PH-1 in China: a BEAR to set up! But it works.

[msp1518]

Quick backstory: I was an early adopter. Pre-ordered and went through a bad experience getting the PH-1 and then finally returned it. Felt it was a disaster and not worth 700 with the terrible camera, screen touch issues and HORRIBLE customer service. Plus I was moving to China and realized I should stick with my reliable iPhone.

FF to Nov. Lots of updates reportedly make the phone better. More importantly, the price came down and on cyber Monday I snagged it for 399 with 360 camera. I am now in CHINA so getting it here wasn't easy. A friend of mine knows a pilot so I had it sent to that guy in Washington and he took it with him back here to China. Now it is in my hands and I have been using it for 5 days.

The camera is still trash. REALLY bad compared to my now 3 year old iPhone 6S+. I bought my lovely lady a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (which also features ceramic and a large screen to body ratio) and it is fast, lovely, with a camera that is just as bad. So the ceramic phones suck for cameras.

However, I am not having any lag or touch screen issues. I also have no problem (so far) with the 4G signal (the PH-1 is much like the iPhone 6S+, having all the 4G bands needed for China and Asia). The phone is performing nicely.

Let me state that since Google is blocked here the phone was completely useless until I could get a VPN on it and that was not easy. HOLY COW it was a struggle! It took two days of work to successfully get a VPN installed and the updates needed. Right now I basically use the VPN 100% of the time by having it set to automatically connect upon powering up.

This first gen phone was a good idea and has amazing build quality, but is not worth 700. It just isn't. If it had a camera that could at least match the iPhone 6 line, yeah, I'd say it's worth it when you consider newer iPhones are not at stupid price levels. But a bad bad BAD camera is not acceptable at flagship prices.

When one talks $400, well, that's different! I am still carrying my iPhone. Both are in my pockets. Eventually I will be full time with the PH-1 but there is a step learning curve so I need to get used to Android before I can stick my iPhone into my desk drawer (I'll never sell that phone since it's the last iPhone with a headphone jack).

By the way, I bought the white phone. It's super cool looking. If only I had a case! This sucker is slippery as heck. The ugly gray Tudia carbon fiber is on order from Amazon (the only one that can ship overseas). A shame that the clear cases do not ship over here. I had two different ones sent to family back home (they were sent to late too get to the pilot on time) and in January they will get to me here.

Amazon has two screen protectors listed that I found here in China. The company name listed is Mocolo.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BNV9M8/?tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6106254

Both are inadequate. The black full screen protector reduces the brightness of the phone and the other one does not reach the edges of actual screen content. That is rather lame. For now I have the full screen protector, which I am sure will not be compatible with any cases.

What I hope for is a successful PH-2 with the ocean depths color. THAT will be something I'd go for (if the reviews are good). Then I could give this PH-1 to my lovely gal's son. He will be 14 by the time the PH-2 is released.

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks for your detailed input! Could you post a few pictures demonstrating some of the flaws of the camera?

 

[msp1518]

Thanks for your detailed input! Could you post a few pictures demonstrating some of the flaws of the camera?

Very hard to do from China with the net upload speeds. I need to use a vpn to connect to this forum and it is sloooooow.

 

[msp1518]

I have a pretty decent connection tonight, so here are three photos. All three taken with a very steady hand.

 

[msp1518]

Good grief, the Essential thread is essentially dead these days! Pardon the pun, but it's true.

The Tudia gray case just arrived here in China and I really HATE IT! It is ugly to the hilt. My gf commented, "That makes your expensive looking phone appear cheap." Yeah, I agree. But it was the only case that I could get shipped here. It'll do until I can get some clear cases sent over by family as a care package. I ordered two. The Incipio and a similar looking one from an eBay seller.

The Mocolo screen protectors can be found here in China and DO NOT do the job. The clear ones are cut too narrow on the sides so that causes touch screen issues on the left and right of the screen. The edge to edge black ones fit properly, but they quite literally pop off after a couple of days! They have a thin adhesive layer around the edges that doesn't do the trick. Also, they are not compatible with the Tudia gray (or black) case.

So sadly, there has yet to be an actual solution for protecting the screen on this phone and that sux.

 

[Roosterman]

I've never used a screen protector on previous phones. I haven't had an issue either. For me, I've always used a case and this lifts the screen up when placing the phone screen down. I don't know where you carry your phone and issues that may cause, but I always carry mine in my front pocket and nothing else in that pocket.

I would think you should be ok even if you don't have a protector.

 

[msp1518]

I've never used a screen protector on previous phones. I haven't had an issue either. For me, I've always used a case and this lifts the screen up when placing the phone screen down. I don't know where you carry your phone and issues that may cause, but I always carry mine in my front pocket and nothing else in that pocket.

I would think you should be OK even if you don't have a protector.

Tempered glass screen protectors can save a phone from death. They are an 'essential' piece of protection for any phone I carry. I dropped my iPhone 6S+ a few times, once down a flight of concrete steps (I slipped on ice) and each time the glass protector cracked or shattered, saving the screen underneath from the same fate.

The Tudia case I have on the phone barely has a lip so it will be not exactly be useful.

Also, lots of folks have reported their essential phone's screen suffering micro scratches simply from being in their front pocket. No one likes their screen getting scratched.

 

[philesk]

Tempered glass screen protectors can save a phone from death. They are an 'essential' piece of protection for any phone I carry. I dropped my iPhone 6S+ a few times, once down a flight of concrete steps (I slipped on ice) and each time the glass protector cracked or shattered, saving the screen underneath from the same fate.

The Tudia case I have on the phone barely has a lip so it will be not exactly be useful.

Also, lots of folks have reported their essential phone's screen suffering micro scratches simply from being in their front pocket. No one likes their screen getting scratched.

I am using the OEAGO bumper case with the ORZERO tempered glass screen protector. Both got the PH-1 well and the lip on the bumper case sticks up just enough to keep the front glass from touching if the phone is put down face first.

Quick backstory: I was an early adopter. Pre-ordered and went through a bad experience getting the PH-1 and then finally returned it. Felt it was a disaster and not worth 700 with the terrible camera, screen touch issues and HORRIBLE customer service. Plus I was moving to China and realized I should stick with my reliable iPhone.

FF to Nov. Lots of updates reportedly make the phone better. More importantly, the price came down and on cyber Monday I snagged it for 399 with 360 camera. I am now in CHINA so getting it here wasn't easy. A friend of mine knows a pilot so I had it sent to that guy in Washington and he took it with him back here to China. Now it is in my hands and I have been using it for 5 days.

The camera is still trash. REALLY bad compared to my now 3 year old iPhone 6S+. I bought my lovely lady a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (which also features ceramic and a large screen to body ratio) and it is fast, lovely, with a camera that is just as bad. So the ceramic phones suck for cameras.

However, I am not having any lag or touch screen issues. I also have no problem (so far) with the 4G signal (the PH-1 is much like the iPhone 6S+, having all the 4G bands needed for China and Asia). The phone is performing nicely.

Let me state that since Google is blocked here the phone was completely useless until I could get a VPN on it and that was not easy. HOLY COW it was a struggle! It took two days of work to successfully get a VPN installed and the updates needed. Right now I basically use the VPN 100% of the time by having it set to automatically connect upon powering up.

This first gen phone was a good idea and has amazing build quality, but is not worth 700. It just isn't. If it had a camera that could at least match the iPhone 6 line, yeah, I'd say it's worth it when you consider newer iPhones are not at stupid price levels. But a bad bad BAD camera is not acceptable at flagship prices.

When one talks $400, well, that's different! I am still carrying my iPhone. Both are in my pockets. Eventually I will be full time with the PH-1 but there is a step learning curve so I need to get used to Android before I can stick my iPhone into my desk drawer (I'll never sell that phone since it's the last iPhone with a headphone jack).

By the way, I bought the white phone. It's super cool looking. If only I had a case! This sucker is slippery as heck. The ugly gray Tudia carbon fiber is on order from Amazon (the only one that can ship overseas). A shame that the clear cases do not ship over here. I had two different ones sent to family back home (they were sent to late too get to the pilot on time) and in January they will get to me here.

Amazon has two screen protectors listed that I found here in China. The company name listed is Mocolo.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BNV9M8/?tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6111539

Both are inadequate. The black full screen protector reduces the brightness of the phone and the other one does not reach the edges of actual screen content. That is rather lame. For now I have the full screen protector, which I am sure will not be compatible with any cases.

What I hope for is a successful PH-2 with the ocean depths color. THAT will be something I'd go for (if the reviews are good). Then I could give this PH-1 to my lovely gal's son. He will be 14 by the time the PH-2 is released.