[214324]

My guess is that it's supposed to emulate proper cameras, so it looks like a better quality camera, instead of that blurry crap.

I blame Nokia for doing this. They were the really obvious example from what I remember.

 

[VXAce]

  I blame Nokia for doing this. They were the really obvious example from what I remember.

Yeah, Lumia 550 and the likes. Massive block.

 

[214324]

All that's left to do now is wait for the Xperia Z5, though apparently rumors have said that Sony has fallen prey to the big screen game and it's going to be 5.5" from the 5.1/5.2" size...hopefully that's not true.

 

[vantt1]

I miss my HTC legend to be honest. That odd bend at the end is a bit pointless, but that cold metal feels nice.

Now my S4 may be faster, and the touchscreen is far more responsive, but you can't beat a metal phone. Good thing there seem to be more of them.

But they are all aluminum. Only Xiaomi has a recently released metal phone that's made of steel 

 

 
Actually the new Galaxy phones are fine. They aren't as silly as the previous ones at least. The only thing I will never understand in a few flagship phones: WHY DO YOU HAVE THE CAMERA FREAKING BULGING OUT OF THE PHONE?

The camera in any smartphone either comprises its thickest point (like a camera bump), or determines the overall thickness of the phone, if it is uniform. Inside a smartphone, the camera module can be placed in one of two main places; beneath the glass, or underneath the display. Placing it beneath the glass means the overall thickness of the phone is determined by the "front glass + camera module + back cover/housing" sandwich (e.g. Sony Xperia Z series, iPhone).

Placing it underneath the display means the thickness is determined by the "front glass + digitizer + display + mid-frame + camera + back cover/housing" sandwich. And if the rest of the phone doesn't want to be as thick as this sandwich, then the thickest point is the camera bump (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S series, HTC One series, LG G series).

To generalize, a phone with the former placement is typically thinner than the latter.

Also, large modules that don't really have anywhere to go in a phone that strives to be thin.
 

   

"Design" is a big word. It encompass not only technical work but very personal feelings. Everyone like different things after all, I am pretty sure even there are a very small percentage of human on earth that doesn't like nekomimi girls.

For me, the words "Design", "Designer" means that the product is most likely going to be form over function.

But yea, Samsung phones are ugly. HTC are OK, iPhones are too limited, Sharp and Sony are clean and angular and most importantly have the life saving phone strap port...

I really like Sony's clean design for the Z1 with that glass back. But the rest, compact, Z2 etc sort of reminds me of the older Samsungs, just not plastic.

I actually prefer the Z2's front speaker grille design over the Z1's. How do the rest remind you of Samsungs? Isn't the Z1 quite similar to the rest of them?

 

[Exesteils]

 
I actually prefer the Z2's front speaker grille design over the Z1's. How do the rest remind you of Samsungs? Isn't the Z1 quite similar to the rest of them?

Just the back being metallic/matte instead of glass like the Z1, which is what made me like the Z1 in the first place. Everything these days pretty much has the same design.
 
I do agree that the front speakers were an improvement. Can't watch movies on my Z1 without earphones

 

[214324]

  But they are all aluminum. Only Xiaomi has a recently released metal phone that's made of steel 

 
Also, large modules that don't really have anywhere to go in a phone that strives to be thin.
 
I actually prefer the Z2's front speaker grille design over the Z1's. How do the rest remind you of Samsungs? Isn't the Z1 quite similar to the rest of them?

Yup. Aluminum is too soft.
 
That part I'm aware of b/c the sensors are generally pretty big if you want that high quality of a camera. Stupid thin race ruining everything.
 
Z3+/Z4's grille looks best IMO. It kind of blends in w/ the seam between the glass and frame. Here's hoping the Z5 keeps that along with the rounded frame adopted from the Z3 (not that I see no reason it shouldn't). From what I've seen the rounded frame isn't hard to hold at all b/c it has such a big curve radius that it's pretty close to flat. Also I hope they change the back from glass. Matte metal would be good. Same finish as the frame, obviously.
 
As for the Z2 speaker grilles I feel like it's a lot more noticeable than the Z3+/Z4 because that one cuts into the frame rather than the glass. If you have a frame color that's not black, it seems much more noticeable.

 

[vantt1]

Just the back being metallic/matte instead of glass like the Z1, which is what made me like the Z1 in the first place. Everything these days pretty much has the same design.
 
I do agree that the front speakers were an improvement. Can't watch movies on my Z1 without earphones

They both have glass backs though 

 

 
Only difference being the Z2 ditched the ASF
 

 
Yup. Aluminum is too soft.
 
That part I'm aware of b/c the sensors are generally pretty big if you want that high quality of a camera. Stupid thin race ruining everything.
 
Z3+/Z4's grille looks best IMO. It kind of blends in w/ the seam between the glass and frame. Here's hoping the Z5 keeps that along with the rounded frame adopted from the Z3 (not that I see no reason it shouldn't). From what I've seen the rounded frame isn't hard to hold at all b/c it has such a big curve radius that it's pretty close to flat. Also I hope they change the back from glass. Matte metal would be good. Same finish as the frame, obviously.
 
As for the Z2 speaker grilles I feel like it's a lot more noticeable than the Z3+/Z4 because that one cuts into the frame rather than the glass. If you have a frame color that's not black, it seems much more noticeable.

Grilles that that cut into the glass + metal back + minimal camera protrusion due to curved back:
 

 

[214324]

  Grilles that that cut into the glass + metal back + minimal camera protrusion due to curved back:
 

Curved back I'm not sure about. Current profiling is fine.
 
And that was a freaking beautiful HTC One M9 concept. When I saw that spreading like wildfire before the crappy release I was really hyped for the M9. Then I saw the actual one on release and was like...yuck.

 

[214324]

Hm, anybody know why my Windows 10 update keeps failing? I see it installing updates every 10 minutes after it checks for it and failing it. I have an upgrade USB ready just in case though.
 

 
It doesn't show it b/c I forced a check but it was at 4:00 when it auto checked.

 

[Netforce]

  Hm, anybody know why my Windows 10 update keeps failing? I see it installing updates every 10 minutes after it checks for it and failing it. I have an upgrade USB ready just in case though.
 

 
It doesn't show it b/c I forced a check but it was at 4:00 when it auto checked.

might be running into some microsoft glitches

 

[vantt1]

 
Curved back I'm not sure about. Current profiling is fine.
 
And that was a freaking beautiful HTC One M9 concept. When I saw that spreading like wildfire before the crappy release I was really hyped for the M9. Then I saw the actual one on release and was like...yuck.

A curved back is easier to pick up off a table and feels more natural in the hand, but also quite slippery.
 
I was also pretty hyped for that purported M9. Those grilles made sense because that's what HTC did with their Nexus 9, and the front glass doubling as the speaker cutout would enable the LCD circuitry to blend into the design where the HTC logo is. If HTC decided to keep the black bar, at least put it up top so it is balanced out by the navbar.

 

[Tilpo]

Hm, anybody know why my Windows 10 update keeps failing? I see it installing updates every 10 minutes after it checks for it and failing it. I have an upgrade USB ready just in case though.

In my case it says I still need to wait for a notification before I can install it. Could it come out a little later in Europe vs Murica?

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

In my case it says I still need to wait for a notification before I can install it. Could it come out a little later in Europe vs Murica?

Can't upgrade either.

 

[Tilpo]

Also start of Touhou block now on SGDQ
http://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Also start of Touhou block now on SGDQ
http://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick

Yay!
Too bad that i missed the Oregon Trail run
But Touhou is nice. And the FEAR run after that is going to be awesome. That game is so broken. Half of the run is out of bounds schiit.