[ani_meher]

Wow some of the upcoming deals are really great:
Samsung S8 @ 30k
OP6 @ 30k
Mi Mix 2 @ 20.7k

The upcoming Mi Mix 3 has a moving front camera, which concerns me, as mechanical parts tend to get worn out and become loose over time. Has anyone used Mi Mix 2 here?

Thanks everyone who answered about the S8. OP6 seems a good deal, but price-wise I feel it is yet to go lower, as the OP6T is looming on the horizon. The S8 may have little to lose.

[ninjatalli]

Pixel 3 reviews and leaks galore! Of course, that's been happening for quite some time; but now people are able to buy Pixel 3 phones (accessories, the boxing, with *warranty* - the full works) at a premium through a retailer in Hong Kong.

Some useful threads - a reviewer in Hong Kong has given a decent review of the Pixel 3 with a camera and basic specs comparison of the iPhone XMax

The original HK based review in Chinese

Engadget review with a purchased phone

A somewhat detailed GSMArena report

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Wow some of the upcoming deals are really great:
Samsung S8 @ 30k
OP6 @ 30k
Mi Mix 2 @ 20.7k

After applying the SBI card discount, the OP6 price comes down to 27k which seems an absolute steal and I am itching to take the plunge.

The confusion now is:

1. Should I buy a higher variant as this does not have a memory card slot? The 128GB variant is 5k more and the 256GB variant costs 9k more than the base 64GB variant.

2. Should I ignore this altogether and wait for newer phones such as the OP 6T, the Huawei Mate 20 series and the Pixel 3 series and see what they bring to the table?

[tchsvy]

Originally Posted by Oxy

After applying the SBI card discount, the OP6 price comes down to 27k which seems an absolute steal and I am itching to take the plunge.

I am in the same boat, and to sweeten the deal I have got a Samsung Galaxy S6 lying around with me with few issues, if I exchange it, cost will come down to 22k, that's just irresistible! 64GB variant is available only in mirror(read slippery) black finish though. Now that I am hearing about Galaxy S8 offer, I will take a decision on d day.

[rayjaycleoful]

Originally Posted by tchsvy

I am in the same boat, and to sweeten the deal I have got a Samsung Galaxy S6 lying around with me with few issues, if I exchange it, cost will come down to 22k, that's just irresistible! 64GB variant is available only in mirror(read slippery) black finish though. Now that I am hearing about Galaxy S8 offer, I will take a decision on d day.

Will one be able to combine exchange + SBI discount?

[Thad E Ginathom]

oxy, How much storage you need is a matter of how much storage you need!

Do you want to carry a huge music collection with you? Vast numbers of photos? Navigation software with worldwide maps database?

I'm currently wondering if I can do without the memory expansion for the sake of a second SIM. Ok, I know I can. I only use the phone as a music machine, for instance, on rare train and plane journeys; I have given up Sygic because G Maps does all I need... Etc.

Maybe it's nice to have 128Gb available but no, I don't need it. Decide your needs and buy.

My need for eye second SIM is rust some places I regularly go have a poor data signal with my primary SIM. And this is a regular need. I wish I didn't have to make the choice. But hey, I chose the phone!

[adithya.kp]

The flipkart offer looks interesting. I am confused between Galaxy S8 (30k) and Asus ZenFone 5Z (25k). In my opinion, the S8 is a better deal. (SD 845 is not a very important factor for me) . But the concern is that its an old phone.
Can someone share their opinion?

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by adithya.kp

I am confused between Galaxy S8 (30k) and Asus ZenFone 5Z (25k). In my opinion, the S8 is a better deal. (SD 845 is not a very important factor for me) . But the concern is that its an old phone.

The S8 is a good phone, and doesn't feel old compared to Samsung's newer flagships. It is a good buy at 30k, if you're fine with Samsung's customized UI.

The one thing is that with its smaller screen, the curved screen on both sides ends up taking a bigger percentage of the visible screen, so if you do a lot of reading on the phone you might not like it (the curves catch some glare). This isn't as much an issue on the bigger S8+/S9+/Notes, but is more pronounced on the S8.

It has a 3000 mAh battery (not sure where the Asus is), so consider that factor as well.

[digitalnirvana]

Originally Posted by rayjaycleoful

Will one be able to combine exchange + SBI discount?

Yes, in the past I have. Just ensure to pay fully using the SBI card (and not partially with gift card balances etc)

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Should I buy a higher variant ?

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

How much storage you need is a matter of how much storage you need

Not particular to this specific query but in general, I have seen that the quantum of memory required is inversely proportional to the spare time one has - to clean the phone of the junk. Music, documents and apps demand a certain portion of storage and are largely constantish. The real space eaters are the trash most of us receive on WhatsApp. If we are able to get rid of them at decent intervals - a week would be good, a fortnight manageable - even 32GB would be more than enough and 64GB would surely be a large football field!

We often tend to forget the fact that there are clouds - many of them free - where we can just push things that might feel important, but not too much and not immediately. Also ignored is the sad truth that we can keep on feeding and feeding off the same cloud even when we change phones, which we invariably do 1-2-3 years down the line. As it is, many relevant, preserve-worthy pictures are anyhow uploaded on social media sites and are there - for the future.

[ani_meher]

Does the 18:9 resolution pose any problem for vertical reading? Especiall S8/S9 felt a lot sleeker in hand, which may render the mails/websites too tall. Any practical experience on this?

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Does the 18:9 resolution pose any problem for vertical reading? Any practical experience on this?

I've been using a Note 8 for 3 months with the 18:9 aspect ratio and read a lot (quora,teambhp,news etc). Never faced any issue while reading content, the only issue is when watching YouTube videos in landscape mode.

The 'zoomed to fill' option crops content, much like iPhone X, or if you don't want missing content you've to get used to black bars on either sides for 16:9 content.

OT
I'm blown away by how good the HDR videos look on the phone. Just search for 4k HDR and flip the phone into landscape mode!

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Not particular to this specific query but in general, I have seen that the quantum of memory required is inversely proportional to the spare time one has - to clean the phone of the junk. Music, documents and apps demand a certain portion of storage and are largely constantish.

Very nice distinction, and a smart explanation.

Originally Posted by dailydriver

The real space eaters are the trash most of us receive on WhatsApp.

I've noticed that in WhatsApp, there's now a feature to avoid media being saved to the gallery, on a per-recipient (or per-group) basis.

In the chat window for that user/group, tap the user/group header on the top to open the information view for that user/group. Then, under Media visibility, there is an option to Show newly downloaded media from this chat in the phone's gallery? with Yes/No options.

It's something I noticed 2-3 days ago, and have not experimented with much. It definitely keeps unwanted media out of the gallery (which also prevents it from syncing to the cloud), but I'm not sure where it goes to in the phone. Also not sure if this is purged by a clean-up using Google's Files Go or not.

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Does the 18:9 resolution pose any problem for vertical reading? Especiall S8/S9 felt a lot sleeker in hand, which may render the mails/websites too tall. Any practical experience on this?

+1 to what shashank.nk said.

I owned a Galaxy S8+ and now use a Note8. Love the 18.5:9 ratio on these phones, because I do a lot of portrait mode browsing.

Biologically also, the eye finds it easier to move up/down than left/right, so it is more comfortable to use a taller screen for reading (a reason why I use 16:10 monitors as well). However, an >18:9 ratio does mean that regular 16:9 videos get letterboxed on the sides. I personally don't mind this, but that is personal preference - I've seen comments from others who hate it.

I have handled the S8, and I love the feel, because it is so compact, and lends itself well to one-handed typing/use. The S8+ & Note8 are larger, and more cumbersome to use single-handedly.

Bear in mind that both the S8 & S8+ run with the same resolution, so the amount of information displayed is the same, just that it appears larger on the S8+.

[binand]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

It definitely keeps unwanted media out of the gallery (which also prevents it from syncing to the cloud), but I'm not sure where it goes to in the phone. Also not sure if this is purged by a clean-up using Google's Files Go or not.

First, I think when the mentioned setting is enabled for a chat/group, the media files go into the application's cache area which you can clear yourself. Files Go is certainly capable of doing it.

Second, I checked my wife's and my own phones - Google Photos app's default settings seem to skip WhatsApp media folders within the "backup to cloud" option (Photos > Settings > Backup & Sync > Back up Device Folders).

Third, I recently read that Google & WhatsApp have reached an agreement where WhatsApp backups stored in Google cloud do not count towards your storage quota.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/16/1...e-backups-free

(Not sure if this is only applicable for WhatsApp's own "backup to Google" option).

[arunphilip]

Thanks for your reply, binand.

Originally Posted by binand

Second, I checked my wife's and my own phones - Google Photos app's default settings seem to skip WhatsApp media folders within the "backup to cloud" option (Photos > Settings > Backup & Sync > Back up Device Folders).

I have it turned on, because I want meaningful photos from family/friends to be backed up, and prefer a 'better backup more than less' approach. That said, this setting allows me to turn off saving media from some of the groups we (end up having to) belong to, that supply an endless stream of greetings and memes.

Originally Posted by binand

Third, I recently read that Google & WhatsApp have reached an agreement where WhatsApp backups stored in Google cloud do not count towards your storage quota. (Not sure if this is only applicable for WhatsApp's own "backup to Google" option).

You're right in mentioning that the 'doesn't count towards the storage quota' will apply (w.e.f. Nov 2018) only to the backup within WhatsApp (Settings > Chats > Chat backup), not to any other content received via WhatsApp and saved elsewhere.