yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Saygus V²] t3chfan:
The G4 has just been released sim free in the UK, but you're looking at £500 ($750+) which is a ridiculous price for a phone which is made by a manufacturer which many could argue is not 'top tier', and is only a little more than an evolution or incremental upgrade of the G3.

Given that this is 50% more expensive than the V2, it's not really an alternative to me... albeit, it exists... :D
[Saygus V²] Cullenator:
Welp, my phone is now randomly shutting down on me. I could reflash it to see if that helps but... I'm so tired of fixing this darn phone.

The G4 was too expensive (and not released in Canada), so I ended up buying an LG G3 Cat.6 on eBay. I got that version because I wanted the Snapdragon 805 over the 801 (even though the 805 is apparently only marginally better than the 801).

I thought about this after buying, but I bet custom ROM support will be more limited for my model, but I'm used to that with my Canadian S3. Plus I might stick with stock for a while and see how it goes. I've never owned an LG phone before. :)

Good luck to everyone else!
[Saygus V²] vikramkhalsa:
One plus one is on sale.. its old now but can still stand on its own. I'm considering it but really don't like the size..
[Saygus V²] shaxs:
That and the quality assurance issues you read all over in the one plus one.
[Saygus V²] hella356:
I went ahead and ordered a plastic-back T-Mobile LG G4 today. The replaceable SD/battery was the main thing, but getting a free 128GB SD from TMo with no $ down + extra battery, external charger, & 32GB SD from LG were the clinchers. I can't wait around on the Saygus anymore. There's a 20 day buyer's remorse period for me to see if I can deal with the dimensions, no hard home or capacitive buttons, LG UI, etc. This is the earliest in the cycle I've ever bought a phone, so hopefully root, custom ROMs, etc. will be available within that time frame. I rooted and installed a custom ROM on my previous S2 & S4 phones immediately, but unfortunately I won't have that option this time.

If the S6 had replaceable SD/battery, I would have ordered the 128GB version instead of the G4, however.
[Saygus V²] vertigo_2_20:
Main thing holding me back on the G4 is battery life. While I appreciate being able to swap out the battery, I don't want the trade-off to be that you pretty much have to in order to get through the day. While battery testing is always going to vary, and YMMV, most tests are showing that similar to the G3, the G4 doesn't last very long. Probably why they're throwing in that extra battery for free. The other issue with the G4 is that it's still not at the carriers, so I can't get hands on with it to see if I like it or hate it.

I've been considering the Note 4, but I played with one today and there's no way. It's just too big. Which means the G4 probably would be, too, since it's only a little smaller, and I can't imagine the curve makes that much of a difference.
[Saygus V²] hella356:
I handled a G3, which was pushing the limits in terms of size. The G4 is a little bigger, but hopefully will be OK, as the size is my biggest worry. My 2 year old S4 battery is still generally sufficient during a day, so hopefully the LG will be an improvement. Tough to compare the S4 with custom ROM to a stock device, but I'll find out starting next week.
[Saygus V²] shaxs:
I got my used G3 yesterday. I replaced the missing back camera lense with a new one in 2 minutes. Easy. Other than that, it is in GREAT shape. It was manufactured in March 2015.....so it is 3 months old! It was a little difficult to root and install a custom recovery, but I got it done no problem. For $200, I am pretty happy! Still wish it was smaller, but it should be okay.
[Saygus V²] alagga:
I think the only real alternative for the V² is the Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G.

But I think I'll wait for the real Z4 (not Z3+), since it will get waterproof without these silly caps on all ports
[Saygus V²] vertigo_2_20:
That's in fact one of the changes with the Z3+ that people seem to ignore. It lost the USB cap yet maintained the water-resistance (not waterproof) rating. That to me is a big deal, as I know I would get very annoyed with having to take that off every time I wanted to charge then plug it back in after. Still, it would have been nice if they changed things a bit more, and more importantly, would get more presence in the U.S. market. That more than anything is what's going to keep me from getting the Z3+, the fact it'll likely be all but impossible to get for months.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
The just announce ZTE Nubia Z9 might be another alternative but unfortunately it doesn't have a microSD card slot, removable battery or water resistance. It has a 5.2" 1080p resolution screen with no side bezels, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3gb or 4gb of RAM depending on the model, 32gb or 64gb RAM depending on the model, 16-megapixel rear camera using Sony's IMX234 sensor, optical image stabilization and 8-megapixel front facing camera. The "Exclusive" version includes a fingerprint sensor.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-bezel-less-ZTE-Nubia-Z9-is-headed-to-the-U.S.-market_id70087

If the Sony Xperia Z3+ just had the Sony IMX234 sensor with optical image stabilization then it would be a great alternative to the Saygus but unfortunately put an older sensor in the Z3+.
[Saygus V²] shaxs:
An interesting option to be sure. Seems a little expensive though.
[Saygus V²] Cullenator:
LG G3 Cat. 6

I've been using my new LG G3 Cat.6 which I found on eBay for a very reasonable price and have found it a very nice phone. Here's a few quick points about it:

I thought the size might be too big, but after a week, I've found it still fits in the pocket quite well without any more bulge than my S3 did with the case. I can also use it with one hand just fine.

Since the phone (the Cat6 LTE-A variant) was only released in the Korean market, it came with lots of Korean bloatware preinstalled. More on that later.

Be sure to double check with your service provider to see if the phone has the correct network bands. While no provider in Canada has LTE-A in my area, I can get 4G LTE with certain providers, but with some I can only get 3G. Not sure if this is true in the US or other parts of the world.

Rooting is EXTREMELY easy with the LG G3 One Click Root tool here on XDA. Unfortunately, custom recovery and ROM options are pretty limited for this model, and finding them is also difficult if you can't read Korean or Vietnamese. However, there are at least 2 ROMs that I have been able to find for this phone. CloudyCat6, a Lollipop ROM that allegedly has stability issues and is no longer maintained, and SphinX. I've been happily using the SphinX KitKat ROM, which is basically the same as stock, just without all the Korean bloatware. I don't really have a compelling reason to find a stable Lollipop ROM, but I'm sure this would bother some people.

The reason I bought this phone was the solid performance of the Snapdragon 805, and I wasn't disappointed. I haven't really experienced any lag on this phone, even with games.

The QuadHD screen is gorgeous, but I could just as easily live with a 1080p screen for better battery performance. Not to say the battery's bad on this phone. I can make it through a full day of moderate use without needing to plug it in, which is all I really need. I think I will get another battery and external charger for traveling, though.

Overall, I'm quite happy I bought this phone, and don't feel any regrets for not waiting for Saygus to make the V² (Or is it the V” now?)

Good luck to everyone waiting for their chosen phone. If you can't wait any longer, I'd recommend looking for an LG G3 Cat. 6 at a decent price on eBay. It's beautiful and works perfectly for my needs.
[Saygus V²] redeyss:
Picked up new black leather lg g4 on swappa for $510. What a smoking deal! C'mon Saygus, give me a reason to sell it!!
[Saygus V²] Cullenator:
Wow, that IS an incredible deal! Congratulations on that... I personally doubt you'll end up selling it, but would love to hear about it if you end up doing that.
[Saygus V²] hella356:
I got the LG G4, but it's just too big for my liking & I don't like the button layout & soft keys. Returning it & will probably just give in & get a 128GB S6 when T-Mobile drops the price a bit more.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
It looks like half of the rumors for the Galaxy S6 Active turned out to be true. It will have a 3500 mAh battery not 2550. However with only 32gb of storage and no microSD slot there won't be much room to store apps, music, pics and videos.

http://www.droid-life.com/2015/06/0...amsung-galaxy-s6-active-with-3500mah-battery/

This was almost going to be a good alternative.
[Saygus V²] redeyss:
Yeah, well it hasn't shipped yet, though I'm not too worried that it's not going to happen. It's a bigger phone but that camera... gotta have it! Wonder if Saygus can pull off the camera experience, seems tricky even for Sony themselves.
[Saygus V²] vertigo_2_20:
It's funny because yesterday I bought an unlocked M8 for $240, and today I was wondering if I should have waited for the S6 Active. Guess that answers that question. I have a feeling the S4 is going to end up being the one and only Samsung phone I'll ever own. Anyways, the M8 should be good enough to hold me over until the Fall lineup, hopefully there'll be something worthwhile there.
[Saygus V²] kevin6876:
Since the Saygus seems to be up in smoke?

I cancelled my Saygus pre order on 5/20 and was refunded my money. So coming from a ZTE Z998, which hads't been too bad of a smart phone, the biggest thing is it has 4G LTE, so data speeds are great, but aside from that it's just good for phone + text, web and that's about it.

I pulled the trigger on an Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3. It should be in my hands tomorrow.

I know I've made some compromises, as compared to Saygus, but as I looked back I said to myself I really don't need to be paying $550 for a phone, especially coming from an $85 ZTE.

So I compromised with something in the middle. It was a toss up between the Idol 3 and the Asus Zenfone 2. Something about the Zenfone I just couldn't by it. The Idol with the front facing speakers, good screen brightness and stock android skin just appealed to me.

I'll let you know how it is.

Good luck to those hanging in there with Saygus.
[Saygus V²] Cullenator:
Gionee Elife E8

So I wasn't planning on posting here now that I've found my next phone, but for those still thinking about V2 alternatives, this one looks pretty close in specs to the V2: the Gionee Elife E8.

24 MP camera with OIS

3 GB of RAM

64GB internal storage PLUS external SD slot

3500 mAH battery...

...Did they just copy Saygus' spec sheet? lol!

My only (kinda) criticism of the phone would be the MediaTek chipset, but hey, at least it's not the Snapdragon 810. My tablet that I've had for a few years now (ASUS MemoPad HD 7) has a MediaTek chipset, and it isn't too bad of a device at all as far as performance goes. I've never tried any custom ROMs on it yet though.

It's also a 6-in screen, but the bezel looks quite thin, so it might not be too bulky.

It probably wouldn't be the phone for me, but it's great that more storage and bigger batteries are becoming more desirable in the market.
[Saygus V²] SymbianRefugee:
Sharp crystal Aquos Xx seems like it might be good, due out July. So I guess for me the race is on Saygus vs Sharp who will release first?

Aquos Crystal Xx runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. Inside are four Cortex-A57 and four A53 cores, connected to 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 430 GPU. You get 32GB of internal storage to which you can add 128GB more with a microSD card.

The 13MP camera on the back of the phone has been certified by Ricoh. There's also a 2MP selfie camera. There's basic waterproofing.

5.7" bezeless and 1080 resolution, more than enough for a phone.
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
The Honor 6 may be a reasonably good alternative.

- Octa Core

- 3gb ram

- 3100 mAh battery

- 1080p 5" screen

- 13mp camera

- Micro SD slot

http://m.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_6-6461.php
[Saygus V²] SymbianRefugee:
go to android dot com they have a quick android phone web app that you can now use to search by criteria for phone models you might find suitable
[Saygus V²] Cullenator:
Here's the link for that: https://www.android.com/phones/whichphone I personally would rather something a bit more technically-oriented, but that tool was kind of useful.

gsmarena's phone finder tool is how I found mine. :) I wish they had an option for filtering out certain chipsets *cough*810*cough*.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
I searched around and it seems like this phone only supports LTE bands 1 and 3. If you're with T-Mobile in the U.S. like me then you want your phone to supprt LTE bands 2, 4 and 12 and if you're with AT&T then you want your phone to support LTE bands 2, 4 and 17.
[Saygus V²] SymbianRefugee:
Much better, Thankyou. The S5+ looks almost the same as Saygus on paper, but it's out now, and Samsung have good camera software. Hmmmm....

I'm thinking about this.
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
The Desire Eye seems to be a really good alternative. One which I'm seriously considering.

- IPX7 certified - dust proof and water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes.

- 13 MP, 4208 x 3120 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash. (On both front and back).

- Front Facing Stereo Speakers.

- Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min.

- 2gb ram

- 1080p 5.2" screen

- Micro SD slot

http://m.gsmarena.com/htc_desire_eye-6715.php
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
Yeah that's not bad and it's sold by AT&T so it supports all the LTE bands for AT&T. The only negatives are the lack of optical image stabilization in the back camera and the 2400mAh built in battery which probably won't give great battery life.
[Saygus V²] vertigo_2_20:
I would add that 16GB internal memory is a negative. I won't pay >$250-300 for a phone with less than 32GB, and even then only hesitatingly. 32GB needs to be the new standard, as with a 16GB phone you only have a few gigs left for personal use.
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
After doing some more research I've found the HTC One M8s. Which seems to solve the problems you raised.

- 2840mAh battery

- 13 mega pixel (optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED )

The only other difference between the M8s and the M8, is that the M8s has 64bit octa-core Snapdragon 615.

http://m.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m8s-7165.php

16gb is fine. I've currently got a Galaxy S4 which has 16gb internal memory. I have 124 apps installed and use a 32gb micro sd for all my music, pictures, videos etc. I'm left with plenty of space in internal storage for more.

Also there are apps such as Foldermount which a very useful.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...mount&pcampaignid=APPU_1_21V8VY2kJMP7UsuqgJAC

I use it on one of tablets which has only 8gb of internal memory. So as you can imagine you run of space for apps quite quickly when adding high quality games.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
Agreed. I've learned that lesson when I got a cheap LG Optimus F6 with only 4gb of internal memory when I first switched to T-Mobile with the intention of getting the 32gb version of the Galaxy S5 but none of the US carriers ever released it. I couldn't install many apps on the phone because there was only 1.2gb available and the Google apps couldn't be moved to the microSD card. I had to root the phone and set it up to think that part of the microSD card was internal memory. Then I got the Samsung Galaxy Avant which has 16gb of internal memory but I paid only $96 + tax for it through T-Mobile's customer retention department with the intention of getting the Galaxy S6 but we know what happened there with the removal of 3 important features to me: microSD slot, removable battery and water resistance.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
That might be a good option except depending on if it supports LTE bands 2, 4 and 12 since I'm with T-Mobile. Also, I read that the 64 bit Snapdragon 615 actually performs worse than the 32 bit Snapdragon 801. The Snapdragon 615 doesn't support 4k recording which the 801 does if that's important to you. Lastly the specs are very similar to the Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 so if it's price is much higher than the Idol 3's price of $250 then you need to decide if the smaller screen and optical image stabilization in the One M8S are worth it. Also I don't believe the HTC One M8S is water resistant.

It's so annoying that there’s not another phone out there without compromises other than the Saygus V².
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
I'm not really bothered about 4k, or it being water resistant. As for the Snapdragon 615 not performing as well as the 801.... I'll have to do some more research. If the difference in performance isn't too much, then I feel that the gains you will get in terms of battery life may well be worth it. As a side note, the main reason I'm looking at HTC devices is the Boomsound speakers.

Update:

I've done some more research on the Snapdragon 615, in relation to performance when it comes gaming especially. From what I've found it seems to be able to handle graphically intense games without much noticeable lag. However it does heat up quite a bit after prolonged gaming sessions (like almost all phones). I've not managed to find to a video of the M8S gaming, but I have found a video of the Xiaomi Mi 4i, which has basically identical specs. For those who are interested here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euTgjub2GEA
[Saygus V²] SymbianRefugee:
And yet Saygus have hit us with another delay.....

This is why I was upset when Nokia sold to M$. Even though M$ are making good entry level phones there is nothing that has it all.

N70, N95, N8, N9, N808 all were the very best available technology all in the one phone.

If LG waterproofed the G4 I'd be very happy.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
As an FYI, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 has "dual front-facing speakers from JBL audio, including Clari-Fi technology by Harman" so they may be comparable to the Boomsound speakers in the HTC. And if having a more pure Android OS like a Nexus device without HTC Sense then the Alcatel might be a good option to consider.

http://www.alcatelonetouch.us/ALCATEL-ONETOUCH-IDOL-SMARTPHONE-Unlocked/dp/B00V3U6FFK
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
I didn't realise it had front facing speakers. That's make it more appealing.
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
There are several videos on YouTube showing the Idol 3 front facing speakers in action and here's one comparing it to the HTC One M9.

https://youtu.be/ir8Jn13Hra0
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
Sounds really good. I've just found this video which shows the performance when playing graphically intensive games:

https://youtu.be/O_-Pl16VPOU

They all seem to play smoothly, except Nova 3, which I did notice had some lag.

Also here is a real world battery life test video:

https://youtu.be/S1reD6Cswjs
[Saygus V²] Sam K:
As I learrn more and more about the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 it seems like a great value at $250. I know there are cheaper phones with good specs out there from Asus, Blu, etc but none of them support all the LTE bands for both AT&T and T-Mobile.
[Saygus V²] No1VIPER:
I thought the exact same thing. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger and order the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3. Just need to find a decent site/price in the UK.

Update:

Just been on to Amazon and found that its not due to be released until July 13 in UK :(
[Saygus 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.
[Saygus V²] 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?
[Saygus V²] 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.
[Saygus V²] 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
[Saygus V²] redeyss:
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%.
[Saygus V²] 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.
[Saygus V²] redeyss:
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.
[Saygus V²] 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?
[Saygus V²] 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.
[Saygus V²] t3chfan:
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 :)
[Saygus V²] 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.
[Saygus V²] 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.