. My previous OLED screen experience was with the Nexus Galaxy (also made by Samsung), and the Alpha definitely has a better screen, mostly because of the better white (still just a bit blue-ish) and no obvious residual pattern on a uniform background. The resolution is good. I can see the fine-graining on the display if I focus on it (pentile? or diamond?), but it doesn't bother me. Outdoor visibility in bright light is ok but not great, as in, adequate to make a phone call but not ideal for browsing the web for extended periods of time.
I'll post an update in a few days, once certain things such as the battery life are clearer. So far, the phone is above expectations.
It a great phone, you gonna love it.
For clearing all notifications there is a button named clear all that appears on the bar above them.
Sent from my SM-G850F
tileeq said:
For clearing all notifications there is a button named clear all that appears on the bar above them.
Sent from my SM-G850F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah thank you so much, now I see it
Completely unrelated to the notifications - I got to play today with the new S6 and S6 Edge. They are very nice but I don't regret buying the Alpha (for half the price of the 32Gb S6). The one thing I like more about the Alpha is, weirdly, the back panel. I just love the soft plastic on the Alpha. The glass on the S6 seemed quite slippery and I wasn't so sure about its aesthetics. From the front and side though, they look fantastic - in my humble opinion, better than the iPhones. Well done Samsung!
To add to my initial impressions: the fingerprint reader on the Alpha is actually quite excellent, at least with my fingers. The huge majority of time it will unlock from the first attempt. I'm quite impressed, considering that, given all the comments and the reviews, I never expected to use the feature.
I played some more with the camera and it's actually quite decent. Up to dark-ish scenes, where the noise just takes over.
One small gripe with the "blocking mode", which is very useful to me (I used to install Bedside Buddy when I had KitKat on the Nexus, and then Lollipop introduced a similar feature): the LED notification is still shown even when otherwise the phone doesn't (correctly) make a notification sound. Yes, easily fixable by leaving it face-down on the night stand, but it seems like an oversight. Or perhaps I didn't configure something correctly?
symphara, Ive been there, My nexus(4)? was fading fast so i went for the Galaxy Alpha in December. i know I have not rgretted it
at all. For the battery thats in there it will give me 2 days on one charge. but, yah..I agree with all the points you've given
Galaxy Alpha 850W gets two thumbs up. im still gonna look into the 2500 mAh battery though
As promised, here's an update to my original post, having used the phone for a couple of weeks now.
1. Battery life is better than expected and actually good, at least for my use. So far it hasn't died on me, not even after fairly extensive daily use (navigation/web). The power saving mode noticeably reduces the power drain without worsening performance too much. To date I was never in a situation where I had to use the "ultra" power saving mode. A quick example: in 24 hours, out of which 11 were in flight mode, it went from 100% to 63%, with moderate-light use. It charges very quickly. Mine doesn't heat up, no matter what I do.
2. The fingerprint scanner works reliably only when swiping vertically. It's very unreliable if I try to register oblique swipes. This makes it impractical to use with only one hand, and unlock with my thumb. I need to hold the phone with one hand and unlock with the other. Clearly TouchID (which I tried) and perhaps the new S6 sensor (which I haven't tried) are better. TouchID for sure works in varying directions and is suitable for one-handed unlock.
3. GPS location tracking is not as good as expected. It has significant problems in cities. On the train it can get location lock only close to the window. Location updating is not smooth when moving at speed. Compared to my iPad, when used side-by-side, the difference in the quality of implementation (speed of lock, smoothness of update, precision) is very large.
4. The camera is only good in good light. The performance degrades steadily with the amount of available light, to the point where it is terrible in low light (e.g. city night shots, intimate restaurant). The camera app is very good in my opinion. I am particularly impressed with the panorama shots: easy to take, very fast processing, good stitching.
5. Performance is a mixed bag, and for me, not quite satisfactory. For some things it's clearly fast - it records 60fps full HD beautifully, it plays Hearthstone very well (smoother than the 2014 Nexus 7 with Lollipop!), it downloads and installs things very fast, etc. Other applications and use-cases are not so lucky.
Chrome frequently staggers, to the point of not accepting scroll input for periods of nearly 1 second now and again. App switching is always slow. Google Maps is fairly slow and often jerky. Performance does seem to degrade over time, so periodic closures of apps are needed. It's good that it provides a "close all" option.
The worst thing is that overall the phone does not give an even, smooth performance. In my opinion, Nexus 4 with Lollipop gives a better overall software experience even if it cannot satisfy performance-hungry applications (which the Galaxy Alpha can), but it's much more fluid overall. My wife's Nexus 5, which I think is inferior to the Alpha in terms of CPU, gives a significantly better overall software experience - it's faster to do pretty much anything, and very fluid.
I am waiting with considerable interest the Lollipop update on this phone. If it elevates the software experience closer to the level of the Nexus, it would make the phone very enjoyable to use. As it stands, the hardware feels premium but the software experience definitely gives a feel of a low-mid range device to me. Considering what I paid for it, it's still not a bad deal, but it falls well short of the intended Samsung near-flagship positioning. Interestingly, mutatis mutandis, the old Nexus 5 does almost everything better than the Alpha, including better low-light camera performance.
I forgot to mention something else. Bluetooth is terrible. I'm not sure if it's my phone, or all share this problem. Range is less than 2 (two) meters of line-of-sight. It does not work "through" me - e.g. if I put the phone in my back pocket, it will not maintain connection to my LG Android Wear wrist watch, when on my wrist. It I have the phone in my one of my trousers' side pocket, as I walk, it will interrupt headphone audio with each step. It's pretty terrible.
New updates on review are in the 2nd post. Thanks for reading!
Hey everyone! Many of you know me from other threads or some Q&A, but I wanted to share my experience with the Nexus 6P. I do have a thread where you can ask me anything to try or test out on the device, to help answer some questions. I am a front end developer, UX/UI designer, and business owner. This review is based on how I use the phone and where the phone either shines or fails to perform to my needs. The #hype is real on this device and I am hoping to provide you some feedback that removes the bias of #hype and focuses on the device. Hope you find this helpful and thanks for reading!
Introduction
The Nexus 6P is probably the one device I was so excited to get since the iPhone 4. From reading every possible hands on review, watching every YouTube video, and being on the forums trying to calculate shipping dates. This phone has generated so much buzz that I finally felt so excited to get a device. Compared to last year, nothing was "omfg must have". The Nexus 6P filled that hope.
Ergonomics & Hardware
There is no need for me to get into the specs, we all know them or they are easily available elsewhere. This review is about how the specs of the phone play to the hardware and software to make OUR experience the best. The Nexus 6P has some amazing hardware. I got the 32gb Aluminum (long live #aluminati!) version. It is such a delight to hold. The device feels fantastic in my hands, and I have average size hands for a 5'10" individual. I am coming from a Moto X Pure, Note 5, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6, and Nexus 6 over the past year. Yes, I change phones frequently...mostly for entertainment or variety. Unlike the iPhones, Note 5, and Nexus 6 - The 6P feels stable in my hands, easy to hold, my thumb can reach across the screen without slipping and the weight of the device does help me balance it for one handed use. Where iPhones were so light and thin, the ergonomics sucked to hold; the 6P thickness actually helps in one handed use. The width of the device is not so wide, like the 2014 N6, that one handed use is easy and 2 handed use works just fine as well.
Slippery - Or should I say, lack thereof? The metal on the phone has a slight grip to it. Similar to that of the Moto X Pure (minus the rubber), but it stays in my hand. Those of you worried about the metal frame and possibly being slippery like the iPhones or even Nexus 6; have no fear.
Metal & Screen - Every version (color) will probably differ. I can only speak for the aluminum version. I have barely put the device down and I have zero fingerprints on the back. Oils do not absorb into the metal to look dirty. The only area where fingerprints are obvious is where they should be...on the screen. Which brings me to the glass of the screen. The glass, in the first hours, felt good but over the ongoing use it has been a little tough for me to slide my fingers over. Could be me or maybe I just need to put the damn phone down. The glass is beautiful and seems strong, but I ordered a glass screen protector to help with fingerprints and always feeling smooth to the touch.
There is a lip around the edge. The metal lip seems to be that of 0.2mm, give or take. It's extremely subtle, but obvious it is there to the touch. If that is something that would bother you, the glass screen protectors seem to hit the correct dimensions in thickness to flatten the surface out entirely. I can imagine the lip probably makes applying a glass screen protector even easier due to form fitting vs aligning.
Buttons and Fingerprint Sensors
The buttons are metal and solid. They don't wiggle around, which drove me insane on my iPhone and Moto X Pure. You can tell they were built well. The home button has a texture to identify easily and works quite well. The click in on volume and home buttons have a easily identifying feedback so you know you are pushing them. As silly as it may sound, the Moto X Pure failed in that area. Where the buttons were so easy to push and lack of feedback on press, there were nights where I would watch a YouTube clip and accidentally click the volume in and piss off the lady.
The fingerprint sensor is like every other reviewer has put it. Extremely fast and reliable. I programmed my index and middle fingers on both hands to the fingerprint sensor. I love that I can pull my phone out of my pocket and its ready to go without awkward thumb bending on the front to reach. Only gripe here on the UX is the inability to unlock the device with my fingerprint when it's laying on my desk. It's not a huge deal to some, but I am at a desk non stop. There is a solution, in Android Marshmallow for this though. I setup certain areas as my "trusted" areas. My car, for example, is a trusted connection and the phone does not require to unlock. I did the same for the bluetooth on my work desk. Solves the issue, but leaves the phone open to access if that worries you.
Notification Light
I love notification lights. This one is simple and great. Not buried into the speaker. Obvious pulsing and colors. Just make sure you turn it on! My phone had it disabled. To enable, go to settings > Notifications > Pulse Notification Light. This is one of my favorite features, for as simple and dumb as it may sound.
Speed and Battery
This phone is lightning fast for me. It was built to work fluidly with Android M and it does exactly that. I haven't ran into any hiccups, crashing, issues and everything just...works! Not sure when I was last able to say that about an Android device. This is the first Android I don't have the "want or need" to begin installing greenify, sleep, and other apps that help chill the phone out and not drain the battery. App switching is smooth, RAM usage has stayed consistently at 1.5gb and the camera opens without stutter or lag for me. I frequently find something I wish to take a picture of and it just opens without delay. More on the camera further down.
The battery is great. The synergy with Android M, Doze, and the Nexus 6p - the battery life for me has been phenomenal. It's too early to reveal screenshots, but just in my general use today I have only used 9% of my battery. I have sent numerous emails, taken some pictures, showed off the device, used Google Maps for navigation, and listened to a Play Music Radio Station on the drive to work. I am happy to say that I am sure battery life won't be a big complaint amongst users. If you use your device so intensively, the rapid charging is rapid. Not as fast as my Moto X Pure, but pretty darn fast. It won't let you down.
Battery life screenshots attached in this post. I am impressed by the battery on this device.
Camera
I ****ing love this camera. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, and vibrant with colors. I take a lot of pictures with my devices and generally, my family will ask me to use my phone (whatever it may be at the time) to take those perfect shots. The focus, ISO, exposure and color has not let me down at all. I was able to get some amazing night shots, with the improved camera here. Lack of OIS isn't missed much on pictures, but at 4k video recording it would have been very helpful. In general, the camera is reliable and great quality. The pictures you may want to take at a bar or night environment will probably come out better than that of any other phone...with or without a flash. Samples attached of a couple night shots I posted elsewhere.
I did install a camera app called FV-5. It gives you far more control over the camera and has made some pictures really incredible. I have to tinker with it more and learn about some settings, but the face detection, focus and more on the app really allows the hardware to shine. Hopefully they update it quickly with more support for the 6P camera hardware features.
Connectivity
The most important part of the phone. I have Verizon and some areas in my house or office will be weaker than others. Where my Moto X Pure wasn't getting the best signal, I do see a slight stronger signal on the 6P. Nothing much though and wouldn't bank on it improving your past experiences substantially. WiFi speeds are great. I attached a screenshot of my speeds at home, on WiFi, with the 6P.
Bluetooth and Car
I use my phone in the car all the time. If this one aspect of a phone is flawed, then it goes back. I was concerned at first, because the phone and car would not connect. I was worried it was related to Android M. After I turned off bluetooth and turned it back on - it connected and paired, finally. I was most worried at this point.
Since then, I have gotten in and out of my car and the transition and connection to bluetooth has been seamless and quick. Where my Moto X Pure and iPhones took about 30 seconds to finally connect to the car and have a 3s gap where I miss conversation; The 6P seems to connect and transition the audio instantly. I hope it stays that way!
In the End?
I love this phone. It does live up to the #hype. Without any bias to my excitement to have it, this phone has pretty much hit every aspect of feature I would want out of a mobile device. The best part is IT JUST WORKS. That used to be my argument for Apple devices, but I can now say the same for Android. Sorry if that disappoints some of you... This is also the first android device where I don't feel the need to unlock or root. I will unlock and root because it's a Nexus and I like to develop/test ROMS out. However, those of you who felt you had to rely on unlocking and rooting to tinker settings, you may find that you won't have that urge to do so anymore. If anything, I'll do it for TWRP.
Where I would normally plan on switching devices every few months or 6 months, I can see myself keeping this device for a year to 2 years. Just won't tell the lady that or else I'll hear it when I want to upgrade to next years Nexus line...
Lastly, in the day using it, I have had many people ask me, "Hey, what phone is that?". While I don't care for being known to have the latest and greatest, it's fun showing it off. I can't wait to see some Frosties or Graphites in the wild, but for you folks with #aluminati...stand proud and shine. I hope this helped provide some honest insight and answer some questions.
Thanks folks!
Note: The only changes I made to the pictures was reduce the size of them. They were too large to upload, but no post edits were done for enhancements.
***UPDATES***
Blue Tint / Hue: I got our second device today and first thing I looked for was the blue tint/hue. I am surprised to say that there really isn't much of one on the second device. It's the exact same 32gb aluminum. That being said, I still never notice it on the first device and personally don't find it worth the effort to replace.
Bluetooth Issues: Some bluetooth connectivity issues have began to show their faces. I think it has to do with Android 6.0 and NOT the 6P, but we'll see.
Car: Mazda3 2014 Grand Touring, updated to most recent software
Symptoms: "Google Now" isn't working when connected. It seems that the device is depending on the vehicles microphone for any input and the vehicle microphone only triggers on button press. My other devices in the past year did not have this problem, including iPhone's "Hey Siri".
Resolution: Pending
Speakers: This is purely based on opinion, but I love the speakers on the 6P. I find them to sound rich and some great tones for a phone. I DO prefer them to my Moto X Pure, don't shoot me. Really though, speakers are great. I watched a movie last night from the device, for about 30 minutes, and no pops, crackles, stutters at all. Was pleased.
I did notice on speakers, that the volume range is a bit wonky. The low to mid setting for speakers in media playback was quite hard to hear. At 75% it was what I expect at medium. At 100% it was too loud. Food for thought, but hopefully this is addressed in software updates or use Viper.
What accessories are you using?
I love to accessorize my devices. I usually run my phone naked, to display all of it's beauty and engineering. Project Fi did send me a 50% off the ADOPTED case, which I ordered. Can't beat $10.81 with free shipping on a Google official case.
Screen Protectors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016XZLFD6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014UNPYEE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
These haven't arrived yet. One gets in Tuesday. I will test it out to make sure it does not block any sensors along with making the lip feel flush. Will report back on these.
Car Charger:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0146FK3G0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01
There is a great thread, somewhere in accessories about Car Chargers. If you have lots of questions about it or need specifics, most have been answered there. I will say that RAPID CHARGING from this charger DOES WORK. Confirmed. I was able to charge up from 60% to 100% on a short drive home. It works great and the spare USB slot is appreciated.
Extra USB-C Cable:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010VFFSL4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
Braided, heavy duty and feels very solid/premium. Length is great and I am using it with a Moto X Pure charging block. Rapid charging works and it's a great cable.
Car Mount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VEAF6SG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
This is the first car mount I have tried. I am picky about how things are in my car and I like it clean. Since my CD slot is at the bottom of the front dash, this fits quite well. It doesn't shake much and gets the job done.
Con: The piece that holds the phone expands and snaps back to default when you remove the device. It's not the easiest to use. You also can't center your device because the "arms" that hold the phone will press the volume/power key. This thing looks like it was built for an iPhone or LG G3+ type phone. Food for thought.
SPEAKERS VOLUME VIDEO:
***UPDATE TO OP 11/03***
Hey everyone! So after a week of use, I have some updates to the review. I have pasted the updates below, so you don't have to jump back to OP.
Battery
This seems to be one of the most discussed topics and quite a sensitive one! Some users are experiencing incredible SoT while others are not. Ultimately, it will boil down to what apps you have installed along with your connectivity. If your LTE connection is weak, your phone's battery will reflect that. There are many factors to take into consideration with battery, so please understand it is literally per individual basis!
Disclaimer: I haven't received any OTA updates yet. There have been 3 thus far and probably address some of the issues I have.
Over the weekend, I noticed my battery life not lasting as long as I would like. Almost seemed that every 5 minutes I was on the phone, I would lose roughly 3%-5%. This raised some questions so I started diving into the possible issues.
Symptoms:
Phone near fingerprint sensor would get warm during phone calls
Bluetooth constantly scanning
WiFi active during Doze/Sleep
WiFi scanning
GPS on
Solution:
Disabled Bluetooth and WiFi scanning passively
WiFi Advanced settings, disabled WiFi on during sleep
GPS was set to battery saving, but wasn't working. Simply turn off GPS, turn it back on, and check battery saving (this was an odd one)
With those adjustments, I have now noticed my battery in DOZE would lose roughly 2% over 4 hours. I'll get some screenshots and update the OP when they are available. Still testing. Battery life after the fixes are substantially better, however, my device is still getting warm while on calls where our second 6P does NOT. Due to this, a replacement has been overnighted to me. When that arrives, I will be unlocking/rooting to have some more fun with reporting to everyone.
VEHICLE BLUETOOTH
So, either this is new in Android M or my car is losing it's AI mind (or lack thereof), but I have figured out what it's doing. When placing a call through the device or the car, the phone will go into a "dialing" status. While it's in "dialing" status, the car will continue to play my music. When someone on the other end of the call picks up, the audio will switch to the phone. It hasn't been easy adjusting to this and I do wish I would just hear the dial tone, but everything else works great in car.
SCREEN PROTECTOR
I just received one of my screen protectors. I will apply it this evening, record it and share the link here for everyone to see. First impressions are that it misses the "edge to edge" by a slight amount. There is a lip on the edge of the device. My hope was the glass would extend from lip to lip. Not the case here, but still worth a shot. The glass DOES protrude above the lip. Glass thickness is slightly thicker than the other posted above, according to specs. That one arrives today, hopefully!
If something like that will bother you, I don't recommend the Yoozon glass. Video will come soon and you can see for yourself and decide which may be best for you, if any.
FINGERPRINT SENSOR
Still works like a charm. I hope they have an update that allows you to use a little more of the edge of your fingers, similar to Sammies or Apple. Other than that, it's reliable and fast even if your finger has moisture. Good stuff Huawei.
More to come soon, but hope this provides you more info and helps!
Thank you for the excellent review.
Excellent review and agree with everything you have said this is one of the best phones I have owned and I have owned a lot of them.
Thanks for the review! I'm currently test-driving a Moto X Pure, and have a week or so left to return it, which means if I want to get the Nexus 6P I'll have to go back to my old LG G2 for several weeks until Huawei gets its butt in gear and starts pumping out more 64gb models. What's your take on the 6P vs. the X Pure?
Chief85 said:
Thanks for the review! I'm currently test-driving a Moto X Pure, and have a week or so left to return it, which means if I want to get the Nexus 6P I'll have to go back to my old LG G2 for several weeks until Huawei gets its butt in gear and starts pumping out more 64gb models. What's your take on the 6P vs. the X Pure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! Seeing that I literally just came from the Moto X Pure to the 6P, I can say that I have not looked back or regret doing so. I gave my X Pure to my business partner (he was on a 2014 model still). There is a noticeable height difference, but I like it. It actually places the volume rocker and power button in the right spot for my thumb. Unless you did Moto Maker and like that super unique look, I'd pick the 6P hands down.
Great review! Thanks for sharing.
tehpud said:
Hey everyone! Many of you know me from other threads or some Q&A, but I wanted to share my experience with the Nexus 6P. I do have a thread where you can ask me anything to try or test out on the device, to help answer some questions. I am a front end developer, UX/UI designer, and business owner. This review is based on how I use the phone and where the phone either shines or fails to perform to my needs. The #hype is real on this device and I am hoping to provide you some feedback that removes the bias of #hype and focuses on the device. Hope you find this helpful and thanks for reading!
Introduction
The Nexus 6P is probably the one device I was so excited to get since the iPhone 4. From reading every possible hands on review, watching every YouTube video, and being on the forums trying to calculate shipping dates. This phone has generated so much buzz that I finally felt so excited to get a device. Compared to last year, nothing was "omfg must have". The Nexus 6P filled that hope.
Ergonomics & Hardware
There is no need for me to get into the specs, we all know them or they are easily available elsewhere. This review is about how the specs of the phone play to the hardware and software to make OUR experience the best. The Nexus 6P has some amazing hardware. I got the 32gb Aluminum (long live #aluminati!) version. It is such a delight to hold. The device feels fantastic in my hands, and I have average size hands for a 5'10" individual. I am coming from a Moto X Pure, Note 5, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6, and Nexus 6 over the past year. Yes, I change phones frequently...mostly for entertainment or variety. Unlike the iPhones, Note 5, and Nexus 6 - The 6P feels stable in my hands, easy to hold, my thumb can reach across the screen without slipping and the weight of the device does help me balance it for one handed use. Where iPhones were so light and thin, the ergonomics sucked to hold; the 6P thickness actually helps in one handed use. The width of the device is not so wide, like the 2014 N6, that one handed use is easy and 2 handed use works just fine as well.
Slippery - Or should I say, lack thereof? The metal on the phone has a slight grip to it. Similar to that of the Moto X Pure (minus the rubber), but it stays in my hand. Those of you worried about the metal frame and possibly being slippery like the iPhones or even Nexus 6; have no fear.
Metal & Screen - Every version (color) will probably differ. I can only speak for the aluminum version. I have barely put the device down and I have zero fingerprints on the back. Oils do not absorb into the metal to look dirty. The only area where fingerprints are obvious is where they should be...on the screen. Which brings me to the glass of the screen. The glass, in the first hours, felt good but over the ongoing use it has been a little tough for me to slide my fingers over. Could be me or maybe I just need to put the damn phone down. The glass is beautiful and seems strong, but I ordered a glass screen protector to help with fingerprints and always feeling smooth to the touch.
There is a lip around the edge. The metal lip seems to be that of 0.2mm, give or take. It's extremely subtle, but obvious it is there to the touch. If that is something that would bother you, the glass screen protectors seem to hit the correct dimensions in thickness to flatten the surface out entirely. I can imagine the lip probably makes applying a glass screen protector even easier due to form fitting vs aligning.
Buttons and Fingerprint Sensors
The buttons are metal and solid. They don't wiggle around, which drove me insane on my iPhone and Moto X Pure. You can tell they were built well. The home button has a texture to identify easily and works quite well. The click in on volume and home buttons have a easily identifying feedback so you know you are pushing them. As silly as it may sound, the Moto X Pure failed in that area. Where the buttons were so easy to push and lack of feedback on press, there were nights where I would watch a YouTube clip and accidentally click the volume in and piss off the lady.
The fingerprint sensor is like every other reviewer has put it. Extremely fast and reliable. I programmed my index and middle fingers on both hands to the fingerprint sensor. I love that I can pull my phone out of my pocket and its ready to go without awkward thumb bending on the front to reach. Only gripe here on the UX is the inability to unlock the device with my fingerprint when it's laying on my desk. It's not a huge deal to some, but I am at a desk non stop. There is a solution, in Android Marshmallow for this though. I setup certain areas as my "trusted" areas. My car, for example, is a trusted connection and the phone does not require to unlock. I did the same for the bluetooth on my work desk. Solves the issue, but leaves the phone open to access if that worries you.
Notification Light
I love notification lights. This one is simple and great. Not buried into the speaker. Obvious pulsing and colors. Just make sure you turn it on! My phone had it disabled. To enable, go to settings > Notifications > Pulse Notification Light. This is one of my favorite features, for as simple and dumb as it may sound.
Speed and Battery
This phone is lightning fast for me. It was built to work fluidly with Android M and it does exactly that. I haven't ran into any hiccups, crashing, issues and everything just...works! Not sure when I was last able to say that about an Android device. This is the first Android I don't have the "want or need" to begin installing greenify, sleep, and other apps that help chill the phone out and not drain the battery. App switching is smooth, RAM usage has stayed consistently at 1.5gb and the camera opens without stutter or lag for me. I frequently find something I wish to take a picture of and it just opens without delay. More on the camera further down.
The battery is great. The synergy with Android M, Doze, and the Nexus 6p - the battery life for me has been phenomenal. It's too early to reveal screenshots, but just in my general use today I have only used 9% of my battery. I have sent numerous emails, taken some pictures, showed off the device, used Google Maps for navigation, and listened to a Play Music Radio Station on the drive to work. I am happy to say that I am sure battery life won't be a big complaint amongst users. If you use your device so intensively, the rapid charging is rapid. Not as fast as my Moto X Pure, but pretty darn fast. It won't let you down.
Camera
I ****ing love this camera. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, and vibrant with colors. I take a lot of pictures with my devices and generally, my family will ask me to use my phone (whatever it may be at the time) to take those perfect shots. The focus, ISO, exposure and color has not let me down at all. I was able to get some amazing night shots, with the improved camera here. Lack of OIS isn't missed much on pictures, but at 4k video recording it would have been very helpful. In general, the camera is reliable and great quality. The pictures you may want to take at a bar or night environment will probably come out better than that of any other phone...with or without a flash. Samples attached of a couple night shots I posted elsewhere.
I did install a camera app called FV-5. It gives you far more control over the camera and has made some pictures really incredible. I have to tinker with it more and learn about some settings, but the face detection, focus and more on the app really allows the hardware to shine. Hopefully they update it quickly with more support for the 6P camera hardware features.
Connectivity
The most important part of the phone. I have Verizon and some areas in my house or office will be weaker than others. Where my Moto X Pure wasn't getting the best signal, I do see a slight stronger signal on the 6P. Nothing much though and wouldn't bank on it improving your past experiences substantially. WiFi speeds are great. I attached a screenshot of my speeds at home, on WiFi, with the 6P.
Bluetooth and Car
I use my phone in the car all the time. If this one aspect of a phone is flawed, then it goes back. I was concerned at first, because the phone and car would not connect. I was worried it was related to Android M. After I turned off bluetooth and turned it back on - it connected and paired, finally. I was most worried at this point.
Since then, I have gotten in and out of my car and the transition and connection to bluetooth has been seamless and quick. Where my Moto X Pure and iPhones took about 30 seconds to finally connect to the car and have a 3s gap where I miss conversation; The 6P seems to connect and transition the audio instantly. I hope it stays that way!
In the End?
I love this phone. It does live up to the #hype. Without any bias to my excitement to have it, this phone has pretty much hit every aspect of feature I would want out of a mobile device. The best part is IT JUST WORKS. That used to be my argument for Apple devices, but I can now say the same for Android. Sorry if that disappoints some of you... This is also the first android device where I don't feel the need to unlock or root. I will unlock and root because it's a Nexus and I like to develop/test ROMS out. However, those of you who felt you had to rely on unlocking and rooting to tinker settings, you may find that you won't have that urge to do so anymore. If anything, I'll do it for TWRP.
Where I would normally plan on switching devices every few months or 6 months, I can see myself keeping this device for a year to 2 years. Just won't tell the lady that or else I'll hear it when I want to upgrade to next years Nexus line...
Lastly, in the day using it, I have had many people ask me, "Hey, what phone is that?". While I don't care for being known to have the latest and greatest, it's fun showing it off. I can't wait to see some Frosties or Graphites in the wild, but for you folks with #aluminati...stand proud and shine. I hope this helped provide some honest insight and answer some questions.
Thanks folks!
Note: The only changes I made to the pictures was reduce the size of them. They were too large to upload, but no post edits were done for enhancements.
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Click to collapse
You have a fantastic cat sir
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
I think it is a very good review. Granted, I have only had my phone for just now 24 hours and only completed full set up early this AM.
Can't speak about the battery yet as it is too early to tell and it has been on and off charger. I anticipate tonight forward I can get a better read.
Camera is one of the best and I REALLY like the Moto X 2015 Pure. I think N6P may trump it as a few low light pics came out great. At very least is on par with Apple 6S Plus which I also own.
Fingerprint scanner is phenomenal and IS faster than Apple 6S Plus, which I thought was fast. N6P trumps it.
Now, I don't necessarily agree with connectivity on LTE: I STILL think MOTO has better radios and at work I have very sketchy connectivity. I do notice my Nexus 6 and even when I owned the Moto X 2015 Pure, it would grab a weaker signal and have faster data connections moreso than the Nexus 6P. I had to keep toggling airplane mode on the Nexus 6P to get signals. So, I think it is OK but MOTO still has better radios IMHO.
Furthermore, I also think the processor is a "tad" slower than Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 seems to fly and is speedier (both Nexus 6 and N6P are decrypted as well). Granted, I perceive no lag on the N6P, but I definitely feel a controlled movement.
Good review, but my thoughts differ from yours a bit.
My Nexus 6P just arrived. Initial impression? The screen on my Moto X Pure is better (brighter, better whites, less graininess up close). Also, the speakers on the Moto X Pure are better. The Moto X Pure is also a little smaller and easier to grip with the rubber back. My Moto X Pure has very clicky and solid buttons, so maybe that's just a flaw in your particular Moto X.
I'm actually shocked because I fully expected to fall in love with the 6P immediately and ditch the Moto X Pure based on the stellar reviews I have been seeing, but now I'm thinking this is going to be a tougher decision than I thought, and I might actually end up returning the 6P!
Chief85 said:
Thanks for the review! I'm currently test-driving a Moto X Pure, and have a week or so left to return it, which means if I want to get the Nexus 6P I'll have to go back to my old LG G2 for several weeks until Huawei gets its butt in gear and starts pumping out more 64gb models. What's your take on the 6P vs. the X Pure?
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I am in exactly same boat. Have till Nov. 13. Great review OP. You make me really want one and if they were readily available I probably would have it.
tehpud said:
Hey everyone! Many of you know me from other threads or some Q&A, but I wanted to share my experience with the Nexus 6P. I do have a thread where you can ask me anything to try or test out on the device, to help answer some questions. I am a front end developer, UX/UI designer, and business owner. This review is based on how I use the phone and where the phone either shines or fails to perform to my needs. The #hype is real on this device and I am hoping to provide you some feedback that removes the bias of #hype and focuses on the device. Hope you find this helpful and thanks for reading!
Introduction
The Nexus 6P is probably the one device I was so excited to get since the iPhone 4. From reading every possible hands on review, watching every YouTube video, and being on the forums trying to calculate shipping dates. This phone has generated so much buzz that I finally felt so excited to get a device. Compared to last year, nothing was "omfg must have". The Nexus 6P filled that hope.
Ergonomics & Hardware
There is no need for me to get into the specs, we all know them or they are easily available elsewhere. This review is about how the specs of the phone play to the hardware and software to make OUR experience the best. The Nexus 6P has some amazing hardware. I got the 32gb Aluminum (long live #aluminati!) version. It is such a delight to hold. The device feels fantastic in my hands, and I have average size hands for a 5'10" individual. I am coming from a Moto X Pure, Note 5, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6, and Nexus 6 over the past year. Yes, I change phones frequently...mostly for entertainment or variety. Unlike the iPhones, Note 5, and Nexus 6 - The 6P feels stable in my hands, easy to hold, my thumb can reach across the screen without slipping and the weight of the device does help me balance it for one handed use. Where iPhones were so light and thin, the ergonomics sucked to hold; the 6P thickness actually helps in one handed use. The width of the device is not so wide, like the 2014 N6, that one handed use is easy and 2 handed use works just fine as well.
Slippery - Or should I say, lack thereof? The metal on the phone has a slight grip to it. Similar to that of the Moto X Pure (minus the rubber), but it stays in my hand. Those of you worried about the metal frame and possibly being slippery like the iPhones or even Nexus 6; have no fear.
Metal & Screen - Every version (color) will probably differ. I can only speak for the aluminum version. I have barely put the device down and I have zero fingerprints on the back. Oils do not absorb into the metal to look dirty. The only area where fingerprints are obvious is where they should be...on the screen. Which brings me to the glass of the screen. The glass, in the first hours, felt good but over the ongoing use it has been a little tough for me to slide my fingers over. Could be me or maybe I just need to put the damn phone down. The glass is beautiful and seems strong, but I ordered a glass screen protector to help with fingerprints and always feeling smooth to the touch.
There is a lip around the edge. The metal lip seems to be that of 0.2mm, give or take. It's extremely subtle, but obvious it is there to the touch. If that is something that would bother you, the glass screen protectors seem to hit the correct dimensions in thickness to flatten the surface out entirely. I can imagine the lip probably makes applying a glass screen protector even easier due to form fitting vs aligning.
Buttons and Fingerprint Sensors
The buttons are metal and solid. They don't wiggle around, which drove me insane on my iPhone and Moto X Pure. You can tell they were built well. The home button has a texture to identify easily and works quite well. The click in on volume and home buttons have a easily identifying feedback so you know you are pushing them. As silly as it may sound, the Moto X Pure failed in that area. Where the buttons were so easy to push and lack of feedback on press, there were nights where I would watch a YouTube clip and accidentally click the volume in and piss off the lady.
The fingerprint sensor is like every other reviewer has put it. Extremely fast and reliable. I programmed my index and middle fingers on both hands to the fingerprint sensor. I love that I can pull my phone out of my pocket and its ready to go without awkward thumb bending on the front to reach. Only gripe here on the UX is the inability to unlock the device with my fingerprint when it's laying on my desk. It's not a huge deal to some, but I am at a desk non stop. There is a solution, in Android Marshmallow for this though. I setup certain areas as my "trusted" areas. My car, for example, is a trusted connection and the phone does not require to unlock. I did the same for the bluetooth on my work desk. Solves the issue, but leaves the phone open to access if that worries you.
Notification Light
I love notification lights. This one is simple and great. Not buried into the speaker. Obvious pulsing and colors. Just make sure you turn it on! My phone had it disabled. To enable, go to settings > Notifications > Pulse Notification Light. This is one of my favorite features, for as simple and dumb as it may sound.
Speed and Battery
This phone is lightning fast for me. It was built to work fluidly with Android M and it does exactly that. I haven't ran into any hiccups, crashing, issues and everything just...works! Not sure when I was last able to say that about an Android device. This is the first Android I don't have the "want or need" to begin installing greenify, sleep, and other apps that help chill the phone out and not drain the battery. App switching is smooth, RAM usage has stayed consistently at 1.5gb and the camera opens without stutter or lag for me. I frequently find something I wish to take a picture of and it just opens without delay. More on the camera further down.
The battery is great. The synergy with Android M, Doze, and the Nexus 6p - the battery life for me has been phenomenal. It's too early to reveal screenshots, but just in my general use today I have only used 9% of my battery. I have sent numerous emails, taken some pictures, showed off the device, used Google Maps for navigation, and listened to a Play Music Radio Station on the drive to work. I am happy to say that I am sure battery life won't be a big complaint amongst users. If you use your device so intensively, the rapid charging is rapid. Not as fast as my Moto X Pure, but pretty darn fast. It won't let you down.
Camera
I ****ing love this camera. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, and vibrant with colors. I take a lot of pictures with my devices and generally, my family will ask me to use my phone (whatever it may be at the time) to take those perfect shots. The focus, ISO, exposure and color has not let me down at all. I was able to get some amazing night shots, with the improved camera here. Lack of OIS isn't missed much on pictures, but at 4k video recording it would have been very helpful. In general, the camera is reliable and great quality. The pictures you may want to take at a bar or night environment will probably come out better than that of any other phone...with or without a flash. Samples attached of a couple night shots I posted elsewhere.
I did install a camera app called FV-5. It gives you far more control over the camera and has made some pictures really incredible. I have to tinker with it more and learn about some settings, but the face detection, focus and more on the app really allows the hardware to shine. Hopefully they update it quickly with more support for the 6P camera hardware features.
Connectivity
The most important part of the phone. I have Verizon and some areas in my house or office will be weaker than others. Where my Moto X Pure wasn't getting the best signal, I do see a slight stronger signal on the 6P. Nothing much though and wouldn't bank on it improving your past experiences substantially. WiFi speeds are great. I attached a screenshot of my speeds at home, on WiFi, with the 6P.
Bluetooth and Car
I use my phone in the car all the time. If this one aspect of a phone is flawed, then it goes back. I was concerned at first, because the phone and car would not connect. I was worried it was related to Android M. After I turned off bluetooth and turned it back on - it connected and paired, finally. I was most worried at this point.
Since then, I have gotten in and out of my car and the transition and connection to bluetooth has been seamless and quick. Where my Moto X Pure and iPhones took about 30 seconds to finally connect to the car and have a 3s gap where I miss conversation; The 6P seems to connect and transition the audio instantly. I hope it stays that way!
In the End?
I love this phone. It does live up to the #hype. Without any bias to my excitement to have it, this phone has pretty much hit every aspect of feature I would want out of a mobile device. The best part is IT JUST WORKS. That used to be my argument for Apple devices, but I can now say the same for Android. Sorry if that disappoints some of you... This is also the first android device where I don't feel the need to unlock or root. I will unlock and root because it's a Nexus and I like to develop/test ROMS out. However, those of you who felt you had to rely on unlocking and rooting to tinker settings, you may find that you won't have that urge to do so anymore. If anything, I'll do it for TWRP.
Where I would normally plan on switching devices every few months or 6 months, I can see myself keeping this device for a year to 2 years. Just won't tell the lady that or else I'll hear it when I want to upgrade to next years Nexus line...
Lastly, in the day using it, I have had many people ask me, "Hey, what phone is that?". While I don't care for being known to have the latest and greatest, it's fun showing it off. I can't wait to see some Frosties or Graphites in the wild, but for you folks with #aluminati...stand proud and shine. I hope this helped provide some honest insight and answer some questions.
Thanks folks!
Note: The only changes I made to the pictures was reduce the size of them. They were too large to upload, but no post edits were done for enhancements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that a Huawei watch?
bullshark888 said:
Is that a Huawei watch?
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Click to collapse
Yup!
tehpud said:
Yup!
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I am still debating this or the 360, maybe wait for the black Friday.
bullshark888 said:
I am still debating this or the 360, maybe wait for the black Friday.
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Click to collapse
I would wait for Black Friday tbh. I am probably going to return it and wait for the Moto 360 Sport. I already have a nice watch, but need something that I can use while I work out.
Was there really a need to start a new thread about reviews?
Now that is what I call a fantastic review
Very nice review. Thank you for taking the time and sharing. I think I know my next device after mapping this against the Moto X Pure.
Does VoLTE work on Verizon with the 6p? If not, does it have dual radios to let you call on CDMA and still use LTE data?
jmileti said:
I am in exactly same boat. Have till Nov. 13. Great review OP. You make me really want one and if they were readily available I probably would have it.
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Very frustrating! If only I could hold both at the same time...