Should I pull the trigger? Need some quick advice.

[xeene]

Also check out sony Xperia z3v, I think it does everything you are asking about better then turbo except being comfortable to hold in hand.

 

[bsweetness]

How can I answer the brightness questions... Seen a g3 and how dim they are?? The turbo is way way way brighter...

Now.. The n4 is even brighter... But in no way is the turbo screen dim.. It will eat your eyeballs in the dark.. The n4 will melt your face... Lol

Ha ha.

The brightness on the Note 4 actually can go as low as 2 nits manually, so there's no face melting there. The Turbo goes down to 9, which is around where most smartphones go to. That may not seem like a big difference, but it's quite noticeable in the dark.

As for Screen Brightness, I definitely realize AMOLED may not match the iPhone 6's or even the S5's Super AMOLED maximum brightness, but "bright enough" doesn't necessarily need to mean "as bright as the brightest". Do you have any difficulty reading webpages or watching video or seeing the screen while trying to shoot an outdoor photo when you're in direct sunlight? Put differently, in direct sunlight conditions, is it that you can see perfectly fine with the Turbo even though there are even brighter screens out there...or is more like you can make out enough to get the job done but it's not nearly as bright as you'd want it?

One of the two reasons why I returned my Turbo was the outdoor visibility (along with the camera performance). It has a maximum brightness of around 247 nits. That can be tough to see in direct sunlight. I found myself having to shade the screen quite often. It's not a completely fair comparison since the screen on the Note 4 is considered to be the best out there, but it can go up to 468 nits manually and 750 nits with automatic brightness enabled. But on average, many recent smartphone screens out there go between 300 and 400 nits. The 2014 Moto X goes up to 385 nits.

 

[CaptainSS]

Appreciate the honorable mention, I typed my response while driving or would have gone into much greater detail as I am want to do.
The Turbo is indeed a Beast. I wear a Large glove but would say my hand is average ,for what that is worth and routinely use my phone one handed. The screen is beautiful and the camera (I have posted pics) is exemplary by Droid standards and actually quite good by even iphone standards (there are several in my midst, iphones that is) The battery for a moderate user is a two(2) day affair IMO but definately a strong one day monster for the heavy user. As for "Updates" it is in Motorola's best interest to make the flagship all it can be and quite honestly the few "tweeks" are pretty minor by tweek standards.
All in all, my son has the iphone 6+ and my Wife has the note , other son has the S5 - NONE could trade me if I had to give up my Turbo so, that is all I have to say about that.
The size, feel, mission focus and functionality of the Turbo is second to none. Just how every day or two it messages me and says, "Hey, are you interested in me doing this or that for you" is simply engratiating and wonderful. I wish my kids would do that ......

 

[jer39]

How can I answer the brightness questions... Seen a g3 and how dim they are?? The turbo is way way way brighter...

Now.. The n4 is even brighter... But in no way is the turbo screen dim.. It will eat your eyeballs in the dark.. The n4 will melt your face... Lol

LOL. Unfortunately I haven't seen a G3, at least in outdoor/daylight conditions. My only frames of reference are (1) my now retired S3, which was pretty terrible in direct light -- usable in a pinch but very unpleasant; (2) my office blackberry, which is super bright, but unfortunately has nothing on it that I want to look at; and (3) the iPhone 6 I've had the last 9 days, which has been really impressive in direct light. In fact, it's more bright than it needs to be...even at like 50%-60% brightness on the iPhone I can see well enough to easily make out what's on the screen...at 100% it's almost too bright. I'm not so worried about how any of these phones will fare in a dark room (assuming they can get low enough to avoid eating my eyeballs or melting my face) but more how they'll fare if I'm, say, out tailgating for a 4pm Giants game and want to stream video of the 1pm football games...or emailing with friends while at a beer garden, etc.

 

[jer39]

Also check out sony Xperia z3v, I think it does everything you are asking about better then turbo except being comfortable to hold in hand.

The Xperia z3v is just way too big for me. Plus I'd constantly worry about dropping it and having a shattered glass frame (regardless of whether it dropped on its face or back). I read really nice things about the non-Verizon z3 as well as the z3 compact (which may have actually been the perfect phone for me) but unfortunately I'm tethered to Big Red for the foreseeable future, so my next opportunity to own a Sony will be in late 2016.

 

[crxlsturbo]

Also there's a post on the xda turbo forums for some battery saving tweaks along with some apps to disable on the turbo that help with the battery also. Since I've made those tweaks my battery doesn't drop as fast as it used to. I have my screen brightness at 50%.

I will say that the turbo is the best mid size phone out there currently. If the Nexus 6 wasn't so big I would've jumped on it. But me like yourself have small-medium size hands and like doing things on the phone with one hand. So this phone is perfect for me.

If you were to buy the turbo you wouldn't be disappointed at all. My wife's 14 day Window is also up this coming Friday and she currently has the Moto x 2nd Gen. I'm thinking about trading it back in for a turbo or the Sony experia z3.

 

[94lt1]

That's a choice you're going to have to make.. I have no problems seeing the turbo screen in full sunlight at 50% brightness.. Now... Others like bsweetness aren't satisfied with it... All i can say is... Go check one out..

 

[bsweetness]

LOL. Unfortunately I haven't seen a G3, at least in outdoor/daylight conditions. My only frames of reference are (1) my now retired S3, which was pretty terrible in direct light -- usable in a pinch but very unpleasant; (2) my office blackberry, which is super bright, but unfortunately has nothing on it that I want to look at; and (3) the iPhone 6 I've had the last 9 days, which has been really impressive in direct light. In fact, it's more bright than it needs to be...even at like 50%-60% brightness on the iPhone I can see well enough to easily make out what's on the screen...at 100% it's almost too bright. I'm not so worried about how any of these phones will fare in a dark room (assuming they can get low enough to avoid eating my eyeballs or melting my face) but more how they'll fare if I'm, say, out tailgating for a 4pm Giants game and want to stream video of the 1pm football games...or emailing with friends while at a beer garden, etc.

Then for an easy point of reference, the Galaxy S3 had a max brightness of 330 nits. The iPhone 6 goes over 500 nits (some have reported close to 600 nits). The Turbo is 247 nits.

 

[bsweetness]

That's a choice you're going to have to make.. I have no problems seeing the turbo screen in full sunlight at 50% brightness.. Now... Others like bsweetness aren't satisfied with it... All i can say is... Go check one out..

Really? In bright, direct sunlight? That's crazy. By nature of the hardware limitations of the screen, that's really good. I have 20/15 vision, and at full brightness the Turbo would wash out in bright, direct sunlight. It's visible under a wide variety of outdoor conditions, but bright, direct sunlight isn't something it handles well.

 

[jer39]

Also there's a post on the xda turbo forums for some battery saving tweaks along with some apps to disable on the turbo that help with the battery also. Since I've made those tweaks my battery doesn't drop as fast as it used to. I have my screen brightness at 50%.

I will say that the turbo is the best mid size phone out there currently. If the Nexus 6 wasn't so big I would've jumped on it. But me like yourself have small-medium size hands and like doing things on the phone with one hand. So this phone is perfect for me.

If you were to buy the turbo you wouldn't be disappointed at all. My wife's 14 day Window is also up this coming Friday and she currently has the Moto x 2nd Gen. I'm thinking about trading it back in for a turbo or the Sony experia z3.

It's absolutely nuts to me that 5.2" is now considered "mid-sized"! I still remember the first day I went to the bar with friends after I bought my S3 back in 2012...most of them were iPhone owners who made fun of my "phablet." Even I thought the phone was pretty huge at the time. Now a 4.7" screen is considered a "mini"!

 

[94lt1]

Really? In bright, direct sunlight? That's crazy. By nature of the hardware limitations of the screen, that's really good. I have 20/15 vision, and at full brightness the Turbo would wash out in bright, direct sunlight. It's visible under a wide variety of outdoor conditions, but bright, direct sunlight isn't something it handles well.

I don't have a problem with it.. In bright direct sunlight... It could be because I have always ran my screens dim(because I live in a fringe area) so I'm used to it.. Idk what to say... It gets the job done for me.. If it means anything... I could almost make out the screen on the g3

 

[cr6]

Your best bet would be to go to your carrier and spend some time with the device to get a feel for it. Let them have you take a model outside to test. Even if they don't let you take the floor model out, carrier reps always have new devices, so chances are one of them will have the Turbo and let you go outside to check it out first hand. I can assure you that if you're this concerned about the brightness, this device may not work for you as outside viewing is one of its weaker points. That said, what works for one person does not necessarily work for another, and while you can get a "general idea" by asking questions like you're doing, ultimately you're going to have to get some hands on time with this device before making your final decision. Good luck! Hopefully you'll be happy with your findings.

S5 tap'n

 

[scottysize]

Hey all,

Trying to decide whether to turn in my iPhone 6 for a Turbo and needed some questions answered quickly as my 14 day return window is close to expiring. I've been an Android guy for years but in mid October, when I was sorely overdue for an upgrade, I couldn't find an Android device that checked all the boxes, and at the time, the rumors were that the Turbo was only coming out in 32gb, which was a deal-breaker. So I took the plunge on an iPhone. Days later the Turbo unveiling revealed a 64gb option, and in the meantime, I've come to realize how much happier I was with Android OS than with iOS. That said, there are many things about the iPhone that work well (which couldn't always be said of my very laggy Samsung phones). So now I'm wondering if I should swap phones.

I've read conflicting reports from online reviews on the below issues, each of which are important in the decision making process, so I wanted to hear from you Turbo owners about your thoughts...

(1) Form Factor: Most importantly, as a male with relatively small-to-medium sized hands, can I operate this thing one-handed? Is the device too heavy? Does it fit comfortably in a jeans pocket? Will I also need to throw a case on it or is it durable enough to withstand a waist or head height drop?

(2) Audio Quality: I'm not so worried about the quality of the external speaker, but how is the audio quality with headphones on? My phone is my exclusive music player and I use it daily during commutes, at work, etc., so sound quality is important to me.

(3) Sunlight Display: How easy/difficult is this phone to see/operate/read from in direct sunlight?

(4) Camera speed and quality: I've read everything from "this is the same cruddy camera as the Moto X" to "this is second only to the iPhone 6 Plus." So which is it? While I'm not aspiring to be a professional photographer, as a new father, I want a camera that will take good quality photos of my kid (in outdoor and indoor/low light situations) and a shutter that won't lag so much that it misses out on a fleeting photogenic moment.

(5) Battery drain: How bad does this guy drain during standby time (I live in NYC, so getting a signal usually isn't a problem for me).

Any other things I should know about before I go ahead and pull the trigger?

I had to move back from the 6 as well. Love the 6, but the hotspot is still an issue trying to use it with anything that is not Apple.

1. Form Factor - You're coming from an iPhone 6? The Turbo will feel small. A lot smaller than the 6.
2. Audio Quality - Not as good as the 6. The iPhone 6 has a great speaker and you'll lose some of that moving to the Turbo. It's "tinny", when compared to the iPhone 6.
3. Sunlight's fine. No issues. I'm not an AMOLED guy. I do find the screen is over-saturated and the colors are too much for my eyes, but moving it to 25% helps. I can bump it up using the brightness control widget from the Play store.
4. Camera speed - horrible. The speed is slower than any phone I've had for the past few years. It is really slow and comparing it to the 6, well, there's no comparison here. It's slow. Now, quality of the pictures. They're fine. I think they are better than the 6. The quality is what I care about, not speed. If speed is something you need, forget this device. I'd say look at the LG G3.
5. Battery Drain? You'll get the same amount of time using it as you do your iPhone 6. I had 39% left last night when I plugged it in. My iPhone would have been around that. It is still an Android phone and not an Apple phone. No one can compare to Apple when it comes to battery drain.
6. Radio Quality. (You didn't ask, but I'll add) The 4G radio is better on the Turbo than the iPhone 6. Sitting at my desk, I've never had 4G. In fact all my phones (including the iPhone 6) usually bounce from 3G to 1X and back. I have no choice with to use my WiFi. However, with the Turbo, not the case. It's worked great all day with no issues. Love the signal strength and quality!

So now you're thinking I hate the phone, right? Nope. I don't. I think it's a great phone and I can't wait for Lollipop to hit, but there are issues. And if you're comparing it to an iPhone 6, it's not as good as the 6. If I hadn't had the problems with the iPhone 6's hotspot, I would still have the iPhone 6. But, I did, and so I swapped. I'm happy with the Turbo and will be happy with it for a long time.

My 2 cents. Take 'em for what they are worth.

 

[FoxKat]

I had to move back from the 6 as well. Love the 6, but the hotspot is still an issue trying to use it with anything that is not Apple.

1. Form Factor - You're coming from an iPhone 6? The Turbo will feel small. A lot smaller than the 6.
2. Audio Quality - Not as good as the 6. The iPhone 6 has a great speaker and you'll lose some of that moving to the Turbo. It's "tinny", when compared to the iPhone 6.
3. Sunlight's fine. No issues. I'm not an AMOLED guy. I do find the screen is over-saturated and the colors are too much for my eyes, but moving it to 25% helps. I can bump it up using the brightness control widget from the Play store.
4. Camera speed - horrible. The speed is slower than any phone I've had for the past few years. It is really slow and comparing it to the 6, well, there's no comparison here. It's slow. Now, quality of the pictures. They're fine. I think they are better than the 6. The quality is what I care about, not speed. If speed is something you need, forget this device. I'd say look at the LG G3.
5. Battery Drain? You'll get the same amount of time using it as you do your iPhone 6. I had 39% left last night when I plugged it in. My iPhone would have been around that. It is still an Android phone and not an Apple phone. No one can compare to Apple when it comes to battery drain.
6. Radio Quality. (You didn't ask, but I'll add) The 4G radio is better on the Turbo than the iPhone 6. Sitting at my desk, I've never had 4G. In fact all my phones (including the iPhone 6) usually bounce from 3G to 1X and back. I have no choice with to use my WiFi. However, with the Turbo, not the case. It's worked great all day with no issues. Love the signal strength and quality!

So now you're thinking I hate the phone, right? Nope. I don't. I think it's a great phone and I can't wait for Lollipop to hit, but there are issues. And if you're comparing it to an iPhone 6, it's not as good as the 6. If I hadn't had the problems with the iPhone 6's hotspot, I would still have the iPhone 6. But, I did, and so I swapped. I'm happy with the Turbo and will be happy with it for a long time.

My 2 cents. Take 'em for what they are worth.

Great evaluation and mirrors what a lot of other members are saying and the experience that we I think are all having with the phone to some extent. As far as the camera is concerned and the lag on shutter speed, that's a software / firmware issue, & I believe it will be resolved with lollipop. The same holds true with battery drain. Truth is the turbo should do much better than the iPhone 6 with battery power, even with the better screen on the turbo, due to several factors, not the least of which is the better radios.

As far as battery drain between Android and Apple, your results may be different than I've experienced or seen, but it seems to me everyone that I know has an iPhone is always chasing an outlet or cord and is always trying to get a little more power into that phone because they're not making it through the day. I don't think I'll ever experience that with this phone.

Truth be known, due to the fact that Apple has their A8/M8 chips (CPU/GPU) made custom for them, and they have such a tight control of the operating system, the two being so closely integrated means Apple will at least again for the foreseeable future continue to outperform Android when comparing the same CPU speeds. There may be a time when that changes but it doesn't look like it's changing at least in this iteration and probably is another year or two down the road.

Don't get me wrong, current processors and coprocessors in these phones are now on par with Apple in terms of performance but they're at much higher clock speeds and with more internal cores to achieve the same performance levels as the Apple's CPU/GPU (only 2 cores are in the A8, and the M8 apparently has 4), so the result being it takes more power to run them than Apple's.

The proof is in the size of their battery at only 1,810mAh, where by comparison most competing cell phones have batteries in the 2,500 to 3,000 milliamp range and of course the turbo is all the way up to 3,900 milliamps.

 

[TatDroid]

Battery Drain? You'll get the same amount of time using it as you do your iPhone 6.

To say I'm shocked to hear that would be a huge understatement! I realize that Apple has the advance of controlling both hardware and software, and there are great efficiencies there, but the Turbo battery is more than TWICE the size! (1850mAh vs. 3900mAh). Could you really get 7 hours or more of screen-on time out of your iPhone 6?

Sent from my Droid Turbo