Question Is the Pixel 6 reliable now ? - Google Pixel 6

So I am looking for a new phone to replace my 3 yo Xiaomi mi 8, and the Pixel 6 series has captured my attention design wise and software wise.
I was originally going to purchase the pixel 6a, but after trying it in a store, it felt a bit too small for my uses. Also i saw some reviews where its performance was not as good as the Pixel 6 although it has the same SoC, which is quite a big deal for me as I do some gaming like genshin impact
So I may want to settle for the Pixel 6 now (better screen and performance for my usage), but I need some advice from the community here, as I found out there was a lot of bugs at launch
How is the phone right now ? Does it still have issues ? If so, what issues ? Would you recommend it right now ? If not, what are other options in the same price range (649€ in my country)? I'm looking for a phone with good build quality that would last 4-5 years.
Lastly, does it overheat ? How is the battery life ?
I still read a lot of mixed opinions about this phone, but some might be outdated

It doesn't overheat in my experience.

As everything has some pros and cons, I can say that pros of Pixel 6 outweigh the fewer cons it has.
Overheating, well I haven't faced the phone shutting down or apps stops working due to overheat, but the the phone get uncomfortable to hold for long when it heats up, maybe I am not used to of such warm/hot phones in the past.
4-5 years, look, this is glass sandwitch phone with mammoth size, so probabilities of shattering it apart are much heigher than a small and rigid body phone like Pixel 5.
A perfect Pixel would be a Qualcomm powered Tensor chip customized by Google packed in the body of Pixel 5. But since Pixel 7 series is also following the footstep of Pixel 6, I assume Pixel 6 can be a better buy for now if its available at discounts compared to the 7.
You need to look at the positives, like its got wonderful camera. And those AI powered accurate voice assistance features are just nice when you need them.

Been using Pixel 6 for a month now after retiring my Xiamoi mi9 lite. I'm happy with the phone, no glitches or whatsoever. Photography is a serious upgrade here, now I like to take a lot of shots while with my previous phone I rarely did. It really competes iPhone in this domain.
The phone feels good in the hand, I wish I had the audacity to use it caseless, but I don't., and it's very slippery when naked, and it's a bit bulkier with a case. I got the google silicon case, do not do that, it discolors very quickly.
Coming from a Xiaomi phone, you'll see much less bloatware and bells and whistles. Everything is to the point, you may get bored a bit, but for me I don't miss any of Xiaomi's features to be honest, and I got used to the Pixel pretty quickly. It is a good experience for me. I'm happy with it to the point where I feel I'm sure my next phone in 2-3 years will most likely be a Pixel.
The downside is charging, for some reason Google decided to slow charging down as the battery fills up, so the first 50% take like 30 minutes to charge while the last 50% take almost an hour.
About overheating, it only does so when I'm on a video call for a while, otherwise the phone handles anything you throw at it with ease, I'm not a gamer though so don't take my word for gaming. It may perform well in gaming, but you will fell the need for something that charges quicker as you will drain the battery with games.
I saw the 6a in the store today and tried it a little bit, for some reason it actually feels slower, the display is not as snappy as I'd wish, maybe it's 60hz, but it definitely felt like less, I wouldn't recommend it. I got the Pixel 6 at a nice deal (550€ instead of 650€) so if you have this option go for the the 6 and stay away from the 6a as the latter feels like a compromise..

Hard to say with Android 12 still running on it and that still being buggy. When 13 is complete in a few weeks it'll be easier to answer.

Pixel 6 seems solid to me; I've had mine since January (unrooted, fully stock). I play Angry Birds2 which works ok but frankly isn't as smooth as my OnePlus 6T was. I don't currently have major glitches though I'm about to start a thread on a wifi oddity. The phone is a bit heavier than I would like, and a bit thicker than I would like, but it will last me a couple years I think.

If I had to buy a phone today it would be another Pixel 6. Mine shut down from heat once, I was streaming bluetooth music and had left my phone setting in the direct sun. That is what overheated it, not what it was doing. I went with a dBrand leather skin, which I love for texture and grip, but it provides no real protection. I now have 2 small screen scratches as a result. I'm now in a Pelican case with a rim around the screen whenever I am out doing things. Battery life is fine, I usually have 30%+ left when I go to bed (which is when I charge), but once or twice it has tanked the battery to battery saver mode - I think the last one was right after a monthly update, so probably that is what used all the power.
I do have a 6a on order too, as I had a 3a sitting around and the trade-in make it worth while to upgrade the backup phone to current generation.

I have had a Pixel 6 for about 2 weeks now, and my experience has been excellent.
The good:
Great performance and battery life. I haven't tried gaming yet, but multitasking and general horsepower is excellent. The Recently Played app (a background Shazam native to Google Pixel) runs AI calculations in the background all day recognizing the songs, and my microphone data stays on device. I use my phone throughout the day, listening to Spotify and YouTube at work, and I usually still have 40-50% battery at the end of the day. I have most performance features activated, for reference.
The security features are excellent. I love the tensor chip, as my data stays on device while external data gets pulled from Google servers. I also like the transparency and control I get over my data in general, google-utilized or not. My Gboard builds a model on my device, my adaptive battery learns on the device, and the now playing app pulls from the server to figure out the song that's playing.
I find the camera to be excellent, especially in low light. I wish I had more manual control, but again the tensor/exnyos chip does a great job of figuring out how to optimize the photo. It is not as good as an S22, however. The speakers are great, again not as good as the S22.
I like how streamlined the android experience is. While Samsung builds an app for each feature, pixel android is seamless and features are integrated into the device. I like being able to autofill any password field, and being able to access my google-managed passwords directly from Gboard.
The cell reception is phenomenal. This is also a result of TMobile, but I get 3-4 bars of 5G where I would have 1x on my Verizon LG V30.
The bad:
As noted, some specific features are not as high quality as an S22. The camera, 90hz screen, and speakers are the notable ones. Finding a protective case that keeps the device slim with the giant camera bar on the back can be a challenge. I like the look of it, though.
The fingerprint reader is hilariously slow and a bit inconsistent. My 2016 V30 was faster.
Charging is slow, but this probably improves longevity. There might be a way to enable fast charging, but I haven't found it.
I haven't noticed any bugs or glitches, but I am confident that one of the many updates that google pushes on pixel owners may brick an app or feature. It has been rock steady while I have owned it.
I rate the pixel 6 a 9/10, though this is heavily subjective. I like that the pixels never come with carrier bloat, and that they are secure and have a light version of Android. Samsung Android always feels like it has far too many apps even out of the box.

I have 2 Pixel 6 in the houshhold on T-Mobile, both have been solid reliable phones, especially for their mid-level price. No issues with signal lever on either WiFi or 5G. Full day or more battery life. It runs SLIGHTLY warm, doesn't overheat except on a wireless charger in the car while running maps. Only complaint is the Finger Print reader, which still misses about 25% of the time. That said, I'm not a big gamer so I can't say how well suited this phone is for gaming.

{Mod edit: Quoted post has been deleted}
YOU can PLAY GAMES And read RedDip threads AT THE SAME TIME.

{Mod edit: Quoted post has been deleted}
After using the seat Pixel 5, you will hate the 6 for it's giant size. More so since the glass sandwich design of Pixel 6 is prone to break hence hefty cover is mandatory so it feels like like holding a cheap heavy Chinese phone.
Performance wise it is an okay phone, no complaints, but its just okay, nothing special. I wish it atelast had some Qualcomm powerted chipset insteal of Exynos.

Modem on my P6 is horrible. Significantly worse than the Pixel 3 it replaced. If I didn't work from home most of the time, I would have replaced this phone months ago. As it is, I am going to try the P7 when it comes out (testing it heavily during return period) and either keeping that or getting an S22. No more P6 for me after October.

Related

What are Non-Sony users saying about the Z5C ?

I read a lot of reviews and opinions here about the Z5C that are from people that were or still are using a Sony device. The Z5C is usually compared in terms of the Z3C or even the Z1C. Those comparisons are good if you own those devices, but I have no prior contact with Sony. My current device is a Moto G (1st Gen).
So I'd like to know what people who had no prior contact, or at least not in the past years, with Sony say about the phone. How does it feel and how much "crap" is on a Sony phone compared to a Nexus or Motorola phone? How good/bad are the Sony-Apps ? What "oddities" do Sony phones have?
Thanks for your opinions.
I came from a Moto G (2nd Gen) to the Z5C which is my first Sony phone. So a similar path to what you are considering. It comes with way more "crap" on in than the Motorola did. Where my Moto G (2nd Gen) might have had 5 Motorola utilities, the Z5C has maybe 30. Many of them are app/tools that seemingly connect you into the Sony Sphere. PlayStation stuff, Dinosaur images pop up in the camera you can stamp on your photos and super cheesy Japanese schoolgirl emoticons for your text input.
If you like the clean native Google apps such as Gmail, Calendar, Photos messaging and so on you will find yourself having to disable the Sony versions.
One oddity my Z3C has is that is is fussy about which micro USB cable will charge it. So if like me you have a collection of micro USB cables and chargers from previous phone they may not all work. I guess this may be due to tighter tolerances required water proofing the charge port. Not a biggy but worth knowing.
I find the Xperia Keyboard gesture input (aka Swype input) to be a PITA. Miss rate is too high and deleting errors is tedious. Shame becuase it works very well on other phones.
Small size is great. Can easily slip it in a front trouser pocket.
BUT I have yet to feel "vibrate on for calls" when it is my pocket. When someone does call when Z5C in pocket when I am doing somehting noisey like mowing a lawn, I dont feel the vinration alert, it seemingly wakes the phone and thereafter movement leads to random screen presses. So when I eventually retrieve it form my pocket an hour later the screen is still on and it is in some weird screen such as the camera or emerg dialer. Perhpas I am missing something here though. Oh and definitely don't buy it for the camera if you are expecting a point and shoot with a high % of great shots.
That's my thoughts.
Coming from a nexus 5, I love this phone! Never charge it from the mains only from my car every day(1 hour commute each way) and it keeps going strong! Pretty quick and feels good.
Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
Coming from Samsung S3
This Z5 is very bad...unstable sw, no optimization, really slow...bleah! I think i will never buy again a sony device. Oh...customer care is bad too.
Camera is slow and poor quality, GPS is very inaccurate, BT disconnet and reconnect every 15 secs (i think the problem is trhow but i can't disable it...)
So...i'm not a satisfied user..
Thank you all for your replies.
logger said:
I came from a Moto G (2nd Gen) to the Z5C which is my first Sony phone. So a similar path to what you are considering. It comes with way more "crap" on in than the Motorola did. Where my Moto G (2nd Gen) might have had 5 Motorola utilities, the Z5C has maybe 30. Many of them are app/tools that seemingly connect you into the Sony Sphere. PlayStation stuff, Dinosaur images pop up in the camera you can stamp on your photos and super cheesy Japanese schoolgirl emoticons for your text input.
If you like the clean native Google apps such as Gmail, Calendar, Photos messaging and so on you will find yourself having to disable the Sony versions.
One oddity my Z3C has is that is is fussy about which micro USB cable will charge it. So if like me you have a collection of micro USB cables and chargers from previous phone they may not all work. I guess this may be due to tighter tolerances required water proofing the charge port. Not a biggy but worth knowing.
I find the Xperia Keyboard gesture input (aka Swype input) to be a PITA. Miss rate is too high and deleting errors is tedious. Shame becuase it works very well on other phones.
Small size is great. Can easily slip it in a front trouser pocket.
BUT I have yet to feel "vibrate on for calls" when it is my pocket. When someone does call when Z5C in pocket when I am doing somehting noisey like mowing a lawn, I dont feel the vinration alert, it seemingly wakes the phone and thereafter movement leads to random screen presses. So when I eventually retrieve it form my pocket an hour later the screen is still on and it is in some weird screen such as the camera or emerg dialer. Perhpas I am missing something here though. Oh and definitely don't buy it for the camera if you are expecting a point and shoot with a high % of great shots.
That's my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually never use the original cables since I have set up a "charging station". Which cables does the Z5C not accept? Is there a pattern?
And I'm not buying this for the camera, I have a DSLR for that
Tuonorosso said:
Coming from Samsung S3
This Z5 is very bad...unstable sw, no optimization, really slow...bleah! I think i will never buy again a sony device. Oh...customer care is bad too.
Camera is slow and poor quality, GPS is very inaccurate, BT disconnet and reconnect every 15 secs (i think the problem is trhow but i can't disable it...)
So...i'm not a satisfied user..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the newest firmware ? AFAIK a few things should have been fixed with the latest update. What experience do you have with the customer care ?
ricostuart said:
Coming from a nexus 5, I love this phone! Never charge it from the mains only from my car every day(1 hour commute each way) and it keeps going strong! Pretty quick and feels good.
Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How was the Z5C in terms of "snappiness" compared to the Nexus ?
nazgoul said:
Do you have the newest firmware ? AFAIK a few things should have been fixed with the latest update. What experience do you have with the customer care ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, last fw: 32.0.A.6.152
Customer care have reset the phone 4 times. Each trial did not resolve the problem. In the end they told me to bring it to service but they had no idea of the repair time and they not given me any temporary phone.
My phone has only one month and i need it for work...i can't stay weeks without it. For a 600$ phone i think this is unacceptable.
At this time i have the same initial problems...
I hope in Marshmallow ...
Coming from Moto G first Gen (falcon)
Coming from Moto G 1st Gen. This is my first Sony Phone.
I am loving the Z5C.
Few things to note that that will give you an idea between the two phones
1. The flash on the moto g is noticeably brighter and warmer. Idc about cameras, but I find I use the flashlight a lot
2. The chip on the Z5C does feel much faster. Not sure how to describe it other than the UI on the Z5C being more "fluid"
3. The chip on the Z5C does get noticeably warm (but not hot) on the back under certain loads. E.g. running long sessions of RDP or installing lots of apps in quick succession or recording 4K video. Under normal use like browsing the web or watching youtube it does not get warm.
4. The camera is way better than the Moto G
5. The hardware feels really solid. It feels dense. I like it
6. The battery life is significantly better. At my usage, the Moto G will die at about 8pm or 9pm (taking off the charge at 7am). I have yet to kill the Z5C in a single day in my normal use
(my normal use usually has a few hours of music, and at least 4 hours of screen time)
7. The stereo speakers are much nicer, but the stereo effect is small, and they aren't not as loud as the moto g's single speaker
8. The max brightness of the Z5C's screen is about the same as the one on the Moto G. The min brightness is on the Z5C is lower though.
9 The physical dimensions of the Z5C is smaller in width and height. The Z5C does feel thicker because of its more boxy shape though
In terms of bloatware, there is quite a bit. I have a lot of apps disabled from settings or hidden (I use Apex)
There are some features that sony added that are nice though.
1. Built in screen recording
2. "Small Apps" - a bit like floating widgets
3. Nice audio optimizations that make my music experience nicer
4. Being able to customize the quick settings in the notification center
5. Battery percentage in the status bar (this is important to me )
6. The screen colours can be calibrated to your liking
Other things to consider
- The fingerprint sensor is pretty bad, but that could be just my fingers.
- The phone is really slippery compared to the Moto G. A case is highly recommended.
- Stamina mode - I havent tested if this has a positive effect on battery life, but i'm letting the placebo effect take place
- The microsd slot is nice for future proofing, although given that I had a 8GB moto g, and the Z5C comes with 32GB, Im not going to need a microsd in the near future.
- Water proofing
- Of the 32GB, about 10GB is taken up by the android system, and thus we cannot use for our own stuff
- I found the volume button placement on the Z5C wierd until I got used to it in less than a week. Unless you actively need access to it all the time, its not annoying
- I find that everything on screen is too large for my liking, so I have my DPI set to 280, the same as what I had on my Moto G
In response to some of the things said above:
- Bluetooth works fine for me. It has never lost connection to my Microsoft Band when I needed them to be connected
- I've used my Z5C with 3 different usb cables, none of them have a problem.
- Camera does launch slow if Photo Analyser Service is not disabled. The camera launches quite fast now (but admittedly not as fast as say an iPhone 6s)
- The GPS locks quicker than the Moto G, and has yet to be inaccurate for me.
I am really looking forward to Marshmallow
I hope that answers your questions. Sorry for long response lol
I have both nexus 6p and z5 compact. Previously had nexus 6.
I went for the z5c as it had wifi calling, and is a pretty small but powerful phone.
Notables, z5c is under-clocked, could be because heat dissipation on small device yielded unsatisfactory result, could be another one of those battery optimisation things.
It also seems to be on a conservative or power save profile, making it slow to start, but if you launch a game it gets into gear.
It was stuttering even with the OTAs of which i had received two, just a few days ago, even with factory resets it did not go away.
I used the sony PC companion to do a full firmware flash, not an incremental OTA and it became pretty smooth and slick to use again with all 0.5 speed animations and about 20 apps installed. I also disabled all of the original media apps and extra Sony stuff and use my own, poweramp and mxplayer is all i really need.
Pretty good experience to use now. Too bad about it using some sort of powersave profile even with stamina disabled. Good thing i have an nexus 6p to play with too.
you5urf said:
I used the sony PC companion to do a full firmware flash, not an incremental OTA and it became pretty smooth and slick to use again with all 0.5 speed animations and about 20 apps installed. I also disabled all of the original media apps and extra Sony stuff and use my own, poweramp and mxplayer is all i really need.
Pretty good experience to use now. Too bad about it using some sort of powersave profile even with stamina disabled. Good thing i have an nexus 6p to play with too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know how to disable throw?
Coming from the N5:
Disadvantages:
- Much less free RAM (N5X also has this issue, I think it's related to Android 64 bits).
- Much lower photo quality
Advantages:
- 200% or much more battery life.
- overall quality
- vídeo quality
Sent from my E5823
I am coming from the HTC One M7 which can be considered an old phone now I guess.
Good:
-Battery life finally gets me over the day and sometimes into the second.
-Better camera, but by far not great.
-Better display brightness
Bad:
-Sonys Android design looks like a toy. It lacks the beautiful HTC Sense look and features.
-Even with the latest firmware and fresh format its doesnt feel any fast than the old HTC One. Sense had a nicer flow overall.
-In general, switching between apps is not faster, once in the app, the processor surely shows its power. Antutu gave me 31k on HTC One and 62k on Z5C, so technically twice as fast.
-Having the phone in the front pockets of your jeans just looks stupid with the hard edges. The HTC one with its beautiful round design was basically invisible in your pocket.
The HTC One was far from perfect and had its issues, but my heart is still with that phone and I dont beleive I am gonna buy another Sony phone. I wanted a small powerful phone, but its not easy to like this phone I am afraid.
eivissa said:
I am coming from the HTC One M7 which can be considered an old phone now I guess.
Good:
-Battery life finally gets me over the day and sometimes into the second.
-Better camera, but by far not great.
-Better display brightness
Bad:
-Sonys Android design looks like a toy. It lacks the beautiful HTC Sense look and features.
-Even with the latest firmware and fresh format its doesnt feel any fast than the old HTC One. Sense had a nicer flow overall.
-In general, switching between apps is not faster, once in the app, the processor surely shows its power. Antutu gave me 31k on HTC One and 62k on Z5C, so technically twice as fast.
-Having the phone in the front pockets of your jeans just looks stupid with the hard edges. The HTC one with its beautiful round design was basically invisible in your pocket.
The HTC One was far from perfect and had its issues, but my heart is still with that phone and I dont beleive I am gonna buy another Sony phone. I wanted a small powerful phone, but its not easy to like this phone I am afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also coming from a HTC ONE M7 and I'm feeling exactly as you. I have had the phone for 5 days now and I'm seriously considering to sell it and keep using my M7 since I'm seeing the same things than you see.
I have great expectations for this phone but now that I have it, I'm a little bit disappointed...I don't know if it's cause I'm so use to my old phone or cause my old phone is sooo good that I don't see anything new or improved on the z5c...maybe expect for the waterproofing things.
I'll give it another week to see If I can fall in love with it...maybe when the custom roms start showing up I'll start to see the advantages of changing.
I've been used some HTC and got a Z1c and S6. Guys plz give sometime to this phone, my S6 also took a couple of months to improve before got satisfy result. I believe Android 6.0 will give a new life to this phone.
I've only experienced Apple's devices so I came over from an iPhone 3G, iPhone 4S and then an iPhone 6S. I absolutely LOVE this sucker. And I must have gotten very lucky because I haven't seen any of the issues that others have.
Pros:
1. Fascinated by the Android OS. There's just so much you can do with it! So much more freeing than Apple's IOS. They both have a few positive and negative quirks, but I'm not really missing IOS that much. I did miss the Safari left/right swipe browser initially, but found out about the Rbrowser app with built in ad-block and the swipe feature, and couldn't be happier.
2. The device is quick. Compared to my iPhone devices haven't experienced nearly as much lag even under load.
3. I love the camera and video. Takes far better pictures and video than any camera I've ever used before, and with the latest update, the menu selection is so easy to use. I think the side button to open the camera app is a genius. I also never experienced the blur issue that a lot of others complained about.
4. The size and look of the device totally compliments me. I find modern phones like the Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6S way too big and clunky. This device is exactly the right size. Slightly larger than my old 4S, but still comfortable to hold, and type one handed with. I also absolutely love the sharp right angles on the phone. I dig the thickness of the Compact, and I love the bright punky yellow of the case color I selected.
5. The fingerprint scanner is so fun to use. I had one on the 6S that worked maybe slightly better, but that's only because there was more surface area to press, but still having a fingerprint reader makes me feel like a spy a bit.
6. I haven't had any issues with the heat of the phone. It gets warm, but after a month of use, I've never experienced it getting warmer than the 4S or the 6S even while playing graphic intensive games, using the GPS, or recording video. It never gets warm while browsing websites, or doing day to day smartphone things.
7. The device did have a little bit of bloatware, but then, so did Apple's devices. Removing/disabling the bloat was easy to do.
8. So far no unexpected surprises. The alarm works. the phone rings and vibrates as it ought. The apps all open fine. I get all my expected alerts and then some. Messaging works fine. The screen is bright and easy to read and watch. I love the little FM radio app (though I don't use it too much). Haven't had any issues with the GPS. Everything does what it's supposed to do.
Negatives:
1. Coming from devices with only one bottom speaker, I thought that having two front facing stereo speakers would make this device monster loud....it isn't. In fact, it's slightly quieter than the 6S (though louder than the 4S). That said, I do love the stereo effect, and I think having so many audio controls is awesome. I just wish the device was a bit louder. Hopefully when the device becomes rootable I can find a fix for that.
2. The boot up time on this device is pretty slow. From powered off, the 6S starts up in a matter of a couple seconds. It takes like half a minute or longer for the Z5 to start up. Course, this isn't much of an issue most of the time since the device doesn't usually need to be powered off or restarted.
3. The iPhone 6S 3D touch is pretty amazing, and I can see them doing some cool things with it over time. There was nothing about it that was super amazing while I had it. No apps to really take too much of an advantage of it yet, but I can see that it'll be awesome to have some time down the road.
4. The voicemail was a bit odd to set up. I'm used to Apple's easy voicemail integration that just works out of the box. For this device I had to download and setup a "visual voicemail" system that I'm not used to, and that I found a bit annoying.
My first Android phone was a Sony xperia mini. Was worse than Motorola Milestone (gsm droid) that replaced it. I since moved onto Samsung original Galaxy S and then Galaxy Nexus. Then the original Moto X dev edition which is the same size as this Z5C. I love the form factor. Ever since the Nexus 6 which I have one of those, Moto is obsessed with phone size. The Nexus 6 was named Shamu for a reason. I am hoping the just under 5" phones are not s dying breed because this device is the perfect size for me. I also like the subtle tweaks Sony does with their ROM compared to vanilla stock. Its also a fast device and I like the build quality compared to the Samsung devices I have owned. Those are my thoughts anyway.

Is the z5C still worth buying?

The z5c came out almost 1 year ago, do you guys think the z5c is still worth buying?
What do you guys think? If no, what would you consider buying, considering the z5c as first option?
***edit: it's my 1000th post on xda yay! ***
i think yes, small phone, great performance, great camera, didn't have any problems in 5 months except camera lens, but devilcase lens protector fixed that, i would buy again
Poslano sa mog E5823 koristeći Tapatalk
I bought it 2 months ago. Totally happy with it. No problems up to now.
I wanted a small phone with good performance, and this one was the only one that fitted these criteria.
My 2nd option was iPhone SE... since I came from an iPhone 4S, I was a bit tired of iOS. Personally I think Android Marshmallow is in a really good shape when compared to iOS, in my opinion it is even better.
Buy.
bought one yesterday. Its the best small phone i could find for the $380 i spent. iPhone SE is about the only other 1 i would have considered.
If you dont require a sd slot there are better options.
I picked one up for USD370 (including shipping) for my wife. She had a Z3C before and loved it, but the screen stopped responding. For that price it is an amazing phone.
The latest firmware almost fixed all stuffs, the phone is pretty usable and finally safe to buy and recommended now. The only thing disapointed me is the photo/video quality still not as good as my older Z1c at high ISO(the sensor indeed got 25MP not only 23MP which is over crowed on a small 1/2.3" size) but no doubt Z5c focus speed and camera speed way faster and screen much much clear.
I think yes if you want to buy a small flagship phone. It's just great in everything, almost. I bought it on February and I love this phone.
+
fast
Responsive touchscreen
No lag in almost every game and apps even in high graphics
The camera is awesome (front and rear). but sadly it's can't run the camera over 25 min in 4k. The autofocus actually fast this will be great when you record a video. You can make a bokeh, hdr, or a long exposure pictures. And it's camera is also good in low light.
I like the keyboard, you can swipe like swift keyboard and the auto correct is very usefull
The battery life good also, I got 6-8 hours in normal use (social media, music and browsing) and 4-5 hours when I play fifa 16
-
The phone getting hot very fast when you use the camera, and play online game like fifa 16.
For me it recently sure was. As a former iPhone 5 user I wanted to switch to Android on a small (< 5" screen) high-end device. Early 2015 I choose a Z3C based on these criteria. Very nice in almost any way, though camera -especially rooted- was kind of crappy.
I recently upgraded to the Z5C based on the same search criteria. It seems that most manufacturers tend to put more low-end hardware in smaller devices, here Sony has done a nice job. I considered the Samsung Galaxy A3, though the Z5C came out best for me.
I look forward to the day that a more complete and stable version of Cyanogenmod will be released for the Z3C This is likely to make my Z35 experience optimal.
I had a z3c, love the small size and massive capabilities. I replaced it with the z5c about 8 months ago. There is no other device on the market I would rather have. Even tried a galaxy S6 for a bit... Hated every moment of having that one.
My only beef with its I cannot have any special software that comes from having a vendor branded device. (No VOIP on AT&T)
Bought one month before. Best decision according to me. But not the best for those who doesnt want small size or fm radio.
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
InterestedHacker said:
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the guys that claim good stories are unrooted so you know they don't actually use their phones. I've had great results in power consumption and heat with androplus v34, but it comes at the price of performance.
My 2 are rooted (one with dry restrored) and running xposed,and xpower rom. Both seem to be faster and smoother than my sons' - much bulkier - m8 and iPhone 6. Can't find anything close to the quality of this phone at this convenient size.
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
+
Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
S6 looks like on the same boat stuck with 1 April security patches. 720P required less memory intensive. Z3c is very easy to get touch screen problem after one year and the camera quality even worse than Z1c. I don't satisfied with Z5c but the price is dropping so I think still worth for new owner.
raytheblacksmith said:
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
+
Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you on the latest software? Because i owned the z3c and now the z5c and besides the battery life i love this phone way more. Camera is far better and the software runs pretty smooth also even with a sheet load of apps in the ram is still fast.
Actually, the other important thing bugged me is the slow AC wifi speed but since the compact model got only single wifi antenna(Z5 got dual wifi antenna), it is impossible to top out wifi if you got a damn fast Internet connection and router like me.
When you build a NAS or share files via router, the Z5c can't playback ultra quality videos(like the video shoot from a DSLR at 100M+ 4K) though the connection detected at 433Mbps but in reality, I got only 70~120Mbps around. The speed is faster than 802.11b/g/n and good for general Internet purpose but only reached the very entry quality of AC speed.
Plus the rom I'm running Xpower 3.0(.224) bugged to browser vidoes shared out via win10 smb. I can view any photo but can't playback all videos, tested to roll back 5.1.1 and no problem. Not sure if .253 fixed the issue, been waiting for Xpower 4.0(.253) to release.
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
raytheblacksmith said:
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Real hard to solve without root. If you root it, you can flash the Increase thermal-performance mod plus lower down the max cpu clock for the price of slower speed. In my experiences, they are quite a helping hand but sure can't fix all, might be 50% better experiences though.
If the X Compact with sd820 is real coming up, probably it can fix the heat issue(even so, sd820 is also hot). But I doubt I will switch to Xc bcoz Z5c already spend me much money, or only until the price dropping a lot next year.

Mate 20 Pro vs Pixel 3 XL

I've got both at the moment. But one has to go.
So I'm a bit torn between which is the better option, what do you guys think?
On the one hand, the Pixel:
- No LED
- No Wifi calling (certainly not for Three UK)
- 'Pixel' navigation (I'm just not used to it, I know traditional can be re-enabled via ADB - but can you just use a new launcher?)
- No facial recognition (This feature is particularly good on the Mate 20 Pro)
- Smaller battery
- Single camera (but I'm not sure this is an issue)
- No Pro camera options
- Bigger notch than the Mate 20 pro
However:
- Clean Android
- gets quickest updates
- No stupid background killing processes - this in particular is annoying and takes some configuration to get things working right on the Mate 20 Pro
- Excellent night camera
- Good fingerprint sensor. It's crap on the Mate 20 Pro.
- It doesn't have the curved edges like the Mate 20 Pro - but I'm not sure I even like them.
SD845 vs Kirin 980.
Anything else I'm missing? Any thoughts or opinions?
i really really hate emui, and love stock android , butt the hardware on the mate 20 is just kicking some p3 xl ass.......
I don't like the design of the Pixel, the notch is unnecessarily deep, what's going on with the weird glass design on the back and I don't like rear fingerprint readers.
The night mode on the M20P is fine for me and I've always a phone with a decent macro mode.
Yes there are some niggles with the M20P but I'm using a different launcher and fluid gestures and am happy with how I've got it set up.
It all depends on what you value the most.
On paper they're pretty equal in terms of camera performance.
I like my phones to last tho, I can charge this phone and not charge it for 2 days sometimes 3 (if it's light use). Yes, emui is hated by many, I just use nova launcher, debloated this phone with adb and now it's the best phone I've ever owned.
The battery life and camera are fantastic, reverse wireless charge saved a few mates of mine and if you're running low on juice you just charge it for about 15 minutes to half an hour and you got juice for a day.
Also, face unlock works like a charm for me.
The notch doesn't bother me, I don't even notice it most of the times.
Performance wise there isn't a faster phone atm, it's pretty much as fast as the op6t.
The only true difference would be the android updates, but coming from a mate 9 which still gets its security updates I wouldn't stress about it that much.
My first phone mate9 4+32, battery storage is not enough to change the Honor 10, the National Day was stolen, support for a month and other mate20pro. I don't know much about other brands, so this post will not be discussed.
Before I bought it, I was still hesitant to be choose a magic or a Honor edition. After all, the price difference was more than a little, and the two mobile phones had their own advantages. After the release of the foreign country, I went to the experience store and touched it, and suddenly fell. I have to say that the Honor user played mate20pro is without any resistance, the whole devices feel, weight, integrity and technology sense are impeccable, a feeling of elegant. At that time, I booked the Jade green pro 8+256 UD directly in the experience store. I didn’t have any plans to buy the 6+128 version. It’s worth more than a thousand teeth.
At that time, the most controversial Arrangement lens was actually not ugly, and even had some good-looking (maybe my aesthetic was raped). The high recognition can be said to be an advantage, and a ball can be recognized.
In terms of appearance, everyone knows the combination of Samsung and Apple. I have been tangled for a long time, but I am finally get used to it. The structured light is really convenient. not to mention the unlocking. Pro-test grimace tongue can be used on the flat screen, the mask can not be solved, and the nose must be leaked at least. On the back, the back is very good, and the reason for the reservation is not hesitant because of the back panel, the texture of the small lines is too comfortable. Huawei's previous mate and p series can be described as ugly, unlike the p20 youth color, mate20 is stable and beautiful, The curvature of the frame in the side curved screen is particularly cool and feels better than my Samsung. After using it for so long, I still haven’t looked tired, and I am very satisfied with the overall appearance (except for Norch).
In terms of battery life, the factory version is particularly good, and it is used heavily for one and a half days. The current 176 version is also good, second only to the factory version. But the middle version update is too bad, you have to charge it in one day. Charging is also first-class, 40w gets me flying, you plug in, do something, it is full . It is estimated that it is not possible to return to the 18w charge. When the new machine is charged, there is still some high temp. The upper right corner is a little hot. It is estimated to be 50 degrees. The power adapter is also very hot. I am worried that it is not a problem device. The result will be fine. It is estimated that Huawei’s theory of metaphysics . Now, no matter whether it is used or charged, there has never been a case of overheating. It is estimated that the hottest time is only 40 degrees, and winter can't warm up.
In terms of performance, the 980 is really strong. I haven’t met stuck in two months, and it even goes a bit more faster. krin980 is really worthy.
I too have both (and a Note 9) and there are lots of pros and cons on both sides for me though being able to expand the storage on the Mate is the clincher, 128gb on the 3XL is just about enough but does require some managing, on the Mate or any other phone with expandable storage it is a non-issue.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Google Pixel 4, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Google Pixel 4 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Do we have a section for navigation? (GPS and compass)
I still need to go outside but inside my home the accuracy is perfect so far.
Phone also hasn't asked for calibration neither. So I hope this stays this way and is not ruined after a few hours or days.
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk
So many good things. Quite a few bad. Loving the look and feel, disliking newly created contacts going missing, lack of a pattern/thumbprint unlock, battery life is, at best, ok.
Have had this phone for a few days coming from s10+. So far I love this phone. Size is perfect. Battery gets me through a full day for my usage. Camera is amazing and the 90hz display is incredible.
I like the industrial design the mat finish and the white and black colours are striking. Not a fan of the glitches caused by gesture navigations in some apps. And that battery is very disappointing. I have to top it up at least once a day. Not sure it's good for the battery in the long run. Tbh I don't notice the 90hz had the OnePlus 7pro for a minute and went back to the s10+ I really can't tell the difference between 60 and 90hz.???
Got the new Pixel 4
Pros:
-Display and flashing is gone from the Pixel 3
-Buzzing earpiece is finally gone and sound is clear
Cons:
-No fingerprint reader. Face unlock is a hit or miss
-under speakers, instead of front facing
-phone is slightly larger and heavier than pixel 3
.......overall i am glad I got the phone. The pixel 3 was the worst phone I own. The display failed on the original one i had after 5 months, the new and old display kept flashing, there was a perpetual earpiece buzzing that was from likely hardware quality. The pixel 4 is an improvement. I think the best pixel was 2. The front facing speakers, display was fine for me, and size/weight.
Glad to have the pixel 3 gone. That was a total lemon.
I noticed the camera switches back to the wide lense if the subject is too close and can't focus, even when using 2x+ and uses super res zoom instead.
Quite a few bad. Loving the look and feel, disliking newly created contacts going missing, lack of a pattern/thumbprint unlock, battery life is, at best.
Just Google. By Google.
Just bought this phone as an alternative to my galaxy fold when in environments that might not be too "fold friendly" (still love the Fold though) Waited a year post launch and price has dropped considerably, outstanding device, easy to use with all the features I need!

General New Google pixel 6 owner first time short review

Hey folks,
I have decided to try out pixel phones for the first time, even since nexus one I always wanted a Google phone especially with Nexus or pixel 5 those were right up my alley, but I never got in to it untill now. I keep on reading how good the camera is, how amazing everything is so I decided to give it a go. A little background, I love switching phones constantly, I have been using all sorts of phones, from LG, htc, iphone, a lot of samsungs, OnePlus, Huawei etc. My last phone was a Samsung note 20 ultra and I loved it, but that exynos battery and that curved screen just ... Awful. Anyhow ... I got a pixel 6 (not the pro, because I had enough of curved screens, horrible idea, and I am fed up with it) and so far so good. Here are my thoughts:
The good:
The camera looks baller, I am still experimenting with it, but so far so good I am impressed. I don't really do a lot of videos, so my main focus is the main camera and since I only care about ultra wide that too, I don't really care about telephoto.
build quality is good
the sound is good
the display is great(having in mind I am coming off a note 20 ultra, that is saying a lot)
the software is AMAZING Soo smooth it's great(although I do not use most of the things like assistant etc I love the whole package).
The bad or "meh":
the camera again ... I was comparing it with my note 20 ultra, and so far a years old phone that was not really in the competition was making on par photos if not better in some cases(I have to do more personal research here), and I compared it to a Huawei p40 pro with my friend ... (Again more than a year old phone) and I am astonished that that phone did some photos better and some were on par. We were comparing the main sensor only in normal light and at night. So this is some food for thoughts. -The build quality is good but this is the slipiest phone I have ever had in my life. And I am coming off of a note 20 ultra!!! This phone can't even stand on your lap without slipping away or in your pocket in the car. You MUST buy a skin or a case. This is a major no no for me as when I buy a phone for this kind of money I expect to be able to look at it and feel it, and not feel the case.
the software is amazing but very VERY restrictive and lacking in terms of raw baked in features compared to any other major brand. For example, you can't really customize your screen ... You have two big elements (search and at a glance) that can't be removed so they are taking 1/4 of your screen for no reason, this reminds me of Bixby on Samsung ...), Second Samsung phones have much much more information under battery info, for some reason here you have less... And similar stuff. -the battery (this might get better with time ... But I ain't holding my breath as underneath this chip there is Samsung) ... Right now I have 3.7h SOT with most of the time on 100% brightness last 20% I put adaptive with 60 Hz and my phone is on 18% now. 5his is my book is not good... Samsung exynos NOT GOOD.
Overall ... I love the phone so far, and I will be giving it much more needed time and see if I can change any of the bad like battery and camera in time be it if it adapts and if software updates change things. But whoever is looking at this phone and is on the fences bottom line is this is a good phone, and it's worth it in my book

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