Android: Phone News and Discussion Thread
Return of the Ring
Joined: Feb 2004
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^ Those are refurbished, though. I looked through a bunch of the reviews and the quality seems to be very hit-and-miss, depending on which seller you end up getting it from. Seems like too much of a crap shoot.
The ones on Woot are new. I even posted in their discussion and the mod confirmed it.
The ones on Woot are new. I even posted in their discussion and the mod confirmed it.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 28,427
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From: Miami, FL
How big of a deal is it, really, to lose the guaranteed Android updates? Seems like the original Pixel will stop getting them after this October (i.e. ~a month from now). That's kind of stopping me from pulling the trigger on that deal right now.
Obviously security patches are kind of important, but other than that, I should at least be able to upgrade it all the way up to Android Pie, right? May still be worth it.
Obviously security patches are kind of important, but other than that, I should at least be able to upgrade it all the way up to Android Pie, right? May still be worth it.
to me; the security updates are super important....
as long as the device is guaranteed security updates the latest and greatest software takes back seat. while it's still important to have the latest OS, the OS's are being built in incremental stages.
8.1 is not that much different than 7.1...ie; you'll still know how to use the OS, with some extra features thrown in.
Since I dont have a pie capable device, I wansn't able to join in on the beta this time around. however, from the beta users; just an incremental change from 8.1 to 9.1 with some extra features thrown in
as long as the device is guaranteed security updates the latest and greatest software takes back seat. while it's still important to have the latest OS, the OS's are being built in incremental stages.
8.1 is not that much different than 7.1...ie; you'll still know how to use the OS, with some extra features thrown in.
Since I dont have a pie capable device, I wansn't able to join in on the beta this time around. however, from the beta users; just an incremental change from 8.1 to 9.1 with some extra features thrown in
Return of the Ring
Joined: Feb 2004
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Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Virginia, Besieged
Zooming out fills the screen with video, and you'll only be annoyed if it's an older video with text that'll get dropped off the extreme top or bottom.
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Virginia, Besieged
Return of the Ring
Joined: Feb 2004
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Huh... well, you're correct that that article does not seem to mention it, but I keep hearing that the Pixel 3 will have wireless charging. Not sure if it's "officially official" yet though.
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Virginia, Besieged
Moderator
Joined: Jun 2006
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The notch looks bad and is one of the reasons why I didn't upgrade. Cost and need vs want are other reasons. I've upgraded my phone every single year for the past 9 years, this was the first time I didn't.
Just like how some think the Acura beak is fine and others don't
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: ShitsBurgh
Woke up this morning to Google's new Messages app installed on my Pixel 2XL. Not a fan at all, they're trying really hard to copy Apple's iMessaging. I figured out that I could uninstall it and poof, gone! At least for now 
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Virginia, Besieged
With the notch turned off, you've eliminated that part of the OLED for use in videos and landscape presentations.
I don't see any point in the deliberate elimination of screen real estate when they've gone out of the way to give it to you.
I don't see any point in the deliberate elimination of screen real estate when they've gone out of the way to give it to you.
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Frankly I couldn't give a damn about gaining a few millimeters of screen real estate. I can't think of a single instance where the loss of them would ever bother me.
Grandpa
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Virginia, Besieged
And I don't understand why a company that regularly goes out of the way to prioritize aesthetics and form factor would approve of such a strange and asymmetrical design.
Frankly I couldn't give a damn about gaining a few millimeters of screen real estate. I can't think of a single instance where the loss of them would ever bother me.
Sanest Florida Man
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 46,021
Likes: 11,789
From: Florida
Really disappointed in the whole notch trend... I mean I'm sure someone else would've done it even if Apple didn't. But them being the first just accelerated the propagation of the notch. If they do it, that means it's okay.
Is it that big of a deal? No, not really. But does a notchless, bezel-less phone look better? Find me someone that thinks otherwise, and that guy in the Samsung commercial that got his fade lined up to match the notch doesn't count.
Is it that big of a deal? No, not really. But does a notchless, bezel-less phone look better? Find me someone that thinks otherwise, and that guy in the Samsung commercial that got his fade lined up to match the notch doesn't count.
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I knew this would come back to me. I'm not so fickle as to not get a device just because of something like a notch though.To be fair, I purchased a power bank that came with a USB-C charger and an additional USB-C cable in preparation for a Pixel 3 XL.
Then I saw leaked photos of it. The notch on the XL was huge. Pics of leaked screen protectors for it confirmed it. Samsung = no notch but I will never get another Samsung after having two of their God-awful phones.
The app ecosystem is simply better on iOS. No, you still can't select default apps in 2018, which is really annoying. But developers prioritize Apple over Android more often than not. My own work focuses on Apple and doesn't give a shit about Android compatibility (yet).
I don't miss not getting updates on a timely basis. Nor do I appreciate the instability. I don't root, many of the guys here do (still?) so the updates and other problems don't exist for them. I'm sure the battery life and longevity issues improved, but that's always been something touted through updates going back to Kit Kat... which aren't guaranteed.
I was once that one person in the group chat with an Android that screwed things up. Texts not getting received, inability to add members or leave a group like you can in iMessage. A lot of my former Android diehard friends have iPhones now.
The fact that my 2 year old iPhone works great still, even the battery life (original) is still decent.
The Series 4 watch looks great and I'm getting one eventually. The state of Android Wear sucks.
Moderator
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As a whole I don't trust Google as much as I do Apple.
Yes, both companies are constantly tracking you. Even with Apple, wifi is still active for location despite turning the toggle off.
My Google home won't even work unless I allow it to track my previous locations and activities
Yes, both companies are constantly tracking you. Even with Apple, wifi is still active for location despite turning the toggle off.
My Google home won't even work unless I allow it to track my previous locations and activities
Sanest Florida Man
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Florida
I was once that one person in the group chat with an Android that screwed things up.
Moderator
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The problem (and this isn't exclusive to Android) is nobody can fucking decide on which messaging app to use.
FB messenger, Hangouts, WhatsApp, line, Snapchat (lol), Instagram, GroupMe, WeChat... Not even gonna count workflow ones like slack.
FB messenger, Hangouts, WhatsApp, line, Snapchat (lol), Instagram, GroupMe, WeChat... Not even gonna count workflow ones like slack.
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It's ok. Supposed to have end to end encryption, but there was some controversy a while back and I didn't follow. You can use it on your desktop too.
Textra was the best sms app I've ever used. WhatsApp though, I would consider a messaging app if that makes sense?
Last edited by Costco; Oct 3, 2018 at 10:06 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Miami, FL
I love both Textra and Whatsapp. Textra MMS (I guess because of Android) sucks at sending videos. Whatsapp obviously has the perks of read messages, video calls because everyone I know has it, just a smoother UI IMO.
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Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Mooresville, NC
This is the worst. We got two members in my family that are on Android and it ruins our group chat. Images and videos shared over message look like shit because everything's got to be downgraded because they're on Android. But when my sister is on her iPhone in Switzerland she can take a 3 min HD video and send it to me directly over iMessage, no problem. Try to send that to an Android phone it's converted to a video with 4 pixels and it can only be 30 seconds long. My SIL with Android complains to me about how the family doesn't communicate, I said it's because of your Android phone, we can't fully express ourselves and share much because your shit phone chokes the life out of the conversation.
In this day and age using a messaging app that isn't ecosystem dependent makes much more sense to me. Maybe Apple should open up iMessage to those not on an Apple phone.
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Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 44,116
Likes: 4,425
From: Mooresville, NC
Moderator
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Let's face it, hardware-wise the gap between phones isn't as drastic as it was 5 years ago. Back then the Note was considered huge and didn't have many competitors.
SMS is legacy tech at this point, and the numerous options we have when it comes to messaging apps is proof of it. And again, nobody can settle on universally agree on using just one unless their work forces them to.
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Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 44,116
Likes: 4,425
From: Mooresville, NC
I just can't stand trying to mutlitask on iOS or file browsing. I know am in the minority of people with the way I use my device but I can't stand iOS. The hardware they build I love.
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Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 44,116
Likes: 4,425
From: Mooresville, NC
From Apple's standpoint, this would take away one of the selling points of the iPhone, as well as the iPad and Macbook without really adding any other value.
Let's face it, hardware-wise the gap between phones isn't as drastic as it was 5 years ago. Back then the Note was considered huge and didn't have many competitors.
SMS is legacy tech at this point, and the numerous options we have when it comes to messaging apps is proof of it. And again, nobody can settle on universally agree on using just one unless their work forces them to.