Support NeoGAF

[OmegaFax]

I played around with the lower end US Zenphone (edit: sp ... Zenfone) 2 for a few hours today and I like it a lot. Random impressions:

The screen is fantastic. Excellent viewing angles. No bleeding or dead pixels. The plastic bezel around the screen's edge had a few blemishes out of the box but it's nothing to fuss over. There's tap to sleep/wake for the screen.

It's easily rootable. Bloatware can be uninstalled/frozen with TitaniumBackup. Had no issues with app compatibility. The Asus skinned OS is just 5.0 Lollipop. There's a lot of customization from Asus that I've only seen in custom ROMs (adjusting the color temperature being one of the ... changing notification quick toggles, etc). One handed mode that's enabled with a double-tap of the home button works great! The stock phone app has a built-in call recorder with settings to automatically record for each call. There's also a few different SIM card settings since it's a dual-SIM phone. Back panel comes off easy enough. There's two SIM slots and a MicroSD. There's a setting to prioritize app installation to either internal or external memory.

Anyways ... it's a a pretty solid phone.

 

[clav]

I think I'm going to upgrade to a G4 unless someone here has objections/issues that I should know.

 

[DrFunk]

Typing on a red Zenfone 2 now. The bloat is bad but it can be uninstalled. So uh...a plus?

It's...it's a really good phone, whether you want to believe it or not. /shrug

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I think I'm going to upgrade to a G4 unless someone here has objections/issues that I should know.

I object. Well it depends. Are you signing a contract? If so, I object! Not future proofed enough to sign on for 2 years. Only referring to cpu and lack of fingerprint and whatever else I'm forgetting. I'm sure it's a fine phone though. I know it is. But I don't know. You know?

 

[Jazzy Network]

I object. Well it depends. Are you signing a contract? If so, I object! Not future proofed enough to sign on for 2 years. Only referring to cpu and lack of fingerprint and whatever else I'm forgetting. I'm sure it's a fine phone though. I know it is. But I don't know. You know?

Make up your mind.

 

[reKon]

Referring to the last page, I'm honestly shocked at all the issues people have had. The phones I've owned/or currently owned over the past few years have include: Galaxy Nexus (Verizon), HTC One, LG Optimus F6 (current back up phone), Xperia Z3 Compact (current phone).

I've never once had a syncing issue when it came to restoring my apps. I also noticed a trend...

Seems like that touchwiz might be causing a lot those restoration issues? #samsung'd

But I dunno, it's just strange to me.

 

[Toki767]

G4 probably has a better shot at lasting 2 years than the S6.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Make up your mind.

lol I honestly don't know. I tried it for a short while and I liked it but like...I had zero desire to own it. Whereas when I tried the S6 I had a strong desire to own it if it had a better battery. G4 was good but like. whatevz. I don't know. lol.

G4 probably has a better shot at lasting 2 years than the S6.

probably lol. Performance will still be good and battery will last longer.

Does it have quick charge? I just hate that it's such a premium phone but lacking in hightechshit like the fingerprint sensor which will become an important part of the industry over the next year or two.

 

[DrFunk]

The G4 does have quick charge. LG announced it about 2 weeks ago

 

[Toki767]

probably lol. Performance will still be good and battery will last longer.

Does it have quick charge? I just hate that it's such a premium phone but lacking in hightechshit like the fingerprint sensor which will become an important part of the industry over the next year or two.

Yes it supports quick charge.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Yes it supports quick charge.

well then that's good. That's definitely one of those features that once you use you really can't live without imo.

 

[Baroquemantic]

Welp. The home button on my S4 has gotten pretty annoying now. It doesn't always want to register a push, and i think it'll only get worse as time passes. At least there's a back button though. I'd be screwed were this an iPhone.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Welp. The home button on my S4 has gotten pretty annoying now. It doesn't always want to register a push, and i think it'll only get worse as time passes. At least there's a back button though. I'd be screwed were this an iPhone.

You can actually add a software home button on an iphone in the settings

 

[kIdMuScLe]

So it looks like I'm going to upgrade my girl's z1s phone for a used note 4 this Xmas. Finally was able to convince her to drop the idea of getting the s6 edge by telling her that the battery sucks lol.

 

[Husker86]

restoring wasn't even issue on Kitkat or Jellybean for me either. I honestly can't say when that has ever been an issue for me, which is why I was surprised by your post. It has always just worked.



Do ALL iphone/ipad games support cloud saving? I think the developers had to choose to integrate this? Or did something change over the past year or so

No, that's the point. ITunes backs up the entire app, cloud saving doesn't need to be there because it literally copies the entire app/data from your phone to your PC--when you restore you get everything back.

 

[Baroquemantic]

You can actually add a software home button on an iphone in the settings

Woah, really? Well that's dope. When did they add that?

 

[Husker86]

Welp. The home button on my S4 has gotten pretty annoying now. It doesn't always want to register a push, and i think it'll only get worse as time passes. At least there's a back button though. I'd be screwed were this an iPhone.

You can actually add a software home button on an iphone in the settings

Not only that, but Apple would probably just give you a new phone.

Woah, really? Well that's dope. When did they add that?

It has been an Accessibility option for quite a while.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Woah, really? Well that's dope. When did they add that?

I used to tell people that who told me their home button doesn't work anymore ant it blows their minds but it has been in the settings for years as far as I remember lol.

 

[Jigolo]

Wait for the Front Facing Flash selfie phone 2015 aka Moto X 2015

 

[soundahfekz]

Xposed for TouchWiz lollipop finally is out. time to amplify everything

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Wait for the Front Facing Flash selfie phone 2015 aka Moto X 2015

I'm still smhing at that. Most pointless of features.

 

[bennywhatever]

What were some known issues for the Galaxy S5/Active? So far I'm pretty happy with mine (that battery life is freaking amazing so far compared to what I'm coming from [Lumia]). Seems really sturdy and fast. What have some of the complaints been?

 

[Baroquemantic]

I used to tell people that who told me their home button doesn't work anymore ant it blows their minds but it has been in the settings for years as far as I remember lol.

I have an iPhone 4s and didn't know it, and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable of iOS. I had no idea, so I can definitely see that blowing people's minds.

 

[ameratsu]

So i want a cheap unlocked phone (<$300) as I'm tired of my 4s. The Alcatel Idol 3 comes out tomorrow which I've had my eye on for a few weeks.

I want one, but in the 4.7 inch size that appears to be available outside the US.

Anyone know if this phone will be available in 4.7 in the US/Canada?

edit: Damnit the 4.7 only has 1gb of ram :/

 

[Groof]

I'm still smhing at that. Most pointless of features.

Shake my heading?

 

[Symphonia]

What's the best app to stream stored videos from my Galaxy S5 to Chromecast?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

So i want a cheap unlocked phone (<$300) as I'm tired of my 4s. The Alcatel Idol 3 comes out tomorrow which I've had my eye on for a few weeks.

I want one, but in the 4.7 inch size that appears to be available outside the US.

Anyone know if this phone will be available in 4.7 in the US/Canada?

edit: Damnit the 4.7 only has 1gb of ram :/

Honestly, if you can add another 100 you can get N5 or Moto X or something that should be good.

Apart from that you have ASUS ZenFone, Moto G. You may still be able to score Nexus 5 16GB for 300$ on ebay or craigslist.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Shake my heading?

damn right

lol:

 

[FlammableD]

Gah, figures that my Nexus 5 starts acting up the day before I get my new phone.

Rebooted it to "Android is starting... Optimising app x of y", which took forever but finished fine, went for lunch and came back to it bootlooping. Did the volume key restart, now it's optimising again.

 

[reKon]

Don't stop believingggggg: http://m.gsmarena.com/elephone_p8000_packs_a_4200_cell_and_3gb_of_ram_for_210-news-12343.php

 

[diaspora]

God damn, performance on my S6 fucking sings compared to my Nexus 5. Not even TouchWiz's colours can ruin it.

 

[Testicular Sound Express]

Shake my heading?

*spits out coffee*

 

[BrokenIcarus]

Don't stop believingggggg: http://m.gsmarena.com/elephone_p8000_packs_a_4200_cell_and_3gb_of_ram_for_210-news-12343.php

What? That sounds completely amazing!

 

[Hasney]

Don't stop believingggggg: http://m.gsmarena.com/elephone_p8000_packs_a_4200_cell_and_3gb_of_ram_for_210-news-12343.php

16GB keeps it at budget phone level, so hopefully they do a 32GB version since it's 2015. Fingerprint sensor is in a weird place, but it looks like it could be in the same place as the Moto dimple, so where your finder would naturally rest anyway. Just a bummer if you're using your phone flat on a desk or something.

 

[dralla]

My phone just updated to Lollipop and uh, what the hell did they do to notifications? Where is my silent mode? When you use the 'priority' options under the volume settings, my LED light doesn't flash when I get a message so it's completely useless. I want no sound, no vibrations, but LED notifications so I know when to check my phone. Am I missing something, or is this not an option?

 

[reKon]

http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/05/2...lling-for-older-xperia-z-series-10-6-a-0-454/

But guys, I thought that Sony never supports their older flagship phones??

 

[rrvv]

http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/05/2...lling-for-older-xperia-z-series-10-6-a-0-454/

But guys, I thought that Sony never supports their older flagship phones??

They just slow

 

[thenexus6]

UK Z1C here and nothing yet

 

[Vanillalite]

lol I honestly don't know. I tried it for a short while and I liked it but like...I had zero desire to own it. Whereas when I tried the S6 I had a strong desire to own it if it had a better battery. G4 was good but like. whatevz. I don't know. lol.


probably lol. Performance will still be good and battery will last longer.

Does it have quick charge? I just hate that it's such a premium phone but lacking in hightechshit like the fingerprint sensor which will become an important part of the industry over the next year or two.

What? No it won't. It'll be there, but it's hardly gonna be some tent pole thing. Nobody really gives a fuck about it.

 

[Wreav]

What? No it won't. It'll be there, but it's hardly gonna be some tent pole thing. Nobody really gives a fuck about it.

Dumb words as usual.

If you're a T-Mo user wanting an S6,

T-Mobile subscribers will double up on memory for Samsung’s latest devices—the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge. The 64GB version of both devices will cost the same as the 32GB versions, an $80 savings! For those who just want a 32GB version, they can get a $50 Visa pre-paid gift card, making it the same price as the 16GB versions. The discounted Memorial Day weekend savings will be available starting Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25.

 

[Toki767]

Chrome for Android is now open source. I wonder if that means someone can finally make a version that isn't a battery hog.

Though I think the S6's default browser is based on Chrome already and that one performs fine.

 

[Vanillalite]

Dumb words as usual.

If you're a T-Mo user wanting an S6,

Yes cause the feature you hear everyone talking about is the finger print scanner on the iphone 6+ or Samsung GS6. Not the camera, screen, or apps. It's the finger print scanner that people are going nuts for.

I mean do you people go out at all and interact with the rest of the world?

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Yes cause the feature you hear everyone talking about is the finger print scanner on the iphone 6+ or Samsung GS6. Not the camera, screen, or apps. It's the finger print scanner that people are going nuts for.

I mean do you people go out at all and interact with the rest of the world?

ummm do you think mobile payments are the future? If you answered yes, then fingerprint scanners will be a huge part of the future. And they are already a large part of iphone considering the adoption rate that apple has reported.

If you answered no, don't know what to tell you. They will be a large part of the future and the way they are integrated into the devices will evolve as well. Apple has a patent to have a fingerprint sensor beneath the display itself. Though that's the far future.

 

[Toki767]

I've never even seen someone use Apple Pay in person yet.

 

[Wreav]

Yes cause the feature you hear everyone talking about is the finger print scanner on the iphone 6+ or Samsung GS6. Not the camera, screen, or apps. It's the finger print scanner that people are going nuts for.

I mean do you people go out at all and interact with the rest of the world?

Just because it's not a feature people are basing their decisions over, it is a feature that gets cheaper over time, and there's literally no downside to it.

Much like cruise control in a car. Get used to the future, weirdo.

 

[gcubed]

Yes cause the feature you hear everyone talking about is the finger print scanner on the iphone 6+ or Samsung GS6. Not the camera, screen, or apps. It's the finger print scanner that people are going nuts for.

I mean do you people go out at all and interact with the rest of the world?

i do, and i don't hear anyone talk about anything on any phone besides talking about when their batteries die.

My phone just updated to Lollipop and uh, what the hell did they do to notifications? Where is my silent mode? When you use the 'priority' options under the volume settings, my LED light doesn't flash when I get a message so it's completely useless. I want no sound, no vibrations, but LED notifications so I know when to check my phone. Am I missing something, or is this not an option?

congrats on 5.0, 5.1 fixes your problems

 

[Vanillalite]

i do, and i don't hear anyone talk about anything on any phone besides talking about when their batteries die.

That too.

You always hear about people complaining they need to charge their phone.

 

[Wreav]

I've never even seen someone use Apple Pay in person yet.

Market inertia. I think they're up to about 70 merchants at this point, but they're finally adding some big ones, like Best Buy and Home Depot. Those will help keep the train rolling. Give it about a year.

I'm really curious to see the Samsung Pay solution in practice, I think the whole magstrip tech is neat. Too bad Sammy's market share is shrinking every quarter.

 

[gcubed]

Market inertia. I think they're up to about 70 merchants at this point, but they're finally adding some big ones, like Best Buy and Home Depot. Those will help keep the train rolling. Give it about a year.

i'll give it plenty of years. Paying with your phone will have the same uptick as smartwatches. A select few people that like to play with tech will jump on, half of those will give up on it, the rest of the world will yawn and move on to game of war of fire nice breasts.

 

[osiris3355]

All of my immediate and extended family now rely on the fingerprint scanner to keep the kids off of their phones.

People will be expecting this going forward and will pass on phones if it doesnt have it. Not to mention that we are getting close to having it built into the panel.