Just purchased a Moto Z, is it too late? - Moto Z Questions & Answers

Hello all,
I'm new to XDA and impressed by the amount of information available for all different phones!
I would love to get your suggestions on this -
I recently purchased the Moto Z unlocked at around $288 (in a deal). Just because it was such a low price, I pulled the trigger on this deal, but now thinking if I did the right thing. Though the phone performs very good, camera is a huge disappointment, always giving "hold camera steady" message.
Since I am still within return period for this phone, it would be great to hear from you experts if this phone is good value for money I paid for it, or should I wait to get OnePlus 5 or the Huawei Mate 9 pro or something very current gen (HTC U which will launch next month?)
I'm ready to put few extra $ if the upgrade seems worth it, but I'm confused right now if such upgrade would really give extra value. Your thoughts please?
Thanks!

Hi all,
Waiting for your expert suggestions please...

With that price it's the best phone you got.
And there's nothing exciting about the new phones launching this year. Just the jump from snapdragon 820 to 835, 4gb ram to 6gb.. and other unwanted stuff. Even theres nothing new about the upcoming Moto Z2. I think you got the best phone with that price.
(And next time whenever you think of buying a Moto, don't ever think that you'll get an amazing camera)

The camera is good enough. Maybe not as S7, but very very close, and in some situations even better. And the front flash is awesome

My wife bought a LG G5 and I got the Moto Z. I can safely say the camera is better than a G5. Haven't used a Samsung. But I'd say it's an average or above phone camera.
For low light, and zoom, I will soon get the camera mod, and use it for those situations.
Just my personal opinion, but I don't let cameras worry me. If I want great pics, I use my camera. No phone can compete with even the cheapest of real cameras. I get a phone based on my phone needs, since a small digital camera can be used when I go anywhere knowing I'm going to take a lot of pics.
But to each their own. :good:

Darth said:
My wife bought a LG G5 and I got the Moto Z. I can safely say the camera is better than a G5. Haven't used a Samsung. But I'd say it's an average or above phone camera.
For low light, and zoom, I will soon get the camera mod, and use it for those situations.
Just my personal opinion, but I don't let cameras worry me. If I want great pics, I use my camera. No phone can compete with even the cheapest of real cameras. I get a phone based on my phone needs, since a small digital camera can be used when I go anywhere knowing I'm going to take a lot of pics.
But to each their own. :good:
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Hi? I just got this too off craigslist with no charger . When I got a charger for it and it came up, and ended up having pin code enabled. How do I get this off? I'm new to moto. I'm used to flashing on samsung with Odin and stuffs. So not exactly a noob. It might have a Google lock, I don't mind. Can always find a way around that

Thanks all for the responses!
How bad is the Samsung bloatware? I have a week more remaining in my return period but this $288 price tag for this phone looks very good at which I bought this. The S7 edge is also selling today at the same price, though a refurbished one. Still not sure which one to go for.

Related

USA customers will you be switching?why?

all hype aside i have a sony xperia z3 and i will be making the switch to a V10 when it comes to T-mobile. I tried the note5 even with no removable back or expandable storage and it was not anything special. Sure it was fast, good screen, and great camera but the experience was like " eh its the same note". When i look to buy a phone i ask myself " will i use this feature?" and i found myself not using any of the notes.
The LG V10 is an upgrade from my xperia z3. 5.7 screen has been shown to be a great size for quad hd. Yes Amoled is better brighter but not sure if LG has ever done AMOLED before i know they had OLED. Removable back to swap out just in case your battery burns out buy using it while its charging lol. stock 64 gigs of storage! which means my micro slot can just be for raw files and or audio flac files. Phone has top tier camera and best video experience of 2015. IR blaster just in case you loose your remote and your to lazy to look for it lol or another ex: at the gym and your doing cardio and its time for your show just change it yourself and everyone will be like " who changed the channel?". HIFI audio is a plus yes you wont be able to play any files in 32bit but flac files of vinyl files will sound amazing. It comes with HIFI earphones which is awesome because if it didnt you would have to spend alot more money on a pair just to get the experience you should have gotten right out of the box. 4 gigs of ram is future proof and as far as the 808 chip goes when theres root on this phone you can always overclock the cpu to a fast and safe speed. I also find its great that it has gorilla glass 4 and metal sides with a softer plastic feel to protect from drops so a case is not necessary for this phone. Im sure it will get Qi charge even if you have to buy a back cover to get it which is my only flaw with this phone is that it doesnt have it standard but its not a deal breaker since its just as easy to plug it in and plug in is faster anyway. The UI i saw was improved but if you dont like it still just get a launcher ( google) and your good or wait for root. the second screen from what i saw on all the videos is handy since the notifications get displayed on the side and doesn't interrupt your screen experience. is it placed weird yes at the top is to far to move your thumb to the top so you would have to hold it with two hands and given this is a 5.7 inch screen you should know already that its a two handed device (but lg does have a one hand screen mode). The second screen really is meant for just notifications and the occasional quick app select. some people say they should have placed the second screen on the bottom and I agree but im sure they placed it on the top because that is where the cameras are and they didnt want to make a longer 2nd screen since it should be used for a quick glance. if it were at the bottom im sure the phone would have been a tad bit bigger since the cameras would stay on top and an extra screen on the bottom. The finger print scanner is in the logical spot for LG since that was the power button for the G series.
This phone just has to many thing i know i would use then things i wouldn't. Samsung honestly has a great chip and a great screen but thats really all it has.
So in short i will be getting this phone when it comes to the USA and if LG does a yearly release then ill be happy to wait a year to see if the upgrade would be worth it to a lg V10 2 lol.
Tl;Dr to be honest
Well, I am switching from my LG G3 to this phone probably end of November...
I don't typically upgrade to another phone of the same manufacturer, or at least I haven't in recent years. The LG G3 set a great first impression for me with LG devices. The hardware was great, build quality second to none. The software skin the least invasive and most closely resembles vanilla Android. The camera and software for the camera the best of any smartphone in my opinion....
I think we can expect this device to release on major US carriers by middle of November I think I've seen quoted.
This is going to be a great device I really think it captures the essence of what Android has become. A very high end phone.
The V10's second screen seemed such a gimmick to me when it was announced. After seeing pre release reviews from those LG sent devices to, wow it is a wonder we haven't seen this implemented sooner. I am very eager to get this device. I really had my heart set on the Nexus 6P, having never had the opportunity to own a Nexus device before. However due to the fact that I upgrade through my carrier I will not be able to get it... Then enters the V10... Gotta have it!!! Can't remember the last time I was as excited for a new device.... Maybe the S3, and that was a while ago. I think you will really enjoy the phone compared to your Sony.
Will be upgrading from a G Flex 2, this phone looks amazing.
CoNsPiRiSiZe said:
Tl;Dr to be honest
Well, I am switching from my LG G3 to this phone probably end of November...
I don't typically upgrade to another phone of the same manufacturer, or at least I haven't in recent years. The LG G3 set a great first impression for me with LG devices. The hardware was great, build quality second to none. The software skin the least invasive and most closely resembles vanilla Android. The camera and software for the camera the best of any smartphone in my opinion....
I think we can expect this device to release on major US carriers by middle of November I think I've seen quoted.
This is going to be a great device I really think it captures the essence of what Android has become. A very high end phone.
The V10's second screen seemed such a gimmick to me when it was announced. After seeing pre release reviews from those LG sent devices to, wow it is a wonder we haven't seen this implemented sooner. I am very eager to get this device. I really had my heart set on the Nexus 6P, having never had the opportunity to own a Nexus device before. However due to the fact that I upgrade through my carrier I will not be able to get it... Then enters the V10... Gotta have it!!! Can't remember the last time I was as excited for a new device.... Maybe the S3, and that was a while ago. I think you will really enjoy the phone compared to your Sony.
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I totally get where your coming from. I to am on carrier and i wanted the 5x but saw only 2 gig of ram and only one of the facing speakers work for audio. I only upgrade from carrier also and was going to wait but this phone looks beast theres just way to much stuff to pass off on getting this phone. every time i think about what this phone has in it compared to the other carrier phones i get excited. I love my sony the battery life is amazing the camera takes good photos and the HI-res sounds so clear. Software though is starting to lag.
@BatmanLBC
I hear you. Seems like we are on the same page.
I think I will be happier with this device. Even if the bootloader never gets cracked open, whereas the Nexus will almost certainly... I explained in another thread I don't need the ROM support, really root at all. I am more interested in having a device that works out of the box and offers me what I expect from a phone. Android is maturing to a point where we don't need root to do a lot of what was only available through root. The best part of my LG G3, and the V10 is that the software does have some very useful features baked in and LG has done this without ruining the integrity of the software, and without hindering performance (exceptionally clear in the V10 reviews, very very snappy) or battery life that much at all.
The screen on my G3 beats the iPhone 6S outright, which my mom has for work. She still loathes the thing and prefers her Note 2. Ha. Anyways... This phone has me very very excited. I am looking forward to upgrading now, where I was fairly content before the news of this came out. Yeah, the Nexus would be very neat, but I think Google made a mistake only offering it through the Play Store. There are plenty of people like us who upgrade through the carriers we pay... I never really needed a camera that is close to a point and shoot as I have a point and shoot that takes great photos, however after getting my G3 I can't go back to something with a subpar camera, and this puppy's camera is going to rein supreme for a long while I predict... It just looks fantastic. My hope is that I will be able to take a macro shot without a macro lens. I think we will be able to, judging by the reviews of the camera.
The V10 seems to be everything we asked for this year in a flagship, honestly... It has a removable battery, micro SD support (up to 2 TB!?), an amazing screen, camera that I believe to be second to none... I don't know why other manufacturers couldn't put something out similar to this.. Anyways! Can't wait to see some hands on reports when this is released state side.
yes, as soon as tmo announces a launch date, i will be there to purchase in store. this will be an upgrade from the note 3 and a change from the samsung line as all i have purchased have been samsung priducts. i watched samsung's presentation for the note 5 and edge 6+ and was absolutely underwhelmed by it. the thing is, if it had a removable battery and sd slot, i probably would have bought a note because why change something that wasn't obviously broken. samsung's design language tells me that they're broken and are going to stay broken for a while. they have moved in the direction of being a fashion android device with this all glass and metal thing they're doing now and that is a fragile phone that won't survive drops without a case.
i hope that root is able to happen. i don't need root, but i think it's always a good option to know it's there if i want it.
I had a G3 for a year and really enjoyed it. I switched to the Moto X Pure Edition which is pretty good but I got to try out the V10 yesterday and now I want it. I'll probably get it in a couple of months once I see if there's root available.
It feels quite nice especially with the metal frames on the sides. The battery cover is grippy with the texture they have on it. The screen felt brighter than what I remember the G3 being like. The camera will obviously destroy the MXP camera. I got to see the rose gold one which I actually may end up getting. I usually just get boring black but the color was a nice champagne color. The 120 degree camera was impressive for people who like to take self portraits. I refuse to use the other word
ctkatz said:
yes, as soon as tmo announces a launch date, i will be there to purchase in store. this will be an upgrade from the note 3 and a change from the samsung line as all i have purchased have been samsung priducts. i watched samsung's presentation for the note 5 and edge 6+ and was absolutely underwhelmed by it. the thing is, if it had a removable battery and sd slot, i probably would have bought a note because why change something that wasn't obviously broken. samsung's design language tells me that they're broken and are going to stay broken for a while. they have moved in the direction of being a fashion android device with this all glass and metal thing they're doing now and that is a fragile phone that won't survive drops without a case.
i hope that root is able to happen. i don't need root, but i think it's always a good option to know it's there if i want it.
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I'm with you. As soon as T-Mobile drops this device on their shelves I'm there. As much as I love my N6 I'm not going to miss it (nasty bug in Marshmallow right now plaguing WiFi where it has issues at times staying connected). I'm also done with the custom ROM community. The entitlement issues and some of the shoddy work is unreal. I'm done with needing root as well. I wanted a Nexus 6P but that craptastic 810 SoC, the AMOLED (burn-in on my N6 is driving me insane and it's not even a year old) and the lack of selling through carriers killed that for me. I was pondering what to do then a week later the V10 was announced. I can't wait to get my hands on it. T-Mobile and LG need to hurry the hell up so they can take my money.
Is everyone here writing poems. But I have a nexus 6 that I'll be keeping and am still getting this phone
6p is a great phone i herd someone blew a fuse when they rooted it or something. i would love to have one lol but they dont sell them on carriers and im not wealthy enough to shell out money.
I hope the price comes down like in Korea to compete with the galaxy s6 to 610. 640 would be perfect. I do believe with the software changes LG has made it makes the experience more enjoyable then the stock lg skin like on the lg g3 when it first came out. I cant wait to try this phone out.

Should I settle for the V10, or wait for the LG G5?

The V10 is an awesome device. I've been going through all reviews (Youtube & Forums alike), and I'm pretty much okay with it more than any flagship currently on the market. However, the October release of the V10 is kind of awkward and untimely considering (rumors) that they plan to announce the LG G5 in the first quarter of 2016. As a keen tech-savvy consumer / power user, I am aware that flagships grow exponentially every year offering the same premium price (i.e. S6 is an improvement of the Note 4, and probably the S7 will be an improvement of the Note 5). So it is highly likely that the LG G5 will be an improved version of the V10, and the V11 will be obviously a step up higher than the G5.
While I am not in a hurry to buy a new phone, despite my very crappy/laggy cheap Lenovo A536, I am still occasionally tempted to get the V10 (especially when my current phone freezes to eternity). On the other hand, it keeps me from doing that as I am anticipating LG's announcement at CES 2016 in a month or two from now, which will be readily available on the market by March or April, offering it at an introductory price that would be the same with the V10 right now.
Also, another thing that keeps me from getting the V10 is the massive size of it, when the G5 will very likely inherit its features with a 5.5-inch display and slightly better specs + ergonomics.
Well if there's no hurry then there's no harm in waiting to see what is out there. New phones are always coming out
Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk
If you have a barely usable phone now - get a new phone soon as possible.
As for waiting for the next best thing ... what are you going to do in March when that edition comes out and they announce they'll be another phone coming.
The differences in the phones is somewhat minimal.
Go to the stores, spend time with each model you like and get the one that feels right. Its far more productive to have a useful tool than it is to have a tool that doesn't work. Waiting for the 'bigger-better-deal' in the next 3 to 4 months is keeping you from being productive today.
This is just my opinion. Good luck in your choice.
I voted no, wait for the G5. Or go a different route.
I'm actively trying to trade out of my v10. I like aspects of the phone, but if and until certain software changes are made there are better options out there now.
I love having a SD card and removable battery, but the fingerprint scanner sucks. The DPI on this phone is ridiculous. I mean, when the phone is in landscape you can't even see all the options in the sound menu.
I'm on Verizon, so I can't (yet, if ever) root and fix these issues myself. If that changes, my opinion would. Just a few tweaks could fix this phone. The outlook is dim, however, and as it stands currently I can't recommend it.
I got the v10 for the free stuff. My mom is enjoying her free tablet from T-Mobile and I love having the 200gb sd card, extra battery and charging cradle. It has its issue but honestly it is a very solid phone that works well overall. It's not bleeding edge but that has its advantages of being more stable overall. I agree with the other posters, if your phone is on its last legs like my note 2 was get the v10 you'll enjoy it, if your current phone is chugging along fine just wait for the next model.
So it REALLY depends on what you want to do with the device.
If you're interested in having the "latest and greatest" or are doing thing that might require a device that has the highest possible components, then I'd wait. If you're looking for a REALLY good device, then I'd go with the V10.
Coming from the Note III, I LOVE my V10. It's a great device
I wouldn't consider going to the V10 settling!
There will always be a latest and greatest. Once the G5 comes around, there will be rumors of a newer device. If you don't know what you want yet, and your current phone is at its end, buy a used nexus 6 or g4 for cheap until you make up your mind.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Yep.. If you feel like you are settling you shouldn't get it.
Depends on what you want. G5 might have a better camera, but probably a smaller display, no 2nd screen, no HiFi DAC/amp, etc. Unless it comes with an OLED screen, maintains microSD & battery swap, and immensely better camera - I probably won't care.
blackhemi4x4 said:
I wouldn't consider going to the V10 settling!
There will always be a latest and greatest. Once the G5 comes around, there will be rumors of a newer device. If you don't know what you want yet, and your current phone is at its end, buy a used nexus 6 or g4 for cheap until you make up your mind.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
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Thanks! One of the things I also need is the Dual-SIM feature. While I know that some have the H961 available, I still do not see it on my trusted seller's offerings yet. I really need that Dual-SIM as I live in Asia. I currently have an unlimited data sim separate from my daily calling and texting sim card. I do understand though that LG G5 will offer that as well but a month after the official model is released, same was with the LG G4.
Nitemare3219 said:
Depends on what you want. G5 might have a better camera, but probably a smaller display, no 2nd screen, no HiFi DAC/amp, etc. Unless it comes with an OLED screen, maintains microSD & battery swap, and immensely better camera - I probably won't care.
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Rumors say that it will have a 5.6-inch QHD display? Either way, 5.5-inch is enough for my needs, and a .1 inch difference from a V10 is negligible to me. Wouldn't care much about the 2nd screen.
I'm waiting for the G5 personally. Its only a few months around the corner most likely.
I would trade V10 with G5 IF the G5 have front facing speaker,sd card, removable battery and a camera that even better than G4 and V10 (since i got no. 3 in photograph contest while most people using a DSLR camera )
So far i really like my V10 right now, so far a really great device imo and i would stay with V10 if G5 doesnt meet my requirement
LG 5 rumors suggest the battery won't be removable so that may be a deal breaker for some. The rumored specs don't seem much superior over the v10
Oh really thats a bummer, i heard it use SD 820 chip i dont know if it worth a trade
But removable battery kinda a huge deal for me

Is the G5 a good upgrade?

Hi, I'm now on a Galaxy Note 3 and would like to upgrade to the G5, since it has the specs I'm looking for.
However, I felt like asking you guys if there's any better option I should consider, or any defects that are not worth risking for (bootloping?)
Thanks a lot in advance
totalnoob34 said:
Hi, I'm now on a Galaxy Note 3 and would like to upgrade to the G5, since it has the specs I'm looking for.
However, I felt like asking you guys if there's any better option I should consider, or any defects that are not worth risking for (bootloping?)
Thanks a lot in advance
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Click to collapse
The price and specs are great. The rom/root community is okay size. Build quality is trash. Don't buy this phone. With a little more money you could buy the One Plus 3T or One Plus 5. Better specs, build quality, rom/root, etc.
My next phone is Note 8 or One plus 3T or 5. I am not trying to bash phone. Just giving you an honest opinion. Look through the threads you will see tons of people with GPS, Backlight Bleed, bootloop issues, etc. I love LG, but will be my last LG phone for a long time.
Sent from my LG-H830 using XDA Labs
I'm looking to get the H850 for my mom since it is only $300CAD if I get my friend to bring it back from Hong Kong. Can't find any another phone in that price range that would be better than the LG G5 H850...
Hardware and price are amazing, especially the model RS988 that covers the most weirdest bands that are available in areas like Canada. Unfortunately, the root/bootloader on the rest of models are bringing tons of problems, if its rootable/unlockable at all. Custom firmware choice is very poor, and they are raw even after 1 year of release. What it means is that you basically can't use NFC on most of custom roms (if not all). The stock firmware on the other hand is very well made and stable. I'm using it with Magisk without issues. So far the only problem is stock kernel doesn't seem to be energy efficient, so battery flies away in a day or two of use. However, battery is replaceable, what is offered in not that many flagship phones nowadays.
I can't agree about bad quality of build. I would say its very good comparing to what else you can meet nowadays.
Other than that, it's one of the best phones available for 250$ on B&H (Titan) if not the only good one.
Yeah not sure about other countries, but in Canada it's hard to beat the LG G5. OnePlus 3T/5 are $600/$650CAD+tax respectively and the G5 can be found for $330-370 all in. Even 2016 mid-range phones like the Axon 7 and Honor 8 are $400-$500+tax.
Build quality isn't up to par with other flagships, but it's not terrible IMO. At least it's better than most mid-range phones.
It is a lottery phone.
damiloveu said:
It is a lottery phone.
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I would have to agree with this statement.
Build quality is pretty bad guys sorry. I've had plenty of low/Mid/High end of phones. I've never seen this many issues as this one. When I see GPS and backlight bleed threads filled with countless complaints. Yeah that's bad build quality.
Damiloveu statement pretty much sums it up right it's a lottery phone. 50/50 hit or miss, be for warned potential new g5 buyers. GREAT phone if no issues. And if it does have problems many headaches await you.
Sent from my LG-H830 using XDA Labs
dimon222 said:
Hardware and price are amazing, especially the model RS988 that covers the most weirdest bands that are available in areas like Canada. Unfortunately, the root/bootloader on the rest of models are bringing tons of problems, if its rootable/unlockable at all. Custom firmware choice is very poor, and they are raw even after 1 year of release. What it means is that you basically can't use NFC on most of custom roms (if not all). The stock firmware on the other hand is very well made and stable. I'm using it with Magisk without issues. So far the only problem is stock kernel doesn't seem to be energy efficient, so battery flies away in a day or two of use. However, battery is replaceable, what is offered in not that many flagship phones nowadays.
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I would install Fulmics on the LG G5 if I can get it for my mom, so the RS988 is out of the question for me. I just cannot buy phones if I cannot install custom ROMs on it. I hate being at the mercy of manufacturers for software updates.
I'm so confused as to why manufacturers cannot just sell one or two variant of the same phone. Making dozens of variants seems so stupid.
coming from P9.
Maybe my most complain bout this device is the GPS as i always use gps for ingress, second is battery and the rest is the design and build quality though I dont have the screen retentention issues yet.
Thanks a lot, everybody. I think I'll get this phone, it features literally *every* feature I need on a device.
cheeze.keyk said:
coming from P9.
Maybe my most complain bout this device is the GPS as i always use gps for ingress, second is battery and the rest is the design and build quality though I dont have the screen retentention issues yet.
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I got a used AT&T H820 and it had the GPS issue, especially worse when cloudy and rainy. However, I returned the AT&T one and got an unlocked RS988 and I couldn't be happier with my purchase.
totalnoob34 said:
Hi, I'm now on a Galaxy Note 3 and would like to upgrade to the G5, since it has the specs I'm looking for.
However, I felt like asking you guys if there's any better option I should consider, or any defects that are not worth risking for (bootloping?)
Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need a hot swappable battery, the G5 is great.
If you game a lot, and want the ability to do so without remaining plugged in and burning up your phone, then the G5 is perfect for you.
As far as performance, no issues whatsoever.
Battery life is average, but with the ability to swap out new batteries and charge dead ones outside the phone in a charging port, you honestly don't have battery downtime. It's just always up.
That's the biggest advantage of this phone.
If you're looking for a better deal, you don't need unlimited battery life, or you're looking for a rich featureset, I would look elsewhere.
The gps is absolute wank and I don't have the time or inclination to do a hardware fix. I did a quick comparison with my friend who owns an OP3 indoors; his had gps lock with 15 seconds but mine was still searching after several minutes. In fact, I have almost missed turnings when driving a few times because of this POS. I never replace my phone until it has had 18 months usage but for the G5, I will make an exception.
I have LG G5 since April 2016 after my Note 3 : no root or anything, LG updates regulary.
I never have problems with it.
-No bootloop, no GPS bugs, a better reception with the same carrier...
-Camera is really good, especially the large wide-angle.
-Battery life: a day with a little use (waze to go work -one hour/day) wifi on, "always on display" always activate, some internet at evening : Facebook, Twitter, insta, mails...
-IR for soundbar, tv is really good !!
But no SPen ? So I will get the Note 8, really great for work, with the camera options easier than LG suit.
And finally, i prefer Samsung environment, even if G5 is really a good phone.
Envoyé de mon LG-H850 en utilisant Tapatalk
It's not worth the broken GPS sensors which are a known hardware defect. They'll fix it for you, but it's never the root of the problem so it will come back. I've sent mine in 3 times, GPS works for a couple days, then ceases to work again. Terrible quality control, by far the worst phone I've owned. My Galaxy S4 was better.
totalnoob34 said:
Hi, I'm now on a Galaxy Note 3 and would like to upgrade to the G5, since it has the specs I'm looking for.
However, I felt like asking you guys if there's any better option I should consider, or any defects that are not worth risking for (bootloping?)
Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, looks like i'm not the only one who migrate from Galaxy Note 3. let me tell you my short little story
I upgraded since my Note 3 were exynos version which didnt support 4g band. i was looking for cheap second hand devices with LTE support :laugh: ( dont judge me, bussines is low here in indonesia i cant afford phone more than 250$ - on indonesia currency and prices of course)
so i search all available markets, online and offline. some guys recomended 3 phone. LG G5 h860, xperia z5, and HTC m9 ( all cost about 200-250$ here, second handed) so i spent about 3 days on google comparing all 3 phone. i kick z5 out from my list since i had a bad experience with sony devices ( heat issue, poor audio quality, you name it) so it just m9 or g5. m9 is a good phone, its the cheapest one, had official support for lineage and SlimOS. solid built, and dual speaker. the drawback were its photo quality, its much worse than my note 3 even with 20mp camera. but at that time i cant find g5, the only available one were g5 SE version which is downgrade one ( 3gb ram and qualcom 625) and it cost about 299$!! hell no, so i pick the m9. but as i said before, i'm not really satisfied. the main advantages comparing my old note were: better sound, better network 4g, better official OS ( Lollipop vs nougat) and custom, and fast charging. but thats the only option i got that time. after several months some guys here sold his g5 h860 on low prices, i dont need to think twice so today my g5 finally arrived. still looks good for a second hand devices, the ony issue were the screen ghosting when the devices getting hot. but it would dissapear after some minutes, i can live with that. BUT, comparing to my m9 the battery drains faster, no root option, no custom recovery or rom. so for answering your question, IF i moved from note 3 directly to G5 i would be really happy as it has more advantages. but since i got my hand on m9 first i still feel little dissapointed . i cant stop comaring 3 of them. note 3 has bigger display and spen support, m9 has the best custom rom suppot and great battery, while g5 has the most awesome camera and screen resolution :cyclops: .
alldine345 said:
well, looks like i'm not the only one who migrate from Galaxy Note 3. let me tell you my short little story
I upgraded since my Note 3 were exynos version which didnt support 4g band. i was looking for cheap second hand devices with LTE support :laugh: ( dont judge me, bussines is low here in indonesia i cant afford phone more than 250$ - on indonesia currency and prices of course)
so i search all available markets, online and offline. some guys recomended 3 phone. LG G5 h860, xperia z5, and HTC m9 ( all cost about 200-250$ here, second handed) so i spent about 3 days on google comparing all 3 phone. i kick z5 out from my list since i had a bad experience with sony devices ( heat issue, poor audio quality, you name it) so it just m9 or g5. m9 is a good phone, its the cheapest one, had official support for lineage and SlimOS. solid built, and dual speaker. the drawback were its photo quality, its much worse than my note 3 even with 20mp camera. but at that time i cant find g5, the only available one were g5 SE version which is downgrade one ( 3gb ram and qualcom 625) and it cost about 299$!! hell no, so i pick the m9. but as i said before, i'm not really satisfied. the main advantages comparing my old note were: better sound, better network 4g, better official OS ( Lollipop vs nougat) and custom, and fast charging. but thats the only option i got that time. after several months some guys here sold his g5 h860 on low prices, i dont need to think twice so today my g5 finally arrived. still looks good for a second hand devices, the ony issue were the screen ghosting when the devices getting hot. but it would dissapear after some minutes, i can live with that. BUT, comparing to my m9 the battery drains faster, no root option, no custom recovery or rom. so for answering your question, IF i moved from note 3 directly to G5 i would be really happy as it has more advantages. but since i got my hand on m9 first i still feel little dissapointed . i cant stop comaring 3 of them. note 3 has bigger display and spen support, m9 has the best custom rom suppot and great battery, while g5 has the most awesome camera and screen resolution :cyclops: .
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Ok, first off, thanks a lot for the detailed feedback. I actually appreciate it when people put a little effort in helping others online.
I ultimately settled for a G5, since a replaceable battery is more important to me than a bigger one, and also because I could really use those extra 0.3" on the screen. Moreover, you were unlucky in getting an h860 variant, because the european h850 has some decent support over here.
Lastly, I am not getting another HTC device again, I had an HTC Desire S. Let me tell you something about that phone: you could *not* remove the battery with the device on, risking a total brick. Yup, you heard me right. A flimsy plastic clip was all that kept your precious phone from mayhem and destruction. The best part is that it was a hardware defect, obviously ineligible for warranty replacement, and I don't recall HTC ever acknowledging the issue, let alone provide the user with some kind of compensation. Also, HTC always was a pain in the ass to customize, and the HTCdev program is a joke.
Nonetheless, thanks a lot for the feedback man. Have a good one
totalnoob34 said:
Ok, first off, thanks a lot for the detailed feedback. I actually appreciate it when people put a little effort in helping others online.
I ultimately settled for a G5, since a replaceable battery is more important to me than a bigger one, and also because I could really use those extra 0.3" on the screen. Moreover, you were unlucky in getting an h860 variant, because the european h850 has some decent support over here.
Lastly, I am not getting another HTC device again, I had an HTC Desire S. Let me tell you something about that phone: you could *not* remove the battery with the device on, risking a total brick. Yup, you heard me right. A flimsy plastic clip was all that kept your precious phone from mayhem and destruction. The best part is that it was a hardware defect, obviously ineligible for warranty replacement, and I don't recall HTC ever acknowledging the issue, let alone provide the user with some kind of compensation. Also, HTC always was a pain in the ass to customize, and the HTCdev program is a joke.
Nonetheless, thanks a lot for the feedback man. Have a good one
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yeep, my biggest regret were i didnt read much about lg g5, infact i read too many about it so i skip the most important things. from what i gather around the web, g5 has 2 version. G5 and g5 SE. the g5 has snap820, 4gb ram and single sim, while g5 SE had snap 625, 3GB ram and dualsim. i use 2 simcard one for main use and another for data connection. and h860 has both advantages from 2 g5 version, snap 820/4gb ram and Dualsim support. i didnt bother to check on XDA for root method as i though it just the same as samsung or HTC, even with many varian usually all of them has the same exploit. i never though i would be so wrong on my life . and for the HTC part, well what can i say, here in indonesia we didnt have official HTC service centre so if we had a malfunction devices we just need to fix it on our own . same goes to LG G5 since the only one that they sold here were g5 SE, some friend of mine already bought g5 from singapore last year and when his screen broke he sent it to LG centre but they refuse it, they said the only accept g5 SE. so i'm totally aware when i bought those devices, i cant rely on warranty or official services. and its not the first time, usually lot of devices which sold here were downgraded version comparing to international one. like
note 3 on international version they had snap801 and lte support while official one the had stupid exynoss and 3g only. same goes with Note 5 snapdragon inter vs exynoss local, and also xiaomi devices, huawei, and many other brands which i dont remember anymore. thats why, many people here usually bought new/second hand devices from another country because they want to feel the real experience while also acknowledge they cant bring it to official service centre when it broke later.
Hell no.

Considering a Moto Z......

My LG G4 is dying.
I need a Verizon based phone to work with the Verizon MVNO I contract air access from.
How does the MotoZ vzw version handle unlocked bootloader? Is it possible?
I'm real keen on custom rom usage, whats the best custom roms available for the moto Z?
Any cons I should be made aware of?
What type of sim card ? ie: nano....................
I am done with the Asian phone manufacturers, unfortunately I have had bad experience with HTC and now LG.
Paid flagship prices for crap, sorry to say. My most favored phone was a motorola flip phone, maybe I return to motorola.
ty
Motorola = Lenovo = Chinese [emoji6]
I've had the MotoZ after the LG G4. Only short time. Since one year on Galaxy S8 and happy. Maybe a LG V30 as alternative?
I cannot say anything about a Verizon phone since I have no clue if they "tainted" the Moto Z too, making it different from global variants.
As for simply being worth it:
If you are paying less than 450$, it's definitely worth it.
The phone is snappy, hysterically thin for a phone ( it's as thick as an iPhone when you put a bulky case on it, otherwise it's only 5.2mm thick ), has a good camera, a great display and you will love the UI if you're a fan of stock Android.
However, if you can pay more than 450$, consider something like a Oneplus 5.
Battery is AWFUL. The phone is mostly smooth but if you use it for prolonged periods, it heats up and then starts lagging due to throttling.
Camera is reasonable at most but the camera lens get scratched easily, so the image quality could degrade over time.
Mods are funny at some point but are extremely expensive and there are chaper alternatives that work on any device, not being necessary to have a Z phone to use them.
Fingerprint scanner works but it's not the fastest and misses sometimes, and it get's really annoying when you have to try 4 or 5 times to unlock it.
Motorola has abandoned this phone, which hasn't received a security update since December and god knows when it'll get Oreo, and even worse, god knows what sort of bugs Lenovo interns will give us when Oreo finally arrives.
Doesn't have a headphone jack.
My particular unit developed severe burn-in after only 7 months of usage, but every display is different, so your mileage may vary.
Phone is so thin that it's unconfortable to hold without a mod attatched or a case, which is a bummer because the phone is good looking without anything on it. Also slippery as hell.
There are not many developers for the Moto Z, so there isn't many custom roms available compared to Samsung or even Sony. There are some unofficial builds from big projects like Lineage but there are some bugs here and there.
So, take it with a grain of salt because this is my experience, but beware because I'm not the only one reporting those issues. Just check out Lenovo forums and see how many battery drain topics are there, which got even worse after the 7.1.1 update.
Forget those awesome flip phones Motorola once built, because that company is dead. Motorola is just a brand name now, everything is Lenovo. When you boot the Moto Z there is a big ass Lenovo logo so you don't forget it. If I were you, I would go for the OnePlus 5 . Your experience may be worse with Motorola.
The phone uses nano sim though.
Moto Z= bored device + screen burn + ugly battery life
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
One plus is an Asian brand too xD
Z2 Play or bust
spyknee said:
maybe I return to motorola.
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Don't. Battery life is awful, and Motorola does not support this device any more.
Mine got broken (bluetooth died), I sent it to Motorola for repair three months ago, and they refuse to fix or refund it, despite still being under warranty.
I see a lot of salty people here.
I've had my Moto Z since October 2017. I upgraded from Nexus 5x, which got bootloop. Is it worth it?
That depends on the price. I've got mine for 350$ and I'm pretty satisfied. The battery is similar to the one I've had in 5x (needs a recharge at the end of the day). However, with Incipio power pack it lasts a full day of heavy use.
No burn-ins whatsoever.
It was lagging a little bit at the beginning, but now its really snappy, miles better than my crap Nexus. I've played Vice City quite a lot and no major throttling issues happened to me (maybe some fps drops once a while, but it's not something drastic).
Motorola still supports this phone. Fast updates are long gone from the Google days, but they're still pretty average.
I really like this phone, but if I were you I would wait a little bit more for the Nokia 7 Plus. 2018 version looks amazing.
And stay away from any LG. They can't fix bootloop problems since G4. G6 and V30 are too young to judge if they're fine. They still may bootloop in the near future.
I forgot to add: Fingerprint sucks. Nexus 5x was better in that term.

LG G6 worth the money at this time? July 2018

Hello, Im currently considering buying the LG G6 becouse it is around 310 Euros here. And in this price Range i dont see anything good for this price. I like the Wide angle camera and i saw also that it got Oreo update.
I was looking up for the Oneplus 6 or VG30 which is also 500 Euros. But considering that i will change any phone in 2 years... Dont wanna spend more than 400
kris234 said:
Hello, Im currently considering buying the LG G6 becouse it is around 310 Euros here. And in this price Range i dont see anything good for this price. I like the Wide angle camera and i saw also that it got Oreo update.
I was looking up for the Oneplus 6 or VG30 which is also 500 Euros. But considering that i will change any phone in 2 years... Dont wanna spend more than 400
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Better to go with OnePlus 6 at 469 Euros.
I paid 264€ (with a coupon) for my G6 last month and it is great
SVR said:
Better to go with OnePlus 6 at 469 Euros.
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Where can i find it dor 469?
Here in Germany the 64gb of Oneplus is 519 Euros i can get the 5% Student Discount
kris234 said:
Where can i find it dor 469?
Here in Germany the 64gb of Oneplus is 519 Euros i can get the 5% Student Discount
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469 is on UK site
Definitely not worth it. Better go for a phone with Snapdragon 660 or 710....
well, as last comment sayd better go with some SD710, if you can wait you can buy a Xiaomi Mi8 SE with SD710 for more 50 dollars more with better specs.
For me it's the best smartphone in this price range. Everything is at least very good, with no downsides.
My girlfriend bought it to replace her iphone after trying mine and she is truly happy with it.
I won't ever spend more than 300-350€ in a phone, because the increase in price is not worth it. And there's no better option. I won't buy a Xiaomi phone because its poor software. Also the Mi8 SE has no ip68, no radio fm, no 3,5 mm jack, no sd card slot, smaller battery... And we'll see what reviews says about its display or camera.
blackhawk_LA said:
For me it's the best smartphone in this price range. Everything is at least very good, with no downsides.
My girlfriend bought it to replace her iphone after trying mine and she is truly happy with it.
I won't ever spend more than 300-350€ in a phone, because the increase in price is not worth it. And there's no better option. I won't buy a Xiaomi phone because its poor software. Also the Mi8 SE has no ip68, no radio fm, no 3,5 mm jack, no sd card slot, smaller battery... And we'll see what reviews says about its display or camera.
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Poor software?! i mean, is not poor, is less intuitive, but with MIUI 10 around the corner it will be better, and feature wise Xiaomi is way better than LG, i can tell you because i already have some Xiaomi's to play for a week or twoo and you can see in my phone history i already have a lot of LG phones and i can tell you:
If LG put half (right, half) of the features of Xiaomi have i can be more happy. LG have some advantages like microSD, better camera, better screen and design...its about that only, nothing more impress with G6, with Xiaomi (and i am talking about mid to high end Xiaomi's) you experience is a lot better even tho the things is a little bit unorganized, spread all around settings and its hard to find some things sometimes but its OK.
I bought my G6 a moth ago, and i am happy...but now i go to store, play around with Mi MIX 2 and compare it to my G6 (at the time i can get both for around 350) and now, if time could be pushing back i chose Mi MIX 2 over G6...but i can live with G6 anyway.
Its my opinion, you make your choise, i just say my experience with both brands...
Sure MicroSD card is a must have for some people (me too) but you can learn to live without...trust me, like IR Blaster and HiFI DAC, my V10 have that and i can live without that with G6 (the featureless phone i have for a long time).
Well speaking of software it's always subjective, but for me it's very bothering that MIUI is too intrusive. I mean for example, I had a lot of problems trying to set Signal as default messing app instead the built in one. It kept auto changing back to default from time to time.
Xiaomi is always very good overall for its price, but right now I don't think there is a phone more complete than G6 for its price.
if softwer update is not important for you i suggest you buy a G6 its better for you buy a H870 Eu model or US997 if u are in usa this two models are officialy bootloader unlocked and get better software updates and dont buy dualsim one at all advantages of G6 : main camera is pretty good , screen quality is very good at this price better than iphone i compared with my friend , u can experince a good sensation with UX6 interface of G6 , some one say that this phone has battry drain but my phone does not have this problem , just only thing i dont like it is selfi camera and at last i can tell u this phone is very good at this price i tell u again if softwer update is not important to u close ur eyes and buy a G6
No one has mentioned the G6 has a flat screen with no curves. This makes tempered glass installation really easy and you get full protection. Otherwise the phone is really good. My wife's has not given her any trouble.
Well I can get the Eu Version and it has Oreo. And I was thinking if it get poor Software update I can flash it manualy. I even have this conspiracy in my head that after some point the companies like Samsung send you some cool improvment update which for Example drains your Battery on purpose. From the G6 i am expecting normal to good Battery life and some cool Photos. I saw that with Google Camera there is better Quality. And yes i do want the 3.5mm jack and Im looking for a phone to carry me 2 years. But I just dont see good Mid Range Phones for Max. 400 Euros Also I have Samsung S9 in my hands that i got from my new contract but I will try to sell it for 500 becouse it has The Battery draining Exynos Version.
Don't ever think to buy an ''lg'' phone!! They don't care about the consumers! And their support is terrible!
ALaWi_xX said:
Don't ever think to buy an ''lg'' phone!! They don't care about the consumers! And their support is terrible!
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Pfffff... India speaking ?
Murbert said:
No one has mentioned the G6 has a flat screen with no curves. This makes tempered glass installation really easy and you get full protection. Otherwise the phone is really good. My wife's has not given her any trouble.
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THIS ! I'm sick of searching for screen protectors for curved glass screens. They never cover full surface nor look good after installation.
I regret at times, try to avoid
Software updates sucks, lags a lot, it feels like snapdragon 600 series processor (I have 20-25 off apps).
Camera at the back is amazing, front camera is pathetic(although u can download google camera, but still front camera sucks in most of the siltation)
Battery is very ok. 3.5 hrs screen on time. I would definitely not suggest. I was so frustrated with battery and lagging issues i bought a secondary phone (redmi note 5 pro and it is wayy better)
Audio output is ok compared to other mid range phone of 2018. Although screen is good but not great in 2018
Try buying from aliexpress, MI Mix 2/2s are extremely good phones and it does not look as copy of iphone x as well.
apart from camera, everything sucks
ALaWi_xX said:
Don't ever think to buy an ''lg'' phone!! They don't care about the consumers! And their support is terrible!
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Any company in the business of making money (all of them) only cares about money.
blackhawk_LA said:
Well speaking of software it's always subjective, but for me it's very bothering that MIUI is too intrusive. I mean for example, I had a lot of problems trying to set Signal as default messing app instead the built in one. It kept auto changing back to default from time to time.
Xiaomi is always very good overall for its price, but right now I don't think there is a phone more complete than G6 for its price.
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You can always change software. Most of the xiaomi phones have a custom rom/software. As a senior member, you should know that I always change my rom when i hate stock one. I dont know about you, but i dont throw phones out because of firmware (except iphones and windows based phones xD).
Or should i get me the V30 for 200 euros more (500 total) I really want this Wide Camera and good Battery life. Altho v30 is a little bit to big for my hands.
I'm going to join in as I'm looking to buy a new phone. I was almost convinced that I would buy LG G6 but I just browsed G6 rom development forums and wow it's pretty stall. My current Galaxy S4 has more options inluding LOS 15,1.
I was also looking at Honor 10 but then I found out that Huawei blocks bootloaders so it's a no no for me.
Seems like XIAOMI phones have really solid community and plenty of roms to chose from.
Xiaomi MI6 and mentioned here Xiaomi MI8 SE look really great but they lack a few features I would like to have such us 3,5 mm jack, SD card slot.
Not sure what to do now I kind of not want to be stuck with LG G6 running stock Android 8,1 for another 2-3 years.

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