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Community Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 09, 2015, 04:33:13 PM

Title: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 09, 2015, 04:33:13 PM
I didn't see a topic so thought I would start a new one. I just picked up a Windows Phone, finally got away from Apple, took me a while. Anyways I was wondering if anyone else uses this and if so are you looking forward to Windows 10 Mobile?

Also does anyone use their phone for gaming? I would be curious if there are any games worth getting on WP?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ShyGuy on November 09, 2015, 07:42:01 PM
I'm interested in that new BlackBerry Android phone.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Wah on November 09, 2015, 08:04:40 PM
yay! Cortana!
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: sudoshuff on November 09, 2015, 10:55:55 PM
Also does anyone use their phone for gaming? I would be curious if there are any games worth getting on WP?


The reason I got back into Nintendo handhelds was my complete dissatisfaction with mobile gaming...but maybe things have changed in the last year and a half?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ShyGuy on November 09, 2015, 11:53:53 PM
I wonder if Microsoft will bring more games to their phones with the unified Win 10 OS.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 10, 2015, 02:04:56 PM
I wonder if Microsoft will bring more games to their phones with the unified Win 10 OS.


This is what I was wondering about, I know mobile gaming sucks, supposedly, but Windows gaming is pretty solid so I wasn't too familiar with how compatible things were. I am planning on upgrading to 10 when it becomes available for my phone, if it does anyways.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BiteThePillow on November 10, 2015, 02:44:57 PM
I have a Lumia 635 and I love it. I've never liked Apple much, mainly because of lower storage capacity and iTunes. And Android is a clusterfuck of bloatware, poor battery life, and crappy hardware drivers and firmware support, in my experience. Windows Phone was a breath of fresh air. I do almost no gaming on it, but there are a few that I like (ilomilo, pixel blocked!). And the integration with Windows, Xbox Live, and MS cloud services is really helpful. More apps would be nice, but lack of app development is far from being a deal breaker for me at this point (6 months in).
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on November 14, 2015, 03:56:56 AM
I'm interested in that new BlackBerry Android phone.
You aren't alone...
Quote from: Pre-Order Status thing
This is a follow-up to the email we sent you on Friday to keep you updated on ShopBlackBerry PRIV pre-order deliveries. Due to demand, there has been a delay in shipping PRIV smartphones to some customers who pre-ordered

We continue to deliver PRIV devices and expect all remaining pre-orders to arrive no later than November 24th. Once your order has been shipped you will receive a confirmation by email so you can track your order.

Now let me remind you that PRIV preorders began on October 23rd.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Wah on November 15, 2015, 11:03:10 PM
Muhaha cell phones are over-rated. Demon mail is the way to go!  :D
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 16, 2015, 04:19:50 AM
Nexus 6p is the correct response to this topic :P
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 16, 2015, 12:57:23 PM
I went to a football game and recorded an interview with the coach and it did not save my recording. If anyone has Windows Phone please tell me is there a way to find my recording where it was supposed to save or was I supposed to tell it where to save? I am used to the iPhone app I assumed it saved locally somewhere but I can't find it and everyone online says it was stored in the cloud, somewhere. Very frustrating I need that recording for my story otherwise I have to write it without quotes and it was a playoff game need the quotes. :@ :(
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 16, 2015, 06:44:10 PM
It should be on the phone somewhere. On Android there's a Lost and Found directory...try to find a way to view your whole file system and sort by ascending date modified. Look for something with a relatively large file size and perhaps a weird filename...
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 17, 2015, 10:13:06 AM
I have to wait until I can hook it up to my PC because the Mac I use at work does not allow me to browse the folders. I wasn't able to locate it in time anyways deadline passed, so I had to email him for quotes it worked out okay. I won't make the mistake of assuming something just works like it is supposed to on a Windows Phone ever again though.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on November 20, 2015, 08:52:54 PM
Blackberry has done pretty well with android although i'll need to get a new sim card because apparently I managed to slightly damage the one I'm using while trying to cut it down to size so now I'm getting a constant notification about some issue with WiFi calling.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on November 30, 2015, 04:52:41 PM
Does anyone have voice recognition issues with their phone? No matter how I say it my phone always spells dog as dawg it is pissing me off, is there a way to teach to learn how to spell?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on December 02, 2015, 12:53:43 AM
Apple... What are you doing??? Apple? Hello??

http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/30/technology/iphone-7-headphone-jack/index.html (http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/30/technology/iphone-7-headphone-jack/index.html)
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Shaymin on December 02, 2015, 07:05:54 AM
2014: Apple to abandon headphone jack on the iPhone 6S
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/06/05/apple-to-abandon-headphone-jack-suddenly-beats-deal-makes-sense/

Pretty sure this is a longstanding rumor that doesn't go anywhere.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 02, 2015, 07:08:56 AM
It was a dumb idea when Nintendo did it and it would be even dumber if someone did it again.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on December 02, 2015, 05:34:41 PM
So looks like cheaping out and buying a Windows Phone was actually a stupid move. I am probably going to see about getting an Android phone maybe a Galaxy, with my Christmas bonus this year, if I don't spend it all on an Xbox One.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on December 02, 2015, 06:38:50 PM
At what point are phones gonna be too thin?  I would honestly prefer it if Apple would just make a thicker model that maybe has more battery or something.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: michaelbaysuperfan616 on December 08, 2015, 01:22:47 PM
At what point are phones gonna be too thin?  I would honestly prefer it if Apple would just make a thicker model that maybe has more battery or something.

If they went and did that how would they force you to upgrade every couple of years though?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 11, 2016, 05:41:41 PM
I have to say I am very impressed with how well Blackberry has kept their word with regards to those monthly security updates for the Priv. Very nice job all around.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Shaymin on March 11, 2016, 08:26:04 PM
I think my Nexus 6P has taken more bumps than Daniel Bryan, and I've had the thing for six weeks now.

And of course, I can't find a bumper around here for love or money.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on April 26, 2016, 02:47:09 PM
And the Priv now has Marshmallow.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: RABicle on May 23, 2016, 01:07:00 AM
At what point are phones gonna be too thin?  I would honestly prefer it if Apple would just make a thicker model that maybe has more battery or something.

If they went and did that how would they force you to upgrade every couple of years though?
People say this, but the iPhone 5 (nearly 4 years old) still supports everything.
Does anyone have voice recognition issues with their phone? No matter how I say it my phone always spells dog as dawg it is pissing me off, is there a way to teach to learn how to spell?
Your phone sounds super based though. Why would you want to change that? Oh wait, you already did, cheaped out and didn't get an iPhone too. Pity.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 23, 2016, 08:09:04 PM
I want that HTC 10.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on May 23, 2016, 10:37:00 PM
I'm waiting to see what this RAZR business is all about.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 24, 2016, 06:54:16 PM
My guess is a new RAZR (and not exclusive to Verizon) from Moto - but Lenovo has pretty much ruined Moto, so meh.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 01, 2016, 11:52:11 AM
I just bought a new phone. I got an iPhone 6S. I wanted to hold out for the 7 but the battery on my 5S was almost completely shot and I was scared off by the talk of no headphone jack.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on June 01, 2016, 12:45:02 PM
The headphone jack is really obnoxious.  The phone is thin enough.  Gotta give people what they actually want: thicker phones with bigger batteries.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on June 01, 2016, 02:42:34 PM
You should have gotten a BlackBerry Priv.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 01, 2016, 03:37:09 PM
Or I could have bought an old flip phone from 2003 on eBay.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Shaymin on June 01, 2016, 07:58:35 PM
As a former Blackberry employee I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: RABicle on June 04, 2016, 10:15:07 AM
No headphone jack on the iPhone 7 isn't a big deal. I mean, Apple will give everyone Lighting headphones in the box, jsut liek they did with every other iPhone.

Anyway, My iPhone SE is in the mail! Exciting time, get to reuse my rad magnetic case and explore the exciting world of having a phone more powerful than my computer!

My iPhone 5 hadn't carked it, but my Dad has too much money and wanted to give me a graduation present.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 04, 2016, 10:28:17 AM
No standard headphone jack is stupid, even if they include headphones.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on June 04, 2016, 02:20:28 PM
Apple is really going to be digging their own grave here.

I mean will you need another adapter to charge while you listen to music?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: RABicle on June 08, 2016, 07:05:27 AM
Who listens to music on their headphones from their phone while it's on the charge? That's strapping yourself to a wall. Most people are bluetoothing/airplaying their music to wireless speaker around the house anyway.

Turns out the Lighting connection provides better audio too!
http://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/08/iphone-7-audiophile-lightning-headphones/?utm_source=osx&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=front

You guys remind me of the people who were upset that Macbook Airs didn't have CD drives.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on June 08, 2016, 12:24:05 PM
Sometimes I do that when I'm at work.  I'm already chained to the desk, so it doesn't bother me.

I like this idea of improved audio quality though.  Just curious about whether or not the standard headphones that Apple is gonna ship with the thing is going to be able to take advantage.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on June 08, 2016, 12:54:45 PM
Sometimes I do that when I'm at work.  I'm already chained to the desk, so it doesn't bother me.

I like this idea of improved audio quality though.  Just curious about whether or not the standard headphones that Apple is gonna ship with the thing is going to be able to take advantage.
Nope. Cheap mass produced **** as always.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on June 08, 2016, 01:34:33 PM
That'd be a shame.  It's arguably a strong selling point (at least to get people over the idea of a 35mm jack being removed).

I also like the shape of the Apple headphones.  I don't like a lot of in-ear phones.  I just don't like having to shove something in my ear.  It's uncomfortable and I have an earwax problem.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 08, 2016, 07:50:22 PM
Unless there is a DAC or something in the headphones, then it doesn't really make any sense that using the lightning port would have any effect on audio quality. In the end, you end up with speakers connected via wires. Just read some of the article - yes, there is a DAC in the headphones, so it's more like the DAC in the phone is sub-par, than lightning cables "provide better audio."
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 26, 2016, 04:05:54 AM
A jailbreak was released for the current version of iOS, so I'm diving back into that world. I don't need it, but I really do appreciate the tweaks it allows.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Phil on July 26, 2016, 01:18:46 PM

Time to bust this sumbitch out, then!

Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: RABicle on July 31, 2016, 10:56:35 AM
A jailbreak was released for the current version of iOS, so I'm diving back into that world. I don't need it, but I really do appreciate the tweaks it allows.
What sort of tweaks does it allow?
Personally i feel that Steve Jobs always knew what was best for me, and if the iPhone couldn't do it, I didn't need to do it.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 31, 2016, 11:16:47 AM
There's lots of stuff, mostly smaller interface tweaks, but some pretty substantial functionality as well. One big one is Activator, which is a systemwide setup that allows you to assign various input triggers to do different things. I can swipe right on my status bar to immediately open my calendar or hold down the the volume up button to skip to the next song. Also much better third party keyboards than stock iOS allows.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: RABicle on July 31, 2016, 01:43:14 PM
Eh, the best stuff gets stolen for later iOS updates.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 31, 2016, 06:26:36 PM
That ZTE Axiom 7 looks great...especially for $399.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on August 10, 2016, 11:43:59 PM
The BlackBerry Priv is on sale at Best Buy for 379.99. I seriously can't recommend this phone highly enough. It's just excellent.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 12, 2016, 12:55:54 PM
*Axon 7, rather. But now HTC is making the next Nexus...might have to get in on that.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 24, 2016, 12:17:38 AM
Ooooh, I'm on a **** VERIZON kick right now.

Got a notice that I owed $250 this month including overdue payment(s), yet I have a confirmation statement showing a $0.00 balance after last months payment.

Long story short, I made the payment after it was explained to me that it was for this past month and the current cycle ending beginning of next month. So I thought I was paying ahead, but after being transferred to customer service, they inform me that it wasn't for this current cycle and that the guy basically lied to me to just to charge my card. Now I'm escalating this **** up to a manager because that's bullshit. And as soon as this is over I'm switching to a new carrier unless Verizon makes this right.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on September 07, 2016, 05:50:25 PM
It takes courage to do the thing it's been rumored we were going to do for years.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on September 07, 2016, 06:09:24 PM
It took more courage last year to sell a 4K phone with 16GB of non-expandable memory.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Adrock on September 09, 2016, 06:03:45 PM
Ooooh, I'm on a **** VERIZON kick right now.

Got a notice that I owed $250 this month including overdue payment(s), yet I have a confirmation statement showing a $0.00 balance after last months payment.

Long story short, I made the payment after it was explained to me that it was for this past month and the current cycle ending beginning of next month. So I thought I was paying ahead, but after being transferred to customer service, they inform me that it wasn't for this current cycle and that the guy basically lied to me to just to charge my card. Now I'm escalating this **** up to a manager because that's bullshit. And as soon as this is over I'm switching to a new carrier unless Verizon makes this right.
I'm curious. What happened with this?

(Sorry, I don't go to General Chat too often.)
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on September 10, 2016, 03:36:42 PM
I got a manager on the phone, they assured me that I had NO past balance due, and that my next bill is not due till October.

so the first and last cust serv reps (i had spoke to 3 of them) got me all pissed off for no reason.
Now I confirmed w/ the manager that Verizon is trying to push people that have Unlimted data off that plan, but I also threw their own website wording back at them, because they tried to take my employee discount off of my data plan as well.

Quote
Q: Does my plan or feature qualify for a discount?

A: One of the many ways we like to show our appreciation is by always making sure you get the best value. Whether you've accepted a promotional plan that is already pre-discounted, or you're able to take advantage of the discount available through your employer or organization.

General discount qualifications, unless otherwise noted, apply to plan monthly access fees of $34.99 or higher, and data features of $24.99 or higher, when added to a plan of $34.99 or higher. On plans with separate account and line fees, discounts apply only to the Account Access fees. Prepaid, already discounted, data-only and promotional plans are not eligible for discounts through this program.

and my data plan is not a "discounted" or "promotional" plan, it's a grandfathered discontinued plan, that was previously discounted with my current and previous employers.

So I'll have to update on that again later too I guess.
I really should just jump to another network. T-Mobile is giving away free **** every Tuesday.
and the only way I can get a new phone on Verizon while keeping my unlimited data is to break it and go through insurance, or buy one outright.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on October 02, 2016, 02:44:28 AM
I kinda knew the Priv would end up being a one time deal but it's still sad to see BlackBerry go despite the Priv being a truly excellent phone when a certain other fruit company gets to sell gangbusters with a phone who's biggest feature is the lack of a headphone jack.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on October 02, 2016, 02:55:10 AM
It's kind of funny how the lack of a headphone jack is universally disliked but they're still going to have 20 times the market share as BlackBerry would if they were giving theirs away for free.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on October 02, 2016, 10:26:56 PM
USB-C now has an audio spec allowing more devices to ditch the 3.5mm jack.  (https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/01/usb-c-audio-specification/?sr_source=Twitter)

This could be a thing that catches on.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on November 26, 2016, 03:44:32 PM
My decision to invest in a wireless charger has nothing to do with me being sick of having to deal with the hassle of cleaning a Micro USB port.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: oohhboy on November 26, 2016, 07:24:50 PM
My decision to invest in a wireless charger has nothing to do with me being sick of having to deal with the hassle of cleaning a Micro USB port.
No.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on December 06, 2016, 12:47:05 AM
(http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/xlarge_wm_brw/public/article_images/2016/05/samsung-fast-wireless-charging-stand-2.jpg?itok=8Os2awAU)

My wireless charger finally showed up in the mail. It was definitely more than worth the wait. I like how Samsung just couldn't be bothered to make sure the cable and wall adapter included with the charger are the same color as the charger itself.

My decision to invest in a wireless charger has nothing to do with me being sick of having to deal with the hassle of cleaning a Micro USB port.
No.
Man I worded that poorly. The port itself just wound up getting incredibly touchy to the point where when I plugged my phone in before I went to bed I had to make sure that my phone was actually receiving enough power that it would be fully charged by the morning. Maybe the port got damaged due to some sort of carelessness on my part, (I was probably being a bit rough when I was plugging my phone in considering that from what I've read now Micro USB ports can be rather delicate compared to say the Lightning ports Apple uses.

It also probably doesn't help that the BlackBerry Priv's micro-usb port can be a massive dust/lint magnet so I had to clean it out very frequently.

And to be clear, I was using the charger that came with my phone and my old Phillips dock/speaker thing (which is a Phillips as141) and the charger from my Galaxy Note 8.0.)

(http://images.philips.com/is/image/PhilipsConsumer/AS141_05-RTP-global-001?$jpglarge$&hei=700)

The whole thing was just getting incredibly frustrating and I'm happy to be done with it.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on July 18, 2017, 09:25:13 PM
So apparently there's a way to force the Priv to display stuff at a lower resolution instead of displaying everything at qHD for no practical reason and thus improve it's performance and battery life. I'm probably going to change it's resolution from 2560x1440 @ 560ppi to 720x1280 at 280ppi (which equates to 720p.)
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on July 19, 2017, 03:46:11 PM
How noticeable will the difference be?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 27, 2017, 08:19:59 PM
Picked up a Moto Z2 Force on Black Friday. Half price ($378) plus I got the Insta-share Projector mod for half price ($150). Awesome phone definitely the most underrated Android flagship. No water resistance, but it's shatterproof and the mods (a bunch at least) are awesome. Very happy with my purchase.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ShyGuy on November 27, 2017, 08:43:46 PM
How does the projector look?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 27, 2017, 09:40:42 PM
It needs to be pretty dark for the best picture, but it looks pretty fantastic. I mean I wouldn't make it my main TV or anything, but definitely worth the money. We used it to watch the Seahawks/49ers game last night at my brother's house on his front patio.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2020, 02:24:59 AM
Bump! I'm curious about what everyone is rocking for a cell phone in 2020. I've been rocking the Fxtec Pro1 for about 2 months now. It's been an absolute joy to use. (https://beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/fx-tec-pro1-feat.jpg)

It's solidly specced, has an incredible battery, and an incredible physical keyboard. I'm definitely a fan.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BeautifulShy on March 14, 2020, 02:39:42 AM
I finally got a new smart phone about 3 months ago in January. I have a Motorola Moto G7 Play.

(https://i.imgur.com/ydy0nAP.jpg)
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 14, 2020, 02:53:31 AM
I've got an iPhone X. A little out of date, but a hardware exploit means it's permanently jailbreakable, which is nice. I'll likely be picking up one of the new models in the fall.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ShyGuy on March 14, 2020, 04:58:54 AM
I finally got a new smart phone about 3 months ago in January. I have a Motorola Moto G7 Play.

(https://i.imgur.com/ydy0nAP.jpg)

That's the same phone I have. The screen scratches if you look at it wrong. I got a screen protector and it's even worse.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Shaymin on March 14, 2020, 07:40:19 AM
I run a Galaxy Note 9 currently. Due to upgrade around Black Friday, though I wonder what my options are that involve not having courage (having a standard headphone jack). I'm so paranoid I bought an honest-to-Naga MP3 player.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ejamer on March 14, 2020, 08:51:11 AM
I've never owned a smartphone, because the cost (in Canada) has never justified the value for me.
However, I might be in a position where it needs to happen soon.

Any recommendations about what to get, or what to avoid?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 14, 2020, 11:49:41 AM
I have bought a new phone since the Galaxy S3
over the years, phone insurance has continually had to upgrade me.

I am currently on a GS7, but I am about ready to purchase a GS10 or GS11 depending on cost.
my main issue is that I have to buy the phone outright outside of my carrier otherwise they cancel my unlimited date plan.

I have no idea how they will price the 5G plans, but I'd like to get a 5G phone, and my existing unlimited plan from 2006, even though it's gone waaay up in cost, doesn't throttle after a certain data cap nor does it discriminate on which G of internet I have like the existing plans... if I read the old vs new agreements correctly.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BeautifulShy on March 14, 2020, 12:53:50 PM
I've never owned a smartphone, because the cost (in Canada) has never justified the value for me.
However, I might be in a position where it needs to happen soon.

Any recommendations about what to get, or what to avoid?

What features are you looking for in a phone and what are less important to you?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 14, 2020, 01:35:08 PM
I think he still uses his phone to "talk" to people. Ewww
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2020, 01:57:30 PM
If you want features that matter I'd go with the Fxtec Pro1. It sort of straddles the line between being a high end flagship phone with it's obscene 128gb storage + an SD card slot and excellent camera setup (although you have to download a different camera app like open camera or a sideloaded version of Google's special camera app for Pixel phones because the default camera app suuuuucks) and being a midrange phone with it's long battery life and features like a headphone jack that are often missing in higher end devices.

It loses wireless charging which is unfortunate but it gains other things like a really nice set of side firing speakers and a keyboard mechanism that props the screen up at a nice angle for watching video. It also of course has that really nice keyboard which also solves the main issue with android's multitasking integration, which is the touch screen keyboard getting in the way and eating up precious screen real estate.

(https://cdn57.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Fxtec-Pro1-review-right-profile-with-screen-lit-1340x754.jpeg)

All of this for only half the price of the latest Samsung phones.

I definitely recommend that most people these days go with midrange phones because they offer stronger battery life while still being more than capable of getting you through the day performance wise. 5G is not worth the hassle atm. If the phone you're looking at already has 5g than that's a plus but 5G is still years away from being mainstream and adds a significant amount of cost to an already pricey phone.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on March 14, 2020, 09:21:43 PM
I have an iPhone XR.  I was upset when the iPhone stopped coming in pink or rose-gold, but the coral looks nice.  I needed a new phone and for it to last me a while though, so I was glad to buy it when I did.

I'm actually really interested in what Apple does going forward with their phones.  Other manufacturers have taken up foldable form factors and other things, while Apple seems to just stick to "thinner with a better camera".  They need to find the next sparkling innovation.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2020, 09:28:10 PM
It really feels like for the first time Apple has fallen behind in terms of design. The current iPhone design with the notch just has not aged well compared to the current age of hole punch cameras. It was always kind of an ugly design and in the age where we have so many companies coming out with stand out designs (especially Samsung) the iPhone just stands out in the worst possible way.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on March 14, 2020, 09:34:51 PM
Agreed.  The notch is bad.  It doesn't impact most of the videos I watch on my phone, but when it does, it's hard to ignore, especially when otherwise the screen would be bezel to bezel.  They need to bring in the hole punch design.

I also don't like that the camera has to stick out from the back.  I had an iPhone 4, I think it was, and the glass in front of the camera got damaged because of that design, and all my pics had this awful bloom to them.  I've resented the design ever since.  Even with the "crystal" or w/e, I still don't like that my phone doesn't lay flat on a surface.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 14, 2020, 10:13:22 PM
Rumor has it this year's iPhones will be getting rid of the notch, with the FaceID camera now being able to fit in the top bezel.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2020, 11:46:56 PM
That'll help but the other issue with the iPhone design imo is I feel like they went completely wrong with how they went about the whole bezel-less design thing. The device ends up having this weird black border that doesn't look that great.

(https://media.idownloadblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2020-iPhone-prototype-leak-rumor.jpg)
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 14, 2020, 11:55:29 PM
I like the border like that. I've never been a fan of screens that go all the way to the edge, and that's a simple and distinctive design.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 15, 2020, 12:26:58 AM
I also don't like that the camera has to stick out from the back.
The Pro1's camera setup is recessed and it's something I kind of appreciate.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ejamer on March 15, 2020, 09:43:10 AM
...
What features are you looking for in a phone and what are less important to you?

Features?  Nothing fancy is needed; I work from home, and am married with two kids.. so it's mostly just to have a contact point for business and community volunteer activities, and to enable two-factor authentication which is becoming mandatory at a few too many places for my liking.

Social media will be limited, camera/video not a concern, and it's not going to be used for gaming. Data plans are ridiculously expensive in Atlantic Canada, so online usage will be limited except when I'm using wifi at home.

I just need an affordable and well designed phone. Something new enough that I won't have to upgrade in a year or two, and isn't actively designed to be obsolete (due to hardware or software). I'm leaning away from iPhone, as their design choices tend to actively punish people who don't embrace the full Apple ecosystem.


Bonus points if a small drop or putting it in my back pocket won't ruin the phone - which is probably more a call for good cases than phones. I tend to be clumsy, and really don't want replacement fees in my future.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BeautifulShy on March 15, 2020, 11:22:16 AM
...
What features are you looking for in a phone and what are less important to you?

Features?  Nothing fancy is needed; I work from home, and am married with two kids.. so it's mostly just to have a contact point for business and community volunteer activities, and to enable two-factor authentication which is becoming mandatory at a few too many places for my liking.

Social media will be limited, camera/video not a concern, and it's not going to be used for gaming. Data plans are ridiculously expensive in Atlantic Canada, so online usage will be limited except when I'm using wifi at home.

I just need an affordable and well designed phone. Something new enough that I won't have to upgrade in a year or two, and isn't actively designed to be obsolete (due to hardware or software). I'm leaning away from iPhone, as their design choices tend to actively punish people who don't embrace the full Apple ecosystem.


Bonus points if a small drop or putting it in my back pocket won't ruin the phone - which is probably more a call for good cases than phones. I tend to be clumsy, and really don't want replacement fees in my future.
Do you use lots of apps for your volunteer activities or other things for your phone? Do you need lots of space on the phone or not?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Order.RSS on March 15, 2020, 11:40:09 AM
I just need an affordable and well designed phone. Something new enough that I won't have to upgrade in a year or two, and isn't actively designed to be obsolete (due to hardware or software). I'm leaning away from iPhone, as their design choices tend to actively punish people who don't embrace the full Apple ecosystem.

Bonus points if a small drop or putting it in my back pocket won't ruin the phone - which is probably more a call for good cases than phones. I tend to be clumsy, and really don't want replacement fees in my future.

For work from home I would assume you're chiefly looking for a dual-sim, so people don't call your private number, so that's worth looking into. A feature I used to put a lot of stock into was a replaceable battery, but the truth is the device I had previously died before the battery became unbearable. Nokia still has a few of them though, the 2.2 and their 1Plus for example. (Not to be confused with the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus.)
Smartphones are not designed to last more than a few years. Many Androids just outright stop receiving security updates 2 years in, and Apple is literally settling a court case over planned obsolescence at the moment. Expect to charge them every 2 days at minimum.

If you're looking for sturdy, it might not be a bad idea to look into CATphones. Few of those seem solidly in the brick category, although I don't love their prices, but there's some midrange options at least.

I personally find smartphones really annoying to find useful coverage on, because every review I find is obsessed with details, rather than use cases. They'll be counting megapixels, comparing the three cameras on there, whining about bezels and aesthetics, fingerprint scanners integrated into screens, speaker quality, whether the screen is Amoled or not, Siri/Bixby and other A.I. assistants, etc.
None of these things are essential imo if you're not a power user. Features which actually matter for me are fast charging over USB-C, long battery life, blue light filters, dual-sim, 3.5mm headphone jack, flashlight function, and the ability to use apps in split-screen mode. It also helps if they come with a bunch of storage, since they bloat quickly with app updates. Shouldn't be a concern anymore nowadays though.

Definitely consider size by the way, phones are skewing larger every year and it just means you'll need to hold them in both hands now and they won't fit in your pockets.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on March 15, 2020, 02:44:14 PM
Quote
None of these things are essential imo if you're not a power user. Features which actually matter for me are fast charging over USB-C, long battery life, blue light filters, dual-sim, 3.5mm headphone jack, flashlight function, and the ability to use apps in split-screen mode. It also helps if they come with a bunch of storage, since they bloat quickly with app updates. Shouldn't be a concern anymore nowadays though.


The Fxtec Pro1 has all of those things. :D

Personally I'd add three things to that list. The device needs to be durable, and the camera needs to be at a point where you can easily take solid pictures without even thinking about it, which most phones are nowadays so it's kind of moot, and It also needs a strong enough cooling system that it doesn't become an overheating piece of **** later in it's life like the Blackberry Priv did.

The one thing ejamer really needs to look for is USB-C. It's just becoming way too difficult to find good micro usb cables these days that won't die out if you look at them wrong.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: ejamer on March 15, 2020, 11:30:34 PM
... The one thing ejamer really needs to look for is USB-C. It's just becoming way too difficult to find good micro usb cables these days that won't die out if you look at them wrong.

I wouldn't have thought of it, but makes sense.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on March 16, 2020, 01:25:41 AM
I like the border like that. I've never been a fan of screens that go all the way to the edge, and that's a simple and distinctive design.

I second this notion. I think it looks nice.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on April 15, 2020, 04:29:37 PM
Apple just stomping all over Oneplus's thunder with the iPhone SE announcement is hilarious and I love it.

It looks like a nice little phone for $400 and it's nice to see a smaller phone come out with a decent bit of push in today's age where everything is a phablet.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on April 16, 2020, 06:54:37 PM
It's also nice they used touchID for it, which makes sense since they seem to be using the iPhone 8 body.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on April 16, 2020, 07:32:34 PM
Just a quick update: The Fxtec Pro1 is still an incredible and well made phone.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Adrock on April 16, 2020, 08:56:29 PM
Damn, they still make phones with physical keyboards?! Do you use the Fxtec Pro1, pokepal?

It would be so nice if my employer gave this to us for our work cell. New employees are given the Galaxy S10. I have a Galaxy S7 (I think). I still prefer touch screens for my personal phone. However, the keyboard would make composing work emails much easier. The Galaxy S7’s screen is so small by today’s standards, it feels awkward to use. I know how first world problemy that sounds.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on April 16, 2020, 09:21:18 PM
Yeah the Pro1 has been my personal phone for a few months now. It's a really nice little thing.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: Kairon on April 16, 2020, 10:15:15 PM
Just a quick update: The Fxtec Pro1 is still an incredible and well made phone.

OMG that is GORGEOUS! I've wanted a physical keyboard for ages!

Unfortunately the other big thing I long for is just a small phone, I'm not a fan of giant displays. So I guess when it comes time to upgrade my phone I may have to weigh the two desires I have and see what path I take.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on May 14, 2020, 01:17:51 AM
So guys, how do we feel about that Galaxy S20 Ultra?

It's what I got my eye on and been actively looking to pickup once back in stock.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on May 14, 2020, 10:33:10 PM
That camera is really impressive.  But 8K? Seriously? Who needs that in a phone?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on May 14, 2020, 10:56:30 PM
ULTRA ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

that's why. (I'm guessing.....)

It's in stock....
I'm able to get a 20% discount and possibly even an additional 10% on top of that....

question... does anyone here use Rakuten?
and if not (they are giving the possible 10% cash back), can I send you a referral code so we both get free money?

just askin'
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on June 11, 2020, 04:01:25 PM
So I got my new phone... about 2 weeks ago.

Galaxy S20 ULTRA 5G 512GB
bought an extra 512GB mSD card to go with it.

this phone is like a large brick compared to my other phones.
my other personal phone and the work phone were about the same size.... they both feel like light little toys phones in my hand after handing the new phone.

I got the glass screen for the front and the camera in the back and a nice shock absorbing case to go around it, so if it wasn't a heavy brick of a phone before, it sure is now. LOL

anyway, it operates so much smoother, and I have soooooooo much more space (previous phone was the Galaxy 7 32GB w/ a 32GB sd card)

I haven't had the opportunity to really play with the phone's camera too much in an outdoor natural light setting, so I'll have to get back to you on that one, but after having looked at my boys new iPhone X camera, I can only assume it's on par if not better as that's what I've been told by another friend that sells phones for a living.

This is the first phone I've bought since the S3 however many years ago that was.... everything since then has been a warranty upgrade. So I'm kinda excited about the differences a new phone will make, since the old phone frustrated me to no end in it's lagginess and always running out of space.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on June 15, 2020, 06:34:14 PM
I'm surprised you had issues with the S7. Phone hardware just holds up better than it used to as far as performance goes. Even after it thermal throttled itself into oblivion the Priv's performance was generally solid. There were issues on occasion whrn the thermal throttling reached the point where it became borderline unresponsive but that wasn't what killed the Priv for me by any stretch of the imagination and the S7 to my understanding does not have the Priv's issues with thermal throttling and had better software optimization.

Apparently manufacturers are starting to include higher refresh rate screens in their phones. It's an interesting feature but it doesn't feel like something that would be worth the cost of battery life.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: UncleBob on July 08, 2020, 09:11:59 AM
Looks like I should have peeked in this thread some time ago.

My first phone was the LG VX6100.  That dates me a bit.  From there, I lusted after the glorious LGG VX 9800 - The V.  Finally got in on the LG VX9900 - the EnV.  Then popped up to the LG VX10000 - The Voyager, commanded by Captain Janeway.

At some point after that, I finally joined the smartphone/android family with the Samsung Stratosphere, then, sometime in 2013ish, I upgraded to the Stratosphere 2... and until two days ago, that was the phone I still had.  Yes, I was sporting a seven year old phone and wasn't that interested in upgrading, thus I did not think I had anything to add  to or gain from this thread.

About two weeks ago, I found out from Verizon that they hate me and are retiring their CDMA network at the end of the year.  This is going to slaughter many older phones, including my precious Stratosphere 2.  So, I needed a new phone.  It wasn't so much that I didn't *want* a new phone, but that all these newfangled phones are missing a feature I have come to love.  If you're familiar with older phone models (or bothered to search the models listed above), you'll probably be able to guess what that feature is.

A physical QWERTY keyboard.  At this point, pokepal has to be all "hey hey hey!"

Now, there's been a few attempts at physical keyboards since 2013 - but who tf wants a squished Blackberry keyboard?  Go home, Blackberry.  The Stratosphere 2 was the last decent smartphone with a keyboard.  Ever since Steve Jobs came along with his vision of the future that included no buttons, every major cell phone manufacturer has been chasing the design of the iPhone, failing to realize or acknowledge that they'll never catch up with Apple's sales because, no matter how they design their phones, they won't have an Apple logo on them and Apple fans are second only to Nintendo fanatics when it comes to brand loyality.  Instead of trying to cater to underserved niche markets, they're all just copying Apple and doing a **** job of it.

Enter f(x)tec and the Pro1.  Now, I'm not ready to do a full review of this phone yet - I've had it two days and I have to decide what things are actual design issues versus what things are just "not the same as the phone I've had for seven years" (Seriously, why don't you have sticky shift key out of the box, phone?), but my initial impressions are very favorable.

The immediate downside is that the phone has an 8-12 week waiting period to get - and if some of the complaints on the forum are to be believed, some people have been waiting much longer.  Thankfully, I scored a lovingly used phone from someone who got it and did not like it as much as they had hoped - I would have prefered a brand new one, but with Verizon killing my phone "by the end of the year" and their undependable shipping issues, I didn't want to leave it to chance.

tl:;dr  pokepal, I'm on the f(x)tec Pro1 train.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on July 08, 2020, 06:51:18 PM
The Pro1 is kind of something you have to tinker with to get the best experience from it. The Official Fxtec Pro1 Discord community (https://discord.gg/Af8ZHCc) has been really good at getting things going on that front.

It's biggest pitfall imo is the camera app but that can be resolved by replacing it with either Open Camera on the playstore or a port of the Google Pixel camera app, which use the phone's CPU to run fancy image processing stuff on the fly and enhance the image. Unfortunately they don't support the shutter button but that can be remapped with an app like Buttons remapper to another function. I personally use it as a dedicated play/pause button and it mostly works, although occasionally it still tries to open that god awful snapdragon camera app.

SwiftKey is this phone's best friend. It gives you that fancy word prediction stuff that you'd expect from a modern smartphone while still letting you use the physical keyboard. It even gives you fancy features like an easy gif support and even a cute little mini web browser and clipboard. I'd advise against signing in though if you're concerned about Microsoft's data farming tendencies. It's also one of the best touch keyboards so it's good for jotting something down or potentially working with apps that don't work well in landscape, although since I installed force landscape that hasn't been an issue.

Gaming with the keyboard can be a bit questionable since the buttons aren't always mapped correctly for games you'd expect to use them and tbh I haven't really cared about it enough to look into a solution.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 31, 2020, 12:59:27 PM
I am so sick of Swiftkey and Gboard.
Can someone PLEASE bring back SWYPE.

It was clearly ahead of the pack when it comes to predictive text and autocorrections, and this was YEARS AGO.
I would almost swear Swype was reading my mind as it knew what I was trying to type, and the auto corrections made sense if I mistyped anything.

Current options constantly put in the wrong word... Lots of times not even close. Randomly adds spaces or extra words (like: be, I, a) while doing a manual type, and what I was typing was no where near those letters.
Autocorrect will sometimes go back and change words after I've manually selected the correction, and I don't notice till I've hit send on a text, because I didn't think I needed to proof read it since I saw the correct word when I first typed it.

It's beyond frustrating. Why would the best in the game, and I think the originator, just up and quit? Why didn't Google buy up their algorithm/code and build it into Android as the default!?

I just want my Swype back.

I can't even get these new ones to recognize me swyping my daughter's name, even though I've selected it numerous times, it's like it doesn't learn.

I need a better option.
Anyone got suggestions?
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: nickmitch on August 31, 2020, 02:45:33 PM
I'm open to new suggestions as well.  GBoard is getting annoying.  It seems to think I'm typing proper nouns (of people whose name I've never meant to type) pretty frequently.  Also, if I misspell a word, it takes entirely too long to troubleshoot.  The auto-correct seems to emphasize the swipe pattern over the actual spelling, which makes sense, but if I manually type a word and don't spell it correctly, it just lets the word sit as it with no suggestions.  The google search bar being there helps when I have this issue, but there's still a lot left to be desired.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: pokepal148 on October 13, 2020, 04:34:30 PM
Can someone explain to me why you need a super amoled 8k 158hz screen on a phone? This weird techno supremacy on android flagships is really getting out of hand.
Title: Re: Cell phone discussion
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on October 19, 2020, 03:05:41 PM
I got broke my Galaxy S20+ Ultra 5G 512GB 5 weeks ago.
5 weeks ago on the 18th, I put in a claim w/ Asurion.

4 weeks ago, they offered for me to go buy a new S20 Ultra at retail and they'll reimburse me, or wait for a Note 20 Ultra since it was on backorder..... I chose to wait a bit for the upgrade.

I keep receiving failed attempts at automated updates from their automated update system. (it's a garbled message that keeps repeating itself, but never actually delivers an update)
And I haven't been able to actually get their "claim update" page to load so I can see what's goin on.

So today I called in, and they tried to push me a Galaxy S20 128B and close the order....
I of course refused.
All these weeks I've kind of sold myself on the Galaxy Note S20+, so I'm certainly not taking a used lesser cheaper version of a phone I just bought 3.5 months ago, unless it was a place holder till an equivalent showed up.

My old G7 is annoying at best, and a down right pain the ass on it's worse days. I can't deal with it anymore.

So after some back and forth, and getting transferred to some other department, I manage to talk them into the reimbursement towards whatever it is I want. up to the max reimbursement amount.
So *BRAND NEW* Galaxy Note S20+ here I come. Long overdue almost 5 week wait for a new phone.