Alternatives to the V²

[redeyss]

I had the idol 3 and returned it. Three reasons why; the double tap to wake was unreliable and the power button placement makes that issue worse, the camera was average to bad in all but daylight lighting, and there was noticeable stutter and lag that would show up at random times.

Three things I liked; great sound from speakers, thin and light, good battery life (just like all the reviews say).

It's not a real flagship replacement but the closest I've seen. I went back to my Lg g2 and just bought a g4 few days ago, great phone so far. G2 is a better choice IMHO.

 

[No1VIPER]

When you say noticeable lag. Do you mean when gaming, or just in general use (ie; web browsing etc)? Also did it lag only when you had multiple apps running/open at once?

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[vertigo_2_20]

I can't speak for redeyss' experience, but reviews have noted lag as a con for the Idol 3, and from what I've read it's more of a random, no rhyme or reason occurrence than due to anything in particular like multi-tasking or gaming.

 

[Sam K]

So it sounds like the performance of the Snapdragon 615 is questionable.
Here are some links comparing the 615 and the 801 (used in the Saygus V²).

https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/comparison (unfortunately I couldn't find a way to filter this link)
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/octa-core-snapdragon-615-or-quad-core-snapdragon-801.242195/
http://versus.com/en/qualcomm-snapdragon-615-vs-qualcomm-snapdragon-801
http://system-on-a-chip.specout.com...M8974AC-v3-vs-Qualcomm-Snapdragon-615-MSM8939

 

[redeyss]

When you say noticeable lag. Do you mean when gaming, or just in general use (ie; web browsing etc)? Also did it lag only when you had multiple apps running/open at once?

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I rarely game anymore, just moving about the UI I noticed the lag. Also, I returned the first one because of the double tap issue and the second seemed a little better at first, lag and double tap, but after 48 hours seemed about as bad as first unit. Camera and lag were bearable but the double tap thing really killed it for me. Coming from m8, g2, g3 all with double tap working at least 90%.

 

[No1VIPER]

I've found a good in depth review that mentions sons lag on certain UI elements (mainly the recent apps).

https://youtu.be/wHQAWF1Z1Jg

Is it just this level of lag that you experienced? As if it is I think I could probably live with that. As I currently have similar lag on certain UI elements on my Galaxy S4 which is running Lollipop.



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[redeyss]

I've found a good in depth review that mentions sons lag on certain UI elements (mainly the recent apps).

https://youtu.be/wHQAWF1Z1Jg

Is it just this level of lag that you experienced? As if it is I think I could probably live with that. As I currently have similar lag on certain UI elements on my Galaxy S4 which is running Lollipop.



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I got lag clearing recents but also random unresponsiveness, lag opening apps, similar to Lg g3, which is the reason I got rid of the g3. For $199 on the idol 3 I was willing to accept compromise but that combined with the double tap pushed me over the edge.

 

[No1VIPER]

Does anybody know of any other phones that have front facing speakers and micro SD, other than HTC, Sony and the Alcatel Idol 3?

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[SymbianRefugee]

Z3 compact is now $375 on Amazon.com
Even though Sony has terrible customer service they do allow you to root easily and technically besides the cheap PLASTIC lens the phone is quite good, and FASTER than the v2, and at this price it might well be worth considering.

 

[t3chfan]

Z3 compact is now $375 on Amazon.com
Even though Sony has terrible customer service they do allow you to root easily and technically besides the cheap PLASTIC lens the phone is quite good, and FASTER than the v2, and at this price it might well be worth considering.

Honestly I'd go for the Z1 Compact over Z3C, that must be even cheaper and since I 'upgraded' I've not noticed any real benefit other than the slightly bigger screen, and the build quality of the Z1C is much better

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[t3chfan]

If the rumours are to be believed, the Asus Zenfone 2 has a new version that has 128gb internal storage, to complement the 4gb RAM.
Many XDA users have confirmed that the device will support a 128gb Micro SD even though official stats only quote 64gb (this is pretty common though)

I also understand that a recent update has greatly improved the camera performance. So, it is really only the sheer size of the device that is causing me concerns in terms of biting, as long as I could get my hands on the 128gb version.

Sure, it does not have as many of the killer features of the V2, but it *is* real (well the 64gb internal one is, and the outlets that report the 128gb version are very reliable) and the price of the device is such that I would be happy to sacrifice the other features.

 

[hella356]

I'm not liking the trend of 5.5" devices seemingly being the new standard for flagship phones. I had an LG G4 for a few days & it was too large for me, although a great device otherwise. It also made it clear to me how much I like the hard/capacitive button arrangement Samsung uses. So at this point, it looks like the S5 & S6 are my only viable options, even though they both have their minuses. The massive feature set of the Saygus makes it the only exception, if it ever comes out, and hopefully I can stomach the on-screen buttons, although the images I've seen suggest they are more compact than others. The potential USB-C feature would be huge.

 

[Sam K]

I'm not liking the trend of 5.5" devices seemingly being the new standard for flagship phones. I had an LG G4 for a few days & it was too large for me, although a great device otherwise. It also made it clear to me how much I like the hard/capacitive button arrangement Samsung uses. So at this point, it looks like the S5 & S6 are my only viable options, even though they both have their minuses. The massive feature set of the Saygus makes it the only exception, if it ever comes out, and hopefully I can stomach the on-screen buttons, although the images I've seen suggest they are more compact than others. The potential USB-C feature would be huge.

I feel the same way about the 5.5" screen size and the Samsung buttons vs the on screen buttons. I'm still holding out hope for the Saygus but I'm not sure how long I'm willing to wait. By the fall I believe we'll see devices with the Snapdragon 820 which will hopefully address the issues with the Snapdragon 810 and by then it may be hard to stomach getting a phone with the 32 bit Snapdragon 801 from early 2014 at a somewhat premium price.

I wish the Android phone manufacturers like Samsung and LG would realize that (from what I've read) Apple sells more 4.7" iPhone 6's than 5.5" iPhone 6 Pluses so it's obvious that people prefer the smaller one over the larger one. And the 5.5" is 1080p resolution and I don't hear anyone complaining that it's not good enough. 1080p is more than enough in a 5" screen and helps increase battery life over 1440p and doesn't push the graphics processor.

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[No1VIPER]

Can't decide what to do... Now the price of the Oneplus One 64gb has dropped to £219 and it's available without invite. Should I hold out for the Saygus V2 (that may never materialise) or just go for the Oneplus One, and except that it won't have some of the features of the Saygus V2?

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[hella356]

I guess it depends on how desperate you are to upgrade. My Galaxy S4, although battered, is ultimately still sufficient for my needs. I took a shot at the G4 because the tremendous freebies on offer, but I can wait on the Saygus without much angst.

 

[No1VIPER]

I wouldn't mind waiting a bit, but it's the lack of information about when it will actually be available. I'm still somewhat sceptical that it actually ever will.

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[SymbianRefugee]

Honestly I'd go for the Z1 Compact over Z3C, that must be even cheaper and since I 'upgraded' I've not noticed any real benefit other than the slightly bigger screen, and the build quality of the Z1C is much better

Found a Z1 compact for $255 new on Amazon so I ordered that, it has everything I need in the phone and at this price I can tolerate Sony's terrible customer service.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[vertigo_2_20]

I got an HTC M8 the other day and while it's lacking some features, overall it seems to be pretty good. I meant it as a holdover for a few months until Fall, but I may end up using it longer. I also finally got a chance to play with a G4 yesterday, and it does seem to be easier to hold and handle than the G3. If push came to shove, I think I could manage with it alright, and if something were to happen to my M8, I might give the G4 a go. I also really like the dual window feature on it, seems to be set up really nicely. Just not sure how many apps it's compatible with.

 

[t3chfan]

Lenovo Vibe Shot - has 5 inch screen, 3gb ram, Android 5, quality camera. Available on grey import, apparently Amazon US offers this now too.

Good price, I don't know much about Lenovo's Android skin, question marks about the Snapdragon 615 SoC, apparently suffers from similar heat issues as the 810?

An interesting and unexpected contender?

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[vertigo_2_20]

Lenovo Vibe Shot - has 5 inch screen, 3gb ram, Android 5, quality camera. Available on grey import, apparently Amazon US offers this now too.

Good price, I don't know much about Lenovo's Android skin, question marks about the Snapdragon 615 SoC, apparently suffers from similar heat issues as the 810?

An interesting and unexpected contender?

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But, it's Lenovo. I've had nothing but bad experience with the company and the laptop I bought from them. I steer clear of the brand. Just my 2c.