Wiko ufeel, or Samsung A3 (2016), or ... - please advice before I buy - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Please advice me what to buy. I want an android-without-google phone. With e.g. cyanogenmod, or any other. I am good with computers, and coding, but myself I have no clue yet about Android development.
The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) seems better supported in this forum - so perhaps a fully functional ROM will appear earlier? True?
But it has only 1.5 GB RAM. All specs here.
The Wiko ufeel is cheaper and looks like the more powerful hardware (e.g. 3 GB RAM), all specs here, and their marketing stuff.
But xda-developers.com does not even have a subforum for Wiko yet? Does that perhaps mean, it is unlikely there will be a ROM soon?
But both have non-removable batteries, which sounds really idiotic.
Which other phone would you suggest in that price range, with similar specs? For which there is already (or soon will be) a fully functional alternative ROM?
I am asking because I own a Sony xperia E1 (yes, I know, stupid me), and even after 21 months there is no ROM ready. This time, I want to be cleverer, and first check the forums, before I buy the hardware.
What do you suggest? Any hint much appreciated!
Thanks a lot for your time!

P.S.:
Another (much pricier, probably too much for me?) suggestion was the Sony Z5 compact, but after my E1 experience I am not a big Sony fan anymore... (?)
But yes, all 3 phones are "small" - I really don't want a semi-tablet sized telephone.

Hi,
Out of the three phones I would advice the Sony Z5 compact... it's an amazing and solid device .... By far the best out of the three. If you are reluctant because of the experience you had with the E1, relax ... it's totally different. On the very plus side, the development is quite alive for all Sony device and you will probably extend it's longer then the other ones.
If you find out that you can't get, because it cost double the price of the 2 others. I would recommend the Wiko ufeel.
One friend of mine have it and I played a bit with it. It's a solid device. Beautiful (yes it depends), smooth, fast. The screen is not that great (not to say poor). Main camera do a descent job, not outstanding. Battery life is average by my standards (better than my LG G3, worst then the OP2)
... But you will probably never have a custom ROM for it here on XDA. To get it rooted we spend more then 2 weeks ... finally got it rooted with some Russian forums (used G-translate to read).
I would never recommend a Samsung device ... never ever. BULL****.
Depending on you taste and budget, have a look to the OPPO A37 and Huawei P9 lite. I dont know which country you are in, but they should be available all over the world.
My rating:
1. Sony Z5 compact
2. Huawei P9 lite
3. OPPO A37
4. Wiko ufeel
5. A3 (2016)

Related

Is Xiaomi Redmi Note better than SGS3?

Hello everyone,
I've had my sgs3 over a year now and enjoyed every bit of it. now im looking for a replacement but on cheaper side. it doesn't need to be a flagship and I mostly look for gamin and multimedia capabilities with best camera for the price. so I came across Xiaomi Note Enhanced version for about 200$ and it seems just about perfect. mainly Meadiatek 1.7Ghzx8 CPU, Mali-450 GPU with 2gb ram it seems like a steal. but Im afraid of what Im losing and what Im gaining.I have no expierince with MIUI evr. so if you can share your thought, Its much appreciated.
1. would MIUI run every droid game and apps like regular Android? (I know about xposed not working. but im concerned about TB, Greenify, SuperSU, Root Explorer.
2. It says Mali-450 is 1.4x improvement over Mali-400. but our SGS3 runs mali400mp4 and clocked 533. so how would this par?
3. I dont care about screen mirroring DLNA and stuff. but for sound quality I crave. so anyone have expierience with xiaomi sound, input will be a great help.
4. for the last, I would like to know your opinion as I think of giving my s3 to my gf if I got satisfied with Redmi Note. but of course never leave the forum sake of im a xda user who wouldn't use a phone in regular manner is it worth to give away s3 over this redmi note?
Thank you.
I just got the Redmi Note, maybe this will help you a little?
http://colonelzap.blogspot.de/2014/06/xiaomi-redmi-note-video-review-enhanced.html
ColonelZap said:
I just got the Redmi Note, maybe this will help you a little?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm planning to order mine this week, but little disappointment because no supports on XDA, have a question where do you get Xiaomi Redmi Note custom Roms? Thanks
el_easy said:
I'm planning to order mine this week, but little disappointment because no supports on XDA, have a question where do you get Xiaomi Redmi Note custom Roms? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs will be a problem since there aren't enough devs to port or build roms for that device.
And I've spoken to just 2 Xiaomi users and they don't like it at all. It's not just about the number of cores in the CPU or GPU. MTK is A-7 based and offers poor performance compared to A-9 or A-15 CPU.
RazorMC said:
Custom ROMs will be a problem since there aren't enough devs to port or build roms for that device.
And I've spoken to just 2 Xiaomi users and they don't like it at all. It's not just about the number of cores in the CPU or GPU. MTK is A-7 based and offers poor performance compared to A-9 or A-15 CPU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn! such a bad news. My budget is $200 dollars and the lists of phones I have in mind are: Xiaomi Redmi Note,iOcean X7 Elite,THL T11 MTK6592 and Huawei Honor 3C Quad Core.. But like you see they all have MTK.... Sinse all have the same performance I was thinking to get one well known company better..
Go for redmi note. You, as a normal user, won't give rat's ass about a15, a9 etc. The a7 octa gives enough performance for everyday use. And miui is da bomb
Sent from my HM NOTE 1W
I agree, good performance, and redmi note is a good phone
el_easy said:
I'm planning to order mine this week, but little disappointment because no supports on XDA, have a question where do you get Xiaomi Redmi Note custom Roms? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully you held off for the Note 2 it's @ 1.7GHz , not the 1.4 GHz the original note was at.
Development is centered at the MIUI site, go there for more info.
Over all the phone is fast, very fast, so fast you will only see the difference between the A9/17 or Snapdragon 800 8274AB 2.3GHz and the A7 by software measurements.
I'm deciding between the Note 2 and the THL 5000.
5½" and 3300mAh Vs 5" and 5000mAh
so at the end,
which smart phone did you buy ?
i already bought a Redmi Note
still enjoying it
Well... I have two units here just arrived...Almost everything work as it should, but I have problems making data connection working. Wi-fi works great, but data over mobile network doesn't want to work at all. I've checked out on both units using different SIM cards (from different providers). I have to mention that the SIM cards work using other phones. AND I have to say that didn't want to sign up yet for any of the xiaomi services (cloud and rest). It must be somewhere in MIUI a setting. MIUI is a customised version of Android.
For the price seems to be a good product.
Hi, There's a lot of ROMS
movilesdualsim.com/foros/roms-xiaomi-redmi-note.504/ :victory:
2me said:
Well... I have two units here just arrived...Almost everything work as it should, but I have problems making data connection working. Wi-fi works great, but data over mobile network doesn't want to work at all. I've checked out on both units using different SIM cards (from different providers). I have to mention that the SIM cards work using other phones. AND I have to say that didn't want to sign up yet for any of the xiaomi services (cloud and rest). It must be somewhere in MIUI a setting. MIUI is a customised version of Android.
For the price seems to be a good product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are 3 version of redmi note2 (which you probably have). One of them is made for China 3g networks and other is WSCDMA.
When battery is removed you can read which version you have (maybe it's not usable on your networks).
Bought redmi note recently and I can say that it feels faster that Samsung Note 2 (I have both phones).
xiaomi phones are not replacement but best phones
...in terms of hardware specs and value for money, looks is something personal. Why branded phones are very expensive are because of their marketing cost and the cost attached to the brand value. Other than that xiaomi phones are very good.
My cousin bought the Xiaomi Mi3 and i bought a Redmi 1S for my fiance and both the phones are awesome and have very good camera and sound quality.
I have been using Galaxy S3 since 2012, and let me tell you I have been using MIUI Rom even before on my Sony Xperia X10, so as I got my S3 i rooted it and installed MIUI rom.
Yes, all your apps and games will run without any problem as it is Android, every manufacturer have their own version of Launcher and apps to differentiate their phones. What made me fall in love with MIUI were its native apps and features (like call recording which is available only when rooting, but in Xiaomi phones this is built in), and themes (you can change everything to your liking with one click- the dialer, messaging, statusbar, wallpaper, bopot animation, lockscreen, font, etc. or change each individually, and their themes are awesome).
I would suggest you to go for Xiaomi Mi3 if it suits your budget. But if you already have Samsung Galaxy S3 and if its performing good enough, then no point buying a phone with similar hardware. I am waiting for Mi4 to launch in India. Its a kickass phone (google it).
keep 'em both
Got both phones. Still love my SGS3 for the customizations.
More Redmi Note ROMs here:
http://en.miui.com/thread-26132-1-1.html
flashed mine with the ported Color OS. performed better than the original MIUI OS. you could also try the AOSP ROM faux 4.4.2 (actually its just 4.2.2) seem nice. i just dont like the developer switched the main storage for the external and so on..

Phone-tips, anyone? :)

My !"/!&"!= Samsung S4 died on me yesterday. Or, at least the screen did.. Honestly I've been NOTHING but angry with the phone since I buyed it in january. 4G/LTE has never worked (only 3G), ****ty wifi-signal and now the screen that died from nothing at all.. And it kept asking me for it's SIM card.
Anywho, before I baught the ()!"/!)"?!" samsung I had a HTC Desire HD which I actually loved. Yes, it was old in the end; but with the help of custom ROMS and this forum it worked perfectly until I lost it after 4 years.
I _need_ to buy a phone that can be rooted without toooo much trouble (damn Samsung's KNOX too!) and that is well developed for in here.
I'm thinking about these models as for now and is still looking for other options
LG G3 (a tiny bit expensive still)
LG G2
HTC One M7 (M8 is way to expensive for me still, so I'm thinking about the old one)
HTC One M8 (if I by some miraculous way won alot of money... It's sooo sexy!)
Huawei Ascend P7 (not that developed for here on XDA)
Xperia Z2 (a bit expensive)
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Xperia Z1 (Well developed for..)
Huawei Ascend Mate7 (No custom ROMS yet and so on.. But it seems possible to root, and the UI Huawei ships it with has inbuilt themeing. I'm addicted to pretty phones. Anyone know price-tag of this? It varies SO MUCH online in Norway as far as I can see)
LG/Google Nexus 5 (only 16GB internal memory and no free slot for more.. But will I care?)
Xiaomi Mi 4 (Not that developed for... Yet? Hard to get ahold of when you need the international version?)
Sony Xperia Z Ultra (It's soooo huge, isn't it? I had a S4, and it was HUGE in my small girl-hands.)
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (Still a bit expensive, and then there's the KNOX...)
Oneplus One

Is Redmi Note 4 worth buying?

Hello i live in Greece and i was interested in purchasing a new phone.
In Greece the only model that is available is the Helio Deca core model and i will be going for the 3 GB Ram 64 Rom version.
I came across a deal and i am seriously considering to purchase the device but i have some questions first
1 ) is the phone rootable?
2) will custom roms such as cyanogen mod and such be available for the device ?
I cant explain what i need from a phone well enough but the case is that i need a smartphone that its software can be altered easily and there are many roms available for it without having to pay the premium for a flagship device.
I do not care about Camera quality only for the core hardware (cpu ram gpu and a good DAC)
Sorry for the confusing explanation if you have any questions i will be more than happy to explain what i mean.
Thank you in advance.
jackaros said:
Hello i live in Greece and i was interested in purchasing a new phone.
In Greece the only model that is available is the Helio Deca core model and i will be going for the 3 GB Ram 64 Rom version.
I came across a deal and i am seriously considering to purchase the device but i have some questions first
1 ) is the phone rootable?
2) will custom roms such as cyanogen mod and such be available for the device ?
I cant explain what i need from a phone well enough but the case is that i need a smartphone that its software can be altered easily and there are many roms available for it without having to pay the premium for a flagship device.
I do not care about Camera quality only for the core hardware (cpu ram gpu and a good DAC)
Sorry for the confusing explanation if you have any questions i will be more than happy to explain what i mean.
Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its really going to be a toss up between this and the Redmi Note 3 Pro. I have the Note 4 and really like it, I can confirm it is fully rootable and you can install TWRP custom recovery also.
There are some custom roms available, although nowhere near as many as the Note 3/Pro. You will see an AOSP rom by cofface which was only released a couple of weeks ago but many have been using as a daily driver (see link below to rom dev thread). There is also a cyanogen rom which is an alpha but again is still a work in progress. You can also get custom/modified versions of the stock MIUI ROM, personally I find MIUI really good (smooth and lots of customisation options), although if you're a stock android enthusiast it might not be for you. And I've used just about all versions of android over the years, be it nexus/CM mod, AOSP/htc sense/touchwiz.
I'd say if your into modding and ROMs, then the Note 3 Pro would be a great option. The specs are pretty similar and the Note 3 seems to have better battery life, which could be the Snapdragon 650, which seems to be a great processor in terms of power and efficiency. As for audio, I'm loving the audio output via the 3.5mm jack, I actually find it better than the Galaxy S7 that I had, which sounded pretty cheap to be honest and was a disappointment for me (probably the only one on the S7) . I havent tried the Note 3 so cant really comment on it, but Im certain there are more than a few audio mods to play around with and if you check the Note 3 forum, you should get an idea of user opinions.
My reason for choosing the Note 4 over the Note 3 was the Note 4's build quality. The all metal body looks and feels really nice, but if thats not really a big deal for you, the Note 3 is supposed to be very solid also, as it does have a metal back (but plastic at the top and bottom for radio signal). It will also be better for glass screen protectors due to the flat panel of glass, where as the Note 4 has 2.5 curved edges which makes screen protectors a bit more hit and miss in terms of fit.
ROM development
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-4/development
gsmyth said:
Its really going to be a toss up between this and the Redmi Note 3 Pro. I have the Note 4 and really like it, I can confirm it is fully rootable and you can install TWRP custom recovery also.
There are some custom roms available, although nowhere near as many as the Note 3/Pro. You will see an AOSP rom by cofface which was only released a couple of weeks ago but many have been using as a daily driver (see link below to rom dev thread). There is also a cyanogen rom which is an alpha but again is still a work in progress. You can also get custom/modified versions of the stock MIUI ROM, personally I find MIUI really good (smooth and lots of customisation options), although if you're a stock android enthusiast it might not be for you. And I've used just about all versions of android over the years, be it nexus/CM mod, AOSP/htc sense/touchwiz.
I'd say if your into modding and ROMs, then the Note 3 Pro would be a great option. The specs are pretty similar and the Note 3 seems to have better battery life, which could be the Snapdragon 650, which seems to be a great processor in terms of power and efficiency. As for audio, I'm loving the audio output via the 3.5mm jack, I actually find it better than the Galaxy S7 that I had, which sounded pretty cheap to be honest and was a disappointment for me (probably the only one on the S7) . I havent tried the Note 3 so cant really comment on it, but Im certain there are more than a few audio mods to play around with and if you check the Note 3 forum, you should get an idea of user opinions.
My reason for choosing the Note 4 over the Note 3 was the Note 4's build quality. The all metal body looks and feels really nice, but if thats not really a big deal for you, the Note 3 is supposed to be very solid also, as it does have a metal back (but plastic at the top and bottom for radio signal). It will also be better for glass screen protectors due to the flat panel of glass, where as the Note 4 has 2.5 curved edges which makes screen protectors a bit more hit and miss in terms of fit.
ROM development
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-4/development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what he is saying, but in terms of support Xiaomi arent actually that bad. The Note 4 is currently on Android 6.0, but there are continual security updates, like most flagships these days. Its not known for certain whether it will officially get updated to 7.0, but they certainly seem to continue with updates whether they be small fixes and security patches.
I would generally recommend Samsung as well to any friends who want a decent reliable device, although I personally wouldnt choose it over the Note 4 as its got 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. I'm not all about having the biggest screen/fastest processor/most RAM, etc etc, but I've had 16GB phones (my previous one was 32GB) and I just like having the extra internal space, 16GB feels limited these days. And with 64GB the Note 4 just feels like you've no worries about running out, I had a Oneplus One previously as well and it also had 64GB. The bonus on the Note for is the sd card option as well, so you get the best of both worlds.
gsmyth said:
I understand what he is saying, but in terms of support Xiaomi arent actually that bad. The Note 4 is currently on Android 6.0, but there are continual security updates, like most flagships these days. Its not known for certain whether it will officially get updated to 7.0, but they certainly seem to continue with updates whether they be small fixes and security patches.
I would generally recommend Samsung as well to any friends who want a decent reliable device, although I personally wouldnt choose it over the Note 4 as its got 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. I'm not all about having the biggest screen/fastest processor/most RAM, etc etc, but I've had 16GB phones (my previous one was 32GB) and I just like having the extra internal space, 16GB feels limited these days. And with 64GB the Note 4 just feels like you've no worries about running out, I had a Oneplus One previously as well and it also had 64GB. The bonus on the Note for is the sd card option as well, so you get the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer.
I want my device to be reliable but i also need it to be snappy and futureproof (my S3 has served me well for 4 years with custom roms ) i want a fast smartphone that will go a long way and the A5 lacks on internal storage and Ram ... so yeah i am seriously thinking the possibility of buying Redmi note 4 but i still have my doubts about it .. i am just not sure if it is worth the investment.
jackaros said:
Thank you for your answer.
I want my device to be reliable but i also need it to be snappy and futureproof (my S3 has served me well for 4 years with custom roms ) i want a fast smartphone that will go a long way and the A5 lacks on internal storage and Ram ... so yeah i am seriously thinking the possibility of buying Redmi note 4 but i still have my doubts about it .. i am just not sure if it is worth the investment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want longevity and futureproof with custom roms, I would definitely take a look at the Note 3, just look at the ROM development thread at the link below. It reminds me of the Oneplus One or Nexus 5 forums, where you could not only get official cyanogen roms, but all the other great custom roms, so you're really spoilt for choice. Its really only the other phone I considered apart from the Note 4 and again i was just really impressed with the Note 4's build quality.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/development
Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?
mrchrister said:
Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the CM/AOSP roms are still early in development, but worth keeping an eye on. I'm really enjoying MIUI to be honest and nova launcher is excellent too. You should be grand with the global rom or the EU rom which is basically the Chinese rom but with all the Chinese content removed. I'd recommend unlocking the bootloader when you get it and installing TWRP, it's great to be able to make full backups if you're trying out roms.
Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk
mrchrister said:
Sorry not meaning to hijack the thread, just a quick question abotu which OS to choose @gsmyth you seem to be the right person to ask... I have my Redmi Note 4 on order and I think MIUI 8 will work well for me. It seems lik there is still some issues with cofface's AOSP. I will probably debloat it and use Nova Launcher. Of all the different options with MIUI 8, which one would you recommend to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
latest ROM for Nikel (our device codename) from XIAOMI.EU should be fine
custom roms for this phone require Unlocked BL and root
https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/6-12-15.36782/
Official Global Beta rom is also another option that but DOES NOT require unlocked BL and Root
http://en.miui.com/thread-440133-1-1.html
This phone is worth every penny, specially the 64 gb and 3 gb version. I'm still on the latest EU MIUI 8.2, and it's actually a pretty great rom, but I do prefer CM... For now I'll keep Miui.
Hi there, just want to pitch you my 2 cents regarding the Redmi Note 4.
I have been looking for a smarthphone for a while and i end up getting a Redmi Note 4 a month ago. Really happy with it and imo my best purchase of the year 2016 :fingers-crossed:
The Redmi Note 4 build quality looks and feel absolutely superb as i'm used to seeing plastic phones in this price category. Most of my friends seeing my Redmi Note 4 for the first time thought it was something more expensive than it actually was.
On the performance side: it's great, but not as great as equal Snapdragon based product with Adreno GPU. But it's definitely and absolutely no sloth! The weakest link imo is the Mali GPU, but still good enough to have a great gaming experience with it (half of my internal storage is currently occupied by huge amount of Android games). But not strong enough for smooth VR experience.
Also, consider the Redmi Note 4 only got released in August, give it some time for developers to make their ROMs compatible with the Redmi Note 4. Even Xiaomi themselves seems to be more focussed on Redmi Note 3 support than Note 4 atm.
jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I woulnd't recommend anyone to pay 50 euro MORE for a 'lesser' product (about it's core functionality and hardware):
- Galaxy A5 has lower resolution screen: 720 vs 1080p
- Slower performance, Antutu 20k on the A5 vs 85k on Redmi Note 4
- Less RAM and less storage space (assuming you going for the 3GB model, other wise it would be the same)
- No fingerprint sensor for security and unlocking the phone, and the Redmi Note 4 fingerprint sensor is very quick!
- No 4G(LTE) support on the Galaxy A5
- No USB On-The-Go (OTG) support on the Galaxy A5, which is very handy for anyone with lots of USB devices
If anything, they should be paying you 50 euro to stay loyal to their brand....
I always gets giddy when i read people base their purchase on the argument: "They are a reliable brand". That always makes me wonder what exactly makes a brand "reliable"? Reliable on trying to make you upgrade the product every year? Honestly, those are the hallmark of a fanboi
There are a few reasons however i can think of someone going for the Galaxy A5 anyway:
- Form factor: the Redmi Note 4 is considerably bigger
- Accessories: Having a hard time finding a cover for it locally: not much luck so far. Not surprising however as Xiaomi is not even active in Europe makes it pretty much fail quest to begin with. Online is the only way i guess, same as selling them online (where i got it from) is what Xiaomi business is about; to keep them cheap.
- Repairs or guarantees. No European office means this is going to be a problem if your phone is broken.
Comparison: www kimovil com/en/compare/samsung-galaxy-a5-dual-sim-a500h,xiaomi-redmi-note-4-3gb-32gb
(link is missing "." in the domain name because i'm new and still hasn't posted enough to be allowed putting outside links in my post)
I bought Redmi Note 4 3GB RAM and 64 GB ROM model. I am thoroughly enjoying it.
jackaros said:
Thank you very much for your answer and it was amazing that you have the device and that you judged it fairly (in my opinion).
But i learned something that may change my mind ...
For 50 eur more i could get the Samsung Galaxy A5 . And still i do not know what should i do.
I told a friend and he told me that even if the Galaxy phone had even lower specs he would go with it just because its a more reliable brand . ( I dont think this is a very good argument but still using big brand phones like LG Samsung etc and paying more for them "pays back" in a way in support from developers and official support from the company)
Whats your opinion ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously now, how can Samsung be considered "reliable" after their latest explosive device?
Wow guys thank you so much for the answers.
I would first like to thank the bro who hijacked the thread because i got informed about the roms too i know that the phone is quite more powerful than the A5 and i would like to add something .
How does it do next to Redmi Pro
i now what i am asking is terrible but
Could please do a quick comparison of the two ?
Why go RedMi Note 4 instead of Redmi Pro and vice versa
Redmi Pro Version Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Redmi Note 4 Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
jackaros said:
Wow guys thank you so much for the answers.
I would first like to thank the bro who hijacked the thread because i got informed about the roms too i know that the phone is quite more powerful than the A5 and i would like to add something .
How does it do next to Redmi Pro
i now what i am asking is terrible but
Could please do a quick comparison of the two ?
Why go RedMi Note 4 instead of Redmi Pro and vice versa
Redmi Pro Version Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Redmi Note 4 Decacore 64GB 3GB Ram
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too looked between the Redmi Pro & Note 4 but decided to go with the Note 4 as I wanted the larger screen & was happy to go MTK.
Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

If you were to change...

Hi folks I just shattered the screen of my Redmi Note 3 SD version (RN3). I had this phone since early 2016 and though it's still working and I could prolly do a service job on it for $50 and extend its life to a year or so I feel sticking to this phone any further wouldn't be to my advantage.
So I'm in the market for a new phone and I would really love to hear your precious advise so I may get the best available option for my hard earned bucks.
My budget is around $350. I'm not a brand fan boi, I don't mind going for unknown brands if the build quality is there. B/C with a good build quality you can get the best out of your phone under XDA. So when I go for a smartphone the features I pay attention to are:
1-If the phone can handle recent games. If a phone can handle recent games odds are high that it will perform well in everyday life.
2-It must have a great community under XDA so that if the manufacturers aren't arsed to push updates, you can still get the best out of your phone by for e.g flashing a custom rom or the Google cam or flash the latest security patch and so on.
3-The camera specs should be good (not expecting pixel3 stuffs or p30 results), but should be able to take good shots when I go on road trips.
Having said that, phones that have caught my eye so far are the Huawei Y9(2019 version) and the Xiaomi Poco Phone F1. So what do you lads think!
The Huawei Y9 is out as per your stated requirements as they don't even allow bootloader unlocking. There might be unofficial methods. Poco F1 looks to be the best choice but I don't know if the initial issues like backlight bleeding, touch latency etc have been fixed. Redmi Note 7 Pro is another decent option but the price difference between its 6GB model and Poco F1 base variant is too little. Realme has opened up BL unlocking but the pace of development doesn't seem very encouraging. Otherwise the Realme 3 Pro appears to pack solid hardware. Dunno when the Poco F2 will be launched.
amn1987 said:
The Huawei Y9 is out as per your stated requirements as they don't even allow bootloader unlocking. There might be unofficial methods. Poco F1 looks to be the best choice but I don't know if the initial issues like backlight bleeding, touch latency etc have been fixed. Redmi Note 7 Pro but the price difference between its 6GB model and Poco F1 base variant is too little. Realme has opened up BL unlocking but the pace of development doesn't seem very encouraging. Otherwise the Realme 3 Pro appears to pack solid hardware. Dunno when the Poco F2 will be launched.
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Thanks for input. I though pretty much the same Poco F1 would be the best option!
SpawnX1200 said:
Hi folks I just shattered the screen of my Redmi Note 3 SD version (RN3). I had this phone since early 2016 and though it's still working and I could prolly do a service job on it for $50 and extend its life to a year or so I feel sticking to this phone any further wouldn't be to my advantage.
So I'm in the market for a new phone and I would really love to hear your precious advise so I may get the best available option for my hard earned bucks.
My budget is around $350. I'm not a brand fan boi, I don't mind going for unknown brands if the build quality is there. B/C with a good build quality you can get the best out of your phone under XDA. So when I go for a smartphone the features I pay attention to are:
1-If the phone can handle recent games. If a phone can handle recent games odds are high that it will perform well in everyday life.
2-It must have a great community under XDA so that if the manufacturers aren't arsed to push updates, you can still get the best out of your phone by for e.g flashing a custom rom or the Google cam or flash the latest security patch and so on.
3-The camera specs should be good (not expecting pixel3 stuffs or p30 results), but should be able to take good shots when I go on road trips.
Having said that, phones that have caught my eye so far are the Huawei Y9(2019 version) and the Xiaomi Poco Phone F1. So what do you lads think!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait for Mi A3 . not sure its launching date. it is android one device. Bootloader unlocking is very easy for android one phone.
Updates will given by google and not xiaomi. Also u will get 3 android updates. Spec will be same like rn7 pro.
Or buy rn7 pro. It has QC 4.0 charging and 4000mah battery.
From Kenzo, I used Tissot which is Mi A1 and now lavender which is Redmi Note 7.
Redmi Note 7 aka lavender as of now has very minimal development going on based on xda threads available. But the good thing is that it supports treble so gsi will provide you with a lot of custom rom and me myself is using a GSI now. Violet aka Note 7 Pro on the other hand has a better development than lavender. It has great camera too considering you are using gcam to full utilize the camera and also lavender's camera is Greta as well but not as good as violet. Lavender has Snapdragon 660 and violet has Snapdragon 675.

Question Should I go for the Nord 2?

I'm looking to buy a new phone. I'm looking at OnePlus, as I want something close to Android stock.
I'm not a power user, I just want a good daily driver that will last me a few years and has a good camera.
I initially thought about the Nord 8/128 for €300. Then, I noticed the 12/256 version is at 350, and thought it might be a better option due to extra RAM and space. appvalley tutuapp tweakbox
Then, I noticed that the Oneplus 8T is at 400 for the 8/128 version, and thought about going for that even thought it's slightly out of my initial budget... but all reviews point out that it has a crappy camera.
On the other hand, all reviews I've seen say that the Nord 2 has a good camera (or, at least, it's the better out of these 3). The 8/128 version is at 400, while the 12/256 is at 440.
So, in a pure Black Friday fashion, I went from planning to buy the Nord for 300 to aiming for the Nord 2 for 440. Am I aiming correctly, or is this a mistake I'm going to regret?
Nord 2 is much better than Nord. Period. You can do own research.
Compared to 8T the camera is better. Even get better score than OP 9
You can check:
OnePlus Nord 2 5G - DXOMARK
Everything you need to know about the Smartphone OnePlus Nord 2 5G 📱. From specifications to Pros & Cons and Scores, discover the Review by DXOMARK
www.dxomark.com
I cannot find better balanced phone than Nord 2. Reviewed OPPO, Motorola, Pixel, others OnePlus, Xiaomi, even Realme...
Few problems with being a OnePlus product and Mediatek SoC - so no easy to customize and custom ROM development. The update to Android 12 seems to bring Color OS to the phone. And seems a bit buggy, as per reports.
After almost 1 year of use rooted , very happy and stuck with latest OOS 11.3.
Edit: DN2103 12/256 bought for ~430€ on Amazon offer.
Why not the Nord 2T? The base model is only 20€ more expensive than the Nord 2 base model. I gifted it to a family member (not a power user) recently and they're very happy with it.
Also if software updates are important to you, you will get 1 more Android update on the Nord 2T vs the Nord 2.
jericho246 said:
Why not the Nord 2T? The base model is only 20€ more expensive than the Nord 2 base model. I gifted it to a family member (not a power user) recently and they're very happy with it.
Also if software updates are important to you, you will get 1 more Android update on the Nord 2T vs the Nord 2.
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Click to collapse
I need a second phone so I looked few models. 2T was one of them. I didn't like the Android 12 + Color OS, which came out of the box. Reviewed the sub-forum for the model here.
I am concerned about Android security updates. Unfortunately with every update OP brings new, unpolished features, imho.
I like Oxygen OS. Not sure if Color OS introduced in Android 12 update and remove fastboot mode are better decisions, regarding end users ...
About the updates when feel outdated will switch to custom ROM. We will have mature ones in few months. There is some right now, too.
Cheers.
Why not a Samsung , realme , OPPO , Vivo phone ? Oneplus isn't now what it was once time ago ... Support is ZERO since they passed resposability to indians more then that MTK is a pain for rooting or else . Look to Android 13 , it is developped and beta relesead , we don't have a stable Android 12 , yet and there aren't any signs to receive it soon . Every new update release is a real mess and one after other they missed important characteristic being all so minimal .
In my opinion , don't buy !!!
muppetz said:
Why not a Samsung , realme , OPPO , Vivo phone ? Oneplus isn't now what it was once time ago ... Support is ZERO since they passed resposability to indians more then that MTK is a pain for rooting or else . Look to Android 13 , it is developped and beta relesead , we don't have a stable Android 12 , yet and there aren't any signs to receive it soon . Every new update release is a real mess and one after other they missed important characteristic being all so minimal .
In my opinion , don't buy !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OPPO and Realme are the same like OnePlus. Considering OPPO X3 Pro which is about 800€ now or less. Or X3 Neo ( a bit dated soc and screen ) but I am afraid that what happens with OnePlus will happens with two other brands. Realme GT2 an GT2 Pro are interesting, but as part of BBK we can expect the same. Buggy software and zero support as you stated.
About Samsung there are some not user friendly problems as I read, with the latest models, so discarded. Vivo 80 plus look great but it's price is 3x of my Nord 2.
What you really suggest to buy for 400-800€? Pixel 6? There are few review about it. Motorola Edge 30+ is now 600€. Maybe will go for it. And again, what are your suggestions? Thanks.
@ roldev : You're right , it's hard to pick one on global market phones today . We have a imense mid-range market , High-end are very expensive . What I noticed is all manufacturers have serious problems with software platforms like all specialist developpers are gone on other planets . Oppo , OnePlus , Xiaomi even Samsung released huge buggy updates beyond any understanding reasons . A few years ago there were updates tested and tested and tested and afterthat they released them by OTA or else . Today all seems to be a bunch of amateurs . It can't be right this way . Maybe all brands rushed to reveal a lot of new (but old) phones only for earn quick money to cover some market needs .
muppetz said:
@ roldev : You're right , it's hard to pick one on global market phones today . We have a imense mid-range market , High-end are very expensive . What I noticed is all manufacturers have serious problems with software platforms like all specialist developpers are gone on other planets . Oppo , OnePlus , Xiaomi even Samsung released huge buggy updates beyond any understanding reasons . A few years ago there were updates tested and tested and tested and afterthat they released them by OTA or else . Today all seems to be a bunch of amateurs . It can't be right this way . Maybe all brands rushed to reveal a lot of new (but old) phones only for earn quick money to cover some market needs .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. They focused on quantity and not on quality, to be more " competitive ". Investing in production and not in support.
My goal is to get a mid range phone with stable lineage os support. Hope this one will get such, despite of the Mediatek SoC.
Cheers.
jericho246 said:
Why not the Nord 2T? The base model is only 20€ more expensive than the Nord 2 base model. I gifted it to a family member (not a power user) recently and they're very happy with it.
Also if software updates are important to you, you will get 1 more Android update on the Nord 2T vs the Nord 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nord 2T get 2 update for Android 13 & 14
Balanced device in a good price. Unfortunately, the OxygenOS updates are always very delayed. On the other hand, I have not experienced any important bug yet. For me, the ColorOS transition was successful. You can choose Nord 2T, it's slightly better.
george_kant said:
Balanced device in a good price. Unfortunately, the OxygenOS updates are always very delayed. On the other hand, I have not experienced any important bug yet. For me, the ColorOS transition was successful. You can choose Nord 2T, it's slightly better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
ColorOS better than Oxygen OS? I hope you are right. 2T vs 2. Can you provide data? Not the marketing ones. Any benchmark or unbiased review? Newer not always means better, trust me.
1300 is rebranded 1200 with less performance.
The new firmware become more 'closed' to avoid need of support...
Two examples.
Sold my Nord 2 after two months. Far to many errors with it....
Assistant wont work from the lockscreen
Whatsapp voice message recording stops after 2 secs
Often charging only to 80% with optimized charging disabled
Bluetooth volume in car all over the place and not staying where I set it.
And also this "still on Android 11" update farce.....
Got a Xiaomi 11 T pro now which is much better value for money....
@terry_mccann maybe you got refurbished and 'tweaked' unit.
11 months with the Nord 2, here and did not face such problems, neither others.
Rock solid, stable, good performance and usability staying on oos 11 a_20.
Always update few months later to be sure that the bugs are fixed.
Despite de Mediatek SoC, there are few custom roms on active development for future. Lineage, Leos, Pixel experience, phh among others.
Even more, today bought the second Nord 2 on offer 350€ for 12/256 so I will clone 1:1 my 2 phones.
I choosed this model over OnePlus 9 pro for 660€ (12/256), Motorola Edge 30 pro (12/256) for 540€ or Motorola Edge 30 (8/128) for 360€....
The Nord 2 works well in my office with demanding workflow, in the fitness and the swimming pool, supporting some humidity even no oficial IP rating.
No bugs here. Rooted with magisk for 11 months. Hope this helps.
Cheers.
roldev said:
@terry_mccann maybe you got refurbished and 'tweaked' unit.
11 months with the Nord 2, here and did not face such problems, neither others.
Rock solid, stable, good performance and usability staying on oos 11 a_20.
Always update few months later to be sure that the bugs are fixed.
Despite de Mediatek SoC, there are few custom roms on active development for future. Lineage, Leos, Pixel experience, phh among others.
Even more, today bought the second Nord 2 on offer 350€ for 12/256 so I will clone 1:1 my 2 phones.
I choosed this model over OnePlus 9 pro for 660€ (12/256), Motorola Edge 30 pro (12/256) for 540€ or Motorola Edge 30 (8/128) for 360€....
The Nord 2 works well in my office with demanding workflow, in the fitness and the swimming pool, supporting some humidity even no oficial IP rating.
No bugs here. Rooted with magisk for 11 months. Hope this helps.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
" Motorola Edge 30 pro (12/256) for 540€ or Motorola Edge 30 (8/128) for 360€...." , oh man , those two phone have GG3 on front and GG5 on back . In my opinion I couldn't see any stupid thing like that in history of manufacturers , it's so retarded ideea ... Despite their capabilities such of error with Corning Gorilla Glass is a real mess .
muppetz said:
" Motorola Edge 30 pro (12/256) for 540€ or Motorola Edge 30 (8/128) for 360€...." , oh man , those two phone have GG3 on front and GG5 on back . In my opinion I couldn't see any stupid thing like that in history of manufacturers , it's so retarded ideea ... Despite their capabilities such of error with Corning Gorilla Glass is a real mess .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, their reason is that GC3 has better scratch resistance than GC5. So it's ok if you never drop your phone
Few bad decisions about this phone avoid it to be really good.
Really hope to have good 100% working custom ROM with easy update for the Nord 2. It's very popular and there's a lot projects...

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