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I was a teenage switcher to Android
#1
fade
fade
I got a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for my birthday, retiring my aging iPhone 5. It's pretty and shiny. In any case, let me chronicle my long, arduous switch from iOS to Android.
Here it is in list form:
1. They're like 99.9999999999% identical.
Here it is in list form:
1. They're like 99.9999999999% identical.
#2
Bubble181
Bubble181
It's slightly easier to find a charger for most android devices these days, since they're USB. Oh, and I think there's a 5gr difference in weight.I got a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for my birthday, retiring my aging iPhone 5. It's pretty and shiny. In any case, let me chronicle my long, arduous switch from iOS to Android.
Here it is in list form:
1. They're like 99.9999999999% identical.
#3
Tinwhistler
But they're small potatoes.
The reason I switched to iphone: Every pic I've ever taken on an android phone has sucked balls, but the pics I take on the iphone are pretty awesome (at least as can be for a non pro). So, I'm happy.
Tinwhistler
As an android-to-iphone switcher, I can say that there are subtle differences in UI theory.I got a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for my birthday, retiring my aging iPhone 5. It's pretty and shiny. In any case, let me chronicle my long, arduous switch from iOS to Android.
Here it is in list form:
1. They're like 99.9999999999% identical.
But they're small potatoes.
The reason I switched to iphone: Every pic I've ever taken on an android phone has sucked balls, but the pics I take on the iphone are pretty awesome (at least as can be for a non pro). So, I'm happy.
#4
strawman
strawman
About the one thing iPhone still has on Android is that the software updates go back 3-4 years on devices without wondering if your carrier is going to update your specific model of android.
Helps developers and end users.
Besides that, for most people they both load facebook and view kitten pictures just fine.
Helps developers and end users.
Besides that, for most people they both load facebook and view kitten pictures just fine.
#5
jwhouk
jwhouk
There are subtle differences. The most common for me is that if you get one with a processor that's not quite up to snuff, you're clicking off "Unfortunately, (InsertAppNameHere) has stopped. Do you want to close it?" dialogues constantly. And there are a few app startup issues.
#6
PatrThom
PatrThom
So far, Cookie Clicker is only available on Android, no official iOS version yet.
--Patrick
--Patrick
#7
Tinwhistler
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cookie-clickers/id703439482?mt=8
That's as close as you're going to get. The guy who made the original Cookie Clicker (Oteil) hasn't released a version for either platform.
Tinwhistler
So far, Cookie Clicker is only available on Android, no official iOS version yet.
--Patrick
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cookie-clickers/id703439482?mt=8
That's as close as you're going to get. The guy who made the original Cookie Clicker (Oteil) hasn't released a version for either platform.
#8
Dei
Dei
I was going to comment that I see my son playing something that looks like Cookie Clicker all the time on his iPad. Whether it's official or not, it's close enough
#9
PatrThom
I saw that in August he said he was working on an Android version, but I honestly don't know if he has released an "official" one yet.
--Patrick
PatrThom
Yep, I know. I looked before posting.
I saw that in August he said he was working on an Android version, but I honestly don't know if he has released an "official" one yet.
--Patrick
#10
GasBandit
GasBandit
They mostly are now, yeah. Wasn't so much, back in the day.I got a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for my birthday, retiring my aging iPhone 5. It's pretty and shiny. In any case, let me chronicle my long, arduous switch from iOS to Android.
Here it is in list form:
1. They're like 99.9999999999% identical.
#11
PatrThom
Ah, not so much a skin, as a combination of things to do so.
--Patrick
PatrThom
Can't you reskin your Android to look like iOS if you want?They mostly are now, yeah. Wasn't so much, back in the day.
Ah, not so much a skin, as a combination of things to do so.
--Patrick
#12
Jay
Jay
I don't miss Apple at all since I switched from the 5 last year is after 3 broken lightning cables and 6 other useless because Apple decided to fuck over their client and make their cables proprietary.
One thing I know is that my S6 charges fucking wirelessly and I can use my bluetooth ear buds which makes the whole process CORDLESS and under $45 Canadian.
Suck it apple.
Oh and the phone works better in almost every conceivable way.
One thing I know is that my S6 charges fucking wirelessly and I can use my bluetooth ear buds which makes the whole process CORDLESS and under $45 Canadian.
Suck it apple.
Oh and the phone works better in almost every conceivable way.
#13
fade
fade
Okay serious report after about 4 days of usage:
Things I like
1. I like the bigger screen. I thought I would hate a big phone, but I don't.
2. I like google's ecosystem, primarily for its portability. I liked Apple's, too, but I use windows and linux at work, and google works on those as well.
3. The fact that it has a bigger screen than the iPhone 7 Plus, and cost $200 less.
4. The camera is nice. I hear the 7+'s camera is better, and I believe it, but this one is far superior to my 5's.
Things I am ambivalent about
1. The edge screen. Whoopdeedoo. It's a gimmick.
2. The heart rate sensor. same
Things I dislike
1. I miss scrolling on the iphone. In particular, I miss the physics-based scrolling (e.g., with momentum), and I miss touching the top bar to scroll immediately to the top.
2. I miss Siri. S Voice is okay, but it's no Siri. I used Siri quite a bit to control the phone while driving.
3. I do miss the silly features of iMessage, because my wife used it a lot. But that's minor.
4. Heat. This phone makes a lot. That's not a problem I ever had with any iphone.
5. Simplicity. This is polarizing, I know. But the Android system's greatest feature is also its biggest weakness in my opinion. There's too much to tweak. Too many settings. But fade, you say, you can ignore them. Well not when you're looking for 10 minutes for how to silence one annoying notification.
6. This is the big one: Battery life. It sucks on this phone, even compared to the 4 year old phone I had used everyday.
Everything else is pretty much the same, so I have no changed opinion on that.
Things I like
1. I like the bigger screen. I thought I would hate a big phone, but I don't.
2. I like google's ecosystem, primarily for its portability. I liked Apple's, too, but I use windows and linux at work, and google works on those as well.
3. The fact that it has a bigger screen than the iPhone 7 Plus, and cost $200 less.
4. The camera is nice. I hear the 7+'s camera is better, and I believe it, but this one is far superior to my 5's.
Things I am ambivalent about
1. The edge screen. Whoopdeedoo. It's a gimmick.
2. The heart rate sensor. same
Things I dislike
1. I miss scrolling on the iphone. In particular, I miss the physics-based scrolling (e.g., with momentum), and I miss touching the top bar to scroll immediately to the top.
2. I miss Siri. S Voice is okay, but it's no Siri. I used Siri quite a bit to control the phone while driving.
3. I do miss the silly features of iMessage, because my wife used it a lot. But that's minor.
4. Heat. This phone makes a lot. That's not a problem I ever had with any iphone.
5. Simplicity. This is polarizing, I know. But the Android system's greatest feature is also its biggest weakness in my opinion. There's too much to tweak. Too many settings. But fade, you say, you can ignore them. Well not when you're looking for 10 minutes for how to silence one annoying notification.
6. This is the big one: Battery life. It sucks on this phone, even compared to the 4 year old phone I had used everyday.
Everything else is pretty much the same, so I have no changed opinion on that.
#14
strawman
strawman
Battery life is one area Apple has really been working hard on, and they are still ahead of the competition on all their mobile devices. Battery charging too, the longevity of the batteries over months and years is exceptional.
#15
jwhouk
jwhouk
Also, as I discovered the hard way, it's much easier to brick an Android than iOS. 
#16
fade
fade
I discovered App Launchers and Lock Screens. I did not know you could change those. Some research shows me that Action Launcher 3 and Nova Launcher are the most popular, but I couldn't get into them. My favorite so far is Microsoft's Arrow. Especially when paired with their Next lock screen. I never thought the day would come when I found myself a fan of a Microsoft product, but this one is really useful. It's the only one that's different, too. The others offer varying degrees of customization (which seems like a time sink to me), whereas Arrow gives you some useful additional screens, like Recents and People.
#17
Chad Sexington
Chad Sexington
I really like Nova, but I switched so long ago that I probably couldn't get used to a new thing nowI discovered App Launchers and Lock Screens. I did not know you could change those. Some research shows me that Action Launcher 3 and Nova Launcher are the most popular, but I couldn't get into them. My favorite so far is Microsoft's Arrow. Especially when paired with their Next lock screen. I never thought the day would come when I found myself a fan of a Microsoft product, but this one is really useful. It's the only one that's different, too. The others offer varying degrees of customization (which seems like a time sink to me), whereas Arrow gives you some useful additional screens, like Recents and People.
#18
GasBandit
GasBandit
You might look into the stuff Tasker can do, seems like something suited to you.I discovered App Launchers and Lock Screens. I did not know you could change those. Some research shows me that Action Launcher 3 and Nova Launcher are the most popular, but I couldn't get into them. My favorite so far is Microsoft's Arrow. Especially when paired with their Next lock screen. I never thought the day would come when I found myself a fan of a Microsoft product, but this one is really useful. It's the only one that's different, too. The others offer varying degrees of customization (which seems like a time sink to me), whereas Arrow gives you some useful additional screens, like Recents and People.
#19
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
I'm curious how you did thisAlso, as I discovered the hard way, it's much easier to brick an Android than iOS.
#20
jwhouk
jwhouk
Calibration app. Tapping was getting a bit wonky, so I tried this app... and the thing got worse to the point where I couldn't tap properly.
Even after I reset the thing, taps are still just a bit off (and I can't drag-drop icons onto the screens), but I'm not going to try it again.
Even after I reset the thing, taps are still just a bit off (and I can't drag-drop icons onto the screens), but I'm not going to try it again.
#21
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
Ah, that's not exactly bricking, but can obviously make it near impossible to use. Did you try a factory reset? You can boot into a restore mode and issue a factory reset without using the touchscreen, Google your model phone to find out how, it usually involves holding the power and volume buttonsCalibration app. Tapping was getting a bit wonky, so I tried this app... and the thing got worse to the point where I couldn't tap properly.
Even after I reset the thing, taps are still just a bit off (and I can't drag-drop icons onto the screens), but I'm not going to try it again.
#22
jwhouk
jwhouk
That's what I did. Holding the power and volume up button until the reset screen comes up.
The touchscreen's still a bit wonky. I can't add programs to my homescreens.
The touchscreen's still a bit wonky. I can't add programs to my homescreens.
#23
jwhouk
jwhouk
Update: I have discovered a little glitch when it comes to Android machines. When the Nextbook is connected via USB to a power source or computer, the "screen taps" suddenly become erratic and make using the tablet impossible.
What I discovered from doing a search was that this appears common, mostly because of how most Android machines are laid out. Electromagnetic pulses apparently trigger random "screen taps" along the edges, mostly in the middle part of the tablet (where you'd hold it in your hand). When you have the developer "show screen taps" option checked, it becomes obvious that the taps are coming from the sides of the screen.
The sad thing is, from the forum I perused that pretty much described the issue to a T, Google has done nothing to try to fix this issue.
What I discovered from doing a search was that this appears common, mostly because of how most Android machines are laid out. Electromagnetic pulses apparently trigger random "screen taps" along the edges, mostly in the middle part of the tablet (where you'd hold it in your hand). When you have the developer "show screen taps" option checked, it becomes obvious that the taps are coming from the sides of the screen.
The sad thing is, from the forum I perused that pretty much described the issue to a T, Google has done nothing to try to fix this issue.
#24
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
That sounds like a hardware flaw, not the software. So it would need to be fixed by whoever the manufacturer of the nextbook is.Update: I have discovered a little glitch when it comes to Android machines. When the Nextbook is connected via USB to a power source or computer, the "screen taps" suddenly become erratic and make using the tablet impossible.
What I discovered from doing a search was that this appears common, mostly because of how most Android machines are laid out. Electromagnetic pulses apparently trigger random "screen taps" along the edges, mostly in the middle part of the tablet (where you'd hold it in your hand). When you have the developer "show screen taps" option checked, it becomes obvious that the taps are coming from the sides of the screen.
The sad thing is, from the forum I perused that pretty much described the issue to a T, Google has done nothing to try to fix this issue.
#25
jwhouk
jwhouk
I've managed to mitigate the issue by unplugging it when I use it, but the extra-fast-scrolling still appears at times.
The extra dot thing seems to have disappeared after installing Norton Mobile.
The extra dot thing seems to have disappeared after installing Norton Mobile.
#26
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
So, I looked up who Nextbook is, because I'd never heard of them before. It looks like it's a chinese company that specializes in cheap tablets. There are a lot of cheap chinese tablet manufacturers, and quality is almost always spurious among them, but those are the concessions to take for something with that low of a price point. This unfortunately means that there's probably no way to solve the charging problem, as they're likely using cheap components, and from the sounds of it they're not shielded very well.
The comment "Google has done nothing to fix it" reminded me that most people don't understand what android is. This isn't like Apple, where a single company is manufacturing the hardware as well as the software. Google is only creating the software. Android is open to anyone that wants to use it, and is why it is so prolific in both high end and low end devices. Google has nothing to do with the manufacturing of the Nextbook.
This is also why many phones and tablets take so long to get the newest versions of android. Because Google updates the software, but it's up to the manufacturer to push it to their hardware. If you want a pure google experience, look into the nexus line of phones and tablets, as these are produced directly for Google, and in the case of the newest versions (as well as the new Pixel phones) produced by the now Google owned Motorola.
The comment "Google has done nothing to fix it" reminded me that most people don't understand what android is. This isn't like Apple, where a single company is manufacturing the hardware as well as the software. Google is only creating the software. Android is open to anyone that wants to use it, and is why it is so prolific in both high end and low end devices. Google has nothing to do with the manufacturing of the Nextbook.
This is also why many phones and tablets take so long to get the newest versions of android. Because Google updates the software, but it's up to the manufacturer to push it to their hardware. If you want a pure google experience, look into the nexus line of phones and tablets, as these are produced directly for Google, and in the case of the newest versions (as well as the new Pixel phones) produced by the now Google owned Motorola.
#27
MindDetective
MindDetective
I thought Google sold Motorola.
#28
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
I could very well be behind. Looking up the Pixel, it looks like HTC is manufacturing it, so they could have sold Motorola and gone back to having HTC as their manufacturing partner.I thought Google sold Motorola.
#29
strawman
strawman
Google bought the phone part of Motorola in 2011 stating openly it just wanted the patents so it could more easily defend android from competitors. After three years it sold everything but some 2000 patents and a few other things to Lenovo and a few pieces to others in 2014.
So if you see a Motorola branded phone it was made by Lenovo.
So if you see a Motorola branded phone it was made by Lenovo.
#30
fade
fade
One of the things an iPhone user grows tired of hearing is "LOL iOS doesn't even have widgets". Well, allow me as a switcher to say whoop-de-doo. Haven't found one yet that wasn't redundant, distracting, ugly, or gives info that couldn't be found with a whopping 1 additional click.
#31
GasBandit
1) the "ok google" widget, though that is now deprecated - used to have to have the widget on your screen to be able to say "ok google" and give voice commands. Now you can just set an option in settings to have that on all the time without the widget... but I un-updated my phone because verizon screwed up the update and it killed performance, so I have to keep using the widget
2) my phone's music control widget. Faster and more convenient than going into the app/pulling down the status bar to control music playback
3) Smooth Calendar widget. I like to see the next 3 things on my calendar on my home screen. I use my calendar for tracking a lot of work stuff.
I also use (not really a widget but worth mentioning as I don't think iOS lets you do this either) AnimGif Live Wallpaper 2, which lets me use animated gifs for wallpaper backgrounds, and Lightflow LED Control which lets you further customize notifications to make your LED do different patterns/colors for different notifications as well as custom vibration patterns and custom sounds.
Oh, and if you haven't gotten it already, I recommend ES File Explorer, as it has pretty good samba support. So if you've got any windows shares on your network, this is the best way I've found to access them.
GasBandit
Yeah, widgets are kind of overblown, but I do have 3 I use -One of the things an iPhone user grows tired of hearing is "LOL iOS doesn't even have widgets". Well, allow me as a switcher to say whoop-de-doo. Haven't found one yet that wasn't redundant, distracting, ugly, or gives info that couldn't be found with a whopping 1 additional click.
1) the "ok google" widget, though that is now deprecated - used to have to have the widget on your screen to be able to say "ok google" and give voice commands. Now you can just set an option in settings to have that on all the time without the widget... but I un-updated my phone because verizon screwed up the update and it killed performance, so I have to keep using the widget
2) my phone's music control widget. Faster and more convenient than going into the app/pulling down the status bar to control music playback
3) Smooth Calendar widget. I like to see the next 3 things on my calendar on my home screen. I use my calendar for tracking a lot of work stuff.
I also use (not really a widget but worth mentioning as I don't think iOS lets you do this either) AnimGif Live Wallpaper 2, which lets me use animated gifs for wallpaper backgrounds, and Lightflow LED Control which lets you further customize notifications to make your LED do different patterns/colors for different notifications as well as custom vibration patterns and custom sounds.
Oh, and if you haven't gotten it already, I recommend ES File Explorer, as it has pretty good samba support. So if you've got any windows shares on your network, this is the best way I've found to access them.
#32
fade
fade
Smooth calendar is nice. I was using Month as one of the few widgetseconds I did use. This one looks interesting.Yeah, widgets are kind of overblown, but I do have 3 I use -
1) the "ok google" widget, though that is now deprecated - used to have to have the widget on your screen to be able to say "ok google" and give voice commands. Now you can just set an option in settings to have that on all the time without the widget... but I un-updated my phone because verizon screwed up the update and it killed performance, so I have to keep using the widget
2) my phone's music control widget. Faster and more convenient than going into the app/pulling down the status bar to control music playback
3) Smooth Calendar widget. I like to see the next 3 things on my calendar on my home screen. I use my calendar for tracking a lot of work stuff.
I also use (not really a widget but worth mentioning as I don't think iOS lets you do this either) AnimGif Live Wallpaper 2, which lets me use animated gifs for wallpaper backgrounds, and Lightflow LED Control which lets you further customize notifications to make your LED do different patterns/colors for different notifications as well as custom vibration patterns and custom sounds.
Oh, and if you haven't gotten it already, I recommend ES File Explorer, as it has pretty good samba support. So if you've got any windows shares on your network, this is the best way I've found to access them.
#33
fade
fade
Can anybody recommend their favorite mail app? I don't really like the gmail app. It's really crowded and disorganized. I like Google's Inbox, but it only works for gmail accounts, and I need support for Exchange.
#34
GasBandit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsck.k9&hl=en
GasBandit
Back in the early days on my original Droid 1, I used to use K-9 mail, but I don't know if it sucks now after all these years.Can anybody recommend their favorite mail app? I don't really like the gmail app. It's really crowded and disorganized. I like Google's Inbox, but it only works for gmail accounts, and I need support for Exchange.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsck.k9&hl=en
#35
papachronos
papachronos
I use the actual Outlook app from Microsoft, and I find that I really like it.Can anybody recommend their favorite mail app? I don't really like the gmail app. It's really crowded and disorganized. I like Google's Inbox, but it only works for gmail accounts, and I need support for Exchange.
#36
fade
I found BlueMail, too. It's similar to gmail, but without the irritating clutter.
---
Another Android dislike(s):
Too many notifications + lack of badges. I know, I can weed out the notifications I don't want. This, funny enough, is one of the things the iPhone haters always point out as a problem with iOS--the weak implementation of notifications. I have to say, I do prefer the iOS way. Badging an app icon is unintrusive and tells me just what I need to know. 3 clicks to delete in a notification is more irritating than going to the app and deleting.
fade
I've heard good things about it, actually. Seems like MS's android team does good work. I really like Arrow.I use the actual Outlook app from Microsoft, and I find that I really like it.
I found BlueMail, too. It's similar to gmail, but without the irritating clutter.
---
Another Android dislike(s):
Too many notifications + lack of badges. I know, I can weed out the notifications I don't want. This, funny enough, is one of the things the iPhone haters always point out as a problem with iOS--the weak implementation of notifications. I have to say, I do prefer the iOS way. Badging an app icon is unintrusive and tells me just what I need to know. 3 clicks to delete in a notification is more irritating than going to the app and deleting.
#37
MindDetective
MindDetective
I miss badges too.
#38
jwhouk
jwhouk
Welp. Two factory resets later, and the "uncontrolled scrolling while plugged in" issue hasn't gone away. This makes me believe it's a hardware issue. I've already responded to NextBook's support people via e-mail.
The downside is, I don't know where the receipt is, and if I remember correctly, it's been over 90 days since I bought the thing.
The downside is, I don't know where the receipt is, and if I remember correctly, it's been over 90 days since I bought the thing.
#39
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
Did you buy it from a store? Try returning it to that store.Welp. Two factory resets later, and the "uncontrolled scrolling while plugged in" issue hasn't gone away. This makes me believe it's a hardware issue. I've already responded to NextBook's support people via e-mail.
The downside is, I don't know where the receipt is, and if I remember correctly, it's been over 90 days since I bought the thing.
#40
jwhouk
Sent from my Nextbook on Tapatalk
jwhouk
...It was over 3 months ago. I also am not sure where the receipt is.Did you buy it from a store? Try returning it to that store.
Sent from my Nextbook on Tapatalk
#41
Covar
@fade, SwiftKey on Android is far superior to the iOS version. Highly recommended.
Covar
I use Outlook on iOS and love it. Microsoft is really doing some great stuff with both platforms.I use the actual Outlook app from Microsoft, and I find that I really like it.
@fade, SwiftKey on Android is far superior to the iOS version. Highly recommended.
#42
fade
fade
After a month and a half, here's more opinions. Most of my experience is just fine and unremarkable, so I'll only comment on the negatives. The phone is slower than I expected. I mean, it drags more in the same apps than my iPhone 5 from 2012 did. I still don't like Material Design. So many of the apps on the Play Store are cancerous, and the ones that aren't are generally the same ones that passed Apple's human-in-the-loop wall. People complain about Apple's walled garden, but really, most of the apps I trust happen to also have passed Apple's check. That's not really pro-Apple if it sounds like it. It's more anti-Apple-hater.
On the email front, I still haven't found a good replacement for gmail. BlueMail and Outlook are nice, but they both are slow. Meaning they both take the same couple of seconds to load each email. When you want to plow through a whole list, that's an issue. Gmail is fast, but disorganized and ugly. Inbox is a good alternative, but it only works for gmail. Can't win.
On the email front, I still haven't found a good replacement for gmail. BlueMail and Outlook are nice, but they both are slow. Meaning they both take the same couple of seconds to load each email. When you want to plow through a whole list, that's an issue. Gmail is fast, but disorganized and ugly. Inbox is a good alternative, but it only works for gmail. Can't win.
#43
fade
fade
I'm just reiterating (because it keeps bugging me) that this new 2016 Samsung S7 Edge is noticeably slower overall at executing nearly every app than my 2012 iPhone 5. By "slower", I mean launch is slower, screen refreshes are slower, graphics updates are slower, etc. Especially Chrome. This very website in fact is nearly unusable on Chrome. Especially typing in this box. It can take nearly 5 seconds for a word to appear after I type it.
#44
Eriol
So blame JavaScript, not phones. Everything else is up to you how it goes. I'm a guy who's been on stock android for a while, and so most of the "this is f'n slow" stuff doesn't apply to me. Samsung... that's something else.
Eriol
There's actually something wrong with the website lately, and I'll bet it has something to do with somebody's signature, or something that's linked specifically. What I mean is that I've had a similar bug in Android, but under Firefox, but only SOMETIMES. Some replies are fine, no delays, and some have EXACTLY the behavior you're describing. When I can nail it down further, I'll post with which threads have the problems, but basically I'll bet it's JavaScript gone wild, and that you'd have the same problem on your "old" phone, but even worse.I'm just reiterating (because it keeps bugging me) that this new 2016 Samsung S7 Edge is noticeably slower overall at executing nearly every app than my 2012 iPhone 5. By "slower", I mean launch is slower, screen refreshes are slower, graphics updates are slower, etc. Especially Chrome. This very website in fact is nearly unusable on Chrome. Especially typing in this box. It can take nearly 5 seconds for a word to appear after I type it.
So blame JavaScript, not phones. Everything else is up to you how it goes. I'm a guy who's been on stock android for a while, and so most of the "this is f'n slow" stuff doesn't apply to me. Samsung... that's something else.
#45
fade
fade
Okay, but it's not just this website. I don't believe it's the phone hardware itself. But there's something definitely slower about Android Chrome across the board.
#46
GasBandit
GasBandit
Odd, my 2+ year old LG G3 uses chrome just fine, on this website and others... I wonder if it's something specific to the phone.
#47
fade
fade
Samsung's native browser performs just fine on this site, surprisingly.
#48
GasBandit
GasBandit
A quick google search tells me a whole lot of S7 Edge owners are complaining about chrome being inordinately slow.
Maybe try this?
Maybe try this?
- Go to the Chrome Browser
- Type or copy/paste “chrome://flags" into the URL bar
- Browse for “Maximum tiles for interest area”(#max-tiles-for-interest-area ) in the list
- Tap the Dropdown menu titled “Default”and change to 512
- At the bottom, select “Relaunch Now”to confirm the changes
#49
fade
fade
A "find in page" does not show that option on chrome://flags, unfortunately.[DOUBLEPOST=1483465701,1483465608][/DOUBLEPOST]A quick google search tells me a whole lot of S7 Edge owners are complaining about chrome being inordinately slow.
Maybe try this?
- Go to the Chrome Browser
- Type or copy/paste “chrome://flags" into the URL bar
- Browse for “Maximum tiles for interest area”(#max-tiles-for-interest-area ) in the list
- Tap the Dropdown menu titled “Default”and change to 512
- At the bottom, select “Relaunch Now”to confirm the changes
Googling shows the option has been removed.A "find in page" does not show that option on chrome://flags, unfortunately.
#50
GasBandit
GasBandit
Try settings -> Privacy and disable "safe browsing"[DOUBLEPOST=1483466833,1483466269][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, just for giggles, you might try the Adblock browser and head off other problems at the pass:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adblockplus.browser&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adblockplus.browser&hl=en
#51
fade
fade
Safe browsing sped it up a little in general, but it didn't change the laggy behavior in the text box.
#52
GasBandit
GasBandit
The more I google it (which I shouldn't be doing because work is bonkers) the more it looks like the S7 and S7 Edge (and sometimes even the S6) seem to have that problem a lot - either it works forever or it doesn't and it's a bitch to fix. At this point I'm guessing it's because Samsung did something when they monkeyed with android to make it their own. I've run into one or two irritations myself from verizon nonsense on my phone - I swear, going forward, I'm just gonna buy unlocked phones straight from google so I really have vanilla, unadulterated android and the carriers can just go fuck themselves.
#53
Dei
Dei
Or just buy a Pixel instead of an S7. >.>
#54
GasBandit
GasBandit
Yeah, that's what I meant. It may cost $600, but I just may be willing to pay that to not have to put up with carrier/manufacturer bullshit, and to be able to change carriers at will without being locked into a contract.Or just buy a Pixel instead of an S7. >.>
#55
fade
fade
I bought my s7 edge unlocked from best buy. They had a sale for like 550 bucks right on my birthday of all days. No carrier gunk at all. That actually turned out to be a negative on one count. Most of the carriers enabled the FM receiver on the S7, but the unlocked version has it disabled, unfortunately.
The samsung browser is superior in every way but one: syncing with my desktop. There's a Chrome extension for doing so, but I cannot log in. I am 100% sure my password is correct, too, because I use a manager, and it works when I go directly to the website. But the extension tells me incorrect username or password. And according to the feedback, I'm not the only person having the issue.
The samsung browser is superior in every way but one: syncing with my desktop. There's a Chrome extension for doing so, but I cannot log in. I am 100% sure my password is correct, too, because I use a manager, and it works when I go directly to the website. But the extension tells me incorrect username or password. And according to the feedback, I'm not the only person having the issue.
#56
Dei
Dei
I think it's more than $600, I think my phone was $800 before my husband's work discount. But tbh, the carrier stuff on my Pixel has been completely unobtrusive.Yeah, that's what I meant. It may cost $600, but I just may be willing to pay that to not have to put up with carrier/manufacturer bullshit, and to be able to change carriers at will without being locked into a contract.
#57
GasBandit
GasBandit
Some people still do it, but I only did to get tethering functionality and now that is standard... so I didn't really see the need to bother with it this time.Is rooting your android phone no longer a thing?
#58
fade
fade
Switching from SwiftKey to Gboard made typing in this box more tolerable. But this is still the only website that has given me any issue. It seems to be related to whatever code is used for this box.[DOUBLEPOST=1483546209,1483545857][/DOUBLEPOST]Seems I'm not alone with having this issue on Xenforo: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/slow-typing-with-nexus-4-samsung-s3-stock-firmware-4-4.66047/[DOUBLEPOST=1483546641][/DOUBLEPOST]Whoa!!!! I disabled the rich text editor in user->preferences, and it is super speedy now! I'm guessing the version here is from before the fix mentioned in that link?
#59
GasBandit
GasBandit
We've DEFINITELY updated more than once since Jan 2014...[DOUBLEPOST=1483547492,1483547257][/DOUBLEPOST]Just for giggles I've tried manually switching to their provided redactor.js... maybe see if that helps. You'll probably have to flush out your cache, though.Whoa!!!! I disabled the rich text editor in user->preferences, and it is super speedy now! I'm guessing the version here is from before the fix mentioned in that link?
#60
fade
fade
I wasn't sure about server side caching (CloudFlare, etc.), but that is definitely faster. Not as fast as turning off the rich text editor, but at least I can see my typing now.
#61
GasBandit
GasBandit
Javascript strikes again (shakes fist)
#62
fade
fade
It seems the unlocked version of this phone has a slower update schedule than the carrier versions, and there's a lot of buck-passing on who actually does it. I was going to just flash the T-Mobile firmware and be done with it. Then I found out you can just flash the modem firmware. I did that, and my signal is much improved. Battery life, too. I am at about 75% right now, when I'm usually at 45 or so. Less signal searching and cleanup.
I'm still considering flashing the whole T-Mobile firmware. I know there's some bloatware, but T-Mobile has also unlocked the FM receiver. Apparently the unlocked phone is the only one that hasn't (ironically) unlocked the FM receiver. There are some pretty decent T-Mobile network features that you can only get that way, too. Anyway, I can always just go back.
I'm still considering flashing the whole T-Mobile firmware. I know there's some bloatware, but T-Mobile has also unlocked the FM receiver. Apparently the unlocked phone is the only one that hasn't (ironically) unlocked the FM receiver. There are some pretty decent T-Mobile network features that you can only get that way, too. Anyway, I can always just go back.
#63
strawman
I like fiddling. I enjoy it. There's an open ended sandbox and I can control every single aspect of it.
But it's sand. It gets everywhere, and takes time to build anything useful. Someone else is always coming out with some new thing I'll have to try, and chances are good I'll be able to actually use the device quickly and painlessly when I need to, but there will be a lot of times I'll need to use it and it'll be slow, crashing, not connecting when it should, etc.
I decided to cut that rope long ago, just use the apple device, accept its limitations, and free myself from the endless configurability and tinkering.
It's not a bad choice either way. But by doing so I've turned it into a tool that saves me time rather than soaking up more time.
strawman
And this is the #1 reason I won't go with android.It seems the unlocked version of this phone has a slower update schedule than the carrier versions, and there's a lot of buck-passing on who actually does it. I was going to just flash the T-Mobile firmware and be done with it. Then I found out you can just flash the modem firmware. I did that, and my signal is much improved. Battery life, too. I am at about 75% right now, when I'm usually at 45 or so. Less signal searching and cleanup.
I'm still considering flashing the whole T-Mobile firmware. I know there's some bloatware, but T-Mobile has also unlocked the FM receiver. Apparently the unlocked phone is the only one that hasn't (ironically) unlocked the FM receiver. There are some pretty decent T-Mobile network features that you can only get that way, too. Anyway, I can always just go back.
I like fiddling. I enjoy it. There's an open ended sandbox and I can control every single aspect of it.
But it's sand. It gets everywhere, and takes time to build anything useful. Someone else is always coming out with some new thing I'll have to try, and chances are good I'll be able to actually use the device quickly and painlessly when I need to, but there will be a lot of times I'll need to use it and it'll be slow, crashing, not connecting when it should, etc.
I decided to cut that rope long ago, just use the apple device, accept its limitations, and free myself from the endless configurability and tinkering.
It's not a bad choice either way. But by doing so I've turned it into a tool that saves me time rather than soaking up more time.
#64
fade
fade
Yeah, same feeling here. That, and as much as I love to fiddle, I never really had the urge on my phone. It's not a full-on device to me. It's a go-between facilitator, so I'm perfectly fine with it functioning as an appliance.
#65
PatrThom
Just buy two phones every year. One for work, one for play. Nobody has to suffer.
...except your wallet.
--Patrick
PatrThom
The solution seems obvious.And this is the #1 reason I won't go with android.
I like fiddling. I enjoy it. There's an open ended sandbox and I can control every single aspect of it.
But it's sand. It gets everywhere, and takes time to build anything useful. Someone else is always coming out with some new thing I'll have to try, and chances are good I'll be able to actually use the device quickly and painlessly when I need to, but there will be a lot of times I'll need to use it and it'll be slow, crashing, not connecting when it should, etc.
I decided to cut that rope long ago, just use the apple device, accept its limitations, and free myself from the endless configurability and tinkering.
It's not a bad choice either way. But by doing so I've turned it into a tool that saves me time rather than soaking up more time.
Just buy two phones every year. One for work, one for play. Nobody has to suffer.
...except your wallet.
--Patrick
#66
strawman
Remember the bad old days? I carried a flip phone and the Compaq iPaq 3630 color PDA.
Eventually moved to a windows mobile phone (slider, don't recall the model) but had to carry a zune for my tunes.
Now I've got a device which pretty much does it all, and I've even combined my wallet with it.
I'm not about to start using two devices again.
(well, ok, you got me, I'm wearing a pebble watch too... )
strawman
Ooof.The solution seems obvious.
Just buy two phones every year. One for work, one for play. Nobody has to suffer.
...except your wallet.
--Patrick
Remember the bad old days? I carried a flip phone and the Compaq iPaq 3630 color PDA.
Eventually moved to a windows mobile phone (slider, don't recall the model) but had to carry a zune for my tunes.
Now I've got a device which pretty much does it all, and I've even combined my wallet with it.
I'm not about to start using two devices again.
(well, ok, you got me, I'm wearing a pebble watch too... )
#67
fade
fade
So I decided to turn off the 3rd party lock screen replacement I was using (Microsoft's Next), and my battery life increased dramatically. I'm at 71% at the end of the workday. Seems it's quite the hog. Reading the reviews on the Play store, seems I'm not the only one. It doesn't even add a whole lot, so it's gone. Only thing I'll miss are the iOS-like quick settings on the lock screen. For example, switches for flashlight, bluetooth, and airplane mode.
#68
Dei
Dei
Can you not just swipe down on the lock screen to get those? I can on my Pixel.So I decided to turn off the 3rd party lock screen replacement I was using (Microsoft's Next), and my battery life increased dramatically. I'm at 71% at the end of the workday. Seems it's quite the hog. Reading the reviews on the Play store, seems I'm not the only one. It doesn't even add a whole lot, so it's gone. Only thing I'll miss are the iOS-like quick settings on the lock screen. For example, switches for flashlight, bluetooth, and airplane mode.
#69
fade
fade
That just brings up the PIN entry. I'm open to any ideas.[DOUBLEPOST=1485212105,1485211907][/DOUBLEPOST]Weird, the internet agrees with you, but it doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe it only works if you don't have a PIN?Can you not just swipe down on the lock screen to get those? I can on my Pixel.
#70
Dei
Dei
I have a PIN also, but I also have a different phone.That just brings up the PIN entry. I'm open to any ideas.[DOUBLEPOST=1485212105,1485211907][/DOUBLEPOST]Weird, the internet agrees with you, but it doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe it only works if you don't have a PIN?
#71
GasBandit
GasBandit
I... I don't even lock my phone.
#72
fade
fade
The main reason I lock mine is because I don't want my nosy kids on there.I... I don't even lock my phone.
#73
GasBandit
GasBandit
Ah, yes. That makes sense.
#74
fade
fade
Oh wait it does work. You just have to go to the very top of the screen. Oops, my bad. Thanks @Dei
#75
PatrThom
--Patrick
PatrThom
A lot of times the "swipe down" or "swipe <direction>" in general require that your finger start from off the screen's surface, outside the screen's sensing area.Oh wait it does work. You just have to go to the very top of the screen. Oops, my bad. Thanks @Dei
--Patrick
#76
fade
fade
Here's another thing I don't like about Android: the community. Well the journalistic community. The Apple feeds are all upbeat and hopeful, like "Look at this neat new thing", but the Android feeds (e.g. Android Authority, Android Central) are mostly, "Oh gee look who did us wrong today!"
#77
Eriol
I fully acknowledge that we may both be seeing exactly the same articles and commenting differently on them. It may be our own biases showing up.
Eriol
See, I think that the Apple "media" are a bunch of fawning sycophants who throw their money at Apple for only the barest of reasons, whereas the Android media is realistic about the pros and cons of what they're reviewing.Here's another thing I don't like about Android: the community. Well the journalistic community. The Apple feeds are all upbeat and hopeful, like "Look at this neat new thing", but the Android feeds (e.g. Android Authority, Android Central) are mostly, "Oh gee look who did us wrong today!"
I fully acknowledge that we may both be seeing exactly the same articles and commenting differently on them. It may be our own biases showing up.
#78
Bubble181
Bubble181
Clearly, one of you is Right, and the other is Wrong.See, I think that the Apple "media" are a bunch of fawning sycophants who throw their money at Apple for only the barest of reasons, whereas the Android media is realistic about the pros and cons of what they're reviewing.
I fully acknowledge that we may both be seeing exactly the same articles and commenting differently on them. It may be our own biases showing up.
#79
DarkAudit
(Full disclosure, I bailed on my old Evo when the 4S came out. Got tired of the delays in updating the OS. Tired of phone makers replacing stock apps with their own that didn't work as well. Tired of my flagship phone getting left in the dust after barely 6 months. Is it any better now? Are we out of the root or die era?)
DarkAudit
Fixed.Clearly, Android is Wrong.
(Full disclosure, I bailed on my old Evo when the 4S came out. Got tired of the delays in updating the OS. Tired of phone makers replacing stock apps with their own that didn't work as well. Tired of my flagship phone getting left in the dust after barely 6 months. Is it any better now? Are we out of the root or die era?)
#80
GasBandit
Phones you get with your contract from Verizon/AT&T are still the same story. And that's a genuine problem with the android marketplace.
GasBandit
I would say "only if you can afford to buy your phone separate from your carrier." Which is becoming more of a thing, but still will run you 4-600 bucks (or more) depending on the model you want.Is it any better now? Are we out of the root or die era?)
Phones you get with your contract from Verizon/AT&T are still the same story. And that's a genuine problem with the android marketplace.
#81
Denbrought
Denbrought
If you don't try to get the best phone to begin with, you don't feel like you're sinking fast 
Me, my wife, my brother, his wife, and my mom are all extremely satisfied with the Moto E/G/X series. If it gets too bad, the cost to upgrade is minimal.
Me, my wife, my brother, his wife, and my mom are all extremely satisfied with the Moto E/G/X series. If it gets too bad, the cost to upgrade is minimal.
#82
PatrThom
On a separate note, I hear the OnePlus 5 is actually a good buy right now.
--Patrick
PatrThom
Huh.It may be our own biases showing up.
On a separate note, I hear the OnePlus 5 is actually a good buy right now.
--Patrick
#83
fade
fade
NONONONONONO. Not for samsung anyway. Oh believe me. The Unlocked model was the absolute last to get Nougat, and we still haven't gotten the June security patch. All the carriers got the updates first. And man, were the unlocked customers pissed. The rumor is that the carrier phones got updates first because of deals with Samsung.I would say "only if you can afford to buy your phone separate from your carrier." Which is becoming more of a thing, but still will run you 4-600 bucks (or more) depending on the model you want.
Phones you get with your contract from Verizon/AT&T are still the same story. And that's a genuine problem with the android marketplace.
#84
GasBandit
GasBandit
Well, yeah, in general principle I wouldn't buy a samsung, personally, even unlocked. They're the "Dell" of Android devices.NONONONONONO. Not for samsung anyway. Oh believe me. The Unlocked model was the absolute last to get Nougat, and we still haven't gotten the June security patch. All the carriers got the updates first. And man, were the unlocked customers pissed. The rumor is that the carrier phones got updates first because of deals with Samsung.
#85
fade
fade
I really do miss my iPhone, though. I had given my 5 year old iPhone 5 to my daughter, and I pick it up, and it is still noticeably faster than my Galaxy S7. It can sometimes take a second or 3 for apps to start on my Samsung, but even on the old iPhone, the same apps still start instantaneously. Safari is greased lightning compared to Chrome. Yes, I have read the technical reasons behind this, and how it relates to the iPhone's lack of true multitasking--which I notice very little difference with on the Android anyway. I think next phone I'm going back to Apple. Everything feels clunkier and more roundabout on Android. Clearly, this is to satisfy the multitude of hardware models, but I still don't like it in a phone. I couldn't get two farts about customization. I treat my phone's OS as a go-between for starting apps. I don't care what it looks like. I don't care about UI tweaks or "faster" launchers (really, how slow is it to push a button with an app name on it).
#86
Dei
Dei
My iPhone 5 battery would never last for more than an hour or two, even after I got it replaced because of the blown battery defect. I don't miss it. I <3 my Pixel though, but I still kill that in about 4-5 hours.
#87
PatrThom
PatrThom
I used to get anywhere from 2-4 days on my iPhone 5 until the battery got old (it was NOT one of the ones that got replaced for free under the program). So I had a new battery put in it and I'm back to 2-4 days on a full charge.
...this could be because I demand so very little of my phone. Just maybe.
--Patrick
...this could be because I demand so very little of my phone. Just maybe.
--Patrick
#88
strawman
My iphone 6+ is nearly 3 years old, so I'm planning on upgrading this fall, and while I'm aiming for the iPhone 8 (whatever their flagship will be) I was going to spend some serious time looking at android just before the iphone release in case the next iphone wasn't all that and a bag of kittens.
strawman
I was just wondering what your verdict was, having been on both parts of "the grass is always greener..."I think next phone I'm going back to Apple.
My iphone 6+ is nearly 3 years old, so I'm planning on upgrading this fall, and while I'm aiming for the iPhone 8 (whatever their flagship will be) I was going to spend some serious time looking at android just before the iphone release in case the next iphone wasn't all that and a bag of kittens.
#89
Gared
Gared
I've been on both sides of the fence now as well, and - while I've been limited to Samsung for my Android experience, the S7 - I have to agree with Fade on this one. Everything just seems to take longer on the Samsungs than it did on the iPhone 5s's that we upgraded from. In fact, if my wife's iPhone hadn't completely crapped out (the mic died, so if she didn't have a headset it couldn't be a phone anymore), I'd almost consider going back to them, but we still owe about $1k on the stupid Samsung phones. And it isn't just the actual loading time from when I tap the icon to when it opens, it's the extra steps that you have to take to do things - especially since an upgrade back in Q1 or so of this year. If I want to use video voicemail I have to open it separately from the phone "call" system, and it can't remember contact names worth a damn; plus, sometimes it just doesn't work at all and I have to call the vmail number through AT&T and retrieve the message the old fashioned way. Before the upgrade mentioned above, if I got a text message, I could tap on the notification on the lock screen and swipe it to go directly to the message. Now, doing that just takes you to all of your notifications and then you have to tap that notification again, which takes you to a screen that says "Swipe screen to open", after which you will finally be taken to the message. Why would I want to see all of my notifications AGAIN and re-pick which one I wanted to respond to?
Then you have the Apple iMessage advantage - Android may have a messaging app with the same functionality, but it's not the default. In the same update that killed notification ease-of-use, they also changed the amount of time that the screen could be lit without opening the OS from the lock screen - not the amount of time that it was lit by default, the amount of time that it could be lit for. Originally you could set it to whatever you wanted, and the default was around 6 seconds; after the update your choices were 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds. And it isn't just that the screen goes dark again either. No, it also kicks you out of anything you were entering. So, if you have a PIN set up on it, or your thumbprint, it's usually ok; but if you have a password set up, or if you've rebooted your phone, or if it's just been 24 hours since you opened it, if the password is too long it can time out while entering it and you get to start again and hope your fingers are nimbler the next time around (that behavior seems to have stopped though, so it may have been a bug). I've never used it in split screen mode, so the availability of multi-tasking is meaningless to me; and in the 9 months I've had it, I've only used the headphone jack once, so Apple's removal of it really shouldn't bother me that much. Also - as much as this really shouldn't be a big issue to me - it really, really bugs me that I can't permanently nuke Samsung Pay off of the damn thing, or at least permanently disable it. My credit union is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to offer Samsung Pay support. I know this. I've asked. They won't do it. Please, for the love of god, let me get rid of this stupid app. It's like Windows Compatibility Telemetry for crying out loud!
Then you have the Apple iMessage advantage - Android may have a messaging app with the same functionality, but it's not the default. In the same update that killed notification ease-of-use, they also changed the amount of time that the screen could be lit without opening the OS from the lock screen - not the amount of time that it was lit by default, the amount of time that it could be lit for. Originally you could set it to whatever you wanted, and the default was around 6 seconds; after the update your choices were 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds. And it isn't just that the screen goes dark again either. No, it also kicks you out of anything you were entering. So, if you have a PIN set up on it, or your thumbprint, it's usually ok; but if you have a password set up, or if you've rebooted your phone, or if it's just been 24 hours since you opened it, if the password is too long it can time out while entering it and you get to start again and hope your fingers are nimbler the next time around (that behavior seems to have stopped though, so it may have been a bug). I've never used it in split screen mode, so the availability of multi-tasking is meaningless to me; and in the 9 months I've had it, I've only used the headphone jack once, so Apple's removal of it really shouldn't bother me that much. Also - as much as this really shouldn't be a big issue to me - it really, really bugs me that I can't permanently nuke Samsung Pay off of the damn thing, or at least permanently disable it. My credit union is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to offer Samsung Pay support. I know this. I've asked. They won't do it. Please, for the love of god, let me get rid of this stupid app. It's like Windows Compatibility Telemetry for crying out loud!
#90
PatrThom
As far as Android goes, I was looking at investigating the Essential phone, but the only carrier it's going to start with is ... Sprint? Some of the OnePlus models look interesting, though of course I don't understand all the Android-specific features, and I've never had to go exploring through their app store.
--Patrick
PatrThom
I don't own an Android phone (The only smartphone I've ever owned so far is the iPhone 5 I mentioned earlier), but I'll be looking to upgrade soon as well because my aforementioned iPhone 5 will be losing app support soon - The newest version of the Skype app has already told me it won't update because is no longer compatible with my device, and the deadline isn't actually until this Fall.while I'm aiming for the iPhone 8 (whatever their flagship will be) I was going to spend some serious time looking at android just before the iphone release in case the next iphone wasn't all that and a bag of kittens.
As far as Android goes, I was looking at investigating the Essential phone, but the only carrier it's going to start with is ... Sprint? Some of the OnePlus models look interesting, though of course I don't understand all the Android-specific features, and I've never had to go exploring through their app store.
--Patrick
#91
jwhouk
jwhouk
Got a new iPad to replace the old one after the wife had a rather interesting "accident" involving toenail clippers and the screen (don't ask, I haven't figured it out either).
There are two major differences between the new iPad and my NextBook: much much much faster, and hella more storage space (even without an external drive). Those two things by themselves make the differences between iOS and Android that much more jarring.
The differences in things you can do on each tablet is minimal enough that the edge still goes to Apple.
There are two major differences between the new iPad and my NextBook: much much much faster, and hella more storage space (even without an external drive). Those two things by themselves make the differences between iOS and Android that much more jarring.
The differences in things you can do on each tablet is minimal enough that the edge still goes to Apple.
#92
MindDetective
MindDetective
Pondering switching to Virgin Mobile for their current promotion. They are only supporting iPhones from now on. Buuuuut we would just be going for the basic iPhone 6, which is a 3 year old phone. That is somewhat off-putting.
#93
PatrThom
--Patrick
PatrThom
You can now get an iPad Pro with 256GB storage for $750...which is $250 less than you can buy a 13in MacBook Air (an actual computer) with only 128GB storage.hella more storage space (even without an external drive)
--Patrick
#94
strawman
strawman
Intel isn't quaking in their boots yet, but the arm processors Apple has been implementing for their mobile devices are equivalent computing power to the mid grade intel cpus three years ago.
And they consume far, far less power than the older quad core i5 processors.
I'm not sure how they compare with the latest processors in the high end android phones, but from what I've seen and heard it looks like Apple has the best balance between battery life and performance. I'll be looking more carefully at that later this summer.
And they consume far, far less power than the older quad core i5 processors.
I'm not sure how they compare with the latest processors in the high end android phones, but from what I've seen and heard it looks like Apple has the best balance between battery life and performance. I'll be looking more carefully at that later this summer.
#95
PatrThom
Looks like someone must've forgotten a compiler flag.
--Patrick
PatrThom
Hah ha, whoops! Looks like they backpedaled. Another update was released today, and the release notes basically say, "The app now works with any device capable of running iOS 9, not just 64-bit ones."The newest version of the Skype app has already told me it won't update because is no longer compatible with my device
Looks like someone must've forgotten a compiler flag.
--Patrick
#96
fade
Also on this side of the fence I can see even more clearly that people attack the iPhone constantly for things that simply aren't true. Every single time Apple announces a new feature, everyone over here goes nuts that it's been in Android for years. What they really mean is that someone made a third party app that does that years ago. This ignores the fact that Apple merely means it's now part of the core OS, not that there was never a 3rd party app that does it. Probably the same app from the same devs.[DOUBLEPOST=1498830852,1498830771][/DOUBLEPOST]Note: despite saying all this, I still stand by the claim that they're 99.9% identical. It's just that I enjoy the .1% difference on the iPhone more.
fade
Yeah, this is a pretty good summary of my experiences, too. Everything was just plain easier on the iPhone. I get the power/ease trade-off. But considering I've never really touched any of those features since playing with them the first week, I'm cool with that.I've been on both sides of the fence now as well, and - while I've been limited to Samsung for my Android experience, the S7 - I have to agree with Fade on this one. Everything just seems to take longer on the Samsungs than it did on the iPhone 5s's that we upgraded from. In fact, if my wife's iPhone hadn't completely crapped out (the mic died, so if she didn't have a headset it couldn't be a phone anymore), I'd almost consider going back to them, but we still owe about $1k on the stupid Samsung phones. And it isn't just the actual loading time from when I tap the icon to when it opens, it's the extra steps that you have to take to do things - especially since an upgrade back in Q1 or so of this year. If I want to use video voicemail I have to open it separately from the phone "call" system, and it can't remember contact names worth a damn; plus, sometimes it just doesn't work at all and I have to call the vmail number through AT&T and retrieve the message the old fashioned way. Before the upgrade mentioned above, if I got a text message, I could tap on the notification on the lock screen and swipe it to go directly to the message. Now, doing that just takes you to all of your notifications and then you have to tap that notification again, which takes you to a screen that says "Swipe screen to open", after which you will finally be taken to the message. Why would I want to see all of my notifications AGAIN and re-pick which one I wanted to respond to?
Then you have the Apple iMessage advantage - Android may have a messaging app with the same functionality, but it's not the default. In the same update that killed notification ease-of-use, they also changed the amount of time that the screen could be lit without opening the OS from the lock screen - not the amount of time that it was lit by default, the amount of time that it could be lit for. Originally you could set it to whatever you wanted, and the default was around 6 seconds; after the update your choices were 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds. And it isn't just that the screen goes dark again either. No, it also kicks you out of anything you were entering. So, if you have a PIN set up on it, or your thumbprint, it's usually ok; but if you have a password set up, or if you've rebooted your phone, or if it's just been 24 hours since you opened it, if the password is too long it can time out while entering it and you get to start again and hope your fingers are nimbler the next time around (that behavior seems to have stopped though, so it may have been a bug). I've never used it in split screen mode, so the availability of multi-tasking is meaningless to me; and in the 9 months I've had it, I've only used the headphone jack once, so Apple's removal of it really shouldn't bother me that much. Also - as much as this really shouldn't be a big issue to me - it really, really bugs me that I can't permanently nuke Samsung Pay off of the damn thing, or at least permanently disable it. My credit union is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to offer Samsung Pay support. I know this. I've asked. They won't do it. Please, for the love of god, let me get rid of this stupid app. It's like Windows Compatibility Telemetry for crying out loud!
Also on this side of the fence I can see even more clearly that people attack the iPhone constantly for things that simply aren't true. Every single time Apple announces a new feature, everyone over here goes nuts that it's been in Android for years. What they really mean is that someone made a third party app that does that years ago. This ignores the fact that Apple merely means it's now part of the core OS, not that there was never a 3rd party app that does it. Probably the same app from the same devs.[DOUBLEPOST=1498830852,1498830771][/DOUBLEPOST]Note: despite saying all this, I still stand by the claim that they're 99.9% identical. It's just that I enjoy the .1% difference on the iPhone more.
#97
GasBandit
GasBandit
Android's definitely a crapshoot sometimes. Come to think of it, Every android device I've owned has been made objectively worse by every single major operating system update.
My Droid 1 became so slow as to be unusable from the next version it got.
My Nexus 7 tablet? The update from Froyo to Gingerbread made it almost unusable, and attempting to remedy that bricked it, by which point I was too disgustipated to mess with it any more.
Besides, I had an LG3 at that point, which was big enough to no longer really need a 7 inch tabliet... until the next version of android came out and ground its performance into the dirt, at which point I reapplied the factory image and to this day refuse to let the system update run (every time I reboot it, it notifies me of the new android version, and I tell it "later" and it says "ok I'll do the update at 1 am" and then I go into the application list and force-close the update app).
The bluetooth on my LG3 has been failing intermittently of late and experiencing bizarre battery drain problems, which makes me think it's time for a new phone, and with my recent windfall, the time is probably right... but looking at the latest offerings (the Pixel and whatnot) actually fills me with ennui and dread. Even the leaks of the upcoming Pixel 2 series don't excite me, as they croon about features I don't care about (or actively dislike) and don't talk about stuff I want to know.
My Droid 1 became so slow as to be unusable from the next version it got.
My Nexus 7 tablet? The update from Froyo to Gingerbread made it almost unusable, and attempting to remedy that bricked it, by which point I was too disgustipated to mess with it any more.
Besides, I had an LG3 at that point, which was big enough to no longer really need a 7 inch tabliet... until the next version of android came out and ground its performance into the dirt, at which point I reapplied the factory image and to this day refuse to let the system update run (every time I reboot it, it notifies me of the new android version, and I tell it "later" and it says "ok I'll do the update at 1 am" and then I go into the application list and force-close the update app).
The bluetooth on my LG3 has been failing intermittently of late and experiencing bizarre battery drain problems, which makes me think it's time for a new phone, and with my recent windfall, the time is probably right... but looking at the latest offerings (the Pixel and whatnot) actually fills me with ennui and dread. Even the leaks of the upcoming Pixel 2 series don't excite me, as they croon about features I don't care about (or actively dislike) and don't talk about stuff I want to know.
#98
Frank
Frank
When I updated my LGG3, I really didn't have any performance issues.
Currently using a G5, which is still a great phone.
Currently using a G5, which is still a great phone.
#99
GasBandit
I do have my eye on the G6. Unlocked this time.
My only reservation is that the battery life on my G3, even when it was new, was never great. I'm always under 50% power when I come home from work, with only light-moderate use (no gaming or forum browsing), and even at 30% screen brightness it felt like I'd get, at best, 5 hours of battery life of constant use... and lately, that's dropped to 3.
GasBandit
I suspect it might have been something to do with it being verizon-branded (and locked), so using their flavor of android.When I updated my LGG3, I really didn't have any performance issues.
Currently using a G5, which is still a great phone.
I do have my eye on the G6. Unlocked this time.
My only reservation is that the battery life on my G3, even when it was new, was never great. I'm always under 50% power when I come home from work, with only light-moderate use (no gaming or forum browsing), and even at 30% screen brightness it felt like I'd get, at best, 5 hours of battery life of constant use... and lately, that's dropped to 3.
#100
MindDetective
MindDetective
I just ordered the OnePlus 5. It uses a pretty vanilla Android install. Take a look!I suspect it might have been something to do with it being verizon-branded (and locked), so using their flavor of android.
I do have my eye on the G6. Unlocked this time.
#101
Frank
Frank
Ahh yeah, you guys have that sort of thing. As far as I can tell, mine are just stock Android with a couple of my provider's useless apps tossed in.I suspect it might have been something to do with it being verizon-branded (and locked), so using their flavor of android.
I do have my eye on the G6. Unlocked this time.
#102
GasBandit
GasBandit
What's your opinion on OxygenOS? I'm inclined to want vanilla android at this point.[DOUBLEPOST=1499454074,1499453891][/DOUBLEPOST]I just ordered the OnePlus 5. It uses a pretty vanilla Android install. Take a look!
Verizon's android has really been a mixed bag. I mean, yeah, there's that problem with updates making it dog slow, but I like their visual voicemail and sms apps. I like being able to read transcripts of my voicemails, and I like that I have text autoreplies of "I'm driving right now, and can't reply to your text" that automatically go active when I get in my car and my G3 sees my stereo's bluetooth connection. I'll miss all those things when I go vanilla, but I'm tired of being held hostage to one of the most dastardly and tech-backwards providers in the world.Ahh yeah, you guys have that sort of thing. As far as I can tell, mine are just stock Android with a couple of my provider's useless apps tossed in.
#103
MindDetective
MindDetective
I tend to like minimalist, so I suspect I will like it (when I get my hands on it...I literally just ordered it 10 minutes ago).What's your opinion on OxygenOS? I'm inclined to want vanilla android at this point.
#104
PatrThom
PatrThom
The OnePlus5 is basically styled after an iPhone 7 Plus, but running a customized version of Android and about $300 less.
--Patrick
--Patrick
#105
MindDetective
MindDetective
Update and micro-review of the OnePlus 5:
It's great. This is easily the most powerful phone I've ever used. The custom Android OS does not get in your way. It uses a drawer that you pull up from the bottom to access your apps library and it has a screen you can swipe to with mail and messages and whatnot that so far I have not used at all, but the rest is very much raw Android. The thing I have had to get used to the most is the 3 hardware Android buttons that I've previously used as on-screen buttons. The learning curve there is very shallow, of course. The screen is bright, the audio quality is crisp, and I find the fingerprint unlock to be a more efficient way to get into my phone than any other method. I also get a signal in my office, which I haven't gotten for ANY previous phone. I haven't used the Android Pay feature yet, but I'm willing to give it a go. Also, it uses USB-C, which is nice as it is fast and I don't have to switch the cable three times trying to plug it in. In short, it feels like an upgrade over my previous (decent quality) Android phone experiences.
It's great. This is easily the most powerful phone I've ever used. The custom Android OS does not get in your way. It uses a drawer that you pull up from the bottom to access your apps library and it has a screen you can swipe to with mail and messages and whatnot that so far I have not used at all, but the rest is very much raw Android. The thing I have had to get used to the most is the 3 hardware Android buttons that I've previously used as on-screen buttons. The learning curve there is very shallow, of course. The screen is bright, the audio quality is crisp, and I find the fingerprint unlock to be a more efficient way to get into my phone than any other method. I also get a signal in my office, which I haven't gotten for ANY previous phone. I haven't used the Android Pay feature yet, but I'm willing to give it a go. Also, it uses USB-C, which is nice as it is fast and I don't have to switch the cable three times trying to plug it in. In short, it feels like an upgrade over my previous (decent quality) Android phone experiences.
#106
PatrThom
PatrThom
#107
DarkAudit
DarkAudit
#108
Ravenpoe
Ravenpoe
It's like they're learning that people don't like the random crap they put on phones.
#109
DarkAudit
DarkAudit
The car mode they put on the EVO was absolute garbage compared to the stock Android version. It was a big reason why I rooted right away, and also part of the reason I ditched Android altogether.It's like they're learning that people don't like the random crap they put on phones.
#110
PatrThom
--Patrick
PatrThom
They mention that exact thing in the article.It's like they're learning that people don't like the random crap they put on phones.
--Patrick
#111
David
David
Starting to really dislike the bloatware on my HTC One m8. The included news aggregator app keeps taking over the phone overlay, absolutely cannot be uninstalled and tends to re-enable itself after being disabled in the settings. It seems like it should be possible to reformat with vanilla android, so I might give that a try tomorrow. Otherwise it's been a good phone and I'm hoping to keep it a bit longer before having to buy something new.
#112
fade
fade
Well, I gave it a year. I got my wife a new iPhone, and as I was setting it up, I remembered how much easier and simple iOS was, and how everything was in intuitive, obvious places. Which is what I want in a phone. Sure, I'll play all day on a computer, but I want my phone to act as a little-seen barrier between me and apps. So, I figured I'd go back to iPhone.
Then I discovered my least favorite feature of Android phones. This phone, last year's flagship, is only selling for about $90 on ebay. I just sold a broken iPhone 5 I had laying around for that much. And it was clearly broken. My Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is in mint condition with box and factory unlocked, and those are going for next to nothing.
Then I discovered my least favorite feature of Android phones. This phone, last year's flagship, is only selling for about $90 on ebay. I just sold a broken iPhone 5 I had laying around for that much. And it was clearly broken. My Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is in mint condition with box and factory unlocked, and those are going for next to nothing.
#113
Gared
Gared
I hate how much these stupid phones cost new, and I'm really not looking forward to being unable to get anything for them when it comes time to replace them (which will hopefully be some time after we've paid them off). There's something else about my phone that keeps really pissing me off, and every time I run across it I think "I gotta go add to @fade 's thread," but invariably forget - but I just now remembered. This may be an AT&T thing rather than a Samsung thing, but I dunno. Every time - and I mean every single mother fucking time - that I go to McDonald's my phone auto-connects to a wifi network called "ATTWIFI," without me telling it to, without me being able to configure anything anywhere to block that stupid WiFi access point, and without actually connecting to the internet. Every. Fucking. Time. I have to turn wifi off if I want to prevent it from doing that. I have no idea who is running this connection, what sort of data they may be collecting (or sending), or anything else about it and the only way to do anything about it is to turn wifi off if I'm at (or driving near) a McDonald's.Well, I gave it a year. I got my wife a new iPhone, and as I was setting it up, I remembered how much easier and simple iOS was, and how everything was in intuitive, obvious places. Which is what I want in a phone. Sure, I'll play all day on a computer, but I want my phone to act as a little-seen barrier between me and apps. So, I figured I'd go back to iPhone.
Then I discovered my least favorite feature of Android phones. This phone, last year's flagship, is only selling for about $90 on ebay. I just sold a broken iPhone 5 I had laying around for that much. And it was clearly broken. My Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is in mint condition with box and factory unlocked, and those are going for next to nothing.
#114
DarkAudit
DarkAudit
AT&T provides the McDonald's free wifi connection. AT&T phones are set to auto join AT&T branded networks. If you see it happen again, go to the wifi settings and tap on that network. There should be a switch for auto join that you can turn off.[DOUBLEPOST=1507652201,1507651939][/DOUBLEPOST]It's actually more of a problem with Comcast if you have the xfinity hot spot app running. You get to join every xfinity hot spot in range, even while you're driving. If you're going slow or in stop and go traffic, or just sitting at a light, you'll drop LTE in favor of a hot spot. And EVERY FUCKING TIME, you are just barely in range to get a connection, but nowhere near enough to actually transfer useful data. So any streams you are listening to drop off, maps and directions can't update, the works. There needs to be an "I'm driving, disable hotspot access" to keep this from happening.I hate how much these stupid phones cost new, and I'm really not looking forward to being unable to get anything for them when it comes time to replace them (which will hopefully be some time after we've paid them off). There's something else about my phone that keeps really pissing me off, and every time I run across it I think "I gotta go add to @fade 's thread," but invariably forget - but I just now remembered. This may be an AT&T thing rather than a Samsung thing, but I dunno. Every time - and I mean every single mother fucking time - that I go to McDonald's my phone auto-connects to a wifi network called "ATTWIFI," without me telling it to, without me being able to configure anything anywhere to block that stupid WiFi access point, and without actually connecting to the internet. Every. Fucking. Time. I have to turn wifi off if I want to prevent it from doing that. I have no idea who is running this connection, what sort of data they may be collecting (or sending), or anything else about it and the only way to do anything about it is to turn wifi off if I'm at (or driving near) a McDonald's.
#115
Gared
Gared
Sadly, the turn-off auto-join option seems to only work for each individual McDonald's location. Good to know this is Ma Bell's bullshit though, and not a Samsung issue. Still gonna go back to iPhones after this though - integrating useful apps into the OS is just so much easier than me having to hunt down which app maker makes the best version of a messaging app and installing that, and then hoping everyone I want to talk to is using the same app... nah. Not for me, not anymore. The time has come to accept the fact that, unless and until I devote a serious amount of time and energy to learning more about current technologies, I am no longer a power-user.AT&T provides the McDonald's free wifi connection. AT&T phones are set to auto join AT&T branded networks. If you see it happen again, go to the wifi settings and tap on that network. There should be a switch for auto join that you can turn off.[DOUBLEPOST=1507652201,1507651939][/DOUBLEPOST]It's actually more of a problem with Comcast if you have the xfinity hot spot app running. You get to join every xfinity hot spot in range, even while you're driving. If you're going slow or in stop and go traffic, or just sitting at a light, you'll drop LTE in favor of a hot spot. And EVERY FUCKING TIME, you are just barely in range to get a connection, but nowhere near enough to actually transfer useful data. So any streams you are listening to drop off, maps and directions can't update, the works. There needs to be an "I'm driving, disable hotspot access" to keep this from happening.
#116
Bubble181
A) While I'm more of a Windows person, I find Android placement of options and buttons and stuff more intuitive than iPhone. I have to search for practically everything when I use someone's iPhone. I'm not saying one or the other OS is better at the stuff, and I might even grant that Apple generally manages to do it better, but otherwise, that's really just a matter of habit, what you're used to, and taste
B) I...I don't know where you're seeing unlocked boxed second hand Samsung S7 Edges being sold for $90, but over here refurbished or second hand are still going for 500+ euro.
Bubble181
While I don't really have a stake in this in any way...Well, I gave it a year. I got my wife a new iPhone, and as I was setting it up, I remembered how much easier and simple iOS was, and how everything was in intuitive, obvious places. Which is what I want in a phone. Sure, I'll play all day on a computer, but I want my phone to act as a little-seen barrier between me and apps. So, I figured I'd go back to iPhone.
Then I discovered my least favorite feature of Android phones. This phone, last year's flagship, is only selling for about $90 on ebay. I just sold a broken iPhone 5 I had laying around for that much. And it was clearly broken. My Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is in mint condition with box and factory unlocked, and those are going for next to nothing.
A) While I'm more of a Windows person, I find Android placement of options and buttons and stuff more intuitive than iPhone. I have to search for practically everything when I use someone's iPhone. I'm not saying one or the other OS is better at the stuff, and I might even grant that Apple generally manages to do it better, but otherwise, that's really just a matter of habit, what you're used to, and taste
B) I...I don't know where you're seeing unlocked boxed second hand Samsung S7 Edges being sold for $90, but over here refurbished or second hand are still going for 500+ euro.
#117
Denbrought
Denbrought
Basic supply and demand. There's a lot more freedom in the U.S., so unlocked phones are affordable.B) I...I don't know where you're seeing unlocked boxed second hand Samsung S7 Edges being sold for $90, but over here refurbished or second hand are still going for 500+ euro.
#118
GasBandit
GasBandit
Here, half the staff use iPhones and the other half have Android devices of various flavors.
The iPhones are always the ones with problems, and getting them to play nice with our stuff is just far less intuitive to me, but that may just be me.
The iPhones are always the ones with problems, and getting them to play nice with our stuff is just far less intuitive to me, but that may just be me.
#119
Bubble181
Bubble181
But they'd work easily and handily if only you used Apple Server, Macs as computers, iTunes for your music library, and iPads for tablets.Here, half the staff use iPhones and the other half have Android devices of various flavors.
The iPhones are always the ones with problems, and getting them to play nice with our stuff is just far less intuitive to me, but that may just be me.
#120
GasBandit
GasBandit
Thing is, we actually have to have computers that do workBut they'd work easily and handily if only you used Apple Server, Macs as computers, iTunes for your music library, and iPads for tablets.
#121
PatrThom
...I was going to try and find a picture of Steve Jobs with a similar pose and caption it, but I'm reeeeeeeally not that motivated.
Also 11.0.1 DID fix the MSExchange bug, so there's that.
--Patrick
PatrThom
But they'd work easily and handily if only you used Apple Server, Macs as computers, iTunes for your music library, and iPads for tablets.
...I was going to try and find a picture of Steve Jobs with a similar pose and caption it, but I'm reeeeeeeally not that motivated.
Also 11.0.1 DID fix the MSExchange bug, so there's that.
Now you just need to apply that logic to your underlings...Thing is, we actually have to have computers that do work
--Patrick
#122
GasBandit
The new girl is learning REALLY fast. I'm worried she's too smart to be satisfied with drudge work for long... and truthfully, that is what the Underling #2 position is, mostly. So either she'll quit/move on, or get bored and slack off.
Why do the darn redheads always have to be smart, yo.
GasBandit
Well, we did just fire number 2 and replace him.Now you just need to apply that logic to your underlings...
--Patrick
The new girl is learning REALLY fast. I'm worried she's too smart to be satisfied with drudge work for long... and truthfully, that is what the Underling #2 position is, mostly. So either she'll quit/move on, or get bored and slack off.
Why do the darn redheads always have to be smart, yo.
#123
strawman
I have two kids who would love to upgrade to the S7 though, so if anyone sees any lying about, let me know!
strawman
I'd like to see some $90 S7 edges! It looks like they're closer to $300 on ebay, $300 - $400 on local craigslist and facebook market. There's a listing for a $230 one with a black spot on the screen.B) I...I don't know where you're seeing unlocked boxed second hand Samsung S7 Edges being sold for $90
I have two kids who would love to upgrade to the S7 though, so if anyone sees any lying about, let me know!
#124
Gruebeard
Gruebeard
Which reminds me. Hey @GasBandit, have you gone all Harvey Weinstein yet?Now you just need to apply that logic to your underlings...
#125
GasBandit
GasBandit
She's barely been here a week, she's still... learning the ropes.Which reminds me. Hey @GasBandit, have you gone all Harvey Weinstein yet?
#126
fade
fade
Meh, I don't feel like arguing about it, but when I looked at eBay a week ago, there were definitely good condition Edges going around $100-$250. They are higher today for whatever reason. Even the high end of that is pretty low for something that was "cutting edge" just a year ago, and selling for $800 a pop.
#127
strawman
strawman
Maybe it's a "sit around and watch" situation where you find a good deal if you have the time to keep looking.
#128
PatrThom
Eh, it's CNBC so take that as you will.
--Patrick
PatrThom
Poll finds that the average household owns more than two Apple productsBut they'd work easily and handily if only you used Apple Server, Macs as computers, iTunes for your music library, and iPads for tablets.
Eh, it's CNBC so take that as you will.
i.e., the survey found that 64 percent of the public lie horribly about how they use their smartphones CERTAINLY NOT FOR PORN ONLY FOR USEFUL THINGS.The wealthiest Americans own 4.7 products per household compared with just one for the poorest. Americans in the West own 3.7, compared with 2.2 in the South. The survey also found that 64 percent of the public say their time on their smartphone is "mostly productive and useful"
--Patrick
#129
Tinwhistler
Tinwhistler
thread necro
Goodbye iPhone S6
Hello, Samsung Galaxy S8
I never really fell in love with the iphone. I only got it for the photo quality. Lots of stuff annoyed me to no end the entire time I owned it.
Got the S8 today, and I'm already in love with how much easier it is to get stuff (contacts, music, photos, etc) from my computer onto the new phone.
Goodbye iPhone S6
Hello, Samsung Galaxy S8
I never really fell in love with the iphone. I only got it for the photo quality. Lots of stuff annoyed me to no end the entire time I owned it.
Got the S8 today, and I'm already in love with how much easier it is to get stuff (contacts, music, photos, etc) from my computer onto the new phone.
#130
PatrThom
PatrThom
In case you want to know EVERYTHING about Android 9 “Pie”
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/android-9-pie-thoroughly-reviewed/
—Patrick
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/android-9-pie-thoroughly-reviewed/
—Patrick
#131
David
David
Having the same bloatware issue with my new Samsung that I did with my HTC last year... I don't care about Groupon, don't believe I ever conciously decided to install it, yet it seems to have decided I absolutely MUST have Groupon. I completely uninstall it, it comes right back and floods my notification feed after the next update. Uninstalling again and seeing it was maybe a fluke or I somehow didn't get it the first time.
#132
Gared
Gared
I'm rather steadily becoming fed up with Android/Samsung. The semi-weekly software updates, constant resetting of my defaults to semi-factory settings, attempts to get me to buy a new theme for my splash screen, the fact that the "clear" button on the notification screen does nothing anymore - seriously, no matter how many times you tap it, you still have to close each notification individually - the dead fingerprint reader, how hot the damn thing gets with normal use (damn near burnt my dick off when I dropped my phone in my lap the other day), the non-existent battery life, the list goes on and on. I really love how much it wants me to install and constantly run FullScreen - I'm still trying to figure out what the hell this app even is, btw, they're a media-marketing organization from the looks of their website, no idea why they would push an app on Samsung users.
And, similar to @David's experience, there's a Facebook app on my phone which I absolutely, positively cannot remove. I can "disable" it, but I cannot remove it. It's built in to the operating system of the phone, apparently. I have a really hard time believing that Google would hard code their social media rival's software into their OS, so I assume this one is either Samsung or AT&T. Plus I still have the stupid Samsung direct connect software that turns itself back on every update, with its stupid Samsung Pay app, which I'll probably never be able to use (I also really need to find a new credit union, ours is rapidly becoming a bank). Every time there's an update I have to go reset things back to the way they were. Not everything - that would be a huge exaggeration - but enough that it takes 5 to 10 minutes each update to reset my preferences for things like Time Zone (it constantly thinks I'm in Central), screen lockout time, whether or not to automatically connect to all AT&T wifi networks (not just no, but HEEEELLLLL NO), whether or not to automatically connect to all Spectrum wifi networks (see above), whether or not to automatically connect to all Xfinity wifi networks (can you guess the answer?), whether or not to use auto-brightness, and all manner of other bullshit.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to defect back to Apple when I can afford new phones again, or if I want to give Android another shot and just skip out on the Samsung crap.
And, similar to @David's experience, there's a Facebook app on my phone which I absolutely, positively cannot remove. I can "disable" it, but I cannot remove it. It's built in to the operating system of the phone, apparently. I have a really hard time believing that Google would hard code their social media rival's software into their OS, so I assume this one is either Samsung or AT&T. Plus I still have the stupid Samsung direct connect software that turns itself back on every update, with its stupid Samsung Pay app, which I'll probably never be able to use (I also really need to find a new credit union, ours is rapidly becoming a bank). Every time there's an update I have to go reset things back to the way they were. Not everything - that would be a huge exaggeration - but enough that it takes 5 to 10 minutes each update to reset my preferences for things like Time Zone (it constantly thinks I'm in Central), screen lockout time, whether or not to automatically connect to all AT&T wifi networks (not just no, but HEEEELLLLL NO), whether or not to automatically connect to all Spectrum wifi networks (see above), whether or not to automatically connect to all Xfinity wifi networks (can you guess the answer?), whether or not to use auto-brightness, and all manner of other bullshit.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to defect back to Apple when I can afford new phones again, or if I want to give Android another shot and just skip out on the Samsung crap.
#133
Bubble181
Bubble181
I've used Samsung for a few years and I'm now using a Huawei - in both cases, we don't have the same type of operator-inflicted extra torture you guys get, but anyway - the Huawei does a LOT less of that sort of crap, though, on the other side, Android updates come through a bit later. "not a crappy update every week" is nice, but "waiting a month longer for an essential security update" is the downside there.I'm rather steadily becoming fed up with Android/Samsung. The semi-weekly software updates, constant resetting of my defaults to semi-factory settings, attempts to get me to buy a new theme for my splash screen, the fact that the "clear" button on the notification screen does nothing anymore - seriously, no matter how many times you tap it, you still have to close each notification individually - the dead fingerprint reader, how hot the damn thing gets with normal use (damn near burnt my dick off when I dropped my phone in my lap the other day), the non-existent battery life, the list goes on and on. I really love how much it wants me to install and constantly run FullScreen - I'm still trying to figure out what the hell this app even is, btw, they're a media-marketing organization from the looks of their website, no idea why they would push an app on Samsung users.
And, similar to @David's experience, there's a Facebook app on my phone which I absolutely, positively cannot remove. I can "disable" it, but I cannot remove it. It's built in to the operating system of the phone, apparently. I have a really hard time believing that Google would hard code their social media rival's software into their OS, so I assume this one is either Samsung or AT&T. Plus I still have the stupid Samsung direct connect software that turns itself back on every update, with its stupid Samsung Pay app, which I'll probably never be able to use (I also really need to find a new credit union, ours is rapidly becoming a bank). Every time there's an update I have to go reset things back to the way they were. Not everything - that would be a huge exaggeration - but enough that it takes 5 to 10 minutes each update to reset my preferences for things like Time Zone (it constantly thinks I'm in Central), screen lockout time, whether or not to automatically connect to all AT&T wifi networks (not just no, but HEEEELLLLL NO), whether or not to automatically connect to all Spectrum wifi networks (see above), whether or not to automatically connect to all Xfinity wifi networks (can you guess the answer?), whether or not to use auto-brightness, and all manner of other bullshit.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to defect back to Apple when I can afford new phones again, or if I want to give Android another shot and just skip out on the Samsung crap.
#134
GasBandit
GasBandit
Well, if it helps you make up your mind, I have experienced none of that on my google pixel... base Android is SO much nicer than the abomination Verizon/LG mutilated Android into, and obviously, google branded phones get the security/os updates first - but they come every few months instead of every week.
#135
Tinwhistler
Tinwhistler
I'm on a Samsung Galaxy S8 on Sprint, and I'm not running into that kind of crap either.
I imagine that most of your headaches are coming from AT&T.
Bloatware, yes...I got a fair amount of that, and I disabled it all. But the rest? Nope..it's been smooth sailing since switching from the iPhone.
I imagine that most of your headaches are coming from AT&T.
Bloatware, yes...I got a fair amount of that, and I disabled it all. But the rest? Nope..it's been smooth sailing since switching from the iPhone.
#136
klew
klew
I was very close to picking up the S9+ on sale, but will take the chance that the Pixels 3 won't be too exorbitantly priced. The S10 lineup looks like it might try to approach Apple pricing, no thanks.
#137
Gared
Gared
Well, that's timely. Google admits to "accidentally" changing users' battery settings remotely. In what they're calling an internal test that was accidentally applied to more than just the internal pool of users, Google last week reset a significant, but untallied, number of users' battery saving systems. Email wasn't syncing, new text messages weren't being delivered, and anything else that's locked out by "strict" battery management was non-functional as well. People who noticed what had happened were able to turn their settings back to normal and continue on with their day.
Sounds like this explains why my gmail wouldn't sync last week while I was waiting for an email from a vendor I wanted to do business with, or why our text messages kept not being received while my in-laws were in town visiting.
Sounds like this explains why my gmail wouldn't sync last week while I was waiting for an email from a vendor I wanted to do business with, or why our text messages kept not being received while my in-laws were in town visiting.
#138
Dei
Dei
I thought that only happened with Pixels with Pie though.Well, that's timely. Google admits to "accidentally" changing users' battery settings remotely. In what they're calling an internal test that was accidentally applied to more than just the internal pool of users, Google last week reset a significant, but untallied, number of users' battery saving systems. Email wasn't syncing, new text messages weren't being delivered, and anything else that's locked out by "strict" battery management was non-functional as well. People who noticed what had happened were able to turn their settings back to normal and continue on with their day.
Sounds like this explains why my gmail wouldn't sync last week while I was waiting for an email from a vendor I wanted to do business with, or why our text messages kept not being received while my in-laws were in town visiting.
#139
Gared
Gared
Could be.I thought that only happened with Pixels with Pie though.