yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Topics] SirVer:
At AUD 250, it's a strictly OK deal for your usage; for anyone who uses their phone for more stuff, I would say it's not worth it. However, it would appear that there isn't much else you can go for, given the difficulties you would face in getting the BLU Vivo Air LTE (not the other one, which has a better processor, but less RAM; see tip below), which would be the clear winner here, otherwise.

I wish I could suggest more options here, but the weight requirement and shipping difficulties drastically reduce your options. The S4 mini will proabably serve you well enough; I'd recommend getting the I9195I variant if you can, since it's a quad core instead of the dual core the other one has, but the dual core will still probably do the job. Tip for the future: when it comes to Androids, RAM tends to matter more than the processor.

TL;DR, If you can bring yourself to go through the trouble to get the BLU, do it, and if not, the Samsung will do just fine.

Checking the bands, they should work, though connectivity may not be the greatest; you'd have to ask someone else for actual usage info. Also, looks like LTE will only work if you're on Optus or Telstra.

You're welcome. [emoji4]
[General Topics] dunker56:
Ah... so it sounds as if yer actually recommending this Blu one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BLU-Vivo...EW-/151597647158?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368 as it has 2gb RAM vs the older version which has 1gb ram (tho better processor). Well that makes the choice easier...

I think i'd rather take the thiness, 10g less weight and larger screen size over the S4 mini compactness. I have large hands/fingers and so I think i have to strike a balance between usablity and size/weight. I'll email the ebay seller and see if he/she feels confident in a successful shipping to oz.

FWIW Telstra and Optus are the main players, they tend to rent their lines to smaller guys such as Vodafone etc (I think), but I can jump ship easily enough anyway, they're all the same thieves anyway!
[General Topics] tee_pot:
£280 on Ebuyer sim free (I'm on giffgaff), seriously considering that or the oneplus 2...
[General Topics] simonbigwave:
Never had any overheating with my M9. I admit it took me getting used to M9 after Sammy phones, but now M9 has great custom roms like ViperOne and Cyanogenmod, I am really enjoying my M9. Camera is not bad, but the sound/speakers are excellent. As an idea, I would also recommend people try getting a good condition pre-owned M9, which should be at a discount by now compared with new one.
[General Topics] obscuresword:
Ignoring the price, and treating yourself is all good lol. The S4 Mini actually has a lot of custom rom support here so I would assume that it has an excellent value. Regarding the Blu Vivo Air LTE's performance, the benchmarks I posted showed around a 50%+ deficit in graphics and 30% in the cpu. However, benchmarks don't tell the whole story as well all know. It should run pretty fluid as Blu tends to keep a close to stock Android skin on their devices. In my experience devices with the Snapdragon 410 run pretty fluid. I myself have an LG Volt that has a Snapdragon 400, which for all intensive purpose is the same as the Snapdragon 410, and it runs very fluid even with 1 GB of ram.

Also ram comes into play if you do a lot of multi-tasking or simply don't like apps refreshing a lot. Since, the K Zoom comes with 2GB of ram, then I bet you're already used to not having to reload apps. It would make sense for you to get the 2GB of ram variant. Hopefully, the phone is everything what you need if you decide to get it.

Another suggestion I have is the Huwaei Ascend P7, but I don't think the weight difference would be enough as it clocks in at 124 grams.
[General Topics] sandshreww:
Probably gonna wait for the Z7 Compact to come out, Z5 has been great

If you like a smaller phone with flagship specs, then Z5 compact is the way to go

It's a slippery phone tho
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
z5 compact has only 2gb ram and small battery. That's why it is a minus. But size is great.
[General Topics] SirVer:
Yeah, 2 GB RAM was a bummer, but the battery would probably not be a problem; Sony has a thing for squeezing good battery life even from small batteries. STAMINA mode: best battery saver ever, except for maybe Greenify.
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
battery saver affects performance. Also Sony has lcd
[General Topics] SirVer:
Most do, but not STAMINA, 'cause it doesn't work that way; it functions similarly to Greenify or Doze. And what's wrong with LCD? Recent IPS panels have pretty much the same power efficiency as AMOLEDs, unless you're using a dark theme on the AMOLED.
[General Topics] force70:
I think in the very near future im going to pick up a le max pro...the 820 and 6" plus screen has me hooked on it. Should be pretty cheap also as compared to note devices etc.

Once LG and Sammy have their spring offerings out I will probably nab another device if they have anything cool and interesting. The A9 would be great if they hadn't put mid range hardware in it.

sent from my Nexus 6P, Note 5, Nexus 6 or Note 4
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
can u tell me a difference between Sony z5 and Sony z3+ ? Sony z3+ seems better in battery haha. Why Sony would release same phones?
[General Topics] Planterz:
That thing is an absolute beast. Hopefully it isn't nerfed with only Asian LTE bands like so many others are. Too bad it has bottom-facing speakers though...[/QUOTE]
[General Topics] SirVer:
Camera and fingerprint sensor, for one. And they seem to have brought the issues with the 810 to tolerable levels, at least. And yeah, they do release pretty much the same phone each time, but the difference with them is that they actually listen to user feedback when they design the thing. That's why they're all only incremental updates, because there's really not much new to add. The G4 did the same thing, really. If you have the Z2 or above, it's not worth upgrading, but on its own, the Z5 is great. My only issue with them is that for some reason they refuse to use Gorilla Glass, which for me is really a necessity.
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
i would buy sony z phone they looks great, but also price is not nice... Also camera is best on that phone... It is a deal braker for me as i dont use camera and a decent camera is enough for me. Paying for best camera which you dont use is not that great so yeah. Also not a huge fan of very sharp square design, i like more rounded phones like samsung has. But everything else is okay. We will see what sony will show in 2016 with new processor. Don't yet know what i will be looking for. LG G5 gonna be samsung killer offering that special removable batter and some more feature for people, maybe sd card slot? idk. I don't seem to hear any news about new sony phone. I like compact sony. Can u tell me if Sony z5c has bloatware? because I don't see any custom ROMs for it in xda.
[General Topics] Mokiwipeout:
Unless you are planning on buying an Xperia z2 or something, I would not recommend buying a Sony phone... The whole bootloader thing is quite annoying, even though the guys at XDA have managed to fix it...

Generally speaking though, newer Xperia devices (the z5 line basically) seem to have a very decent camera, although I haven't tested them personally.

If I could afford any phone I wanted, I would probably look for something with a removable battery, I don't really care about the looks(since the phone is always in a rugged case), while a battery that can be swapped means that the phone can easily last more than 2 years.
[General Topics] simonbigwave:
totally agree. best phone is a phone with removable battery (and removable exSD card). I really disagree with manufacturers who make "new" phones nowadays with less features...
[General Topics] Natesvn:
Im not sure about that, like I understand why a removable battery is nice, but i think the logic of the manufacturers is that most phones will only be used for 2 years and a bit. plus i think that most phones nowadays can last like 2.5 years with the battery remaining proper
[General Topics] 350Rocket:
Many phones can go 3 years on the original battery and then if you still want to keep it after that have the battery replaced or take it apart and do it yourself. I am more picky about expandable storage than removable battery.
[General Topics] Planterz:
That depends on the phone and the user. Use a Nexus 4 or 5 heavily, and the battery will crap out (and puff out) in a year. No big deal though, they're easy to replace. An HTC M7/8/9 or Galaxy S6 or Note 5 (or any iPhone, for that matter) however, and that's a different matter. It's not about time, it's about charge cycles. Something with a small battery that requires charging at least daily will need a new one before the device is obsolete. I wish I took a picture of the Nexus 4 battery I replaced a couple weeks ago. The thing was literally a balloon. Probably .5" in the center, if not close too it. I'm amazed it didn't crack the back glass (slight bulge on the back, but when I removed the screws, the back popped itself off).

Manufacturers that make devices with "premium" (aka - unrepairable) builds tend to rely on the assumption that the buyer will only own the device for 1-2 years. Of course, that typically applies to everyone, but when it comes to top-of-the-line phones, it's almost never more than 2 years. That's the length of contracts/payment plans, and when Apple makes significant rather than incremental changes to the iPhone line. By that time even a light user will need a new battery or at least suffer with less life than expected. And of course, that's all part of some manufacturers' plans (especially Apple) to force customers to buy a new phone.

But when a phone has a replaceable battery, it's easy to make it last well beyond its expected lifespan for $10 from eBay.
[General Topics] affanfazal:
best suggestion is Samsung Galaxy EDGE.. don't wait for your future Smartphone.
[General Topics] Planterz:
That post you quoted is nearly 4 years old. I don't think he waited.
[General Topics] waleedkhairy:
Note 5 or 6 edge plus

---------- Post added at 09:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 AM ----------

Galaxy note 5
[General Topics] SirVer:
I haven't used any of the recent Xperia devices, but based on the Xperia ZR, I can tell you that there are a bunch of preinstalled apps (amount varied with region and maybe carrier), but most of it is uninstallable. The stuff that isn't is Sony stuff, like the gallery, music and video player, and the update app. Apart from that, I can't remember any bloat, and even if there is, you can disable it. I don't know about the ROM situation for the Z5 line, but it will almost certainly come; it's just a matter of time, since Sony is very developer friendly, and releases kernel source at least for their recent devices. Bootloader unlocking does result in losing some stuff like BRAVIA engine and some camera libraries, but that probably wouldn't bother you. Can't do anything about the price, though; as you said, they are really expensive, even if it is generally worth it.
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
using galaxy ace 2. Now its exactly 3 years having it and havent had replaced battery yet.
[General Topics] Yellowflash99:
Redmi note 3 doesn't have sd slot, removable battery and besides a locked bootloader in case you wanna flash a new rom. I ordered the redmi note 2 prime (32gb) way better. It got an sd slot, removable battery and unlocked bootloader. I read some review about the redmi note 2, the camera is better than the the rn3. So the rn2 is the way to go definitely!!

Sent from my GT-N7100

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 PM ----------

Redmi note 3 doesn't have sd slot, removable battery and besides a locked bootloader in case you wanna flash a new rom. I ordered the redmi note 2 prime (32gb) way better. It got an sd slot, removable battery and unlocked bootloader. I read some review about the redmi note 2, the camera is better than the the rn3. So the rn2 is the way to go definitely!!

Sent from my GT-N7100
[General Topics] tee_pot:
So, after tons of research, I need some opinions please!

My requirements:

1) good battery (I work 14hr shifts and want to have battery left over for a coupla beers in the pub after work!)

2) fast, durable, reliable (needs to last me 2 years at the prices I'm looking at)

3) must have FDD LTE band 20 (800mHz)

4) ambient display notifications if possible (love them on my moto g 2nd gen)

5) dual sim if possible (I can live without this if I absolutely must)

6) 64GB internal, OR microSD support

7) rootable stock close to vanilla android or xda custom ROM support

My budget has been stretched as far as it can, must be less than £300

I've found:

Oneplus 2 - meets most of the above, no ambient display £289

Moto X Play - no dual sim in uk version £249

LG G4 - no dual sim, no ambient display, £280

Oneplus X - dual sim useless, needs microSD in one slot as only 16GB onboard, has ambient display, £90 cheaper than the above 3

Battery could be an issue on all of them, I'm pretty good at battery management and some people in the forums are achieving what I need so I should be good.

Thoughts? Anything I've missed?

Thanks...
[General Topics] Soufiansky:
The OP2 seems the right one in my opinion , with a custom rom and some tweaks you can get great battery life. ( You can get ambiant display with a custom rom).
[General Topics] tee_pot:
Thanks, it's the one that ticks most of the boxes. I guess I just want someone to confirm I'm not making a stupid decision.

It's the most expensive but has the least compromises but I really wanna be sure!

Any other opinions?

Edit: are there likely to be any new phones in my price range coming out within the next month? I've seen there is the big mobile show at the end of February. My moto g 2nd gen has a badly cracked screen but it's still alive. Am I going to be kicking myself in a months time if I get the OP2?
[General Topics] SirVer:
How much does performance matter to you? Because if battery is your primary concern, there are very few recent/still relevant smartphones that even come close in terms of raw capacity to the Moto X Play. Plus, it comes with almost stock Marshmallow, which, as I've recently discovered has vastly improved battery life from Lollipop. However, it's using a Snapdragon 615, which is, quite frankly, a joke when the rest of the device is flagship grade; if you're use is casual, and not too heavy with the multitasking, it would probably do fine, though gaming and other GPU stuff... Well, some people say it does fine, others say it's horrible.

OnePlus Two is an option, though I've heard that on top of the heating issues - or perhaps, because of them - the SD810 ain't great with the battery.

To me, your best option seems to be the G4: it's got the power to stay relevant for years, has a decent battery, has several Marshmallow ROMs out already (for stock), and most importantly, has a removable battery, so you can switch if necessary. If you need the dual SIM, the OnePlus Two appears to be your best option.

Normally, when I hear battery life, my first response would be an Xperia, but (as far as I know) they're not durable, have non-removable batteries, and cost a pretty penny. Otherwise, the Z2/Z3 Dual is a good fit for you.
[General Topics] Planterz:
As Soufiansky mentioned, custom ROMs can give you an "ambient display". The OnePlus 2 is your best choice in that regard. However...

The World Mobile Congress (WMC) takes place at the end of February. This is where many companies announce their new products for each year. I'd wait until then before making any decisions, as it just might happen that the perfect device gets announced/released right after you buy something that's a year old. It's likely that you'll probably end up with the OP2 anyway, given your price range, but you never know.
[General Topics] tee_pot:
I'm not a massive gamer on mobile tbh, I think I *could* get away with a 615 chipset... I known my budget means I'll have to compromise on *something*, I guess it depends how the stock MM or custom ROMs are running. Last thing I want is stuttering which seems to be a potential problem according to the forums on LP.

Expansys.fr are offering the dual sim X Play for £230 so that could well be an option. I've had both the moto G and the 2nd gen and I've been happy with them both, especially the vanilla android.

I think I have to sadly rule out the LG G4 due to no dual sim option I can find. Likewise, the Z3 Dual is pushing my price range too far at around £380. Plus I have 2 friends who have Z3s that have massive issues with their in-call mics not working well, one is on their 4th phone in under a year :/

Forum posts indicate good battery + SoT are possible on both the X Play and Oneplus 2, doesn't seem to be much in it tbh... I guess these are my 2 front-runners at the mo.

Thanks for the reply!

---------- Post added at 06:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------

Yep, that's the kicker, isn't it! Last years phones are all a bit crap, nothing really stands out or has ticks in all the right boxes. But the new phones might, though even if they do they'd probably still not be in my budget for months to come anyway! It's not even that I can't afford something that'd be perfect now, it's that it doesn't exist!

If only I could see into the future...
[General Topics] SirVer:
G4 has a dual SIM model, the H818; maybe it's just not available at most stores? Amazon UK has listings for it, but they're unavailable for some reason.

Since your prime concern is battery, X Play is probably your best bet, especially at that price, and it should perform OK, because Marshmallow.

You're welcome. [emoji4]
[General Topics] rbrenart:
Small phone on Verizon, we have rumors of getting anything (except the new small iPhone)? Really want to switch the family over, but my wife won't use anything bigger than a Z5c.
[General Topics] SirVer:
Pretty sure the Z5 family is coming to the US, though without a fingerprint sensor, for some reason. Don't know if they'll be on Verizon, but seeing as the Z3v was a thing, they probably will.
[General Topics] IAmLucky:
OP2 has very very bad vibration. Check youtube videos. You will not feel it in your pocket so im telling ya just in case.
[General Topics] tee_pot:
Yeah, I saw the H818 but nowhere has it in stock - plus although you can root, there are no custom ROMs that I can find. I've never used an LG but heard their ui is pretty awful...

I'll check out how good or bad custom ROM support is for the X Play dual sim is, but that's just a bonus tbh as the vanilla android MM with root will probably be enough for me - the only reason I'm using cm12.1 and not stock on my g 2nd gen is the memory leaks in 5.0 compared to 5.1.1 which never got an official release from Motorola...

Expansys.fr have stock in 2 days, so I have at least that long to decide...

I'm about 70% X Play, 20% OP2, 10% wait and see at the mo!

---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:41 PM ----------

Not really a problem for me as I normally have headphones in if I'm walking somewhere, but thanks for the info!
[General Topics] force70:
[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's about the only thing i dont like, so used to front firing speakers in my nexus devices

sent from my Nexus 6P, Note 5, Nexus 6 or Note 4
[General Topics] adamshumpisxxx:
Upgrade From Nexus 4 To Verizon Phone

I'm ready to make the leap and retire the old girl...my beloved Nexus 4 :crying:. I need to upgrade to a Verizon capable device. I want to stick with Android and I want to make sure the phone I'm getting is moddable (unlocked bootloader, root, custom recovery, custom ROMs, etc...). So far I have my eye on the Nexus 6 @ $250 and the Moto X 2014 @ $200. Other than that I kind of want to know if there's anything else out there that I'll get more bang for my buck. I would like to have the ability to insert an SD card but it's been so long since I've had a phone able to do that it may not be necessary, haha. Any suggestions? First hand experience VERY welcome. Thank you in advance for your input!
[General Topics] smk.mosharraf:
Anyone can tell me how was UMI Rome & UMI Touch?

---------- Post added at 01:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 PM ----------

I think u should go for LG g4. After release g5 u can go for it. Coz

Good camera

Removal Battery

Community Support and more.
[General Topics] Zorachus:
http://phandroid.com/2016/01/27/galaxy-s7-edge-plus-cancelled/

Two S7's being released on March 11th;

- 5.1" standard Galaxy S7

- 5.5" Edge Galaxy S7

That's it, no other models supposedly coming. No S7 Plus, they don't want an 5.7" S7 Plus as they're afraid that's too much of the Note phablet type, which releases late Summer.

Good news are some sweet spec's;

- Samsung will, in fact, implement a microSD slot

- Samsung will employ batteries of 3,000mAh and 3,600mAh, respectively.

- The devices will have 4GB of RAM and use either Exynos 8890 or Snapdragon 820.

- The devices will be water resistant.

With the U.S. versions getting the SD820, does that mean custom ROM development should be pretty good as opposed to the Exynos ? And with the SD820 hopefully CM13 ROM on the S7 ?

The SD820 vs. Samsung's 7420 used in the Note 5 last year. SD820 = 20% faster in single-core, and about 5% slower in multi-core. The SD820 uses 30% less power than the SD810, and is also built on the new smaller die process making it more efficient and cooler running, and the SD820 is 40% faster than the SD810.
[General Topics] SadbutTrue999:
Looking for a used VZW flagship/former flagship phone, with the intention of rooting and tethering.

I had an HTC One M8 which I did this to. It worked well, though i had concerns about how hot it got, and also the $30 sunshine unlock was kind of annoying (though obviously that can be factored into the price of a phone if necessary).

Looking for comparable or better phones, in the roughly $200 used range (One M8s seem to be 120-180 for the most part on ebay, for refernece). If I can get a phone that can tether with foxfi out of the box (with a basic root... no unlocking bootloader, custom roms, etc), that'd obviously be worth a little more, but since I have to assume whatever I get has the latest VZW/Android software, I'm not sure if anything still has that ability.

I'm okay installing a ROM though, if it comes to that. So yeah, $200ish, root-able, tethering, good combo of performance/durability (nothing with a full glass front please, I'm devastating to these phones). What are the best options?

Thanks!
[General Topics] Cyanandroid:
letv le 1,letv le 1s,xiaomi mi4,meizu mx4 pro,xiaomi mi4c...

i will suggest u this...

oneplus one if u can afford a liitle more...
[General Topics] SadbutTrue999:
The Oneplus One looks nice. Do we know how difficult it is to get tethering active/rooted on Verizon in the US? All the specs in the world don't do me any good if i can't get those basic features.

I honestly hadn't heard of those other handsets. Would these sets be new (I note that the Oneplus one is $300 new, so perhaps these are also - I was looking at used phones mostly, though obviously if I can get what I need in a new phone for the same price that could work). I can look into them more... could you explain a little more why you'd choose these over a used One M8, Droid Turbo, Samsung, etc? Not saying they're bad choices, just curious.
[General Topics] Cyanandroid:
i mentioned these phones because they are budget friendly and at the same time they fulfill ur needs...

motorola and samsung phones are out of ur budget so thats why i did not mentioned any of them...

but if u can buy an used one then u can buy droid turbo it has an excellent custom support...it is rigid,strong,excellent in performance too...

if u want to go with samsung the i will suggest u samsung galaxy s5 or note 4...
[General Topics] jassu:
I want to buy an new Phone but iam stick on 3 Phones. I need a good camera and good Battery. What do you think is the best from these 3 Phones:

Lumia 950 XL

Huawei Mate 8

Nexus 6P