Team-BHP - Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods

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Worthwhile to reach out to real users and ask questions that matter to oneself!

I guess we are both saying the same thing or if not, i am just saying google has more formal reviews listed than asking in the forum for formal review.

In the forum the user experience is what i prefer to read than links to formal reviews which are anyway available by simple google search.

@Thad,

Go for it. If you have Titanium nothing beats the back up and recovery.

Add to that i am not sure if you have to unroot it. The root can probably stay.

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3836802)

I get only a day out of my m4i, and I hardly ever actually make/take calls!

Well, that is the way it is, I suppose, but when the time comes to replace that battery, I fear that the answer will be buy a new phone.

I do want to upgrade MIUI on my phone, but fear that the process, to be assured of a bootable working phone is going to be a bit tedious. roughly:

1. Back up all data and apps.
2. Have just flashed TWERP: go back to stock recovery.
3. Unroot existing MIUI.
4. Flash new MIUI using fastboot.
5. Hopefully... it works.
6. Root again.
7. Restore all.

Sheesh... I'm daunted, especially by the possibility of failure at any of those steps.

Any comments? Encouragement? Warnings?

NB... I do not have a Windows machine, but can use adb and fastboot from LInux.

MIUI 7 for MI 4i is not yet released. And going by their track record, I don't expect it anytime soon

If am not wrong, if you are flashing via fastboot, you don't have to unroot.

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Edit: seriosuly thinking on whether to invest half a lakh on this phone. That is about the cost of a nice oversees vacation. :(

Haha...what a problem to have. But i hear you. I somehow resisted big purchases after Note 2. And i am just lucky my office gives me a phone and i chose S5. Moto X for my dad i picked because it was less than 15k for me.

50K on a phone is definitely a good question to ask but lets be honest, we got to treat ourselves once a while :)

And when i tell the price of the one camera and three lenses i have my dad would advice me to buy a house :)

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Originally Posted by govigov (Post 3836964)

What colour did you buy and what are your thoughts on the different shades?

Its black, although the rear is a dark grey frosted finish which isn't slippery to hold and the sides are metal with a dark beige-grey look depending on light, overall to look at its the best Xperia yet. As I've already mentioned in the previous post, if price is important then the Z3 will be just as good, just do not buy Z3+ as I read that it overheats. In summary :

Z3 for : better pricing, almost similar camera, almost similar specs
Z5 for : dual-sim capability, slightly better+faster camera sensor, fingerprint security.

Value is a perspective, but I'd not call Sony products as expensive in any way or form, if say Chinese phones are the affordable segment then Sony is in the intermediate pricing category with Apple being the highest end of the spectrum (if we ignore Vertu i.e). For what it is, i.e 23 mp camera, waterproof, dust resistant, expandable memory slot, leader of battery life etc Z5 is terrific value, its a solid piece of hardware.

In the end I don't want to harp on why Sony is good or better, all phones are just an aid to communicate/take photographs/share & preserve memories that's about it. I remember Nokia during their height of success had priced the high end phones at near to 30k for far less hardware. Z5 is certainly priced reasonably but Z3 will offer 90% of its utility for about 60% of its price.

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Originally Posted by civic-sense (Post 3836961)

MIUI 7 for MI 4i is not yet released. And going by their track record, I don't expect it anytime soon

If am not wrong, if you are flashing via fastboot, you don't have to unroot.

flashing via fastboot is, essentially, a system overwrite, so I guess everything gets wiped anyway. Am I right?

I think people had to unroot before OTA, or else got into a bootloop on the m4i. I saw a report of that happening even after unrooting.

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Originally Posted by VW2010 (Post 3836950)

Go for it. If you have Titanium nothing beats the back up and recovery.

I have Titanium --- but that is only going to work after rooting again.

I have MIUI backup.

I have another app backup of user data.

I have TWERP backup system+data.

I have all that copied onto my computer.

I deny that I am paranoid :uncontrol

(Just because one is paranoid doesn't mean that the world is not out to get us!)

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3836802)

Install developer Rom from Mi website for MIUI. It's very stable and you can feel the difference in performance instantly. Guide to install also available on their site.

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Originally Posted by sgiitk (Post 3833825)

Guys, I am in Gurgaon (NCR-Delhi) and my mobile is UP(E), so if the SIM is damaged I am in serious trouble. Now I will have to think!! Thanks for the advice / warnings. Also, does Voda have these three in one SIMs?

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Originally Posted by phamilyman (Post 3834010)

Sir,

You have regional HQ - go there if you have any doubts.

i have managed to get for new Airtel Delhi SIM, right in Chennai. I understand same is true for Vodafone though they are the most unhelpful bunch. Worst case Voda needs a trip to Okhla: http://www.vodafone.in/help-support/...-offices-delhi

Yesterday, my son located a Voda Store on Golf Course Road barely 200mm from where we exit Park Drive. We went there, the process is very smooth, and I was able to get a replacement NanoSIM for ₹25 (to be charged in my next bill). I have plugged it in and an waiting for activation, which is supposed to take 24 hours. Thanks for all the advice.

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Originally Posted by dark.knight (Post 3836324)

As I've written in the previous page as well, I do indeed own the Xperia Z5. So far its the usual Sony quality, battery life is about 3 days on average (my usage is very little) and that figure is bound to go up. The fingerprint sensor works fine but after a day or so I found even the split second time lag to analyse the finger irritating so I deactivated it. The phone is waterproof as claimed, believe me I checked - it got wet under the tap, in the rain yesterday and got submerged in a vessel.. works fine.

Camera is the usual Sony quality so those coming from a Z3/Z3 Compact will find little to no difference. I'd even say if you're hunting for a bargain the Z3 would be just as good (not Z3+). Of course if minor camera improvements like quick autofocus alongwith security measures like fingerprint reader are important then Z5 it is. The build quality is next to none that's for sure, Z5 will put to shame every phone out there on display.

I have a different opinion on Sony now. let me explain :

I have used a Z2 in the past. regardless of the sub-par call audio quality issue I always had, I loved it for the rock solid build quality. Drops on the floor, rinsing in water was all ok. However, around the area where the Power Button is as well as the MicroSD slot is, I started to see discolouration on the screen. it went from Ignorable to bothersome very quickly and Sony took it as Warranty repair. 5 wks later, status was the same - issue not resolved, parts awaited. I demanded a replacement and promptly got a Z3.

The call quality on the Z3 was way better and I was happy only to realize - the build quality deteriorated dramatically. 1 small fall and the rear glass is fully shattered. after a few days, the front glass started to peel off leading to malfunction of Proximity sensor. Sony recommended a a desi option - Quick fix. No stock of rear glass so I had to put some skin. didn't like it but no option. the quick fix solution made my front glass look horrible.

even if I accept these, now that the rear glass was fixed by a local repair shop, the screen discolouration in the same spot as the Z2 was spotted. now it is bothersome but I'm still tolerating it.
Clearly, Sony Quality is dropping.

Sony Z5 - no thank you.

Jan is when I replace the phone with a Samsung S6 Edge+. that's the better of many options that I can take in my contract from my phone service provider.

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3836802)

Wait-a-minute, doesn't MI4I have OTA (over the air) updates? My tech-barely-literate cousins update their Redmi 1s and Note that way. You shouldn't have to do ANYTHING. If not, backup your data, take it to the service center and have them do it - unless you're excited by DIY again :)

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Originally Posted by dkaile (Post 3836933)

OnePlus X looks promising. Cheap phones are getting good and Good phones are getting cheap...

Seems you too are an avid MKBHD follower, just like me, dkaile! Say whatever, that is one AWESOME guy! Gives frank reviews, about the end user experience and feel of a device. Also isn't biased, doesn't do paid reviews, and knows his facts very well.

Also his reviews are short, crisp and entertaining. He doesn't do lame 'physical overviews' of his phones, doesn't do benchmarks live in the video and waste time (rather neatly shows specs or benchmark scores in the side as text), or conduct stupid web browsing and YouTube playback tests (like, really.. It's 2015. every single new smartphone out there can do the basic tasks..). He also actually criticises the OEM skins if he finds them bad. NO Indian YouTube reviewer I have found yet who has criticised OEM software.

I watched every single video of his the day of upload itself, till some months ago, when I stopped visiting my social network accounts, and kept away my smartphone and tablet. You know, 12th std, JEE prep, and the like. Only Team-BHP I simply can't let go of!

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Originally Posted by 14000rpm (Post 3837316)

I have a different opinion on Sony now. let me explain :

.... now it is bothersome but I'm still tolerating it.
Clearly, Sony Quality is dropping.

Sony Z5 - no thank you.

Thank you for this post. Just as I was beginning to think that the Xperia Z5 is a worthy phone.

The Stylus in the Note series is a nice to have feature. I don't use it often but its good for quick jotting anything sometimes.

I'm inclined towards Note 5 only because of the stylus.
If you compare it to Note 4, Note 5 actually feels like a downgrade with no Infra red port (for universal remote), no expandable memory, no removable battery, fragile glass back, no FM.