Looks like Essential Phone is getting spot price drops
8.1 has arrived and apparently improves pretty much everything
Usual 2018 downsides of no sd card expansion or 3.5mm headset jack.
Camera isn't the best but again much improved with software updates.
CamelCamelCamel.
A mate of mine does at work, as soon as saw this I called him, his thoughts. Awesome exterior quality, so so about the phone itself, occasionally crashes, camera not much chop, etc. Enough that for almost AUD 500 I'll pass. Still awesome value but I have a Lenovo Z2 Pro with nearly identical specs that for the money seems like not getting much more.
My review from back when I had the phone in November.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/5344493/redir
I believe 8.1 has improved the touch responsiveness but it's still not perfect.
Also full screen use which displays around the notch has been finally implemented.
Still not particularly impressed by any of the photos users have posted to their reddit threads.
Still a compromised device (hardware and software) but at this price it's a bit more palatable.
I'd still spend the extra $100-150 and get an S8 or equivalent from last gen. YMMV.
Imo the Sharp Aquos S2 was a better deal - similar screen to body ratio and flaws, slower processor but a much more palatable $210~ on sale.
The deal is actually on right now (for the next few hours) even though the ozbargain thread expired.
They are in completely different classes though.
I bought one few months ago. I am satisfied with the performance and looks. But I broke it's screen in 3 months. While it's back is made pretty solid with titanium / ceramic make, this screen which has no bezels is extremely fragile. And it's difficult to get a case / cover for it.
I have it. Love it.
Camera and screen are not as good as my misses s8+ but everything else seems good if not better. Mine doesnt crash like some people have mentioned.
I have the phone. I like it. Its heavier than most phones but it feels like more a sign of build quality rather than a downside. The phone gets regular timely security updates and has been updated to Android Oreo. The camera has received many updates and is far better than it was originally, however i would still say the video quality leaves alot to be desired.
The charger is a 27watt fast charger and supports 240v out to the box, you just need a plug adaptor. The included usb-c cable ans headphone dongle are cloth braided and seem high quality.
Performance is as good as any other flagship Android phone with a 8 core Snapdragon 835, 4gb ram and Adreno 540 graphics. The 128gb storage is more than enough for me.
The screen is great for an LCD. It brighter and more colourful than my old iPhone 6. However there is a strange anomaly with the display. In certain lighting conditions you might notice subtle horizontal lines. I’m not sure what these are, possibly part of the touch layer. It’s strange but you start to ignore it after a while. It’s only visible in certain lighting conditions.
Never noticed these lines with mine? Love my phone, people go on about the camera not being super high quality.. but I must be one of the few who hardly use it and when I do it's fine, like a headphone jack for the most part I could go without one.
I recommend looking into the Mi Mix 2 at this price range. 6Gb ram vs 4gb ram
If you can actually tell the difference between 4GB of RAM vs 6GB of RAM on a phone you should donate your body to science because you would have the worlds most sensitive nervous system.
If you can't tell the difference between 4GB of RAM vs 6GB of ram on a phone, you should stop drilling on someone for trying to help out the community. By the way, watch this video, it might show you what I am talking about.
That video is retarded. All it shows is that you can run out of RAM on a phone. If you really go out of your way to do it.
It is just an extreme case of the worst case scenario. This can be easily replicated on a phone when you're running Facebook, reddit, youtube, instagram, snapchat and so on.
On top of this, it is more future proof given the increase in CPU demand from software updates.
Yes, it holds the data of the application so when you reopen the app, it doesn't have to open it from scratch. Do you even know what it does?
As mentioned previously, "when you're running Facebook, reddit, youtube, instagram, snapchat and so on". I'm not sure if the older generation use social media apps or game on their phone, but it is evident to the average Joe.
It is a marketing point, but that's only because there is clearly difference in how a phone performs based on its RAM.
When I switch between Reddit Sync, Google Chrome, Gmail, Gallery & Hangouts it helps a lot to not lose what I was looking at when the app has to reload. More RAM is better. I've got the OnePlus 5T 128GB and it has 8GB RAM it's fantastic. I play a few games on my phone and it helps not having to reload the entire game when I switch out to do some other task quickly I can come back to the game and just tap reconnect instead of waiting for a lengthy loadup process like on my old 3GB RAM phone.
you can have as much ram as you want, if the phone lags in other areas, then it's still not a great phone. I prefer a phone that does all things good… battery life!, camera, processor, screen res, design & build quality, ram and actual phone features. Can have a phone with 20GB RAM, but if the camera stinks and the battery lasts half a day, then I would tell you, your phone is as good as a physio performing brain surgery… all rounder is key
I completely agree with that. RAM means nothing if everything else is horrible, but this is not the case with these two devices. I did not mention these things specifically because these two devices are very comparable. Both use the Snapdragon 835, no headphone jack, both use ceramic and have excellent build quality, and both are in the same price range.
But there are obviously things going on for both devices. The Essential has a better PPI (505 vs 403ppi), has a dual camera (although Mi Mix 2 can also take portrait photos by using G Cam) and 128GB storage. While the Mi Mix 2 has no notch, no stutter or reception lag, 6GB of RAM and a bigger screen.
So yes, both of these devices are very capable phones and are definitely all rounders. But at the end of the day, they may be better at something when compared to the other, and they will be sufficient for the average users. It is ultimately up to which phone better suits a person which is why I suggested that people also look into this device before purchasing the Essential Ph-1.
@18: You are right both are all rounders, decent value for money and good build quality. As for the Essential it has improved. Apparently the snapdragon 835 isn't as snappy as other 835s. Also reviews say it's the most smudge-prone phone and due to it's edge design it's super slippery. The 3040mAh is certainly capable, but not anything amazing. As an all rounder, I'd be looking at something like a Samsung a7 or j7 pro, both with 3600mAh which lasts longer than mi max 2 and essential and pretty much do everything good. I've used a snapdragon 835 and those two phones and can't tell a difference in processor speed or performance. Cameras on both are great, screens are great and design and build are top notch (both also have headphone jack). Finger print scanner on both are top notch too. the A7 is in this price range while the j7pro is actually cheaper. 300-400 range.
Great, there's more competition! Ozbargainers should definitely consider all of these devices before purchasing the Essential Ph-1 which comes back to my original point.
And yes, Xi Mi Mix 2 has all the bands required in Australia (including B28).
When you fill ram, your system performance drops off dramatically.
Not saying everyone does that everyday, but I can tell the difference easily when available application memory drops to nearly nothing, many would if it was explained to them while it was happening…
Now a 100mhz difference on a cpu for example, that would require super human feats…
As for MiUI, it’s fast, I’ve tried to love it but I can not get used to their major changes in Android notifications etc. The essential phone is worth getting over the mix 2 for that alone, I sold my mix 2 and never once missed it.
Have you tried the new notification system after the update?
When you fill ram, your system performance drops off dramatically.
If it was a single app filling the RAM this would hold true but if it's just background apps then Android will automatically close them to recover memory and not drop your performance.
When you fill ram, your system performance drops off dramatically.
That's what happens on your computer, not on your phone.
When your phone is running out of ram for the current app, it just closes all the background apps. Computers on the other hand, starts using your hard drive as ram causing it to slow down
I chose between these 2 devices a few months back, but the decision was based on screen real estate, not ram.
It was just an example of why the Mi Mix 2 is better than the Essential Phone; it's not the only thing going for it. There are obviously other positives like no notch, no stutter lag or reception issues. While on the flip side, the Essential phone has its pros as well such as a front camera at the top of the phone or Android 8.1. I'm just letting the community know that they should look into Mi Mix 2 as a potential alternative as they are in the same price range.
These have reception issues, bear that in mind.
Reading up on latest build and apparently those has been fixed in latest update.
Think it was in reddit, I'll post if I can find link. .
They've attempted a fix many times but users are still reporting issues.
In one of the AMAs they acknowledged it was hardware and would be aiming to improve on it for their next phone.
Having said that, I think most of the issues are with Tmobile in the US. I haven't heard of any issues with Australian carriers.
Rather spend a few extra hundred on a s8. Skip this
I have this phone! It is the best phone I've ever owned. It has only ever crashed when trying to use the phone while connecting or disconnecting the 360 camera attachment.
The 8.1 update has fixed 99% of any of the issues I had with it.
I had a software issue and email customer support, they emailed me back within 24 hours and have been very responsive. Very impressed with the company.
I highly recommend it!
Tbh this opinion isn't worth much unless you state what phones you have owned. If you've only owned a Nokia 3310 then it's not saying much.
I've also got the PH-1 and it's the best phone I've ever had as well. I've owned several HTC's, Oppo and Samsung so hoping that qualifies. For me, 4GB of RAM is plenty and never noticed any lagging with numerous apps running at once. Also 128GB storage is more than enough so no issues with no SD card. Camera is great now and has been updated several times and other updates come through very quickly. Even straight out the box I had no problem with screen touches and the phone has just got better and better with each update. Brightness in the sun is great and have never seen these lines that someone else mentioned. No problem with reception either…crystal clear. Power Delivery fast charging is also as quick as expected.
There are dozens of cases and tempered glass screen protectors available on Amazon and Ebay too so no problems in protecting your investment.
Bottom line is that my experience has been absolutely flawless and I would highly recommend this phone.
How is the signal? there are some complaints in the US withe this phone + t-mobile carrier service,
Any good bluetooth headphones?
I’m on Telstra living in Melbourne (right on the outskirts) and have never had signal issues beyond what you’d expect to be ‘normal’ with any other phone.
I can also attest to the good and speedy customer service. Of the latest updates I was having trouble creating a hotspot to share the internet. They got me fixed up no problem and with no hesitation, considering the phone isn’t technically sold or supported on Australian networks. They were very quick too.
For those who aren’t aware either, software-wise this phone is much like the Pixel phones. Meaning there’s no extra crap bloatware installed. It’s just pure Android (except the camera app which is custom). To me this was a major selling point.
Had this phone last time it was on special. Sent it back after a week…software problems with missed touches etc.
Build quality is top notch. Replaced it with a mi mix 2. For similar money the mix2 any day of the week, especially with the custom ROMs out there.
Price back up again
Anyone who has this phone can comment on performance and reliability