what are your thoughts on the Huawei p8 - Huawei P8 Guides, News, & Discussion

Personally i find it a good phone except i find that there are some problems:
The emui homescreen, I find this a big one
water resistant, okey this isn't a big one but it was nice if it was included.
fingerprint scanner, on the p9 is now one but i'd loved if there was on this phone.
Glass on the back, although its nice i find this a hazard because its already cracked on me.
so what are your thought on this phone?

I LOVE IT Snappy as hell, Like the UI and comparable to phones more expensive.

Milipendinie said:
Personally i find it a good phone except i find that there are some problems:
The emui homescreen, I find this a big one
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As you probably know, this can be easily changed / improved by installing a different launcher. Do ask if you need suggestions.
I'm happy with the default & make good use of the 'folder' system, so 99% of my apps are on the main home screen.
[not] water resistant, okey this isn't a big one but it was nice if it was included.
[no] fingerprint scanner, on the p9 is now one but i'd loved if there was on this phone.
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Yes, would be nice to have those extra features (& more!). But you knew these limitations before buying the phone, didn't you?
Glass on the back, although its nice i find this a hazard because its already cracked on me.
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You mean the glass panel strip at the top around the rear camera? If yes, some others have also mentioned this happening to their P8.
You can buy a replacement for cheap & attempt a repair, or buy it & get a local phone repair shop to do it for you.
Back Rear Cover Top Glass replacement for P8 - from $2.44 (please be aware that some items in the search are for P8 Lite).
Instructions in this video (if it looks too difficult, take it to the phone repair shop).
...so what are your thought on this phone?
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Click to collapse
No problems here - best phone I've ever owned, including the best camera (for me anyway).
The phone came pre-fitted with a screen protector & I bought a rear case almost immediately, so it still looks like new 7 months later.
After seeing newer & better-specced phones, there is a temptation to buy one of those, but I just cannot justify it (unless this develops a major fault or breaks completely).

I'm really happy with it overall. Speedy, nice display with plenty of resolution, very good size/weight/balance, takes great pictures, excellent battery life, fair amount of software updates (even if they're all labelled "beta").
My only gripes:
1) Wish I could disable more EMUI stuff (already switched launchers, but would love to kill e.g. knuckle-drag-select).
2) Lack of location-based Smart Unlock; I made sure it had Smart Unlock before buying, but assumed that meant the same feature-set I was used to on my Nexus.
3) Feeble vibration motor; I usually can't tell when it's buzzing in my pocket. This is the only one that actually makes me consider ditching the p8 for something else.

Related

Anyone seen a camera lens protector for this phone?

maybe like a glass screen protector but for the camera, or even possibly a plastic one but it might not be as "transparent" when taking pictures.
anyone seen anything or am i going tohave to build my own?
johnzm said:
maybe like a glass screen protector but for the camera, or even possibly a plastic one but it might not be as "transparent" when taking pictures.
anyone seen anything or am i going tohave to build my own?
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Don't bother. Pictures will look terrible. Just take care of your phone.
i just noticed another thread on the S4 forums someone said
"Stick a piece of clear scotch tape. "
seems interesting and easy to replace/recut. i might try that first and see how image quality compares
from the posts ive seen so far, it is only luck that prevents scratches on the "sapphire" lens. as you can see in the general chat, people who have cases, people who dont put anything else in their pocket, get the same scratches as people who dont seem to care. and this is a phone i want to use for more than a year?
some of these people are 3 months in and unable to use their camera.
Brava, if you dont use your camera thats fine, but if you do, i would suggest you look at your camera lens and watch it deteriorate without any protection
johnzm said:
from the posts ive seen so far, it is only luck that prevents scratches on the "sapphire" lens. as you can see in the general chat, people who have cases, people who dont put anything else in their pocket, get the same scratches as people who dont seem to care. and this is a phone i want to use for more than a year?
some of these people are 3 months in and unable to use their camera.
Brava, if you dont use your camera thats fine, but if you do, i would suggest you look at your camera lens and watch it deteriorate without any protection
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camera just fine for all my previous phone no scratch nothing shiny as new, had note went to bench and everything not a single scratches, o yeh i take a lot of pictures about 5GB of photos that taken by my note
This phone has a sapphire lens, which is a very hard material, I don't think its needed.
SoCGHOST said:
This phone has a sapphire lens, which is a very hard material, I don't think its needed.
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Ehh, that's what I thought. Think again http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2475976
I think if you don't have a case it could be a problem.
It is a hard lens, but there will be minor, very light scratches on it, most likely it won't affect your pictures, but I was thinking this same thing tho, maybe a tiny piece of ghost armor over the camera.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
johnzm said:
from the posts ive seen so far, it is only luck that prevents scratches on the "sapphire" lens. as you can see in the general chat, people who have cases, people who dont put anything else in their pocket, get the same scratches as people who dont seem to care. and this is a phone i want to use for more than a year?
some of these people are 3 months in and unable to use their camera.
Brava, if you dont use your camera thats fine, but if you do, i would suggest you look at your camera lens and watch it deteriorate without any protection
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Click to collapse
People that are having this serious a problem should be contacting Lg about warranty work. Sapphire shouldn't scratch up that easy, that fast under normal use. I have watches that use sapphire and the only thing not scratched to hell is the sapphire.
Yeah... I might contact LG, but I've already had Verizon replace my phone (the original one in that thread) due to the scratches... New one began doing it as well, after the first time or two I wiped it off with the underside of my shirt. I ended up using a part of my left over zeiss pure crystal screen protector and custom cut out a small piece and put it on my camera lens... Works pretty good. Oh, it doesn't scratch nearly as easily as the lens did... I've had it on for a couple of weeks now and hardly any scratching. Check out the attached photo... May hinder photo quality some, but it's not much.
in_dmand said:
Yeah... I might contact LG, but I've already had Verizon replace my phone (the original one in that thread) due to the scratches... New one began doing it as well, after the first time or two I wiped it off with the underside of my shirt. I ended up using a part of my left over zeiss pure crystal screen protector and custom cut out a small piece and put it on my camera lens... Works pretty good. Oh, it doesn't scratch nearly as easily as the lens did... I've had it on for a couple of weeks now and hardly any scratching. Check out the attached photo... May hinder photo quality some, but it's not much.
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It's my guess that majority of the scratches are caused by fingers, when there is a dust or debris on the lens, user mistakenly puts his/her finger on the lens trying to use the controls. I am also planning to use invisible tape on camera lens, when it is pressed against glass, it usually turns invisible, I think that might work. I can just remove and toss it when I need to use the camera, and when I am home I can just apply it again.
When I first saw LG G2 on it's release day in the store, I seriously thought those rear buttons were sliding camera cover, I thought to myself, what a great idea to protect the lens, then I realized they were buttons when I handled the phone and I could not find any buttons on the side (I initially thought there were touch sensitive sliding rocker/buttons on the side)
I took the old screen protector that was part of the packaging and cut a piece to cover the camera lens. :silly:
I haven't compared pictures, but I haven't noticed loss of quality or adverse effects for the auto-focus.
hydeah said:
When I first saw LG G2 on it's release day in the store, I seriously thought those rear buttons were sliding camera cover, I thought to myself, what a great idea to protect the lens, then I realized they were buttons when I handled the phone and I could not find any buttons on the side (I initially thought there were touch sensitive sliding rocker/buttons on the side)
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My old Sony Ericsson had a sliding camera cover, that thing was awesome. You never have to worry about finger prints or scratching the camera.
Not to mention it also worked as a shortcut for the camera app like the volume down button on the G2.
yyz123 said:
I took the old screen protector that was part of the packaging and cut a piece to cover the camera lens. :silly:
I haven't compared pictures, but I haven't noticed loss of quality or adverse effects for the auto-focus.
My old Sony Ericsson had a sliding camera cover, that thing was awesome. You never have to worry about finger prints or scratching the camera.
Not to mention it also worked as a shortcut for the camera app like the volume down button on the G2.
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Click to collapse
Brilliant idea, sir. :good: I should have kept it clean when I took it off instead of just tossing it away. I still have two more screen protectors, and a set from an old phone, I think I am going to do that! Just cut it in the shape of the lens, odd shape but it should be OK. Maybe I can find 1:1 pdf of the back of the G2 and use that as template. Hey, maybe we should start selling them, I am sure people will buy a screen protector bundle that comes with a small piece for the camera over the ones that don't!
And I totally miss those old days when things were more functional. I can see some manufacturer (mostly Apple does this) recycle this idea and pass it as the "next great innovation"
hydeah said:
Brilliant idea, sir. :good: I should have kept it clean when I took it off instead of just tossing it away. I still have two more screen protectors, and a set from an old phone, I think I am going to do that! Just cut it in the shape of the lens, odd shape but it should be OK. Maybe I can find 1:1 pdf of the back of the G2 and use that as template. Hey, maybe we should start selling them, I am sure people will buy a screen protector bundle that comes with a small piece for the camera over the ones that don't!
And I totally miss those old days when things were more functional. I can see some manufacturer (mostly Apple does this) recycle this idea and pass it as the "next great innovation"
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Click to collapse
Haha, maybe. I don't know why more companies don't make protectors for the camera lenses on phones. It's probably even more important to protect them since they'll affect quality of pictures whereas a scratch (on a relative scratch proof gorilla glass) screen is more of an aesthetic annoyance.
I do miss the "mechanical feel" of the slider for my camera. It was fun just to play around and use the camera in that regards. I remember my criteria in selecting a cellphone was that it should be a flip phone. Might seem cheesy to some people nowadays but the feeling is much different maybe like how some people prefer physical keyboards on phones. Objects around us are becoming increasingly numb-feeling. I guess that's one of the reasons I really enjoy my mechanical watch. Might not have the accuracy of an atomic watch but it's pleasing to look at.
yyz123 said:
Haha, maybe. I don't know why more companies don't make protectors for the camera lenses on phones. It's probably even more important to protect them since they'll affect quality of pictures whereas a scratch (on a relative scratch proof gorilla glass) screen is more of an aesthetic annoyance.
I do miss the "mechanical feel" of the slider for my camera. It was fun just to play around and use the camera in that regards. I remember my criteria in selecting a cellphone was that it should be a flip phone. Might seem cheesy to some people nowadays but the feeling is much different maybe like how some people prefer physical keyboards on phones. Objects around us are becoming increasingly numb-feeling. I guess that's one of the reasons I really enjoy my mechanical watch. Might not have the accuracy of an atomic watch but it's pleasing to look at.
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Rip the brand name and different colors/shades on pretty much all phones nowadays, most people can't tell one from another anymore, except Blackberry Q10. Not much originality anymore, I loved the idea of buttons on the back, and I went for it, now I find myself knocking on my wife's older LG phone, just like I found myself swiping up on all other phones when I used Z10 for 2 weeks. Originality is slowly dying not because it is a bad idea but because of all the people out there expecting things to be certain way, and to think that cellphones took this form just in last 5-6 years, I say we all got used to this way to quickly. Think about the criticism G2 received even before it was released "no way, buttons on the back, LG has lost its mind", then "Wow, I find it very easy to use and more ergonomic than trying to reach for the buttons on one sides"
hydeah said:
Rip the brand name and different colors/shades on pretty much all phones nowadays, most people can't tell one from another anymore, except Blackberry Q10. Not much originality anymore, I loved the idea of buttons on the back, and I went for it, now I find myself knocking on my wife's older LG phone, just like I found myself swiping up on all other phones when I used Z10 for 2 weeks. Originality is slowly dying not because it is a bad idea but because of all the people out there expecting things to be certain way, and to think that cellphones took this form just in last 5-6 years, I say we all got used to this way to quickly. Think about the criticism G2 received even before it was released "no way, buttons on the back, LG has lost its mind", then "Wow, I find it very easy to use and more ergonomic than trying to reach for the buttons on one sides"
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Click to collapse
Yea, it's crazy how phones (smart phones anyways) basically "standardized" over the past 5 years.
When I saw the rear buttons on the G2 before it was released, I knew it would be a great location. Bought the phone without even running by a demo and it was exactly as I expected.
The button placement works well even though many people thought otherwise.
I am confused are these scratches coming from shipment or just crap in peoples pocket

Want to upgrade from HTC One M7 to Z3 Compact, need input

Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
WhizzWr said:
Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), with z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Z3c is the phone that never gives you anything to think/worry about. It's just there, always ready (up to 3 days use for me) never too big to hold, never too small to read. It never annoys you with unlock lag or stutter while using it, even the camera with its dedicated button feels just good...
With my previous phones I always tried to tinker around and improve this and that. With my z3c I never had that urge. It works just the way I expect it to. If I haven't made myself clear enough: I love it.
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Foxhunter123 said:
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I would take your advice if only my HTC One weren't going to repair.
snwman said:
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, I had trouble getting a consistent signal with my One on certain sport, whereas my old Xperia pro is doing just fine. Battery would be a plus
darkarvan said:
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), @z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, when I say "upgrade" it means switch to a more recent phone; built it OEM equalizer sure is nice, I have been fan of Sony's customization since the Mega Bass Era.
2mal16 said:
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the problem is in my country there is no such thing as "new replacement" (we have weak to non existent consumer protection law). Everything is going to be repaired if possible, even 1 weeks old item. My repair is still covered under warranty, but the problem is loca technician works are sloppy, this is not isolated to HTC, I have experienced this kind of service with various official brand-name repair shop (laptop, tv, phone). In fact my HTC one is returned with a faulty volume button, just yesterday. (I kinda have predicted something like this would happen). So I have to return it back for re-repair.
I hope you get the idea, say if If I wait for Z4 compact I'm honestly afraid if my One decided to act up again in the future (which is likely thanks to imperfect repair job). The repair cost would diminish the resale value! So better be safe than worry, get a new phone, be it lower spec but I have peace in mind.
I can't agree more with using a phone one handedly and doing another things with the other hand. That said I can handle One with one hand just fine.
It isn't terribly nice coming from a good screen to less than good screen, IMO. Regarding speakers in some emulated console game such as Pokemon and Zelda, music and FX are awesome elements.. so nice speaker is nice
--
Everyone, thanks for the input.. more or less I get the picture of the pros and cons. Anything else I should know before I bite the bullet?
I think you are good to go. I also think you wont notice the "downgrade"as regards certain aspects as screen and speakers except in described scenarios. Ignoring the Ir blaster issue of course. Get Nova launcher to get rid of the Sony ui, get a tempered glass Front screen protector a magnetic charger (the "annoying " flap opening for charging was not discussed) and a micro sdcard if you need it and you will be fine. And ensure your phone is water proof with the pressure Sensor Test right when you get your new phone. At least that's what I would do.
Would be Nice to hear your impressions afterwards (since I think you already made up your mind about the switch )
no regrets (almost...)
The M7's display is still one of the best. I definitely notice a difference, but the Z3c's is sharp enough that I dont miss the extra pixels. The Sony's DPI is better than my Nexus 7 (2013), which is more than fine for me.
Metal v. Plastic, meh, I prefer that the Z3c doesn't have the sharp edges of the M7. The Sony feels MUCH more comfortable in-hand. As for durability, just don't drop it and you'll be fine
I do miss the IR blaster, but I only used it occasionally. Besides, I have a Harmony, so I'm ok with the loss. You might not be though!
The Sony's speakers are really good, even great, but the M7's are in a different class. On my Sony, the speakers are close to if not as loud as my M7, but the M7 is definitely clearer, with more bass. However, I rarely listen through the speakers. In most situations there are others around me, plus earphones are just so much better anyway, so not a big deal for me.
For me, the SD slot of the Z3c outweighs the better speakers and screen on the M7. 16 gigs is enough for my music and apps. I use a 64 gig card for videos/photos. Feels great! I know the M8 has an SD slot too, but it's just too big for me.
Another big thing for me is the waterproof rating. With kids, being able to take pictures anytime, anywhere is a huge benefit. Now, I can do it with my phone instead of having to carry a waterproof camera.
The only regret I have after making the switch, is that the M7's flashlight app is better, with the 3 brightness levels. Seriously. That's it. For everything else, I'm loving my Z3c!

[Q] Buy z3c or is there an alternative?

hi, after two years of good service my z1c screen has a crack in it which makes upper part pf my screen unuseable. So i am thinking of buying the z3c but then i read all the reports about (spontaneous) cracks on front and back. I try to get an objective view on this but this is quite difficult. How often is this happening? If i read amazon.com comments most people seem happy. If i read german amazon comments, much mure people complain about broken screens... What do you suggest i do? I was looking at alternatives like htc mini 2 but one of the things i really dont want to give up is the battery capacity! Your opinion?
Regards
Frederik
I was in the same situation 1 month ago. Galaxy alpha was the only compact alternative, but i didnt want to give up my almost 4 years old sgs2 with 16+32 gb storage for fixed 32gb, not to mention battery capacity. So i called a service that replaces the fronts and backs of new phones, and they told me not to buy sony, because they are overhelmed with their handsets. So, i went and got myself a Z3C
I ordered 0.3mm glass for front and 3 different cases for back (using cheap silicon case with screen protection atm) to make it as safe as i can - so far everything is working as it should, and i'm very happy with it
Btw, glass on the back is 13$, front digitizer is 33$, and whole front with display is around 170$ (parts only)
Camera glass (which is plastic actually) is 4$, but its not easy to replace any of these. I also got myself a magnetic cable to minimize the use of flaps for usb port.
Thats about it... I also read many bad reports about spontaneous cracks, but decided to try my luck... As i said before, so far - so good
Hope this helps, sorry for being biased, but i really like it.
You get the gamble of an issue with every phone, but there'd be a call back if there was a wide spread complaint that exceeded a high enough number. That said yeah, there's a fair number of reports but most people are happy - it's unlucky people that aren't for obvious reasons.
I cracked my Xperia Z (C6603) and wondered if it was time to upgrade, or repair it. The repair cost would've been 280$ for a legitimate repair (I don't like buying third-party materials), and buying a new one would've been 350$. Since the Z3C was out and I found the Z too big for my hand anyway (Barely reach notifications when holding it), I figured I'd sell my cracked one (the current eBay est was roughly 100$), and 550$ for the Z3C in my country.
Since the Z3C was pretty much a no brainer if you want quality + hardware (All 'compact' variants don't compare spec wise) so I jumped in, and about 2 months I think now and my phone has been perfect to me besides the Cyanogen I'm using.
Figured the 100$ of selling the Z could effectively 'make up' what I paid for the Z3C... if I'd sold it. Still on my desk.
So maybe you can sell your old, cracked phone and 'save' with a Z3C. If you want compact, honestly there's no better choice if you're looking to upgrade.
If you want to save then you can always just get a repair or sell and rebuy a new Z1C.
If I were you, I'd assume that you'll get a perfect phone that wont ever crack unless you drop it. Weigh the other factors; Save Money or Upgrade.
If you aren't having any performance issues with anything like games, why bother upgrading?
Just like with any device, if something goes wrong, people write about it. I've had zero problems with my device, and I have not started any threads stating so. If the screen does spontaneously crack, you should be able to get it repaired or replaced under warranty, so why avoid it?
This is the best phone you can get under 5 inches. The performance is top notch, the battery life is amazing, the camera is just okay, but its waterproof and isn't bogged down by a heavy skin like Touchwiz. It's not a flawless phone, but none are! Even the fan favorite iPhone has it's issues (too slippery, camera lens that sticks out, large bezel around screen, poor battery life).
Get what works for you and don't look back!
Ok guys, i guess these posts were all i needed. Got mine via amazon yesterday. Took the mandarin red one.

Buyers remorse

Anyone regret getting it?
Auga said:
Anyone regret getting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing I dont like is that the USB C port cutout is too sharp. When I hold it with my finger, it seem to cut it at times
No regrets at all. Just AOSP rom would be a lot better, which should arrive soon.
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the Pelosi case.
It's a slim TPU case with a sandstone finish & available in several colors.
It's available on eBay & several other on line retail sites
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using XDA Labs
KOLIOSIS said:
Try the Pelosi case.
It's a slim TPU case with a sandstone finish & available in several colors.
It's available on eBay & several other on line retail sites
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen the Pelosi case online. The product images looked like the case didn't offer much in terms of protection, especially around the screen. Also the material seemed to be very light, possibly to keep the case slim. The case looks good and I was tempted to buy. I didn't because of these reasons.
But if you have the case and its good, please post photos in my thread. Link
I created that thread as there are very few good cases available for this device and if everyone could post photos of what case and screen protector they had on the device, it would help other buyers too.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are 3 armor cases available on amazon finally. One looks bulletproof lol. I have shared a link on the tough case thread.
nikhil.mehta said:
There are 3 armor cases available on amazon finally. One looks bulletproof lol. I have shared a link on the tough case thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the Love Mei Powerful case! I saw it a few days back on ebay. Mine is on the way from China. Did you get it too?
It should arrive next week. Have you ordered this too?
The case is a bit large though.
Please post pictures of your current setup on this thread and also if you happen to receive the Love Mei case before me.
Check out the case I am currently using. I have added photos here. Also available on ebay.
Auga said:
Anyone regret getting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, until I got the unlock approval. I immediately flashed the xiaomi.eu rom and (most) of my gripes were dealt with; being android auto not working and horrible background battery drain. I still hate the home screen icon backgrounds, the fact it wont rotate, and the stock dpi... but other than that I am happy, for now.
My only complaint is that the screen is too small for my liking. I've had several larger phones in the past and I really miss the extra screen real estate. It almost seems like the screen is too skinny and long. So webpages are still small but long.
omniphil said:
My only complaint is that the screen is too small for my liking. I've had several larger phones in the past and I really miss the extra screen real estate. It almost seems like the screen is too skinny and long. So webpages are still small but long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try 320dpi. I'm lovin it! 320 was the stock dpi on the Xperia Z Ultra I had a few years back. And it works great on the Mix too. I feel 320 should have been the default DPI on the Mix.
satishp said:
Try 320dpi. I'm lovin it! 320 was the stock dpi on the Xperia Z Ultra I had a few years back. And it works great on the Mix too. I feel 320 should have been the default DPI on the Mix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought a dpi that low would break things on this device? Like the icons get screwed up or something?
I had a Z ultra too, loved it.
omniphil said:
I thought a dpi that low would break things on this device? Like the icons get screwed up or something?
I had a Z ultra too, loved it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues mate! I'm on the EU ROM and I don't see any issues at 320. This should have been the stock DPI. I can confirm that everything works fine. No issues with icon or any UI elements. Stock apps and all the other usual apps work great as well. All good! You'll be able to see more info on the screen and I bet you'll love 320!
I was waiting for something like the Z Ultra to show up. And finally it did! If you had the Z Ultra, you may remember that camera wasn't Sony's priority. It was all about the experience. And Xiaomi has made that experience even better! The mix is just perfect!
satishp said:
No issues mate! I'm on the EU ROM and I don't see any issues at 320. This should have been the stock DPI. I can confirm that everything works fine. No issues with icon or any UI elements. Stock apps and all the other usual apps work great as well. All good! You'll be able to see more info on the screen and I bet you'll love 320!
I was waiting for something like the Z Ultra to show up. And finally it did! If you had the Z Ultra, you may remember that camera wasn't Sony's priority. It was all about the experience. And Xiaomi has made that experience even better! The mix is just perfect!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried 320DPI, oh man, I love it!!! It even fixed my News360 app that I love but would only show me 2 articles per screen on this phone and now shows 6!
The only downside is that top status bar with the clock and battery and such is pretty small. But that's certainly a good compromise as the reset of the phone looks normal now, all I did was bump the UI font size up from small to medium and it all looks great.
All of the icons appear to be working fine, but I use Nova Launcher, so maybe that why.
320 DPI is pretty much a standard DPI for android, and so I expect alot of apps are tuned for that DPI.
Thanks for the great suggestion! The phone looks like a normal phone now....
Received mine today. I thought I could get by without a case but no way. It's slippery! Luckily a case came with it.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are, just use eBay or AliExpress.
About the camera you can take better pictures with another camera app or just learn to hold still and focus correctly xD I can take n decent photos.
It was easier in my s7 edge but even so I knew from the beginning this camera was inferior.
Here you have some photos taken by the default camera app and being steady.
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
jonas_lobo said:
There are, just use eBay or AliExpress.
About the camera you can take better pictures with another camera app or just learn to hold still and focus correctly xD I can take n decent photos.
It was easier in my s7 edge but even so I knew from the beginning this camera was inferior.
Here you have some photos taken by the default camera app and being steady.
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are some good clicks mate! Like I said, camera was not a priority for me when I bought this device. I usually don't use my phone cameras a lot and only for some occasional snaps.. I knew that this device had an inferior camera compared to the competition.
Most people usually depend on their phone's camera for random clicks like when your drunk friend is doing something funny at a party or when it appears as if your dog is smiling. Random events like these, when you may not have your dedicated camera at hand. That's when your phone's camera is handy. And for casual spur of the moment clicks like these, this phone's camera is quite unreliable. In most cases those moments you intended to capture would end up as a blurry or noisy mess.
Like you said, if you put enough effort, you may be able to get a few good shots like you just shared. But that was not my point as it defeats the purpose of a phone's camera.
jonas_lobo said:
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jeez, nothing wrong with those at all.
I agree as well. Took a few shots and pics look fine. From all the reviews, I was expecting worse.
Best phone I've ever owned.
iPhone 4 -> iPhone 5 -> HTC One -> Samsung S5 LTE-A -> Note 7 (pretty nice) -> Xiaomi Mi Mix.
This thing is a MONSTER. Fast as hell, best battery I've ever seen (better than the Note 7), humongous display, sexy as build quality, tons of RAM, tons of fast memory, fast charging, etc. I'm surprised this exists.

Nexus 6 Prototype | Anybody Buy A Display With Markings Etched in The Screen?

I just purchased one of these off Swappa for 60 bucks. I got too excited, I couldn't control myself, haha. The glass is cracked, and I'm contemplating trying to remedy that depending on potential usability. I remember sometime late last year that there were a whole bunch of displays for the prototype with the "Not for resale; property of Motorola" sold off on eBay; they're long gone by now since people bought them up thinking they'd work on the standard Nexus. But they discovered the display connectors are in slightly different places than their production unit; meaning they're not interchangeable and couldn't be used. If I can't find one of these displays, I'm expecting that I could just remove the glass and replace it with a standard one, but I'm HORRIFIED of potentially damaging the display itself since they're so fragile. It's horrifying because if it's damanged, that's it. It won't accept a production panel.
So I guess what I'm wanting to know is if anybody happens to know where I can get a hold of a replacement display for this phone at a decent price. As mentioned, the display works fine, but the glass is cracked. I'm not expecting to be able to use it since these phones seem to be finicky, so I'm not interested in dumping any huge amount of money into it; I'm just exploring my options on restoring it. If I can happen to use it for personal use, that'd be great; but i'm not holding my breath haha.
Slightly OT, but if you have a prototype model, I wonder if it also has the internal connector for the fingerprint reader. That would be interesting to find out.
Screens pls, btw i found 1 long time ago in eBay, Google buy then back for mich money
Gesendet von meinem PHICOMM ENERGY 3+ mit Tapatalk
illitero said:
I just purchased one of these off Swappa for 60 bucks. I got too excited, I couldn't control myself, haha. The glass is cracked, and I'm contemplating trying to remedy that depending on potential usability. I remember sometime late last year that there were a whole bunch of displays for the prototype with the "Not for resale; property of Motorola" sold off on eBay; they're long gone by now since people bought them up thinking they'd work on the standard Nexus. But they discovered the display connectors are in slightly different places than their production unit; meaning they're not interchangeable and couldn't be used. If I can't find one of these displays, I'm expecting that I could just remove the glass and replace it with a standard one, but I'm HORRIFIED of potentially damaging the display itself since they're so fragile. It's horrifying because if it's damanged, that's it. It won't accept a production panel.
So I guess what I'm wanting to know is if anybody happens to know where I can get a hold of a replacement display for this phone at a decent price. As mentioned, the display works fine, but the glass is cracked. I'm not expecting to be able to use it since these phones seem to be finicky, so I'm not interested in dumping any huge amount of money into it; I'm just exploring my options on restoring it. If I can happen to use it for personal use, that'd be great; but i'm not holding my breath haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i use these over screen protectors. the are big enough to fit phone screens and do a nice job with glare from light while keeping the display to color. they scuff up (like all do) but the......gel? like texture will smooth back out instead of removing the visibility. there are 2 draw backs....they add a soft prism texture due to the quality on the glue involved as well as soft dots from the high quality adherence. the more it warms the softer the dots appear. all said and done, i have put this laminate on cracked screens with a fair solution. no shelling out for the lcd as well as not risking a lcd for a $25 dollar piece of glass
DontStopDev said:
i use these over screen protectors. the are big enough to fit phone screens and do a nice job with glare from light while keeping the display to color. they scuff up (like all do) but the......gel? like texture will smooth back out instead of removing the visibility. there are 2 draw backs....they add a soft prism texture due to the quality on the glue involved as well as soft dots from the high quality adherence. the more it warms the softer the dots appear. all said and done, i have put this laminate on cracked screens with a fair solution. no shelling out for the lcd as well as not risking a lcd for a $25 dollar piece of glass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely appreciate the suggestion, but I'm specifically looking for input on where I can get replacement screens. I don't mind cracks in screens personally (swappa boneyard represeeeeent! lolol), but with my last N6 screen cracking from compromised glass up top, I'm paranoid of any use doing the same to the prototype display. I want to either use it or sell it, and as long as the glass is broken I can't really do either :crying:
Finding a prototype display is going to be virtually impossible due to ridiculously limited quantities, and replacing it with a production model version - if that's even doable - would kill any value the prototype might still have. If you're looking to use it, you're probably going to have to fish for a production screen and hope Motorola didn't make any changes between the prototype and production model.
BlockOfDynamite said:
Slightly OT, but if you have a prototype model, I wonder if it also has the internal connector for the fingerprint reader. That would be interesting to find out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm asking myself exactly the same thing..
Then, do it have it or not ??
If the touchscreen isn't broken, you can change the gorilla glass only, by yourself. It must be standart size. (using heatgun and being tricky)
If it is, you can go to Shenzen in China, or maybe try to adapt the connector (they might have taken the same components but in a small different way, connector lenght/position)
mesco38 said:
I'm asking myself exactly the same thing..
Then, do it have it or not ??
If the touchscreen isn't broken, you can change the gorilla glass only, by yourself. It must be standart size. (using heatgun and being tricky)
If it is, you can go to Shenzen in China, or maybe try to adapt the connector (they might have taken the same components but in a small different way, connector lenght/position)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're better give the device to a repair technician with good skills. I'm a technician and the process to separate the glass from displays is not diy . It's really hard to be done correctly, and with an oled screen is even harder
illitero said:
I just purchased one of these off Swappa for 60 bucks. I got too excited, I couldn't control myself, haha. The glass is cracked, and I'm contemplating trying to remedy that depending on potential usability. I remember sometime late last year that there were a whole bunch of displays for the prototype with the "Not for resale; property of Motorola" sold off on eBay; they're long gone by now since people bought them up thinking they'd work on the standard Nexus. But they discovered the display connectors are in slightly different places than their production unit; meaning they're not interchangeable and couldn't be used. If I can't find one of these displays, I'm expecting that I could just remove the glass and replace it with a standard one, but I'm HORRIFIED of potentially damaging the display itself since they're so fragile. It's horrifying because if it's damanged, that's it. It won't accept a production panel.
So I guess what I'm wanting to know is if anybody happens to know where I can get a hold of a replacement display for this phone at a decent price. As mentioned, the display works fine, but the glass is cracked. I'm not expecting to be able to use it since these phones seem to be finicky, so I'm not interested in dumping any huge amount of money into it; I'm just exploring my options on restoring it. If I can happen to use it for personal use, that'd be great; but i'm not holding my breath haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen any more of these around?
I'd be interested in a Prototype Nexus 6 in any shape.
Heck, if you're interested in selling yours, I'd be interested (just PM me if).
Axel85 said:
You're better give the device to a repair technician with good skills. I'm a technician and the process to separate the glass from displays is not diy . It's really hard to be done correctly, and with an oled screen is even harder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't say it will be easy
I don't know him, he may be more minutious than you, idk. Just giving a possibility, he will judge if he's able to do it himself..
mesco38 said:
Didn't say it will be easy
I don't know him, he may be more minutious than you, idk. Just giving a possibility, he will judge if he's able to do it himself..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I replied you and him only to tell that it's really hard , only to let you know and to let him know before he tries to order the glass,try to separate that from display and make it worse . Oled displays goes completely black if broken ,instead of LCD that stay alive .
I know procuring one is next to impossible. The reason I asked is because I had seen a large batch of them sold on eBay sometime last year. So people expecting them to work for their regular Nexus phones (they don't; ribbons are slightly different) bought them and ended up not being able to use them. A shot in the dark for sure, haha. Otherwise I have replacement production glass, LOCA, and a plate and wire to do the job properly, it's just as all stated in the original post: failure is an absolute game over. A screen with cracked glass is much more functional than a dead screen with good glass, you know?

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