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GearBest

Lenovo Zuk Z2 64GB Snapdragon 820 Smartphone - $248.99 USD

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 8th, 2017 2:05 pm
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Banned
Feb 20, 2007
3042 posts
1316 upvotes
wearysky wrote: I love the *idea* of NFC (for things like Android pay, etc)... But when it comes down to it, I always have my wallet on me so I've always got my credit and debit cards. So I can't see myself ever thinking of NFC as a must-have feature (where it's a dealbreaker if the phone doesn't have it)
Has Android Pay been deployed widely enough in Canada for it to be useful? I'm pretty happy with the Tap on my credit card right now.
Jr. Member
Apr 20, 2006
102 posts
86 upvotes
Hi anhtuan,

How would you compare the screen quality to your nexus? I'm coming from a nexus5 and this looks like a good deal. I can't find out what the glass is made out of... I'm guessing it's not corning?
Deal Expert
User avatar
Nov 28, 2013
21330 posts
10938 upvotes
Oakville
anhtuan wrote: Has Android Pay been deployed widely enough in Canada for it to be useful? I'm pretty happy with the Tap on my credit card right now.
I don't think it's been launched in Canada at all yet. RBC has their own phone tap payment (using the RBC wallet app), and I think some other banks do too (I vaguely recall hearing about TD having something as well), but I don't think Android Pay is out yet.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 1, 2008
19157 posts
9081 upvotes
Toronto, Ontario
anhtuan wrote: Mini Review
Is the bootloader unlocked? Has more custom ROMs started being developed? Last time I saw, there was only CM13 and Resurrection Remix and I don't think they were considered stable?
RFD is love. RFD is life.
Banned
Feb 20, 2007
3042 posts
1316 upvotes
n1ng wrote: Hi anhtuan,

How would you compare the screen quality to your nexus? I'm coming from a nexus5 and this looks like a good deal. I can't find out what the glass is made out of... I'm guessing it's not corning?
The screen is definitely better than my Nexus 6, comparable to Nexus 6P, the colours don't look as washed out as the 6P. Fonts are very crisp and easy to read. I think they are calling the glass 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3.
Banned
Feb 20, 2007
3042 posts
1316 upvotes
geokilla wrote: Is the bootloader unlocked? Has more custom ROMs started being developed? Last time I saw, there was only CM13 and Resurrection Remix and I don't think they were considered stable?
Read on the Zuk forums Bootloader is unlocked and they released the source about a week ago so you should be seeing more custom ROMs pop up soon. Phone so far is very stable, I just don't like the UI it comes with. The middle swipe button takes some getting used to but its a lot faster than using the android back button.
Deal Addict
Sep 10, 2010
4024 posts
2374 upvotes
Ottawa
Loopy wrote: Android Pay is a big one.
wearysky wrote: I love the *idea* of NFC (for things like Android pay, etc)... But when it comes down to it, I always have my wallet on me so I've always got my credit and debit cards. So I can't see myself ever thinking of NFC as a must-have feature (where it's a dealbreaker if the phone doesn't have it)
I'm very interested in Android pay..but I always do have my wallet and credit cards with me. Not sure how the security is on Android/apple pay compared to using credit cards. I feel I would more readily lose my phone than I would lose my wallet (stolen is different).

Also no timeline on when these technologies are actually going to be rolled out, we are kinda in the stone ages in Canada compared to many other countries. If more things than just speakers and paying used NFC it would be a thing to consider seriously. I'm still quite on the fence.
Deal Addict
May 2, 2011
1550 posts
1130 upvotes
Toronto
NFC is cool to transfer pictures to other peoples phone.
Banned
Feb 20, 2007
3042 posts
1316 upvotes
CM13 has been released for this phone for those interested.
Deal Addict
User avatar
May 20, 2004
3379 posts
978 upvotes
Calgary
eugene188 wrote:
Loopy wrote: Android Pay is a big one.
wearysky wrote: I love the *idea* of NFC (for things like Android pay, etc)... But when it comes down to it, I always have my wallet on me so I've always got my credit and debit cards. So I can't see myself ever thinking of NFC as a must-have feature (where it's a dealbreaker if the phone doesn't have it)
I'm very interested in Android pay..but I always do have my wallet and credit cards with me. Not sure how the security is on Android/apple pay compared to using credit cards. I feel I would more readily lose my phone than I would lose my wallet (stolen is different).

Also no timeline on when these technologies are actually going to be rolled out, we are kinda in the stone ages in Canada compared to many other countries. If more things than just speakers and paying used NFC it would be a thing to consider seriously. I'm still quite on the fence.
Biometrics makes it better than cards.

My amex, mc and bank card all support apple pay. Any POS that supports tap seems to work with it.

I think lenovo made a mistake leaving it off.
Newbie
Aug 6, 2016
20 posts
7 upvotes
Can it be used on Wind mobile ? snapdragon 820 is supposed to suppot 1700/2100 wcdma
Sr. Member
User avatar
Oct 23, 2005
684 posts
257 upvotes
FYI.... i received my order last Friday and got charged for $41.09 duty by DHL for my Ontario address.
Deal Addict
Sep 10, 2010
4024 posts
2374 upvotes
Ottawa
lewdvig wrote: Biometrics makes it better than cards.

My amex, mc and bank card all support apple pay. Any POS that supports tap seems to work with it.

I think lenovo made a mistake leaving it off.
Wait...so you can use your phone to pay via Apple pay at any store that has the tap feature?
Deal Expert
User avatar
Nov 28, 2013
21330 posts
10938 upvotes
Oakville
lewdvig wrote: Biometrics makes it better than cards.

My amex, mc and bank card all support apple pay. Any POS that supports tap seems to work with it.

I think lenovo made a mistake leaving it off.
Biometrics are a fun buzzword, but they aren't really THAT secure (see all the various fingerprint spoofs that have happened). And the fact that governments can compel you to provide your biometric information, but can't compel you to provide your password, makes passwords a much better option IMO.
AsteriskC217350 wrote: Can it be used on Wind mobile ? snapdragon 820 is supposed to suppot 1700/2100 wcdma
You may be able to unlock that frequency, but officially it's not supported.
Member
May 23, 2006
313 posts
6 upvotes
More secure no. More convenient yes. I couldn't live without a fingerprint scanner on my phone. Takes 0.02 seconds to get right into my phone from locked.
Deal Addict
User avatar
May 20, 2004
3379 posts
978 upvotes
Calgary
wearysky wrote: Biometrics are a fun buzzword, but they aren't really THAT secure (see all the various fingerprint spoofs that have happened). And the fact that governments can compel you to provide your biometric information, but can't compel you to provide your password, makes passwords a much better option IMO.
Link to these various spoofs please?

Why would the government want to use my Amex at Starbucks?
Jr. Member
Apr 20, 2006
102 posts
86 upvotes
anhtuan wrote:
n1ng wrote: Hi anhtuan,

How would you compare the screen quality to your nexus? I'm coming from a nexus5 and this looks like a good deal. I can't find out what the glass is made out of... I'm guessing it's not corning?
The screen is definitely better than my Nexus 6, comparable to Nexus 6P, the colours don't look as washed out as the 6P. Fonts are very crisp and easy to read. I think they are calling the glass 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3.
Thanks for answering all the questions anhtuan. I was hoping that I could get the zuk z2 pro 4/64 (just can't seem to pull the trigger for the zuk z2) for a good price but best I could find is 420usd. That puts it in the same price group as ZTE Axon 7 or OP3. I'm thinking the Axon will be my next phone..
Last edited by n1ng on Sep 9th, 2016 5:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Nov 28, 2013
21330 posts
10938 upvotes
Oakville
lewdvig wrote:
wearysky wrote: Biometrics are a fun buzzword, but they aren't really THAT secure (see all the various fingerprint spoofs that have happened). And the fact that governments can compel you to provide your biometric information, but can't compel you to provide your password, makes passwords a much better option IMO.
Link to these various spoofs please?

Why would the government want to use my Amex at Starbucks?
Here's the most recent one that I remember seeing. So yeah, not particularly secure.

And the government obviously doesn't want to use your Amex at Starbucks... But if you've ever got anything on your phone that you don't want them to see, protecting it with only your fingerprint is definitely not the safest option.
Banned
Feb 20, 2007
3042 posts
1316 upvotes
Instructions for flashing CM13 has been posted:

http://zukfans.eu/community/threads/lr- ... -cm13.174/
THIS IS HOW I DID IT, I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILTY IF THIS DOESN'T WORK/ BRICKS YOUR PHONE!!!! IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH ADB/FASTBOOT DO NOT PROCEED!!!! THIS WILL WIPE EVERYTHING ON YOUR PHONE!!!!!

These are brief instructions..... not everything is written down as I have assumed at least a little knowledge of flashing ROMs.


Downloads:

TWRP DL: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24591000424945674
Download patched ROM: https://yadi.sk/d/csmjZ_qpu4AHq Thanks to Alexxey
ADB Drivers I used: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0MKgC ... NPR0k/view Device manager recognised it as a ShenQi Composite ADB Interface.
Open GApps: http://opengapps.org/ (ARM 64 - 6.0 - nano)

Unlocking phone:

Unlock your phone via the ZUK website: http://zukfans.eu/community/threads/zuk ... unlock.62/ (there is a small error with the unlock command on this page, use the one below)


TLDR
goto http://developer.zuk.com/bootloader (you will need to register)
flash the image using the following commands:

adb reboot bootloader
fastboot -i 0x2b4c flash unlock unlock_bootloader.img
fastboot oem unlock -i 0x2b4c

Follow on screen instructions



TWRP:

Get back into the dev options and turn debugging back on

adb reboot bootloader
fastboot flash recovery -i 0x2b4c "recovery.img"

Hit vol- twice, hit power to enter recovery (TWRP)


Prepping and flashing the ROM:

Wipe system/data/cache
Reboot into bootloader


Using your PC copy both the ROM and the GApps package over to your storage... i copied into the base directory of the device in Windows.


Flash the rom
Flash GApps
Wipe cache
Reboot system

watch wiggly CM-head

enjoy :)

Impressions:
No lag, nice and smooth.
Sound is improved with the CM audio settings.
Camera seems to be clearer... might be a placebo


PS: I am currently testing things.

Working:
Fingerprint reader (woohooo!)
Android Wear notifications (my Moto 360 is alive again!)
Tapping home goes "back"
Tapping home goes "home"
Holding home (not pressing) goes into "app switcher"
Everything else that is not below.....

Not Working:
Notification LED

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