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Hey guys,
I have the option to either get the Redmi Note 2 new or the Oneplus One used for the same price. Now I don't know what to pick and asking you for advice.
I'm a little bit afraid about the battery life of the RN2, I've read different opinions about that.
The performance should nearly be the same as also the camera, am I right?
Also future updates (I use my phone for 2 years regulary) shouldn't be a problem on both devices or?
Which phone would you pick and why?
Thanks for your advice.
I have the redmi note 2 prime, my husband has the 1&1. We use them nearly the same time.
Camera: 1&1 does a bit better in dim conditions, prime takes crisper photos in decent light. Prime is faster from focus to photo.
Battery: same for both. I guess the redmi will be easier to equip with a replacement battery, but at the moment they are both strong. Prime charges faster.
Screen: the prime has a bigger spectrum. It gets darker and brighter than the 1&1. No other advantages.
Size: absolutely the same. The prime is more slippery. I like the grip on the 1&1 better.
I am on latest Dev Version (.24) which has a few minor bugs. I don't know on which version my husband has his 1&1 (I have no access to his mobile at the moment) They are both equally stable, no real advantage in either direction.
Reception is better on the prime. We live in a very rural area with spotty coverage. I nearly never loose connection like my husband does with the 1&1.
Having seen both mobiles I would buy the prime again. My husband will also go xiaomi next time he needs a new mobile. No real hard fact, but overall the prime seems a bit faster.
I hope this helps although it is a comparison prime vs 1&1.
Podcasterin said:
I have the redmi note 2 prime, my husband has the 1&1. We use them nearly the same time.
Camera: 1&1 does a bit better in dim conditions, prime takes crisper photos in decent light. Prime is faster from focus to photo.
Battery: same for both. I guess the redmi will be easier to equip with a replacement battery, but at the moment they are both strong. Prime charges faster.
Screen: the prime has a bigger spectrum. It gets darker and brighter than the 1&1. No other advantages.
Size: absolutely the same. The prime is more slippery. I like the grip on the 1&1 better.
I am on latest Dev Version (.24) which has a few minor bugs. I don't know on which version my husband has his 1&1 (I have no access to his mobile at the moment) They are both equally stable, no real advantage in either direction.
Reception is better on the prime. We live in a very rural area with spotty coverage. I nearly never loose connection like my husband does with the 1&1.
Having seen both mobiles I would buy the prime again. My husband will also go xiaomi next time he needs a new mobile. No real hard fact, but overall the prime seems a bit faster.
I hope this helps although it is a comparison prime vs 1&1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this comparision, this really helps me a lot.
I've bought both phones will now do a little bit of testing and comparing on my own.
What I can already tell now is, that i love the design and the feeling of the OPO more, but this is of course a subjective point.
Redmi probably has faster CPU, but OPO has a better GPU, so it's better for 3D games, but it doesn't have a microSD slot.
However, I'd probably go for OPO because of better build quality and custom ROMs.
Edit: Oh, you already got both.
Hello you two, It is good to read people speaking about the redmi note 2 without complaining about the battery life. I am going to receive my prime in between the two coming weeks. Could you share to me what you think about this battery life?
Laurent
If you want AOSP and custom roms you should go with the OPO.
goldenelephant said:
Hello you two, It is good to read people speaking about the redmi note 2 without complaining about the battery life. I am going to receive my prime in between the two coming weeks. Could you share to me what you think about this battery life?
Laurent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal use (about 3 hours of screen on in a day) = 2 days
No 3g no wifi and no screen = hours and hours (today without 3g wifi and screen on I did 3 hours without losing 1%)
I use it quite a bit: listening to podcasts ~ 4 hours a day, playing games ~ 1 hour checking Facebook/Mail/etc often (at least once per hour) brings me through the day. I recharge every night, so it is good enough for me if it lasts one day. I unplugged at 7:30 today and am now (12:00) at 86%.
I'm coming back to tell you which decision i made:
I'll keep the Oneplus One.
Here are the reasons, why:
First of all, the advantages of the redmi note 2 above the OPO:
- The GPS is much better, it fixes really fast (only a few seconds even indoor) and is also very accurate (3-5 meters with 10-20 satellites)
- Of course the price: it costs new the same amount of money than the OPO used.
- The replaceable battery
- The MicroSD Slot
What is in my opinion equal:
- The camera. Both are not the best cameras out there but deliver decent pictures for snapshots, but for me it is enough (for nice pictures i take my DSLR)
And what I like at the OPO:
- Cyanogenmod. I just prefer the really clean look and I don't like the playful IOS look of MIUI. Also I live in Austria and the german translation of MIUI is really week and many parts are in english (I know that it is an early build and has just been published, I was an version 5.9.24)
- The build quality: The OPO just feels like a premium device, the RN2 feels a little bit cheap with this plastic allover.
- The battery: The RN2 lost in my case plenty of power in Standby (nearly 20 percent over night) and also with Screen on (I've made a test watching a 1080P Youtube playlist via WIFI with one SIM card in standby and at 50% brightness: the RN2 died after 5:30, the OPO lasted one hour longer)
- The display: Even on cold settings my RN2 had an yellow tint compared to the OPO
Off course this is only my personal opinion and I think both are really great devices. But I just prefer the OPO.
You can't go wrong with either of them. The Redmi is quite new, so I hope there will be a alternative rom soon.
I read about the yellow tint in some forum, it seems to be some display problem which my device hasn't got (lucky me)
I am not so fond of the miui-look myself, the lack of german translation on the other hand doesn't bother me because my devices are always set up english.
Have fun with your new device und LG aus dem Waldviertel
Austrian thread? lol
greetings from a Tyrolean in Swiss Exile..
It seems so
Lg aus dem Weinviertel
The z5c came out almost 1 year ago, do you guys think the z5c is still worth buying?
What do you guys think? If no, what would you consider buying, considering the z5c as first option?
***edit: it's my 1000th post on xda yay! ***
i think yes, small phone, great performance, great camera, didn't have any problems in 5 months except camera lens, but devilcase lens protector fixed that, i would buy again
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I bought it 2 months ago. Totally happy with it. No problems up to now.
I wanted a small phone with good performance, and this one was the only one that fitted these criteria.
My 2nd option was iPhone SE... since I came from an iPhone 4S, I was a bit tired of iOS. Personally I think Android Marshmallow is in a really good shape when compared to iOS, in my opinion it is even better.
Buy.
bought one yesterday. Its the best small phone i could find for the $380 i spent. iPhone SE is about the only other 1 i would have considered.
If you dont require a sd slot there are better options.
I picked one up for USD370 (including shipping) for my wife. She had a Z3C before and loved it, but the screen stopped responding. For that price it is an amazing phone.
The latest firmware almost fixed all stuffs, the phone is pretty usable and finally safe to buy and recommended now. The only thing disapointed me is the photo/video quality still not as good as my older Z1c at high ISO(the sensor indeed got 25MP not only 23MP which is over crowed on a small 1/2.3" size) but no doubt Z5c focus speed and camera speed way faster and screen much much clear.
I think yes if you want to buy a small flagship phone. It's just great in everything, almost. I bought it on February and I love this phone.
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fast
Responsive touchscreen
No lag in almost every game and apps even in high graphics
The camera is awesome (front and rear). but sadly it's can't run the camera over 25 min in 4k. The autofocus actually fast this will be great when you record a video. You can make a bokeh, hdr, or a long exposure pictures. And it's camera is also good in low light.
I like the keyboard, you can swipe like swift keyboard and the auto correct is very usefull
The battery life good also, I got 6-8 hours in normal use (social media, music and browsing) and 4-5 hours when I play fifa 16
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The phone getting hot very fast when you use the camera, and play online game like fifa 16.
For me it recently sure was. As a former iPhone 5 user I wanted to switch to Android on a small (< 5" screen) high-end device. Early 2015 I choose a Z3C based on these criteria. Very nice in almost any way, though camera -especially rooted- was kind of crappy.
I recently upgraded to the Z5C based on the same search criteria. It seems that most manufacturers tend to put more low-end hardware in smaller devices, here Sony has done a nice job. I considered the Samsung Galaxy A3, though the Z5C came out best for me.
I look forward to the day that a more complete and stable version of Cyanogenmod will be released for the Z3C This is likely to make my Z35 experience optimal.
I had a z3c, love the small size and massive capabilities. I replaced it with the z5c about 8 months ago. There is no other device on the market I would rather have. Even tried a galaxy S6 for a bit... Hated every moment of having that one.
My only beef with its I cannot have any special software that comes from having a vendor branded device. (No VOIP on AT&T)
Bought one month before. Best decision according to me. But not the best for those who doesnt want small size or fm radio.
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
InterestedHacker said:
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the guys that claim good stories are unrooted so you know they don't actually use their phones. I've had great results in power consumption and heat with androplus v34, but it comes at the price of performance.
My 2 are rooted (one with dry restrored) and running xposed,and xpower rom. Both seem to be faster and smoother than my sons' - much bulkier - m8 and iPhone 6. Can't find anything close to the quality of this phone at this convenient size.
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
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Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
S6 looks like on the same boat stuck with 1 April security patches. 720P required less memory intensive. Z3c is very easy to get touch screen problem after one year and the camera quality even worse than Z1c. I don't satisfied with Z5c but the price is dropping so I think still worth for new owner.
raytheblacksmith said:
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
+
Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you on the latest software? Because i owned the z3c and now the z5c and besides the battery life i love this phone way more. Camera is far better and the software runs pretty smooth also even with a sheet load of apps in the ram is still fast.
Actually, the other important thing bugged me is the slow AC wifi speed but since the compact model got only single wifi antenna(Z5 got dual wifi antenna), it is impossible to top out wifi if you got a damn fast Internet connection and router like me.
When you build a NAS or share files via router, the Z5c can't playback ultra quality videos(like the video shoot from a DSLR at 100M+ 4K) though the connection detected at 433Mbps but in reality, I got only 70~120Mbps around. The speed is faster than 802.11b/g/n and good for general Internet purpose but only reached the very entry quality of AC speed.
Plus the rom I'm running Xpower 3.0(.224) bugged to browser vidoes shared out via win10 smb. I can view any photo but can't playback all videos, tested to roll back 5.1.1 and no problem. Not sure if .253 fixed the issue, been waiting for Xpower 4.0(.253) to release.
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
raytheblacksmith said:
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Real hard to solve without root. If you root it, you can flash the Increase thermal-performance mod plus lower down the max cpu clock for the price of slower speed. In my experiences, they are quite a helping hand but sure can't fix all, might be 50% better experiences though.
If the X Compact with sd820 is real coming up, probably it can fix the heat issue(even so, sd820 is also hot). But I doubt I will switch to Xc bcoz Z5c already spend me much money, or only until the price dropping a lot next year.
Hi Everyone,
I thought I'd share some thoughts on this device after having purchased it yesterday afternoon.
I bought this phone because I felt it was the first device that gave me what I had been craving for a long time - an Android version of the iPhone 6s. I like the size, build and feel of the iPhone 6s/7, but not the software or the price.
I think I am in the minority of people who prefer a smaller handset, and even though Android devices tend to fit a lot more screen real estate into smaller bodies, I still feel that the 4.7in screen size is ideal for me.
The only phones that run Android of that size have been the Xperia compact line, and the Galaxy Alpha/A3 2016 models. There have been others, but only these have come close. Unfortunately, they have suffered compromised designs and specs that have left me wanting (I have owned them all, and this is my opinion which others are free to disagree with).
This new handset, however, has me ticking a lot of boxes.
- Size is fantastic. Just a little smaller than the iPhone 6s, and feels great in the hand. Premium materials, solid build quality, great ergonomics, clicky buttons, no camera hump.
- The display is good, not awesome, but vibrant and colourful without being too over the top. Can be tweaked to each user's preference, and gets both very bright and very dim.
- fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate.
- Camera is good, not amazing. An iPhone definitely trounces this setup, but I paid £280 sim free and my usage is not too demanding so it's absolutely fine for me. Daytime shots are actually very pleasant and I think here it punches above its weight; low light is where it struggles, but I feel that most shots at night are not too important for me so it's a compromise I'll happily make.
- Call quality is very good and it holds onto signal well in my area.
- Sound quality out of the side mounted speaker is actually surprisingly good, at least as good as an iPhone 6s. Headphone performance is also excellent .
- Performance has been nothing short of excellent. I feel we have reached a point where there are not that many tasks that we do that actually need a Snapdragon 821 to run smoothly - granted, some 3d games need serious power on tap to run at their highest settings on a quad HD screen, but with a 720p screen, the A3 2017 runs pretty much anything at best quality without delay or hiccup. And everyday operation is smooth as butter without any lag or slowdowns. Granted, this is very early days, but I am hopeful this will continue.
- Battery life is astounding. I charged it on Saturday night and hit 100% at 10.20pm. I took it off charger and only put it back on at 2% while writing this review and I had nearly 9 hrs and 30mins of screen on time over 1 day and 3 hours. That includes 64 mins of voice calls. Please note that I was home all day on Wifi, but still, I have never seen times like that, not least from a 2300 odd mah battery. Awesome. It also charges pretty fast.
- Other stuff - water proofing is great, finally have USB-C, charges really quickly with the included adaptive charging brick, finally has a blue light filter.
And now for the balance of the review:
- Slippery despite its size, so a case or a skin is advisable.
- 16gb of internal memory nearly broke the deal for me, but a 64gb card and some transferring of apps has left me with 3.8gb left to play with internally. Definitely not ideal and a very cheap move from Samsung, but I'm also hoping Nougat brings adoptable storage soon which will eliminate this as an issue (here's hoping!).
- No notification light is something I have to adjust to, but the always on display does help *somewhat* ( I prefer the light as it's something that alerts me from afar, whereas the display is on regardless of whether you have a notification or not).
- Camera as described above has some shortcomings.
- Usual Samsung software compromised with bloatware - lots of useless stuff on here that eats into that 16gb that I cannot delete (Microsoft suite, Samsung junk, usual duplicate apps that we all use the Google version of). I'll keep trying the usual routes to rid the phone of this but I may have to wait a while.
Other than these points, I am really pleased. It feels nice to have paid relatively little for a device that feels so premium. I know there are other phones at relatively low prices that kill this on specs (OP3, Axon 7, Honor 8, etc) but they are generally much bigger handsets, so for anyone looking at something smaller, this is a great buy.
TL;DR, it's great, buy one if you like small phones ?
I always wanted a phone with an small amoled screen and water proofing so i jumped ship from the huge mate 8 to witch i am comparing. I agree with your pros but i found: 1-the camera is average and lacking OIS (need very stable hands), 2- cannot use sd card as default storage (very handy on mate 8), 3- phone very slippery, 4- Design and Screen of a3 2016 seemed better (personal opinion), 5- no stutter but little slow (comparing to mate 8). Only lacks IR blaster to check all boxes but we can't have everything.
Great feedback, thanks guys.
You mentioned not display is good but not awesome, could you elaborate? Is issue clarity or something else? Thanks.
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
mario24601 said:
Great feedback, thanks guys.
You mentioned not display is good but not awesome, could you elaborate? Is issue clarity or something else? Thanks.
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from a larger phone with a quad HD screen, it's never going to look as dazzlingly sharp, but on a 4.7 inch screen 720p still looks great and it is perfectly sharp and clear - if you've ever seen an iPhone screen, this feels much the same. Colours can be adjusted to your preference - I prefer accurate rather than punchy, but you can set it to either or somewhere in between.
I've had everything from a galaxy s6 which has crazy high pixel density to a Moto x, and personally I prefer the 720p smaller screen because it's far more efficient and I don't notice the pixel density difference after an hour or two.
Hope this helps.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Coming from a larger phone with a quad HD screen, it's never going to look as dazzlingly sharp, but on a 4.7 inch screen 720p still looks great and it is perfectly sharp and clear - if you've ever seen an iPhone screen, this feels much the same. Colours can be adjusted to your preference - I prefer accurate rather than punchy, but you can set it to either or somewhere in between.
I've had everything from a galaxy s6 which has crazy high pixel density to a Moto x, and personally I prefer the 720p smaller screen because it's far more efficient and I don't notice the pixel density difference after an hour or two.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
Thanks for sharing this. I am also very happy with this phone so far. It's my second day with it, the battery is at 39% with 4h45 sot and 1d3h total since unplugged. In a night of 9 hours, the phone just lost 3%.
I have noticed though that wifi is constantly detected as running by betterbatterysats, even if it's turned off. Any idea how to fix this?
patci32 said:
I have noticed though that wifi is constantly detected as running by betterbatterysats, even if it's turned off. Any idea how to fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
F157 said:
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, I didn't know. Thanks, I hope this works.
---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
F157 said:
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, could you please tell me if you use other settings to improve your battery life?
patci32 said:
Indeed, I didn't know. Thanks, I hope this works.
---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
Also, could you please tell me if you use other settings to improve your battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mm, nothing special yet, as I'm really happy with battery life so far.
What I did in the past with other devices is for example use the app greenify (needs root) to hibernate apps you don't want to run in the background.
Also, something that really helped me with my old s4 mini was to set mobile network to 2g, and only switch to lte once required.
And as always, use wifi instead of mobile network as often as possible, disable Bluetooth if not needed, etc.
£280?!?! That's highway robbery for a device with 720p, small battery and everything in budget-range. You get this, all the bells and whistles for £150 with a well known Chinese brand. Now I know why I'd never ever get a Slamsug.
iMaterial said:
£280?!?! That's highway robbery for a device with 720p, small battery and everything in budget-range. You get this, all the bells and whistles for £150 with a well known Chinese brand. Now I know why I'd never ever get a Slamsug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please could you elaborate on one of these phones that you can get for £150? I'm pretty clued up but if I've missed something I'd be keen for you to share what you've found for myself and the community - my mother needs a new phone so if you've seen something better than the A3 for less I'd love to buy it
Sunil_Kaura said:
Please could you elaborate on one of these phones that you can get for £150? I'm pretty clued up but if I've missed something I'd be keen for you to share what you've found for myself and the community - my mother needs a new phone so if you've seen something better than the A3 for less I'd love to buy it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which stats are you looking for? Battery? Screen res? SoC power?
Compare, with €150 phones, battery, res, SoC, well anything really part from 10 mm in size.
iMaterial said:
Which stats are you looking for? Battery? Screen res? SoC power?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I'm referring to your comment that you could get a better phone for £150, so I guess I'm wondering what phone you are saying is better for that price...
The battery life of the A3 is epic, the PPI is still perfectly decent (720p on 4.7 inches is still perfectly usable and arguably 1080p is unnecessary) and the SoC is both fat and frugal.
So really I'm wondering whether you can get something the same or better for less money
I'd be happy with an alternative with same form factor. Any recommendations? The A3 still not available in US.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
mario24601 said:
I'd be happy with an alternative with same form factor. Any recommendations? The A3 still not available in US.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4.5 to 4.7" screen, 720p res. 2015 - today, only 4-5 options comes up.
http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightMax=135&nDisplayResMin=921600&fDisplayInchesMin=4.5&fDisplayInchesMax=4.7
Only A3, Sony X and Z5 compact, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro has enough RAM, battery and goodies. LG Spirit and Alcatel Idol 3 only has 1 GB and 1.5 GB RAM, not really a viable option.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Well I'm referring to your comment that you could get a better phone for £150, so I guess I'm wondering what phone you are saying is better for that price...
The battery life of the A3 is epic, the PPI is still perfectly decent (720p on 4.7 inches is still perfectly usable and arguably 1080p is unnecessary) and the SoC is both fat and frugal.
So really I'm wondering whether you can get something the same or better for less money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Redmi 4 Pro can be had for €150 and its battery life is Epic also, the Redmi 3 Pro is way better than A3 and Redmi 4 Pro, with 720p but alas 5". Redmi note 3 is also really good, for even less than €150. Samsung is priced at least £100 than it should, but the same can be said about Sony and Apple also.
iMaterial said:
4.5 to 4.7" screen, 720p res. 2015 - today, only 4-5 options comes up.
http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightMax=135&nDisplayResMin=921600&fDisplayInchesMin=4.5&fDisplayInchesMax=4.7
Only A3, Sony X and Z5 compact, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro has enough RAM, battery and goodies. LG Spirit and Alcatel Idol 3 only has 1 GB and 1.5 GB RAM, not really a viable option.
The Redmi 4 Pro can be had for €150 and its battery life is Epic also, the Redmi 3 Pro is way better than A3 and Redmi 4 Pro, with 720p but alas 5". Redmi note 3 is also really good, for even less than €150. Samsung is priced at least £100 than it should, but the same can be said about Sony and Apple also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree the Xiaomi phones are compelling - my main issue is the fact that they are all grey imports - many purchasers have reported that they do not get any warranty support whatsoever, they generally require a more experienced android user to side load the Google play store, and they have sketchy android skins which have also been reported to spy on their users.
Don't get me wrong, Touchwiz (or Grace UI as it's now known) is not exactly great, but I'd rather know I can walk into a Samsung store and get a problem fixed than rely on a Hong Kong based website for support.
I think it's only fair to compare this phone to what can be had in Europe, and in that regard, it blows the Sony X Compact, Alcatel and others out of the water.
And given its build quality and design, it's good value compared to phones that retail for double this cost.
Also, most Xiaomi phones don't come with NFC (no android pay), some don't have scratch resistant glass, no quick charging, etc
The A3 also uses a processor built on the 14nm process which is up to date technology, whereas the Xiaomi phones at that price point use outdated processors like the 650 and 616.
The 14nm process is what gives the A3 it's great battery life without needing a 4000mAh battery and heavier construction.
A final point - check out the videos of the Redmi note 3 bend test - not encouraging! (I will add the Redmi 3 pro did significantly better though which is good progress).
Sunil_Kaura said:
I agree the Xiaomi phones are compelling - my main issue is the fact that they are all grey imports - many purchasers have reported that they do not get any warranty support whatsoever, they generally require a more experienced android user to side load the Google play store, and they have sketchy android skins which have also been reported to spy on their users.
Don't get me wrong, Touchwiz (or Grace UI as it's now known) is not exactly great, but I'd rather know I can walk into a Samsung store and get a problem fixed than rely on a Hong Kong based website for support.
I think it's only fair to compare this phone to what can be had in Europe, and in that regard, it blows the Sony X Compact, Alcatel and others out of the water.
And given its build quality and design, it's good value compared to phones that retail for double this cost.
Also, most Xiaomi phones don't come with NFC (no android pay), some don't have scratch resistant glass, no quick charging, etc
The A3 also uses a processor built on the 14nm process which is up to date technology, whereas the Xiaomi phones at that price point use outdated processors like the 650 and 616.
The 14nm process is what gives the A3 it's great battery life without needing a 4000mAh battery and heavier construction.
A final point - check out the videos of the Redmi note 3 bend test - not encouraging! (I will add the Redmi 3 pro did significantly better though which is good progress).
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The Redmi 4 Pro that I bought for a friend in Jan has the 14 nm Snapdragon 625. I can agree that it might lack a few finishing touches, but I could buy it for €150 inc shipping from aliexpress and get it in 7-9 days. But it's half the price, and I know the Adreno is a better GPU than the Mali.
Both on the Xiaomi and the Slamsug, first thing I would do it TWRP and LAOS ROM, they can keep their crap TW and MIUI, can't stand it.
Never the less, it shouldn't be 2x the price for something that is almost inferior in some points and better on others. Esp not in 2017, maybe some years ago, but every day there are better and better phones for under €200, like the Moto G5 and such, only problem is they are so damn big, and big phones are 99/100 new that are coming out, these days, sadly.
iMaterial said:
The Redmi 4 Pro that I bought for a friend in Jan has the 14 nm Snapdragon 625. I can agree that it might lack a few finishing touches, but I could buy it for €150 inc shipping from aliexpress and get it in 7-9 days. But it's half the price, and I know the Adreno is a better GPU than the Mali.
Both on the Xiaomi and the Slamsug, first thing I would do it TWRP and LAOS ROM, they can keep their crap TW and MIUI, can't stand it.
Never the less, it shouldn't be 2x the price for something that is almost inferior in some points and better on others. Esp not in 2017, maybe some years ago, but every day there are better and better phones for under €200, like the Moto G5 and such, only problem is they are so damn big, and big phones are 99/100 new that are coming out, these days, sadly.
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Can't disagree there - it's frustrating how few phones there are under 5 inches available.
I will say though that besides the Xiaomi phones which look to have a nice build, the Moto G4 is very cheap feeling, as are most of the other phones available here in that price bracket, so I would happily pay a little more for a nice looking and premium feeling device.
If the Samsung we're £220 I think it'd sell by the bucket load as £20-40 above phones like the G4 would likely tempt many up, but at £280 I agree that it's a harder sell for the lay person.
I'm looking at from the other side - it's a mild compromise from an S7 or a iPhone 6s/7 , but it's half the price, rather than double that of a cheaper device.
And it absolutely looks and feels as good as a £5-600 phone.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Can't disagree there - it's frustrating how few phones there are under 5 inches available.
I will say though that besides the Xiaomi phones which look to have a nice build, the Moto G4 is very cheap feeling, as are most of the other phones available here in that price bracket, so I would happily pay a little more for a nice looking and premium feeling device.
If the Samsung we're £220 I think it'd sell by the bucket load as £20-40 above phones like the G4 would likely tempt many up, but at £280 I agree that it's a harder sell for the lay person.
I'm looking at from the other side - it's a mild compromise from an S7 or a iPhone 6s/7 , but it's half the price, rather than double that of a cheaper device.
And it absolutely looks and feels as good as a £5-600 phone.
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Click to collapse
There are so many on this forum and in other places that airs the same frustration, so few options for a mobile ca 130mm lenght and 4.5 - 4.7" screen (720p at least), that I'm starting to wonder if we should do something about it, maybe talk to so manufacturer to make at least 1-2 phones under 5"
The Redmi 4 Pro I used for a few weeks felt no worse in build than the Iphone 6 or 6S I have tried a few times, both in metal around 140 - 145mm size. But for €310 I can get a Xiaomi Mi 5 with 820 and have €100 in change over. I have never held a Moto G, last Motorola I have tried was the 4.3" Razr Maxx and it felt solid as a rock.
The J5 goes for around €180-190 here and I see no reason why this smaller, entry level A3 shouldn't be priced in a similar fashion. These days due to deaths in the family and such I'm so poor that €100 is more than I can spare and my Android mobile that I have now is from 2012 or so, single core with 512 MB RAM and I hate every minute when I'm using it. I'm lucky to have been given a 2009 Sony Ericsson C901 as my main caller.
Just my 1¢ (It used to be 2¢, but due to the recession I've had to make cutbacks)
---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 PM ----------
What annoys me a lot is also that this A3 is bigger than the A3 (2016) and the battery is only 50 mAh bigger. They could easily have put a 2500 - 2800 mAh battery in this one, just like the Sony Z3, Z5 or X compact, which is 5 mm smaller.
My last perfect phone was the original moto x. I still use it. I am not a power user but the X just needs lil more power but on cm13 it's not bad.
I don't even mind going with old phone as long as has some custom roms to improve performance.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Currently I have an iPhone 6S and want to make the switch back to Android. Part of the reason for this is the quality of the battery life in the iPhone 6S. I've had mine for a little over 2 years and the battery health is at 75% and I have to recharge during the day with moderate using, which is listening to music via Spotify over 4G and browsing the internet.
I am thinking seriously about buying the Samsung S9+ or S9, but thought that I would come here to get some opinions on it.
How does the battery life compare on both of these models? My typical usage consists of browsing the internet (I don't watch a lot of videos online on my phone), steaming music, emailing, texting and phoning.
The apps I mainly use are Amazon, Amazon Music, Bank of Ireland Mobile, Boots, BT Mobile, BT Wi-Fi, Ebay, Imgur, Instagram, PayPal.
So, forgetting about the price difference, what would be the recommended option? Battery life is important to me.
My other, non-Samsung option is a Huawei P20 Pro.
I recently upgraded to a S9+ I wish I had got the p20 pro or the S9
Well both are good with the S9 plus will be a bit better due to the extra 2gb ram but to be fair if you don't open to many apps at the same time won't be different. Had my S9 plus since lunch. Last year got the S8 lunch date and sold it after 2 week was good but there was something missing, with the S9 plus its like they fixed the little things I love it.
My brother has the 20 pro and ye camera is good baterry to but overall like the S9 software experience more.
centrezuk said:
I recently upgraded to a S9+ I wish I had got the p20 pro or the S9
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Why do you say this? What makes you regret getting the S9+?
brunotuga said:
Well both are good with the S9 plus will be a bit better due to the extra 2gb ram but to be fair if you don't open to many apps at the same time won't be different. Had my S9 plus since lunch. Last year got the S8 lunch date and sold it after 2 week was good but there was something missing, with the S9 plus its like they fixed the little things I love it.
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How do you find the battery on the S9+? Do you own an S9? Just wondering how the batteries compare on them.
My battery is OK nothing especial last me the day with good use video gaming social phone and text. Have 2 brothers one has the 20 pro and little one went to the S9 and he said is fine is battery he listens to music a lot and social and so far so good.
Wait for New iPhone
brunotuga said:
My battery is OK nothing especial last me the day with good use video gaming social phone and text. Have 2 brothers one has the 20 pro and little one went to the S9 and he said is fine is battery he listens to music a lot and social and so far so good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you like your S9+ or would you rather have got the 20 Pro?
RISHI RAJ said:
Wait for New iPhone
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So we can buy more overpriced hardware with buggy software holding it back?
bingefeller said:
Why do you say this? What makes you regret getting the S9+?
How do you find the battery on the S9+? Do you own an S9? Just wondering how the batteries compare on them.
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Battery life on the S9+ is alrite nothing to brag about. I took my phone back into the Samsung shop as the coating has come off my phone after a month. I was playing with the S9 in the shop whilst waiting and it fits perfectly in my my hand Vs the plus.
I only got it as I wanted the extra ram and spec but in reality they are both equally as good
mjones73 said:
So we can buy more overpriced hardware with buggy software holding it back?
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Considering that Android phones are also now 1000$,iPhone's price seems justified for more powerful chip & better optimisation leading to utter smoothness. Believe me when I say my 6s+ is still more smooth & without stutters than my S9+.Also op was using iPhone from past 2 years that's why I suggested him iPhone
bingefeller said:
Currently I have an iPhone 6S and want to make the switch back to Android. Part of the reason for this is the quality of the battery life in the iPhone 6S. I've had mine for a little over 2 years and the battery health is at 75% and I have to recharge during the day with moderate using, which is listening to music via Spotify over 4G and browsing the internet.
I am thinking seriously about buying the Samsung S9+ or S9, but thought that I would come here to get some opinions on it.
How does the battery life compare on both of these models? My typical usage consists of browsing the internet (I don't watch a lot of videos online on my phone), steaming music, emailing, texting and phoning.
The apps I mainly use are Amazon, Amazon Music, Bank of Ireland Mobile, Boots, BT Mobile, BT Wi-Fi, Ebay, Imgur, Instagram, PayPal.
So, forgetting about the price difference, what would be the recommended option? Battery life is important to me.
My other, non-Samsung option is a Huawei P20 Pro.
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure if your aware but you can get the battery replaced in the 6s for about 29 or so dollars if your located in the United States . Honestly I'd do that instead of getting a new phone now and seeing something better come out and end up immediately regret my purchase.
Even an S9+ (or any phone honestly) will have a degraded battery after 2 years. Honestly that's not a valid reason to want to switch back to Android.
Now if you just didn't like iOS, then I could see wanting to to switch, but don't do it for battery life of your current device alone
Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
I had the Oneplus 6, P20 Pro and now on S9+
the Op6 is a beast but camera isnt that great so I switched to p20pro, the thing w that is I cant unlock the bootloader anymore so I went w the S9+, first I had a snapdragon one from HK then swapped to an exynos one. overall the s9+ is the one that got my heart although I had to wait a week for rmm jail time to flash stuff. snapdragon s9/s9+ has better batter for me though.
RISHI RAJ said:
Considering that Android phones are also now 1000$,iPhone's price seems justified for more powerful chip & better optimisation leading to utter smoothness. Believe me when I say my 6s+ is still more smooth & without stutters than my S9+.Also op was using iPhone from past 2 years that's why I suggested him iPhone
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Click to collapse
Oh I agree they have better specs, iOS 11 is a pile of steaming crap that holds their potential performance back. Hopefully they fix their issues with iOS 12. I just couldn't justify buying one until they straighten their OS out.
Wait for the pixel 3
bingefeller said:
Do you like your S9+ or would you rather have got the 20 Pro?
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S9 plus all the way. The pro is nice the camera and battery but the rest didn't like. The finger print on the back is natural to me the way I use my hand and the pro at the front was a draw back. Notch no so good
RISHI RAJ said:
Considering that Android phones are also now 1000$,iPhone's price seems justified for more powerful chip & better optimisation leading to utter smoothness. Believe me when I say my 6s+ is still more smooth & without stutters than my S9+.Also op was using iPhone from past 2 years that's why I suggested him iPhone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For sure it's not justified. I bought my partner iPhone x, she added 200 USD and got myslef and a her new s9+ 128gb and 64gb version (for me) instead of that one 256 iPhone x.
We both used to have iPhone before.
Utter smoothenes?? It's not 2009. My S9+ flies well. My Gf is just off her 6s plus it is not comparable to s9p don't be funny.
Better chip? Like I mind to be second faster or slower. I don't play scores. Reality is that you don't notice the difference whatsoever.
However, because phones nowadays getting so close my next move will be to One Plus. More bang for the money... Let's be honest.
It's not cos we don't have money. We both are well off bringing in more than most folks will ever have... But having said that I really like to Get good things for my hard earned money and iPhone and next samsung ain't that.
---------- Post added at 07:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------
Go and get the S9+ the battery is good enough. I'm getting between 6 and 9 hours SOT. DEPENDABLE WHAT I DO Of COURSE. Easy to get 6+ hours in heavy use.
Initially the s9p had issues with battery, but I didn't get much of that since i bought my phone in August and indeed before I updated the phone, my battery was ridiculous. However, when Ive hit the android update button, stopping the ignorance of the software update. The phone worked wonderfully and the battery was beyond excellent.
Anyway the other reason to get S9p is the camera. It's amazing. I know ppl say for camera the huawei is also really good but for 80 USD extra i still love the Samsung more. Huawei is sure good phone but I don't think they are at the level to get the phones this priced. Not that I think it's necessary at all to spend so much money for any phone anyway.
This is turning into an iOS versus Android thread. Please, just stick to the main topic.
Both S9 models are good, but if you're into photography, get the S9+
i was using a Pixel 2 XL for 5 months i loved everything about it except the screen and weird bugs so i eventually move to the S9+ and HOLY JESUS the camera is GARBAGE maybe its a hardware issue with mine. i tried super slowmo and my video was Really dark as if i was in a room with no light on but i was recording in a fully lit room with lights on, the camera also isnt living up to the hype and the mode i cared about the most was Portait mode/Live focus and my god was that terrible im thinking maybe i need to adjust a few things or my phone might have a hardware issue but im gonna return it and go back to an S8. i bought the pixel cause everyone and everywhere i heard about how amazing the camera was and it definitely lived up to the hype
bingefeller said:
Currently I have an iPhone 6S and want to make the switch back to Android. Part of the reason for this is the quality of the battery life in the iPhone 6S. I've had mine for a little over 2 years and the battery health is at 75% and I have to recharge during the day with moderate using, which is listening to music via Spotify over 4G and browsing the internet.
I am thinking seriously about buying the Samsung S9+ or S9, but thought that I would come here to get some opinions on it.
How does the battery life compare on both of these models? My typical usage consists of browsing the internet (I don't watch a lot of videos online on my phone), steaming music, emailing, texting and phoning.
The apps I mainly use are Amazon, Amazon Music, Bank of Ireland Mobile, Boots, BT Mobile, BT Wi-Fi, Ebay, Imgur, Instagram, PayPal.
So, forgetting about the price difference, what would be the recommended option? Battery life is important to me.
My other, non-Samsung option is a Huawei P20 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My two cents on your question
1. Go to the Apple store and replace your battery
2. If you don't want to do (1) - if you are concerned primarily about battery life get the s9+ (or note 9 if you can afford it, extra 500mah battery would be ideal)
3. If you can do (1) - wait for the next generation of phones, they will have the 7nm processors that look to be roughly 20% more efficient than the current generation so expect more longevity
Hello,
I've had every pixel since launch and, whilst the phones have been underwhelming, I absolutely love the point and shoot camera quality so can forgive the sub par hardware features. I hold a good camera above other things like screen res, waterproof, size, etc etc.
The pixel 4 is the first time I've seen a Pixel and thought meh. Yes the camera(s) are upgrade this time, but not quite enough. I would still take a Pixel4 but the reduction is battery is seriously bugging me, as my 3 is a bit limp in the battery department. But most of all I can't stomach the Google Photo back up offer no longer running. This was a prime selling point, as I'm sure any with kids knows, you take a lot of snaps! Having free orignal quality backups was really nice.
All this is leading me to jump ship and not get a Pixel 4. But what is there? Huawei have seriously good cameras, I had P20 pro for 2 weeks, but their UI is more than terrible and booloader unlock + ROM support is next to non existent. Samsung insist on the crappy SoC compared to the Snapdragon offering, plus their cameras are good but a step back compared to pixels. Oneplus make everything is awesome phones, but are alway below average in their cameras.
Just not sure really, may stick with the P3 and see what happens in the next 2 years
EggZenBeanz said:
Hello,
I've had every pixel since launch and, whilst the phones have been underwhelming, I absolutely love the point and shoot camera quality so can forgive the sub par hardware features. I hold a good camera above other things like screen res, waterproof, size, etc etc.
The pixel 4 is the first time I've seen a Pixel and thought meh. Yes the camera(s) are upgrade this time, but not quite enough. I would still take a Pixel4 but the reduction is battery is seriously bugging me, as my 3 is a bit limp in the battery department. But most of all I can't stomach the Google Photo back up offer no longer running. This was a prime selling point, as I'm sure any with kids knows, you take a lot of snaps! Having free orignal quality backups was really nice.
All this is leading me to jump ship and not get a Pixel 4. But what is there? Huawei have seriously good cameras, I had P20 pro for 2 weeks, but their UI is more than terrible and booloader unlock + ROM support is next to non existent. Samsung insist on the crappy SoC compared to the Snapdragon offering, plus their cameras are good but a step back compared to pixels. Oneplus make everything is awesome phones, but are alway below average in their cameras.
Just not sure really, may stick with the P3 and see what happens in the next 2 years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same, I won't get p4, I love compact phones (so 4xl is not an option) and battery life in small p4 is going to be ridicolous lol. I love my p3, just wish it had more battery life, that was the only downside and they didn't correct it in p4, actually I think they made it worse :crying: why the **** aren't they making the phone 1-2mm thicker but with bigger batteries? really can't understand, I think everyone would prefer a little thicker phone but with better battery life...
also not having original backup is incredible, have a kid here too and need best quality for my millions pictures lol.
really can't get what they are doing... other thing I don't like is the fingerprint gone...
my top priorities for a phone are compact size, great cam quality and battery life.. so considering the alternatives around I think i'll stick with the p3 for some long time lol... also considering I hate as well notches, punch holes and similar and huawei and samsung's horrible UI
Oh my lord I didn't even think about Fingerprint scanner. Just reading a review about it, no scanner and face unlock that is a bit wonky. I'm definitely out then.
Seeing I went from a Nexus 6 to the Pixel 3, I think there is a Pixel 7 in my future. They should have messed up then fixed things a couple of times by then.