Android Phones

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm finding little bits of glass everywhere and I think it is from my rapidly deteriorating camera lens, and that's just not good- especially with a puppy in the house that likes to pick up and try to eat any small thing he finds.

So, I said smurf it and ordered a Google Pixel 7 Pro today, as well as a cheap case (with camera protector) and some glass screen protectors. 

Yes, yes, I know, cheap case = bad, but as I'm a bit disappointed in Otterbox right now I figure I'll use the case for now until I find something I actually like.  I can't carry a phone without a case, as that gives it a lifespan of maybe three days.

Also, now that I have ordered the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 will come out in the next 48 hours and the price on the 7 will drop drastically.   

Def

[SteveC]

I've had good luck with Tech21 cases

[Grant Lamontagne]

I will look into those.

The Pixel is here and I am using it now.  It is very different from the Samsung interface, and I am having trouble trying to get used to where everything is.  After having five Samsung phones (and two tablets) it's a lot to get used to

The loss of Samsung apps like Gallery is kind of weird.

Still, I like it, but I think I'm going to have to figure out how to increase the font size in Chrome as I can barely see this text as I type it.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's weird that it's the same Operating System, yet appears almost totally different from Samsung.

I thought it would be a more seamless transition, given that:

1- my first Android was a Motorola
2- I have a Fire tablet, running Fire OS, which is just Android with a bunch of Fire graphics slapped over top of the Android ones
3- I had a Motorola tablet for a while.
4- I mistakenly assumed a Google OS on a Google device would have all the bells and whistles.

But, there is no native Gallery app other than Google Photos.

The camera app more closely mimics the Apple camera than the Samsung one.

The pull down menu at the top is completely different and doesn't seem to offer nearly as many options.

There are no home, back or menu keys at the bottom.  For the longest time, I had no idea how to find the apps I've installed.

I'm at that point where I'm not sure I like it or if it's just different and I'll get used to it!

Doesn't really matter in the end- this is my phone for at least the next two years, so I will have no choice but to figure it out!

Def

[Poncho65]

My parents went the Pixel route several years ago (they are both back to Samsung now) and I got very much the same impression from them as well They both ended up loving the phone but were more familiar with the Samsung, the apps and its eco system, so they ultimately went back with their next phones

They both also started out with Motorola Droids but Samsung wasn't that much different at the time either

[GearedForwards]

It's weird that it's the same Operating System, yet appears almost totally different from Samsung.

I thought it would be a more seamless transition, given that:

1- my first Android was a Motorola
2- I have a Fire tablet, running Fire OS, which is just Android with a bunch of Fire graphics slapped over top of the Android ones
3- I had a Motorola tablet for a while.
4- I mistakenly assumed a Google OS on a Google device would have all the bells and whistles.

But, there is no native Gallery app other than Google Photos.

The camera app more closely mimics the Apple camera than the Samsung one.

The pull down menu at the top is completely different and doesn't seem to offer nearly as many options.

There are no home, back or menu keys at the bottom.  For the longest time, I had no idea how to find the apps I've installed.

I'm at that point where I'm not sure I like it or if it's just different and I'll get used to it!

Doesn't really matter in the end- this is my phone for at least the next two years, so I will have no choice but to figure it out!

Def

I think this is mostly just you needing to get to grips with the changes, but it's Android, if you want some of the Samsung stuff back then just install it. You can also install a launcher to make it more to your liking too, that's the beauty of the OS!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Absolutely true.  I am going to try to learn it as is, and then modify it where necessary.

I very much like the phone itself.  There are some photo/video options that I am looking forward to playing with too. 

Oh, and I also figured out the pull down menu thing.  It's not the same as Samsung, but there seems to be all the options I need, and it is a bit more configurable than the Samsung one was.

Def

[Kev D]

Its upgrade time again, though I wasn't going to bother, until I saw the deals everywhere.  Upgrade to the Samsung S24 Ultra before the end of the month and you get the 512gig instead of the 256gig and they throw in the Galaxy watch 6 as well.  I currently have the note 20 ultra and galaxy watch 4, so decided it was time to upgrade.  Now I have to wait a week for it to arrive 

and of course a new phone means new case etc.  Sadly my favourite cases, Quadlock, only have the S24 ones on pre-order that ship mid feb, so have to wait for that to.  Amazon special until then I think.

[Antti Lammi]

Its upgrade time again, though I wasn't going to bother, until I saw the deals everywhere.  Upgrade to the Samsung S24 Ultra before the end of the month and you get the 512gig instead of the 256gig and they throw in the Galaxy watch 6 as well.  I currently have the note 20 ultra and galaxy watch 4, so decided it was time to upgrade.  Now I have to wait a week for it to arrive 

and of course a new phone means new case etc.  Sadly my favourite cases, Quadlock, only have the S24 ones on pre-order that ship mid feb, so have to wait for that to.  Amazon special until then I think.

Luckily you choose ultra since it has Snapdragon instead Exynos (downgrade cpu chip) but i dont know why samsung didnt implement it to all models


Only Tools Matters

[Grant Lamontagne]

Its upgrade time again, though I wasn't going to bother, until I saw the deals everywhere.  Upgrade to the Samsung S24 Ultra before the end of the month and you get the 512gig instead of the 256gig and they throw in the Galaxy watch 6 as well.  I currently have the note 20 ultra and galaxy watch 4, so decided it was time to upgrade.  Now I have to wait a week for it to arrive 

and of course a new phone means new case etc.  Sadly my favourite cases, Quadlock, only have the S24 ones on pre-order that ship mid feb, so have to wait for that to.  Amazon special until then I think.

I've been considering the Quad Lock case too.  I have been trying to decide whether to do that or go back to an OtterBox Defender, which failed miserably on my Note 20 Ultra.

It's been what, four months now since I bought the Pixel and I'm still using my $15 Amazon cheapo case.   

Def

[Kev D]

Quadlock are good, I'm on my second one for my note 20 now, but only because of how loose the quadlock bit was getting with the ring stand attachment.  My phone gets taken on and off stands and the ring stand put in and taken off probably more than is normal, plus I fidget with it when sat in meetings, etc, so when it started to feel like it was getting less secure I replaced the case when it was around 18 months old.

My new phone is also magsafe compatible and quadlock have mag mounts to, so I've also ordered all the new mag heads for my mounts so the quadlock twist bit will get used way less and last longer I would think.   I've got mounts all over at home, plus in my car and my desk at work, its about the most secure mounts and robust cases I've found in all the years I've had phones.

[Poncho65]

Its upgrade time again, though I wasn't going to bother, until I saw the deals everywhere.  Upgrade to the Samsung S24 Ultra before the end of the month and you get the 512gig instead of the 256gig and they throw in the Galaxy watch 6 as well.  I currently have the note 20 ultra and galaxy watch 4, so decided it was time to upgrade.  Now I have to wait a week for it to arrive 

and of course a new phone means new case etc.  Sadly my favourite cases, Quadlock, only have the S24 ones on pre-order that ship mid feb, so have to wait for that to.  Amazon special until then I think.

That is awesome, Kev I have the S23 Ultra and I have really loved it I will try to keep it for a few years but I am excited to see what the S24 Ultra will be able to do

The Galaxy AI has me intrigued as well and luckily it should be out on the S23 Ultra in the coming months the picture editing aspect is what I really want to see

[Kev D]

That is awesome, Kev I have the S23 Ultra and I have really loved it I will try to keep it for a few years but I am excited to see what the S24 Ultra will be able to do

The Galaxy AI has me intrigued as well and luckily it should be out on the S23 Ultra in the coming months the picture editing aspect is what I really want to see

Thanks, I've had this one 3 1/2 years now so looking forward to getting the new one.  It should arrive the end of this week.  The AI search looks interesting to as well as the photo editing.
My temporary case and screen protector have already arrived as well as the rest of my quadlock mounts upgrade stuff, so just need the phone now.

[Poncho65]

  lots of nice new tech goodies

Hoping the phone arrives pretty quickly for you

[Grant Lamontagne]

It turned out that I really enjoyed the stripped down version of Android on the Pixel.  It was a fantastic phone once I got used to it. 

I am talking about it in the past tense as today it slipped off the dashboard, fell and shattered the screen.  Now the screen won't even turn on.

A coworker is bringing my his old iPhone tomorrow and I have a used LG coming in towards the end of the week.  I am not sure which I will prefer, but I was kind of thinking of switching to iPhone the next time around.  I just didn't expect it to be this soon.   

Def

[Whoey]

I've been really lucky to not have that issue yet...

Depending on what that pixel is worth, might be worthwhile to have the screen replaced... or hold out for some black friday sales... from what I read, it's something like 200 + 100 labour... refurbed are starting at 400+

[Grant Lamontagne]

I owe around $412 on it still (part of my plan) and the repair is $375.  The kit to repair it myself is about $350, so for the $25 difference I'd let a pro do it.

I might look into some BF deals, but the reality is, I have an expensive Jeep repair hanging over my head right now so not sure how much I'd have to throw at a phone when I have one that functions.

Def

[Poncho65]

Oh man that really sucks

[Grant Lamontagne]

It’s annoying but it’s not the end of the world.

I did order a CAT Android on Amazon but I returned it because I got the iPhone first.

I said earlier that I ordered an LG.  I was looking at the LG and apparently opted for the CAT, probably because it was rugged.

It was also many generations old with ancient specs, despite being new in the box.  The iPhone may not be new, but I know people who are still using older iPhones and they seem like they are managing.

Def

[powernoodle]

My approach is to buy an new, older model Samsung Galaxy when I (rarely) need a new phone.  I currently run the Galaxy S10+, with the newest flavor being the S24.  An older, but still current model Galaxy will cost about 1/3 of a new one, and honestly I don't know of anything I am missing in terms of function.  I use the same model for years and years, until there is a real reason to upgrade.

I got for my son and mother the Motorola Moto G Power 2023, for sub-$300.  It does everything they want.

I have a strong aversion to paying $1200 for a new phone, when I think they could and "should" be $400 with plenty of margin built in to that MSRP.   Its the same thing that makes me grumpy to see the pricing of the ARC and the recent Mega Arc.  With both Samsung and Leatherman, I take it as in insult when they metaphorically look you in the eye and expect you to pay something absurd to get the supposed latest and greatest.  Maybe a psychiatrist could unpack why that is.    

If you can remove from the equation the desire to have the latest offering and the leg tingle that comes with it, you tend to see that the older stuff - whether a phone or MT - does virtually everything the latest model does, but at a 60% or 70% discount.  Galaxy S10+ vs. S24+.  Leatherman Super Tool 300 vs. Arc with champagne accents and a baby seal foreskin belt holster.  Its the bling and the leg tingle that cause us to pay $1200 for a phone - not any real upgrade in functionality (IMO).

    

[Vidar]

My rugged style phone died after I fell into a river the other day. Falling into rivers has happened before without issue, but this time the charging on the phone stopped working. And hence, when the battery faded, so did the phone. 

So any tips on a compact rugged phone these days? Pocket friendly, waterproof, can take some knocks, battery to last some days without charging, less than 300g weight, and clear vocal speech are the most important parts. Decent camera a plus. So far the "Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro" seems the closest to me (though thick), but I really don't know what is out there.

[Whoey]

We had some Crosscall devices at work, primarily for the service technicians working on the turbines. Decent enough, but as you can guess they are always several years behind on tech.

lots of great features like drop resistance, sealed user removeable/replaceable battery, dual sim and SD card slot also in the sealed compartment.

https://www.crosscall.com/

[Vidar]

Thanks - I wasn't aware of those. They seem to be fairly lightweight too which is a plus.

The powers that be, my wife that is, decided this was a good opportunity to upgrade her phone and give me her old one. Granted her old one is way better than what I had, but it is not rugged and the battery dies after two days or so. Likely faster in cold. I do have two sim cards on the same number, so maybe I'll get a cheap rugged one for just rough use.

[Grant Lamontagne]

We had some Crosscall devices at work, primarily for the service technicians working on the turbines. Decent enough, but as you can guess they are always several years behind on tech.

lots of great features like drop resistance, sealed user removeable/replaceable battery, dual sim and SD card slot also in the sealed compartment.

https://www.crosscall.com/

That actually looks like an excellent choice.  If only it was available here. 

I'd seriously consider trying to import one if I had the spare cash right now.  It's also a remarkably good price, at least compared to most phones around here.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh, and getting back to this iPhone....

Some of this is growing pains to be sure, but I really don't like the camera.

Okay, I get it, it's a generation or two older than the one on my Pixel, but even so, I don't find it to be anywhere near as good as the Pixel camera.  Or cameras I should say as the Pixel Pro had three of them and this iPhone only has the one.  Still, the Pixel offered several functions on each camera that the iPhone is either lacking or doesn't seem to do as well.

I have actually found myself not wanting to even take photos with this one because the results are so poor compared to the Pixel.   

I suppose it's just an opportunity to work on my photography skills instead of letting the tech do it for me.   

Def

[Don Pablo]

One camera? This iPhone must be from the stone age!

[Grant Lamontagne]

According to CoPilot, the XR was released in 2018.

It is older than COVID. 

 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well the iOS experiment is almost over.

As my Pixel 7 is finally paid off I have ordered a Pixel 9 Pro XL, as well as an Otterbox Defender and a glass screen protector.

I am looking forward to getting back to a good camera and all of the Android apps I left behind.

That said, there will be a few things l will miss about not having an iPhone:

1- I liked the Widgets on the iPhone and I got used to using the Notes app.
2- I liked the integration with my iPad.  The pics, videos etc as well as text messages that went to my phone also went to my iPad.  I can use Dropbox for file transfers as I always did before, but it isn't as seamless as the iPhone/iPad combo.  And the texts are just going to be on my phone.
3- There isn't a #3, or I can't think of one at this time.

More modern iPhones have LIDAR built into them (for some reason) which is cool and would greatly help me do 3D scans of things, but I am not going to buy a new iPhone for just that.  If I want to get serious about scanning things I will spend the same money on a dedicated 3D scanner.

Reasons I am looking forward to getting back to an Android, and maybe specifically a Pixel:

1- Google Photos is a much more effective way of backing up photos, videos etc.
2- Some apps don't work as well on iOS, like the app for things in my city, like reminding me about garbage day etc.  It doesn't seem to work at all on my iPhone, which is running the latest version of iOS, so it's not an out of date thing.
3- Image Shrink.  It should probably fit in the above comment, but it is by far the fastest, easiest way of shrinking photos for the forum.  You will notice I haven't posted nearly as many photos here since I broke my last Pixel.
4- The Do Not Disturb switch, or lack thereof.  I often miss phone calls and texts on my iPhone because I accidentally flipped the switch to Do Not Disturb mode.   
5- Google Assistant is way smarter than Siri, and I hear Gemini is even better.
6- No more screenshotting my lock screen.  Since the volume buttons and power button are on opposite sides of the iPhone I take a screenshot of the lock screen at least 30% of the time I pick the stupid thing up or fish it out of my pocket.
7- Speaking of the lock screen.... I can set my Androids to stay unlocked if in the range of my smart watch.  Siri always wants to see my face, and that's not helpful when she refuses to read my texts to me while I am driving and she is lying on the seat next to me. 
8- E-Mailing photos as attachments.  I usually send in my time sheets at work but taking photos of them and emailing them to the office.  Sometimes Siri embeds the image into the email rather than sending as an attachment, and the office asks me to re-send them as attachments so they can print them.  It doesn't happen all the time, and seems to happen at random with the iPhone, and that never happened with any of my Droids.
9- Okay, I know a more modern iPhone wouldn't have this problem, but it is going to be nice to get away from that silly Apple proprietary charging cable and back to USB C like every other device I own.
10- Again, this is a complaint about an outdated phone and so not fair to taint all iPhones with this, but the camera is terrible as is the software that operates it.  I am looking forward to getting back to multiple lenses and better camera software.

There you are, rant over, at least for now. 

Also the iPhone battery is smurf, but again, probably due to it being old.

Okay, actually done for now.

Android for life.

Def

[Farmer X]

Google Photos is a much more effective way of backing up photos, videos etc.

I bought two 128GB flash drives (basically SD cards with USB-A and USB-C ports attached) for file backup. That setup ought to suit me for a while. As far as I know, they're secure as long as they're not plugged into my PC. They're kinda like electronic safe deposit boxes. I don't know how safe my files are with third-party backup services.

While we may not agree on Google Photos, we agree that Android is the way to go as far as smartphones are concerned.

[Whoey]

You can install Google photos on the iPad to have your photos everywhere.

There are widgets on android as well, and far too many good note options

I rather like the physical dnd button on iphones and also take too many screenshots when picking up devices. I strongly dislike how the ios gallery app works and having 3 languages  installed i really hate it forces autocorrect to the selected language as I am often sending messages in all three languages and hate toggling the keyboard each time, something my android does automatically based on what I type. I also dislike there's no fingerprint sensor on my 13 mini, but the face recognition does work well. Also it's really hard to differentiate read vs unread messages on outlook, which is not the case on android.

The battery on my s22 is starting to fail, and I lose charge very quickly, worsened since 5g is enabled and dual sim. I kind of want to stay in samsung world since all my accessories are samsung, but a pixel is really tempting or of course i could spend the 75eur to get a new battery and hold on a while longer...