yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Questions and Answers] travelfriend:
Top Android phone - criteria: camera (speed) and microphone/radio quality

I currently have an iPhone 7 plus. It is reliable and solid, but cumbersome and tedious in some instances, especially the following:

I have two kids (6,3), and trying to get a quick picture of them is a pain. I totally miss the GS7 abilty to doubleclick the home button to get to the app and then to trigger via voice command ("smile" or "click" or else).

So camera is an issue. As for quality, the iPhone 7 isnt bad in my opinion, but the current android models all seem to be slightly better (even though the dual camera of the iphone has some additional use).

I have had several android phone before (Note 3, LGG3, Note 4, S7edge) so I sort of know what to expect.

The relevant aspects are (a bit unusual):

Unfortunately, I have to scan lots of documents with the CamScanner app. This one works far better on the iPhone than on Android (in Android, lots of lag between one shot and the other). Besides, MicroSD-Security is an issue when the phone gets stolen. I know you can encrypt it on Galaxy, but the HTC 11 seems to be better in that regard (can you still format MicroSD as internal)?

Finally, a reliable GPS is a criterion (need phone often to navigate).

So to sum it up:

Which android phone enables me to:

launch the camera really quickly and have voice commands to trigger the camera (the only benchmark I know is PhoneArena, and that hasnt often proven reliable in the past)?

either encrypt the MicroSD or format MicroSD as internal AND at the same time enable me to write to the MicroSD Card at USB3-rates, not at 0,5 MB per second (had the latter issue with the GalaxyS7edge after encrypting MicroSD)?

and: allow me to quickly transfer pictures into MDScan, CamScanner or whatever scanner app AND not be totally oversized (IPhone CamScanner gets me A4-pages in black/white of app. 200-400 KB; GS7edge gave me the full blast of 4MB per page which isn't acceptable; even going down to 5MB didn't help that much).

and: have a reliable GPS?

I tend to pick either Galaxy S8 (perhaps plus) or HTC U11, but cannot really decide. HTC U11 does not seem to have a Camera app that can be triggered with a voice command; and using 3rd-party-apps usually leads to a loss in either speed or quality (seen that on the iPhone and my previous android experience; I may be mistaken though).

I would appreciate if you could comment, if not on all, then at least on some of the points I raised.

Cheers

Travelfriend
[General Questions and Answers] donnebonn:
Hi there! I currently have an s5, I bought it brand new 2 years ago. I have cricket as my carrier.

I wanted to root the phone, and spent hours here trying to do so, only to find out the bootloader is locked, so I gave up.

Now, the blue tooth won't work, the wifi won't work and I've purchased 3 replacement batteries for it and none of them last more than 2 hours.

Do you know of any fixes for these problems?

I don't want to shell out money for a new phone. But if I have to, can you recommend one that has a long life, removable battery and sd card that's rootable?

My romance with Samsung is over. They've been a disappointment with this phone and my 8.0 note tablet (no more software updates, and stuck with kit kat on both devices)

Thanks for any and all help.
[General Questions and Answers] BrotherMark456:
Donnebonn,

The bootloader on a S5 would not normally be locked. Was the S5 you bought a phone that was made for Cricket or did you pick up that carrier later?

There should be a way to unlock the bootloader, have you researched?

The problems your now having with your phone ....

have you tried a backup and reset?

If so I would recommend to download Kies and then after doing a full wipe (data, delvik and cache)

put the phone into download mode and using Kies download the latest Android version for your phone.

That should fix any problems perhaps caused by trying to root a bootloader locked phone.

(this is also a good way to unbrick a phone if you can manage to get it back to stock recovery mode where you can do the full wipe and put it into download mode).

If your unsure about how to do any of this, let me know and I shall guide you... my Jedi friend.

Until then, here's something to watch, this will show you the Kies method discussed.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LqoX7wNhotk

Have a great day!

Brother Mark
[General Questions and Answers] stiftt:
Hello

Samsung galaxy s7 or Lg v20?

Thx!
[General Questions and Answers] RogerF81:
S7!
[General Questions and Answers] RamonAndroid:
Hello, I broke my phone a few days ago so I’m going to need a new one. My older phone where the nexus 5 and the oneplus x. both rocking close to stock android, having a +- 5’ screen and handeling everything I trew at it.

I was thinking of getting the nexus 5x, since its pretty cheap, perfect screen size and stock android.

my second option would be the new Nokia 6 coming out, great build and stock andoid.

Nexus 5x:

+	perfect screen size

+	stock andoid

+	allot of costum rom’s for when google stops updates

+	can order it today and have it in a few days

-	Only 2GB ram

-	Few years old already

-	Poor build

Nokia 6

+	Stock andoid

+	Great build

+	better specs, and more ram

+	New phone, so more longer updates?

-	5.5’ screen, a little to big to my taste

-	No costum roms, so no options there

-	Have to wait until 14/07 to get it

I know nexus line is great, but the fact that’s the phone a few years old and only has 2GB ram got me a bit worried.. what do you guys suggest?
[General Questions and Answers] xydra:
Hello, guess I need help from you people out there.

Currently I own a OnePlus One which is dying (fails to charge from time to time, leaving me with a dead phone in the morning) so I need a new one.

The phone I am looking for should have very good performance and should be future proof (company or good dev support)

So here is where I'm at with different phones:

- iPhone: Too expensive and I don't like the iOS experience (out)

- S8: No.

- Pixel: Too expensive (out)

- Essential: Looks cool but is expensive and I dont know how well it's going to get supported

- HTC U11: Like the Essential but doesn't look as good (out)

- OnePlus 5: Prices is OK, but I'm struggling with looks and I don't like the way the company is heading

- Xiaomi Mi6: Hard to get and might be a gamble with customs here. Also I don't like how it looks from the back

- LG G6: Old specs and not future proof (out)

- ???

So which phones am I missing or would you still recommend one of the above?

Hope you can help me :D

Thanks in advance!
[General Questions and Answers] RogerF81:
Perhaps the Sony XZ Premium. Or just wait till next year, there will be a major SoC update.
[General Questions and Answers] daddyodevil:
Hi guys, i was looking to buy a mid range phone, my need are, good cellular call quality, really good screen quality since i read a lot, no lag or performance issues for about 2 years or more of possible, good vibration, and a preference is on a head phone back on the bottom. I don't care about the camera, as long its focus is ok for taking pics of my notes. I was looking into the honor 8, but neither do I know about it being good for years to come and also a bit on the pricier side and the redmi note 4 is good, but can i have something a tad bit better i was wondering, i am also waiting for the new asus lineup of this year.

Any advice guys?
[General Questions and Answers] donnebonn:
Brother Mark,

Thank you for your extremely kind, helpful and quick response.

Last Friday, I backed up my phone with kies, and did a factory data reset ( is that different from the full wipe? ).* I didn't do the data, delvik and cache.

I've read thru these xda forums till my eyes are bleeding to get help. I'm not good at understanding most of what the experts here explain, and when I've asked questions before, I got some seriously not so nice replies.

Your kind comments are quite refreshing, and I'm truly grateful.

In answer to your question, I purchased my s5 from Amazon, then put the cricket sim card in.

I'm so sick of the phone* constantly updating boatware I never put on and can't get off.

I spent hours trying to root the phone shortly after getting it and kept getting the "fail" .

That's when I searched the forums and found that ATT had locked the bootloader on my model sm-g900a.

At that point I figured I was stuck with the phone and would just live with it.

So, do you recommend the full wipe?
[General Questions and Answers] bobahgnaoush:
Looking for a phone + rom combo under 300 that has almost 0% battery drain while idle, preferably a stock android feel and obviously good battery life as well. Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] BrotherMark456:
Donnebonn,

For those who don't treat you with the same respect that they would appreciate themselves, just humor them, they must forget what it was like once upon a time trying to figure out how to root and install the Arco168 I.C.S. custom ROM for their Galaxy Wonder.

A factory data reset is the same as a full wipe without delvik and cache being wiped also. Do the full wipe which will include the delvik and cache. I would always recommend this after a factory data reset and before a custom ROM install otherwise you might inheret a problem if your doing it to correct issues or for a custom ROM install not doing so can cause problems.

After the delvik and cache wipe go and install /reinstall the most recent Android version for your S5 using Kies if you're​ still having any issues that the simple factory data reset would usually but not always solve.

I asked the question about your carrier Cricket because I was wondering if Cricket was doing the same thing as AT&T and Verizon or whether or not you had a phone produced for someone else.

Here's something recent for your AT&T root problem.

xdaforums.com/att-galaxy-s5/general/guide-merry-christmas-heres-t3516196

Read it carefully and fully and proceed step by step.You may wish to keep the instructions on an open p.c. window or separately printed for your convenience.

Please let me know how things work out for you and if you need anything further for assistance.

Have a great day, and if I have been helpful please don't forget to hit the thank you button for my post.

Brother Mark
[General Questions and Answers] texasniteowl:
I am starting to look into replacing my Samsung Galaxy S4. Earlier this year I did load JDC Opt. Lineage 14.1 (Jan. 20 bld) which has temporarily made it feel newer, but it is still 4 yrs old now. I have not "kept up" with new phones so really have very little idea what is out there. I am looking for:

* excellent call reception/signal (we have one room in our house that is usually a dead zone; unfortunately, that room is about to become my office; all other rooms in the house can make and receive calls no problem)

* android, 7.x or ability to get to 7.x easily

* unlocked bootloader / ability to load custom roms

* likely to receive active development here on XDA for a couple years

* will last 3-4 yrs

* works on AT&T (AT&T Go Plan), so bands 2, 4, 5, and 12/17

* good camera

* no more than $400, closer to $300 is better

* supports wifi calling (for the aforementioned dead zone room)

* becomes a hotspot (my Go plan does allow tethering; I don't need this often, but is helpful now and then)

* screen size of 5" is preferred, no larger than 5.5"

* storage, 32gb is plenty for me

* works with android auto (about to get a new car, likely will have this)

I am not a "power" user. I don't often watch videos on my phone. I only rarely play any games on it. I use it for calls, texts, email, calendar and camera, facebook, some google searches. Maps/navigation is somewhat rare at the moment when I'm at home but useful during trips 2-3 times a year.

Also, I'm open to other suggestions re: my one dead-zone room. I know they used to make those femto cell units? Not sure the status of those.

As mentioned, I haven't kept up with phones, but the Moto G4 and G5 phones are on my list. Otherwise I know essentially nothing about the Huawei, HTC, LG, etc. options. I've also seen some mentions of Xiaomi, OnePlus, ZTE Axon 7, and Sony, but I know nothing about their features or prices (yes, I'm going to start looking at those next).

So basically I am open to any suggestions on where to start.
[General Questions and Answers] MigoMujahid:
You should take a look at the Galaxy S7, it has all stuff that you mentioned and it's basically on sale everywhere these days because of the new S8 launching, even some people were able to get it for $400.

And the OnePlus 3/3T as well.
[General Questions and Answers] texasniteowl:
I like the thought of the S7, but I don't usually associate Samsung with unlocked bootloaders. I'm in the US. Is there an unlocked bootloader version? I will check out the OnePlus. Thanks.
[General Questions and Answers] DroidRaghav:
Hello everyone,

I own a one plus 2 and I am sort of bored with the device,

Actually you can understand why, now I am looking for a change and I am looking forward for really practical stuff, so should I go with ONEPLUS 5 or should I wait for Pixel 2 ,I am really not in hurry to buy a phone ohh yes one thing more that the phone I use will be my daily driver and I will not change it for next 2 years.
[General Questions and Answers] mephi_:
Hello together,

after a few android phones and a bad experience with the duration of available updates, Im looking for a new phone with good support for custom ROMs. Important for me is a display size of about 5.5 inch, a sd card slot and a very good camera(I dont like taking a real camera with me). I hoped the OnePlus 5 would have a sd card slot, but I was disappointed

Also important is, that the possibility (I know there is no certainty) of available custom ROMs in the future is high. Im not very experienced with driver availability and what other issues are important for this.

Can you recommend me a phone with the above specs?
[General Questions and Answers] zelendel:
One word of advice and this goes for everyone that is looking for a new device. Never base it on custom rom availability. The reason I say this is that there is never a promise that the maintainer will not break the device and that ends support for that device until someone else takes up the device as the orignal maintianer normally upgrades when this happen. So if the only custom rom support that is a sure bet is the rom you produce yourself. If you cant do roms then dont even worry about it. Get a device that suites your needs.

If you want to be sure it will get at least some then go with one of the past 2 year flagship devices this will have the most users but they tend to upgrade every year which leaves many device without a maintainer.
[General Questions and Answers] mephi_:
Thanks for your advice. What would you suggest if I dont want to buy a new phone every 2 years? I want a phone for a longer time and dont produce so mush e-waste. I have no problem with the price of a new flagship if I can use the device for 4 years.
[General Questions and Answers] sixthday6:
Buying Second Hand Laptop, because i aint rich.

Hello there! I'm a student that needs help with getting a laptop. Here are 4 laptops I saw on a local online shop, yes they're all second hand, there are lots of things I need to do with the laptop I'm gonna use.

Here are some:

Photoshop

Programming

Playing games I really wanted to play, but wasnt able since our pc sucks, like GTA V (I love GTA Series so much that i hated myself for not playing V because of the sh**** pc).

Please, if ever there's a laptop that fits the requirements I need, please let me know which of the ff. I gave made it in. By the way, I live in the Philippines so my budget just goes to 500 dollars?? Not sure if I calculated it right but if you want to convert it, it's PHP 25000.

If there's other laptops you want to suggest for me please do suggest it, but I would love to see your reviews with the laptops I gave.
[General Questions and Answers] 0657_Code:
From just having a quick look the Acer seems like the best option out of these. You should have an SSD for the system at least though, so find out whether you can add a second drive (or replace the optical drive). Don't go with an i3 for gaming, however I'm not sure if the U models are any better. 8 GB Ram should be the minimum.

Don't expect Ultra settings (lol) or even high settings with a proper framerate.

And if you end up getting a second hand device be sure to get the seller's information (verified) to prevent getting ripped off. Test all ports and functions, if possible. Look out for signs of water damage. Run something graphically heavy to make sure the discrete GPU works. Have a look at the battery and drive health reports.
[General Questions and Answers] sixthday6:
Hey there, of course I'm not into those high settings since I just wanted to try it out. But, mind if you make a top 4 out of it?
[General Questions and Answers] 0657_Code:
Just saying because one advertised it with ultra/high settings in GTA V... maybe in 800x600 (lol)

I have to work so I just can't take too much time, sorry. Look up the laptops for their screen, keyboard and connectivity - that is equally important but a more subjective decision.
[General Questions and Answers] djdelarosa25:
My budget is $300-$400. What device should I get?
[General Questions and Answers] Horagino:
So I had my HTC M9 since the release. I'm now planning to get a new device.

I can't decide, OnePlus 5 or Samsung s7/s7 edge. These phones are within my price range (contract), the others don't seem as appealing other suggestion can be made. The S8 is more expensive so that's out of the question.
[General Questions and Answers] lesterjoel123:
Which device do i buy?

Hey which phone is better suited for performance?

A phone with 3gb ram and SD 821 or a phone with SD 820 and 6gb
[General Questions and Answers] 350Rocket:
It probably depends whether you're doing more multitasking or more games, loading apps the first time etc.

Personally I'd take the 820 and 6gb just because I still find my 2 year old galaxy s6 plenty fast enough, other than sometimes not keeping stuff in memory. I even have a 4 year old lg g2 with Snapdragon 800 that isn't what I would call slow yet.
[General Questions and Answers] 350xhilaration:
Phone with Qi built-in to fit 2017 Camry Qi charge pad?

I have a Motorola Nexus 6 and love it, but I just bought a 2017 Camry XLE with the Qi charging pad and my N6 is too wide to fit.

Any suggestions on a comparable spec'd phone in a narrower form factor (with Qi built-in)?

Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] ameinild:
Hi. Apparently I have very high demands for a new small tablet, because I can't really find anything that suit my needs, but I would like to know if I missed something.

What I'm looking for is:

7-9 inches

USB-C connector

On-screen navigation keys (not hardware like Samsung for instance)

Good root/toolkit/ROM support

So far I'm coming up short. The ASUS ZenPad 3 8.0 (Z581KL) is totally perfect and cool, except for virtually no root and ROM support as far as I can see.

Am I missing something, or is my wishlist simply not possible to fulfill so far? I realize that if I don't care about either USB-C or on-screen navigation I can perhaps get something, but I really think these features should be standard on tablets today.

Any help appreciated! Thanks :)
[General Questions and Answers] jerm1027:
I could use some help finding a device. I'm looking for a secondary device to supplement my Nexus 6P and I haven't really been keeping up with the latest devices. This secondary device will primarily be used on my motorcycle to read sensor data in real time via Bluetooth while riding. So my top criteria are:

Large display (≥ 5.5" display, with a device width ≤ 3.25" - not picky about resolution)

Cheap (≤ $200, preferable < $150)

Able to run AOSP / Custom ROM

The Moto E4 Plus looks promising, but not sure when that is coming out. Any other suggestions? Thanks.
[General Questions and Answers] StraTzHD:
Hello guys, I'm getting a new phone for Christmas, I want something with a big screen (no note or Droid dna) I have 460 dollars for it, thx
[General Questions and Answers] gagdude:
First of all, you get barely any apps.

Second, I want you to name 10 exciting features in WP8 not in WP7 or Android
[General Questions and Answers] jago25_98:
Been using a Nexus S... darn big screen phones

Help me choose. I think there is no phone good that fits. Is there anything on the horizon?

I have owned these phones and these are my comments.

Galaxy S i9000 - Great but didn't like the GPS hardware fault. Dual core would be nicer. Smaller screen but same battery size and so longer battery life would have been good. Had this stolen from me.

X710D (Galaxy Note Chinese MTK6577 clone) - Great phone, incredible value. Screen was too big for me - decided better to travel light. Closed source Mediatek drivers was a deal breaker for me on these otherwise brilliant phones. That said, I would put up with this if the same thing was available in the Nexus S size (i9020).

Nexus S CDMA (i9020 - not i9020a GSM) - Love the form factor. Screen is detailed, perfect size - not as small as the SE Mini X10 so compatible. But... the GPS hardware Ariel also broke too - not impressed! The GSM version seems waaay too expensive - only 1ghz single core yet >£200 used? - especially compared to the MTK phones. If it was cheaper I'd get one though even though it's single core.

Phones I'm not sure about and why:

SGSII (i9200): The most tweakable option. I really think it should be cheaper now the mtk phones and the SGSIII are out. I like the ability to tweak the GPS at a low level with SIRF and generally it sounds well documented. Just don't need just a big screen though.

iPhone(s). The development & rooting side is an unknown to me. I guess I can put up with the closed connectors etc. Also not sure what apps can access other apps - data security etc.

SGS III i9300. Too expensive. I've had 2 phones stolen this year. Could live with the screensize but not at this price.

Nokia Lumia. Microsoft... run! Maybe I'm jumping the gun... Is it that hard to deal with?

Razor Maxx: Price isn't too bad now (replace the battery on standard for cheaper) but once again... don't think I really need that screen size after using the Nexus. Not happy on Motorolas locked bootloader stance.

Some lateral thinking:

- watchphone. Carry another phone and use only when needed.

- use my £15 email only VF354 and wait it out for something better. Use backup codes for Google authenticator.

Other things:

- no eink mobiles still?

- no access to modem still? not even just the gps part or bluetooth with geeksphone?

I know I have some unusual tastes. I expect a lot but I know I have to make compromises. I just don't use a lot of the functionality on something like a SGSIII but I want to have it there for those rare times when I need it i.e. I don't feel I need a big screen for Sat Nav actually or rare web browsing. What's important to me is the quality of the GPS chip for example is it SiRF III or 1? - not the size of the screen.

edit: What I really want is a small screen phone with a massive battery. That's a Nokia E55 but it's Symbian :/
[General Questions and Answers] Poecifer:
Looking for a tablet for a two year old, just needs to do the basic painting, drawing, and some kids books, needs to be disposably cheap (Like cheapest tablet out there cheap) Let me know what you find.
[General Questions and Answers] lolmit:
i dont talk about any app or game i talk about that i can use system are going to be the next thing before every body...
[General Questions and Answers] Poecifer:
And for the WP8-interested, check out http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=34507924#post34507924

Launcher 7 is terrible and does not come close to the feel of a Windows Phone. You won't find another phone that exudes quality quite like them.
[General Questions and Answers] gagdude:
Wut did I just read????

Please speak english