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Community Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: tendoboy1984 on September 06, 2012, 10:21:06 PM

Title: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 06, 2012, 10:21:06 PM
Do you think Android gaming devices like the Ouya, Archos GamePad, and Wikipad can be a success? If you want dedicated controls on a handheld device, why not just buy a 3DS or Vita?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: ShyGuy on September 06, 2012, 11:12:28 PM
I enjoy Angry Birds when I'm at lunch.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Louieturkey on September 07, 2012, 02:43:48 PM
I got back into Solitaire because of my phone.  I love that I can choose only deals that have been beaten before so I can feel like I'm a Solitaire master.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: KDR_11k on September 10, 2012, 04:10:56 PM
Do you think Android gaming devices like the Ouya, Archos GamePad, and Wikipad can be a success? If you want dedicated controls on a handheld device, why not just buy a 3DS or Vita?

Cause Android has more games than the Vita?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 10, 2012, 07:27:45 PM

Do you think Android gaming devices like the Ouya, Archos GamePad, and Wikipad can be a success? If you want dedicated controls on a handheld device, why not just buy a 3DS or Vita?


Cause Android has more games than the Vita?

Well yeah, and pretty much every mobile device has more games than a game console. The only reason smartphone games are popular is because everyone owns a phone, and the games are cheap.

Like I've said in the past, game consoles have ALWAYS been a niche product. Not everyone owns or needs a game console, but everyone owns a phone of some sort.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: oohhboy on September 10, 2012, 07:29:02 PM
Ouya doesn't exist and never will. Android will never be a viable gaming operating system or an operating system outside of phones. Shoe horning it into everything is like trying to do the same with Windows and the terrible mobile variants. There are numerous good reasons why OSX and iOS are two separate, but linked OSs.

The answer to your question is no.

Also all this Android pushing is getting annoying as hell. Then there is you. Shingi pushing phones and Windows. It's an unholy trinity of **** that is irrelevant.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 10, 2012, 07:34:09 PM

Ouya doesn't exist and never will. Android will never be a viable gaming operating system or an operating system outside of phones. Shoe horning it into everything is like trying to do the same with Windows and the terrible mobile variants. There are numerous good reasons why OSX and iOS are two separate, but linked OSs.

The answer to your question is no.

Also all this Android pushing is getting annoying as hell. Then there is you. Shingi pushing phones and Windows. It's an unholy trinity of **** that is irrelevant.

Well, it seems Google wants to be the next Microsoft, and get their products onto as many devices as possible. Android is also open-source, meaning anyone can take the code and tweak it however they want (Kindle Fire, for example).

I've tried using Android, and I think it's clunky, confusing, and slow (compared to iOS, at least).

As for mobile OS and PC OS staying separate, why do you want that? Microsoft is putting Windows 8 onto pretty much everything from PC's, to phones and tablets, to the next Xbox. They want a complete, unified ecosystem where going from one device to the next is seamless and intuitive. The user interface will be consistent regardless of what device you are using, and I don't see a problem with that. It will make things much easier for developers, that's for sure.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: oohhboy on September 10, 2012, 07:58:20 PM
Why are we even talking about this. Mobile devices, desktops, servers, etc all have differing requirements in use and needs. By combining them, you end up with the lowest common denominator which only serves one system well while compromising the others. All of the weaknesses from different devices and none of the unique strength's from each.

MS wasn't the only one to have experimented with such simplified and "Streamlined" setups. Apple was looking into that in the early 90's. Apple did release it as part of the OS and elements of it continues to this day, but it was never made to be the source of primary interaction because of how unwieldy and restrictive it was.

If you had any awareness of history, you would know better.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 10, 2012, 08:14:39 PM
Why are we even talking about this. Mobile devices, desktops, servers, etc all have differing requirements in use and needs. By combining them, you end up with the lowest common denominator which only serves one system well while compromising the others. All of the weaknesses from different devices and none of the unique strength's from each.

MS wasn't the only one to have experimented with such simplified and "Streamlined" setups. Apple was looking into that in the early 90's. Apple did release it as part of the OS and elements of it continues to this day, but it was never made to be the source of primary interaction because of how unwieldy and restrictive it was.

If you had any awareness of history, you would know better.


But in Microsoft's case, user-consistency is the benefit that outweighs any perceived limitations. It will make developing apps and games more streamlined, because everything in the OS is consistent, whether it's on a PC or tablet.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Chozo Ghost on September 10, 2012, 08:16:40 PM
When it comes to a Tendoboy post, the best policy is to resist hitting the reply button at all cost.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 10, 2012, 08:17:47 PM
When it comes to a Tendoboy post, the best policy is to resist hitting the reply button at all cost.


So me explaining my reasoning isn't worth debating over?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Oblivion on September 10, 2012, 08:39:53 PM
When it comes to a Tendoboy post, the best policy is to resist hitting the reply button at all cost.


I could say the same thing about you.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Sarail on September 10, 2012, 09:12:13 PM
You two need to quit bickering and just make out already. :P
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 10, 2012, 09:35:57 PM
You two need to quit bickering and just make out already. :P:


I have a girlfriend for that. <3  :-*
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Shaymin on September 10, 2012, 10:46:40 PM
Palmala Handerson?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Kairon on September 11, 2012, 12:53:48 AM
I got back into Solitaire because of my phone.  I love that I can choose only deals that have been beaten before so I can feel like I'm a Solitaire master.

Actually... I got back into Solitaire because of this post combined with the review of 3D Solitaire for the 3DS... I lose so many games because the 3DS release doesn't guarantee that its "deals" are winnable T-T
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Plugabugz on September 11, 2012, 06:48:38 AM
I'm getting a Nexus 7 next week (although i am seriously considering requesting we hold off so i can get a 3G + Wifi one instead), and i binged up on Humble Indie Bundles so i have a ton of games to play on there.

Will report how that turns out soon.

I did install World of Goo on my Galaxy Nexus though. I admit i find that game easier with touch control than with my Wii Remote or keyboard/mouse.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 11, 2012, 02:31:56 PM
Speaking of tablets... would any of you choose a Kindle Fire HD over a Google Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Tab? What are the advantages of the Kindle Fire?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Louieturkey on September 11, 2012, 04:59:31 PM
I got back into Solitaire because of my phone.  I love that I can choose only deals that have been beaten before so I can feel like I'm a Solitaire master.

Actually... I got back into Solitaire because of this post combined with the review of 3D Solitaire for the 3DS... I lose so many games because the 3DS release doesn't guarantee that its "deals" are winnable T-T
Well, to be honest, I think it only has that option because others have won with those deals.  It's because the game is pretty much always connected to the internet that it's able to have that option.  If a deal has never been beaten, it doesn't mean it's unbeatable, just that no one has done it yet.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Louieturkey on September 11, 2012, 05:02:07 PM
Speaking of tablets... would any of you choose a Kindle Fire HD over a Google Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Tab? What are the advantages of the Kindle Fire?
I might, since you can root the HD without Amazon trying to stop you and I believe it has better hardware inside of it and having the Amazon ecosystem works for me. 

Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll ever get a tablet though.  I just can't decide which one I want and I'm not buying all of them.  So I'll stick with phones, consoles, home PCs and a laptop.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Plugabugz on September 12, 2012, 02:55:42 AM
Speaking of tablets... would any of you choose a Kindle Fire HD over a Google Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Tab? What are the advantages of the Kindle Fire?

If you want a customisable experience get a Nexus 7 (it's easy to do, like the Nexus phones).
If you want a "manufacturer provided" experience get a Galaxy Tab.
If you want something for consumption (like online stores for games, movies, etc), get the Kindle Fire.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: KDR_11k on September 12, 2012, 12:04:35 PM

Do you think Android gaming devices like the Ouya, Archos GamePad, and Wikipad can be a success? If you want dedicated controls on a handheld device, why not just buy a 3DS or Vita?


Cause Android has more games than the Vita?

Well yeah, and pretty much every mobile device has more games than a game console. The only reason smartphone games are popular is because everyone owns a phone, and the games are cheap.

Like I've said in the past, game consoles have ALWAYS been a niche product. Not everyone owns or needs a game console, but everyone owns a phone of some sort.

Look at the game library size on the Vita. Seriously, that thing's pathetic. Android has more good games than that (and mind you, Android doesn't have many good games).
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: ThePerm on September 12, 2012, 03:23:46 PM
Ouya doesn't exist and never will. Android will never be a viable gaming operating system or an operating system outside of phones. Shoe horning it into everything is like trying to do the same with Windows and the terrible mobile variants. There are numerous good reasons why OSX and iOS are two separate, but linked OSs.

The answer to your question is no.

Also all this Android pushing is getting annoying as hell. Then there is you. Shingi pushing phones and Windows. It's an unholy trinity of **** that is irrelevant.

your quick to say that, but when I walk into Best Buy and I see a Jambox, then I see that they have had some previous success. Releasing a console is like the equivalent of releasing a dongle now. There's probably going to be loads of niche consoles in the future. Oligopolies can't lock everyone out forever. Unlike the weird investment thing Phantom did, Kickstarter has a requirement for sending out rewards to customers or they get their money back.

I see weird chinese made consoles in stores all the time. Some of them are terrible wii knockoffs, some of them play nes games. The only difference between those and this is its 2012-2013 and technology is cheaper.

The other thing is there is already stuff like this out on the market in dongle form. The only difference between Ouya and the dongles, is ouya is in box form and had good marketing.

Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 12, 2012, 04:18:58 PM
Kickstarter doesn't require you to give anything to donors (unless you specifically promise to give them something for donating). Even the people at Kickstarter said they don't know what they could do if someone failed to deliver on their promise.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 12, 2012, 04:34:24 PM
Speaking of tablets... would any of you choose a Kindle Fire HD over a Google Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Tab? What are the advantages of the Kindle Fire?

If you want a customisable experience get a Nexus 7 (it's easy to do, like the Nexus phones).
If you want a "manufacturer provided" experience get a Galaxy Tab.
If you want something for consumption (like online stores for games, movies, etc), get the Kindle Fire.


Well don't all Android devices have access to the Google Play Store? That makes them like an iPad because the Play Store is where Google has all their apps. And the Nexus 7 is built around the Play Store, so it's even more similar to an iPad in that sense.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 12, 2012, 08:53:41 PM
Microsoft went backwards  - trying to turn a desktop OS into a mobile OS, and that's why their mobile market share is all but completely gone. Google (and Apple) is doing it correctly - taking a mobile OS, and building it (Google much more so) up into a desktop (or desktop replacement) OS. Will there ever be a successful Android gaming device? No doubt about it, despite oohhboy's opinion. Will it necessarily be a vanilla Android experience? Probably not, it will be more like the Kindle Fire's UX or even the Wii U. Google (you know, that company that started as a search engine built by a couple of college kids about 14 years ago) is taking over the world.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 12, 2012, 09:04:12 PM
The Samsung Galaxy S (the Galaxy S III sold over 20 million in its first 3 months). phones have been very successful, to the point that Samsung is beating Apple in phone sales.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 12, 2012, 09:17:31 PM
Comparing Samsung to Apple in phone sales is kind of apples and oranges. According to Wikipedia, in 2011 Samsung released 16 different phones, compared to one from Apple. I'm not trying to argue one's better than the other, just that it doesn't make sense to compare the two directly.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 12, 2012, 10:22:51 PM
Just the Galaxy S 3 is outselling the iPhone 4S, not Samsung phones in general...just a 1 model to 1 model comparison.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 12, 2012, 10:27:19 PM
Actually, Samsung phones overall ARE outselling Apple phones overall too. For Q2 2012, Samsung sold 50.2 million phones, Apple sold 26 million.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 12, 2012, 10:50:12 PM
Obviously they are (and have been for years), but I was just saying that the Galaxy S 3 is outselling the iPhone 4S.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 12, 2012, 11:21:08 PM
So for the best Android experience, which tablet do you recommend? Samsung Galaxy Tab or Nexus 7? Which device gives you the best specs and features for your money?

Kindle Fire doesnt count, because it's not a true Android tablet. I know it technically runs Android, but Amazon gutted and customized the OS so much that it barely resembles Android. It all works out in Amazon's favor, giving people full access to Amazon's ecosystem, at the expense of Google's. Simply put, the Kindle Fire isn't an Android tablet, it's an Amazon tablet.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 12, 2012, 11:28:39 PM
Kindle Fire IS a true Android tablet, companies are free to modify Android how they want. And you can install the Google Play store on it if you want to.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 12, 2012, 11:35:13 PM
Kindle Fire IS a true Android tablet, companies are free to modify Android how they want. And you can install the Google Play store on it if you want to.

Google doesn't endorse the Kindle Fire as a true Android tablet, and Amazon removed the Google Play Store so they could push their own app store. If it was a true Android tablet, it would give us the complete Android experience, Google and all. Amazon wants the Fire to be a gateway to their ecosystem, which is why they removed native access to the Google Play Store. It probably would have been easier for Amazon to design their own OS.

Android is just the backbone of the Kindle Fire's OS. It's not the core feature of the product.

Look at the Kindle Fire, then look at the Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc. Does a Kindle give you the same experience as those other tablets that run Android natively? No. Amazon's tablet is nothing like a real Android tablet, because Amazon doesn't want it to be one.

If I took Windows, stripped it down, redesigned it into something completely different, and repackaged it into a PC, would that device still be a Windows PC?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 12, 2012, 11:57:05 PM
I'd have to agree with tendoboy1984's stance, but TJ Spyke is still technically correct. The Kindle Fire completely bastardizes Android, but it's still Android. The UX is pretty awesome though, from a content standpoint.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 12, 2012, 11:59:05 PM
Kindle Fire IS a true Android tablet, companies are free to modify Android how they want. And you can install the Google Play store on it if you want to.

In order for something to be a real Android tablet, it has to run Google apps and have access to the Google Play Store. The Samsung Galaxy devices, Google Nexus devices, Asus Transformer tablets, etc. all meet this criteria. It's the whole reason why Google created the Nexus brand, to show people what Android is really like.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:04:45 AM
I'd have to agree with tendoboy1984's stance, but TJ Spyke is still technically correct. The Kindle Fire completely bastardizes Android, but it's still Android. The UX is pretty awesome though, from a content standpoint.

Just because the Kindle Fire runs Android at its core, that still doesn't make it a real Android tablet (like the Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Teansforner, etc.). The core Android experience is based on Google and Google Play, but the Kindle's job is to deliver Amazon content to people. Amazon doesn't care about the Google experience, if they did then they'd give us Google Play built-in.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 13, 2012, 12:05:08 AM
tendo, where does it say it has to meet those criteria to be a "real" Android tablet?
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:09:16 AM
tendo, where does it say it has to meet those criteria to be a "real" Android tablet?

Look at every single Android tablet (Galaxy Tab, Nexus 7, etc.). They all give you access to the Google Play Store and built-in Google apps. Google created the Nexus just for this purpose, and it gives you the complete Android experience without any modifications or manufacturer tweaks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 13, 2012, 12:10:48 AM
So you are making up your own definition of what YOU consider a "real" Android tablet? Gotcha. Well, Kindle Fire is a real Android tablet, it's just not a tendoboy Android tablet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 13, 2012, 12:17:20 AM
Look at every single Android tablet (Galaxy Tab, Nexus 7, etc.). They all give you access to the Google Play Store and built-in Google apps.
All of the cheaper Chinese ones and other store branded ones (Nook, etc.) run Android but not Google software. There were more non-Google Android tablets before there were Google experience ones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:21:25 AM
I just went to the official Android site (www.Android.com), and the Kindle Fire is not listed among the large amount of Android devices. This proves that Google doesn't consider the Kindle Fire to be a part of the Android family. Google doesn't endorse the Fire, nor do they provide updates for it.

I know Android is open source, but doesn't Google care about companies restricting access to the Google Play Store?

Imagine if some company redesigned Windows Phone and called their device a real Windows Phone. You think Microsoft would be ok with that?

That's why I don't really like Android compared to Windows and iOS. Google lets people do whatever they want with the OS, and they don't care if companies block access to the Google Play Store. If Google wants to give Android an identity, the Nexus 7 is a good step, but they need to be more assertive than that. I guess that's the nature of open source vs closed source.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 13, 2012, 12:35:23 AM
Other companies don't block access to the Play Store, Google blocks other companies from including it when they don't conform to the standards they require (which may include Google Play as the exclusive store).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:41:24 AM

Other companies don't block access to the Play Store, Google blocks other companies from including it when they don't conform to the standards they require (which may include Google Play as the exclusive store).



Exactly, which further proves my point. A true Android device must have access to Google apps and the Google Play Store. Google only endorses Android devices that meet these requirements, which is why the Kindle Fire isn't listed on the Android site.


Quote

Android
Android is the world's most popular mobile platform. With Android you can use all the Google apps you know and love, plus there are more than 600,000 apps and games available on Google Play to keep you entertained, alongside millions of songs and books, and thousands of movies. Android devices are already smart, and will only get smarter, with new features you won't find on any other platform, letting you focus on what's important and putting you in control of your mobile experience.

Take Google with you

Take Google with you on your mobile device: all the Google products you know and love, designed to work best on Android phones and tablets.

(http://www.android.com/images/about/about-apps-search.png)Search the Web (http://www.android.com/images/about/about-apps-map.png)Navigate your World (http://www.android.com/images/about/about-apps-plus.png)Connect & Share
(http://www.android.com/images/about/about-apps-play.png)Be Entertained


Your stuff, always available, no wires needed

When you sign in to your phone or tablet with Google, you can access all of your Google stuff (contacts, photos, Gmail and more) quickly and easily. You can also enjoy all of your favorite entertainment across your Android devices and even your computer — no wires, no syncing.


Play everywhere you go
Google Play is the easiest way to enjoy all your favorites — no wires, no hassle, just pure entertainment. You can now read, listen and watch anywhere you want — on your tablet, phone, or in any browser at play.google.com. Forget about cables and syncing: your favorite music, movies, books, apps and games are instantly available across all of your devices and on the web.

The World’s Most Popular Platform

Millions of people already use Android because it makes your mobile device so much more powerful and useful. On Android, the home screen, web browser, email and everything in between are designed to make your life easier. And because Android is open, you can create a unique mobile experience that’s just right for you.

Widgets

Put the important stuff right within reach and interact with your favorite apps directly from your home screen with widgets — see the latest sport scores, view your favorite photos, check the weather or peek at your inbox all without having to open different apps or leave the home screen

Beyond Smart

Your Android device is already smart, and it’s only going to get smarter. Android was the first to bring you features on certain devices like Face Unlock — which uses facial recognition to let you unlock your device with a smile, Android Beam — which lets you share contacts, directions and more by touching two devices together, and Google Now — which brings you just the right information, before you even ask.

Choose the Android device that’s right for you

Android powers devices from some of the best handset and tablet manufacturers in the world, like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony, Asus and more. Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, with vibrant high-resolution displays and cameras, giving you the flexibility to choose the one that’s just right for you. Flip-out keyboard or on-screen, from smartphone to tablet and at every possible price point, there’s an Android device for everyone. Android lets you choose the best smartphones and tablets through a global partnership network of over 300 carriers in over 169 countries.

Notice all the emphasis on Google? Kindle Fire is the exact opposite of that. The Kindle Fire is first and foremost an Amazon tablet, a device that gives users a central place to access their Amazon content. It's more like an iOS device than anything else.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on September 13, 2012, 12:45:16 AM
JC Tendoboy. What are you doing...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:54:33 AM
JC Tendoboy. What are you doing...


Fixed. It turns out Chrome doesn't copy formatting very well when copying text from a webpage.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 12:55:27 AM
Other companies don't block access to the Play Store, Google blocks other companies from including it when they don't conform to the standards they require (which may include Google Play as the exclusive store).


If that's the case, then can't Google block Amazon from using Android if it doesn't conform to their regulations? What Amazon is doing is pretty anticompetitive. Create a product that technically runs Android, but then remove features that make the Android experience unique. Amazon should have just designed their own OS for the Kindle Fire.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 13, 2012, 01:03:21 AM
No, because that would make it not open source (by definition, they can't stop Amazon). Android is free and open source for anyone to use. The only thing that not including stuff like the Google Play store will do is stop you from getting your device listed on the Android website. There are no regulations to using Android for a company.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 01:07:07 AM

No, because that would make it not open source (by definition, they can't stop Amazon). Android is free and open source for anyone to use. The only thing that not including stuff like the Google Play store will do is stop you from getting your device listed on the Android website. There are no regulations to using Android for a company.



So having access to the Google Play Store is somewhat enforced by Google. And by "true Android device", I meant one that has full access to the Google Play Store (like the Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc.). I'm pretty sure that's also what most people mean when they think of an Android tablet.


And by that definition, the Kindle Fire does not fall into that category; even though it technically runs Android, the Kindle is built around Amazons ecosystem. I'm glad we understand each other now. Sheesh. :)

If I ever buy an Android tablet, that's the kind I want. One that is endorsed by Google and has access to the Google Play Store. I might just get a Nexus 7, but I heard it has some hardware defects (screen popping out, buzzing speakers). Have those problems been fixed in the new models?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 13, 2012, 01:10:20 AM
Even those that don't officially have the Google Play store (because the manufacturer didn't want to include it), can still get access to it if you root the device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 01:13:03 AM
Even those that don't officially have the Google Play store (because the manufacturer didn't want to include it), can still get access to it if you root the device.


Well yeah I know that. The OS is still technically Android, but Amazon purposefully removed most of it's core features to promote their own Appstore and content delivery services.


And I don't really care about rooting, jailbreaking, hacking, etc. I can enjoy my devices as they are, without any software modifications that may or may not break the device. I know people say "but you get so much more if you root/jailbreak/hack it", but frankly, I can live without all that stuff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 13, 2012, 02:22:18 AM
Just the Galaxy S 3 is outselling the iPhone 4S, not Samsung phones in general...just a 1 model to 1 model comparison.

Yes, a new phone is outselling a phone that's been on the market for over a year and everyone knew was being replaced imminently.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 13, 2012, 02:49:21 AM
The amazon series of tablets are forked versions of Android. There is deeper below-the-scenes changes in the OS itself which they made to make it more suitable to themselves. The aim really is similar to Apple in that they want their own "walled garden".

I might just get a Nexus 7, but I heard it has some hardware defects (screen popping out, buzzing speakers). Have those problems been fixed in the new models?[/size]

All launch products tend to have defects that get ironed out a few months after launch. Nintendo included. I think it's fair to say we're past the "launch period" now for the 7 so things should be settling down now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 02:53:13 AM
The amazon series of tablets are forked versions of Android. There is deeper below-the-scenes changes in the OS itself which they made to make it more suitable to themselves. The aim really is similar to Apple in that they want their own "walled garden".

I might just get a Nexus 7, but I heard it has some hardware defects (screen popping out, buzzing speakers). Have those problems been fixed in the new models?

All launch products tend to have defects that get ironed out a few months after launch. Nintendo included. I think it's fair to say we're past the "launch period" now for the 7 so things should be settling down now.


Why didn't Amazon just design their own OS for the Kindle Fire then? I guess customizing Android to the point of no return was the cheaper route.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 13, 2012, 03:27:00 AM
It's cheaper and they retain compatibility with the rest of the Android infrastructure.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Louieturkey on September 13, 2012, 04:10:40 AM
The amazon series of tablets are forked versions of Android. There is deeper below-the-scenes changes in the OS itself which they made to make it more suitable to themselves. The aim really is similar to Apple in that they want their own "walled garden".

I might just get a Nexus 7, but I heard it has some hardware defects (screen popping out, buzzing speakers). Have those problems been fixed in the new models?

All launch products tend to have defects that get ironed out a few months after launch. Nintendo included. I think it's fair to say we're past the "launch period" now for the 7 so things should be settling down now.


Why didn't Amazon just design their own OS for the Kindle Fire then? I guess customizing Android to the point of no return was the cheaper route.
Cheaper and they don't have to worry about constantly fixing bugs as most of it was ironed out already by Google.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: KDR_11k on September 13, 2012, 05:38:38 AM
Android is a Linux. Linux is defined by the kernel because literally everything else is interchangeable although parts like the GNU stuff are fairly popular and almost always included. Linux already comes in dozens of distros that you'll sometimes even have trouble identifying as the same OS. It's perfectly legitimate to fork your own distro with whatever software you want. Hell, even the basic GUI comes in two major flavors (KDE and Gnome) plus dozens of minor ones. This runs on top of the X server which again is (or at least at times was) available in multiple implementations. Pretty much only the Kernel is developed as a single project and then there are all kinds of modules you can stick onto it to turn it e.g. into an RTOS. And then you can still see proprietary UIs and whatnot on Linux for embedded systems, many a router and set top box runs Linux. All that because reimplementing the core features of an operating system is a CRAPTON of work.

Since the Kindle can run the same software as other Android devices it's just a different distro, not a different OS. Amazon has an Android app store, actually making a new OS would make everything on that store useless to them.

Anyway, if you want to claim this to be the official thread:

What games are people here playing?

The ones among mine that I would recommend are:
- Dead Trigger
- Star Traders RPG
- Anything Kairosoft (although Game Dev Story is popular because of the subject the best of their games gameplay-wise are IMO Epic Astro Story and Kairobotica)
- Delver
- Dangerous
- Destroy Gunners II SP Operation Iceburn
- Triple Town
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 13, 2012, 07:44:02 AM
Kindle Fire = runs Android = runs Android apps = an Android tablet. Keep in mind that it is NOT marketed as an Android tablet, so you're bitching about it for no reason.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 13, 2012, 05:27:11 PM
Amazon has their own Appstore, they don't officially support the Google Play Store. So how does a Kindle Fire give you the same experience as a traditional Android tablet?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 14, 2012, 02:44:06 AM
Amazon has their own Appstore, they don't officially support the Google Play Store. So how does a Kindle Fire give you the same experience as a traditional Android tablet?

It doesn't "officially" support it. but Google Play can still work. It can be sideloaded, and all the content from there can be installed as normal. In no way is it blocked, except from being made invisible.

Otherwise the experiences is the same (barring Amazon's customisations, of course).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Chozo Ghost on September 14, 2012, 02:45:16 AM
This thread is full of Paranoid Androids
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: KDR_11k on September 14, 2012, 06:21:17 AM
Amazon has their own Appstore, they don't officially support the Google Play Store. So how does a Kindle Fire give you the same experience as a traditional Android tablet?

You can install Amazon's appstore on any Android device. This is like saying a PC with Windows 8 preinstalled that has replaced the Windows marketplace with e.g. Steam is not running Windows 8.


Anyway, there's MUCH more to an OS than just the parts that you can see.


Given the talk in this thread I don't think the "Everything Android" thread title is justified.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 15, 2012, 05:11:35 PM
Amazon has their own Appstore, they don't officially support the Google Play Store. So how does a Kindle Fire give you the same experience as a traditional Android tablet?

You can install Amazon's appstore on any Android device.

I meant the opposite of what you said.

Amazon doesn't want Kindle Fire users to have access to the Google Play Store, that's why they lock it out of OS. Amazon wants to be like Apple and have everything done through their services. The Kindle Fire is more like a gateway to the Amazon ecosystem than a tablet that's built around apps.

Since Android is owned and operated by Google, I'm surprised that they allowed Amazon to do this.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 15, 2012, 05:20:32 PM
Since Android is owned and operated by Google, I'm surprised that they allowed Amazon to do this.

What part of "open source" do you not understand? Amazon, and anyone else who feels like it, can do whatever they want to the OS before they release it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 15, 2012, 05:33:16 PM
Since Android is owned and operated by Google, I'm surprised that they allowed Amazon to do this.

What part of "open source" do you not understand? Amazon, and anyone else who feels like it, can do whatever they want to the OS before they release it.


Every single device listed on the official Android site has native access to the Google Play Store and Google apps built in, and those devices are all endorsed by Google as "official" Android devices.


Google doesn't endorse the Kindle Fire because Amazon blocks those things, so they must not consider it part of the Android family.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 15, 2012, 08:23:22 PM
It's still an Android tablet though. And Google allows people to do whatever they want with the OS. Not having certain features only means that Google won't endorse it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 15, 2012, 08:55:39 PM
It's Google (and Amazon) that doesn't want (or let) the Kindle Fire to have access to the Google Play store (without modding). Amazon is not an official Android partner, so Google doesn't treat them as one. The thing is not all of the things on the Kindle Fire will work on all (or mostly all) Android devices, so they aren't an official partner, and they don't get Google Apps (or recognition) as a result.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 21, 2012, 11:57:36 AM
Man android has the most boring hardware in the industry.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on September 21, 2012, 10:55:28 PM
Your mom has the most boring hardware in the industry.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 22, 2012, 09:19:08 AM
Well she uses a my touch 3G slide. Guess that backs up my statements.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2012, 12:32:26 PM
Well she uses a my touch 3G slide. Guess that backs up my statements.


But you gotta love Samsung's new commercial where they parody the Apple fanatics who wait in line for the new iPhone every year.


If Apple wants to really tackle Android, why don't they just go after Google directly, instead of targeting a single Android manufacturer (Samsung)?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 22, 2012, 12:35:04 PM
Because Google doesn't really make Android devices, they just make the OS. Apple is also going after Motorola and HTC.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2012, 12:43:21 PM
Because Google doesn't really make Android devices, they just make the OS. Apple is also going after Motorola and HTC.


Yeah, but Google is the reason those companies are making Android devices. So to cause the most damage, Apple could go after the source (Google).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 22, 2012, 12:52:17 PM
The thing is, Google isn't violating any Apple patents though, so Apple would have no justification to sue Google.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 22, 2012, 02:08:25 PM
The only patent android infringes on is pinch to zoom and that won't hold up in court. All of the other things wrong with android are due to manufactur customizations.


Apple is going to eventually go after google in general. Expect it after the samsung cases has gone through appeals. Why do you think google has been uping its patent warchest.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2012, 06:07:29 PM
All of the other things wrong with android are due to manufacture customizations.


And the fragmentation caused by Google's procrastination and laziness with sending out updates to non-Samsung devices. Why do some Android devices take precedence over others when it comes to getting timely updates? You don't see this problem with Windows devices (PC or Phone). Could you imagine if an HP PC got a major update weeks later than an ASUS PC?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 22, 2012, 06:25:03 PM
Most of the update delay is not Google (not including Nexus devices); it's the manufacturers and carriers. We've been over this.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2012, 06:29:41 PM
Most of the update delay is not Google (not including Nexus devices); it's the manufacturers and carriers. We've been over this.


If Microsoft doesn't have those problems with Windows Phones, then why should Google? Look at Apple, iOS 6 was released on all Apple devices on the same day, regardless of carrier.


Google controls the Android OS and its distribution, so don't they have the final say as to when the updates are rolled out?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 22, 2012, 06:38:47 PM
No. It's not part of their agreement. Microsoft and Apple keep control of their OSes, but Google only keeps control of its apps. It does suck, on the other hand, if Google hadn't deferred OS control to these parties, the uptake of Android probably wouldn't have been so swift. Google's recently started making it easier to get updates done quickly on diverse hardware, so hopefully the lag won't be as bad in the future... but they say that with every update.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2012, 06:42:58 PM
No. It's not part of their agreement. Microsoft and Apple keep control of their OSes, but Google only keeps control of its apps. It does suck, on the other hand, if Google hadn't deferred OS control to these parties, the uptake of Android probably wouldn't have been so swift. Google's recently started making it easier to get updates done quickly on diverse hardware, so hopefully the lag won't be as bad in the future... but they say that with every update.


Wait, Google doesn't control the Android ecosystem? Then who does? The manufacturers?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 22, 2012, 06:48:04 PM
http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2012, 05:31:38 PM
So Joshua Topolsky said on the most recent vergecast that he expected the next Nexus phone to be announced sometime next month.


As sexy as the Galaxy Nexus is i'm hoping Google decides to partner with someone else this time around.  Wouldn't mind HTC make one as they have made some of the best phones around.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.droiddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/DSC02767.jpg]http://www.droiddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/DSC02767.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/0_HTC_One_X_35243696_620x433.jpg]http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/0_HTC_One_X_35243696_620x433.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/5622681/htc8xhero_large_extra_large.jpg]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/5622681/htc8xhero_large_extra_large.jpg[/url][/size])


they even made the first flashship nexus device
(http://[size=78%][url=http://gadgetfreaks.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/nexus-one.jpeg]http://gadgetfreaks.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/nexus-one.jpeg[/url][/size])




Not sure if i'm just burned out on mobile tech in its regard to Android but I just find alot of it boring. I dunno the Galaxy S III got my really unhyped even though I know that its a good phone.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy-s-3-smartphone/images/introduction.jpg]http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy-s-3-smartphone/images/introduction.jpg[/url][/size])


Now compare that to when I played with the Galaxy Nexus or iphone where playing with the gets me excited and a renewed enegry. where the hardware is made with the OS in mind and you can see the attention to detail and is just pure.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.google.com/nexus/a-images/phone-galaxy-a.png]http://www.google.com/nexus/a-images/phone-galaxy-a.png[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone5_press_shot-312x500.jpg]http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone5_press_shot-312x500.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.highsnobiety.com/files/2012/09/HTC-Introduces-Windows-Phone-8S-8X-03.jpeg]http://www.highsnobiety.com/files/2012/09/HTC-Introduces-Windows-Phone-8S-8X-03.jpeg[/url][/size])





Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 23, 2012, 07:23:47 PM
So Joshua Topolsky said on the most recent vergecast that he expected the next Nexus phone to be announced sometime next month.


As sexy as the Galaxy Nexus is i'm hoping Google decides to partner with someone else this time around.  Wouldn't mind HTC make one as they have made some of the best phones around.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.droiddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/DSC02767.jpg]http://www.droiddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/DSC02767.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/0_HTC_One_X_35243696_620x433.jpg]http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/0_HTC_One_X_35243696_620x433.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/5622681/htc8xhero_large_extra_large.jpg]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/5622681/htc8xhero_large_extra_large.jpg[/url][/size])


they even made the first flashship nexus device
(http://[size=78%][url=http://gadgetfreaks.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/nexus-one.jpeg]http://gadgetfreaks.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/nexus-one.jpeg[/url][/size])




Not sure if i'm just burned out on mobile tech in its regard to Android but I just find alot of it boring. I dunno the Galaxy S III got my really unhyped even though I know that its a good phone.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy-s-3-smartphone/images/introduction.jpg]http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy-s-3-smartphone/images/introduction.jpg[/url][/size])


Now compare that to when I played with the Galaxy Nexus or iphone where playing with the gets me excited and a renewed enegry. where the hardware is made with the OS in mind and you can see the attention to detail and is just pure.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.google.com/nexus/a-images/phone-galaxy-a.png]http://www.google.com/nexus/a-images/phone-galaxy-a.png[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone5_press_shot-312x500.jpg]http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone5_press_shot-312x500.jpg[/url][/size])
(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.highsnobiety.com/files/2012/09/HTC-Introduces-Windows-Phone-8S-8X-03.jpeg]http://www.highsnobiety.com/files/2012/09/HTC-Introduces-Windows-Phone-8S-8X-03.jpeg[/url][/size])


What's the difference between the Galaxy Nexus and any other Samsung Galaxy phone? One is endorsed by Google, and the other isn't. They're both "Galaxy" devices (made by Samsung).


Now the Nexus 7 tablet, that's a different story.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2012, 08:32:02 PM
Galaxy nexus is a nexus phone and has a lot of input from google. Google picks a lot of the specs and has input onhardware design.

The other galaxy phones push the samsung brand moreso than the android brand.

Really wush another oem would make a non nexus pure google phone. Its one of the reasons whyI love the G2.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 23, 2012, 08:35:59 PM
Galaxy Nexus is a Nexus phone and has a lot of input from Google. Google picks a lot of the specs and has input on hardware design.

The other Galaxy phones push the Samsung brand more so than the Android brand.

Really wish another oem would make a non nexus pure google phone. Its one of the reasons whyI love the G2.


But that's what the Nexus brand is for, having a pure Google experience. And the Galaxy Nexus looks just like any other Galaxy phone, it's hard to tell them apart.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 23, 2012, 09:27:45 PM
Are you kidding me? Have you ever actually put a Galaxy Nexus and say, a Galaxy S 2 (or 3) side by side? You really don't even need to. A Nexus device gets its updates straight from Google - there is no Touch Wiz, Sense, Blur, etc. You might get an app or two from the carrier, but that's mandated on all of their phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 23, 2012, 09:38:38 PM
Are you kidding me? Have you ever actually put a Galaxy Nexus and say, a Galaxy S 2 (or 3) side by side? You really don't even need to. A Nexus device gets its updates straight from Google - there is no Touch Wiz, Sense, Blur, etc. You might get an app or two from the carrier, but that's mandated on all of their phones.


I was at Verizon the other day and saw a display with the Galaxy Nexus next to other Galaxy phones. They all had a similar design that's typical of the Galaxy brand.


Why don't all Android devices get their updates straight from Google? It is their operating system right? Don't all Windows Phone devices get their updates straight from Microsoft?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 23, 2012, 10:12:48 PM
Are you kidding me? Have you ever actually put a Galaxy Nexus and say, a Galaxy S 2 (or 3) side by side? You really don't even need to. A Nexus device gets its updates straight from Google - there is no Touch Wiz, Sense, Blur, etc. You might get an app or two from the carrier, but that's mandated on all of their phones.


I was at Verizon the other day and saw a display with the Galaxy Nexus next to other Galaxy phones. They all had a similar design that's typical of the Galaxy brand.


Why don't all Android devices get their updates straight from Google? It is their operating system right? Don't all Windows Phone devices get their updates straight from Microsoft?

You're just looking at the exterior of the G'Nex, the software (or at least the UI) is completely different. The Galaxy S 3 is completely Samsung-branded with Touch Wiz, the G'Nex is 100% Google with vanilla ICS (or Jelly Bean if they update the phones on display).

Do Windows phones get their updates straight from Microsoft? No, but has of now they are basically free of manufacturer implemented UIs, and there is only one Windows phone out there for every 40 Android phones, and far, far less actual devices, by far, far less manufacturers, so they can get updates out quicker. Also to be fair, there have hardly been any actual updates to Windows phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 23, 2012, 10:15:11 PM
tendo, you seem to keep asking questions over and over, even after been told the answer. Android is open source, Google develops updates and releases them out. It is up to each phone manufacturer and carrier to decide if/when they want to supply it and what changes they want to make. Google pushed Android this way to get more adoption of it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 23, 2012, 11:00:25 PM
Are you kidding me? Have you ever actually put a Galaxy Nexus and say, a Galaxy S 2 (or 3) side by side? You really don't even need to. A Nexus device gets its updates straight from Google - there is no Touch Wiz, Sense, Blur, etc. You might get an app or two from the carrier, but that's mandated on all of their phones.


I was at Verizon the other day and saw a display with the Galaxy Nexus next to other Galaxy phones. They all had a similar design that's typical of the Galaxy brand.


Why don't all Android devices get their updates straight from Google? It is their operating system right? Don't all Windows Phone devices get their updates straight from Microsoft?

You're just looking at the exterior of the G'Nex, the software (or at least the UI) is completely different. The Galaxy S 3 is completely Samsung-branded with Touch Wiz, the G'Nex is 100% Google with vanilla ICS (or Jelly Bean if they update the phones on display).

Do Windows phones get their updates straight from Microsoft? No, but has of now they are basically free of manufacturer implemented UIs, and there is only one Windows phone out there for every 40 Android phones, and far, far less actual devices, by far, far less manufacturers, so they can get updates out quicker. Also to be fair, there have hardly been any actual updates to Windows phone.


I thought Windows Phone updates were distributed the same way Apple distributes iOS updates, directly through the company (Microsoft). With iOS, updates are sent out to all iOS devices, on a timely schedule, directly from Apple.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 23, 2012, 11:06:31 PM
With iOS, Apple is distributing Apple software to a Apple device. Microsoft doesn't make their own phones (anymore, the Kin One and Kin Two bombed), so they are distributing their software to other companies hardware and those companies then send it to customers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 23, 2012, 11:12:09 PM
With iOS, Apple is distributing Apple software to a Apple device. Microsoft doesn't make their own phones (anymore, the Kin One and Kin Two bombed), so they are distributing their software to other companies hardware and those companies then send it to customers.


Ah, but Microsoft does make their own tablets (Surface). But that's besides the point.


I thought the situation for Windows Phone was the same as Windows PC's. Other companies manufacture Windows PC's, yet all the software updates come directly from Microsoft.


Microsoft created Windows Phone, they have full control of the OS, so they should be able to send updates to whatever device they want. It's not like Android, where Google gives some control over to the phone manufacturers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2012, 11:21:12 PM
Windows phone 7 got it updates through the carrier. The reason whythe updates were ontime is that microsoft had a very strict hardware spec in that all the phones were pretty much the same were itcounted.windows phone 8 is gping tobypass the carriers and just update straight to the device like ios does. To add to that microsoft is going to have a program where the enthusiast crowd can grab the lastest os before its out.

Also I'd aruge that the galaxy nexus doesn't look like any other android device. Its about how the hardware is designed around the os. THe curved glass of the screen works perfectly with the fact that the phone has no physical menu keys. The curve is uber subtle and blends the bezel of the device to the amoled screen that makes it look like one panel. The phone itself has a nice curve as well that gives it a nice in the hand feel. The lack of SD while crappy is built around the fact that google wants you in their ecosystem.

Also ICS android is pure sex. It cleans up everything android had wrong and was missing. It gave android its own look and design language which was missing for the longest time.

Damn already have my mind set on the 8X as my next phone and the surface as my next tablet, but the galaxy nexus and nexus 7 are looking really good.

Def going to root my G2 and throw a Jellybean rom on it come september.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 24, 2012, 12:35:03 AM
I hope Google expands upon their Nexus brand and makes a bunch of different Nexus devices, showing the manufacturers how Android is really done. Hopefully that will also stop the fragmentation among OS versions.


So Microsoft wants Windows Phone to be more standardized like iOS? In my opinion, that's a better strategy than what Android has become. But Google is trying to make Android better with it's Nexus brand, so we'll see how it turns out for them.


Quote from: shingi_70
Nexus


I thought you hated Android? You hated how fragmented it was.


I want a Nexus 7 tablet, but I read reports on all the defects (the screen sometimes pops out of the casing, and there are tons of pixel defects) and it really turned me away from considering it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 24, 2012, 07:45:52 AM
Forcing manufacturers to ship with nothing but vanilla Android would be the exact opposite of "showing manufacturers how Android is really done."
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 24, 2012, 09:44:18 AM
I only hate intusive custom skins and mid range devices. I'm a sucker for any pure google device and any high end thing with great specs. I guess my dislike of the galaxy S III comes from the whole touchwiz nature bullshit that prettymuch takes all that was great about ICS and roboto.

Also as long as windows 8/windows phine doesn't. Have a goole+ app I'll be carrying a android device of some kind.

Really hoping the 8X can stand up to the iphone 5, 8X, and lumia 920. Espically the camera seeing as thatwas the worstpartabout the galaxy nexus.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Chozo Ghost on September 24, 2012, 10:17:02 AM
Your mom has the most boring hardware in the industry.

(http://www.clipartguide.com/_named_clipart_images/0511-0811-2116-4624_Family_Enjoying_Their_Modern_Kitchen-1950s_clipart_image.jpg)

Boring? Perhaps. But it makes a great thanksgiving dinner. Can your hardware do that?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 24, 2012, 11:39:37 AM
Forcing manufacturers to ship with nothing but vanilla Android would be the exact opposite of "showing manufacturers how Android is really done."

Google isn't forcing anyone to use the Nexus brand. And it's their OS, so they can do what they want with it.

And that's like complaining about Microsoft "forcing" manufacturers to use vanilla Windows 7 and Windows Phone. If a manufacturer wants to use an OS, they have to adhere by that company's guidelines and rules.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 24, 2012, 02:08:15 PM
 http://www.droiddog.com/android-blog/2012/09/image-leak-on-picasa-reveals-alleged-camera-capture-samples-of-galaxy-nexus-2/

So apparently images from the Galaxy Nexus 2 have popped up on Picasa/Google+.

(http://www.droiddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/galaxynexus2.jpg)

Looks like Samsung is making the next nexus device which shouldn't suprise anyone. They are the most popular oem and it makes sense to have the flasgship attached to their brand.

The actual specs I'd say take with a grain of salt but if that image is accurate than the Gnexus2 is going to have a bad camera like the first one. The. GSIII has a better camera than what's being reported. But that shouldn't suprise anyone as the galaxy S 2 has a better camera than the galaxy nexus.


This is odd for two reasons

1) The iphone 5, Lumia 920, gs3, 8x, and note 2 all have amazing to great cameras.

2) Google+ has become a haven for a lot of photographers as a cool twitter/blog/flicker hybrid. With google buying nik software and intergrating it into G+/Android it seems it would make sense to try and grab the photographer market most of which are in the ios camp. That and microsoft showed off some coolinovations with the camera with the lens feature.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 24, 2012, 03:39:09 PM
I'm surprised that Google chose ASUS to make the Nexus 7 tablet. Samsung is a much more popular brand, with their Galaxy phones and tablets.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 24, 2012, 04:25:21 PM
The asus tablet series is the better product than the samsung tablets.

All of samsung tablets have been pretty bad due to them pushing touchwiz and the s-pen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 25, 2012, 02:50:32 PM
What the heck is TouchWiz? And the S Pen is just an optional stylus for the Galaxy Note.

If Asus products are better than Samsung, then why did/does the Nexus 7 tablet have so many defects?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 04:45:58 PM
The so-called defects in Nexus 7 were not widespread, very few people experienced them (they just bitched about it). Overall the Nexus 7 has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews from both journalists and consumers.

TouchWiz is the interface system used for Samsung products (including the Galaxy S III).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 25, 2012, 04:55:12 PM
Touchwhiz is what samsung's custom version of android is called.

 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TouchWiz

The S-pen what sanding called the stylus that comes with its note line.

Also wut. Every product has issues of some sort. The recent iphone has been getting clack for how Esau it is to damage and the new maps software being horrible.  The nexus 7 is still a good product despite having hardware issues that can be resolved or exchanged. Conversely the most recent sanding tablet has been spanned for having major software related issues.

On the mobile note what do you guys think of what was shown of BB10 today. Its slated for release next year and rim is hedging not only grabbing the #3 spot in the market on it but quite possibly its existence on it az well.

 http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?feature=m-ch-vid&v=tzxQ2YUjk50
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 05:28:03 PM
Actually shingi, read the article. It is NOT the name of their version of Android ("It is sometimes incorrectly identified as an operating system"). Bada is the name of Samsung's version of Android. As I mentioned, TouchWiz is the name of the touch interface.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 25, 2012, 06:11:21 PM
By version of android I mean their own customized spin on it. Its android but cumtoized to run slow.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 06:22:40 PM
Actually, no it's still now. TouchWiz is not their custom version of Android. Bada is their custom version of Android. TouchWiz has nothing to do with it. That is what I was saying.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 25, 2012, 06:47:09 PM
Again by. Custom android I'm talking the UI layer. Touchwiz is the UI part of android changed from stock with a few extra features on its own.

I'm not saying its a separate thing. Its like htc's sense or motorola's motonlur.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 07:10:27 PM
Your wording was misleading. You said TouchWiz was Samsung's version of Android (it isn't, Bada is), that is why I corrected you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 25, 2012, 08:07:27 PM
Double post
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 25, 2012, 08:09:39 PM
Actually, no it's still now. TouchWiz is not their custom version of Android. Bada is their custom version of Android. TouchWiz has nothing to do with it. That is what I was saying.


Samsung created their own OS? They want to compete with their biggest partner in the smartphone industry (Google)?


That's like if HP created their own OS while still making Windows PC's.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 08:11:09 PM
Your wording was misleading. You said TouchWiz was Samsung's version of Android (it isn't, Bada is), that is why I corrected you.


Wait, Samsung created their own OS? They want to compete with their biggest partner in the smartphone industry (Google)?

"Samsung's version of Android". Google releases Android as open source, and companies are free to modify it how they want. Samsung's version is called Bada.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 25, 2012, 08:14:58 PM
Your wording was misleading. You said TouchWiz was Samsung's version of Android (it isn't, Bada is), that is why I corrected you.


Wait, Samsung created their own OS? They want to compete with their biggest partner in the smartphone industry (Google)?

"Samsung's version of Android". Google releases Android as open source, and companies are free to modify it how they want. Samsung's version is called Bada.


Oh, I thought Bada was a separate OS that Samsung created on their own, with plans to compete directly with Google. That would be an odd situation, it would effectively mean Samsung is competing with Google while still supporting Android. That would be a big conflict of interest.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 25, 2012, 09:32:24 PM
I moved this thread to General Chat, since it's not really about gaming.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 25, 2012, 10:32:40 PM
I can how my wording was confusing.

Is Bars still around? Last I heard it was supposed to be combined with tinzen
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 25, 2012, 10:36:18 PM
Samsung said in June that they might do it (combine Bada with Tizen), but they have not done it yet or confirmed that they will actually do it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 26, 2012, 11:03:45 AM
That's like if HP created their own OS while still making Windows PC's.
You mean like webOS?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 27, 2012, 05:49:39 AM
That's like if HP created their own OS while still making Windows PC's.
You mean like webOS?

HP bought Palm, who in turn made webOS. /pedant
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 27, 2012, 11:51:45 AM
It wasn't like they stopped making it after they bought it. /pedant
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 27, 2012, 04:13:57 PM
(http://www.neowin.net/images/uploaded/4_image001.jpg)

Samsung is holding an event next month and its either for the Galaxy Note 2 or the samsung ATIV windows liine. Probably even both.

Also google play is having an awesome sale on a ton of apps for a quarter each. Picked up

Cut the rope experiments
World of goo
Dungeon village
Some office suite.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 27, 2012, 08:52:49 PM
It wasn't like they stopped making it after they bought it. /pedant

WebOS is for mobile devices. It doesn't compete with Windows PC. I was talking about HP making a PC OS to compete with Windows while still making Windows PCs. It wouldn't happen because it would be a conflict of interest.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 27, 2012, 09:54:20 PM
tendoboy1984 somehow you have the ability to hijack your own threads.

On a side note, I will be changing the digitizer on a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tomorrow.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 27, 2012, 10:47:47 PM
tendoboy1984 somehow you have the ability to hijack your own threads.

On a side note, I will be changing the digitizer on a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tomorrow.


I don't like to focus on just one subject. Monotony bores me.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on September 27, 2012, 11:07:45 PM
It's called ADHD. Stop inflicting it on everyone else.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 27, 2012, 11:28:51 PM
It's called ADHD. Stop inflicting it on everyone else.


It's called don't be a bitch.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 27, 2012, 11:34:16 PM
That's uncalled for, tendoboy. Don't be doing stuff like that on these forums; we try to maintain a civil atmosphere.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 27, 2012, 11:41:44 PM
I apologize, I'm just sick of being insulted whenever I state my opinion. How come you don't get on anyone else's case when they insult other members?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on September 28, 2012, 12:22:49 AM
Because the admins and mods like to back up their ten+ year friends. Don't worry bro, they do the same to me. Don't bother arguing, it'll get you banned for three months.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 28, 2012, 12:25:39 AM
You're not being insulted son much as you're being ridiculed. Get it right for pay the price.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on September 28, 2012, 12:28:39 AM
Oh god, not this "son" bullshit again. I can't stand the stupidity of people my own age, and I can't stand the "holier than thou" attitude of the older folk. How about you stop insulting and ridiculing each other and be nice? It's in the fucking rules. I don't care how long you've been here; follow them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 28, 2012, 12:30:50 AM
There's a difference between pointing out bad posting habits and blatant personal insults. I'll freely admit that I'm sometimes a bit too lax in policing that, but you both really need to know that difference.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on September 28, 2012, 12:33:13 AM
What's the freaking difference between saying that Tendo has ADHD and is inflicting it upon everyone and calling someone a bitch? If everyone thinks that Tendo is a horrible poster, who fucking cares? I think he should be able to post to this site without everyone ridiculing him. If you hate him so much, ignore him.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 28, 2012, 12:36:14 AM
Because the admins and mods like to back up their ten+ year friends. Don't worry bro, they do the same to me. Don't bother arguing, it'll get you banned for three months.


That's the first time I've ever seen you say something nice. I appreciate that, thanks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 28, 2012, 12:41:45 AM
He didn't say tendo had ADHD, he described what tendo himself said as ADHD. Subtle difference. Outright calling him a bitch in response is out of line. If you don't like my interpretation, well, that's too fucking bad.

The truth of it is, tendoboy is not a very good poster a lot of the time, and I think it's okay to point that out, within reason, as long as people remain civil. Ideally it would be in the form of constructive criticism, pointing out how to improve posting habits, but I understand that that's not always going to be the case, and I'm going to use my personal judgment on a case by case basis to determine what to do
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on September 28, 2012, 12:46:12 AM
It's never been the case. Ever. Want to prove me wrong? Go ahead. But since he first joined, there's been nothing but **** spewed in his direction, and he finally snaps after months of it, and you claim you want a "civil" atmosphere?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 28, 2012, 12:53:58 AM
It's never been the case. Ever. Want to prove me wrong? Go ahead. But since he first joined, there's been nothing but **** spewed in his direction, and he finally snaps after months of it, and you claim you want a "civil" atmosphere?


I didn't really "snap", I just tried to tell someone off, but apparently it backfired. I guess I'll stay silent whenever I don't agree with someone, that seems to be the only way to be "civil" around here.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 28, 2012, 12:57:25 AM
There's a lot of room between saying nothing and personal insults. Believe it or not, I want you to succeed here, to lose some of your bad habits and become a great member of our community. Don't just say nothing, but try not to respond too harshly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: S-U-P-E-R on September 28, 2012, 04:13:43 AM
You should go to the funhouse to call out other forum members :cool;

So I have this swag Android phone that I have yet to play a single game on. I want suggestions for best game in each of a few categories;
- best free game
- best paid game
- best game that looks like work or something but actually isn't
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 28, 2012, 04:37:04 AM
It wasn't like they stopped making it after they bought it. /pedant

You could argue that they did with the firesale of the Touchpad.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 28, 2012, 12:17:07 PM
Actually, you couldn't because they kept developing it, and are continuing to develop it, although most of the original team has since left.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 28, 2012, 12:21:12 PM
They have pretty much given up on WebOS and haven't done anything with it since January (they even tried to sell it), they are supposed to be making it all open source this month. I guess they figure that there is a niche group out there who actually will do something with it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 28, 2012, 12:30:03 PM
"haven't done anything with it since January" is untrue. They've pushed out several OS updates and new versions of their application framework. The previous idiot CEO gave up on it, but the new one didn't want to let it go completely to waste.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on September 28, 2012, 12:55:26 PM
The most recent OS update was 3.0.5., back on January 12 and I can't find anything that says HP has done anything with it since then. The format is for all intents and purposes dead as no new retail products use it and it has only a 0.6% marketshare.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 30, 2012, 11:21:32 AM
I just realized that I had a typo and wrote "son" instead if "so." Didn't mean any offense, just a typo (which should be obvious by the full sentence).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 30, 2012, 11:28:15 AM
You're so good at ruining threads that even one extra letter can completely derail everything.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 30, 2012, 11:39:02 AM
It takes practice.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on September 30, 2012, 11:45:14 AM
Oops.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on September 30, 2012, 12:48:33 PM
The most recent OS update was 3.0.5., back on January 12 and I can't find anything that says HP has done anything with it since then. The format is for all intents and purposes dead as no new retail products use it and it has only a 0.6% marketshare.
I don't give a **** what you can find or not; I own the damn thing.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 30, 2012, 01:25:49 PM
Meet Open Webos

 http://www.openwebosproject.org/

 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy_MWog3ltw

 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BcRbwBfp0bA
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 30, 2012, 03:07:35 PM
Here's where someone points out how slow it runs.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 30, 2012, 03:08:18 PM
And here's where someone points out the quote from Valve about the initial performance of Left 4 Dead on Linux and how it runs now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 21, 2012, 10:35:12 PM
So does anyone think Google will come out with a Nexus media player to compete with the iPod Touch? I know about the Samsung Galaxy Player, but that's running an old version of Android, and it can't be (officially) updated.


So a Nexus media player... Could it happen? Apple revitalized the iPod brand with their new iPod models, so maybe Google could take a crack at that market.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 21, 2012, 11:02:25 PM
That market is dead.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on October 21, 2012, 11:08:17 PM
That market is dead.

Um, no it isn't. They still sell quite well.

There are plenty of Android equivalents of the iPod Touch, but I can't find any with a firmware more recent than Android 2.3
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 21, 2012, 11:21:21 PM
That market is dead.

Um, no it isn't. They still sell quite well.

There are plenty of Android equivalents of the iPod Touch, but I can't find any with a firmware more recent than Android 2.3


Samsung's Galaxy Player is the only notable Android media player that I know of. iPod dominates the market. I don't know why more Android manufacturers make their own media players. It would be even better if Google gave us a Nexus branded media player, one that can be officially updated to the latest OS (without hacking).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 21, 2012, 11:57:28 PM
That market is dead.

Um, no it isn't. They still sell quite well.

There are plenty of Android equivalents of the iPod Touch, but I can't find any with a firmware more recent than Android 2.3

oh its niche at best. Being able to get a mid-range android phone for around $100 off contract has killed that space.

Dead doesn't excatly mean dead in the tech world. The PMP is a market with dimishing returns and lack of relevance in the overall tech space.

Don't get me wrong they have their place and a good portable media player is great (5th gen ipod nano, zune HD).  But the device serves a very shrinking userbase.

Even's apple focus hasn't been on the ipod line for a while now. Even this year's refresh while better better than last year has been fairly miminal.

This week starts a busy week in the computing space.

Oct. 23- Apple ipad mini confrence
Oct. 23- Asus Vivo event
Oct. 26- Windows 8/Surface launch
Oct. 29- Windows Phone 8 Confrence
Oct.29- Google Nexus confrence
Oct.29- Tmobile fall lineup event

(http://st.gsmarena.com/vv/newsimg/12/10/google-event/gsmarena_001.jpg)

So far for the google event we have rumored that google is going to expand the nexus line.  I'm expecting to see

Android 4.2
LG Nexus 4
Price drop on the Galaxy Nexus and maybe a minor spec bump
32GB Nexus 7
Nexus 10
Nexus Q 2.0

Though if I were Google I would have the high end LG nexus be at 4:3 or 4:8 and have a make another model at 3:6 to replace the Gnexus.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 22, 2012, 12:26:04 AM
I just want Google to expand the Nexus brand. Make it accessible to any and all Android manufacturers, as long as they meet Google's requirements. The Nexus brand needs to branch out so it will be more well-known and successful. And having plain, vanilla Android with regular updates is the biggest advantage.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on October 22, 2012, 02:04:52 AM
That's what they're supposedly doing. (http://www.androidcentral.com/google-commission-several-nexus-phones-multiple-oem-partners-rumor)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 22, 2012, 02:53:51 AM
I really wouldn't want that to every manufacturer. A HTC, Samsung and (unlikely, but...) Nokia Nexus are the only three i'd be interested in.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on October 22, 2012, 07:46:46 AM
I've been an Apple guy all my life, so I don't have a real desire to buy an Android device, but if I were going to it would absolutely be a Nexus. One of the best things Apple did with the iPhone was refuse to let carriers pollute the phone with their branding and bloatware, and I wouldn't give that up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 22, 2012, 08:08:25 AM
Nokia nexus is highly unlikely.

The mutiple Nexus rumor is pretty likely, but I don't expect it too happen till next year.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 22, 2012, 12:04:20 PM
And Google needs to do something with Motorola. They bought the company, yet they don't do anything with them. Motorola should be the front-runner for future Nexus devices.

And Nokia will never make an Android device as long as they're still cozied up with Microsoft and Windows Phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on October 22, 2012, 12:28:50 PM
Google doesn't need to do anything with Motorola. Google bought them mainly for their patents to help protect Android in lawsuits with Apple.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 22, 2012, 02:17:52 PM
Mototola was bought for the patents like TJ said. Don't expect google to go all in with motorola anytime soon.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on October 22, 2012, 11:21:18 PM
What do you guys think about Galaxy Note 2?

I think I might grab it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 24, 2012, 09:48:14 PM
How do these companies expect to have a flagship (best-selling) device if they keep making new versions every few months? Give the consumers a chance to buy your product before you refresh the whole thing.


Damn.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 24, 2012, 09:49:18 PM
Mototola was bought for the patents like TJ said. Don't expect google to go all in with motorola anytime soon.


Google would have been better off buying HTC or Samsung Mobile, since they are much more popular than Motorola.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on October 24, 2012, 09:50:42 PM
Again, they were bought for their patents, not their popularity as a manufacturer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on October 24, 2012, 11:38:21 PM
Mototola was bought for the patents like TJ said. Don't expect google to go all in with motorola anytime soon.


Google would have been better off buying Apple, since they are much more popular than Motorola.

Since your not listening.... lmftfy ;)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 25, 2012, 05:00:22 AM
What do you guys think about Galaxy Note 2?

I think I might grab it.

My cousin has the first note. It really is a phablet. A great device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 29, 2012, 02:38:25 PM
So the new nexus devices were annouced today even with the event being cancelled.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DDoHboUSx3o/UI6pHuEjyXI/AAAAAAAAJ5k/QHafnqZspHQ/s1600/Nexus_v16_web_flat.png)

First up is the Nexus 4
(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/7166649/n4_hands_111_large_extra_large.jpg)

Quote
Google's has officially announced the Nexus 4, the latest phone in its Nexus line of flagship Android devices. Built by LG, the phone features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 IPS display, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor —which Google claims is the fastest on the market — an 8 megapixel camera and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and up to 16GB of storage. Oh, and the back is made of glass — etched, layered glass that sparkles with a strange, almost holographic depth.

 The device will sell for $299 with 8GB of storage, or $349 with 16GB. A T-Mobile version will sell unlocked for $199 on a two-year contract. Alongside the improved screen and faster CPU, the Nexus 4 has 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, NFC, Bluetooth, and built-in compatibility with Google's latest accessory, the Wireless Charging Orb — an inductive charging dock. The phone also houses a sizable 2100 mAh battery, which the company claims will get you about 10 hours of talk time.

"There's no LTE here"

Then a new 32GB nexus 7 and another with a radio
(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/7159947/NexusVERGE_large_extra_large.jpg)

Quote
Google has also announced a small update to the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet. Called "Nexus 7 (32GB + Mobile)," it simply adds a pentaband HSPA+ radio and comes in a 32GB configuration for $299, a $50 premium over the 16GB model. It's available unlocked, but Google will be selling it with either a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM card pre-installed. It will be up to users to take the device to a carrier to get service —presumably using something like AT&T's Mobile Share plan. Just like the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 + Mobile doesn't come with an option for LTE, no doubt a function of Google's strong desire to issue software updates without carrier intervention.

And Finally the Nexus 10
(http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/7163031/google-nexus-10-01-verge-1020_large_extra_large.jpg)

Quote
It will come in 16GB or 32GB variants and will be Wi-Fi only. The processor behind the tablet is a powerful dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 chip paired with 2GB of RAM, likely of the Samsung Exynos variety, with a quad-core Mali T604 GPU inside — and combined with the speed improvements of Android 4.2 we were hard-pressed to see any sort of lag when swiping around the interface. There's a 5-megapixel camera around back if you're into taking photos with your tablet and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. The battery has a 9,000mAh capacity, which Google says should be good for up to 9 hours of HD video playback, and likely forms the bulk of the 604 gram weight of the device. It also features dual, front-facing speakers for audio, microUSB, Micro HDMI and not one but two NFC chips, one on the front and one on the back

All should be launching this weekend. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 29, 2012, 08:39:58 PM
Google should have dropped the 8GB Nexus 7, and priced the 16GB at $200.

Wait, there isn't a Wifi version of the 32GB Nexus 7? What if I don't want to use a data plan?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on October 30, 2012, 01:16:46 AM
I assume the answer is "Then don't."
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 30, 2012, 03:40:46 AM
The prices for these is INSANE. I'm astonished.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on October 30, 2012, 03:47:47 AM
I don't get why they reverted to the phone-style interface on the tablet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 30, 2012, 12:46:26 PM
Well the Honeycomb UI failed to gain any traction and you really want to get rid of allt he confusing chrome

That and the Android team wants it to become the new webos style wise.

(http://android.hdblog.it/wp-content/gallery/nexus-10-press-hd/nexus_10_product_image_3.jpg)
(http://www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/lg-nexus-4-official-650x584.jpg)


(http://entermedia.mx/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hp-webos-tablet-498x318.jpg)
(http://www.mobile-t-mobile.com/uimg/hp-pre-3.jpg)

Google's biggest problem with the honeycomb UI was that there really wasn't any UI elements that told the common on looker that this was an android product. By having a similar experience bewteen everything it only helps the average consumer and the nexus brand.

Look at the other major ecosystems as well

Apple
(http://s4.cdn.memeburn.com/wp-content/uploads/desktop_screenshot.jpg)
(http://www.pocketables.com/images/2012/03/iPad-3-homescreen.png)
(http://www.mod-gadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iPhone-5-Cydia-home-screen.jpg)
(http://www.crunchbase.com/assets/images/original/0021/2056/212056v1.png)

Microsoft
(http://images.anandtech.com/doci/6392/Screenshot%20(1).png)
(http://cdn.wpcentral.com/sites/wpcentral.com/files/styles/w697/public/postimages/2012/10/WP8Main.png)
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jE9TebAvUQQ/UIhtKm4W69I/AAAAAAAAAso/qB4VNLVdlQk/s1600-h/Xbox-360-dashboard-update%25255B5%25255D.jpg)

The biggest things to take away from this is that Google is shifting the brand from a developer device to a more consumer facing brand to push their ecosystem. The new nexi have neither removable storage or battery which you may like or dislike.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 31, 2012, 12:46:10 AM
Dat Nexus 10... <3

I have to wonder why the Galaxy Tab devices (7-inch and 10-inch) have such low-res screens (referring to the PPI), yet this new Nexus 10 has a crystal-clear screen. Why doesn't Samsung put those high-res screens in their other tablets?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on October 31, 2012, 01:10:06 AM
Well the Honeycomb UI failed to gain any traction and you really want to get rid of allt he confusing chrome
I'm not talking about Honeycomb, I'm talking about Ice Cream Sandwich/Jellybean. The chrome was all the same, but the elements moved around to make more sense on the different form factors.
To be clear:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0T6F8FVX_Y8/UIrm4gyFnUI/AAAAAAAADFs/Y1ICv8x6xTw/s572/compare.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 31, 2012, 07:58:30 PM
Matias Durate the android user experience director posted on Google+ about why they got rid of the honeycomb ui style.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/114892667463719782631/posts/JAAMUzx1PFX

Quote
This new configuration is based on usability research we did on all of the different form factors and screen sizes that Android runs on. What mattered most of all was muscle memory -- keeping the buttons where you expect them, no matter how you hold the device.

Phones are almost always used in portrait mode, flip sideways occasionally, and never go upside down. As screen sizes get larger, though, any which way goes. Imagine the frustration you’d feel if every time you picked up a tablet off the table "the wrong way up" you found yourself reaching for a home button that wasn’t where you expect it to be? That irritation adds up and over time like a tiny grain of sand in your shoe and undermines the rest of your experience.

The Jelly Bean system bar always keeps the same three buttons where you expect them. This happens dynamically for every screen size, up until you get to small handheld screens where stacking the bars in landscape mode would leave too little vertical space.


Also I think i'm in love with the Nexus 10.

(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/10/dsc02626.jpg)
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/10/dsc02601-1351550010.jpg)
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/10/dsc02626.jpg)
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/10/dsc02614-1351550030.jpg)


The OS even Multi-tasks like Webos did.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mDH_M8NOw2Q/UJGqiWZu9zI/AAAAAAAANBQ/nJzVkx7O7qM/s902/android-42-app-switch.png)

(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1651395/nexus_grid2.jpg)


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 01, 2012, 10:46:27 AM
Funny that about how they are oriented. I installed ultimate rotation control (on my nexus 7) so i can use it how i like.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 01, 2012, 10:57:23 AM
Google needs to stop giving Samsung so much publicity. There are other manufacturers that deserve the spotlight too. ASUS should have made the Nexus 10.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on November 01, 2012, 11:32:59 AM
Are they? I do believe LG is manufacturing the Nexus 4 this time around, so your statement doesn't make too much sense. If anything, Google is spotlighting all three manufacturers this time - LG, Samsung, and ASUS.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on November 01, 2012, 12:36:24 PM
Just bought the International version of the Galaxy Note II (N7100) 16gb in White. I'll post my thoughts when it gets here. But I'm excited.

(http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/galalxy-note-ii-27-ifa-2012-slashgear-580x349.jpeg)

I looked at accessories, but they are few and far between. Some of them like the Bluetooth S Pen don't even exist supposedly despite them being handed out to the press. I really wish it did because it looks dope. You can use it as a headset as well as a pen, so I don't have to whip my phone out for a phone call which is awesome.

There are not many decent cases out there. The Official Samsung case doesn't protect the damn sides of the phone so it's worthless. Other cases do not include a cover which needs to happen for the overall protection and aesthetics of the phone. So the only ones I'm looking at are from overseas, one in the UK (http://www.tech21.uk.com/index.php/Product/impact_snap_with_cover_samsung_galaxy_note_2_case_white) and one in France (http://www.noreve.com/langue/en/product/Samsung_Galaxy_Note_2_Tradition_B_leather_case.html?currency=USD&language=en&products_id=2676&osCsid=ee769aea61a8df2f0fdb728c049f825d).

The UK one is dope, but it's expensive for what it is.

The French one is even nicer and it shows in the price, but at least the price fits the product.

Then there is the media hub (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQqQIwAA&url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a434981/samsung-galaxy-note-2-smart-dock-accessory-unveiled.html&ei=WqaSULunGuWyyAHn5IG4DA&usg=AFQjCNGvGG5ztwsmf_SThXWcdCN6JNPSLA&sig2=0WCFIHEZbRc1PySt3LEkvA). I was thinking about getting it, but decided against it since I already have an MHL to HDMI cable (the fact that you have to plug in the converter is still retarded). Thought about getting a dock but again, decided against it because I never want to take it out of the case ever, for any situation.

Lastly there is the extended warranty. Several places offer warranty after purchase but the best one is Negri's. They allow you to buy it after 60 days of owning the phone and replace your phone for any situation, even if it's STOLEN OR LOST. That's incredible. The deductible for a phone like mine is $80, but that's way better than buying a new one. Still haven't bought it yet because I want to see if it'll work buttercream with ATT or if it's defective out the box. It should be fine, but we'll see.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on November 01, 2012, 05:04:33 PM
The Note II seems like a good phone. Its just two two big for my tastes.  I think 4.8 inches is pushing it so once you hit 5 I think your better off getting a 7 inch tablet.


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on November 01, 2012, 07:11:09 PM
Yea, but that's what I like about it. Its size means I can literally multitask. For example, I can watch a show while writing a post; something I'm doing at this very moment. Also it's perfect for watching a movie, unlike anything on the iphone or even my sgs2 can offer.



Second, I can draw all over it. The feature I'm looking forward to is the ability to write all over the back of a photo. There are so many situations where I would do that. Whether it's jotting down the name of the songs from the band I'm currently watching or having a girl write her number on the back of her own photo, there are so many awesome and hilarious things I could do with it to keep track of time and info.

And lastly, it just looks professional. Grabbing it from the inside of my blazer pocket and opening the case looks, in a word, classy.

But that's a double edge sword and is the one factor pre-hands-on that worries me. The only thing that would make the phone better is if I rarely had to take it out. For instance, I've gotten pretty damn good at guessing the time. I always know what time it is roughly, but when I need to know the exact time I pull out my pocket watch.

With a phone it's different, especially a smart phone. You get contacted a hundred times a day from everything from email to facebook. **** honestly sucks and was one of the reasons I almost went back to a dumbphone aka the jack bower phone specifically (http://www.extragsm.com/images/phone/big/Nokia/8800/Nokia-8800-01.jpg) (the fucking thing was indestructible, and the only reason I'm not using it today is because it died to save my life, but that's a story for another day). And it's not like you can avoid those notifications either. For every ten shitty facebook messages you get, you get that one important email; so you have to check every time. Now until Google can figure out if my notifications are important, that is my life - constantly checking my damn phone. I've tried to go on vacation from it. I once went two weeks without a phone and while it was awesome for me, I was never given so much **** before. People thought I died or that I was an asshole for not getting back to them or blah blah blah you get the point. Hell, I even had people come over to my house randomly as if they were my neighbors and we were eight.

So what I need is something I can glance at a hundred times a day, a "Phone Companion" if you will, preferably on my wrist. Now I've done the research and all those smart watches suck. None of them can do the Dick Tracy walkie talkie thing and they're asking us to pay upwards of $300 for something a toy could do 50 years ago.


If I were to make it, it would have a super widescreen touch display about 2-3" in length, be detachable from my wrist, and could take phone calls, notify me and write texts and emails. Something that I could rip off my wrist and double tap a text or take a phone call and then place it back on my wrist when I'm done. That way I would only bring out my phone for things more substantial than contacting people.

Then I could have the best of both worlds; a phone that I could truly do damn near everything with that fits neatly in my jacket or in my slacks and still check the bullshit.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 01, 2012, 09:17:04 PM
Are they? I do believe LG is manufacturing the Nexus 4 this time around, so your statement doesn't make too much sense. If anything, Google is spotlighting all three manufacturers this time - LG, Samsung, and ASUS.

But Google had Samsung make the old Galaxy Nexus phones, and now they're making the Nexus 10 tablet. My point is, give Samsung a break and pass the torch to another manufacturer. ASUS and LG are good choices, but what about HTC, Toshiba, Sony, etc.?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on November 01, 2012, 09:55:06 PM
If Samsung is more willing to make sure their devices are up to date with Android, that is a possible reason. They are also far more known to the average person than Asus (and LG to an extent). Sony is also slow to support Android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 02, 2012, 04:34:37 AM
HTC are becoming increasingly slow too. The HTC One series was announced in the summer to be getting Jelly Bean "shortly". Then that became "autumn" (or fall), then "october". All three dates have passed and they haven't said anything. All it takes to placate people is someone to say "sorry but it's still being worked on".

Since then i've jumped from ICS to Jelly Bean 4.1 to 4.1.1 to 4.1.2, and 4.2 hits in a few weeks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on November 02, 2012, 01:52:32 PM
Reviews for the Nexus 4 and 10 are out today.

Nexus 4
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/11/screenshot2012-10-29-19-17-51-1351835608.jpg)

 http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-4-review/

Quote
PROS
Beautiful and vibrant 720p display
 Very affordable price
Pentaband HSPA+
Android 4.2 delivers new features

CONS
Poor battery life
Doesn't support LTE

BOTTOMLINE

 It may not be the best phone on the planet, but its high-end specs, elegant build and incredibly affordable price make it worth throwing your money at.

The idea that a Nexus quad-core smartphone is hitting the market with a starting price one dollar shy of $300 is simply stunning. Even more so is that it's available without any contract or carrier locks, which means you can use it virtually anywhere in the world. Adding yet another layer of amazement is the fact that this particular device will always be among the first (if not the first) to get the latest version of Android for the foreseeable future. What once was a smartphone series designed for developers has been decked out with top-notch features and priced so attractively that consumers will take notice of it; there's nothing comparable that comes close to it in that price range. This is a smartphone that we'd normally expect to be much more expensive unlocked, but Google set a precedent by lowering the cost of the Galaxy Nexus, keeping the Nexus 7 at $200 and is now continuing the trend with the Nexus 4. The price of freedom has never been more reasonable.

Sure, the Nexus 4 is not without its hiccups, but none of its predecessors have been perfect, either. And given the boost in real-world performance, the better camera and various other new features, it's even more tempting than all those previous devices whose shoes it's trying to fill. In a case like this... you have our permission not to resist.

 http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/2/3589280/google-nexus-4-review

Quote
GOOD STUFF
 Improved build quality
Android 4.2 is fantastic
Excellent price for a device of this caliber

BAD STUFF
Lacks LTE
Screen a bit washed out
Glass backing breaks easily

The Nexus 4 is absolutely wonderful, but it's also vexing. Frustrating. Annoying. It's easily the best Android phone on the market right now, and has some of the most powerful software that's ever been put on a mobile phone. It's an upgrade from last year's Galaxy Nexus in every way. It's terrific — save for one small thing.

In the US, a flagship phone without LTE is like a muscle car with no wheels. For other networks in other countries, and for the lucky T-Mobile customers out there that are getting great speeds on its HSPA+ network — great. No problem. Go get this phone. But for others — many others — it's hard to imagine buying this device when you know it's a generation behind in terms of network technology.

A little over a year ago, I bristled at the fact that the iPhone 4S didn't have LTE, but I also admitted that the phone was a still a "force to be reckoned with." The same can be said for the Nexus 4, with a caveat. The mobile industry has changed a lot in the last 12 months. LTE is the norm, not a nice-to-have, and its performance has shown the cracks in the aging GSM networks of the US. No flagship device is released without it. Not even the iPhone.

For a phone and an OS built for the cloud, I think it's unacceptable to not offer a version that takes advantage of our fastest mobile networks.

If you buy the Nexus 4, you have to decide whether you're willing to compromise data speeds for the purest and best form of the Android OS. After comparing the options and seeing the gulf between Google's flagship and other devices on the market, I've decided it's a compromise I won't be making again.

Nexus 10
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1673065/Screenshot_2012-11-01-20-51-15.png)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-10-review/?m=false
Quote

 PROS
Incredibly high-res display
Front-facing stereo speakers
Latest and greatest Android build
Great gaming performance

CONS
Middling
overall speed and battery life
Display lacks contrast

The Nexus 7 impressed us on nearly every front. What few flaws there were we more than forgave thanks to its bargain-basement price. At $400 to $500, the Nexus 10 is actually on par with many other 10-inch Android competitors -- even a little more expensive than some -- and, with average performance in most areas and sub-par battery life, it's relying on that incredibly high resolution and fresh Android build to set it apart. Sadly, neither is enough to distance this tablet from the competition.

The resolution is indeed quite nice but in many ways, the Super IPS+ panel on the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is even nicer, and other than that new keyboard there's nothing much in Android 4.2 to get excited about right now. Of course, the true beauty of the Nexus line is that when 4.3 rolls around this slate will be the first to get it, and that is certainly worth something. But is it worth enough to make up for this tablet's other shortcomings?




http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/11/2/3589170/google-nexus-10-review

Quote

GOOD STUFF
Fantastic display
Fast, smooth performance
Great battery life
Good speakers for a tablet

BAD STUFF
App ecosystem woefully lacking in tablet apps
High-res screen clashes with some low-res Android graphics Materials not as good as Nexus 7

 The Nexus 10 feels like Google's open letter to developers. "Look how great Android tablets can be," the company seems to be saying, "if only you'd make great apps!" The Nexus 10's display is every bit the Retina's equal, the build quality is excellent, and it even has a half-decent set of speakers. Android 4.2 is more stable than ever, and Android does a lot of great things iOS simply doesn't. But you take it out of the box, say it's beautiful and fast... then what? Apple's tablet has 250,000-plus other apps that look and work great on a huge, high-res screen, and Android's ecosystem is leagues behind. The Nexus 10 is a great way to watch movies, but there's absolutely no way it's going to replace your laptop the way the iPad could.

Yes, the Nexus 10 wins on price —$399 for this incredible display is a nice deal. But consider the extra $100 you'll spend to get the iPad an entry fee to the App Store, and its many apps and accessories that just aren't available to the Nexus 10.

Google's now proven conclusively that it can design great Android hardware, but until developers prove they can design great Android software it's still hard to recommend the Nexus 10 over an iPad.

So tendoboy are you getting a nexus 10?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 03, 2012, 07:38:50 PM
Bottom line - for $100 you could downgrade to an iPad.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 06, 2012, 06:09:49 PM
What is with having the back/menu/home buttons on the screen. Its a hinderance more then anything
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on November 06, 2012, 06:40:29 PM
What is with having the back/menu/home buttons on the screen. Its a hinderance more then anything

Consistency. pre ICS the majority of the button placement was done by the oems and that sometimes led to confusion uncomfortable button placments. Compare that to ios and windows phone which have the same type of layout and button functions for every device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 06, 2012, 08:30:10 PM
I'm definitely considering getting a Nexus 7, but the lack of tablet-optimized apps is a real downer. I'm sure Google is doing everything they can to remedy the situation, but it's something that needed to be fixed years ago.


Apple has no problems convincing developers to make iPad-optimized apps, so why is Google having so much trouble? Android is the market leading OS for mobile devices, so it should be getting more support, right?


The Nexus 7's $200 price point is really enticing, and I've always wanted to try out Android without spending money on a smartphone data plan. The Nexus brand offers a true Android experience without the 3rd-party bloatware and manufacturer customization.


On the other hand, Kindle Fire has a better ecosystem for media content (books, movies, etc.), but the severe lack of Kindle apps kills it for me.


And I really, really hope Google makes a GarageBand-style music creation app for Android. It's the main reason why I still have my iPod Touch.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 06, 2012, 10:33:11 PM
What is with having the back/menu/home buttons on the screen. Its a hinderance more then anything

Consistency. pre ICS the majority of the button placement was done by the oems and that sometimes led to confusion uncomfortable button placments. Compare that to ios and windows phone which have the same type of layout and button functions for every device.

If you have dealt with a pos phone as long as i have that is not a valid excuse. I like those buttons to be physical,particularly the home button. And if they are on the touchscreen why shouldn't we be able to customize them. Google should have set a standard instead of just taking up the touchscreen
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 06, 2012, 10:34:57 PM
And thats why i want a decent qwerty smartphone
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 14, 2012, 12:45:20 AM
Ordered a Nexus 10 yesterday. Hopefully this beast gets here soon.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on November 14, 2012, 04:19:12 AM
After the long wait I finally got my international Galaxy Note 2. I've only had it for a couple days but I really like it. I honestly didn't think I'd like the stylus that much, but I use it all the time, even for mundane tasks like checking my email. I am very impressed by how well it works. First thing I tried was my signature.

(http://imgur.com/l6pew.png)

Do you notice how the lines are thicker in some parts? That's because I naturally place pressure there. I was very surprised it was able to capture that. I think it looks way better than anything I put on paper!

I'm not ready to review it just yet. I need more time with it, plus I'm waiting on the case for it. But I will tell you this, it's the fastest touchscreen anything that I've ever used, and that's with all my dumbass apps and games that transferred from my previous phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on November 14, 2012, 01:13:37 PM
Damn, you have a nice signature. My looks like ****.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 15, 2012, 02:35:04 AM
Does the Note 2 run Jelly Bean or is it still on Ice Cream Sandwich?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 15, 2012, 02:49:54 AM
I bumped my Nexus 7 to 4.2. Daydream mode is pretty good, although the "random pictures" setting will cause mischief depending on how naughty you are with the devices you own (and don't maintain!).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on November 15, 2012, 09:49:43 AM
Does the Note 2 run Jelly Bean or is it still on Ice Cream Sandwich?

Jelly Bean.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on November 15, 2012, 11:36:23 AM
Does the Note 2 run Jelly Bean or is it still on Ice Cream Sandwich?

According to Samsung's official page for the Galaxy Note 2, it runs Android 4.1 (aka Jelly Bean).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on November 15, 2012, 01:19:11 PM
According to the person that owns it from the post above yours, I hate you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on November 15, 2012, 01:34:06 PM
LOL, when I clicked on this topic it took me to page 8 (your post was on page 9) and I didn't see it had another page.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 15, 2012, 02:51:07 PM
WOOT. My Nexus 10 is on the way.  Comes with 4.2. 

I'm still waiting for the 4.1 update on my GS3.  Damn carries holding things up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 17, 2012, 12:29:08 PM
WOOT. My Nexus 10 is on the way.  Comes with 4.2. 

I'm still waiting for the 4.1 update on my GS3.  Damn carries holding things up.

Don't just blame the carriers, it's the manufacturers' fault too.

And Apple doesn't have any problems sending their updates directly to iPhone users without carrier intervention.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 17, 2012, 06:22:42 PM
Yeah I know.  Apple had the guts to tell the carriers to go to hell.  (mind you, Australia's largest carrier nearly told apple to shove the 3GS) It's a shame Google haven't been able to do something similar.  The only way that can happen so far is to make their own Nexus gear.  Which is good and all, but because of that it makes it very hard for the Nexus stuff to be 4G.  Hence the 3G only on the N4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on November 17, 2012, 06:58:24 PM
Considering Android is dominating the market share, and that the best selling smartphone is Android (the Samsung Galaxy S III recently overtook the iPhone in sales), I think Google's decision to make Android open was the right idea. They choose to just release each update and let carriers modify and distribute it when they want.
Title: Open source?
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 12, 2012, 12:29:21 AM
In what way is Android open source? Is the code freely available to anyone who wants to use and share it among the community? (I'm thinking along the lines of FireFox and Linux)


If Android is indeed like that, are users able to install updates to their devices by simply downloading the ROM?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 12, 2012, 01:46:14 AM
How can you start an "Everything Android" thread when you don't even know where to get the Android source code? Now trying to hate on you but...

http://source.android.com/ (http://source.android.com/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 12, 2012, 05:10:31 AM
Since installing 4.1.2 on my Galaxy Nexus my phone has been kind of screwy. The screen off action seems like its on speed or something hyper.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 12, 2012, 11:24:26 PM
How can you start an "Everything Android" thread when you don't even know where to get the Android source code? Now trying to hate on you but...

http://source.android.com/ (http://source.android.com/)


I already know where the code is. I'm asking if Android is "open-source" in the same way FireFox and Linux are. Can individual users freely tweak the code and share it with other open-source communities? Or does Google leave all that work to the phone companies?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 12, 2012, 11:32:35 PM
I don't know how much more open source you can get than open source...this should give you an answer though (http://forum.xda-developers.com/index.php?tab=all). There are a few Windows phones and maybe Web OS too, but that's just one website.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 12, 2012, 11:35:07 PM
I don't know how much more open source you can get than open source...this should give you an answer though (http://forum.xda-developers.com/index.php?tab=all). There are a few Windows phones and maybe Web OS too, but that's just one website.


So if individual users can write their own code for Android, why doesn't Google allow them to distribute their own updates to other Android users? All the updates are done through Google, the carriers, and the manufacturers. But that defeats the purpose of "open-source". Look at Linux, everything is done via the community.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on December 12, 2012, 11:44:33 PM
They do; it's called Cyanogenmod and a ton of other customized versions.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 12, 2012, 11:52:30 PM

Google Maps is FINALLY available for iOS 6! And I thought Apple blocked it for competitive reasons. It's ironic though; Apple (very publicly) hates Google, yet they still allow Google to make stuff for iOS.

Or was it just Steve Jobs who hated Google?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 13, 2012, 12:07:25 AM
Dude, I just linked a website that has literally THOUSANDS of developers with THOUSANDS of ROMs created from AOSP (Android Open Source Project). You will notice that you can download and install just about any of those ROMs, and install them on your device (they must compiled for your device specifically, however).




But of course *official* updates come from Google, the manufacturer, and the carrier. How could it be any different? Not sure why that is hard to understand.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 13, 2012, 12:27:39 AM

Google Maps is FINALLY available for iOS 6! And I thought Apple blocked it for competitive reasons. It's ironic though; Apple (very publicly) hates Google, yet they still allow Google to make stuff for iOS.

Or was it just Steve Jobs who hated Google?

Apple never blocked it, all they did was remove it as a pre-installed part of iOS (and this happened AFTER Steve Jobs' death). Google just never released a separate app until now, and for years the Android app had more features than the iOS pre-installed one (which is one reason Apple says they dropped it). And the re
Action ship between Apple and Google started souring when Android came out and started becoming popular.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 13, 2012, 02:28:00 PM

Google Maps is FINALLY available for iOS 6! And I thought Apple blocked it for competitive reasons. It's ironic though; Apple (very publicly) hates Google, yet they still allow Google to make stuff for iOS.

Or was it just Steve Jobs who hated Google?

Apple never blocked it, all they did was remove it as a pre-installed part of iOS (and this happened AFTER Steve Jobs' death). Google just never released a separate app until now, and for years the Android app had more features than the iOS pre-installed one (which is one reason Apple says they dropped it). And the re
Action ship between Apple and Google started souring when Android came out and started becoming popular.

I was saying, Steve Jobs stated that he hated Google and Android, yet Apple still allows Google to make apps for iOS. Was the Google hate just a personal vendetta from Steve, or is it a company-wide thing?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 13, 2012, 07:37:47 PM
Apple hates Samsung too, and Samsung makes half the stuff in the iPhone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 26, 2012, 09:43:06 AM
Got a nexus 7 32GB for Christmas.

(http://www.imgur.com/AWuPX.jpeg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 26, 2012, 01:31:58 PM
Got a nexus 7 32GB for Christmas.

(http://www.imgur.com/AWuPX.jpeg)


F you, F you, F you...


I asked for a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD for Christmas and my birthday. I got shoes and clothes instead (which I also needed). I also got Black Ops 2 for PS3. :)


On a side note, it really speaks to the declining quality of the animation industry when comic books have more artistic detail than cartoons.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 26, 2012, 01:41:41 PM
Yeah its awesome so far and has made fall in love with android again. My next phone is either going to be a nexus 4 or whatever the rumored Google X Motorola phone is rumored to be.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/21/3792974/google-reportedly-working-with-motorola-to-design-its-own-x-phone
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 26, 2012, 01:58:31 PM
tendo, not really. There are many comics that are simple and many cartoons that are detailed. Plus, it's a lot easier to draw a comic than a cartoon (as a cartoon requires a lot more effort than a comic).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 27, 2012, 08:43:14 PM
tendo, not really. There are many comics that are simple and many cartoons that are detailed. Plus, it's a lot easier to draw a comic than a cartoon (as a cartoon requires a lot more effort than a comic).


Most cartoons produced in America have very simplistic character designs. Look at modern cartoonists like Gennedy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Butch Hartman, Seth McFarlane, etc. It seems the only kind of animation that gets any attention to detail is CG (Pixar, Dreamworks) and stop-motion (Tim Burton, Henry Selick).


Contrast this with a majority of Japanese animation, which is highly detailed and has extensive production values put into it.


On the comics front, both American and Japanese comics seem about equal (in terms of production values).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 27, 2012, 09:18:56 PM
Wow, you started this discussion TWICE before and both times you were shot down, There are MANY Japanese cartoons that are super simple, and many western animated shows that are detailed.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 27, 2012, 10:48:11 PM
Wow, you started this discussion TWICE before and both times you were shot down, There are MANY Japanese cartoons that are super simple, and many western animated shows that are detailed.


Name me one modern American cartoon that has fluid, detailed 2D animation and character designs like the old cartoons from the 1940's.

The only shows I can think of are Animaniacs, Ren and Stimpy (the original series on Nick), The Boondocks and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and those last two shows both mimic Japanese animation.

I can name you plenty of Japanese animated shows that have high production values (rivaling animated movies in some cases).

Naruto
Samurai Champloo

Bleach
Trigun
Trinity Blood
Full Metal Alchemist
Afro Samurai

etc. etc. etc.

Face it, the Japanese have higher standards of quality with their 2D animation. Most American cartoons are slapped together to appease the legions of kids that are glued to Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 27, 2012, 11:48:43 PM
I disagree with your premise that having that level of detail is inherently better. Sometimes simple is the way to go. For instance, The Simpsons has a pretty simple animation style, but it's a great fit for the show, and I wouldn't want it any other way. It's not an issue of quality; it's an artistic choice.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 28, 2012, 01:38:35 PM
Some more screenshots

(http://i.imgur.com/9nGo8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/DyQO5.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/2OgrP.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/2ngUc.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/18oj9.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/KzqGN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/1VhyC.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/pDnzV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/8Fqtk.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/sCwZ3.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/vRdCY.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/e35Xp.png)

So far I'm loving JB and its only taking me a minute to get used to a few new things.

Also being having detailed and quality animation doesn't mean everything. Batman the animated series has a more simple art style and is probably better than all of those series.

Alright after the death of the family crossover Eddy Barrows is going yo be taking over for Brett Booth on Teen titans.

(http://www.comicbookresources.com/assets/images/preview/6975d41i14654/prv14654_pg2.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img585/1918/tt18coverjpg489fbe.jpg)

While Barrows is a good artist who does a lot of detail I'd rather have Jorge Jimenez doing the art myself.

(http://www.comicbookresources.com/assets/images/preview/a4b7a5fi13260/prv13260_pg3.jpg)


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 02, 2013, 10:17:25 PM
Hot damn that level of detail is amazing. Comic book artists really do take their time when designing their stories and art.


The best I can draw is Super Mario and Ren & Stimpy stuff (which was directly inspired by Bob Clampett and Tex Avery's cartoons).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on January 02, 2013, 10:35:22 PM
It's a lot less work to draw static panels than it is to animate them, so of course comic/manga art is going to tend to have more detail than anime/cartoon art.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 02, 2013, 10:52:13 PM
Oh I know that, I'm just amazed at the talented artists who create this stuff.


That being said, CG movies seem to have much higher production values than any other form of animation, yet creating those 3D models and programming all that stuff to move must be extremely challenging.


Why do these CG animators challenge themselves like that? Isn't animating with pen and paper much simpler?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on January 02, 2013, 11:29:16 PM
Not necessarily. It's the same as with games-- if you model something in 3D, you get perspective changes for free, as well as an easier time doing movement and deformation, all of which is much more time consuming to do by hand for any reasonably large project.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 03, 2013, 12:07:48 AM
Exactly that's why a good chunk of new cartoons on Disney, etc, are "cel shaded" to get the hand drawn look without the work.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 03, 2013, 01:54:41 PM
somebody close this its gotten way too off-topic
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 03, 2013, 01:59:54 PM
No, it was tendoboy who derailed it.

I have used some Android phones friends have it, and I like it. I think when I get a new phone, it will be a HTC V One.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 03, 2013, 02:08:50 PM
Not a bad headset but if Ithink if you can you should try to go Nexus with android, Not the biggest fan of sense and touchwiz myself.

Anyway cues starts next well and were about to see stupid 5 and 6 inch smart phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 03, 2013, 04:16:04 PM
Not a bad headset but if Ithink if you can you should try to go Nexus with android, Not the biggest fan of sense and touchwiz myself.

Anyway cues starts next well and were about to see stupid 5 and 6 inch smart phones.


6 inch smartphones? So why would anyone need a tablet (Nexus 7)?


This is getting ridiculous. 4 inches is the biggest a PHONE should be for it to still be fully pocketable.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 04, 2013, 07:07:35 AM
The Galaxy Nexus (from 2011) is 4.65 inch and the Nexus 4 is 4.7. The jump from there to 5 inch is basically tiny.

Although i agree, a 5 inch phone (next to my 7 inch tablet is pushing it now).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 04, 2013, 01:34:42 PM
Not a bad headset but if Ithink if you can you should try to go Nexus with android, Not the biggest fan of sense and touchwiz myself.

Anyway cues starts next well and were about to see stupid 5 and 6 inch smart phones.
just get the optimus g, the nexus 4 is literally a gimped version
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 04, 2013, 07:16:36 PM
Yeah no **** LG skins also I want Jelly Bean and updates out of the gate.

The optimus G doesn't have Qi charging. Also I prefer the rounded design of the nexus 7 compared too the G.
(http://www.google.com/nexus/images/n4-product-hero.png)
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1318277/lg_optimus_g.jpg)

Also next week at ces Google confirmed that Asus will be showing off their Google TV set box.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/4/3835690/new-google-tv-products-asus-at-ces-2013
So with the influx of articles and guys praising Google's nexus project and stock android its pretty interesting too see how it and the nexus hardware has evolved. 
Android 1.0
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/67/Android_1.0_Home_Screen.jpg/394px-Android_1.0_Home_Screen.jpg)
Android 1.1
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Android_1.1_Home_Screen.jpg)

Android 1.5 Cupcake
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e9/Android_1.5_Home_Screen.png/399px-Android_1.5_Home_Screen.png)

Android 1.6 Donut
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Android_1.6_Home_Screen.jpg)

Android 2.0 Eclair
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Android_2.0_Eclair_Home_Screen.jpg)

Android 2.2 Froyo
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Android_2.2_Home_Screen.png)

Android 2.3 Gingerbread
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/15/Android_2.3.png/360px-Android_2.3.png)

Android 3.0 Honeycomb
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Android_3.0_on_the_Motorola_Xoom.jpg/800px-Android_3.0_on_the_Motorola_Xoom.jpg)
Android 4.0 Ice cream sandwich
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/Android_4.0_on_the_Galaxy_Nexus.png)
Android 4.1/4.2 Jelly Bean
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Android_4.1_Jellybean.png/375px-Android_4.1_Jellybean.png)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Android_4.2_on_the_Nexus_4.png)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cTYBpaxUD4o/UI2Nltd3YRI/AAAAAAAAEUc/jZZthPM4kts/s640/Nexus-10-Photos-and-Speks-Leaked-and-Fully-Revealed-Ahead-of-Monday-Launch-7.jpg)

Its interesting to look at how robotic and chromish the Pre ics version of android was. It was probably the adverts at the time that were really tronish with the droid brand. Even the first run of ads for the Galaxy Nexus had a tron lightcycle vibe to it. You can really tell were the android teamwanted to go in terms of UX with honeycomb which had little input from former webos design head Mathias Durate. It had a lot of chrome and UI elements that made it difficult to use. You see his input with ice cream sandwhich and even more with jelly bean.

Hardware



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 05, 2013, 12:41:33 PM
It's interesting to go from THIS:

Android 1.0
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/67/Android_1.0_Home_Screen.jpg/394px-Android_1.0_Home_Screen.jpg)

To THIS:

Android 2.2 Froyo
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Android_2.2_Home_Screen.png)

To THIS:

Android 3.0 Honeycomb
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Android_3.0_on_the_Motorola_Xoom.jpg/800px-Android_3.0_on_the_Motorola_Xoom.jpg)

To THIS:

Android 4.1/4.2 Jelly Bean
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Android_4.1_Jellybean.png/375px-Android_4.1_Jellybean.png)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Android_4.2_on_the_Nexus_4.png)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cTYBpaxUD4o/UI2Nltd3YRI/AAAAAAAAEUc/jZZthPM4kts/s640/Nexus-10-Photos-and-Speks-Leaked-and-Fully-Revealed-Ahead-of-Monday-Launch-7.jpg)

The huge design changes in the overall interface made Android go from clunky, to sexy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 05, 2013, 11:41:24 PM
Really? There was no need to re-post all those pics again.

Anyways, new reports say the number of users with Gingerbread has finally dropped below 50% and those with Jelly Bean are finally above 10%.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 06, 2013, 01:21:21 AM
I kind of liked Honeycomb, but it lacked hardware acceleration, so meh. I do kind of miss the GB webtop interface from my RAZR, but I don't miss GB itself.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 06, 2013, 09:36:12 AM
Not a bad headset but if Ithink if you can you should try to go Nexus with android, Not the biggest fan of sense and touchwiz myself.

Anyway cues starts next well and were about to see stupid 5 and 6 inch smart phones.
just get the optimus g, the nexus 4 is literally a gimped version

Gimped how? My Galaxy Nexus has 4.2.1. It's 12+ months old. It has a newer version than nearly all other non-nexus owners on this board.
My friend has a HTC One S (released Summer 2012). It only got 4.1.1 this month, after being promised for October.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 06, 2013, 05:13:58 PM
its literally a repackaged Optimus G(exact same specs and all) with no sd card, no 4g(not that i care) final destination. and from what i have heard it has been rooted relatively easily and i think the sd card slot is worth having to go out of your way to root it. google the lack of an sd card is a deal breaker, im sorry

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 06, 2013, 06:01:25 PM
its literally a repackaged Optimus G(exact same specs and all) with no sd card, no 4g(not that i care) final destination. and from what i have heard it has been rooted relatively easily and i think the sd card slot is worth having to go out of your way to root it. google the lack of an sd card is a deal breaker, im sorry



All Nexus devices are designed to be rooted with ease. In fact, the Nexus 7 was rooted BEFORE it went on sale. There are toolkits available to automate the process - my friend bought a 4, downloaded the Nexus 4 toolkit and had rooted and flashed a custom recovery (all of which is reversible) inside 30 minutes of first touching the device.

The lack of SD card slot means nothing. I have a USB OTG cable and can plug in any flash drive and access data - which rooting permits.

The 4 is guaranteed better support than the Optimus G. My Gnex is, essentially, a Galaxy S2 specs wise. Yet it's 2013 and i'm still receiving updates and support for it.

The lack of 4G means nothing - we only have one 4G network here (EE) - so i'm prepared to wait for competition.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 06, 2013, 07:36:40 PM
Personally don't need an SD. Just 16GB local and cloud storage for the rest.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on January 06, 2013, 08:39:06 PM
Personally don't need an SD. Just 16GB local and cloud storage for the rest.
Absolutely. And that's why I love my Nexus 4. I've been taking advantage of my Google Drive cloud storage space, and if I chose to (but don't really need as I don't use a phone as a music player), I'd upload my music collection to Google Music - then stream it through my phone's Music app.

I've been thoroughly impressed with this phone, and I'm very happy I didn't stick with Apple and go with an iPhone 5.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 06, 2013, 10:06:29 PM
its literally a repackaged Optimus G(exact same specs and all) with no sd card, no 4g(not that i care) final destination. and from what i have heard it has been rooted relatively easily and i think the sd card slot is worth having to go out of your way to root it. google the lack of an sd card is a deal breaker, im sorry



All Nexus devices are designed to be rooted with ease. In fact, the Nexus 7 was rooted BEFORE it went on sale. There are toolkits available to automate the process - my friend bought a 4, downloaded the Nexus 4 toolkit and had rooted and flashed a custom recovery (all of which is reversible) inside 30 minutes of first touching the device.


But doesn't rooting also enable sideloading? Surely Google can't be happy with that because of... piracy and stuff.


It's the reason why iOS, Nook, and Kindle Fire are all locked down, to prevent piracy and custom ROM's.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 07, 2013, 08:43:07 AM
Not sure you understand how this stuff works. Side loading isn't related to ROMs and kernals in anyway. When I had then first gen kindle fire Most of my apps were side loaded due to the amazon market being horrid.

Also companies like Google/apple don't make profit from the app store and related stores. They make enough money to break even after all operating costs are figured out
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 07, 2013, 11:04:53 AM
LOL at saying Apple doesn't profit from the App Store. Saying that even just 1 million apps a week are bought (meaning not free) and they are $0.99 each, Apple gets $297,000 of that for doing nothing more than hosting the apps. Apple profits from the App Store. Google? Not sure on them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 07, 2013, 11:11:36 AM
Google's approach with the Nexus line (Same with Amazon. other hardware, not so much) is to sell the hardware as cheaply/competitively as possible and make revenue via paid content.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 07, 2013, 11:17:48 AM
I was thinking about getting a Kindle Fire HD. I love shopping on Amazon, and I like the device I played with at Best Buy. The Kindle Fire HD's OS is pretty easy to use, with everything located in a category (books, music, apps, movies, docs, etc.).

I also tried the Nook HD, but the Nook Store is a barren wasteland with many apps that are overpriced (compared to the competition). The Nook HD's OS is very clean-looking, so there's a plus.

And I finally saw a Nexus 7 at a retailer (Sam's Club). The Nexus 7 is a beautiful device, and that textured back is sexy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 07, 2013, 05:13:16 PM
Apple themselves are the ones who said they don't make profit on the app stores and it breaks even at a shareholder meeting in 2011.

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apple_app_store_runs_just_above_break_even


The back of the nexus feels so good in the hand.

I use mostly Google services so the nexus made sense to me. Still not sure if I want to go with kindle PR Google books as I own content on both platforms.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 07, 2013, 06:38:51 PM
Just a little above break even != break even.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 08, 2013, 09:22:33 PM
Personally don't need an SD. Just 16GB local and cloud storage for the rest.
Absolutely. And that's why I love my Nexus 4. I've been taking advantage of my Google Drive cloud storage space, and if I chose to (but don't really need as I don't use a phone as a music player), I'd upload my music collection to Google Music - then stream it through my phone's Music app.

I've been thoroughly impressed with this phone, and I'm very happy I didn't stick with Apple and go with an iPhone 5.

The cloud is basically a giant target begging to get hacked.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on January 08, 2013, 10:00:09 PM
The App Store is a lot like Facebook. People look at it and go, "How could that NOT be making gangbusters?!" forgetting how much free crap goes around and severely underestimating server costs.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 08, 2013, 11:24:32 PM

Apple themselves are the ones who said they don't make profit on the app stores and it breaks even at a shareholder meeting in 2011.

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apple_app_store_runs_just_above_break_even (http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apple_app_store_runs_just_above_break_even)


The back of the nexus feels so good in the hand.

I use mostly Google services so the nexus made sense to me. Still not sure if I want to go with kindle PR Google books as I own content on both platforms.

I'm pretty entrenched in Google's ecosystem of services.
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Google Calendar
- Chrome browser
- Youtube

I'd get a Nexus 7 to fully take advantage of all those services, but many of them are also available on iOS. And the only reason I still have my iPod Touch is for GarageBand and all the apps I downloaded/paid for. Apple's ecosystem is made to keep you locked in.

Then again, I use Amazon often for my shopping needs, so perhaps a Kindle Fire HD with an Amazon Prime membership is a good thing to look into as well.

As for Nook, I rarely go to Barnes & Nobles anymore... Maybe once a year, if that. I like the hardware, and the OS is simplistic, but the non-book content is severely lacking (tiny amount of apps, no music, very few movies/TV shows).


Now I wonder if another e-retailer will try to make a tablet to lure people into their ecosystem... Overstock.com perhaps?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 09, 2013, 02:22:13 AM
Should I get a Note 2 or an iPhone 5 64GB when they go down in price when the Note 3 and 5S release? I'm interested in either phone and their price differences are only off by $50.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 10, 2013, 05:03:25 PM
Is Archos a good brand? They just announced 4 new Android tablets (the "Titanium" brand) at CES. The sizes are 7-inch, 8-inch, 9-inch, and 10-inch, and they're all incredibly cheap affordable.

- ARCHOS 70 Titanium: 119€, $119, £99
- ARCHOS 80 Titanum: 169€, $169, £149
- ARCHOS 101 Titanium: 199€, $199, £169
- ARCHOS 97 Titanium HD: 249€, $249, £199

Coincidentally (?) they all look like iPad clones.

Guess that Nexus 7 purchase will have to wait. I might choose between the new Archos and Vizio tablets.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 10, 2013, 05:14:33 PM
Coincidentally (?) they all look like iPad clones.

The iPad looked like many tablets that had come out before it. Hell, Microsoft had a tablet computer that looked like the iPad 4 years before the iPad came out.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 10, 2013, 05:19:25 PM
Coincidentally (?) they all look like iPad clones.

The iPad looked like many tablets that had come out before it. Hell, Microsoft had a tablet computer that looked like the iPad 4 years before the iPad came out.

Look at these. They look EXACTLY like iPads...

(http://cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/archos-titanium.jpg)

Anyways, is Archos a good brand? The prices are incredibly cheap, yet the hardware is pretty robust (certainly better than the Nook HD and Kindle Fire HD).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 10, 2013, 10:13:41 PM
Just got a 32GB Nexus 7 for $100.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 11, 2013, 04:25:33 AM
Just got a 32GB Nexus 7 for $100.

I hate you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 11, 2013, 10:52:45 AM
@Tendoboy

Dude just go with the nexus 7. Getting updates on time and always being on developers spec list is avoid thing.

Or buy the current tablet and sell it for when the nexus 7 revision hits with wireless charging and tegra 4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 11, 2013, 02:13:32 PM
@Tendoboy

Dude just go with the nexus 7. Getting updates on time and always being on developers spec list is avoid thing.

Or buy the current tablet and sell it for when the nexus 7 revision hits with wireless charging and tegra 4.

Wireless charging? You mean like those inductive charging strips that were popular a few years ago (Powermat)? Why would I need that? I have a power bar that I plug my cell phone, iPod, and laptop into.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 11, 2013, 07:04:53 PM
Just got a 32GB Nexus 7 for $100.

I hate you.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img542/7899/20130111190145902.jpg)

Suck it!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 11, 2013, 07:13:54 PM
I 100% approve of what you are watching on that, I love The Rachel Maddow Show.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 11, 2013, 10:26:40 PM
It was intentional. I was going to add some new pics to my repair photos thread that had some posters purposely viewable but was too lazy. Those are cracked Galaxy S 2 and Galaxy S 3 screens stuck on the wall to the left...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on January 12, 2013, 01:16:35 AM
Maddow...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on January 12, 2013, 04:36:39 AM
I've never liked the idea of a 7 inch tablet. Things like the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini don't appeal to me at all. I can't stand anything less than 10 inches.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 12, 2013, 09:54:23 AM
Quote from: NWR_insanolord
I can't stand anything less than 10 inches.

That's what she said.

...Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 12, 2013, 12:34:17 PM
I agree with insanolord. If I am gonna have a tablet, I want it big. I love the size of the iPad, I don't want it smaller.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on January 12, 2013, 02:34:57 PM
http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/nvidia-announces-shield-mobile-game-console-204027643.html (http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/nvidia-announces-shield-mobile-game-console-204027643.html)


I don't know if this thread or the general gaming is where that should go...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 12, 2013, 02:57:03 PM
It's like a good version of OnLive...

Anyway, I was in the same boat as you guys with only wanting a 10.1" tablet, but not anymore. I do have a 32GB Motorola Xoom too, but I'll be selling it shortly.

Oh, and I just picked up a mint condition Droid RAZR HD for $135 a few minutes ago.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 13, 2013, 10:49:25 AM
Blah 10 inch tablets are gold for being at hope and letting it sit on the coffee table. However when traveling its too big too take put on the bus and read a book or put inside my dear pocket.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 13, 2013, 04:03:29 PM
All i want is a Nexus 7 case thats similar to the official case yet has a magnet in the lid.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 14, 2013, 07:07:54 PM
The battery on this RAZR HD is insane (and it's not even the MAXX HD). I have not charged it in 33 hours and I'm still at 35% battery left.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on January 14, 2013, 07:12:12 PM
With how much use? I've done that before with my iPhone 4 if I just don't use it too much and forget to plug it in the night before.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 14, 2013, 08:55:35 PM
Hard to say exactly how much, I surfed the web, played some games, streamed a lot of music, made some calls. Syncing and everything is all on, email is checked every hour, running Smart Actions all the time. It has a 2,500 mAh battery (almost double the capacity of the iPhone 5) which gets about 11 hours of continuous video playback (who the hell watched 11 hours of video on their phone though?), which gives it better battery life than most tablets. I do have very strong 4G LTE here too, never in airplane mode or anything like that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 15, 2013, 09:32:54 PM
I finally plugged the beast in when it was at 1% after 52.5 hours.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on February 07, 2013, 10:50:41 PM
Bumping for relevance - I'm getting a Galaxy Note II tomorrow.


Is the stock software sufficient for music playing, or should I be looking at alternatives? (Keep in mind I've been on BlackBerry the last five years or so.)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 08, 2013, 03:09:36 AM
I got a Nexus 4 this week. Given how this is my fourth nexus device (after the S, Gnex and 7) i'm pretty comfortable with how these behave.

So i just migrated everything over (including data and settings) and carried on. Took me about 2 hours.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 08, 2013, 07:42:50 AM
Bumping for relevance - I'm getting a Galaxy Note II tomorrow.


Is the stock software sufficient for music playing, or should I be looking at alternatives? (Keep in mind I've been on BlackBerry the last five years or so.)
the stock android music player sucks... i wouldn't be holding my breath for samsungs
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on February 08, 2013, 08:06:15 AM
Did I forget to review the GNII?

Download the Google Music app and the MX player app. First is for music (duh), second is for all things video.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 09, 2013, 02:27:56 PM
I got a Nexus 4 this week. Given how this is my fourth nexus device (after the S, Gnex and 7) i'm pretty comfortable with how these behave.

So i just migrated everything over (including data and settings) and carried on. Took me about 2 hours.
the  nexus 4 is basically a gimped Optimus G (hardware wise)
send your hate mail too...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 09, 2013, 06:06:45 PM
I got a Nexus 4 this week. Given how this is my fourth nexus device (after the S, Gnex and 7) i'm pretty comfortable with how these behave.

So i just migrated everything over (including data and settings) and carried on. Took me about 2 hours.
the  nexus 4 is basically a gimped Optimus G (hardware wise)
send your hate mail too...

1 - I do not like carrier or manufacturer branding.
2 - I do not like carrier or manfuacturer-caused delays.
3 - The hardware is essentially identical but, like HTC's devices, updates won't be slowed to a crawl while they do "testing" for updates that my galaxy nexus already has.

I will trade a more efficient experience each time over raw hardware.
Have you even owned any of the nexus series?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 09, 2013, 07:49:04 PM
i just cant part with the sd card is my only issue, also its called rooting

but its hilarious how the two phones are so darn similar
some guy at lg: nexus 4 eh? *grabs an optimus g and starts ripping stuff out* NO 4G, NO SD CARD, FINAL DESTINATION!!!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 10, 2013, 06:13:31 AM
i just cant part with the sd card is my only issue, also its called rooting

but its hilarious how the two phones are so darn similar
some guy at lg: nexus 4 eh? *grabs an optimus g and starts ripping stuff out* NO 4G, NO SD CARD, FINAL DESTINATION!!!

Each nexus device (except the 10, maybe) has been a riff off an existing device:
Nexus One was based on the HTC Desire.
Nexus S was based on the Galaxy S.
Galaxy Nexus was based on the Galaxy S2.
Nexus 7 was based on an unreleased Asus tablet.
Nexus 4 was based on the Optimus G.

That's always been the case.

And concerning:
No 4G? Not a problem. There is only ONE 4G network here (EE) and is ridiculously overpriced. 8GB/month is £41/month (about $60/month). I currently get 3000 mins, 3000 texts and 3GB data for £15.
No SD card slot? All of my devices are rooted. Install stickmount and buy a £1/$1 USB OTG cable i can plug in any USB drive i like - hence no need for a SD card anymore.
Title: Nexus 7 alternatives with similar specs & price?
Post by: tendoboy1984 on February 21, 2013, 09:17:30 PM
Yeah no. I'm not going to waste time downloading crap on my PC just to root/hack/jailbreak a phone or tablet.


Anyways, are there any good Nexus 7 alternatives? I've got a $100 Best Buy gift card, and I want to buy a tablet (preferably a 7" tablet with 16 GB of storage). My budget is around $200. So far, the only "real" Android tablet that I've seen that fits the bill is the Nexus 7, but Best Buy doesn't sell it.


I've been considering the Nook HD or Kindle Fire HD, but those aren't "true" Android tablets (too locked down and customized by Barnes & Noble and Amazon).


I've been wanting a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, but Best Buy only sells the 8 GB version. Then I hear about the new Archos Platinum line of tablets which are incredibly cheap affordable, but I've never heard of that brand before. Is Archos any good? Or am I better off with the Samsung tablet?


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 22, 2013, 07:19:20 AM
Yeah no. I'm not going to waste time downloading crap on my PC just to root/hack/jailbreak a phone or tablet.



But why? The toolkit automates the process and makes it super easy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 22, 2013, 07:21:55 AM
i use custom launchers personally
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 22, 2013, 10:36:12 PM
I need the chromebook pixel in my life.  :cool;
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 26, 2013, 07:38:20 AM
while i just bashed samsung above im strongly considering a Relay 4g.

 i need a sort of stopgap to ease me into using things like onscreen menu buttons and i need a general buff in hardware.

the external qwerty keyboard market just isn't where i want it atm
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 28, 2013, 12:20:32 AM
Keyboards agree all but dead due to this odd obsession with making phones really big. Only keyboard of note coming in the near future is the Blackberry 10 phone.


What carrier are you on and what's your price limit. I'd say grab a nexus 4 if your on art/T-Mobile.


My G2's screen is non functional so I'm using my keyboard and track pad to move around.




Going to get a lumia 510 off contract for my stop gap and hopefully when my proper upgrades comes along the rumored Google/Motorola super phone goes to T-Mobile.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on February 28, 2013, 10:56:26 PM
So I still have that Best Buy gift card, but I can't get a Nexus 7 because Best Buy doesn't sell it.


I've looked at a few alternatives in the $200 price range, and so far I'm interested in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and the Acer Iconia A110 (both are 7-inch).


Which of those tablets has better build quality and OS optimization?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 01, 2013, 12:23:53 AM
Nexus 7.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 09, 2013, 10:12:19 PM
as indecisive as i sound my recent hard-bricked phone fiasco(note to self, make sure you have a FULL set of instructions to go by BEFORE you get started) and having successfully fixed that means i can probably get basically anything for dirt cheap and bring it back from the dead for my own use

so im going Optimus G if LG has a similar recovery exploit available (the At&t version has an SD card and fits my usage and much more nicely...)
the only problem is unlocking because congress can't get around to fixing an economic crisis but seems perfectly happy to outlaw unlocking cell phones...
but seriously another tip ive learned, if it doesn't share hardware with a nexus hardware (S1-2, Optimus G) think before you root because your mileage may vary... my current phone the zte avail just happened to be dirt cheap and easily hackable (you literally remove all firmware updates and call this number) allowing it to attract a decent development gathering.

Some developers on xda seem to be trying to give the poor Optimus G an identity crisis. how amusing... (http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/create-your-own-nexus-4-using-an-lg-optimus-g-20130115/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 10, 2013, 09:23:02 PM
You can still unlock it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 10, 2013, 09:31:39 PM
You can still unlock it.
yeah not chancing it, considering they seem to be retracting the whole deal i will just wait, a hard-bricked optimus g was likely under contract and i doubt at&t(or any other carrier that can legally unlock) will be 100% willing to not try to put one on me as well...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 10, 2013, 09:38:04 PM
I mean just go to a paid unlock site and order the code. "Yes, this phone was purchased before January 26th to the best of my knowledge."
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2013, 08:00:29 AM
but there are multiple reasons i'm waiting
another of which is the S4 announcement
the plan is to get the device and use the old avail as practice... LG has shown some interesting things with the G(like the 2core power saving mode) that will hopefully become standard.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2013, 08:39:36 AM
Today is the big S4 reveal. Can't seem to get excited since I expect this to be by the books. Google I/o is in two months which is what i'm looking forward too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 14, 2013, 08:47:22 AM
Here, take my money! (http://www.androidcentral.com/latest-samsung-galaxy-s4-leak-has-high-res-pictures-spec-details)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2013, 10:26:33 AM
Here, take my money! (http://www.androidcentral.com/latest-samsung-galaxy-s4-leak-has-high-res-pictures-spec-details)
Why besides having awesome battery life its pretty buy the books and most importantly it looks like ****.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 14, 2013, 10:43:45 AM
Somebody is a fanboy and it certainly isn't Brandogg. ;)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2013, 11:22:56 AM
Somebody is a fanboy and it certainly isn't Brandogg. ;)
How so I mean the S4 looks decent but going by samsungs history its going to be plastic and the Desgin of the phone is highly inferior to other devices on the market.
iphone 5
Lumia 920
Blackberry Z10
HTC One
Nexus 4
Xperia T
all blow the S4 out of the water Desgin wise from the screens we have seen of the S4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 14, 2013, 11:45:49 AM
I'd say the only design choice they messed up on is the plastic back. Make it similar to the iPhone 5 back and I'd be sold. But I guess it's understandable considering the phone is so large.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2013, 02:07:10 PM
I'd say the only design choice they messed up on is the plastic back. Make it similar to the iPhone 5 back and I'd be sold. But I guess it's understandable considering the phone is so large.

Yes, Because nothing is wrong (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Apple-iPhone-5-Scratch-Scuff-Phil-Schiller,17916.html) with the iphone's back panel, just like everything else on it (http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/25/scuff-rattle-and-scratch-apples-iphone-5-qa-leaves-a-lot-to-be-desired/) its absolute everlasting perfection (http://gizmodo.com/5963445/the-iphone-5-damage-report-two-months-later) from start to finish (http://forums.imore.com/iphone-5/249450-iphone-5-scratched-right-out-box-late-january.html)...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 14, 2013, 03:14:02 PM
Adds character to the phone. Seriously, the iPod Touch 4G has the most scratchable back I've ever seen in electronics. I like the look better when it's scratched compared to not.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2013, 04:19:24 PM
My G2 has a ton of starches and it looks awesome that way.
 
 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 14, 2013, 04:31:33 PM
Here, take my money! (http://www.androidcentral.com/latest-samsung-galaxy-s4-leak-has-high-res-pictures-spec-details)
Why besides having awesome battery life its pretty buy the books and most importantly it looks like ****.

Yes, using your eyes to scroll and 8-core 1.8Ghz CPU is pretty standard stuff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2013, 04:49:29 PM
Adds character to the phone. Seriously, the iPod Touch 4G has the most scratchable back I've ever seen in electronics. I like the look better when it's scratched compared to not.
yeah your right, in fact this one has so much 'character'
(http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17wkbir4njo19jpg/original.jpg)

prove your point, give your phone that much character

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/it-downtime-blog/2012/03/apple-marketing-spin-its-not-a.html
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 14, 2013, 04:53:12 PM
What the hell does that have to do with what we were talking about? We were talking about the backs of two different phones. The backs. And we weren't talking about huge freaking cracks in the screen, but scratches. On the back of the device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 14, 2013, 05:22:59 PM
I have a RAZR HD; back is made of Kevlar. No scratches.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2013, 06:33:03 PM
But cracks add character, why limit yourself to one side when you can have twice the character?

honestly cracks and scratches destroy resale value, nobody will buy that thing up there and i don't know what's worse...  the fact that you can scratch it through normal use, or the fact that you are trying to defend it

Here, take my money! (http://www.androidcentral.com/latest-samsung-galaxy-s4-leak-has-high-res-pictures-spec-details)
Why besides having awesome battery life its pretty buy the books and most importantly it looks like ****.

Yes, using your eyes to scroll and 8-core 1.8Ghz CPU is pretty standard stuff.
that eye thing is just creepy
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 14, 2013, 06:41:12 PM
I know plenty of people with the same level of scratching on their Android phones. It comes with the territory with something you use the way you use a phone. I have somehow kept my iPhone 4 free of all but the faintest scratches for nearly three years now, and I honestly don't know how I did that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2013, 06:58:10 PM
Here, take my money! (http://www.androidcentral.com/latest-samsung-galaxy-s4-leak-has-high-res-pictures-spec-details)
Why besides having awesome battery life its pretty buy the books and most importantly it looks like ****.

Yes, using your eyes to scroll and 8-core 1.8Ghz CPU is pretty standard stuff.
1. Eh I don't do much reading on my phone and when I do its usually just going through pulse or Press really quickly.
 
2. Da faq you realistically need eight cores on a phone for?  I understood the bloated specs war pre- ICS and maybe Honeycomb when Android ran like crap on anything that wasn't uber overpowered. But Android has gotten to a point of optimization that a phone doesn't need all that power to run smoothly.
But again Samsung is the current Market leader and for whatever reason they have rested on their laurels. Hopefully the S4 looks better in Promo shots and non leaked pictures but i'm not expecting much. Will post a comparison pics after the livestream.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 14, 2013, 07:05:39 PM
Yes but it shouldn't come out of the box that way...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 20, 2013, 12:38:11 PM
My current phone is on the major fritz and when I go to get a upgrade its looking like my choices are between the Galaxy S4 and the HTC one. "sigh"


Both are decent phones but have alot of stuff I dislike about them.


-The galaxy S 4 has bad design imo
-The htc one has bad battery life apparently
-I dislike how big the screen is on both.


But right now those two, the note II, and the BB Z10 are the only phones set for Tmobile's LTE network.















Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 20, 2013, 01:28:18 PM
the galaxy phones have great material for durability but Samsung doesn't seem to know how to make it look nice
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 20, 2013, 04:18:17 PM
My current phone is on the major fritz and when I go to get a upgrade its looking like my choices are between the Galaxy S4 and the HTC one. "sigh"


Both are decent phones but have alot of stuff I dislike about them.


-The galaxy S 4 has bad design imo
-The htc one has bad battery life apparently
-I dislike how big the screen is on both.


But right now those two, the note II, and the BB Z10 are the only phones set for Tmobile's LTE network.
Sounds like it's time to switch to a better network ;)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 20, 2013, 04:46:08 PM
Lack of good design and small screen sizes is probably my biggest complaint about Samsung products.


If Samsung could make a phone with the design of an apple/nokia/htc I'd be in heaven. 




and switching to a better network wouldn't really help as all the Carriers are pretty much stuck to having high end and not carrying a stock android device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 20, 2013, 04:56:40 PM
Samsung is great at making phones with the design of an Apple product. A federal judge said so.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 20, 2013, 07:46:16 PM
But they're of low quality almost if they were made in Kore......


Well I played with the new Google Keep app and its going to be a nice little note and memo app for simple things. No where near being at the level of a evernote or oneote.


Droidlife has what's supposed to be a look at Google Play 4.0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3VL-R4RPx3Q
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 20, 2013, 11:10:13 PM
But they're of low quality almost if they were made in Kore......

i did a bit of research and found that the iphone isn't the holy grail of design, heres a quote from a reply thread from one of the hyperlinks i used

"Anodising (alumina) is very hard. As a result, if the alumina layer is thin, any impact can distort the aluminum underneath and cause the alumina (which cannot flex) to spall off. Heavy anodising can work very well indeed on larger surfaces like door handles, where it can be thick enough to resist impact, but it wouldn't work on a phone body with sharp edges because the edges would be rounded and because the entire phone body might flex slightly, possibly cracking off the entire anodised layer. Can I say here that I personally would never have used anodised aluminum for a case like this, with very sharp edges. Better results would be obtained with a paint which was a closer match to the physical characteristics of the metal. The case of a Galaxy 3 or a typical Blackberry might well get away with it because of the lack of sharp edges, so that a stronger layer could be used. Perhaps at Apple the design department overrules manufacturing, I wouldn't know"

with that in mind, define quality design
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 20, 2013, 11:18:20 PM
I believe he was referring to aesthetic qualities, which Apple has in spades. And that's not the first time I've seen you bitter at Apple's hardware quality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 21, 2013, 07:57:11 AM
i believe in functionality which is why im leaning towards an Optimus G(and a second screen protector for the rear glass)

an asus padfone seems interesting as well but idk
but on that note with how much samsung seems to be moving away from google services i can see why Google seems to be giving LG and ASUS so much attention on the nexus line all of a sudden.

but samsung, considering touchwiz is the cause of so many of the Galaxy S3's preformance problems i think you'll learn that adding fire to fire means more fire
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 21, 2013, 10:49:08 AM
I'm still mostly looking at the nexus 4 or whatever the next one will be seeing as it will probably have T-mobile LTE. (the nexus 4 has the software/hardware for LTE but f it gets the update remains to be seen).


So what are you guys expecting at this year's Google i/o i'm guessing
-Android 5.0 key lime pie
-Nexus 7 refresh
-Nexus 10 refresh
-Nexus5 phone
-Google now goes to chrome
-Google Music Subscription service
-Google Project X
-Google Glass public release date
-Play store 4.0




Also its harder to make cool android customizations on the nexus 7 because you have alot of unused screen real estate. 


Anyone want to post there homescreens mine currently is


(http://i.imgur.com/TZ5u5X5.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/XEw52vc.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on March 22, 2013, 12:08:46 AM
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8578403225_2d1e6b4cc1.jpg)


My Nexus 4 background/layout currently.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 22, 2013, 01:03:32 AM
Nice wallpaper.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on March 22, 2013, 07:12:08 AM
Stock Note 2 background because I can't be arsed to change it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 22, 2013, 10:51:10 AM
No porb I find its harder to find wallpapers for android compared to ios.


So apparently Google is working on a Smartwatch that should be launching in the summer alongside the Google X phone. I know the pebble   guys have to be worried with so many bigger enties working on pebble competitors (Google,Apple,Samsung,LG)



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 22, 2013, 02:00:15 PM
Psh, Pebble is a piece of ****. MetaWatch for the win.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 22, 2013, 09:12:18 PM
That Blackframe metawatch>>>>the pebble smartwatch.


Either way both will probably get curbed stomped by whatever Google and Apple put out.


Anyone here try blackberry 10 yet?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 22, 2013, 09:35:17 PM
Google definitely, Apple maybe.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 23, 2013, 08:15:59 AM
From what I've seen of early review Pebble is a worse product on ios than android. SO either way they're screwed after you get these native watches that sync with each ecosystem.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 23, 2013, 12:32:11 PM
Yeah, I agree, Pebble sucks. However, the MetaWatch works very well with iOs, but obviously won't beat a native product.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 23, 2013, 06:08:44 PM
Was watching CNN the other day...Android at 70% of OS market share, iOS down to 20%, BlackBerry down to 3%.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 23, 2013, 06:16:47 PM
Market share is the most overrated statistic in tech. That said, Blackberry is pretty much dead.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 23, 2013, 09:33:39 PM
Tell that to Apple's stockholders.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 23, 2013, 09:37:05 PM
Tell that to anyone's stockholders.
fixed
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 23, 2013, 09:38:50 PM
True. Proves my point though.


And tell that to the thousands of people that had a job at RIM last year.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 23, 2013, 11:24:52 PM
Tell that to Apple's stockholders.

Apple's stockholders don't give a **** about market share. They care about profit, which Apple's rolling in, and anyone making Android devices that isn't Samsung is lacking.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on March 23, 2013, 11:28:51 PM
Apple's profits have slowed down quite a bit though, which is what cause their stock to drop a whopping 10% the day they announce lower than expected sales numbers in January
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 23, 2013, 11:39:10 PM
Tell that to Apple's stockholders.

Apple's stockholders don't give a **** about market share. They care about profit, which Apple's rolling in, and anyone making Android devices that isn't Samsung is lacking.


don't forget Google's stockholders as well since Android is just a way to get the masses to use their services.  I mean despite liking Microsoft alot and choosing a Windows 8 Ultrabook over a Chromebook I probably won't leave Google on the mobile/tablet front. At this point im just too entrenched in the google ecosystem to really move.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 24, 2013, 12:04:46 AM
Google hasn't found a good way to monetize Android, though. Outside of the Nexus brand, they're not really bringing significant money in from it. They even get significantly more ad revenue from iOS than they do from Android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 24, 2013, 10:53:28 AM
So market share and sales have nothing to do with each other?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 24, 2013, 11:56:26 AM
So market share and sales have nothing to do with each other?


Not exactly. I mean globally Nokia and RIM both have massive marketshares counting everything they do BB7/BB10 and Symbian/Windows Phone. Yet that Marketshare doesn't matter that much since most of it is in emerging markets and places that can't afford the high end money maker devices that makes the headlines.


These markets will make sure that  RIM and Nokia will never fully disappear but they won't be playing on the samsung/Apple level unless the high end Blackberry and Lumia devices start to make major waves.




Also like Insanolord said just because Android has a high market share doesn't automatically mean sales. Right now the only ones making money off of android from a hardware standpoint are Samsung. HTC and Sony are respective #2 and #3 and both are considered struggling in the hardware space. Its mostly because HTC doesn't know how to market and no american carrier wants to play ball with Sony.


Even Google is having trouble despite the nexus line selling decently enough since the Galaxy Nexus.  There have been reports about Google being worried Samsung possibly forking Android in favor of going with their own services.


Here's a Verge link since the actual WSJ article is behind a pay wall.
 [size=78%]http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323699704578324220017879796.html?mg=reno64-wsj[/size]

The only way Google is going to gain any sembablance of hardware control over at Google (if they care anymore) would be to play ball with carriers something that Google doesn't want to do after the Verizon-Galaxy Nexus debacle. I can see them continuing their T-mobile partnership since tmo is going all in getting rid of contracts as they're main method of payments.

It probably won't happen anytime soon but after seeing the Chromebook Pixl I really want to what an intenrally made android device from google would be like.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on March 24, 2013, 01:07:55 PM
Actually, Symbian and BlackBerry ("RIM" doesnt exist anymore as the company changed its name to BlackBerry earlier this year) have tiny shares worldwide. Maybe in some small countries they have higher shares, but globally they are insignificant.

Worldwide, in Q4 2012 Blackberry had just 4% of the marketshare and Symbian a paltry 1%. Year over year from 2011, BlackBerry sales dropped 44% and Symbian dropped 85%. Nokia has already abandoned Symbian and switched to Windows Phone, and BlackBerry is struggling to make the BlackBerry OS a viable 3rd place platform.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/02/13/android-solidifies-smartphone-market-share/
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 24, 2013, 02:39:15 PM
So market share and sales have nothing to do with each other?


Not exactly. I mean globally Nokia and RIM both have massive marketshares counting everything they do BB7/BB10 and Symbian/Windows Phone. Yet that Marketshare doesn't matter that much since most of it is in emerging markets and places that can't afford the high end money maker devices that makes the headlines.


These markets will make sure that  RIM and Nokia will never fully disappear but they won't be playing on the samsung/Apple level unless the high end Blackberry and Lumia devices start to make major waves.




Also like Insanolord said just because Android has a high market share doesn't automatically mean sales. Right now the only ones making money off of android from a hardware standpoint are Samsung. HTC and Sony are respective #2 and #3 and both are considered struggling in the hardware space. Its mostly because HTC doesn't know how to market and no american carrier wants to play ball with Sony.


Even Google is having trouble despite the nexus line selling decently enough since the Galaxy Nexus.  There have been reports about Google being worried Samsung possibly forking Android in favor of going with their own services.


Here's a Verge link since the actual WSJ article is behind a pay wall.
 [size=78%]http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323699704578324220017879796.html?mg=reno64-wsj[/size]

The only way Google is going to gain any sembablance of hardware control over at Google (if they care anymore) would be to play ball with carriers something that Google doesn't want to do after the Verizon-Galaxy Nexus debacle. I can see them continuing their T-mobile partnership since tmo is going all in getting rid of contracts as they're main method of payments.

It probably won't happen anytime soon but after seeing the Chromebook Pixl I really want to what an intenrally made android device from google would be like.
The correct answer is that they do have something to do with each other. If your rival sells more than you, your market share gets smaller. What should be pointed out is that this is iOS vs Android - AKA Apple vs a **** ton of other competitors, so 20% of the entire smart phone market is a lot (still less than Samsung though).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on March 24, 2013, 05:17:17 PM
So market share and sales have nothing to do with each other?

It's certainly a factor, but so are profit margins, which are high for Apple and virtually nonexistent for the low-end tier that makes up a big part of the Android market share. Like I said, Samsung's doing pretty well; almost everyone else, not so much.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 31, 2013, 05:32:32 PM
so the SD card is dying in android
the s4, the optimus G pro and the Sony Xperia Z (whos successor in Sonys  messed up Android Alphabet Soup line is rumored to forgo...) are the only Major flagship devices to support it. thoughts?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 31, 2013, 09:37:52 PM
Wait, really? So one of the biggest reasons I'd switch over to Android and most phones don't even have the capability?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on March 31, 2013, 09:45:39 PM
Um, no biggie. The phones I see usually use micro-SD cards anyways, so what is the issue?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 31, 2013, 09:52:34 PM
Um, no biggie. The phones I see usually use micro-SD cards anyways, so what is the issue?
i meant micro sd
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 31, 2013, 11:32:18 PM
The only major flagship devices? The S4 is the *only* major flagship device at this point, aside from any Nexus device, which has never had SD support as far as I can remember. As long as manufacturers are making phones with at least 32GB usable storage, I don't think it's that big of a deal. You can always just plug and play with your Android phone (as a camera or as external storage) - but I would always prefer to have the option of microSD. I have a 32GB card in my RAZR HD, but it's basically had the same crap on it since it came with my Thunderbolt two years ago. I have 4G LTE and unlimited data, so if I need access to my music it's always there in the cloud.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on March 31, 2013, 11:33:03 PM
My girlfriends S2 has microsd support. The S4 doesn't?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 01, 2013, 02:28:40 AM
The biggest reason I don't care that iOS devices don't have the option for SD or USB storage is I've moved on to doing it wirelessly. Local Wi-Fi, or cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, have destroyed most of the desire I might have for physical storage.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 01, 2013, 10:39:41 AM
My girlfriends S2 has microsd support. The S4 doesn't?
S4 supports microSD. So you can have 128GB total if you get the 64GB version.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on April 01, 2013, 12:35:18 PM
The biggest reason I don't care that iOS devices don't have the option for SD or USB storage is I've moved on to doing it wirelessly. Local Wi-Fi, or cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, have destroyed most of the desire I might have for physical storage.
i trust the cloud about as far as i can throw it.
*hint: you can't throw a cloud*
mainly because of PSN going down for a month, can the cloud do differently, i am not chancing it
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 01, 2013, 03:46:54 PM
PSN != "the cloud" though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on April 06, 2013, 06:41:22 PM
PSN != "the cloud" though.
yes but the cloud can go down just as easily[and it seems far to easy to upload a malicious packet and they wouldn't notice.]  as can the networks

The only major flagship devices? The S4 is the *only* major flagship device at this point,

when i say flagship i mean a manufacturers biggest device atm. the htc one and asus padfone infinity are confirmed to be running without, the rumored Xperia A is apparently going without, the X-Phone will likely not have one...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 07, 2013, 11:03:21 AM
Maybe it's more appropriate in this thread...so I'll repost

A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES!

(http://imageshack.us/a/img42/2249/hainwar.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on April 07, 2013, 11:53:58 AM
Is that your android thingy?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 07, 2013, 01:19:04 PM
So what does everyone think of Facebook home? Not that interested myself but i'm in awe on how there is no facebook phone yet every phone has the potential to become one.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 07, 2013, 01:32:28 PM
No point in a Facebook Phone, too risky financially for them and not much potential return on it.

As for Facebook Home, it doesn't really impress me. I will reserve full judgment til it actually releases though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 07, 2013, 03:52:57 PM
Is that your android thingy?

It's just some code running on the Android emulator...but technically I'm an android developer now. Next I'll spent the "painstaking time" porting it to Ouya...need to get one first. What's awesome though is that you can use AIDE and use your Android-running hardware to develop...no need for a PC (though AIDE isn't as powerful as Eclipse).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on April 07, 2013, 04:02:49 PM
No point in a Facebook Phone, too risky financially for them and not much potential return on it.
they can't even make a working app for android and ppl expect a phone,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: RABicle on April 08, 2013, 07:50:36 AM
You guys gunna upgrade to an iPhone 5S in June or what?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 08, 2013, 08:31:29 AM
It's not an upgrade, it's not a downgrade, it's just a sidegrade.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on April 08, 2013, 10:28:12 AM
Is that your android thingy?

It's just some code running on the Android emulator...but technically I'm an android developer now. Next I'll spent the "painstaking time" porting it to Ouya...need to get one first. What's awesome though is that you can use AIDE and use your Android-running hardware to develop...no need for a PC (though AIDE isn't as powerful as Eclipse).
I sure hope Eclipse has improved since the last time I've used it.  Then Visual Studio still blew it out of the water every which way.  Then their is XCode which I'm going to assume is better because it was a little be of a mess in its own way.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 08, 2013, 10:38:11 AM
I'm not too big of a fan of VS2012 (yet) because I've only used it for basic Assembly stuff, which isn't very fun.


But getting $13,299 software for free through school is always nice.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on April 08, 2013, 10:43:55 AM
I'm not too big of a fan of VS2012 (yet) because I've only used it for basic Assembly stuff, which isn't very fun.


But getting $13,299 software for free through school is always nice.
Yeah if your doing assembly Notepad or Visual Studio isn't overly different.  Its start to show its power in C++ and Higher level languages.  Especially the .Net languages.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 08, 2013, 01:20:22 PM
It's not an upgrade, it's not a downgrade, it's just a sidegrade.

New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.

Even if it comes out in June, nope im not getting it. I honestly see no point in ever getting a iPhone, I love the features it has but is overpriced (like everything Apple makes).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 08, 2013, 03:00:42 PM

New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.


Right, which is why I call it a sidegrade.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 08, 2013, 05:20:43 PM
It's not an upgrade, it's not a downgrade, it's just a sidegrade.

New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.

Even if it comes out in June, nope im not getting it. I honestly see no point in ever getting a iPhone, I love the features it has but is overpriced (like everything Apple makes).

If by overpriced you mean about the same price as any worthwhile Android phone, then yes, it's overpriced.


New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.


Right, which is why I call it a sidegrade.

That is just total bullshit. Every new model of the iPhone includes new and better functionality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 08, 2013, 05:24:22 PM
Apple products are almost always more costly than competition's feature-equal products.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 08, 2013, 05:26:12 PM
I'm not disputing that, I'm merely pointing out that the iPhone is one area in which that isn't true.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 08, 2013, 05:34:27 PM
If by overpriced you mean about the same price as any worthwhile Android phone, then yes, it's overpriced.
That is just total bullshit. Every new model of the iPhone includes new and better functionality.

Nexus 4 16GB unlocked with no contract = $349. Galaxy S 3 16GB with no contract = $549. iPhone 5 16GB unlocked with no contract = $649. I'd hardly call that "about the same price."

What does the iPhone 4S do that the iPhone 4 doesn't do? Siri is a technicality, since even the iPhone 3G had Siri before it was removed from the App Store the same day the iPhone 4S was announced.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 08, 2013, 05:38:22 PM
The S models are usually less of an upgrade in terms of features, but offer bumps in processor/RAM and other things like that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on April 08, 2013, 05:48:33 PM
I feel like the iphone doesn't know what to do with itself. A slightly larger screen and a spec bump is considered an upgrade.

I am intrigued by the upcoming apple wristband since it's something I've dreamt about having damn near 5 years ago. Nothing worse than taking out your phone to check a notification only to find out its extremely unimportant. Get it done apple and I might switch from android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 08, 2013, 05:49:48 PM
What exactly are they supposed to do in terms of hardware features, though? Most of the innovation in iOS comes from software updates.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on April 08, 2013, 06:29:51 PM
That's exactly the type of thinking Steve Jobs hated..
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 09, 2013, 02:28:49 PM
That's exactly the type of thinking Steve Jobs hated..
But its true Hardware only takes you so far. Its the reason why the iphon reigned king for so long. Android just got to a place where its software was good at ICS.
 
But its hard to imagne what can exactly be done on either front for phones that won't be extremely iterative. At this point it seems like were just going to see a massive transition too everything eventually running the same OS. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TrueNerd on April 09, 2013, 11:51:56 PM
I just got a Nexus 4. And I love it! I'm typing this post on it right now! Initially, I appreciate that Android is a more computer-like OS than iOS. I can download all sorts of crazy **** from wherever I want. I don't have to get all my content from some almighty app store. It's liberating. Besides that, they seem mostly the same to me. Although this phone has a much bigger screen than the iPhone. And it cost way less. But yeah, I'm pleased with my purchase.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on April 10, 2013, 10:34:14 AM
I just got a Nexus 4. And I love it! I'm typing this post on it right now! Initially, I appreciate that Android is a more computer-like OS than iOS. I can download all sorts of crazy **** from wherever I want. I don't have to get all my content from some almighty app store. It's liberating. Besides that, they seem mostly the same to me. Although this phone has a much bigger screen than the iPhone. And it cost way less. But yeah, I'm pleased with my purchase.
Welcome to the Nexus playground! I've been enjoying my Nexus 4 since December. Such a great phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 17, 2013, 12:48:22 PM
So Google's Nexus 4 lowered the barrier of entry for smartphones, yet we still see overpriced $500 phones. Where is the logic in having phones that are more expensive than tablets (which have bigger screens and more powerful hardware)?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 17, 2013, 02:51:46 PM
Nexus phones have always been that cheap. Except on Sprint and Verizon.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 17, 2013, 02:59:37 PM
Like I said, where is the logic in having phones that are more expensive than tablets, which have bigger screens and more powerful hardware?


Smartphones are overpriced; I'm glad Google is trying to change that with their Nexus devices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 18, 2013, 01:29:31 PM
So I've been reading on a lot of comments that people want Nokia to drop Windows Phone for Android or the company will die. However why doesn't anyone point out that Samsung is pretty much the only person making money off of the OS. I mean HTC is considered the #2 android oem but they're always in the headlines for failure and possibly near death.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Kairon on April 18, 2013, 04:58:08 PM
Anyone else here sick of ever-larger Android phones? I'm perfectly happy with a 4-inch screen, which is one reason why I'm not at all excited to upgrade from my Samsung Galaxy S to the latest and greatest and SUV-sized phones. I've actually decided to try and wait it out for Android 5.0 to hit (I'm still on 2.2!!!), but I really hope that there's a good 4-inch screen phone that supports it. I was considering the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G since that's similar in size to what I already have, but at more than $300 for a product that won't be Android 5.0 capable from what I hear, I think I'm better off trying to squeeze an extra 9 months out of my last-last-LAST-gen Samsung Galaxy S/Vibrant before splurging.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on April 18, 2013, 05:14:06 PM
I feel like the SIII was the perfect screen size.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 19, 2013, 01:52:34 AM
Anyone else here sick of ever-larger Android phones? I'm perfectly happy with a 4-inch screen, which is one reason why I'm not at all excited to upgrade from my Samsung Galaxy S to the latest and greatest and SUV-sized phones. I've actually decided to try and wait it out for Android 5.0 to hit (I'm still on 2.2!!!), but I really hope that there's a good 4-inch screen phone that supports it. I was considering the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G since that's similar in size to what I already have, but at more than $300 for a product that won't be Android 5.0 capable from what I hear, I think I'm better off trying to squeeze an extra 9 months out of my last-last-LAST-gen Samsung Galaxy S/Vibrant before splurging.

Yep I just want a good well speced  3.8 to 4.0 inch phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on April 19, 2013, 07:59:54 AM
As someone with hands larger than the average, I'm still loving my Note 2 (5.5"). My main problem with the 5.8 and 6.3 are the specs being terrible.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 19, 2013, 02:29:53 PM
It's not an upgrade, it's not a downgrade, it's just a sidegrade.

New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.

Even if it comes out in June, nope im not getting it. I honestly see no point in ever getting a iPhone, I love the features it has but is overpriced (like everything Apple makes).

If by overpriced you mean about the same price as any worthwhile Android phone, then yes, it's overpriced.


New and better features by definition makes it a upgrade.


Right, which is why I call it a sidegrade.

That is just total bullshit. Every new model of the iPhone includes new and better functionality.

All smartphones are overpriced, especially when compared to larger tablets that have bigger screens and more powerful hardware (Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, etc.).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 19, 2013, 02:43:24 PM
All of those devices are likely sold at a loss or a very small profit margin though (at least when they are brand new), and they aren't any more powerful than current phones (and don't have cellular radios, front and read cameras, CDMA licensing fees, etc). Amazon uses their own app store exclusively, and so does Barnes and Noble. Each developer has to pay them $25 a year to be listed, and they also get a cut of the app (and obviously book) sales.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 19, 2013, 02:47:35 PM
Well then why can't all smartphones be sold unsubsidized at/near cost like the Nexus 4? It would get them into the hands of more people. Google and Nokia are pushing for cheaper smartphones, yet we still get expensive crap like the Galaxy S4, HTC One, iPhone 5, etc.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 19, 2013, 02:50:42 PM
Well then why can't all smartphones be sold unsubsidized  at/near cost like the Nexus 4? It would get them into the hands of more people.

Where is the Nexus 4 sold unsubsidized? I know Google itself only sells the subsidized ones. The only real advantage of unsubsidized is getting to pick which carrier you want to use.

And FYI, you can also buy the iPhone unsubisidized.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 19, 2013, 03:01:01 PM
I think you misread his post. And yes you can buy the iPhone unsubsidized, starting at $650.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 19, 2013, 03:03:08 PM
I read his post right (or he changed it because he edited it after I posted). Selling a phone unsubsidized would not get more people to buy it because few people will pay $600+ for a phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 19, 2013, 03:08:14 PM
He says unsubsidized at a lower price though. Retail prices on cell phones are absurd.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 19, 2013, 05:10:34 PM
He says unsubsidized at a lower price though. Retail prices on cell phones are absurd.


That's what I meant. I'm guessing the only reason why smartphones are sold at outlandish prices (off contract) is so the carriers can trick people into thinking they're paying a reasonable price when locked in a contract. It's all a big conspiracy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 19, 2013, 08:57:35 PM
That's a big part of it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 24, 2013, 08:07:57 PM
Played with a few phones at my local Att store and I have to say the Galaxy S 4 is probably the worse out of the big high end phones right now. The software has a lot of half baked features and the hardware is very meh. The best hardware I played with was HTC One which is pure sex in your hand.
 
The most was suprising thing was how much I liked the Blackberry Z10 from both a hardware and software perspective.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 24, 2013, 10:36:13 PM
I assume by hardware you mean design because spec-wise (and benchmark-wise) the S4 beats the HTC One. I know specs and benchmarks aren't everything, but if we're comparing actual hardware, they're worth mentioning. The problem with HTC is that they make a cool device, then no one buys it, and they don't support it. Droid DNA is already discontinued.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 24, 2013, 11:54:38 PM
Yep the Galaxy S 4 is feels so bad in the hand. Also at this point where in 2013 do tech specs shouldn't be the deciding benchmark of a phone, The One has bad battery life so there's that.
 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 24, 2013, 11:59:45 PM
I haven't held an S4 but have plenty of experience with S3s...and the dimensions are nearly identical, so I don't think I'd have a problem with one. But I don't want one...yet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 26, 2013, 10:44:43 AM
Yep the Galaxy S 4 is feels so bad in the hand. Also at this point where in 2013 do tech specs shouldn't be the deciding benchmark of a phone, The One has bad battery life so there's that.

So Samsung still makes "plasticky" mobile devices then?
 
ASUS needs to step in and show the world how it's done. Samsung is sacrificing hardware quality for mass-market appeal.
 
And I don't give a damn about smartphone specs, considering I have a Nokia Lumia 810 that works perfectly fine.
 
That's the problem with most smartphones. Companies are discontinuing all their high-end models whenever a new one is released. What's the point in trying to keep up if your device won't get any meaningful support? At least Apple does a good job supporting their older devices. They still sell the 2 year old iPad 2 for crying out loud.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on April 26, 2013, 08:59:58 PM
I would love a phone that was completely metal, leather and volcanized rubber.

Give me that water proof, drop proof, heavy phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 26, 2013, 09:01:59 PM
I guess Google wasn't happy that Facebook pushed their "Facebook Home" to users outside of the Google Play store. Google now has a policy that any app in the Google Play store, can only have updates released in Google Play store (though they are still allowing companies to release Android apps outside of the store).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 26, 2013, 11:06:17 PM
To be honest I think it's a good policy. Especially for people that would use stuff like facebook home.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 26, 2013, 11:06:27 PM
Yep the Galaxy S 4 is feels so bad in the hand. Also at this point where in 2013 do tech specs shouldn't be the deciding benchmark of a phone, The One has bad battery life so there's that.

So Samsung still makes "plasticky" mobile devices then?
 
ASUS needs to step in and show the world how it's done. Samsung is sacrificing hardware quality for mass-market appeal.
 
And I don't give a damn about smartphone specs, considering I have a Nokia Lumia 810 that works perfectly fine.
 
That's the problem with most smartphones. Companies are discontinuing all their high-end models whenever a new one is released. What's the point in trying to keep up if your device won't get any meaningful support? At least Apple does a good job supporting their older devices. They still sell the 2 year old iPad 2 for crying out loud.

I really want a Lumia 810 but will probably have to stick with the 521.
 
Its only android oems that don't support their devices for two years. If you want proper OS support on Android your buying  into the Nexus Project.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 26, 2013, 11:08:50 PM
Motorola is on top of their **** now (as they should be). Samsung has done a good job with updates lately too. It took a while to get them started, but I think all of the GS2 variants (and Note, Note 2, GS3 obviously) are on Jelly Bean now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on April 27, 2013, 03:00:15 AM
Motorola still isn't on the latest Jelly Bean though for stuff in the Droid 4/Razr series... they just pushed out an already old version a few weeks ago.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 27, 2013, 11:01:43 AM
Not the latest Jelly Bean, but it is still Jelly Bean. They also upgraded the Droid Bionic to Jelly Bean which was pretty nice of them. A lot of times these "old" updates are due to Verizon, etc delaying them for "testing" (or hoping people will buy a new phone instead). People that get leaked updates from Cheesecake and whatnot see these updates months before they are released OTA.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 27, 2013, 11:04:15 AM
And this isn't a plus for Motorola themselves, but someone unlocked the bootloader for every Motorola phone recently, so I'm enjoying free tethering now and no more ads!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 27, 2013, 01:44:40 PM
Yeah, so Samsung sells a lot of phones (http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/26/samsung-galaxy-s4-earnings/).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 27, 2013, 03:35:18 PM
So why do carriers impede on software updates? And how is Apple immune to this? They release iOS updates at their own discretion, while Google has to wait for carrier approval to release Android updates.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 27, 2013, 03:36:14 PM
Just joined team nexus on the things side if things
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 27, 2013, 03:40:26 PM
So why do carriers impede on software updates? And how is Apple immune to this? They release iOS updates at their own discretion, while Google has to wait for carrier approval to release Android updates.

A good speced phone that gets updates as quickly as possible it gives little incentive for customers tiupgradw their devices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 27, 2013, 03:43:10 PM
So why do carriers impede on software updates? And how is Apple immune to this? They release iOS updates at their own discretion, while Google has to wait for carrier approval to release Android updates.

I believe you have asked this multiple times before and have had it answered.

Android is a open-source system. Google releases updates and lets manufacturers do what they want with it. iOS is a closed system (which is not always good, especially on the computer side), and Apple pushes updates directly to consumers because they want as little customization as possible.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 27, 2013, 03:46:01 PM
But that still doesn't explain why Apple can release updates on their own schedule without carrier restriction. I'm guessing it's because many people update their iPhones through iTunes, and carriers have no control over that.
 
You don't see Microsoft restricting which PC brands Windows updates. All PC's are treated equal, regardless of manufacturer. I wish Android was that flexible.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 27, 2013, 03:48:15 PM
So why do carriers impede on software updates? And how is Apple immune to this? They release iOS updates at their own discretion, while Google has to wait for carrier approval to release Android updates.

I believe you have asked this multiple times before and have had it answered.

Android is a open-source system. Google releases updates and lets manufacturers do what they want with it. iOS is a closed system (which is not always good, especially on the computer side), and Apple pushes updates directly to consumers because they want as little customization as possible.

I was talking about the CARRIERS, not Google. The carriers control when phones receive updates, when it should be all done by Google directly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 27, 2013, 03:49:24 PM
Again, that has been answered. Google CHOOSES to let carriers release updates when they want to. Carriers can also modify each update the way they want to. Google is hands-off, they design updates and release them, letting manufacturers and carriers do what they want with updates.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on April 27, 2013, 03:51:46 PM

I would rather
Again, that has been answered. Google CHOOSES to let carriers release updates when they want to. Carriers can also modify each update the way they want to. Google is hands-off, they design updates and release them, letting manufacturers and carriers do what they want with updates.

That would explain why so many Android phones run outdated software.
 
I would rather have a phone with the latest software updates (iPhone, Nexus phone, Windows Phone).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 27, 2013, 03:57:44 PM
But that still doesn't explain why Apple can release updates on their own schedule without carrier restriction. I'm guessing it's because many people update their iPhones through iTunes, and carriers have no control over that.
Yes it does.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 27, 2013, 07:30:39 PM
Nexus 4 is a pretty Legit phone so far. I'm diggin stock android and set up was pretty quick. One thing I din't like was the contacts didn't pick up my profile from my Tablet despite both being synced to the cloud.


Despite having a Nexus 7 it amazs me how much android has come from on the phone side after using a gingerbread device for the longest time.


(http://[size=78%][url=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ao1MVkd70xc/UXxelWf2fKI/AAAAAAAAAvs/RPMcFtCAXg8/w271-h451/13+-+1]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ao1MVkd70xc/UXxelWf2fKI/AAAAAAAAAvs/RPMcFtCAXg8/w271-h451/13+-+1[/url][/size][/mg][size=78%][url=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oV_f1cd1EZ8/UXxelcpsdwI/AAAAAAAAAwA/zVPBQ29Iowg/w271-h451/13+-+2]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oV_f1cd1EZ8/UXxelcpsdwI/AAAAAAAAAwA/zVPBQ29Iowg/w271-h451/13+-+2[/url][/size][/mg][size=78%][url=https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GewhkAvRhGc/UXxfQpgJFeI/AAAAAAAAAwk/lNGQRXCdLBM/w601-h451/IMG_20130427_192844.jpg]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GewhkAvRhGc/UXxfQpgJFeI/AAAAAAAAAwk/lNGQRXCdLBM/w601-h451/IMG_20130427_192844.jpg[/url][/size])
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on April 28, 2013, 11:52:14 AM
Apple doesn't have interference from the carriers because it's in their contract that the carriers can't pull that bullshit. That's why the iPhone was AT&T exclusive for a long time, because Verizon refused to accept those terms, probably singlehandedly saving AT&T from bankruptcy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on April 28, 2013, 07:07:11 PM
That and the marketing, right?. I remember something about the bigger companies wanting to control things like ads and branding on the phone before Cingular Wireless (remember those guys?) landed the deal shortly before getting bought by AT&T
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 29, 2013, 11:35:39 AM
From the makers of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S4 mini comes............


[size=78%][url=http://androidandme.com/2013/04/smartphones-2/samsung-to-release-rugged-galaxy-s-4-active-this-july/]http://androidandme.com/2013/04/smartphones-2/samsung-to-release-rugged-galaxy-s-4-active-this-july/ (http://[/size)]The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Rugged


Looks to be the same as the normal S 4 just dust and water proof.


Going to be ordering the Nexus 4 wireless charging unit sometime next month.


I like the new Google Play but it for what it gains design wise it loses some functionality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on April 29, 2013, 03:17:10 PM
Apple doesn't have interference from the carriers because it's in their contract that the carriers can't pull that bullshit. That's why the iPhone was AT&T exclusive for a long time, because Verizon refused to accept those terms, probably singlehandedly saving AT&T from bankruptcy.

It was likely an exclusivity clause that Apple demanded to be put into place. O2 UK had an exclusive hold on the iPhone, then shortly after that expired all 5 networks got it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 01, 2013, 11:38:21 AM
The Samsung Galaxy S for only comes with 9GBs of memeory due to Samsung's Skin being so bloated.


http://www.androidcentral.com/mail-bag-why-does-my-16gb-galaxy-s4-only-have-88gb-space (http://www.androidcentral.com/mail-bag-why-does-my-16gb-galaxy-s4-only-have-88gb-space)


Also apparently there's a Nexus 4 LTE in the works which kind of pisses e off since th current 4 supports the T-mo LTE bands but google won't update the phone to use the feature.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 01, 2013, 01:13:46 PM
It's a Nexus phone. If the phone can support LTE, it will happen one way or the other.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 02, 2013, 06:29:52 PM
here is that famous commercial from microsoft, ironic i'm the one posting it, the iphone was my main target when i was trolling the Apple Thread
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 02, 2013, 06:36:01 PM

I would rather
Again, that has been answered. Google CHOOSES to let carriers release updates when they want to. Carriers can also modify each update the way they want to. Google is hands-off, they design updates and release them, letting manufacturers and carriers do what they want with updates.

That would explain why so many Android phones run outdated software.
 
I would rather have a phone with the latest software updates (iPhone, Nexus phone, Windows Phone).
eh i am still running gingerbread on the ZTE Avail... As long as if i am stuck i'm stuck on a OS that is still relevant i am fine... but i am in the market for something new...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on May 02, 2013, 06:48:59 PM
For those wondering, this is the most recent public breakdown of Android (as of March 5):

Gingerbread: 44.2% (44% for 2.3.3.-2.3.7, 0.2% for 2.3-2.3.2)
Ice Cream Sandwich: 28.6%
Jelly Bean: 16.5% (14.9% for 4.1, 1.6% for 4.2)
Froyo: 7.6%
Eclair: 1.9%
Honeycomb: 1.2% (0.9% for 3.2, 0.3% for 3.1)
Donut: 0.2%
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 02, 2013, 07:02:37 PM
For those wondering, this is the most recent public breakdown of Android (as of March 5):

Gingerbread: 44.2% (44% for 2.3.3.-2.3.7, 0.2% for 2.3-2.3.2)
Ice Cream Sandwich: 28.6%
Jelly Bean: 16.5% (14.9% for 4.1, 1.6% for 4.2)
Froyo: 7.6%
Eclair: 1.9%
Honeycomb: 1.2% (0.9% for 3.2, 0.3% for 3.1)
Donut: 0.2%
darn gingerbread isn't at 47%
WHY WOULD YOU STILL BE ON DONUT!??!?!!?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 02, 2013, 09:48:54 PM
Jelly Bean will take the lead shortly (or at least top ICS) with the GS4 global release...probably.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on May 03, 2013, 01:47:22 AM
Why would there be more people using the second iteration of an OS than the 3rd version of the OS?
Title: BREAKING NEWS! The Nook is finally getting Google Play!
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 03, 2013, 04:04:44 AM
In a completely unexpected move, Barnes & Noble is opening up the Nook to Google's apps and services. Starting today, a software update will be released that will add the Google Play store, along with the typical suite of Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.) to the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

This is AMAZING news! Adding Google Play is something consumers have been asking for since the device was released, and this move finally makes the Nook a more viable competitor to the Kindle Fire. I'll definitely be buying a Nook HD now.

I just wish they'd match Amazon's storage and pricing. Drop the 8 GB Nook (cause who uses 8 GB tablets anyways?), and have the 16 GB model at $200, and a 32 GB model at $230. (Talking about the 7" models)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 03, 2013, 08:40:20 PM
Cool for those who want and have a nook tablet.


So what is everyone expecting to come out of i/o 13? im guessing


Google Now for Chrome
nexus 4/7/10 refresh
nexus q back with Google TV
glass consumer details
android key lime pie
Google Music subscriptions
Google Play newspaper support
Android game center
Google Currents as a reader replacment
hopefully redesigns for all the Google Play web stuff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 03, 2013, 09:41:09 PM
In a completely unexpected move, Barnes & Noble is opening up the Nook to Google's apps and services. Starting today, a software update will be released that will add the Google Play store, along with the typical suite of Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.) to the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

This is AMAZING news! Adding Google Play is something consumers have been asking for since the device was released, and this move finally makes the Nook a more viable competitor to the Kindle Fire. I'll definitely be buying a Nook HD now.

I just wish they'd match Amazon's storage and pricing. Drop the 8 GB Nook (cause who uses 8 GB tablets anyways?), and have the 16 GB model at $200, and a 32 GB model at $230. (Talking about the 7" models)
the nook tablets do have SD cards...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 04, 2013, 12:04:39 AM
Why would there be more people using the second iteration of an OS than the 3rd version of the OS?

A pretty significant portion of the Android user base are on phones that aren't really smartphones, and don't get updates, so their phone shipped with that version and that's what they have until they get a new phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on May 04, 2013, 12:07:15 AM
That would explain why anybody still has Donut considering its 3 1/2 years old.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 04, 2013, 12:52:02 AM
That would explain why anybody still has Donut considering its 3 1/2 years old.


I would assume that person just has an old phone. Gingerbread has the XP effect where so many phones still had it due to Honeycomb being Tablet only.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 04, 2013, 04:26:44 PM
In a completely unexpected move, Barnes & Noble is opening up the Nook to Google's apps and services. Starting today, a software update will be released that will add the Google Play store, along with the typical suite of Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.) to the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

This is AMAZING news! Adding Google Play is something consumers have been asking for since the device was released, and this move finally makes the Nook a more viable competitor to the Kindle Fire. I'll definitely be buying a Nook HD now.

I just wish they'd match Amazon's storage and pricing. Drop the 8 GB Nook (cause who uses 8 GB tablets anyways?), and have the 16 GB model at $200, and a 32 GB model at $230. (Talking about the 7" models)
the nook tablets do have SD cards...

True, but you can't store apps on SD cards. Google blocked it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 04, 2013, 04:36:25 PM
Ok why are so many tablet manufacturers making cheap low-end tablets? Google set the bar high with the Nexus 7 (in terms of hardware and price), and no other company has managed to beat it.
 
It seems these companies are content with giving us substandard hardware. If the PC industry was like this, we'd still be running Intel Pentium processors and 512 MB of RAM.

 There is no sense of progress in the Android tablet market; it's all a "race to the bottom". Conversely, the PC and smartphone markets are constantly evolving and innovating. The only companies that seem to care about quality tablets are Apple, Amazon (Kindle Fire HD), and Google (Nexus brand). Where's the high standard of quality from the other tablet manufacturers?
 
Case in point: The Galaxy Tab 3 uses the same specs and screen as the 2 year old Galaxy Tab 2. The HP Slate 7 has similar low-end specs as well.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 04, 2013, 05:51:01 PM
In a completely unexpected move, Barnes & Noble is opening up the Nook to Google's apps and services. Starting today, a software update will be released that will add the Google Play store, along with the typical suite of Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.) to the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

This is AMAZING news! Adding Google Play is something consumers have been asking for since the device was released, and this move finally makes the Nook a more viable competitor to the Kindle Fire. I'll definitely be buying a Nook HD now.

I just wish they'd match Amazon's storage and pricing. Drop the 8 GB Nook (cause who uses 8 GB tablets anyways?), and have the 16 GB model at $200, and a 32 GB model at $230. (Talking about the 7" models)
the nook tablets do have SD cards...

True, but you can't store apps on SD cards. Google blocked it.
But you can store everything else in there, there's a reason i refuse to buy a phone without an SD card, it's because I happen to have alot of everything else.

Besides, if i'm not mistaken it is still a Barnes and Noble device...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 04, 2013, 05:55:25 PM
Why would there be more people using the second iteration of an OS than the 3rd version of the OS?

A pretty significant portion of the Android user base are on phones that aren't really smartphones, and don't get updates, so their phone shipped with that version and that's what they have until they get a new phone.
How are they not smartphones? Is it an eligibility thing? Do you have to have an official update before your phone becomes a smartphone? Is the galaxy S4 not a smartphone because it hasn't gotten an update yet?

That logic is completely broken from where i'm standing... please explain it

Alot of people also may buy a phone to experiment with rooting... the prepaid ZTE Avail is a great example of this...(although i own one as well as my main phone, go ahead... look up the spec sheet and laugh)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 04, 2013, 06:14:25 PM
Between Google Drive and Google Music, I'm seeing less and less reason to have a ton of local storage. Cloud services keep me from caring about the lack of an SD slot on iOS devices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 04, 2013, 06:31:00 PM
Between Google Drive and Google Music, I'm seeing less and less reason to have a ton of local storage. Cloud services keep me from caring about the lack of an SD slot on iOS devices.
I have absolutely no trust in the cloud, It is way to big of a target for hackers imo... what would you do if google drive goes down like PSN, what if something happens to your 4G network, (and besides, the less i have to deal with on data charges the better,)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 04, 2013, 07:22:28 PM
Cloud services like the ones I mentioned are mirrored completely on a local PC hard drive, so you never lose the date, just the ability to access it remotely. Like I said, you want some local storage to cache the really important stuff, but in terms of less vital data and transferring between devices, the cloud is a great tool.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on May 04, 2013, 07:23:20 PM
Why would there be more people using the second iteration of an OS than the 3rd version of the OS?

A pretty significant portion of the Android user base are on phones that aren't really smartphones, and don't get updates, so their phone shipped with that version and that's what they have until they get a new phone.
How are they not smartphones? Is it an eligibility thing? Do you have to have an official update before your phone becomes a smartphone? Is the galaxy S4 not a smartphone because it hasn't gotten an update yet?

That logic is completely broken from where i'm standing... please explain it

Alot of people also may buy a phone to experiment with rooting... the prepaid ZTE Avail is a great example of this...(although i own one as well as my main phone, go ahead... look up the spec sheet and laugh)

They're called "Feature Phones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_phone#Difference_between_smartphone_and_feature_phone)".
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 04, 2013, 07:29:24 PM
The Wiki you linked to makes the claim that iOS is the only majore phone OS not to appear on a feature phone, but there are many who would argue that the original iPhone running the iPhone OS 1.0, pre-App Store, would be considered a feature phone by modern standards, due to its fixed, limited software library.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on May 04, 2013, 07:42:23 PM
Very true, but how much have those standards changed since 2007? Doesn't seem like that long ago, but mobile OSes seem to be aging in dog years.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 04, 2013, 07:46:05 PM
That Wikipedia "article" is horse ****.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on May 04, 2013, 07:53:08 PM
That Wikipedia "article" is horse ****.

Then work on it to improve it. Articles are only as good as the effort people are willing to put into them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 12:04:23 AM
In a completely unexpected move, Barnes & Noble is opening up the Nook to Google's apps and services. Starting today, a software update will be released that will add the Google Play store, along with the typical suite of Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.) to the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

This is AMAZING news! Adding Google Play is something consumers have been asking for since the device was released, and this move finally makes the Nook a more viable competitor to the Kindle Fire. I'll definitely be buying a Nook HD now.

I just wish they'd match Amazon's storage and pricing. Drop the 8 GB Nook (cause who uses 8 GB tablets anyways?), and have the 16 GB model at $200, and a 32 GB model at $230. (Talking about the 7" models)
the nook tablets do have SD cards...

True, but you can't store apps on SD cards. Google blocked it.
But you can store everything else in there, there's a reason i refuse to buy a phone without an SD card, it's because I happen to have alot of everything else.

Besides, if i'm not mistaken it is still a Barnes and Noble device...

Yes, but the addition of Google Play and the Google suite of apps gives the Nook HD a huge advantage over the Kindle Fire devices. You get the best of B&N (books) and the best of Google all on one device, without having to hack it.  ;)
 
The Amazon Appstore has plenty of apps, but Google Play has much more developer support, so apps are released and updated on a more frequent basis.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on May 05, 2013, 12:09:11 AM
The Kindle Fire is just as good (if not better) then the Nook in terms of book selections. They both have over 1 million books, as well as any newspapers and magazines. Kindle also has Kindle Exclusives and the Lending Library (if you are a Amazon Prime member).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 05:45:29 AM
I was talking about the whole ecosystem of those tablets: books, movies, music, and apps.
 
With the new addition of Google Play, the Nook HD now has a huge advantage over the Kindle Fire HD. Google Play has a ton of developer support and it gets new app releases and updates on a more frequent basis than the Amazon Appstore.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 05, 2013, 08:04:03 AM
While it's nice that you can have Google Play on the Nook HD, and the Kindle Fire has a cool interface - you're still better off just getting a Nexus 7 or even an Asus Memo Pad or Galaxy Tab 7.0 2. Nothing is stopping you from using the Kindle and/or Nook apps on either device (or Google Play Books), or Amazon video or anything like that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 11:56:11 AM
The Galaxy Tab 3 was just announced, and it has the same terrible screen as the Galaxy Tab 2. Why can't Samsung put good screens on their 7" tablets?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 11:57:24 AM
While it's nice that you can have Google Play on the Nook HD, and the Kindle Fire has a cool interface - you're still better off just getting a Nexus 7 or even an Asus Memo Pad or Galaxy Tab 7.0 2. Nothing is stopping you from using the Kindle and/or Nook apps on either device (or Google Play Books), or Amazon video or anything like that.

I'd replace "Asus Memo Pad" with "HP Slate 7". The Memo Pad is just a dumbed down Nexus 7.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 05, 2013, 12:41:33 PM
Nook HD/+ are going to be on sale according to android police.


Anyone here [lan on trying one of the Blackberry 10 phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 02:52:46 PM
Nook HD/+ are going to be on sale according to android police.


Anyone here [lan on trying one of the Blackberry 10 phones.

I like Android Central, myself. But yeah they already are on sale at Best Buy.
 
16GB Nook HD: $179
16GB Nook HD+: $179
32GB Nook HD+: $199
 
Those are some amazing deals, especially for the 9" HD+. Barnes & Noble is definitely losing money on each Nook sold, but sales of digital content makes up for that.
 
Is anyone else surprised at how much Samsung is charging for the Galaxy Note 8.0? $399 for an 8" tablet is ridiculous, especially when the iPad Mini is $70 cheaper.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 05, 2013, 06:35:40 PM
I was talking about the whole ecosystem of those tablets: books, movies, music, and apps.
 
With the new addition of Google Play, the Nook HD now has a huge advantage over the Kindle Fire HD. Google Play has a ton of developer support and it gets new app releases and updates on a more frequent basis than the Amazon Appstore.
so i was reading the first page of this thread... is the nook now a "true" android tablet
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 05, 2013, 11:55:07 PM
Yes, because of the Google certification, the Nook HD now has access to Google Play and the suite of Google apps.
 
On the other hand, the Kindle Fire may technically run Android at its core, but Amazon tweaked the OS so much that it hardly resembles Android anymore. Plus there's the fact that Amazon wants nothing to do with Google's services. The Kindle Fire was designed to consume Amazon content, first and foremost.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 09, 2013, 09:27:25 PM
Well looks like there's no reason to buy a Nook anymore.

According to Tech Crunch, Microsoft wants to completely buy the Nook division from Barnes & Noble. The Android-based Nook tablets will be discontinued next year, as the company moves away from hardware to a new business model of software distribution.
 
I guess putting Google Play on the Nook HD was a wasted endeavor, since the tablets will be discontinued next year.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on May 09, 2013, 09:51:10 PM
Between Google Drive and Google Music, I'm seeing less and less reason to have a ton of local storage. Cloud services keep me from caring about the lack of an SD slot on iOS devices.


Nope. I like the speed of local storage and the ability to use it while not connected to the Internet or using data. Also, what happens if Google wants to stop the service, like with that one service that closed recently that I forgot the name of?
Well looks like there's no reason to buy a Nook anymore.

According to Tech Crunch, Microsoft wants to completely buy the Nook division from Barnes & Noble. The Android-based Nook tablets will be discontinued next year, as the company moves away from hardware to a new business model of software distribution.
 
I guess putting Google Play on the Nook HD was a wasted endeavor, since the tablets will be discontinued next year.


Oooo, those will be in a fire sale in a year's time like those HP Touchpad's back in '11.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 09, 2013, 10:41:51 PM
Well looks like there's no reason to buy a Nook anymore.

According to Tech Crunch, Microsoft wants to completely buy the Nook division from Barnes & Noble. The Android-based Nook tablets will be discontinued next year, as the company moves away from hardware to a new business model of software distribution.
 
I guess putting Google Play on the Nook HD was a wasted endeavor, since the tablets will be discontinued next year.


You assume they would kill the nook line. They wouldn't they would just replace Android with WinRT which makes alot more sense for nook as a company.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 09, 2013, 10:53:34 PM
perhaps that's why the nook got play
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 10, 2013, 01:06:09 AM
perhaps that's why the nook got play

But why would B&N go through the trouble to put Google Play on the Nook if they're discontinuing them?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 10, 2013, 01:13:02 AM
Well looks like there's no reason to buy a Nook anymore.

According to Tech Crunch, Microsoft wants to completely buy the Nook division from Barnes & Noble. The Android-based Nook tablets will be discontinued next year, as the company moves away from hardware to a new business model of software distribution.
 
I guess putting Google Play on the Nook HD was a wasted endeavor, since the tablets will be discontinued next year.


You assume they would kill the nook line. They wouldn't they would just replace Android with WinRT which makes alot more sense for nook as a company.

But Barnes & Noble does want to move away from hardware and focus on software distribution. They can't compete with Amazon, so they really have no other choice.

If Microsoft buys the Nook division (which includes eBooks), how will Barnes & Noble survive on their own?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 10, 2013, 09:38:22 AM
Well looks like there's no reason to buy a Nook anymore.

According to Tech Crunch, Microsoft wants to completely buy the Nook division from Barnes & Noble. The Android-based Nook tablets will be discontinued next year, as the company moves away from hardware to a new business model of software distribution.
 
I guess putting Google Play on the Nook HD was a wasted endeavor, since the tablets will be discontinued next year.


You assume they would kill the nook line. They wouldn't they would just replace Android with WinRT which makes alot more sense for nook as a company.

But Barnes & Noble does want to move away from hardware and focus on software distribution. They can't compete with Amazon, so they really have no other choice.

If Microsoft buys the Nook division (which includes eBooks), how will Barnes & Noble survive on their own?


The normal bookstores while facing a decline should leave them alive for a while. Also the nook was spined off into its own company so the Book divsion wouldn't impact it. Microsoft has everything in its ecosystem expect a book/newsapaper brand. (Google doesn't either). Microsft already has 300 million invested in the nook media brand and uses it as its unofficial book brand. They're also looking at the prospect of leveraging the nook's old connections to try and push for more digital textbooks and office intergration. could make for a good line of student based products for windows 8.


On better news Android Authority has some deets about the Nexus 7 refresh.
http://www.androidauthority.com/nexus-7-android-4-3-jelly-bean-snapdragon-s4-pro-206454/ (http://www.androidauthority.com/nexus-7-android-4-3-jelly-bean-snapdragon-s4-pro-206454/)


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 10, 2013, 10:38:54 AM
My body is ready.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 10, 2013, 11:40:47 AM
I really hope Google and Microsoft unlock SD cards for app storage. 8 GB and 16 GB internal storage is not enough for anything these days (especially when half of that is used by the OS and preinstalled apps). All tablets and smartphones should have at least 32 GB standard.

I can use external memory on my 3DS and PC to store apps and games, so why are Google and Microsoft blocking this feature?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 10, 2013, 12:07:05 PM
I really hope Google and Microsoft unlock SD cards for app storage. 8 GB and 16 GB internal storage is not enough for anything these days (especially when half of that is used by the OS and preinstalled apps). All tablets and smartphones should have at least 32 GB standard.

I can use external memory on my 3DS and PC to store apps and games, so why are Google and Microsoft blocking this feature?


because it creates an unfavorable experience for the user. apps running off the SD card are based upon the quality of the SD card. if not than running them can be slower and just all around sucky for the user.




16GB is enough space for most people


(http://i.imgur.com/i0pk1hE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/S8Rsfuh.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/kqbWTkx.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 10, 2013, 12:54:13 PM
I really hope Google and Microsoft unlock SD cards for app storage. 8 GB and 16 GB internal storage is not enough for anything these days (especially when half of that is used by the OS and preinstalled apps). All tablets and smartphones should have at least 32 GB standard.

I can use external memory on my 3DS and PC to store apps and games, so why are Google and Microsoft blocking this feature?


because it creates an unfavorable experience for the user. apps running off the SD card are based upon the quality of the SD card. if not than running them can be slower and just all around sucky for the user.

16GB is enough space for most people


You can use external hard drives on a PC and Wii U to backup data. And the 3DS lets you store apps on the SD card.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 10, 2013, 01:46:07 PM
There's an article from An droid central explaining it better.

http://m.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-card

For most things you want to do 16GB and Cloud storage should be enough.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 10, 2013, 01:58:42 PM
except my phone is my main music (and podcast) playing device...
and even if i had any reason to trust the cloud you still need to deal with carrier data plans(and I do not currently have one)
oh and it looks like i was right about not trusting the cloud

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/22/business/la-fi-tn-microsoft-hack-azure-20130222 (http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/22/business/la-fi-tn-microsoft-hack-azure-20130222)
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/02/why-cloud-services-are-so-easy-to-hack/ (http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/02/why-cloud-services-are-so-easy-to-hack/)
http://gigaom.com/2012/08/01/dropbox-yes-we-were-hacked/ (http://gigaom.com/2012/08/01/dropbox-yes-we-were-hacked/)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21754034 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21754034)
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Apple-iCloud-Hack-Raises-Concerns-Over-Cloud-Security-609440/ (http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Apple-iCloud-Hack-Raises-Concerns-Over-Cloud-Security-609440/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 10, 2013, 06:22:28 PM
Is it that big of a deal that someone knows you like Lana Del Ray or leoaporte?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 10, 2013, 06:22:50 PM
So I've been reading about all those Nexus 7 hardware issues (won't power on or resume from sleep, screen separation, charging issues, screen goes black, etc.). How common are they? I was considering getting a Nexus 7, but all those issues are making me have second thoughts.
 
Are there any good alternatives to the Nexus 7? The Galaxy Tab perhaps?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 10, 2013, 06:25:49 PM
Is it that big of a deal that someone knows you like Lana Del Ray or leoaporte?
if you can't access your stuff yes, it is a big deal
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on May 10, 2013, 09:15:47 PM
There's an article from An droid central explaining it better.

http://m.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-card (http://m.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-card)

For most things you want to do 16GB and Cloud storage should be enough.

Tell that to my 150MB/month data plan.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 10, 2013, 10:06:40 PM
Who do you have for service? I can get you a better deal.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on May 10, 2013, 10:09:08 PM
I'm in Canada, land of bagged milk and 3 year contracts. I doubt your connections are that good.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 10, 2013, 10:52:40 PM
the US isn't that grand either... verizon has killed grandfathered unlimited plans... at&t has removed data from its pay as you go plans...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 11, 2013, 12:20:41 AM
Sprint and T-Mobile have unlimited data. T-Mobile recently discontinued their 2-year contracts, and their new plans are pretty affordable.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 11, 2013, 12:22:56 AM
There's an article from An droid central explaining it better.

http://m.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-card (http://m.androidcentral.com/why-nexus-devices-have-no-sd-card)

For most things you want to do 16GB and Cloud storage should be enough.

Have you had any hardware problems with your Nexus 7 (screen separating from the casing, device won't charge, screen goes black, etc.)? All those reports of hardware issues have made me reconsider buying a Nexus 7.

I just want a tablet that's affordable (under $300) and has good quality hardware.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 11, 2013, 08:56:35 AM
Yeah, we sell GoSmart Mobile (which is owned by T-Mobile), you can have unlimited everything for $35 (2G) or $45 (3G). The $45 plan gives you 5GB at 3G, then the rest is 2G - but it's still better than any of T-Mobile's other plans. Hard to beat that...unless you're the dealer since we get 1 free line and 1 line at $10/mo.


This belongs more in the phone thread(s), but non-subsidized phones are the way to go. The plans get way cheaper (since the carrier can't justify the high price) and the cost of phones should come down too (since the manufacturer can't justify the high price).


Having said that, I still have Verizon and will probably never switch.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 11, 2013, 03:50:11 PM
Yeah, we sell GoSmart Mobile (which is owned by T-Mobile), you can have unlimited everything for $35 (2G) or $45 (3G). The $45 plan gives you 5GB at 3G, then the rest is 2G - but it's still better than any of T-Mobile's other plans. Hard to beat that...unless you're the dealer since we get 1 free line and 1 line at $10/mo.


This belongs more in the phone thread(s), but non-subsidized phones are the way to go. The plans get way cheaper (since the carrier can't justify the high price) and the cost of phones should come down too (since the manufacturer can't justify the high price).


Having said that, I still have Verizon and will probably never switch.

I was talking about T-Mobile's unlimited 4G data plans for $70 a month. A hell of a better deal than AT&T or Verizon, which don't have unlimited data.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 11, 2013, 04:09:55 PM
or you can have local storage and not have to worry about using the right data plan
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 11, 2013, 05:48:18 PM
or you can have local storage and not have to worry about using the right data plan


But with cloud  you don't have to worry about what you want to keep on your devices. T-mo Unlimited data FTW! Plus having everything synch around each other is amazing.


@Tendoboy


Never had any major problems with my Nexus 7. Sometimes I find the hardware to bit a bit too slow and the hardware seems creaky when enough press is applied too it. I had problems charging it but that turned out to be becuase of the micro usb that came with it got bent.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 11, 2013, 05:57:23 PM
I still have unlimited data with Verizon...$40/mo.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 11, 2013, 06:07:07 PM
or you can have local storage and not have to worry about using the right data plan


But with cloud  you don't have to worry about what you want to keep on your devices. T-mo Unlimited data FTW! Plus having everything synch around each other is amazing.
Which brings us back to the hacking argument and what happens if the service goes down.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 11, 2013, 07:18:32 PM
or you can have local storage and not have to worry about using the right data plan


But with cloud  you don't have to worry about what you want to keep on your devices. T-mo Unlimited data FTW! Plus having everything synch around each other is amazing.
Which brings us back to the hacking argument and what happens if the service goes down.


local backups. You just seem a tad bit too paranoid,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 11, 2013, 07:52:38 PM
No I mean how do I listen to the new episode of rfn if for whatever reason I cannot access the cloud?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 11, 2013, 10:26:21 PM
No I mean how do I listen to the new episode of rfn if for whatever reason I cannot access the cloud?


Use a different podcast client or download it directly from the RSS feed. I mean your harping on the cloud seems to be predicated on this stupid fear of what if everything goes to **** or hacked.I mean newsflash this is pretty close to not wanting to go to public places on the off chance[size=78%] your killed in a freak accident.[/size]

[size=78%]I mean in the 44-5 years I've been using modern mobile platforms I've barley had any problems with the cloud and storage/keeping. I guess its [/size]because[size=78%] i'm apart of the web 2.0 but looking at m phone most of my services are web based. [/size]

[size=78%]Also [/size]utilizing [size=78%]the cloud doesn't mean you have to forgoe local storage\[/size]

(http://i.imgur.com/mPVl2r8.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OSZbikN.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 12, 2013, 12:03:12 AM
I use Google Music for my music app on my phone, but it lets me download certain things locally that can be used without a data connection, so I've got my whole music library available via cloud streaming but my currently most-used playlists and favorite artists are available in the unlikely event that I have no way to connect to the internet. That uses a lot less local storage than I used to when I synced everything to my device, and gives even better functionality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 12, 2013, 08:59:42 AM
I've never used a playlist but I probably should - and I always have put full albums on my phone (or iPod back in the day) even though I always just skip the songs I hate. One time I took off all the stuff I didn't like on my iPod and I went from like 5,000 songs to 1,000.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 12, 2013, 04:36:23 PM
So Acer has a new 7.9" tablet coming out to compete with the iPad Mini. The Iconia A1 runs Android 4.2, has 1 GB of RAM, a quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz, an IPS screen with the same resolution as the iPad Mini, and comes in 8 GB ($170) and 16 GB ($200) configurations. GPS and an SD card slot are included as well.
 
Buy or no buy?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 12, 2013, 04:40:34 PM
oohh aahhhh shiny
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 12, 2013, 04:44:47 PM
oohh aahhhh shiny

I'm impressed with the specs. Better than an iPad Mini for half the price. Is Acer's hardware quality decent? Their new laptops look very nice, but what about their tablets?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 12, 2013, 09:00:19 PM
Acer makes good enough tablets. Same resolution as iPad mini is not very noteworthy though, 1024x768 is pretty weak these days. Good price though, especially with microSD support.


Edit - 4:3 screen = do not buy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 13, 2013, 08:35:07 PM
You do realize that the the iPad Mini, which is built with the guts of the iPad 2, is about to receive a second revision that will be much better than the tablet you're referencing, right?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 13, 2013, 09:36:39 PM
It will still be an iPad.

It might have essentially the same specs as an iPad 2, but it's not made with any iPad 2 parts. Under powered intentionally so that people will buy another one this year. The iPad mini should have been able to run circles around the iPad 3/4 with it's low res screen and all, but it was gimped.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 13, 2013, 09:53:30 PM
Under powered intentionally so that people will buy another one this year.

That's what Apple does with the initial model of its hardware. I'm the victim of it myself with my original iPad. Hell, the first iPhone didn't have 3G or the App Store. I can't say I care for it, but it clearly works for them.

The iPad mini should have been able to run circles around the iPad 3/4 with it's low res screen and all, but it was gimped.

And it shouldn't have had a low-res screen at all. Version 2 is going to have a Retina display, and probably at least the specs of the iPad 4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 13, 2013, 10:17:20 PM
Exactly...I thought it was pretty lame to do it with the iPad min though...it is an iPad after all.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 13, 2013, 10:40:15 PM
don't we have an apple thread somewhere (the one I obnoxiously trolled out of boredom)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 14, 2013, 04:14:50 PM
22 hours to ill Google I/o brahs.

Also why does so many websites still use flash in 2013 despite android and ios making up most of what people browse from.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 15, 2013, 10:38:14 AM
Keynote is in less than two hours.


It can be watched here
https://developers.google.com/events/io/ (https://developers.google.com/events/io/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XclVwJP5GdM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XclVwJP5GdM)


Live blogs at the usually places.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 15, 2013, 03:18:50 PM
The 6,000 people in the crowd all get free Chrome Pixels. Damn.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 15, 2013, 03:26:17 PM
Those things are nowhere near worth the price, but for free hell yes.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 15, 2013, 03:35:23 PM
Yep looks hot as did everything they showed today.


To sign up for the Preview for the new maps go here.


https://maps.google.com/help/maps/helloworld/desktop/preview/ (https://maps.google.com/help/maps/helloworld/desktop/preview/)


Just started using the Google Music All Access and they really did a nice job of not making it look like hot ass.


(http://i.imgur.com/P0JEsGr.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/Yg9oj90.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/SZnOiYG.png)


The Larry Page stuff was awesome and got me to download the Android Studio and the Android app development tutorial.


Only thing thta bummed me out is the education stuff won't be out to fall so the Khan Acadmey app wont be ready till than.




Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 15, 2013, 03:36:31 PM
Nice screen though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on May 15, 2013, 03:42:48 PM
And We'll Call it Zune. 
Sir Zune is Taken.
And We'll Call it ... ... ... Oh forget it.  Lets just call it Google Music All Access
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 15, 2013, 06:55:56 PM
I'm not big on paid music subscriptions, but Google Music All Access sounds like it's way better than any other service out there.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 15, 2013, 11:31:21 PM
Its pretty nice looking.
(http://i.imgur.com/r7hGxRg.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/r907JZR.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/0NciHQA.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/IgEOG0M.png)


(http://i.imgur.com/nk8mMuq.png)


The recommendations are pretty good too.

(http://i.imgur.com/6KlYqZd.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/QS066YK.png)

New G+ is hot as well.
(http://i.imgur.com/kfMIWV4.png)

Google Books got updated so you can upload your own epub or PDF files.

[size=78%]http://maps.google.com/help/maps/helloworld/images/preview/better-map.jpg (http://maps.google.com/help/maps/helloworld/images/preview/better-map.jpg)[/size]


Going to go all google this summer. My office beta expired and instead of subing i'm going to take this opportunity too to try using docs and other Google services. Might even pickup  a chromebook by the end of the summer depending on how it goes.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 16, 2013, 03:11:18 AM
I'm not big on paid music subscriptions, but Google Music All Access sounds like it's way better than any other service out there.

Except i paid £12 for Sony Music Unlimited for the whole year thanks to a PS+ cross-promotion and this is $8/month.

Hangouts looked like it would finally be the big thing but the complaints and 1/2* reviews on G+ all say the same, they removed online/offline status, doesn't integrate SMS, doesn't integrate Google Voice (which is STILL US-only!) and the G+ Messenger still remains.

Still some way to go with it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 16, 2013, 01:59:10 PM
No new Nexus 7 and no Android 4.3. Instead we got an overpriced Galaxy S4 "Google Edition". That thing is going to sell terribly with its $649 off-contract price. Hopefully T-Mobile and AT&T offer payment plans for it...
 
As for the subscription music services, do you get to choose what music artists you listen to? Or are they tied to an automated playlist like on Pandora?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 16, 2013, 05:15:50 PM
Try it yourself. It's a predetermined playlist I'm sure, but you get to look way ahead at what's coming and change the order, which is awesome. I often skip a track on Pandora that I only kind of don't like, only to get a song that I really don't like and you can't go back.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 16, 2013, 06:12:08 PM
How is it overpriced when its the same price as most other High end smartphones. Its not meant to sell well either, Its for those who want a developer phone that's uber high end. I would never get one seeing as you can get  a Nexus 4 and 7 for that price.


(http://[size=78%][url=http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/gs4stockandroidlead01.jpg]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/gs4stockandroidlead01.jpg[/url][/size])


Still we got a ton of announcements and unlike other companies google usually has feature updates separate too OS ones. Plus this was way more dev focused than past i/o's


There were alot of announcements.


-Google Play services updates (location api, Google+ sign in,Cloud messaging)
-Google Play game Services
-Google Music All acess
-Google Play redesign
-Galaxy S 4 nexus
-Google Play for education
-Android Studio
-Google Hangouts
-Google+ Redesign and photos upgrade
-Google Now update
-Google Voice for Chrome
-chrome web stuff
-Google maps redesgin on web and android
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 16, 2013, 07:19:26 PM
Try it yourself. It's a predetermined playlist I'm sure, but you get to look way ahead at what's coming and change the order, which is awesome. I often skip a track on Pandora that I only kind of don't like, only to get a song that I really don't like and you can't go back.

If that's what this is, it sucks. I was under the impression that it was along the lines of a Rhapsody or a Spotify Premium, where you pay X amount per month for unlimited access to the entire catalog of songs the provider has access to. Since I currently use Google Music as well as Slacker Premium, being able to consolidate into just Google would be pretty great, but if it's a glorified Pandora clone then to hell with it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 16, 2013, 08:53:14 PM
actually i'm pretty interested in the S4 nexus, full google update support, an sd card, significant accesory support... i like this alot
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 16, 2013, 10:02:48 PM
If that's what this is, it sucks. I was under the impression that it was along the lines of a Rhapsody or a Spotify Premium, where you pay X amount per month for unlimited access to the entire catalog of songs the provider has access to. Since I currently use Google Music as well as Slacker Premium, being able to consolidate into just Google would be pretty great, but if it's a glorified Pandora clone then to hell with it.

Free 30 day trial - give it a shot. And if you do the trial by the end of June you get it for $7.99/mo instead. I gave it a whirl for a few minutes on the ride home, I like it. The audio quality is definitely better than Slacker or Pandora (even with the BS "high quality" settings).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 17, 2013, 10:05:44 AM
actually i'm pretty interested in the S4 nexus, full google update support, an sd card, significant accesory support... i like this alot

I can't justify $649. That's going to be near £500 if it comes here, which means it will be the same price as a bog standard S4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 17, 2013, 04:29:36 PM
what's wrong with that, instead of samsungs shitty features you get the nexus experience... fine trade imo
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 17, 2013, 06:43:27 PM
Having a hard time getting Android studio to work so i'm moving back to eclipse for now.


Anyone else use G+ alot?


Google so far is being more aggresive with their game platform than apple was with game center.


Also google can be a weird company. Despite Glass not being mentioned at the keynote, the glass developer sessions apparently were the most sought after.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 17, 2013, 09:23:25 PM
Google is aggressive with its game platform because it has to be. Apple would have and did have far better game support than Google if it had no centralized gaming system whatsoever. Google's playing from behind, so they have to try harder.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 17, 2013, 09:40:18 PM
Google is aggressive with its game platform because it has to be. Apple would have and did have far better game support than Google if it had no centralized gaming system whatsoever. Google's playing from behind, so they have to try harder.


Well yeah, but that doesn't really excuse Gamecenter being crap. Though being shoddy is pretty consistent for apple on a software level these days.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 17, 2013, 10:26:09 PM
GameCenter isn't crap, it just doesn't try to do that much. What it does it does well.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 18, 2013, 09:01:15 AM
If getting completely ignored by everyone is what it does, then yes, it does that well.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on May 18, 2013, 11:53:03 AM
Anyone else use G+ alot?
I do. Look me up. (https://plus.google.com/104153158194260060211/posts?utm_source=chrome_ntp_icon&utm_medium=chrome_app&utm_campaign=chrome&quot;)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on May 18, 2013, 11:56:19 AM
I really don't use any social network, but I use Facebook occasionally to talk to my friends in Florida.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 18, 2013, 02:14:33 PM
If getting completely ignored by everyone is what it does, then yes, it does that well.

It's basically PSN: centralized friends list and achievements. It does those things decently well. Thing is, most iOS games are single-player, and a lot of the big ones that aren't don't use GameCenter. Apple doesn't particularly care, since it's still getting almost universal support, and if the players cared either the developers or Apple or both would do something about it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on May 18, 2013, 03:38:40 PM
Too bad GameCenter doesn't allow you to message friends within the app.

Google Play Games is linked to your Google+ profile, so it's automatically better.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 18, 2013, 05:02:43 PM
what's wrong with that, instead of samsungs shitty features you get the nexus experience... fine trade imo

That's a fine trade, but the price is basically standard levels. You either trade the stock full-price experience for the nexus still-full-price experience.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 19, 2013, 02:56:14 PM
Just installed Android Studio (well yesterday, but just realized I had to set up JAVA_HOME without the \bin\ in it. Hopefully I'll something sexy within the next couple of months. Algorithms and Data Structures will be keeping me busy for the next 7 weeks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on May 24, 2013, 01:40:31 AM
I'm here to report that Brandogg was right *gasp*. Having personally used Rhapsody, Slacker, Rdio and Spotify, I can conclusively say that Google Music All Access is easily the best music subscription service currently available.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 24, 2013, 01:09:25 PM
Just got a erection.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 06, 2013, 03:05:01 AM
Google just launched Google Keyboard: aka the keyboard from the nexus series.

It's good to see them offering nexus-like features elsewhere.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on June 16, 2013, 05:29:47 PM
So I checked the Apple website outlining the new features of iOS 7. 

Pretty much everything on that list was done by Android ages ago.  Is there anything significance that iOS 7 brings to the table that Android hasn't already done that I missed?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 16, 2013, 10:53:10 PM
Tying the phone to the original Apple ID (so you can't restore a "lost" phone and use it as new) is a new feature, that's going to screw tons of people potentially.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on June 16, 2013, 10:58:53 PM
Tying the phone to the original Apple ID

Is this a "real" feature, or a Microsoft feature?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on June 16, 2013, 11:03:59 PM
The way Apple is selling it, if someone steals your phone, you can take solstice in knowing that they can't activate it, even if you remote wipe it. But in reality, it could **** regular users over.

Anyway, apparently, Samsung bought one million copies of Jay-Z's new album for all its Galaxy customers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 16, 2013, 11:20:09 PM
The way Apple is selling it, if someone steals your phone, you can take solstice in knowing that they can't activate it, even if you remote wipe it. But in reality, it could **** regular users over.

Anyway, apparently, Samsung bought one million copies of Jay-Z's new album for all its Galaxy customers.

Yes, you can be assured that twice a year the sun will reach it's highest or lowest point in relation to the equator, in case someone steals your phone.

Sorry, I had to. I'm sure you meant solace.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on June 16, 2013, 11:24:19 PM
No, it was pretty funny. I totally meant solace. Can't even blame iOS autocorrect on that one.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 06, 2013, 03:33:11 PM
after some fun dealing with recovering a comprimised gmail account i activated the two step account recovery system google offers, there is just one problem

Quote
The codes that you’ll get with 2-step verification don’t work with all applications. There are a few applications that use information from your Google Account that require application-specific passwords (ASPs).
One example of something that requires an asp is pretty much any Android device running Gingerbread or below...

Please raise your hand if you see a problem here...

I don't normally see fragmentation to be as big of a problem as people make it out to be but that is just absurd.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 07, 2013, 10:09:40 AM
Soon i'm going to get my first Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy Reverb. Not the most high end phone, but from what i've read (on specs and reviews), it's a high quality phone and a good price ($120 on Amazon, monthly plan of $35 for unlimited texts and data plus 5 hours of talking which is more than what I need anyways). Anyone have experience with this one? I'm also glad it comes with ICS (specifically 4.0.4)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on July 07, 2013, 02:58:14 PM
ICS? That's like getting a new computer that runs Windows XP. You're already outdated.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 07, 2013, 06:40:06 PM
Nice trolling, if you are trolling. ICS just came out last year, so it's still pretty new. Plus, it's what the vast majority of Android phones come with.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 07, 2013, 06:41:39 PM


ICS? That's like getting a new computer that runs Windows XP. You're already outdated.

No it isn't. The leap from ICS to JB is not monumental - it's like buying a PC with Windows 8 instead of Windows 8.1 if anything. Never used that phone, but you might want to try finding a decent used GS3 or something and using a different service instead of Virgin. MetroPCS lets you use any unlocked GSM phone now on T-Mobile's network, so if you can get a T-Mobile GS3 you've got plenty of options for service plans (any of Metro's, any of T-Mobile's, any of Simple Mobile's or any of GoSmart Mobile's).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 07, 2013, 10:43:46 PM
Doesn't T-Mobile only offer contract plans? Not looking for contracts. I would love a Galaxy S III or 4, but I am only seeing used (unlocked) ones for $300 or more. Right now my budget doesn't allow for a phone that cost $300+ (which most unlocked phones, even used, would run). I know I wouldnt need to use T-Mobile, but that initial barrier is the problem.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 07, 2013, 10:51:55 PM
Doesn't T-Mobile only offer contract plans? Not looking for contracts. I would love a Galaxy S III or 4, but I am only seeing used (unlocked) ones for $300 or more. Right now my budget doesn't allow for a phone that cost $300+ (which most unlocked phones, even used, would run). I know I wouldnt need to use T-Mobile, but that initial barrier is the problem.

Opposite of that - T-Mobile does not have any contracts anymore. If you buy a phone from them you put like $100-200 down then pay $20/mo for two years. You could call that a contract, but it's not really one. There is no ETF, if you leave the service you just pay the balance of the phone. You do not have to go with that model - you can bring your own phone or buy one outright as well. Usually it depends on your area, but typically T-Mobile > Virgin (Sprint).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 08, 2013, 01:36:27 PM
The MetroPCS Galaxy S 4 went in sale today ($549). Pretty good deal when you consider it's actually the T-Mobile GS4 without the branding.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 09, 2013, 08:22:39 AM
To anyone here with a Nexus 4, have you noticed wifi timeout issues (wifi IP of your phone stops responding to anything) when the screen goes off even when set to "Always" connected?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 15, 2013, 10:06:04 AM
Nope.


On that note I broke my nexus 4 last week and trying to scrounge up $150 to replace it as my mom says I have to pay for it my self. (Makes sense).




Also should I get a Kindle Paperwhite or a new Nexus 7?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 15, 2013, 01:31:01 PM
ICS? That's like getting a new computer that runs Windows XP. You're already outdated.

BTW, this comment was also outdated. The Galaxy Reverb got the JB update in March. So it came with ICS pre-installed, but the same day I got it the phone updated itself to JB (so it is up to 4.1.2)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on July 15, 2013, 08:58:11 PM
#Burn.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 16, 2013, 02:33:35 PM
i would still say go as high end as you can.(futureproofing and all) 4gb storage isn't too bad but i'd go for at least 8 tbh

what are you planning to use it for? thats always important when getting a smartphone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on July 16, 2013, 02:38:50 PM
Nope.


On that note I broke my nexus 4 last week and trying to scrounge up $150 to replace it as my mom says I have to pay for it my self. (Makes sense).




Also should I get a Kindle Paperwhite or a new Nexus 7?

Get a Kindle Fire HD or a Nook HD. The Nook is extremely cheap now, and it has Google Play.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 16, 2013, 08:43:51 PM
Nope.


On that note I broke my nexus 4 last week and trying to scrounge up $150 to replace it as my mom says I have to pay for it my self. (Makes sense).




Also should I get a Kindle Paperwhite or a new Nexus 7?

Get a Kindle Fire HD or a Nook HD. The Nook is extremely cheap now, and it has Google Play.


I have a weird fetish for stock. Plus I use most of google's services like their book store etc.


New online Playstore looks awesome.
(http://i.imgur.com/7fXi3hM.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on July 16, 2013, 10:44:51 PM
And the My Apps page runs like **** if you have installed lots of apps -- it tries to load all of them at once, killing the browser.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 17, 2013, 11:54:36 PM
Shut all of your whore mouths and wait for the second generation Nexus 7 (http://www.androidcentral.com/new-nexus-7-pics-video-specs). $229 for 16GB, $269 for 32GB for an absolute beast (assuming leaked specs are true) - Snapdragon S600, 4GB RAM.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 18, 2013, 01:54:31 AM
Brandogg, I am getting my first smartphone in September. I want to get the Nexus 4, do you think the second gen will be out by then?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 18, 2013, 02:49:25 AM
No.

I would recommend stalling to end of November, they will have definitely announced it by then. The previous three Nexus phones were all announced and released in November-December.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 18, 2013, 11:08:49 AM
September is a bad month to buy phones. You're basically right in the middle of "old" and new typically.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 18, 2013, 11:17:38 AM
This is not something I can stall for, unfortunately. :(
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 18, 2013, 11:43:28 AM
Are you certain you want an Android phone? The new iPhone is likely coming out in September.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 18, 2013, 11:57:44 AM
I am not as rich as a 30 year old with a steady job, unfortunately. I can't go contract in case I lose my job and iPhones are way too expensive unlocked. I'm going with one of the best, cheapest Android phones at this point.


As much as I like iOS, I like money better.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 18, 2013, 12:05:39 PM
Fair enough, just throwing it out there.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 19, 2013, 05:09:13 AM
If you want to get a Nexus 4 then plump for it, but the 5th Nexus phone (its not the first!) will be announced shortly thereafter i expect.

Given it's a nexus you'll be guaranteed at least one more year worth of updates. The Nexus S (from 2011) only stopped receiving updates this summer on 4.1.2.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 19, 2013, 08:53:04 AM
The next iPhone came out last year, the same phone (iPhone 5S) will be released later this year...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 19, 2013, 10:04:26 PM
Get a lumia 1020.


Yeah going to go with the Paperwhite.
(http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/09/27/Kindle_Paperwhite_35438287_35437744_35438313_35438312_02_620x433.jpg)


oh so sexy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 19, 2013, 10:21:13 PM
i never gave my two cents on that but the black and white nooks/kindles do have their uses. specifically outdoor reading
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 20, 2013, 12:48:32 AM
And the ridiculously high battery life.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on July 20, 2013, 02:36:33 AM
And "ridiculously high" is an understatement.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 20, 2013, 10:40:32 AM
So its a throw up between the Paperwhite and the new Nexus 7.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 20, 2013, 11:06:03 AM
Apples and Oranges. If you want a tablet, get the Nexus, if you want an eReader, get the Kindle.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on July 20, 2013, 02:03:30 PM
I think you meant "toss up".
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 20, 2013, 02:17:33 PM
No, I get what he's saying: buying a device that runs Android makes him want to throw up. Perfectly understandable reaction.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2013, 08:01:42 PM
Press shots for the Nexus 7. Looks like its going t be announced on wednesday

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kle6KWajgxE/UexsvEhhi_I/AAAAAAABkig/iiYqyCebkk0/w599-h482-no/13+-+1)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 21, 2013, 08:24:34 PM
you mean the one that came out last year?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 21, 2013, 09:40:06 PM
No, that is the new one. Too much Bezel for my taste...but the rumored specs are pretty incredibly especially for the price.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2013, 09:43:02 PM
Yeah its a refresh to last year's model.




Google is hosting a morning event with Sundar Pichai the head chief of both Android and Chrome OS.



(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2925699/google_invite.jpg)


I'm guessing were going to see.


-Android 4.'3
-chrome OS 30
-Nexus 7 refresh
-New chrome OS products.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 21, 2013, 10:21:50 PM
I'm trying to score myself a Moto X from Motorola...I think it might actually work.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 22, 2013, 09:13:10 AM
The Moto X looks pretty awesome. The only feature that I want from it right now is the always on and listening for Google Now. Google Now is a nifty feature but without that background listening its usefulness takes a major hit.


Should be getting a replacement Nexus 4 in the next two weeks.  Than in september will be grabbing the 32GB nexus 7 refresh.


That and PS4 will probably be my only tech expenditures for the rest of the year. Will get a Chromebook late next year for a laptop replacement.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 22, 2013, 05:11:20 PM
Moto X is being shown off on August 1st.


The specs look decent enough.


Quote
A source who has used a CDMA variant of the phone firsthand tells us that it features a display in the vicinity of 4.5 inches, a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon MSM8960T processor, 2GB of RAM, and a removable Kevlar rear shell.

Its apparently running a near stock version of Android which is interesting. It seems Google has a bit of an idea of what they want to do with motorola but aren't ready to execute (which is one of the reason we got the Google Editions of the S4 and One). 

It looks awesome in white.
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/07/moto-x-white-unicorn.jpg)


At this point I think I'll really only recommend the Nexus 4 or the Moto X too people.







Samsung is hosting its own developer event signalling them trying to break off from Android more than they have.
 [size=78%]http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/samsung-to-cut-out-google-middleman-with-own-developers-conference/ (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/samsung-to-cut-out-google-middleman-with-own-developers-conference/)[/size]


This is pretty much why Google plans to market the Moto X and the Nexus Line. Its a pretty smart strategy that keeps google in control of Android while keeping most of its partners happy.


Google bought some stock in the company who's producing glass and is rumored to be inttrested in purchasing tesla.


Its crazy how many prodcuts google will have out this year.




-Chromebook Pixel
-Google Glass
-Nexus 7 refresh
-Moto X
-Nexus 4 refresh (there won't be a nexus 5 or at least it won't be a 5 inch phone)
-Nexus 10 refresh
-Google smartwatch
-Google Android console.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 22, 2013, 08:32:15 PM
I am typically not a fan of white phones, but that looks pretty nice.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on July 22, 2013, 09:27:58 PM
Question: Is there a safe way to make it so a Note II can use foreign SIM cards? I'm going international just after Christmas and would rather avoid bankruptcy from my carrier's roaming rates.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 22, 2013, 09:31:07 PM
Question: Is there a safe way to make it so a Note II can use foreign SIM cards? I'm going international just after Christmas and would rather avoid bankruptcy from my carrier's roaming rates.

if you're on a contract not really,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 22, 2013, 11:41:55 PM
Question: Is there a safe way to make it so a Note II can use foreign SIM cards? I'm going international just after Christmas and would rather avoid bankruptcy from my carrier's roaming rates.

Of course there is, you just unlock your phone. That's the only way to do it. If you have Verizon then your phone is already unlocked. If you have AT&T or T-Mobile you typically just need to ask them to unlock it. If you have Sprint, it requires a hardware modification.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 23, 2013, 12:20:51 PM
According to Phonedog Moto X is going to be $300 off contact and hit every major carrier expect maybe t-mobile. (they're just speculating due to the nexus 4 which won't be EOL'd until november at the latest.)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on July 23, 2013, 12:30:33 PM
No T-Mobile love yet again. God damn it.
 
They have great plans and unlimited data, but a terrible selection of phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 23, 2013, 12:55:40 PM
And a terrible network.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 23, 2013, 03:01:58 PM
Network depends on where you live. Its pretty and fast and reliable where I live.


@Tendoboy


Its still a rumor so Tmo could get the phone. Plus you could always buy it unlocked and go that route. Also Tmo doesn't have a terrible phone selection. They have every major flagship phone at this point.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 23, 2013, 06:05:23 PM
I think the Optimus G has dropped to $290 unlocked, considering that i am not obsessive over constant android updates i'm keeping a very close eye on that price tag,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 23, 2013, 06:42:41 PM
It does very much depend where you live. At my old house my wife couldn't even use her phone, same at her work so I switch carriers for her. One very common thing that T-Mobile users tell is us that T-mobile tells them that they need to stand near a window or go outside to use their phones. This guy came in to think about using a T-mobile MVNO so we put his address in T-Mobile's coverage map, it was literally everywhere around his house but his house was grey on the map and he got no service there.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 08:24:08 AM
The Google announcement starts at 12:00 est and can be watched live here.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZzS6BxHEns&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZzS6BxHEns&feature=player_embedded)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 12:21:21 PM
My hands just got boners for the new Nexus 7.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 12:24:37 PM
I'm in like Flint.


Single LTE model is dope. Also looks like i'll finally buy a wirless charger for my nexus 4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 12:52:12 PM
So just announced  so far.


-Nexus 7 refresh
-Android 4.3 comes with it and will be out for other devices later this wek. (Nexus 4/Old Nexus 7/Nexus 10/Galaxy Nexus) the google edtion one and S4 next month.
-Google Games app
-Google Textbooks
(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13490/20130724-09411685--IMG_1152.JPG)
(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13468/20130724-09282002--IMG_1103.JPG)


(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13491/20130724-09415285--IMG_1154.JPG)


(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13493/20130724-09424097--IMG_1157.JPG)



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 12:54:42 PM
Chromecast! my TV just got a boner too!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 01:05:33 PM
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromecast&hl=en (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromecast&hl=en)


Chromecast is $35.  It needs to be more than just chrome tabs mirroring. I should be able to mirror any Google product display.


Still its cheap enough to be my main media streamer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 01:09:22 PM
watch the whole thing, it's more than that...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 01:10:10 PM
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromecast&hl=en (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromecast&hl=en)


Chromecast is $35.  It needs to be more than just chrome tabs mirroring. I should be able to mirror any Google product display.


Still its cheap enough to be my main media streamer.
(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13519/20130724-09564898--IMG_1229.JPG)


(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13533/20130724-10084262--IMG_1264.JPG)


(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/13534/20130724-10091626--IMG_1266.JPG)



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 24, 2013, 01:14:30 PM
Meh, not worth $35 to me. It's interesting, but not worth that much.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 24, 2013, 01:15:28 PM
Compatibility with Google Music and Chrome OS (as long as they're just specifying the Pixel because they make it and not stupidly refusing to support other, non-ridiculously priced Chromebooks) make me interested in this.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 01:28:31 PM
It's compatible with just about anything that developers want it to be compatible with (media at least). You're crazy if you say it's not worth $35...placing an order as soon as they go on sale.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 01:31:49 PM
Meh, not worth $35 to me. It's interesting, but not worth that much.


Nah its something I would pay $50 dollars for.


As someone who's heavy into the Google Ecosystem this is a pretty big deal as a product.


I'm a bit surprised they didn't announce any bundles since a chromecast and Nexus 7 are $300 together.


The textbooks has me interested since i'm going to be a student for the next three years or so. Still such a weird way to give an update without mentioning any of the other Google Play for education stuff. Hopefully this means that google will update the web book interface not to be crappy.


On a smei-related not I really wish Google would take docs/keep and make a proper Evernote/onenote compietter.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 01:33:06 PM
So chromecast is just a streamer? Nothing more?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 24, 2013, 01:36:10 PM
It's competition is stuff like a Roku box or an AppleTV, which are nearly three times as expensive, so I don't see how you can call this too expensive.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 24, 2013, 01:44:35 PM
I prefer watching stuff on my computer, so I don't need to pay money to watch stuff on my TV. Especially as I don't use Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video, etc., so a streaming box would be almost useless to me. MAYBE if you use a lot of different media services and pay for a lot of media, it might be worth it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 01:45:36 PM
If you don't have those services, then how are you watching stuff on your computer?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 01:50:02 PM
So chromecast is just a streamer? Nothing more?


Yep. Its actually a pretty ingenious way to tackle the living room. the problem is that people don't feel they should have to pay out of the ass to get these services on the screen.  My mom wants netflix but doesn't feel like paying even $100 for an apple Tv. However she has a LG optimus L9, Nexus 7, and a laptop. I good easily see her buying oe of these to stream Netflix, Youtube, and pandora to her phone.


It's platform agnostic and is dependent on software not Hardware. Its one of google's biggest strengths that can sometimes be a weakness. Most of Google's main services are separate apps and aren't dependent on OS updates.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 24, 2013, 01:51:26 PM
YouTube, Dailymotion, websites that stream TV channels (which has been ruled legal, as long as it's not a pay channel), other streaming sites, etc.


shingi, why doesn't your mom just use the Netflix/YouTube/Pandora apps for her phone? Pretty much any smartphone that is even semi-decent has those apps directly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 01:52:41 PM
I could see myself getting this once I get my Nexus 4. I've been using my Wii U for streaming but this would be a cheap alternative and very easy to set up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 01:57:31 PM
YouTube, Dailymotion, websites that stream TV channels (which has been ruled legal, as long as it's not a pay channel), other streaming sites, etc.


shingi, why doesn't your mom just use the Netflix/YouTube/Pandora apps for her phone? Pretty much any smartphone that is even semi-decent has those apps directly.


She does but like most people she prefer's her larger TV screen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 02:02:10 PM
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J1OfmfKMsS8/UfAU4Ypz4bI/AAAAAAAAP7U/9cqbyxN_rgY/w1043-h235-no/Screenshot_2013-07-24-13-52-20_1.jpg)


Looks like a new Nexus 10 is on the way. I'm guessing its going to be announced in October alongside a nexus 4 refresh and probably the smartwatch/Game console.


I was hoping for a new chromebook a affordable version of the pixel.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 02:16:35 PM
YouTube, Dailymotion, websites that stream TV channels (which has been ruled legal, as long as it's not a pay channel), other streaming sites, etc.


shingi, why doesn't your mom just use the Netflix/YouTube/Pandora apps for her phone? Pretty much any smartphone that is even semi-decent has those apps directly.

This *does* use those apps on your phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 02:20:59 PM
YouTube, Dailymotion, websites that stream TV channels (which has been ruled legal, as long as it's not a pay channel), other streaming sites, etc.


shingi, why doesn't your mom just use the Netflix/YouTube/Pandora apps for her phone? Pretty much any smartphone that is even semi-decent has those apps directly.

This *does* use those apps on your phone.


As well as streaming every chrome page.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 24, 2013, 02:21:54 PM
IF my TV and my GF's TV could support it, I would CONSIDER buying it since she loves listening to Pandora and stuff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 02:23:03 PM
All you need is HDMI.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 02:26:55 PM
IF my TV and my GF's TV could support it, I would CONSIDER buying it since she loves listening to Pandora and stuff.


Does the TV have HDMI input? Then yes, it supports it. Why are you acting like this? JUst admit that you were wrong and you're gonna buy this.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 24, 2013, 02:29:10 PM
I'm not wrong. I myself have almost no use for it. And yes I know her TV doesn't have HDMI, she wont use it either. Unless there is more to it than they have announced so far, even $35 is not worth it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 02:31:52 PM
Your girlfriend needs a new TV. Maybe you should buy her one. :)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 02:58:16 PM
I'm not wrong. I myself have almost no use for it. And yes I know her TV doesn't have HDMI, she wont use it either. Unless there is more to it than they have announced so far, even $35 is not worth it.

Dump her.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 24, 2013, 03:08:36 PM
Did they go into detail about how streaming works from something like an iOS device? I'm guessing the app has to be coded specifically for it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 03:16:27 PM
You don't need a new app, you just add this to your app (the developer). Works the same with iOS as it works with Android or Windows.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 24, 2013, 03:20:21 PM
That's what I meant, each individual app has to be coded to support it, as opposed to the unlikely scenario in which they managed to do it systemwide. If that's the case I'll wait and see how many actually do that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 03:24:31 PM
If the main apps don't do that for iOS, then they are gonna lose a lot of potential users. In any case, you could just push the video from your computer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 24, 2013, 03:29:18 PM
Yeah, the ability to easily stream the contents of a Chrome browser window is probably in and of itself worth $35, and I can use other devices I already have to fill in the gaps that there may be.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 03:34:01 PM
Now, my question is, will that push ability be an extension or a native part of the browser? Because the new Opera 15 allows installation of Chrome extensions so that way I could have the functionality without leaving a browser I dislike.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 04:03:32 PM
If the main apps don't do that for iOS, then they are gonna lose a lot of potential users. In any case, you could just push the video from your computer.


If you have a pre-existing application using the chrome cast SDK will help add support. 
https://developers.google.com/cast/ (https://developers.google.com/cast/)


It really depends on how many people use chrome on ios. I guess that mostly has to do with what percentage of ios users also use macs.


As someone who's deep into Google's ecosystem, I have no problem throwing down $35 for this as I pretty much use Google everything. (Plan to eventually replace my windows PC with a chromebook).  Despite this I'm hoping for a Google made Oyua/Apple Tv.


On this note depending on the person I'd still recommend someone to get an apple TV over this.  My uncle plans to go deep into the apple ecosystem starting this year and despite him already owning an apple TV I would still recommend him one since he plans to go full in anyway.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 04:51:38 PM
If you have Netflix (or want Netflix), then it arguably costs only $11 (http://blogs.computerworld.com/mobilewireless/22535/google-chromecast-media-streamer) since you get 3 free months of Netflix, whether you already subscribe or not.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 05:02:00 PM
I bought it on amazon for $8 cheaper on amazon before tax. Then with Prime one day shipping, I added $3.99 to the order. With tax? $33.50. :)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 05:11:39 PM
How did you get it for $33? Buying one now...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 05:14:59 PM
Yeah i'm going to get a chromecast next month and a Nexus 7 in september/October.


Just need to get a hdmi splitter since I only have one on my TV.


(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/8651685/20130724-09431203--IMG_1159_verge_super_wide.JPG)


Says alot about how far Sprint has fallen and how much money they lost getting apple products supported. In a yea or so were going  to be calling sprint #4.


Thinking about the fight for the living/Cutting the cord/becoming the new Cable. It surprises me that Google hasn't pushed or tried harder for youtube to become the new cable.  The way I use youtube is subscribing to my favorite channels and getting info like that. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 05:35:59 PM
How did you get it for $33? Buying one now...


Like I said, Amazon accidentally put it on sale for 8 dollars cheaper. If I had gone with free two day shipping it would have been even cheaper. :P
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 24, 2013, 05:43:39 PM
Here's the extension for chrome.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadgeojelhgndaghljhdicfkmllpafd/related?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadgeojelhgndaghljhdicfkmllpafd/related?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon)


(http://i.imgur.com/5ba2D9S.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 05:50:53 PM
Ah, so it IS an extension. Very nice, I'll be adding that to Opera now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 05:52:08 PM
Damn it. Out of stock.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 24, 2013, 05:55:13 PM
Mine's coming tomorrow~
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 24, 2013, 05:58:02 PM
.....And i have to wait.

"In the coming weeks"
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 24, 2013, 06:34:38 PM
I'll just go get one at Best Buy in 4 days.


Still busy messing with XBMC on the Ouya right now anyway.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on July 24, 2013, 07:03:51 PM
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J1OfmfKMsS8/UfAU4Ypz4bI/AAAAAAAAP7U/9cqbyxN_rgY/w1043-h235-no/Screenshot_2013-07-24-13-52-20_1.jpg)

Looks like a new Nexus 10 is on the way. I'm guessing its going to be announced in October alongside a nexus 4 refresh and probably the smartwatch/Game console.

I was hoping for a new chromebook a affordable version of the pixel.
Good heavens, why am I excited about a Google game console? >_<
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 25, 2013, 04:39:10 PM
Because Oyua was a tempting idea but is killed due to the lack of a playstore etc.


I think i'm going to wait on the nexus 7 to make sure the kinks out and go for the Vita/PS4 combo this fall. Still ordering a chromecast though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 25, 2013, 08:25:21 PM
Chromecast netflix deal is up since Google couldn't keep up demand. (google play shipping sucks ass apparently)


The Nook HD series are on sale for cheap.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426 (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426)
Nook HD
8GB - $130
16GB-150


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-plus-barnes-noble/1110060512 (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-plus-barnes-noble/1110060512)
Nook HD+
16GB- 150
32GB-180




I personally wouldn't recommend them to anyone as software support is dead but they're cheap and money talks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 25, 2013, 08:43:11 PM
What do you mean, "is up"?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 26, 2013, 07:08:55 AM
What do you mean, "is up"?

It was cancelled/suspended within 24 hours of the chromecast launching because of the demand not that it was ever likely anyone in not-america would have seen that same offer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 26, 2013, 12:56:51 PM
So the people that first ordered aren't getting their three months free? Fuckers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 26, 2013, 01:03:03 PM
If you got it when the deal was going you are.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 26, 2013, 01:48:00 PM
Okay, very good.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 28, 2013, 11:19:31 PM
I don't know why it took me so long to put XBMC on my phone. I was really into XBMC on my old Xbox, I used it for just about everything and. Ow it's even better. Still in Alpha, but it's stable and it basically just works like it's supposed to. Easily one of the best programs on any device, especially since it's free.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 30, 2013, 11:24:00 AM
So now i'm hearing that the Moto X will be a USA only release "for now". Combine this with the Nexus 4 wireless charger never leaving america (and no reason given for it), the "in the coming weeks" announcement for the Nexus 7 2013 that is really coming in mid-september, and the chromecast getting a similar statement i'm becoming more and more disappointed with google and how they handle hardware.

not-america exists.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 30, 2013, 12:30:25 PM
Your tier two brah,

where Did you here you guys weren't going to get the moto X?

Google just announced zagat being relaunched after two years of doing nothing with the service. The app looks nice but its pretty useless since the revamped service only supports 9 major cities, and its pretty crappy at exploring compared to Yelp and the actual Google Maps exploring.

Just found my first problem with the Google Play web store. When looking at thumbnails for pictures it used to be easy to just go through the thumbnails. Now when you press the arrow it zoom in and you have to view the images one at a time.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 30, 2013, 02:50:46 PM
Since I probably won't be able to get a launch PS4 (due to you know life and having to pay my phone bill myself) guess i'm going to get a Nexus 7/chromecast and save the PS4 for next year.




Maybe its because i'm not a big specs guy but looking at android forums I see why I got burned out back pre-ics. People are actually made that the moto X is going to be a mid range phone and affordable. there was similar backlash at the specs of the nexus 4 as well.


edit:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BQV_hqtCcAAs1qv.jpg:large)
The biggest feature i'm looking forward to is the way it shows notifcations when the screen is off through low power pixels. the nokia N8 had a similar feature and it was awesome.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on July 30, 2013, 10:53:32 PM
How hard is it to replace a screen in an orginal Droid X?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 30, 2013, 11:34:29 PM
It's actually pretty easy. There's just a lot of screws and you need a T4 screwdriver. Do not try to use anything else, it has to be a perfect fit or you're going to strip the screws (that hold the LCD to the frame, not the exterior screws, which use a T6) and never be able to remove it. I believe there are 13 of them plus 8 exterior screws.

Just be careful with the flex cables, maybe take pictures after you remove something and then follow them backwards to put it back together. If you're doing the LCD (those are notorious for developing black circles on them) then you don't need any adhesive, if you're doing the digitizer/glass, make sure you order some 2mm 3M double sided adhesive and clean off all of the broken glass and old adhesive 100%. Do 2 layers of the adhesive before you place the screen on (put the adhesive on the frame) and heat it up with a hair dryer or heat gun before you put the glass back on, and keep the inside protective plastic on the screen until right before you place it on. If you don't do 2 layers then the LCD will touch the glass and it will look like there is a wet spot.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 30, 2013, 11:38:29 PM
Check my old thread from my workplace, I did a Droid X towards the end of it...

Here ya go (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=35269.25).

Looking back it's a TORX 3 screwdriver you need.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on July 31, 2013, 03:31:45 AM
Your tier two brah,

And this is a problem, because there is no "tier two" - Google is a company whose services can be used worldwide. Then you arbitrarily restrict hardware to some users in America for no specific reason. It's one thing staggering hardware launches to certain countries over certain months (which itself is fine), and another to exclude every other country in the world.
Even Nintendo got out of this "shafting europe with hardware months later" strategy after the gamecube.

where Did you here you guys weren't going to get the moto X?

A UK retailer was told (presumably by Motorola UK or their supplier?) they weren't getting it "for now".
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 31, 2013, 08:35:40 PM
Tier two was a joke based on the Microsoft stuff. Yeah at this point Google's hardware and services have to be launching worldwide unless its something that can't like Zagat. Google Music and Google Plus were similar US only products when they launched.


Motorola was giving Moto X tickets away on twitter, but the presser won't be live streamed (weird when Google live streams even the smallest stuff like a nexus 7 refresh.)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on August 01, 2013, 06:52:35 AM
Tier two was a joke based on the Microsoft stuff. Yeah at this point Google's hardware and services have to be launching worldwide unless its something that can't like Zagat. Google Music and Google Plus were similar US only products when they launched.

Google Music was invite only if i remember, i got in to that within a week after it launched. Same with Plus. But Google Voice and Google's Music All Access thingy are still both US-only - months and years later.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 10:46:31 AM
I could have sworn the original invite runs for Google music were US only. 


Anywho Moto X is being finally annnounced today. While I don't need a new phone now I think what ever the 2016 version of the moto X is like is my next. Would be awesome to support a stock android phone built in the US. I really hope this phone is popular enough to kill the galaxy strangle hold on the market.

The Motorola connect extension for chrome has been leaked as well as the Motorola migrate app for Android.

Quote
Motorola Connect allows you to see text messages and calls coming into your Connect enabled phone on your computer’s Chrome browser. You can read and respond to texts using your keyboard and even know who’s calling before deciding if you should reach for your phone.


(http://www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-01-at-7.58.48-AM.png)


^Not sure if its fragmentation or the Moto X having features that will be baked into keylime pie, but this shouldn't exist. At this point Hangout/Voice/Google+ should be doing all of this (google's rumored to be working on this.)




Quote
One of the biggest pains of a new phone is losing some of your important stuff. Now you can move your photos, videos, SIM contacts and even your call and text history—from your old Android phone to your new Motorola phone in just a few steps, wirelessly.[/size]Motorola Migrate can only transfer media from devices with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and above[/color]

(http://www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/motorola-migrage.jpg)


Migrate is another one that kind of makes sense but seems unnecessary. Isn't the point of the Google Account backup is to handle most of this. Only advantage is getting the contacts tied to the sim since Moto X is using nano sim instead of the micro variant.




Now the big question is what does Motorola do after the Moto X. Making more phones I can see but is it possible for them to make a tablet without pissing off other oems and clashing with the nexus line. I'd have there next project be a chrome book and slowly work toward filling the nices the nexus line wont.


So


Nexus 4
Moto X 5
Nexus 7
Moto X 8
Nexus 10
Moto X 10



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on August 01, 2013, 03:12:59 PM
"We are firmly committed to building a portfolio of products in Europe that show the best of Motorola as a Google company, but at this time don't have any immediate plans for Moto X to come to the region"

Interest killed stone dead.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 03:23:15 PM
Moto X


Designed and assembled in  america. (unsure about other countries)


[size=78%]



Make the phone based on you
(http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aahb_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-Motorola_US-Site/Sites-Motorola_US-Library/en_US/v1375382790154/meet-moto-x/hero-moto-x-02.jpg)


Launching on all four US carriers for $199 16GB, and 32GB for $249 (att exclusive face palm).


The maker software is att exclusive for now as well. (sigh)


Its funny how the verge livecast is just bitching about specs and it not being stock.






http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/Moto-X/moto-x,en_US,pg.html (http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/Moto-X/moto-x,en_US,pg.html)[/size]
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 03:25:00 PM
"We are firmly committed to building a portfolio of products in Europe that show the best of Motorola as a Google company, but at this time don't have any immediate plans for Moto X to come to the region"

Interest killed stone dead.


Get the nexus 4 man. Seems that the nexus 4 is being made for North America and they don't have any production ready for other companies.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on August 01, 2013, 03:31:42 PM
"We are firmly committed to building a portfolio of products in Europe that show the best of Motorola as a Google company, but at this time don't have any immediate plans for Moto X to come to the region"

Interest killed stone dead.


Get the nexus 4 man. Seems that the nexus 4 is being made for North America and they don't have any production ready for other companies.

I've already got the Nexus 4 (and the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S before it), i was just interested in it to see what it would offer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 04:05:36 PM
I'm a big fan of the moto x mostly because specs shouldn't matter (Nexus 4 specs are kind of mid range) and the design of the phone is freaking awesome.


The Marketing is much more hipster friendly compared to that of the droid line, but I'd say its a good thing and stuff like the above pics really speak to me.


Plus I want persistant Google Now on my phone and Tablet. That has to be some sort of software update.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 01, 2013, 05:16:39 PM
I was hoping it would be cheaper, but it's a damn nice looking phone. It is not a mid-range device though. Not bleeding-edge, but it has a newer processor and GPU than the Nexus 4 or HTC One...and 2GB RAM.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 07:15:36 PM
I was hoping it would be cheaper, but it's a damn nice looking phone. It is not a mid-range device though. Not bleeding-edge, but it has a newer processor and GPU than the Nexus 4 or HTC One...and 2GB RAM.


So you wanted a phone made in China or Twain.


I can't see why people complain about the price or specs when its MADE IN AMERICA. Why do you guys think the nexus Q ended up costing much more money than the chromecast despite doing the same thing.


I'm wondering if the always on Google Now, will be in KLP.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on August 01, 2013, 07:43:41 PM
It's interesting that Moto X is very close to the new Droid line (even if there are software differences, I'm sure you'll be able to load the X software onto the Droids): http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/01/moto-x-comparison/
Too bad they didn't make a Moto X MAXX.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 01, 2013, 08:02:57 PM
(http://venturebeat.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/moto-x-ad-full.jpg?w=642&h=1177)

so surely i should be able to get this device with a  micro-sd card slot based on those claims
Quote
... and available in 8 GB and 16 GB storage and has no SD card option...
(http://img.pandawhale.com/post-21454-you-had-ONE-job-samwell-tarly-8Jfr.gif)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 01, 2013, 09:09:33 PM
No, I don't want a phone made in China or Taiwan, I didn't complain about the specs, and I didn't complain about the price. I saw I was *hoping* it would have been cheaper (as in off-contract, it was rumored to be around $350), and I was complementing the specs.

pokepal Android does not support SD cards anymore by default, and the Moto X is 16GB or 32GB, there is no 8GB version..and you get 50GB free Google Drive for 2 years.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 01, 2013, 09:23:15 PM
How has there not been any outrage over losing SD card support? I remember that being a popular reason people used for Android's superiority over iOS.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 09:46:38 PM
How has there not been any outrage over losing SD card support? I remember that being a popular reason people used for Android's superiority over iOS.


There has been abit on the G+ communities and android websites I've seen. The main reason that you don;t here alot of complaningg are mostly.


-Most people don't care anymore in the general populace.
-No on excited an SD card on a product with more hands on by Google. (they gotta pimp dat Drive)
-Only few phones even deal with it anymore.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 01, 2013, 09:57:58 PM
pokepal Android does not support SD cards anymore by default,
just hang tight i'll get back to that
Quote
and the Moto X is 16GB or 32GB, there is no 8GB version..
i was just going off some source, don't blame me

Quote
and you get 50GB free Google Drive for 2 years.
Well gee, I wonder why google would try to kill the SD card?!?!?!?!!??!???

And i have already made my point on this matter. I trust the cloud about as far as i can throw it. To me from the very get go the cloud has seemed like a ticking time bomb. as the cloud becomes more popular more and more people take notice. these people including hackers and the like.

Within the next 5 years i predict that we will see cloud services suddenly become overgrown with hackers and identity theft and possibly even shut down in a way that makes the PSN hacks look like a small town fireworks show.

And i don't like the sound of that tbh

besides, i have other things to use a data plan on.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 01, 2013, 10:14:10 PM
I'm not thrilled about it, but since I stream all my music off Google Play Music I don't really need that much space anymore. 32GB seems to be enough - I should note that Android doesn't *natively* support SD cards, but OEMs can easily add their own code to support them. It's actually been that way for a while now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 01, 2013, 10:15:29 PM
pokepal I don't think you understand what "the cloud" is...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 01, 2013, 10:20:43 PM
All the more reason not to use it :p
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 01, 2013, 10:50:56 PM
SD cards and removable batteries. Who needs them.   :P: :

Seriously though 16/32 GB should cover most things with cloud storage making up the rest.

I don't mind either but I've come to the personal realization that an SD Card/Removable memory means you have to scarfice design than so be it.

But to be fair those items don't automatically mean that a phone will be ugly. I still think the G2 is a pretty awesome looking phone. and the Blackberry 10 phones are nice looking.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 01, 2013, 10:54:00 PM
You still get to plug and play with your phone and basically use it as mass storage on your PC (or another Android device), so there's still that.
Title: Re: Android gaming devices
Post by: Wah on August 01, 2013, 11:01:44 PM
Do you think Android gaming devices like the Ouya, Archos GamePad, and Wikipad can be a success? If you want dedicated controls on a handheld device, why not just buy a 3DS or Vita?

Cause Android has more games than the Vita?

Well yeah, and pretty much every mobile device has more games than a game console. The only reason smartphone games are popular is because everyone owns a phone, and the games are cheap.

Like I've said in the past, game consoles have ALWAYS been a niche product. Not everyone owns or needs a game console, but everyone owns a phone of some sort.
You are oblivois not a gamer if you don't like consoles!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 02, 2013, 12:40:17 AM
How do you figure that? (also necro quote man). I know alot of gamers who have gone PC only these days. If were being completly honest I could see my 3DS and rock a nexus 7 or an ipad mini just for games.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 02, 2013, 12:42:43 AM
I still would rather have SD card support. I hate running things off the cloud.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 02, 2013, 12:43:55 AM
How are you all liking your Chrome Cast?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Wah on August 02, 2013, 12:53:06 AM
I agree with angry kirby! ;D
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on August 02, 2013, 01:30:06 AM
I don't mind either but I've come to the personal realization that an SD Card/Removable memory means you have to scarfice design than so be it.
Hardware or software? If it's hardware, it needs a SIM card anyway, and most phones that deal with that have the entire back removable so you can't see it anyway. For software, yeah, Android's way of dealing with SD cards and file systems in general has been suboptimal. But there isn't any reason that you "have to sacrifice design." Still, I understand the decision since it's not something "most users" will need to mess with anymore.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 02, 2013, 08:51:01 AM
How are you all liking your Chrome Cast?

Haven't been able to get one yet, out of stock everywhere.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 02, 2013, 11:08:17 AM
I don't mind either but I've come to the personal realization that an SD Card/Removable memory means you have to scarfice design than so be it.
Hardware or software? If it's hardware, it needs a SIM card anyway, and most phones that deal with that have the entire back removable so you can't see it anyway. For software, yeah, Android's way of dealing with SD cards and file systems in general has been suboptimal. But there isn't any reason that you "have to sacrifice design." Still, I understand the decision since it's not something "most users" will need to mess with anymore.


Probably both. I think the vast majority of phones without removable parts with the exception of the small slots for sim cards. Though I guess Moto X should have at least had the option for SD cards.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 02, 2013, 01:22:23 PM
How are you all liking your Chrome Cast?

Haven't been able to get one yet, out of stock everywhere.


Oh, I'm sorry. Mine's awesome. I'm surprised how much my mom loves it. She finds it easier than her Roku to use.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 05, 2013, 10:35:12 AM
Just got a new Nexus 7...who wants to make out?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 06, 2013, 10:36:21 PM
This is far and away the best tablet I have ever used. Gaming performance is absolutely top-notch, it's very lightweight, the sound is great, and the display is absolutely amazing. You can put your face as close to the screen as you want to go pixel-hunting, but you won't see any. I was very tempted to get the 2012 model (again) a few months back, but I'm glad I waited. If you are on the fence or considering a few tablets, stop wasting your time and buy one. For $229 16GB or $269 32GB (which I have) you simply can't beat the Nexus 7. Even if it was $100 more it would still be the best deal.

I believe there's a 20% off coupon for Office Max too if you have one nearby, putting it at $183 for the 16GB or $215 for the 32GB which is flat out insane.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 07, 2013, 12:47:12 AM
...stop tempting me you meanie. By the way, I've been using my Chromecast for over a week now and it was able to deliver on almost every promise with exception to a few things. Very worth the price.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 07, 2013, 01:21:39 AM
A new Nexus 7 would go great with the chromecast.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 14, 2013, 10:08:42 PM
Just got a Chromecast...pretty awesome. It definitely needs more support, huluplus and HBOGo are working on it, so that's good. There's also a dude that has basically anything you can watch on XBMC working on it (as long as it has a URL), just hasn't released it yet due to certain circumstances. You can however just type file:///C:/ in Chrome and any video that can be played in the browser (without using say, a Windows Media Player plugin) can be casted without using the "cast entire desktop" option). It still has to get uploaded from your computer, so there can be some stuttering, but it's much better than casting the entire desktop.


Anyway, got it for $40 on Craig's List locally, even still has the Netflix 3 months subscription, not too shabby.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 14, 2013, 10:16:31 PM
There's also a guy working on two apps for Android: Dropbox to Chromecast and the other one pushes local files on the phone to the Chromecast. Pretty nifty.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 15, 2013, 05:56:58 PM
With this device that I backed almost a month ago, the Chromecast is looking better than ever. They've added the ability to push everything from this device to the Chromecast. Very very cool.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloud-guys/plug-the-brain-of-your-devices (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloud-guys/plug-the-brain-of-your-devices)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 17, 2013, 02:46:00 PM
Moto X should be launching this week.

[size=78%]


One thing I will say about it is its getting accessory support as quick as the iphone does. It took the nexus 4 a while before everything for it came out. The new nexus 7 model was pretty good in regards to this as well.


Will be sure if the its android built for iphone users rings true.  [/size]
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Wah on August 18, 2013, 08:41:32 PM
Iphone 5!?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 18, 2013, 08:43:54 PM
Okay, I'm putting my foot down here. If you're going to post random tangentially-related memes, which I'd personally prefer you didn't, please keep them confined to the funhouse. We don't need them cluttering up the non-insane parts of the forums.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Wah on August 18, 2013, 08:52:45 PM
O.k sorry i'll stop....
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 18, 2013, 09:32:31 PM
Okay, I'm putting my foot down here. If you're going to post random tangentially-related memes, which I'd personally prefer you didn't, please keep them confined to the funhouse. We don't need them cluttering up the non-insane parts of the forums.


Where were you when pokepal (or was it Tendo?) did this a few months ago?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 18, 2013, 09:34:30 PM
Okay, I'm putting my foot down here. If you're going to post random tangentially-related memes, which I'd personally prefer you didn't, please keep them confined to the funhouse. We don't need them cluttering up the non-insane parts of the forums.


Where were you when pokepal (or was it Tendo?) did this a few months ago?
it was me but I have mostly let them drop down to the funhouse at this point...

which reminds me...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 18, 2013, 09:49:10 PM
Okay, I'm putting my foot down here. If you're going to post random tangentially-related memes, which I'd personally prefer you didn't, please keep them confined to the funhouse. We don't need them cluttering up the non-insane parts of the forums.


Where were you when pokepal (or was it Tendo?) did this a few months ago?

I like to be as loose as possible with my moderation. One person doing such things, now and then, I may not like, but I'm not in a rush to shut it down unless it's pretty egregious. If it keeps spreading, I may step in and try to correct it if I feel it's becoming a problem.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on August 18, 2013, 10:49:37 PM
We stopped it. They are mostly fine now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Wah on August 19, 2013, 12:37:37 AM
I did say sorry insanolord ::)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on August 19, 2013, 03:48:07 AM
Okay, I'm putting my foot down here.

Which foot. This is important.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 19, 2013, 09:10:41 PM
OMG Youtube just got a big update.


http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/08/19/breaking-massive-youtube-for-android-v5-0-update-brings-brand-new-ui-in-app-multitasking-and-much-more/ (http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/08/19/breaking-massive-youtube-for-android-v5-0-update-brings-brand-new-ui-in-app-multitasking-and-much-more/)


Card UI all up in it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 29, 2013, 08:27:27 PM
Got my nexus 4 replacment phone and its sweet. Playing with the Play Games a[[ and the new youtube.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 29, 2013, 11:15:06 PM
The new YouTube app is awesome. Oh, and the best thing on YouTube is Norm MacDonald Live.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 03, 2013, 10:51:34 PM
So I was at Best Buy earlier and was surprised to see the new Nexus 7 there.

The Nexus 7 is one weird looking device. The top and bottom bezels make it look too long.
 
Next to the Nexus 7 was a Galaxy Tab 3. I compared the two devices and they both seem pretty similar, except the Galaxy Tab has an inferior screen and only 8GB of storage (which is a dealbreaker for me).

Why are these manufacturers still putting only 8-16GB of storage on these devices? Apps are getting bigger every year, with mobile games reaching the 1GB size. They should follow Google and Amazon's example of offering more storage for a cheap price (32GB of storage for only $250 seems reasonable).
 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 03, 2013, 11:06:55 PM
The Galaxy Tab 3 is crap. I'm a big fan of the Galaxy S 3 and 4, but the look does not translate well to actual tablets. The Nexus 7 also does not have very big top and bottom bezels (yes they are ever so slightly bigger than the original Nexus 7), it just has very small left and right bezels. I'm not a huge fan of bezels to begin with, but put the thing in landscape orientation and look at your thumbs and you'll see why they are necessary (besides to accommodate for the size of the battery and other things).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 03, 2013, 11:12:32 PM
Well the Galaxy Tab 3 has a much better design than the new 7-inch Lenovo IdeaTabs.
 
Speaking of Lenovo, why are their 7" tablets such **** compared to their other devices? All these low-end tablets should be following Google and Amazon's lead (high quality hardware that's affordable). It can't cost that much to cram 32GB and an HD screen in a $200 tablet...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 03, 2013, 11:19:07 PM
That's not saying much. I don't understand how Lenovo makes such shitty, shitty Android tablets. It's like they make them because they are contractually obligated or something.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 05, 2013, 11:57:11 AM
Because cloud. There's no incentive for Google to put more than 32GB when they want to push their cloud platform.


Anywho Next version of Android is 4.4 Kitkat showing that Google is going to milk the 4.0 until the next major Facelift. (Holo Cards)


Also Samsung has their smartwatch coming out next month.
(http://uncrate.com/p/2013/09/samsung-galaxy-gear-smartwatch-xl.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 22, 2013, 06:07:10 PM
Are those no-name Chinese tablets and phones any good? Huawei, Nextbook, Hisense (Sero 7 Pro), Visual Land, Oppo, etc.?
 
Also, Nvidia Tegra Note for only $200... Mmmmmm.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on September 23, 2013, 04:11:49 PM
So I found out that asus has announced a new iteration of its padfone series. Its basically a tweaked version of their last model but when one of those tweaks is an SD card slot asus has really managed to get me on their hype train.
Are those no-name Chinese tablets and phones any good? Huawei, Nextbook, Hisense (Sero 7 Pro), Visual Land, Oppo, etc.?
well with Huewei my experience with them was an absolute atrocity. I had a phone of theirs die on me after 2 weeks and its two replacements were both dead in about a week and a half. not planning to touch them with an 80 foot pole any time soon
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 06:41:08 PM
I'd say try Xayomi the company Hugo Barra left Google for. (I personally think he left to pull a elop but that's not that relevant.

I love Google but I'm thinking of going all in on the Microsoft ecosystem. Have a nexus Phone and Tablet so should be good with stlll playing with Android from time to time.

Still the cheapest Android Tablet if you can still find one ig getting an HP Touchpad (**** you HP) and putting Android on it.

Similar news but Blackberry is almost dead. The company got sold and is going Private but ever since BB10 has been announced its personally felt like how Webos fan site felt when the Palm Touchpad stuff was announced.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 23, 2013, 06:49:47 PM
I would stay as far as from the HP Touchpad as possible. Android runs pretty horribly on it, mainly because it's terrible hardware. Again, the Hisense Sero 7 is the best bang for your budget buck. After that the Tegra Note or Nexus 7 (2013) are the best choice if you want to spend $200+.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on September 26, 2013, 12:48:59 AM
Oh my god, that Kindle Fire HDX looks amazing. Same specs (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM), resolution, and price as the Nexus 7 (2013).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 02, 2013, 06:08:03 PM

In other news, Dell is finally making new Android tablets. They're called the Venue 7 and Venue 8. Both tablets share the same specs (1280x800 IPS screen, 2GHz Intel "Clover Trail" chipset, 16GB & 32GB storage). The best part is the price. The Venue 7 starts at $149, and the Venue 8 starts at $179.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 02, 2013, 09:39:24 PM
The Streak was ahead of it's time (both models).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 02, 2013, 11:32:17 PM
The Streak was ahead of it's time (both models).

So Dell is a good choice for a tablet? Because those specs are pretty decent, considering the cheap price.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 03, 2013, 12:04:56 AM
I have no idea, but they're certainly cheap. The Streak 5 and 7 were pretty cool, but those came out years ago so they can't really serve as a basis. Plus it's more important to look what's under the hood rather than printed on the outside.

On a side note, Samsung is charging ridiculous prices for the Note 3 tablets.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 03, 2013, 01:24:10 AM
I have no idea, but they're certainly cheap. The Streak 5 and 7 were pretty cool, but those came out years ago so they can't really serve as a basis. Plus it's more important to look what's under the hood rather than printed on the outside.

On a side note, Samsung is charging ridiculous prices for the Note 3 tablets.

Samsumg is charging ridiculous prices for all their tablets. $200 for a Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 that has a 1200x600 screen and only 8GB storage? WTF?!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 10, 2013, 07:42:18 AM
i'm considering picking up the Galaxy Note 8.0, seems to be a good fit for my usage
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 10, 2013, 08:46:05 AM
I'd say go with the Nexus 7 or the Kindle HDX.


Comixology updates their Android App with a new look and support for comics HD.


Supported devices are
Galaxy Note 2+Samsung S3+Nexus 10Nexus 7 2013HTC OneKindle Fire HDX 8.9" (3rd Gen)Kindle Fire HDX 7" (3rd Gen)Kindle Fire HD 7" (3rd Gen)Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (2nd Gen)LG G2Nexus 4
[/color]Nexus 5 and KitKat will probably be shown next month. (http://phandroid.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Downloads-UI-640x502.png)KitKat won't be big ios 7 change but it lookslike the rest of the UI elements are going to the white background on various colors that the rest of Googl's UI has become. (http://chromespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chrome-update-2.png)Google and HP also just announced the new Chromebook 11 for $279 which is also probably my next Laptop.(http://d0od.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hp_chromebook_111.jpg)I was going to save for a Surface 2 or Pro but for the $1 less I can get a an HP chromebook and a 32GB nexus 7.My main problem with chrome as a Browser is that google toucts so much about how great the Web should be and they have the best solution for the web and they're desktop app doesn't support touch support in chrome or chrome os. Yes the guys who putout a touchscreen laptop is lacking this support. I can move the page around but gestures and pinch to aren't possible yet. They're also stepping up how soon cases and stuff are available. [size=78%] [/size][/color]

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 12, 2013, 01:24:39 PM
So apparently Sony isn't focused on the US market right now. How are they going to be successful against HTC and LG if they're limiting their global presence in the smartphone market?
 
Who am I supposed to turn to for my first Android phone? Samsung plans on abandoning Android for their own Tizen OS (if it even comes out), HTC is dying, most of Motorola's phones are exclusive to Verizon, and Sony doesn't really about the US market. So who's left? LG's Optimus phones are supposedly good, so maybe I'll try them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on October 13, 2013, 04:07:55 PM
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/10/12/nexus-5-gets-the-full-hands-on-treatment-in-7-minute-video/

A look at an early Nexus 5 build. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 14, 2013, 05:16:24 PM
So apparently Sony isn't focused on the US market right now. How are they going to be successful against HTC and LG if they're limiting their global presence in the smartphone market?
 
Who am I supposed to turn to for my first Android phone? Samsung plans on abandoning Android for their own Tizen OS (if it even comes out), HTC is dying, most of Motorola's phones are exclusive to Verizon, and Sony doesn't really about the US market. So who's left? LG's Optimus phones are supposedly good, so maybe I'll try them.


Hyperbole for the win I guess. Samsung isn't abandoning Android and if your so worried about future support of your phone after a company dies your doing it wrong anyway.


You have three choices


Nexus 4
Nexus 5
Moto X (on every carrier)

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 15, 2013, 03:11:24 AM
You have three choices


Nexus 4
Nexus 5
Moto X (on every american carrier)



Fixed.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 15, 2013, 12:48:05 PM
http://readwrite.com/2013/10/08/chromecast-apps-google-holdup#awesm=~okm1DllyVgnePK


Interesting article on why Chromecast isn't seeing as much app support as we thought it would. I mean the thing is really openable and there was a miracast app for it that got killed by Google. Seems like Googl wants to keep the big boys happy and content.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 18, 2013, 10:57:50 AM
So the current speculation was that the Nexus 5, kitkat 4.4, and a Nexus 10 refresh were due this week but google had to postpone everything after the government shutdown closed the FCC. Nestle who's in charge of Kitkat marketing had been hyping something up for this week, and with the chromebooks being refreshed next week it makes sense.


The current rumor is that the Nexus 5 will go 350 for 16GB and presumably $400 the 32GB model.


Here's what the phone looks like
(http://i.imgur.com/w6LtsBZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/30sZkwt.png)


Killing all the Black chrome and pushing more toward the lighter Google UI design.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on October 18, 2013, 11:59:24 AM
Just bought the Nook HD 8GB for 18 bucks sealed at my Kmart. Now how do I root this thing?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 18, 2013, 12:19:29 PM
Just bought the Nook HD 8GB for 18 bucks sealed at my Kmart. Now how do I root this thing?


You shouldn't have to since Barnes and Noble sent out an update that allows play store access, unless you want to get rid of the UI which a simple launch like apex or Nova should do for you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on October 18, 2013, 12:31:00 PM
I just hate the way the OS looks. I'd much rather have Android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on October 18, 2013, 02:41:29 PM
Alright I'm going to say it.  The Nexus this time looks boring.  As in a Phone designed to show a specific tech and design was an afterthought.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 18, 2013, 03:03:23 PM
I like it a bit better than the nexus 4. The matte back and bezel are probably the biggest improvements over the glass ones of the 4.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 20, 2013, 09:51:41 PM
I'll just say screw it and just get a Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HDX, or the Dell Venue 8 (Android tablet). The Venue 8 comes with 32 GB storage for $200, which is a great deal, but the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX have much better hardware.
 
So what should I do? Go for the best hardware while sacrificing internal storage (Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HDX), or go for the device with more internal storage (Venue 8 ) at a cheaper price?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 21, 2013, 04:49:56 PM
Go with the Nexus 7 friend.  Like I've said before the Nexus 7 is the best bet of the three your looking at.  It has the actual play store and gets updates and app compatibility.


Like I've said before if your not buying a device on contract I'd recommend going with the Nexus line or the Moto X. But with Google decoupling the important android bits from Android and the google experience launcher being rumored.


I'd say go with the Nexus just for the better quality screen


So this week's Google Play event won't be showing any new Hardware at all.  It's likely going to be for the next version of the Google Play store which will be taking ques from the web app. Plus they're going to be likley launching Google Play education and Google Play newstand.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 24, 2013, 03:07:35 PM
I've been looking at the Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 and the Lenovo IdeaTab S6000. Both 10" tablets are under $300 (the MemoPad is only $236 at Walmart), and they have similar specs.

Lenovo IdeaTab S6000:
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/529287761908694328?hl=en&q=lenovo+s6000&oq=len&sa=X&ei=MjdpUomHCqHOyAGvg4FQ&ved=0CBcQ8wIwAw#hsec:online (https://www.google.com/shopping/product/529287761908694328?hl=en&q=lenovo+s6000&oq=len&sa=X&ei=MjdpUomHCqHOyAGvg4FQ&ved=0CBcQ8wIwAw#hsec:online)
 
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10:
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1247831192944433945?hl=en&q=memo+pad+10&oq=memo+pad+10&sa=X&ei=vTZpUuWgEsTWyQHu24HQAg&ved=0CAcQqA0oAjAA#hsec:local (https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1247831192944433945?hl=en&q=memo+pad+10&oq=memo+pad+10&sa=X&ei=vTZpUuWgEsTWyQHu24HQAg&ved=0CAcQqA0oAjAA#hsec:local)
 
Do any of you guys have them or have used them?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 24, 2013, 03:28:48 PM
Nope but if your going to go with an Asus 10 inch tablet I'd say go with the Transformer series for the dock. Incidentally Asus is rumored to be working on the new nexus 10. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 24, 2013, 03:46:28 PM
Nope but if your going to go with an Asus 10 inch tablet I'd say go with the Transformer series for the dock. Incidentally Asus is rumored to be working on the new nexus 10.

My budget limit is $250. I'm leaning towards the Lenovo S6000, since it's only $240 at most stores (including Walmart), but Office Depot sells it for only $230. The Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ranges from $235 (Walmart) to $280 everywhere else.
 
I'll probably just buy the tablets at an actual store, then I won't have to pay high shipping fees.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 25, 2013, 12:08:53 PM
If your limit is $250, then get a Nexus 7. You can probably find a 32GB for $250 if you look hard enough, they were less than that from Office Depot a few weeks ago.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 25, 2013, 12:43:45 PM
For tour budget the Nexus 7 is the way to go. The 32GB 2013 model is only $269 and it can probably be found cheaper elsewhere.


So the Google Play event was only a party but people are saying that the Nexus 5 was there behind clothes doors, and that Kitkat is releasing tomorrow.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 27, 2013, 04:43:36 PM
I've had my note 8.0 for about a day and I love it. As much as I would enjoy updates and stuff for what i'm going for the note seems like a better fit.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 31, 2013, 02:28:44 PM
The Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat has been announced.

UK price is £299 for 16gb (only £20 more than the Nexus 4 at 16gb).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 31, 2013, 02:37:18 PM
Nexus 5 is official. Its out today.


You can get it in Black and White.
(http://phandroid.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Nexus-5-Google-Play-Store-live.png)


16GB-$350
32GB-$32GB


Also a few offical cases already directly from Google plus a new NFC charging Plate. Yeah think this will be my next phone unless by the time I decide to get this (next year) I decide to wait for the Nexus 6.


Only carriers so far are T-mobile and Sprint.


ALso looks like i'm getting my nexus 7 back which should hold me off until next year. SO far only five big products on my must purchase list for next year.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on October 31, 2013, 02:46:55 PM
I managed to snag one!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 31, 2013, 03:12:18 PM
Galaxy Nexus is DOA despite falling into the specs requirements for Kit Kat. They use the just fixation that its no linger in the 18 month support window. I don't want to call politics but I think Google doesn't want to support a Samsung nexus.

Also apparently the kitkat moto x style voice features are only for the Nexus 5.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 31, 2013, 04:01:25 PM
So why does Google have to rely on carriers when sending out Android updates, yet Apple and Microsoft don't have this problem?
 
Wouldn't sending automatic updates through WiFi solve the fragmentation issues and allow Google to bypass the carriers?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 31, 2013, 04:17:25 PM
Mostly due to the vast amount of flavors of androids. Google puts up the bits out and now every phone maker has to test and adapt it too however they changed android. Than carriers have to test it too see that it doesn't **** with the phone in anyway or add any features the carriers will hate like WiFi calling.


Nexus devices don't have this problem. When 4.3 hit it was pushed to my 7 and 4 pretty quickly. There's a reason why I only buy nexus, or recommend a nexus or iOS device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 31, 2013, 04:40:56 PM
But the carriers don't interfere with Apple and Microsoft's OS updates, so why is Android singled out?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on October 31, 2013, 04:47:06 PM
Do all devices that run stock Android get updates quickly (not just Nexus devices)? Because Dell's new Venue tablets run stock Android, as do many Acer and Asus tablets.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 31, 2013, 06:34:32 PM
Do all devices that run stock Android get updates quickly (not just Nexus devices)? Because Dell's new Venue tablets run stock Android, as do many Acer and Asus tablets.
No, even the nexus brand has had some issues with updates (on verizon, getting it directly from Google avoids these things)
Honestly I don't think it's worth ruling a device out just because it doesn't always get updates and I certainly don't think stock android is hands down the greatest thing in existence.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 31, 2013, 06:45:37 PM
Galaxy Nexus is DOA despite falling into the specs requirements for Kit Kat.

I think it's Google policy generally to support only two versions (the newest and one before). Even Chrome falls into that bracket (sort of).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 01, 2013, 09:16:32 AM
And it's all true! Nexus 5 already shipping, Android 4.4 KitKat is released...not for me (for now) though. RAZR HD (not dev edition), locked bootloader (and missed out on the bootloader unlock a while back).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on November 01, 2013, 10:50:05 AM
Galaxy Nexus is DOA despite falling into the specs requirements for Kit Kat.

I think it's Google policy generally to support only two versions (the newest and one before). Even Chrome falls into that bracket (sort of).


Yeah I guess. I just don't think the 2012 Nexus 7 or Nexus 4 will be EOL'd so soon. I did get a laugh out of the verge hands on when they saw that the OS still has some lag and in the same video its smooth as silk and super responsive. Think i'm going to wait it out for the nexus 6 just to be safe and just upgrade my Nexus 7.


The one thing I noticed about the Nexus 4 is that unless you really like colors there's honestly no real point in grabbing a Moto X anymore. Its just too expensive to defend when its feature set can be had for $200 less.


Like Pokepal said though even the nexus line has problems. It only seems to be the verizon variant through. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus didn't get updates on time or at all because of the big V's interference. The Verizon variant also had carrier branding. My nexus 4 is through T-mobile and it has no Carrier branding and I've gotten all the updates on time as well. Google just needs to work on getting updates out on time. Kitkat should be rolling out right now instead of in a few weeks,


The main features to the OS are


-using Google Now from anywhere in the OS as long as you have a Nexus 5. (says alot this isn't on the 7)
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/voice.jpg)


-Full screen album and movie art on the lock screen when listening to music or watching a movie on chromcast.
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/art.jpg)


-Full Screen apps
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/immersive.jpg)


-Faster Multi-Tasking
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/multitasking.jpg)


-A new phone app that uses other Google data to make sort of the yellow pages in the dialer.
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/dial-pad.jpg)


-when ever you get a call that's not in your contacts, google looks up google Maps data and matches the number to a bussiness if it can.
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/callid.jpg)


-Hangouts is the new all encomassing messaging app.(update with imessage style functions and you've won googy)
(http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/messages.jpg]/img]-Motherfreaking  ;D http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/emoji.jpg-Native printing via cloud printhttp://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/print.jpg-You can save files from nearly anywhere.http://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/pick-a-file.jpg-Quickoffice for doing docs on a smartphone or tablethttp://www.android.com/new/images/versions/kit-kat/office-anywhere.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 01, 2013, 05:11:35 PM
My girlfriend has a Galaxy S4, and can't believe how shitty TouchWiz looks compared to pure Android.
 
I can't wait to finally see the reviews for the Dell Venue 7 & 8. They're within my budget and they run pure Android.
 
Those new Lenovo Yoga tablets look very nice too, but they'll probably never be updated to 4.3.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 02, 2013, 09:27:28 AM
http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-5-and-android-44-kitkat-video-walkthrough (http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-5-and-android-44-kitkat-video-walkthrough)

Nexus 5 and KitKat 4.4 look really nice. Almost makes me wish I didn't have Verizon...almost.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 02, 2013, 10:54:53 AM
Any chance that the Asus MeMo Pad HD and Dell Venue tablets get updated to 4.4 KitKat, since they run stock Android?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 02, 2013, 10:13:28 PM
Any chance that the Asus MeMo Pad HD and Dell Venue tablets get updated to 4.4 KitKat, since they run stock Android?
idk i'm curious as to what your usage plans are.
dell I would avoid atm, they just don't have any reputation to speak of with android

if you're that worried about updates just get the nexus, it's that simple.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 03, 2013, 12:15:27 PM
The reason why I want the Dell Venue 8 is because it comes in 32 GB for only $200, which is a great deal.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 03, 2013, 12:30:33 PM
That's not a good reason, unless storage matters much more than performance.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 03, 2013, 12:41:08 PM
The dell tablets just seem to be a poor man's nexus 7. The only other tablet in that size range I can recommend is the galaxy note 8.0 but that price is pretty far out of your budget
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 03, 2013, 12:43:25 PM
That's not a good reason, unless storage matters much more than performance.


The more storage you have, the more apps and games you can store on the device. And I'm pretty sure the Intel chips in the Venue tablets are perfectly capable of offering good performance.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 03, 2013, 01:49:48 PM
I said the same thing when I got the ZTE avail... been waiting 2 years to jump ship from that garbage.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 03, 2013, 04:12:59 PM
ZTE has always been and always will be garbage. Dell at least has a decent record to go on. Having said that, I still say the Dell tablets are a bad choice. They are advertised as upgradeable to KitKat 4.4, but I'm a firm believe that you get what you pay for, and if you can get a significantly better tablet for $80 or less, then it's worth the price of admission.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 03, 2013, 11:07:49 PM
Well the zte phone works fine to be fair but it's just so low end that the official facebook app takes up 1/4th of it's available whopping user storage of 120mb and the new google play update crashes half the time.

But based on what I posted in the news thread dell tablets could become the cat's meow :D

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 04, 2013, 10:47:37 AM
120 MB for app storage? If it has 4 GB of internal storage, with the OS taking about half of that, then there should be about 2 GB left for apps and games.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 13, 2013, 09:23:23 AM
http://www.androidcentral.com/motorola-officially-announces-moto-g (http://www.androidcentral.com/motorola-officially-announces-moto-g)

Motorola announces the Moto G - unlocked and off contract for $179 (8GB) or $199 (16GB). It's definitely mid-range (or high range from a year or so ago) - Snapdragon 400, 4.5" 720p display, 1GB RAM. Ships with Android 4.3 with guaranteed update to 4.4. Definitely they best phone you can get for $199 or less (brand new). Someone explain to Apple that this is how you make a mid-range device with a low price tag.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 13, 2013, 09:27:41 AM
Livestream here.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 13, 2013, 09:30:45 AM
65GB free Google Drive storage included - actually with 4.4, this phone will be better than most phones from last year.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 13, 2013, 11:02:49 AM
I'm still disappointed at how Motorola mismanaged the Moto X hype (telling everyone not in North America "oh you're not getting it" until the days after the launch) is not going to encourage people to go to the brand later.

However, this is a very good price at £135 unlocked sim-free.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 13, 2013, 12:23:50 PM
It looks like Motorola has finally found a winning formula. Their Droid exclusivity with Verizon wasn't really doing them anything because it's exclusive to a single carrier. With the Moto X and Moto G, Motorola finally has a chance to appeal to the mass-market. And it's all thanks to Google's help.


Now where's my Moto T tablet? :-)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 21, 2013, 04:29:17 PM
Absolutely absurd deal for 32GB Nexus 7 (2013) - $189 at Wal-Mart right now!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Google-Nexus-7-Tablet-with-32GB-Memory/21907347
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 21, 2013, 04:34:08 PM
Hmmm...description is for the 2012 model, but it clearly says 2013 in the title. They have to honor it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 21, 2013, 05:02:23 PM
Hmmm...description is for the 2012 model, but it clearly says 2013 in the title. They have to honor it.


The description and picture are clearly for the 2012 model. They don't have to honor anything because someone accidentally put "2013" in the title. If you read the description you'll know it's for the 2012 model.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 21, 2013, 05:32:18 PM
If it's in the store listed as 2013 they they have to honor it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on November 21, 2013, 06:29:07 PM
Hmmm...description is for the 2012 model, but it clearly says 2013 in the title. They have to honor it.


The description and picture are clearly for the 2012 model. They don't have to honor anything because someone accidentally put "2013" in the title. If you read the description you'll know it's for the 2012 model.


Have you ever worked in retail? Hell yes do they have to honor it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 22, 2013, 02:21:52 AM
But the picture and product description clearly describe the 2012 model, right down to the specs and internal hardware. The "(2013)" part of the title was just a simple mistake that can easily be removed.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 22, 2013, 02:39:29 AM
Some stores actually go beyond that. I went to Publix to get my wife a birthday cake - it was marked $16.99 but rang up $21.99. They gave it to me for free (their policy). Wal-Mart's policies do kind of suck (as in they don't even price match their own website), but either way - if this is labeled as Nexus 7 (2013) in the store, then (and I'm sure UncleBob can chime in) that is the price. Of course once you get your deal they'll go back and fix it typically.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on November 22, 2013, 02:57:53 AM
But the picture and product description clearly describe the 2012 model, right down to the specs and internal hardware. The "(2013)" part of the title was just a simple mistake that can easily be removed.


That does not matter. At my Kmart store, if I had mislabeled a television with the wrong price, even if it described a different TV and a customer catches me and demands that price, I have to give it to them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 22, 2013, 09:15:42 AM
Here the rules are different, if Oblivion priced a TV at £20 he can still be refused a sale because the information provided (price, specs etc) falls under an "invitation to treat" (or sell), which the retailer can decline.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on November 22, 2013, 10:22:50 AM
Here the rules are different, if Oblivion priced a TV at £20 he can still be refused a sale because the information provided (price, specs etc) falls under an "invitation to treat" (or sell), which the retailer can decline.


Well, yeah. I'm assuming the amount you just gave me was really low. What I said earlier is within reason of course. We aren't going to give a $1000 television for only $100 or something. But what for what started this argument? Very likely.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 22, 2013, 10:33:10 AM
Well, yeah. I'm assuming the amount you just gave me was really low. What I said earlier is within reason of course. We aren't going to give a $1000 television for only $100 or something. But what for what started this argument? Very likely.

The price isn't really applicable, it could even be £20 off the RRP and they can still refuse a sale - but this only applies to UK/EU rules. Not necessarily in the USA.

Earlier this year a high-end printer for HP was being offered for £40. They cancelled all the orders because of a "technical issue" and sent out none.

Same with an iPad for £50 by Tesco.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 25, 2013, 07:07:23 AM
Question.

I'm considering getting an iPod Touch (5th generation 32gb) but given the price i'm leaning against it.
I have a Nexus 4 (soon to be N5) but avoid using that for music/podcasts to save battery. I was thinking of an Android based device to use instead - possibly a Moto G, but with no sim card in it. Is there a phone/device you can suggest?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on November 25, 2013, 09:55:33 AM
There's several versions of the Samsung Galaxy Player which are basically Samsung phones - phone parts in the same way the iPod Touch is. I think the biggest one is 32GB + microSD slot.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 25, 2013, 10:52:06 AM
But are any of those even remotely updated? One i saw had Gingerbread on it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 25, 2013, 10:57:36 AM
Get a Moto G if you don't need more than 16GB storage, better than any iPod or Galaxy Player plus if you need to you can you know...use it as a phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on November 25, 2013, 12:09:32 PM
Yeah the Moto G is so affordable that it makes a great iPod Touch replacement. Thanks Google!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on November 26, 2013, 05:26:36 PM
I got an Android issue I'm hoping someone can help me with.

I need a rooted Wifi tether app that actually works.

Details:
Verizon (unlimited data)
Samsung Galaxy SIII (rooted)
Cyanogen Mod 10.1.3 or 10.2

They all start with error and no device will connect.

I'll update with a screenshot of the errors as soon as I figure out how to get 10.2 to take one.
edit: (http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c262/BlackNMild2k1/Screenshot_2013-11-26-14-41-39.png)

How do I fix this? or is there some other way to get free tethering on my phone?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 26, 2013, 08:51:49 PM
Just look up the entitlement check, I can't remember how to do it exactly. You need an SQL editor, you just tell it to not check if you have a tethering plan and you can use the built-in hotspot withut being charged. It's worked on all of my Motorola phones, pretty sure it works on all Verizon phones.

But running CM I don't  think you get that option. Doesn't CM have its own tethering app now?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on November 26, 2013, 10:17:24 PM
actually, I was with the settings in 10.2 and the tethering works built in.

now my problem is that it won't sync my damn contacts. I think I have a way to fix it (restore old backup, save contacts, restore new backup and then import contacts) but I'll do that later.

let me know if you have a way to fix that instead... these CM updates are getting tiresome since almost none of them update smoothly
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 27, 2013, 03:01:23 AM
Get a Moto G if you don't need more than 16GB storage, better than any iPod or Galaxy Player plus if you need to you can you know...use it as a phone.

So, as an alternate option, is there a device thats recommend that does have a microSD slot? I've only ever had nexus phones and tablets so i've never strictly had a need for one.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on November 27, 2013, 03:48:19 AM
I thought unlocked Android devices need a SIM card to function? My Nexus 5 wouldn't even go passed the setup screen without setting one up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on November 27, 2013, 06:24:35 AM
I thought unlocked Android devices need a SIM card to function? My Nexus 5 wouldn't even go passed the setup screen without setting one up.

I do have a prepaid sim i can throw in to pass setup, then simply remove it later.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 02, 2013, 11:32:12 AM
Thank goodness Windows Phone isn't that complicated to use. Simplicity for the win!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 02, 2013, 12:15:01 PM
You can usually tap each corner to bypass activation. In fact, I've never seen an Android phone that requires a SIM card to set up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on December 02, 2013, 08:29:45 PM
Thank goodness Windows Phone isn't that complicated to use. Simplicity for the win!


XD
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on December 02, 2013, 08:30:18 PM
You can usually tap each corner to bypass activation. In fact, I've never seen an Android phone that requires a SIM card to set up.


Did you get the Nexus 5?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 02, 2013, 08:40:08 PM
So I fixed my contact problem by using My Back Up Root to transfer the contacts over.

It revealed/confirmed that the problem is that the phone will not sync with my Google account because it thinks I'm not logged in. I am logged into the Play Store and can access all my apps, but it will not sync my phone book. I had to store the contacts locally on the phone, but that only solves half the problem.

Problem with the ROM or do I need to delete my google accounts off the phone and try again? or is there some other solution to force a connection? any suggestions are appreciated.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on December 03, 2013, 12:01:33 AM
I couldn't find the right thread to post this in (Holy Sh@t new gadgets thread) so...

http://www.ideaconnection.com/new-inventions/cota-charges-devices-wirelessly-from-30-feet-away-07556.html


Wireless power charger good for about 30 ft of range; charges about 1/3 of a USB cord; automatically charges when in range; out as a consumer product in 2015; doesn't kill you. Game changer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on December 03, 2013, 10:05:50 PM
Has google really done anything similar to samsung's multiscreen view, honestly its a huge feature for me
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 03, 2013, 10:09:22 PM
Pretty sure they designed the OS that allows Samsung to do that. They aren't the first company to have two on-screen tasks at once on Android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 03, 2013, 10:12:33 PM
I realize that either no one is interested in helping me or you have no idea how to.

But I upgraded my CM to the official 10.2 today. I cannot pull my contacts from my Google Account as it says I am not linked to it even though I'm logged into it in every way I can think of.

I guess I should go make an account over at the CM forums or the XDA forums and see if anyone knows what's going on.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on December 03, 2013, 10:34:04 PM
Probably should go to xda for that
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on December 03, 2013, 10:59:29 PM
I'd help you out if I knew the solution.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 03, 2013, 11:07:58 PM
If they can help me i will copy/paste it over here.

I'm sure I can't be the only one. I've done a clean install 2 times today on the official release and even tried to restore the previous install which was the release candidate for 10.2, but even that wouldn't restore properly and it has the same "no google contacts" problem.
But it allows me to tether, which I really use alot right now, so 10.2 is here to stay.... I found a way around the contacts issue, but I would like to have it sync with my Google acct.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 03, 2013, 11:22:13 PM
I've seen issues like that (even on my wife's phone I believe) where contacts were set to sync but they didn't. Not exactly sure how I fixed it, it's been a while. It could be CM-related (maybe try flashing a stock ROM?). I assume you unlocked your bootloader (I think you can just turn it into the developer edition) so you should be able to go willy nilly on your phone and typically be able to fix any issues. Definitely make an XDA account though (I have 61 thanks, woohoo!).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on December 03, 2013, 11:31:27 PM
@BnM


Did you try playing around with your google account settings? Does the phone have permission to access all of your google account information?


If I go on a pc browser and look at my google account I see Security>Account Permissions and it lists the devices permitted and what permissions it has. Both my wife and I's Galaxy S2s have full permission. That should have happened automatically when you first set up the phone. Maybe somehow your permissions got changed on the google-side?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 10, 2013, 01:21:35 PM
I didn't check there but I will. But I was trying to access something (the contacts app?) the other day and it told me that I couldn't because my phone wasn't synced with my Google account, so it took me to the Google log in and synced my contacts.... yeah, just like that. And, no, it wasn't my first time in that app.
So I think the problem is solved, but I will double check my Google account from the computer too. Thanx.

But I have another question.

Android browsers that have ad block extensions besides Firefox.
This site is a chore to navigate with that floating ad following my finger across the screen accidentally sending me to advertisers websites for ads I didn't click on.

Firefox keeps having small issues here and there, so I'm looking for a browser that's a little smoother that will also block the stupid ads.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 10, 2013, 02:27:44 PM
Why doesn't stock Android get automatic updates like Windows devices do? Windows devices always ship with the latest version of the OS, but to get the equivalent with Android you have to buy a Nexus device.
 
Case in point: the Dell Venue 7 and Venue 8 ship with Android 2.2, even though they run stock Android and should automatically update to the latest version. You never see this problem with Windows devices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 10, 2013, 03:02:43 PM
BNM you sound like an Android n00b but I know you aren't. Google Big Tin Can Android adfree. It's not on the market anymore, but it will get rid of all your ads. Ditch Firefox, stick with Chrome.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 10, 2013, 03:12:17 PM
BNM you sound like an Android n00b but I know you aren't. Google Big Tin Can Android adfree. It's not on the market anymore, but it will get rid of all your ads. Ditch Firefox, stick with Chrome.

Better still, sideload f-droid and use Adaway.

In other NOOZ, Google announced the LG G Pad Google Play Edition (USA only), the Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition (USA only), and the Nexus 7 32gb (wifi only) in white.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 10, 2013, 03:28:52 PM

BNM you sound like an Android n00b but I know you aren't. Google Big Tin Can Android adfree. It's not on the market anymore, but it will get rid of all your ads. Ditch Firefox, stick with Chrome.

Better still, sideload f-droid and use Adaway.

I don't really mess with my phone much outside of rooting it to install the custom firmware so that it would just work right and I could tether with out having to pay extra.

I've been using Chrome as my main browser but sometimes (even on the computer) it won't let me post on certain sites. Sometime the mobile FF browser won't let me click links. Even my Swype is giving me problems right now. it's all very annoying. and this is on the phone and on my tablet, so I know it's the mobile/browser software and not the OS as my GS3 is on CM10.2 and my Galaxy Tab2 is on stock whatever it came with.

I will look into both of those right now because I can't use these forums on my phone/tablet as is anymore. Too much hassle.

edit:
I think i'm going the F-Droid route w/ AdAway, seems like the better option of the 2 after a quick google search.
just gonna back-up my phone before installing F-Droid and then hopefully all annoying ads will be a thing of the past.

edit 2:
OMG Applauds for the 2 of you. now I have that desktop experience on my phone. it all loads so much quicker on top of it all. Now I gotta figure out how to root my Tab 2.0 and do the same. it's like night and day. like getting contacts/glasses and realizing you've been blind for most of your life and didn't realize it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 11, 2013, 10:46:53 PM
So now that my phone and tablet are adfree (and rooted), any other apps I should be checking out on F-Droid that may make droid-life easier?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 16, 2013, 03:31:24 PM
I was going to get my mom a Lumia for christmas, but I'm going to wait and just get her a Moto G for her next phone.


I'll probably be sticking with Android for the foressable future myself. I like Windows Phone/Windows 8 but neither OS are really where they should be and app support is still crappy even with good third party versions of apps like Pocket. My main beef is not having a good podcast app.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 16, 2013, 03:48:37 PM
So now that my phone and tablet are adfree (and rooted), any other apps I should be checking out on F-Droid that may make droid-life easier?

I admit i only use f-droid for adaway. I've never even looked through anything else and naturally recommend to exercise caution in case miley cyrus comes a'twerking.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 16, 2013, 04:06:42 PM
What does Adway and F-droid do?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 16, 2013, 04:11:46 PM
AdAway eliminated all ads on my phone and tablet when browsing, regardless of the browser used or whether they take extensions or not. you could say it took all the Ads Away. all of them. no more floating ads on NWR Forums.

f-Droid is an opensource App Market. you can use it just like Googles Play Store or Amazon's App Market to obtain apps.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 16, 2013, 04:14:41 PM
I've never heard of F-Droid before, I try to stay away from any market other than Google Play. Might check it out one day though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 19, 2013, 05:34:19 PM
A lady came in the shop asking about unlocked GSM phones so I convinced her to get a Moto G (she got the 16GB version). I played with it for a few minutes and it was pretty damn snappy!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 20, 2013, 11:58:49 AM
A lady came in the shop asking about unlocked GSM phones so I convinced her to get a Moto G (she got the 16GB version). I played with it for a few minutes and it was pretty damn snappy!

I managed to grab a 8gb Moto G for my aunt for christmas. They screwed up the order so i got £20 off, so i paid £65 ($100) in total for it. It's a superb phone AND KitKat has already started to roll out to it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 20, 2013, 01:14:52 PM
The moto G will probably be considered the bigger success of the two motorola phones. The Moto X launch was mishandled in so many ways. The Moto G should really start to see big gains next year.


I think this year will be considered the year where Google learned about aggressive advertising. We saw it a bit last year with the first nexus 7, but I've actively seen all over the web and TV google promoting the nexus line of products, the chrome products, and Google Now. 


What Google learned this year i'm pretty sure Microsoft will start to do next year. Its going to leave the other non Google, Microsoft, Apple OEMS in a akward place. Seeing Google pretty much stop supporting the AOSP and putting more marketing behind their product, coupled with Microsoft now owning too productdion arms must be scary.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 21, 2013, 07:34:22 AM
The Moto X launch was mishandled in so many ways.

Yes Motorola really did. Let everyone, worldwide, get hyped up only to say post-launch its for north america only. All of the sites that mentioned it simply skipped over how they mishandled that too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 21, 2013, 11:17:40 AM
The Moto X launch was mishandled in so many ways.

Yes Motorola really did. Let everyone, worldwide, get hyped up only to say post-launch its for north america only. All of the sites that mentioned it simply skipped over how they mishandled that too.


Oh I wasn't even talking about the WW release. I mostly meant the price not being in line with the Nexus models and Moto Maker being stuck with ATT at launch. I kind of realized that it wasn't going to ship internationaly due to being made in America and all the color palette choices.


Overall Google has a pretty good product line up now, one that rivals both Apple and Microsoft


Nexus 5
Nexus 7
Nexus 10
Moto X
Moto G
Google Glass
Chromebook Pixel
Chromebook 11
Chromecast




I'm guessing next year alongside refreshes were getting a Moto T, a nexus TV, and the Nexus smartwatch,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 26, 2013, 02:45:53 AM
The charger port on my Nokia Lumia 810 (T-Mobile) is dying, so I need a new smartphone. Should I get the Nokia Lumia 521 ($99 on Amazon) or the Moto G ($179)?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 28, 2013, 07:04:15 PM
So my aunt goes to a phones store to get a AC charger for her Moto G. She walks in and sees two people. The first, at the back, looks at her and doesn't move.

She shows the other the phone in the box and they tell her the phone is "not really good" - even though it is on display prominently behind her - told her to sell it (and she only got it 4 days ago!) and to sit down with them to get her a "really good £500 phone".

When she asked the other member of staff why didn't he approach her, he said that he was waiting for "her to walk over and ask for help".

She simply walked out instead. I'm still amazed by that (but not really surprised either).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on December 28, 2013, 11:02:55 PM
HAHAHAHA, good on your Aunt walking out on that nonsense. I know dudes have sales to make, but that is some crass, unproductive, dumb **** maneuvers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on December 29, 2013, 02:25:35 AM
Ha. Customers get angry when we bother them to ask if they need anything, they get angry when we don't. It's a losing battle.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 29, 2013, 09:52:02 AM
I want to get a Moto G, but I don't know if I can return my Galaxy S2 to T-Mobile since it was a replacement phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 29, 2013, 10:41:39 AM
Probably not, but you can sell it ($100-150 or so I would imagine). Just remember, no 4G on the Moto G on T-Mobile unless T-Mobile has upgraded their towers in your area.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 29, 2013, 11:50:31 AM
Are you saying the Moto G is incapable of 4G? Because if it's a tower issue, then all phones would have that problem.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 29, 2013, 03:16:17 PM
No, that's not what I'm saying, and you have no idea what you're talking about. It's *typically* incapable of 4G on T-Mobile, because T-Mobile does not operate on the "normal" frequencies, that are used around the world (including AT&T), in most parts of the United States. To get on T-Mobile's (not LTE) 3G/4G network the phone needs to operate on the 1700Mhz and 2100Mhz frequencies simultaneously, as they use (and this is just thinking back, could be wrong) 850Mhz/1900Mhz for Edge. Most phones in the world do not operate like this, typically only T-Mobile phones do (but there are a few exceptions). T-Mobile has been upgrading their towers to all support 3G/4G for the past year or so, but it's not nation-wide yet. An easy way to test if it will work is to find someone using an AT&T iPhone on T-Mobile's network and see if it says "E" or "3G/4G" for their data connection. If it's "E" then the Moto G will not connect to T-Mobile's 3G/4G network in your area...yet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on December 29, 2013, 06:29:54 PM
They're behind schedule then. Were supposed to be upgraded by the end of this year. Unless they meant 'fiscal year'. At least according to the promotional/motivational posters I've seen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 29, 2013, 06:47:03 PM
They were supposed to be one by last year from what I first heard a couple years ago.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 29, 2013, 07:02:57 PM
So, brandogg, technically speaking what does T-Mobile refer to as "4G"? IS that just DC-HSDPA or something else?

The Moto G doesn't support LTE anywhere, so i'm a little confused by their (and american networks, generally...) marketing of 4G.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 29, 2013, 10:32:44 PM
My Nokia Lumia 810 supports T-Mobile's 4G, as does the Samsung Galaxy S2 I just received as a replacement. How can the Moto G (which is newer than the Galaxy S2) not support 4G?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 29, 2013, 11:32:36 PM
tendoboy1984 - that's because those phones are sold by T-Mobile and are designed by Nokia and Samsung (your T989 Galaxy S 2) respectively to work on T-Mobile's network (an AT&T Galaxy S 2 (i777 or i727) will NOT get 4G on T-Mobile). Like I have been trying to explain, the Moto G does not support simultaneous 1700Mhz and 2100Mhz which is required to connect to T-Mobile's 4G (not LTE) network. From the Moto G specs page

Networks
Global GSM Model:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
US GSM Model:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 1700 (AWS), 1900 MHz)
CDMA Model:
CDMA/EVDO Rev A (850, 1900 MHz)

For comparison, here are the specs for the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 2 (T989, what you have)

2G Network   GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network   HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

I understand that for some people this is hard to understand, but I think I've made it pretty comprehensible.

Plugabugz - it depends on the phone and the service, T-Mobile has both LTE and HSDPA, just like AT&T.


As a side note, T-Mobile Galaxy S phones are typically the best version to get, because they will do 4G on T-Mobile and AT&T (Verizon version will also do 4G on AT&T).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 30, 2013, 01:27:55 AM
I was surprised that my Galaxy S2 has its storage split into separate partitions, with only 2GB available for app downloads. The rest of the 16GB is set aside for app data, OS files, user media (pictures, videos, music), and carrier bloat. I want an Android phone with unified internal storage, like how iOS and Windows Phone work.

I know the Nexus devices have unified storage, but what about the Moto X and Moto G?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 30, 2013, 01:34:55 AM
Windows Phone only has unified storage if the device doesn't have a microsd card slot. Pretty sure its the same with android these days.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 30, 2013, 01:42:57 AM
My Nokia Lumia 810 had 8GB of storage and a microSD card. Apps weren't installed to a seperate partition, they had full access to the entire 6GB (after the OS was accounted for).

This is what I mean by "unified storage"... Giving apps and media files full access to a single partition of internal storage. It's like how iOS works.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 30, 2013, 10:10:50 AM
As has also been explained to you, many times, Samsung set up the partitions that way on the Galaxy S2, the S3 and S4 are not like that, same with just about any Android phone. The S2 is that way, even with Jelly Bean, because that's how it was set up with Froyo when it launched, changing the partition setup when they did a system update would require wiping all of your data, which is something that they obviously did not want to do.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 30, 2013, 10:12:16 AM
I'm convinced there's no way you're not just trolling these Android threads on purpose.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 30, 2013, 10:15:38 AM
But's its the illusion of a single paration as Windows Phone doesn't allow apps to be installed on a SDcard. I'm pretty sure Android does it the same way.


I know my old phone did it the way your lumia did, but I'm not sure about recent Android or devices since I haven't owned anything with a microsd since the G2.


The nexus, Moto X, and Moto G don't have unified storgae (unless i'm still getting what your describing wrong) beucase neither of these devices have a SD card slot.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 30, 2013, 10:23:38 AM
We've already explained that one up and down in another one of the Android threads...even though this is his "Everything Android" thread. Android (by default) does not allow you to install apps on an SD card.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 30, 2013, 02:25:45 PM
I was never talking about installing apps onto an SD card. I was explaining how the internal storage was broken up into different partitions ("device storage" and  "USB storage").

Anyways, my next phone will be the Moto G. $200 for a new mid-range smartphone with stock Android is a great deal, and I won't have to deal with my Galaxy S2's wonky storage issues.

I'm surprised there wasn't a disclaimer on the box showing that only 2 GB (out of 16 GB) is available for app downloads. That's misleading advertising. It's like buying a 500 GB hard drive and only having 100 GB available to use.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 30, 2013, 03:47:30 PM
I'm surprised there wasn't a disclaimer on the box showing that only 2 GB (out of 16 GB) is available for app downloads. That's misleading advertising. It's like buying a 500 GB hard drive and only having 100 GB available to use.

But that's ALWAYS been the case?

If you buy a 1TB hard drive and format it in NTFS (for use with XP or newer) you get 930gb of actual space to use. That other 70ish is for the file system and cannot be "used".

On a personal note, i'm still debating heavily whether to buy a 16gb Moto G to replace my iPod. If there was a 32gb version it would be insta-buy territory.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 30, 2013, 04:18:19 PM
That's actually not true at all. You get the difference in size because of what a gigabyte really is (1024MB) and what they call it at retail (1 million bytes). 1 byte is 8 bits, a KB is 1024bytes, an MB is 1024KB, etc. So when they sell you a hard drive with 1 million bytes, they call that 1GB, when in reality 1GB is 1048586 bytes. They call 1 billion bytes "1TB" when 1TB is really 1024GB, or 1073741824 bytes. So it looks like you're losing 70GB out of a 1TB HDD, when in actuality you're just being lied to by the manufacturer about how much capacity the drive has.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on December 30, 2013, 06:01:49 PM
So that explains why the S2 doesn't let me access all of the storage. I wonder why I didn't find that online? I was searching about why the USB storage wasn't working. Maybe because everyone online who knows what is up has already rooted their phones and taken care of the issue.


I really need to get around to learning how to root my phone. Been meaning to do it since I got it but I've been both too busy and too lazy to do it. I'd rather be hunting monsters or hoarding furniture.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 30, 2013, 09:36:14 PM
It's easy, just go to XDA and look it up. You'll need Odin, the Samsung USB drivers and a custom recovery. It seems like it may be difficult at first but it's really straight forward (just makes sure you download the proper carrier version of your update - Sprint, AT&T, etc) and take just a minute once it's set up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on December 31, 2013, 08:27:18 AM
That's actually not true at all. You get the difference in size because of what a gigabyte really is (1024MB) and what they call it at retail (1 million bytes). 1 byte is 8 bits, a KB is 1024bytes, an MB is 1024KB, etc. So when they sell you a hard drive with 1 million bytes, they call that 1GB, when in reality 1GB is 1048586 bytes. They call 1 billion bytes "1TB" when 1TB is really 1024GB, or 1073741824 bytes. So it looks like you're losing 70GB out of a 1TB HDD, when in actuality you're just being lied to by the manufacturer about how much capacity the drive has.

I didn't know that (i just assumed they were approximating 1TB to mean 1024GB, not they were literally meaning 1000GB). Misconceptions indeed. Thanks :D
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 31, 2013, 08:56:48 AM
No problem, I didn't mean to come off rude if I did. A lot of people believe that the "used by file system" thing is why there is disparity when it's really just semantics.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on December 31, 2013, 12:45:00 PM
But the problem with the Galaxy S2 is that you only get 2 GB for apps, and the rest of the 16 GB is used for media files (music, videos, photos). Imagine if iOS or Windows Phone did **** like that...

I'm surprised consumers haven't complained to Samsung / Google about this. Why couldn't Samsung just give us a single unified partition to do whatever we want with?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 31, 2013, 03:54:02 PM
I'm more surprised that people complain on Nintendo fan site forums and ignore everything that people tell them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 31, 2013, 05:34:17 PM
But the problem with the Galaxy S2 is that you only get 2 GB for apps, and the rest of the 16 GB is used for media files (music, videos, photos). Imagine if iOS or Windows Phone did **** like that...

I'm surprised consumers haven't complained to Samsung / Google about this. Why couldn't Samsung just give us a single unified partition to do whatever we want with?


your complaining about a two year phone that was running a custom baked version of Gingerbread upon release and was made at a very different time where 2GB was enough to run most apps.


What excatly are you using on your phone anyway.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 31, 2013, 06:37:29 PM
Verizon gets the Moto G January 9th for $99 - WITHOUT contract (http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-g-headed-verizon-jan-9-99) - that's pretty crazy. You get the best network (no LTE though) and the phone is $80 less than the GSM unlocked version.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 02, 2014, 12:06:36 AM
Yeah, this seems about right.

(http://epicpix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ff_826.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 02, 2014, 11:54:38 PM
Verizon and AT&T = No unlimited data
T-Mobile and Sprint = Unlimited data

Good thing I have T-Mobile. Verizon is overpriced anyways.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 03, 2014, 09:17:32 AM
Verizon and AT&T = No unlimited data
T-Mobile and Sprint = Unlimited data

Good thing I have T-Mobile. Verizon is overpriced anyways.

T-Mobile and Sprint both want to gain customers. Therefore they need to be more appealing. Verizon and AT&T (with comparatively more mature networks and customer numbers) don't need to. So they can gouge for pricing as necessary.

Three is in it's growth phase over here too, recently introducing free roaming to all Three UK customers (be it prepaid, postpaid or mobile broadband) to the USA and 10 other countries, offering unlimited data/tethering and a free speed increase to LTE (still including unlimited data/tethering) if your phone can support it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 03, 2014, 12:22:21 PM
AT&T has unlimited data, they just don't want you to know about it. aio Wireless (owned by AT&T) has unlimited data (LTE), and many other resellers like Net 10 can give you unlimited data on AT&T.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 03, 2014, 12:49:51 PM
Acer just announced a pair of new tablets, the 8" A1-830 ($149), and the 7" B1-750 ($129). The A1 has similar specs to the Dell Venue 8 (including an Intel Atom processor), while the B1 is a slight upgrade to last year's model. Both tablets come with 16GB storage.

So now I have more choices for when I eventually buy an Android tablet. My budget is $200 and under.
- Dell Venue 8
- Nook HD / HD+
- Acer A1-830

The Dell and Nook tablets come with 32GB storage for under $200, but the Nook has outdated hardware. The Acer tablets only have 16GB storage.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 03, 2014, 01:13:54 PM
Both of those Acer tablets are ****. 8GB Nexus 7 (2013) is $199 now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 03, 2014, 08:46:29 PM
Verizon and AT&T = No unlimited data
T-Mobile and Sprint = Unlimited data

Good thing I have T-Mobile. Verizon is overpriced anyways.

I have unlimited data on Verizon (grandfathered)... do they not offer the privilege at an exorbitant price anymore?

and on a slightly unrelated note, look s like AT&T wants that T-Mo business.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/03/att-will-give-you-up-to-450-to-leave-t-mobile/
maybe you can get AT&T to carry over that unlimited plan since they seem so desperate right to win buy that business right now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 03, 2014, 09:42:32 PM
Dude try to find a 2011 Nexus if you can.


Not related to Android that much but The Verge posted an article about what Web Os's future would have been like if HP wouldn't have killed it off after the first three devices were shuttered.


http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos (http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos)


A two new phones and a tablet device. The UI looks better than ios and Android and from a functionality perseptive it was going to take the best of ios/Android/Windows.


My home screen for the month
(http://i.imgur.com/WKVSoLA.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/feVJW4C.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/hxsHKhh.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/dbQaip7.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 03, 2014, 11:36:06 PM
Dude get rid of your notifications.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 05, 2014, 12:23:59 PM
The thing I hate about stock Android is how you can't rearrange and delete home screens like you can on Samsung Galaxy devices. Galaxy devices also have a quick menu button which makes navigating apps much easier.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 05, 2014, 12:29:49 PM
Is the Nook worth buying? It has Google Play now, and it's extremely cheap (especially the 9" HD+), but the hardware is very outdated.

I was also looking at the new Kindle Fire HDX, but it's locked to Amazon's ecosystem. The hardware is amazing though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 05, 2014, 12:46:08 PM
No, it's not. BTW, now that the Moto G is on Verizon for $99 (no contract), you can buy one and put it on Net 10 (CDMA through Verizon) and get unlimited everything for $50/month.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 06, 2014, 12:27:42 AM
So HTC finicals came in and the company is dying despite being number 2 in Android. Seems like Nokia dodged a bullet there.

Rumor is that Lenevo is going to step in and buy them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 06, 2014, 12:49:31 AM
Is HTC really #2? I don't see that information anywhere, I used to always assume they were in the top few, but reports I saw always showed otherwise. I'm pretty sure LG is ahead of HTC as far as market share.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 06, 2014, 01:02:16 AM
**** just got real. (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-35284_1-57616466/nvidia-unveils-tegra-k1-graphics-chip/) Tegra 5 will be able to run anything a PC or high-end game console can run, according to EPIC Games founder, Tim Sweeney. Unreal Engine 4 will be on Tegra 5 (and Android phones, tablets and game consoles) in the near future. Lots of big stuff coming from CES already, including new Android PCs.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 06, 2014, 08:12:19 AM
Even being #3 it says a lot that Samsung is probably the only handset maker who seems to take a killing off of android.

Makes me wonder what happened too HTC since they were essentially the most popular maker around the time the Evo came out and out of nowhere they just fell out of vouge
 Seems the only difference between than HTC and the Samsung of today is money and Samsung doesn't mind flooding the market.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 06, 2014, 02:37:25 PM
I've been playing around with my Galaxy S2, and I actually like the TouchWiz UI. Navigating the interface feels very intuitive. I also like how Samsung phones have a menu shortcut button next to the Home and Back buttons (it makes navigating apps much easier).

Apparently LG likes TouchWiz too, because their Optimus UI is a blatant copy of it.

How does TouchWiz compare to HTC's Sense and LG's Optimus UI?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 06, 2014, 05:23:02 PM
I've been playing around with my Galaxy S2, and I actually like the TouchWiz UI. Navigating the interface feels very intuitive. I also like how Samsung phones have a menu shortcut button next to the Home and Back buttons (it makes navigating apps much easier).

Apparently LG likes TouchWiz too, because their Optimus UI is a blatant copy of it.

How does TouchWiz compare to HTC's Sense and LG's Optimus UI?

Samsung's love of a physical button continues to wreck Google's attempt to overhaul the UI with Holo going forward. For example, look at how certain apps behave on a TouchWiz phone versus a Nexus - the latter are all universal in their design language (but vary, as always).

Sense is the best of the three because it tries to be different while conforming to that setup.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 07, 2014, 12:02:42 AM
I always liked the way that HTC had their button line up for thier pre ICS phones.

Not a fan of how much Samsung messes with android and I think the note is probably the only time I like the skin tbh.


Well CES started and it looks like the big thing is windows/android hybird machines.

Webos TV looks freaking awesome. Really hope LG decodes to bring it back to phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 07, 2014, 12:56:01 AM
ASUS announced their new ZenFone line of low-cost Android smartphones. They currently run Android 4.3 and will be upgradeable to KitKat.

Their off contract prices are as follows:
ZenFone 4 - $99
ZenFone 5 - $149
ZenFone 6 - $199

All three phones have recent Intel Atom chips. They start with 4GB storage and go up to 16GB (and they also have a micro-SD slot).

What do you think? Should I get the Moto G or wait for these new ZenFones to come out?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 07, 2014, 01:03:32 AM
I've been curious about something... If Chrome OS is open source like Android, then why can't manufacturers make their own skins for it like they do with Android?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 07, 2014, 09:42:39 AM
They probably can, but why **** it up?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 07, 2014, 11:41:48 AM
Why does Microsoft have full control over Windows updates (regardless of what brand device you have), while Google has to rely on manufacturers for Android updates?

My Samsung Windows 8 laptop will get the same updates as your ASUS Windows 8 desktop. But my Samsung Galaxy won't get the same updates as your HTC One.

Does Microsoft just have more control over their own OS?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 07, 2014, 11:43:37 AM
WebOS on the smart TV is the next step for smart TV's.

TV's will soon be like giant stationary cell phones with their connectivity and capabilities. All these custom apps will be responsive and actually useful. Maybe you'll be able to segment your screen to multitask while you watch,  maybe have Skype open at the same time as Netflix, or Facebook at the same time as a movie from your DVD player.

Either way LG should try to be that with WebOS as lots of TV UI's suck or are extremely basic, and it won't be long before Apple's HDTV becomes a thing and Android is all over everything else that can run an OS.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 07, 2014, 11:47:34 AM

I just thought of something... Why does Microsoft have full control over Windows updates (regardless of what brand device you have), while Google has to rely on manufacturers for Android updates?

Google struck an unfavorable deal with manufacturers in order to push android into being relevant. They didn't hold firm for that kind of control. Now every manufacturer gets the update first and tweaks it to include all of their own proprietary **** that we didn't ask for, who then push it to the service providers that apparently do the same which is why different phones on different services sometimes get the same update at differ times.

Someone let me know if that is not accurate.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 07, 2014, 04:37:16 PM
Well since Google owns Motorola, they should get updates much quicker than the other manufacturers. The Moto X and Moto G got KitKat shortly after the Nexus devices got it. And Motorola is now sticking with stock Android, making things even better.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on January 07, 2014, 05:54:24 PM
Also Android is allowed vastly more customization than Windows Phone.  Unfortunately what killed Microsoft Strategy and literally everyone who wasn't MS saw this coming is that Updates need Carrier approval.  So Microsoft will have an update ready for consumers and they have to wait 6 months to get it when developers have had the production version for a while.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 07, 2014, 09:11:42 PM
Let's all say it together, the difference with Android is...

..."ANDROID IS OPEN SOURCE!"

That's the main reason behind, well, everything. They make the OS in itself, and put it on their Nexus (or close to Nexus) phones - they do not put it on HTC's phones, or Samsung's (developer edition Galaxy and One excluded), the manufacturers do it, how they want, when they want. This gives you the choice for many different potential experiences and UIs based on what you think will work best for you. Delays come from carriers, and manufacturers trying to get you to buy a new phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 07, 2014, 09:50:44 PM
I was about to say because android is Open Source.

___😄
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 08, 2014, 01:13:57 PM
Are all of those community-developed Android mods allowed by Google? I know Linux has a lot of mods developed by the community, but what about Android?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 08, 2014, 01:18:49 PM
I just bought a Moto G from Amazon. I was considering the Nokia Lumia 521, but the Moto G has better specs.

Finally something to replace my shitty Galaxy S2. I'll just stick with Motorola from now on. They only use stock Android now, and they should get updates directly from their parent company Google.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 08, 2014, 02:12:13 PM
Are all of those community-developed Android mods allowed by Google? I know Linux has a lot of mods developed by the community, but what about Android?

I've officially given up on you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 08, 2014, 06:20:29 PM
Motorola is announcing a device on the 14th in the UK.

I hope it's the X. If it is, and it's a good price, i'll get that to replace my iPod.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on January 08, 2014, 09:18:20 PM
Has anyone here been crazy enough to buy a Nexus device through a carrier and can say if it's loaded down with crapware?

I'm looking at a Nexus 5 because gravity and Jellybean have combined to kick the crap out of my Note2, but I need to know if I'm safe going through my carrier now or should wait until I have free cash next month and get the Play Store version.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 08, 2014, 09:50:04 PM
They don't come with any bloatware, but there's no reason to buy one from a carrier unless you just can't afford it outright. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus had a couple of things on it, but that's because Verizon phones have to be "Verizon Certified" and need to have a couple of their account management apps on them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 09, 2014, 03:22:23 AM
They don't come with any bloatware, but there's no reason to buy one from a carrier unless you just can't afford it outright.

I cannot speak about the US of A, but here buying outright is a reason to break out of contracts and reduce what you pay to the networks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 11, 2014, 01:51:19 PM
I'd rather get a subsidized phone than pay $500+ off contract (which is way overpriced to begin with).

In other news, I just received my Moto G from Amazon today. I haven't activated it on T-Mobile yet, but my first impressions are very positive. The phone feels very solid and durable, and stock Android is so much faster than TouchWiz. The screen also has a higher pixel density / resolution than my Galaxy S2.

I'm very impressed with what Google & Motorola were able to achieve with a $200 phone. Motorola's new direction of focusing on quality over quantity seems to be working out for them. HTC is supposedly doing the same thing (quality over quantity) with their HTC One line.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 11, 2014, 03:20:24 PM

The phone feels very solid and durable, and stock Android is so much faster than TouchWiz.
What's this, a device made in 2013 is faster then a device made in 2011? Oh stop the presses. The moto G seems to be more comparable to the US Dual core version of the S3 then the S2. I am not arguing that touchwiz is faster, I'm saying that the more fair comparison would be found in a newer Samsung device.

I for one have decided to opt for the Zenfone 5 over the moto G because Google continues to pretend that micro sd cards don't exist. Sadly Motorola seems to have been forced into this position as well.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 11, 2014, 03:41:42 PM
Even my ex girlfriend's Galaxy S4 was laggy compared to the Moto G. TouchWiz is full of bloatware and it hogs RAM; that's part of the reason why I chose a stock Android phone. Plus since Motorola is owned by Google, they should get updates quicker than the other manufacturers (as evidenced by Moto X / G getting KitKat shortly after the Nexus devices).

Most tablets run stock Android, and I'm surprised phones haven't followed suit.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 12, 2014, 08:46:34 AM
I'd rather get a subsidized phone than pay $500+ off contract (which is way overpriced to begin with).

So what you're saying is you'd happily pay more to the network at the end of a contract than pay more up front and go your own way with flexibility.

Example, the Nexus 5 on Three UK (http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2737?priceplan=PAY_MONTHLY):

£50 upfront, plus £35/month for 24 months for "The One Plan". £890 total over 24 months.

What i will be doing:

Nexus 5 on Three UK:

Sim only is £15/month. (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=3034) Same tariff, same network. £299 upfront plus £15/month (£3/month more if you want a 1-month contract). £659 over 24 months.

£231 saved.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 12, 2014, 10:17:53 AM
'Subsidized' phones are typically not the cheaper bargain. But non-contract phones do require a large sum of cash up front so you need to be prepared with your dough. My wife and I have decided that once our current contract expires we are just going to buy our own new phones up front. Plus when you are off contract you can do things like negotiate for a lower rate and companies will actually take you seriously.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 12, 2014, 10:59:59 AM
My point is these $500+ phones are way overpriced. Not everyone has expendable money to spend. What of you were buying a car or house and you were forced to pay the full cost upfront? Without carriers subsidizing phones, the iPhone would have never gotten popular and the smartphone industry would have collapsed.

Also, carriers now have a program where you can exchange your phone every 6 months so you're not suck with the same thing for the life of your contract.

The Moto G is possibly the best value in the smartphone market right now. It's very affordable ($200 and under), durable, and has decent specs
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 12, 2014, 11:10:54 AM
Which is why I am 'preparing' for the purchase. I set aside a bit of money a month so that if/when one of our S2s go out we can upgrade or replace it. Kills two birds with one stone as we are basically self-insuring our phones as well so no need to pay some other company a ridiculous fee for that service.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 12, 2014, 11:25:09 AM
Think of subsidizing like a financing plan, except you're paying the carrier back for the cost of the phone plus your plan's monthly price. That's why you end up paying more in the long run.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 12, 2014, 11:28:13 AM
Lucky with phones like the Moto G and Asus' ZenFone, you can get a high quality phone with good specs at an affordable price.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 12, 2014, 02:14:26 PM
Hopefully asus sees the general distaste for anything that isn't stock android and designs zen ui as a lightweight and unintrusive enhancement to the android experience instead of the whole obnoxious and gimmicky style Samsung has taken.

It's interesting however that ZenUI has brought such a focus to calandar/scheduling type apps. I wonder if this is just something asus noticed that other skins weren't doing or if they are going to attempt to target the business/enterprise market with a greater focus towards productivity. The transformer series would excel in that area.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 12, 2014, 09:32:35 PM
Unfortunately for ASUS, no one buys their phones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 12, 2014, 10:22:00 PM
This is their first real attempt to make an android phone, it's hard for people to buy phones that don't exist :D

Asus has had some great success with their tablets to the point of being allowed to manufacture both versions of the Nexus 7. They have also been able to get those weird hybrid devices they have had (the padfone) to some success. This will be their first real attempt to enter the android phone market and it wil be interesting

The advantage they have now is not being an established player in the race. If they can learn from their competitor's mistakes (update schedule, the issues with sense and touchwiz) they can become quite a formidable player.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 13, 2014, 12:18:51 AM
The PadFone and GarminFone must not exist then.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 13, 2014, 03:24:45 AM
Think of subsidizing like a financing plan, except you're paying the carrier back for the cost of the phone plus your plan's monthly price. That's why you end up paying more in the long run.

That still doesn't add up.

Lets assume i paid full price for an iPhone 5S. Over 24 months i'd pay £1083 for it versus £909 if i bought it outright upfront. £174 saved. And this is just assuming i buy it from Apple directly. Same tariff, same network. Stratos' plan of "self insuring" means you can buy your next phone by simply popping aside $20/month over the life of your existing contract - and if you don't buy one you've saved a wad of cash plus interest.

Subsidy, in their minds, means "pay less up front and more overall".

And here is why those programs like AT&T Next are quite bad (supposedly T-Mobile USA is OK if used correctly): http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff (http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff)

On a related note, do any of the big four USA networks even offer cheaper sim-only plans?
 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 13, 2014, 05:24:32 PM
Google just bought Nest which is fucking crazy when you think of infrastructure already in place.

http://m.androidcentral.com/google-acquire-nest

HTC cut off support for their 2012 phones so **** them and I hope they die.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 13, 2014, 06:15:06 PM
So Nest makes smart Thermostats and Smoke/CO2 sensors that you can monitor through an app on your smart phone?
Like get an alert if the smoke alarm goes off or maybe set my thermostat to turn on to 72o 30 minutes before I get home?

Is google working on a Smart Home app? Turn your tablet into a smart house remote?
What about home security? are they doing anything in that area? Cameras?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 14, 2014, 02:01:55 PM
AT&T is doing that home monitoring/security stuff and so is Comcast. Makes sense for Google to get in on it too. Lots of fun things they could do with it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 14, 2014, 02:58:27 PM
One day Google will be absolutely everywhere. You will have to wear a digital ad blocker on your wrist just to stop google from profiling and direct advertising to you.

We see you like to jerk off to Jesse Jane & Tera Patrick
may we interest you in some Jergens Soft Hand and Body lotion, some Kleenex moisturized wipes and inform you that the AVN awards will be airing in Las Vegas next month. Tickets to Vegas starting at $69.99 and room and rental car packages starting at 169.99 per day.

Now imagine if Google Watch (Smart House Monitoring) and Amazon decided to team up in the future
You are running low on toilet paper, your milk is about to expire and you are low on eggs.
[Click Here] for 1-Click replacement orders from Amazon Marketplace.
or
[Click Here] to add items to your order.

Now I'm not sure if I'm more scared or intrigued by the possibilities... but definitely both.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 14, 2014, 03:19:32 PM
I'm both cautiously optimistic and slightly paranoid about the future of technology and connectivity. I like being left to my own devices unless I want something. It's while I dislike Facebook and if I do log on to it, it is only to connect with a specific long-distance friend or relative and I have the chat feature disabled because I don't want to be bothered unless I feel like being bothered. It is also why I disable Gmail chat and regularly log on to places as a hidden entity. This is one of the few places I don't do that because I already feel anonymous enough it is not a problem.


I also don't support apps and games that badger me to 'like' them or follow them. I am sure my friends don't care what game I am playing right now or what products I use. If I want someone's advice or product recommendations I will ASK them.


I'm not specifically scared of Google or Amazon, but the potential for abuse (especially by corrupt government officials) is always something that concerns me.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 14, 2014, 03:30:03 PM
One day Google will be absolutely everywhere. You will have to wear a digital ad blocker on your wrist just to stop google from profiling and direct advertising to you.

We see you like to jerk off to Jesse Jane & Tera Patrick
may we interest you in some Jergens Soft Hand and Body lotion, some Kleenex moisturized wipes and inform you that the AVN awards will be airing in Las Vegas next month. Tickets to Vegas starting at $69.99 and room and rental car packages starting at 169.99 per day.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 27, 2014, 09:52:48 AM
Motorola has a sale going on for the Moto X, 100$ off between 3-4pm EST today.

I'm going to order a 32gb Moto X (developer edition) and import it here. After the discount, it's £220 which is the same price roughly as a 32gb ipod touch.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 27, 2014, 11:04:22 AM
I went by the t-mobile store yesterday to check out their $30 unlimited everything plan, and apparently they don't do that anymore or never did. But I remember the ads for it....

Anyway, the reason I came in here was to say that damn, their phone selection sucks.
It's either an iPhone; 1 of 4 Galaxy phones, a Nexus or an LG if you want android; or a Nokia if you want Windows phone.
They literally had less than 10 different phones with Galaxy being the largest of the selection.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 27, 2014, 01:00:05 PM
I think that was a limited run deal. My wife and I missed it by a month when we switched from AT&T. I think there is a $50 one now. At least MetroPCS has it still, and T-Mobile and MetroPCS are toghether so in a way is it TMO.

TMO used to do the $50 anything plan too. Usually the catch is you BYOP when you do these deals so no phone 'subsidies'. Currently I know TMO is offering to pay your early termination fee if you leave another carrier.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 27, 2014, 03:37:13 PM
The $30 T-Mobile plan is at Wal-Mart, it's just data and texting - no calls.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 28, 2014, 02:54:26 AM
So i managed to get the Moto X, but i forgot about taxes.

Because america is backwards and doesn't show the cost inclusive of tax - which all of europe does - the price jumped to $415 for a 32gb model, before shipping it to me and customs.
So i cancelled my order.

Thanks america!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on January 28, 2014, 09:58:32 AM
Not trying to make excuses because it is ass backwards but they we have 50 different states with 50 different sales taxes including provisions for online taxes where applicable.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 28, 2014, 10:26:20 AM
Exactly. Those damn foreigners need to get it through their foreign skulls that our American ways are far superior to their foreign way of shopping.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on January 28, 2014, 11:34:08 AM
http://mobile.theverge.com/2014/1/28/5352592/google-glass-prescription-lenses-frames-titanium-collection

Who would have guessed designibg frames around glass would have made them look 85% less stupid. From the commercial for the new set Google is trying to make glass a stylish wearable.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 28, 2014, 01:27:52 PM
Not until they are indistinguishable from normal glasses.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 28, 2014, 02:32:24 PM
I really dislike sales tax. Especially for online purchases. But I suppose it is better than paying an income tax.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 28, 2014, 02:51:11 PM
In the bay area every city has a slightly different tax too which also complicated things, but I do agree that the actual out of pocket price is the price that needs to be advertised.

There is nothing worse (there is, but not for this point) than thinking your getting a good deal, only to see the final tally with fees, upon fees, and taxes bringing the price right back up to what you thought you weren't going to be paying because you just got the hookup. It's misleading.

Kinda why I like Safeway, if it says $3.99, when you get to the register, it is $3.99.
Tax was already included.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 28, 2014, 03:14:54 PM
It isn't misleading. Do you realize that a retail store would have to create 5000+ different signs per store? That's a waste of money and time, when a shopper could stop being so lazy and do the calculation themselves.

It isn't misleading, it isn't false advertising, it's a fucking necessity of the government and the way our country is set up. I easily can do the tax in about 10 seconds on the calculator of my phone before I ever walk through the aisle to checkout.

If other countries do that? Go right ahead. They have a different infrastructure than we do. Would it be sure? Hell yes, I would love that format. But to say that every store in the country that has sales tax should change the sign depending on the state, county, or even city is fucking mental.


Unclebob, back me up. I'm sure you know what it's like.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 28, 2014, 03:41:06 PM
It isn't a waste if each store orders their own signs independently of what is sent out by corporate, which if Safeway can do it, I don't see why Wal-Mart can't too.

I know why they do it, because the prices look lower, but if everyone did it, it wouldn't be a problem. And I also wasn't just referring to retail shops, so I'm gonna assume you've never bought something like a house, car, or even TV.
Unmentioned electronic recycling fees onto of tax for a TV or monitor.
And houses & cars are the worse offenders with all sort of "mandated" fees and percentages and commissions and taxes.... don't even get me started on taxes for houses.
But a lot of that isn't being disclosed upfront, so yes it is very misleading to think, "oh, this TV is on sale for $599, I can afford $600...."
"Don't forget to add $50 for tax..."
"That's pushing it, let me borrow $20"
Then you get to the register and you also get hit with an electronic recycling fee for an additional $10

And to relate back to this thread, cellphones do it all the time too. iPhone 6G is on sale for $99 on contract. I'm gonna do the sales tax in my head... 8%... carry the 3... divide by 4... to the 7th power... add a decimal... equals $107... I brought cash, exact change. :)"
WRONG!!! You gotta pay tax on the full price of the phone which was $999.99 off contract, so now you need to come up with almost double the money because you also forgot you electronic recycling fees, contract tax, upgrade fee and we hope you didn't get talked into any extras. Now that advertised $99 phone is gonna cost you almost $200 out of pocket. I would call that misleading.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 28, 2014, 03:51:18 PM
To my knowledge, food is not taxable. At least here in Washington State. So that is why Safeway would show the correct price on most items.


It would net be that hard for each store to show the tax on an item. Prices do change enough with or without the influence of taxes that it would not be that much or a difference in price per store.


The only thing I can think of is there could be laws in some places that do not allow you to show the price of an item with taxes for some reason. I know local government came down hard when some stores started offering a 'no sales tax' sale. They were forced to re-title it a "We pay your sales tax" sale.

I'm still laughing at everyone that voted to move alcohol sales out of government control because they thought it would make it cheaper. Now the 'price tag' is cheaper but there are so many extra taxes rung up at the register that it raised total cost of alcohol by about 15%. Silly people, now booze is more expensive.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 28, 2014, 04:37:07 PM
Prepared or hot food is taxable (and soda and stuff), but like a loaf or bread or a pound of turkey is not.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on January 28, 2014, 05:00:56 PM
I enjoy going to restaurants where the price includes tax. It gives it a charm. What you order is exactly what you pay for.

But even more to the point, those restaurants also give you even numbers. None of that 14.99 crap. Just 15 bucks.

But even even more to the point. I sell two products that cost 20 bucks even; one singular bill. No change no hassle. If they use a credit card, I charge them the fee of using a credit card however.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 28, 2014, 05:41:38 PM
But even even more to the point. I sell two products that cost 20 bucks even; one singular bill. No change no hassle. If they use a credit card, I charge them the fee of using a credit card however.

Weed and crack?

I know, I apologize, slap me with the [that's racist gif] and lets move on now. LOL
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on January 28, 2014, 08:00:12 PM
*Listens to 10 crack commandments*

Anyway, has anyone used or even seen those bootleg Chinese android phones up close? They're so damn cheap, I'm tempted just to check one out. They can't be that bad can they? Especially if all the specs are accurate.

The reason I'm asking is because I'd like to make an app (that i might sell but its more for my family and I) and I need five phones that run android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 28, 2014, 08:24:54 PM
Hah! I was thinking weed too and was wondering if he was in Washington or Colorado considering weed is legal here now. But I'm sure you gotta pay sales tax on that now too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 28, 2014, 09:37:38 PM
I know, a dub sack didn't even cost a straight $20 anymore,  now it's $21.80 after tax lol.
**** that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on January 28, 2014, 11:38:12 PM
Never been a fan of selling weed. It's like selling a steak. If I got another steak, I'll just feed you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 29, 2014, 03:06:00 AM
Thread successfully derailed.

Congratulations to me.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 29, 2014, 05:18:50 PM
Lenovo has just bought Motorola Mobility.

Given my dealings with Lenovo (and i imagine brandogg has too?), this has made me want to cancel my order for my Moto G.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on January 29, 2014, 06:09:31 PM
The Moto G is an amazing phone. It's too bad that Google was too shortsighted with their Motorola purchase. They could have completely integrated the company into their mobile division, like what Microsoft is doing with Nokia.

Well now Lenovo has a decent shot at taking over the mobile market like they did with the PC market. Right?

Looks like I'll be getting that ASUS ZenFone for my next phone. Goodbye Motorola, it's been nice knowing you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on January 29, 2014, 07:06:45 PM
Did I miss somthing? I thought Google bought Motorola? They already sold them off?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on January 29, 2014, 09:56:12 PM
Bought 'em, grabbed the patents so Android won't get sued into irrelevance, sold the rest.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 29, 2014, 11:37:53 PM
Pretty much, that amd basically fix Motorola's phone division and release them back into the wild to stir up some competition in android.

On the next episode of fix that phone company we have HTC who decided to have a high end multimedia based phone without expandable memory and decided to just completely **** up the button placement.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 30, 2014, 08:01:42 AM
Yeah, no more Motorola for me. I'm disappointed.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on January 30, 2014, 08:20:51 AM
I decided to keep the Moto G order open as it's only for music/podcasts. I won't buy any further devices after that as Lenovo will begin to influence things at some point in the future.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 30, 2014, 10:43:56 AM
On the next episode of fix that phone company we have HTC who decided to have a high end multimedia based phone without expandable memory and decided to just completely **** up the button placement.


Wait, what's wrong with the buttons? I could have sworn it was like the rest of them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on January 30, 2014, 06:23:33 PM
Got me one of them fancy Samsung Galaxy mobile telephones recently. Pretty spiffy.


Anyone have any recommendations as to what app to use to manage podcasts? Like, I want something that will hopefully:
- let me easily subscribe to podcasts I like
- will auto-download them, but only when wi-fi is available
- will give me choices about how many episodes to keep and how they are organized (like, oldest first, newest first, etc.)
- will automatically delete episodes I have listened to (but only if I first told it to do that)
- will let me play an episode and will keep my place when I return to the episode after doing other stuff or listening to other stuff
- will have an option to just keep playing all new episodes one after the other, if I want.


Is that too much to ask? Basically, the above would replicate what my Zune already does, which is precisely the point. I want to carry fewer devices.


Any recommendations?


I am also looking for the best music/mp3 managing app so I can listen to the musics too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on January 30, 2014, 07:22:00 PM
I use BeyondPod for podcasts, Rocket Music Player for my music.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 31, 2014, 08:12:04 AM
On the next episode of fix that phone company we have HTC who decided to have a high end multimedia based phone without expandable memory and decided to just completely **** up the button placement.
Wait, what's wrong with the buttons? I could have sworn it was like the rest of them.


HTC One has no multitask button.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Adrock on January 31, 2014, 08:33:25 AM
My mom bought a Galaxy S4 a couple weeks ago. I tried for months to convince her not to get a smartphone because she rarely answers her phone, isn't allowed to have her phone on her at work (she's a nurse), and is home 95% of the time she's not at work. There's absolutely no reason why someone with my mom's minimal technological requirements would need a smartphone. It's her money so I threw my hands up and walked away. She has no idea how to use it and since I've never had an Android phone, I have no idea where anything is to help. She asks me things about it and I facepalm repeatedly. This is my nightmare.

/first world problems
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on January 31, 2014, 12:40:46 PM
My mom bought a Galaxy S4 a couple weeks ago. I tried for months to convince her not to get a smartphone because she rarely answers her phone, isn't allowed to have her phone on her at work (she's a nurse), and is home 95% of the time she's not at work. There's absolutely no reason why someone with my mom's minimal technological requirements would need a smartphone. It's her money so I threw my hands up and walked away. She has no idea how to use it and since I've never had an Android phone, I have no idea where anything is to help. She asks me things about it and I facepalm repeatedly. This is my nightmare.

/first world problems
I recently  got the same phone. Up until now, I cited similar reasons as you (with your Mom) for not bothering but I gotta tell you, I use the damn thing a lot. More than I expected. It is a decently powerful, fully connected computer in my pocket. Most impressive.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 31, 2014, 08:14:29 PM
On the next episode of fix that phone company we have HTC who decided to have a high end multimedia based phone without expandable memory and decided to just completely **** up the button placement.
Wait, what's wrong with the buttons? I could have sworn it was like the rest of them.


HTC One has no multitask button.
And they decided to put the home button on the side. Seriously, the only company that has created a good alternative to the standard layout is Samsung.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 04, 2014, 12:01:43 AM
Speaking of Samsung apparently Samsung is planning to scale back it's app development stuff.

The way I see it if I had to choose i'd say keep the S-planner(oh I love that app so much) and gallery apps they made(along with the Multiwindow and s-pen related software) and after that pretty much toss everything else out in terms of their google app clones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 04, 2014, 05:25:51 AM
I had the Moto G for one whole day before i sent it back.

The phone is great, but there's a bug (even after a factory reset) when you unplug the headphones all sounds (including system sounds) fail to play through the speakers and the phone requires a reboot to work.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: tendoboy1984 on February 07, 2014, 10:47:04 AM
Why is stock Android more prevelant on tablets than smart phones? Practically every tablet manufacturer that isn't Samsung uses stock Android, but the only phones that use it are either Nexus phones or the Moto X / G.

I really hope Lenovo keeps supporting the "Moto" line, because I don't want my Moto G purchase to go to waste after a few months.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on February 07, 2014, 10:50:13 AM
Most phones are subsidized by carriers, who tend to like to screw with that kind of thing, whereas most tablets are not.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 07, 2014, 12:11:05 PM
Details of the Motorola purchase by Lenovo are out.
It turns out that in order to purchase Moto, Lenovo actually sold part of itself to Google.
So Google is still connected (for now)

"The purchase price is approximately US$2.91 billion (subject to certain adjustments), including US$1.41 billion paid at close, comprised of US$660 million in cash and US$750 million in Lenovo ordinary shares (subject to a share cap/floor). The remaining US$1.5 billion will be paid in the form of a three-year promissory note."

http://investor.google.com/releases/2014/0129.html
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 07, 2014, 04:24:39 PM
That and the other major phone makers seem to avoid tablets for the most part
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 12, 2014, 11:01:23 AM
I decided to disable Google Now. It just uses too much battery for what little it offers me. Right now Google now is complete and utter bloatware

I will say that nexus fanboys can get off their high horse about bloatware.
http://www.alsutton.com/nexus5-bloatware.html (http://www.alsutton.com/nexus5-bloatware.html)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on February 12, 2014, 01:06:36 PM
I rooted my Note 2. How is possible that it's slower than it was before. The only app I installed other than SuperUser is an adblocker (which doesn't always work, piece of shite).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 12, 2014, 01:14:07 PM
Get adfree android from bintincan.com instead.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 12, 2014, 01:15:11 PM
And none of those apps are bloatware in that link. Bloatware comes from the OEM and/or carrier. Those are from Google.


Also Firefox for Android just plain sucks, so his argument is both wrong and invalid.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on February 12, 2014, 01:17:06 PM
That's what I use.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 12, 2014, 02:18:36 PM
And none of those apps are bloatware in that link. Bloatware comes from the OEM and/or carrier. Those are from Google.
So if it comes from Google it can't be bloatware? Somehow that logic seems a bit broken.

Bloatware by definition refers to any non-essential app that comes with your device and cannot be deleted and is unnecessary for how you use your device.

For example if I don't want to use Gmail there is no reason to have it installed. Therefore I should be able to delete it.

Although I will concede google+ isn't bloatware, IT'S A FORM OF CANCER.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on February 12, 2014, 03:08:19 PM
You can disable it, dude. I've disable all of the Google Music/Movies/etc which includes deletion. Something tells me you don't know your Nexus 5 very well.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 12, 2014, 05:49:42 PM
So by pokepal's definition, everything that is not the dialer is bloatware.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 12, 2014, 07:17:27 PM
Disabling doesn't delete the app itself although it deletes anything it collected.
So by pokepal's definition, everything that is not the dialer is bloatware.
Did tj spyke come and hack brandogg's account? :D

I'm just saying people who jump up and down over nexus devices can get off their high horse.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 12, 2014, 08:35:12 PM
TJ Spyke would have started with "umm,"
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 12, 2014, 08:47:53 PM
True, you know I kinda miss the little bugger *sheds one tear*
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 12, 2014, 09:00:36 PM
He was forum bloatware.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 12, 2014, 09:21:39 PM
Still not as bad as google+
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on February 13, 2014, 02:19:47 AM
Disabling doesn't delete the app itself although it deletes anything it collected.


So, you're calling me a liar that doesn't know his own phone? When I "disabled" the "bloatware" that comes preinstalled on my Nexus 5, it is deleted too. It's completely gone from my menu, including my list of all apps.


Nice troll, though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on February 13, 2014, 03:04:08 AM
Get adfree android from bintincan.com instead.

I still think sideloading F-Droid and using Adaway is a better idea. At least it looks decent.

I'm just saying people who jump up and down over nexus devices can get off their high horse.

I like nexus devices and i've had every one since the S. I'd like to experience the GPE phones, but Google forgets - as usual - that not-america exists.

In other news i decided to order a new Moto G to test, in case it was a hardware bug that caused the sound failing over bug. Within 2 hours of receiving the replacement it happened again. So it goes back. There is a chance its Pocket Casts doing it (and it was one of two apps i installed after upgrading to kitkat then immediately doing a factory reset - the other app is dropbox), but there's no real way to know whats causing the sound to fail as you don't get an error on-screen... it just stops.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on February 13, 2014, 03:20:08 AM
I'm just saying people who jump up and down over nexus devices can get off their high horse.


And why the **** did this need to be said in this first place? No one in the thread was saying this; certainly not the only guy who owns the fucking device on this forum. You're trying to create an argument out of nothing. What pisses me off is that it's working.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 13, 2014, 08:54:19 AM
On a side note, I'm developing my first Android app, which has a simple premise, but I think it will be a refreshing take on the basic thing that it does. It's for school, so it will take a while, but I'll show it off when it's done.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on February 13, 2014, 10:58:04 AM
Free or paid? Will you release it to the Google Play store?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 13, 2014, 02:23:52 PM
Free (no ads), but possibly with a paid version (a few more features), and yes. A paid version would be $.99 if I did put one up. Play Store rules dictate that you can't put it up for free and then change it to paid, so I'll have to make that decision before the first release.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 13, 2014, 07:23:10 PM
Disabling doesn't delete the app itself although it deletes anything it collected.


So, you're calling me a liar that doesn't know his own phone? When I "disabled" the "bloatware" that comes preinstalled on my Nexus 5, it is deleted too. It's completely gone from my menu, including my list of all apps.

But the factory version is still stashed in the memory somewhere for if you restore factory settings or something.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 13, 2014, 08:05:57 PM
And MS Paint is included with Windows 8, quit whining.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 16, 2014, 05:34:37 PM
Been using newsstand instead of press and feedly, but it needs a ton of work. I wish Google would have made it replace Google Reader in functionality. I like how newsstand integrates magazine and newsfeeds, but the lack of alot of news content and not being able to add RSS feeds is a bit annoying.
(https://lh4.ggpht.com/p3HMwrX47WetajAjgqFUxSOusFyibQVtXfioww_F7t3fqWXZETMJirTracfnf_zFvw=h900-rw[/imgSo far the best news reader app i've seen is the bing news app for windows. It mimics newspaper pretty well for tradtional news and RSS feeds can be added even if it isn't as elegant as it could be.  http://cdn.ientry.com/sites/webpronews/article_pics/bing-news-app.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 19, 2014, 05:40:29 PM
Ok Google, we need to have a talk... I really hope this was just some sort of oversight.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/02/17/external-blues-google-has-brought-big-changes-to-sd-cards-in-kitkat-and-even-samsung-may-be-implementing-them/# (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/02/17/external-blues-google-has-brought-big-changes-to-sd-cards-in-kitkat-and-even-samsung-may-be-implementing-them/#)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 19, 2014, 06:56:30 PM
This actually seem like it makes supporting SD cards more seamless for app developers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 19, 2014, 10:22:22 PM
Like I said I hope it's just an oversight or something being misread
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 24, 2014, 08:47:50 AM
(http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/15494/DSC_0397.jpg)
Nokia X and Nokia X+ (and XL)

All 3 run Android and use Microsoft rather than google services. (NO PLAY STORE) Similar design as the Lumia 520.

Price is

X: 89 Euro (4" screen)
X+: 99 Euro (4" screen)
XL: 109 Euro (5" screen"

X+ has extra memory (RAM?) and storage.
XL has 5" screen and 5Mp camera. WVGA LOL

Features

- Glance screen
- Windows Phone influenced GUI
- Notifications
- Supports folders + widgets

Forked android so no play store. Not coming to North America or Western Europe.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Adrock on February 24, 2014, 08:53:43 AM
What's the point of that? It's Android dressed up like Windows Phone. Why not just make another Windows Phone phone (phone)?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 24, 2014, 09:04:21 AM
What's the point of that? It's Android dressed up like Windows Phone. Why not just make another Windows Phone phone (phone)?


Emerging Market where they can fork android and sell an android phone with Microsoft services.


Windows Phone and ASOP are the only markets in smart phones with any growth now.
(http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52f00c6969bedd042b3e1f64-620-/aospshare-1.png)

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-market-share-numbers-show-why-google-is-clamping-down-on-the-android-open-source-project-2-2014-2


It'd about getting the markets that will be big with growth over the next few years used to using micrlsoft devices. As the market goes up the X will be replacing the asha line, which will eventually taken over by Windows phone and 8.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 24, 2014, 09:35:17 AM
Lame. Very, very lame.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on February 24, 2014, 09:42:40 AM
Lame. Very, very lame.

Well its not for us. Its for markets where smartphone penerration is low.

Its the same reason why the 2DS exisits.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 27, 2014, 08:30:19 AM
Any thoughts on the S5?

I'm happy they ditched the dartboard approach for software in favor of a smaller number of seemingly more well made and practical features.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 27, 2014, 09:03:19 AM
Waterproof = awesome. I'd have to see one in person though, not a big fan of the back of the phone. Also, no matter how good they make Touchwiz look, I will always hate it - so I'd either get a developer edition, or wait for that one to come out so I could unlock the bootloader and make it a developer edition (happens with all the other developer/GPE phones). Having said that - getting a developer/GPE Galaxy almost makes no sense since Samsung's software is a big part of what makes the phone special so...I'm not gonna get one.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 20, 2014, 01:37:35 PM
Galaxy S5 and the samsung watches are going on pre-order at ATT tomorrow.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 22, 2014, 12:21:21 PM
Just got a new TV so I guess its time to get a Chromecast.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 22, 2014, 08:46:50 PM
Just got a new TV so I guess its time to get a Chromecast.

Did you know that Roku is releasing it's version of a Chromecast?
http://www.amazon.com/Roku-3500R-Streaming-Stick-HDMI/dp/B00INNP5VU/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1395535232&sr=8-12&keywords=chromecast

It's $50.00 though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on March 22, 2014, 08:50:09 PM
Will it be a Roku WITH chromecast-like functionality or a separate device?

~

Upon reading the item listing it looks like it will not be an All-In-One device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 22, 2014, 08:56:47 PM
I don't know, it kinda sounds all in one (minus the angry birds maybe)

Quote from: Amazon Product Description
Roku 3500R Streaming Stick Product Features:
-Compact stick design. Plugs discreetly right into the HDMI port. Great for wall-mounted TVs.
-1,000+ entertainment channels and counting. By far the most movies, TV episodes, sports, news, music, kids’ shows, and free channels of any streaming player.
-Control with included remote. Comes with a simple-to-use remote that the household can share. With RF technology, you can use your remote without pointing it at the TV.
-Or control with your smartphone and tablet. Download the free Roku iOS or Android app to choose what you want to watch on your Roku player via your mobile device. It’s your choice.
-Send to TV from mobile. With apps from Netflix and YouTube, cast videos from your smartphone or tablet straight to your TV.
-Display personal media. Send your videos, photos and music stored locally on your smartphone to your TV screen with the Roku app.
-Find what you want to watch. Roku Search makes it a snap to find your favorite movies and shows from top channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Amazon Instant Video and VUDU. Even compare pricing.
-Channel shortcut buttons. Jump straight to favorite channels such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video with the push of a button.
-Stunning HD video quality. Immerse yourself in the action with rich, vibrant video streaming in up to 1080p HD.
-Dual-band wireless. A robust extended-range wireless connection seamlessly streams video with ease and speed.

It doesn't outright say it is a mini Roku that plugs into the HDMI port, but I suspect that is what it is. and it allows streaming from your portable iOS or Android device ontop of Roku features.

Now I have to go see what the Chromecast offer out of the box to see if the Roku version would be worth an extra $15.00


edit:
Quote from:  Chomecast Product Description
-Stream online video, music to your TV using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop; Available for Windows computers running Windows 7 or higher.
-Supports Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and Google Play Movies and Music mobile apps as well as select content through Chrome browser
-Works with Android, iOS, Chrome for Mac, and Chrome for Windows
-Easy setup: Plug into any HDTV and connect to your home WiFi network
-Box includes Chromecast, HDMI extender, USB power cable, and power adapter

Sounds like Chromecast will display pretty much anything from your handheld device, but you have to use your handheld device.

So the unique feature(s) look like:
Chrome:
+ putting a single tab from your Chrome Browser up on the TV.
+ Streaming of your Google Play Music & Movies to your TV/connected Stereo
+ HBOgo from your phone to your TV

Roku:
+ A Roku the size of a USB stick (all channels - TV, Movies, Netflix/Hulu/Vudu/) <no mention of games>
+ Does everything (locally stored only?) personal digital media (videos, pictures & music?) from personal handheld device to the TV like a mini Plex Server


Edit 2: The Roku Stick is basically a Roku 2 with a different remote (more buttons, but no headphone jack)
http://i61.tinypic.com/aep2qr.jpg

I think I'll hold out for the reviews on the Roku stick. seems like a much better value for me personally.
$50 for an extra Roku sounds awesome if you ask me. I might buy 2 if they are any good.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 31, 2014, 04:26:51 PM
Google is calling you all you Pokemon Masters to the playground

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 25, 2014, 03:20:34 AM
Free App for a very limited time

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lsdroid.cerberus

Cerebus is free till tomorrow.
Cerberus is a complete anti-theft application, the best protection you can get to recover your misplaced, lost or stolen Android device.

Get it while it's free.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 25, 2014, 09:25:14 AM
Wow, I might have to get that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on April 25, 2014, 04:35:26 PM
Thanks, i got it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 05, 2014, 04:50:07 PM
Just picked up a brand new HTC One M8 (Gunmetal grey), this thing is absolutely beautiful.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on May 05, 2014, 05:21:54 PM
Nice. Is it the sense version or the Google Play varient.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 05, 2014, 06:14:40 PM
Verizon, so Sense, but to be honest this version of Sense is really, really nice. I'm sure I'll flash a GPE edition ROM (phone comes out on the 9th) when its available, but I don't mind this at all.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 05, 2014, 09:10:12 PM
The speakers on this thing are absolutely amazing - and even the 3.5mm audio output is way beyond any other smartphone I've used.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on May 05, 2014, 10:47:38 PM
You know you can tweek the output for any android phone right? My note 2s output was lousy compared to an iPhone and for a while, I thought it was the music I downloaded or made, until I experimented and found out it was my phone. A simple edit to a document and a reboot later, may phone is too loud at full volume, which is perfect.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on May 05, 2014, 11:37:46 PM
Could you give us my info than that?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on May 06, 2014, 12:22:39 AM
There is also an app for that

Volume+
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 06, 2014, 04:04:16 AM
For the Nexus 5 it's definitely a driver issue which Google is aware of.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 06, 2014, 11:12:38 AM
It's kind of funny, when I was at Verizon yesterday after holding the M8 and S5 in my hands for a few minutes I started to look at other phones (DROID Ultra is damn nice too!). I picked up a Samsung and was like "when did VZW get the S4 Mini?" except it wasn't the mini, but was the regular S4. Usually that's a pretty large-screen'ed phone, but it looked like "just another little phone" after checking the new ones out. 5 inches is "the size" that cell phones were meant to have.


The S5 is pretty nice, but the M8 is the best Android phone you can buy right now (though the Glacial Silver finish is pretty shitty), just a shame that Samsung has such a lock on the market right now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 11, 2014, 07:55:51 PM
Wait the m8 has an SD card slot? Interest get.

But seriously looking at pics of the thing that design is just a step backwards from the last year model, seriously HTC we know you love yourself but you should really do something that logo now that you don't have capacitive buttons there, that has just become an eyesore.

I'm kinda annoyed that google killed the menu button all those years ago (and like most android features it doesn't die very well) just because it's such a versatile button to have, if they are worried about confusing the users I feel it would have been better to rebrand it as the 'function' button that when pressed performs a function related to whatever application.

But with Samsung I wonder if Tizen is a way for them to move themselves away from Microsoft as their second major smartphone OS they make stuff for.

Also I was curious about this when they announced the note 3 and 10.1 but I wonder if they are planning to hold off on a refresh for the 8.0 so they can sorta get that entire hardware line on the same product cycle. That said either way I hope they get that price pused down to $300.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 11, 2014, 10:22:33 PM
Android automatically creates the menu button in apps in the menu bar where it belongs (if you have an actual menu button it is hidden, unless you set it to show "always" in your xml). Having used both, I can assure that the M8 is not a step backwards in any way shape or form from the M7. I'm also impressed that they had the balls to not include a Verizon logo on the front (something that only Samsung has been able to pull off until now), not including the iPhone. But all of the manufacturers put their logo on the front...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 15, 2014, 10:07:31 AM
so Motorola has announced an sd card version of the Moto G (put a link in the image)
(https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6103350784/hDD5A5C4F/) (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/05/13/motorola-announces-moto-g-4g-lte-with-new-sd-slot-for-219-pre-orders-start-today/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on May 16, 2014, 12:45:35 AM
Just got my red Nexus 5 in yesterday, and wow, it's incredible how much better it is over the N4. One thing, though...I'm still picking up the HSPA network from AT&T that I was only able to get on the N4. Is this because of my SIM card? It's the same card I've had since my iPhone 4, and I know the N5 can do LTE (my area has LTE coverage.)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 16, 2014, 03:07:32 AM
I can't speak for networks there, but as far as i'm aware nearly all UK networks will require the sim card to be replaced with a 4G-enabled variant.

Three, however, is the exception in that they just blanket enabled it for everyone so all you need is a 4G phone.
I'm using the same sim card now in my black Nexus 5 that i did with my Nexus 4.

I'd suggest calling AT&T, but knowing them they'll probably try get you to signup to a 40,000 year contract and 1.5 of your toes.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on May 16, 2014, 07:44:26 AM
I need those 1.5 toes! (40,000 years, I can handle.)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on May 16, 2014, 08:15:08 AM
Even in the UK it shouldn't matter which SIM card you use (as long as its active and is for the network you are trying to use). The SIM is just a (very small) memory card, connecting to HSPA or LTE is completely dependent upon the phone. In the US your SIM card makes no difference - you may need to change the APN settings of the phone, but the regular AT&T ones should work.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on May 16, 2014, 08:44:45 AM
APN settings? How would I go about doing that?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on May 16, 2014, 09:00:09 AM
Even in the UK it shouldn't matter which SIM card you use (as long as its active and is for the network you are trying to use).

While that's true - Three have proven that already - all the other networks all require a 4G sim.
If you have an existing 3G you're switched over to one. 3G sims usually have "3G" on the card if there's room. The only exception is T-Mobile UK and Orange UK, who require you to move to another 4G-only brand on the same infrastructure (EE).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Sarail on May 16, 2014, 09:03:56 AM
So, I just chatted online with an AT&T representative, and he said that based on my current talk/data plan, that I'd have to go into an AT&T store, and have a rep provision my current plan to be LTE compatible - since it currently can only access HSPA and lower (it's from my iPhone 4 days, after all.) He said I'd get a new SIM card in doing so.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 04, 2014, 02:47:39 PM
Even in the UK it shouldn't matter which SIM card you use (as long as its active and is for the network you are trying to use).

While that's true - Three have proven that already - all the other networks all require a 4G sim.
If you have an existing 3G you're switched over to one. 3G sims usually have "3G" on the card if there's room. The only exception is T-Mobile UK and Orange UK, who require you to move to another 4G-only brand on the same infrastructure (EE).
That just doesn't make any sense though. You could have an old 2G Cingular SIM card, and if it's still active, pop it into any LTE AT&T phone and get on LTE.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 04, 2014, 08:23:03 PM
NEED HELP PICKING A PHONE

I'm looking at the Note 3, S5, S5 active, and the M8. Obviously I like my phone's to fit my hands (on a side note, I've been using an iphone 4s for the past few weeks and it's for tiny people). Not sure what I want. I like the stylus, I like the IP67 rating of the S5's, and I like metal.

I'm at a crossroads. Point the way?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 04, 2014, 08:27:52 PM
Go with the M8. That's some good build quality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 04, 2014, 08:52:12 PM
M8 > S5. At first I was on the fence with the S5, now I can say that I flat out do not like it at all. Design is a huge step backwards for Samsung, the S4 (the S4 Active, really) is the best looking phone they've ever made.

I have an M8, it's basically the best thing ever.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 04, 2014, 10:55:26 PM
Have you had any experience with the S5 active? I like the fact that it's metal and has an IP67 rating. It's not as sexy as the M8 for sure, but it's military grade.

But you know what....I'm gonna get insurance regardless. I guess it comes down to if I want a slick phone or a phone I can be confident with outside.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 05, 2014, 12:21:14 AM
No, I haven't seen one in person yet, but in the photos it's pretty ugly, and also a good bit larger than the regular S5. If you get insurance, you're covered either way - but the M8 comes with HTC Advantage, which gets you a free screen replacement if it breaks within the first 6 months and a few other things.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 05, 2014, 12:04:49 PM
M8 > S5. At first I was on the fence with the S5, now I can say that I flat out do not like it at all. Design is a huge step backwards for Samsung, the S4 (the S4 Active, really) is the best looking phone they've ever made.

I have an M8, it's basically the best thing ever.

I have a Nexus 5 and a iPhone 5C. The problem with the 5C is it's way too slippery to hold - does the M8 have the same issue?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 05, 2014, 12:17:55 PM
Depends on the finish. I have the Gunmetal Gray one, it is quite slipper. The Silver one has better grip, but it's ugly. You can always get a slim case.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 05, 2014, 03:58:49 PM
So I have decided to go with the S5 Active. The main reason is its ruggedness and ability to be in water with no major consequences. I'm heading to Thailand in about a month or so and I can see myself using that latter feature quite a bit.

It's not the sexiest phone on the planet, but holding something that isn't fragile will put my mind at ease. In fact, from now on these are the types of phones I buy. I'm going back to the criteria of phones I use to love, starting with the Nokia e71. That phone lasted for years, and I beat the living **** out of it, drowned it and at one point dropped it in a fire. Then I switched to the Galaxy s2 and then the Note 2. Both were fantastic phones, but I was always worried about them. Now it's time to go back to something that can take a beating and swim a bit. My life is too random for anything otherwise. Hell, I can already see myself drenching this phone in champagne.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 06, 2014, 02:56:16 AM
So I have decided to go with the S5 Active. The main reason is its ruggedness and ability to be in water with no major consequences. I'm heading to Thailand in about a month or so and I can see myself using that latter feature quite a bit.

It's not the sexiest phone on the planet, but holding something that isn't fragile will put my mind at ease. In fact, from now on these are the types of phones I buy. I'm going back to the criteria of phones I use to love, starting with the Nokia e71. That phone lasted for years, and I beat the living **** out of it, drowned it and at one point dropped it in a fire. Then I switched to the Galaxy s2 and then the Note 2. Both were fantastic phones, but I was always worried about them. Now it's time to go back to something that can take a beating and swim a bit. My life is too random for anything otherwise. Hell, I can already see myself drenching this phone in champagne.

So why not get the Xperia Z2? My boss has the Z1 and he walked me into the kitchen and dropped it straight in the sink, dried it out and put it in his pocket.

I realise Sony phones are rare in the USA, but they are significantly more interesting than the nonsense Samsung is churning out.

Depends on the finish. I have the Gunmetal Gray one, it is quite slipper. The Silver one has better grip, but it's ugly. You can always get a slim case.

I already have a case on it. Took less than 12 hours of use before it landed on my face three times to make that decision.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 06, 2014, 03:39:44 PM
Holy ****. The Z2 looks amazing. It's the have your cake and eat it too phone. That said, it's too bad I'd have to buy it outright since AT&T doesn't carry it. It's pretty damn expensive. Another hundred bucks and you could buy a Macbook Air.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 07, 2014, 10:46:38 PM
So, I just found that that Reicast (Dreamcast emulator) runs basically perfectly on my HTC One M8. About to try it on the Ouya...but yeah, holy **** that's fucking amazing to me. I was just about to bust out one of my Dreamcasts too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 07, 2014, 11:19:25 PM
...and it runs pretty damn great on the Ouya too. Only played Mortal Kombat Gold, but 60 FPS at 1080p in both situations, oddly the Ouya wasn't doing the extra geometry and didn't display videos properly (both were fine on my phone) even though they are running the same version of the reicast app.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 08, 2014, 01:36:43 AM
Because when I've got the entirety of the Dreamcast library to choose from, what's my first pick? Mortal Kombat Gold. Every time.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 08, 2014, 09:01:23 AM
I don't know if you're mocking me, but if you are I truly appreciate it. I have a ton of Dreamcast games (ok maybe 20), but yeah, MK Gold is my go to, always. Sure, everyone has the same combos and it takes about 6 minutes to beat it, but it's still fun.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 08, 2014, 05:56:21 PM
Holy ****. The Z2 looks amazing. It's the have your cake and eat it too phone. That said, it's too bad I'd have to buy it outright since AT&T doesn't carry it. It's pretty damn expensive. Another hundred bucks and you could buy a Macbook Air.

I know it's expensive but it does free you from the claws of AT&T. Isn't that a better option?

The last phone i got on contract was the Nokia 6280 on T-Mobile UK. Hated the experience so badly - the phone had several design flaws and the 3G modem was a disaster - that after the third phone with identical issues i gave up, threatened to leave if they didn't end my contract early and let me get a new phone. They let me out 6 months early.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 08, 2014, 06:01:34 PM
The fact that a 2014 version of the note 8.0 hasn't been announced confirms to me that they plan to wait until September so that they can launch it with the rest of the note family and have them all on one product cycle.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 08, 2014, 06:07:45 PM
I got a pretty good things setup with AT&T. I have 4 lines for roughly 40 a piece with 10 gb of data. Plus, I call and bitch every three months and demand credit. (Word to the wise, they can go as high as $150 without having to file anything).

I bought every single phone I've had by itself, so I'm with you on that boat. Still, I can't afford to this time. I can also unlock any android phone and completely wipe all the bloatware off it too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 08, 2014, 07:46:18 PM
Not Android, but I've been using AT&T all the way to Chicago and since I've been here, and have had no issues with it. It was good enough to stream the USA-Nigeria game on my phone in HD the whole bus ride to the Sounders game with no hiccups. They seem to have come a long way.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 12, 2014, 11:58:17 PM
So I got the 4.4 update on my note 8.0 and I guess google thought it was a good idea to have a black and white notification bar that just looks ugly. I'm not a fan of having it transparent either but honestly I'm probably going to go to the play store and see if someone has found a way to put a skin on it or something.

Also not happy with how... like before... ugh *goes through google image search*

(http://www.samsung.com/us/system/support/content/2012/07/10/h7361/i717_NotificationPanelDismiss.png)
Like before you had that division between persistent or 'ongoing' notifications like the ones i have for watchdog and hackers keyboard and actual notifications for things like emails and stuff. Now that division is gone and it's all one big mess.

I really hope those changes aren't the result of some... persuasive maneuvering by Google.

Oh and  g+ photos and google drive showed up for me to disable with all the other bloatware.

Device seems snappy as ever but I don't see any big new features that I care about. I don't really know if I can call it an upgrade.

Oh and samsung seems to have restricted the disabling of certain apps, (mostly their web browser, email, and app store, the things I would want to disable the most,) And flipboard, curiously enough.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 13, 2014, 09:20:10 AM
When you buy a Samsung, you get a Samsung.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 13, 2014, 06:09:06 PM
When you buy a Samsung, you get a Samsung.
Except I don't think having monochrome status bar icons, or forcing drive and g+ photos on the device was Samsung's idea. Just because I want Google's mobile os doesn't mean I want their everything else. I don't even use google now I just found it such a waste of battery.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 13, 2014, 08:47:27 PM
Samsung is free to modify the icons any way they please. They also don't have to include Google Drive and/or Google Plus Photos.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 13, 2014, 09:21:35 PM
Samsung is free to modify the icons any way they please. They also don't have to include Google Drive and/or Google Plus Photos.

The OS being open source isn't always a good thing.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 13, 2014, 11:21:18 PM
Samsung is free to modify the icons any way they please.
Unless Google says otherwise.
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/01/29/samsung-to-curb-android-tweaks-at-googles-request/ (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/01/29/samsung-to-curb-android-tweaks-at-googles-request/)
http://recode.net/2014/01/29/after-google-pressure-samsung-will-dial-back-android-tweaks-homegrown-apps/ (http://recode.net/2014/01/29/after-google-pressure-samsung-will-dial-back-android-tweaks-homegrown-apps/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 12:00:56 AM
GOOD. Samsung is still free to modify the icons - this is apparently more about all the god damn S-Apps and horse **** that Samsung puts on their phones. You can change the icons yourself if you want to.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 12:05:16 AM
You mean the b/w style status bar, do tell.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 12:27:22 AM
You have to root your phone. If you can install Xposed Framework on your phone, then you can install an app called Gravity Box that will let you change them. If not, then you should be able to do it manually (still need root), go to System/App/SystemUi.apk and copy to your computer, extract it with something like WinRAR then in the res/drawable (might be in drawable-hdpi or another drawable folder) you should find the icons they are PNGs, you can edit them with Photoshop or something that can open and save transparent PNG files, or I imagine you can find pre-made status bar icon packs. When you're done editing, put them back in the .apk file, put it back where it came from, cross your fingers and reboot your phone.

Honestly I thought it would be easier than that (though of course you would need to be rooted), but if it really bothers you, you can do it. There are always custom ROMs too.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 12:31:03 AM
Make an account at xda-developers forums and look around in the Note 8.0 Themes and Apps forums, ask questions there if you can't find what you need.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 12:01:09 PM
Oh if I have to root then I'm just going to downgrade back to 4.2. **** kitkat.

Seriously apparently my podcast app can no longer write to the SD card which it could before. Google, you may not know this but updates are supposed to ADD functionality, not remove it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on June 14, 2014, 12:41:17 PM
Isn't Google purposely dialing back SD card support because they are trying to get everything cloud-based? I don't like it because I am regularly out of service range but it seems to be a rolling trend for Google.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 01:23:53 PM
No, it's about security and usability. Seems ass backwards, but it's not *that* big of a deal if you know what you're doing.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 01:25:09 PM
No, it's about security and usability. Seems ass backwards, but it's not *that* big of a deal if you know what you're doing.
If by usability you mean creating a lack thereof then yes, that's exactly what it's doing.

Not everyone is gullible enough to believe everything Google says.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 01:42:29 PM
Right, but some of us are developers and completely understand why they would do it, and have read the documentation and explanations.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on June 14, 2014, 03:15:12 PM
Sucks for me because my GS3 seems to be on it's last legs as reception seems to be less and less as of recently.
I'm on Cyanogen Mod, whatever the latest full stable version is, and as of about 2-3 weeks ago, I haven't even seen a 4G signal, most times I barely have a 3G signal, and once in a while I have absolutely no signal.

Now I don't know if it's my Cyanogen Mod, Verizon punishing me for going WAAAAY over my unlimited data plan for faaaaar too long, or because my phone is old and the antennae is dying.

anyone else ever have a similar problem?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on June 14, 2014, 03:56:45 PM
Don't shower with your phone. I used to play music on it while I showered and the moisture killed off my old phone. We put some very delicate, very expensive technology through a lot of abuse we do not even think about. Leave your phone in the car on a very hot summer day and you could fry the circuits.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on June 14, 2014, 04:01:59 PM
So you're saying that our oh so delicate technology of the present is the reason why we need to upgrade more often?

I want to borrow a time machine and have them build me the latest and greatest current phone... only in the 70's.
Because then it would last me FOREVER and I would never need to upgrade it again.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on June 14, 2014, 04:05:25 PM
There is a resurgence in "dumb phones" due to people preferring the simplicity, reliability and un-track-ability by corporate, criminal, and government interests. I still have a few old Motorola Razrs that I keep as backup phones if our smartphones die before we can afford new ones.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 04:17:41 PM
Right, but some of us are developers and completely understand why they would do it, and have read the documentation and explanations.
It's something that at best is a SEVERELY mismanaged transition. At worst it's google trying to gimp functionality of the SD card to push their cloud services that I don't want.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 14, 2014, 04:44:55 PM
But you can still use SD cards, apps are just limited to where on said SD card they can write data to. You can also root your phone and disable this severely mismanaged transition if you want to.


Your podcast app just needs to be updated with a couple lines of code and it can write to an SD card no problem whatsoever.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 10:09:35 PM
I appreciate the general security benefits but I would also appreciate having a bit of extra control here. Such as being able to make a folder and say 'hey, this app is allowed to write and edit files in here.'
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 10:46:44 PM
Now this is impressive. Apparently mojang is using a g+ group to get mass beta testing on updates for Minecraft Pocket Edition.

Apparently if you own the android version and sign up for the beta the g+ group is able to connect to Google Play and basically put you on a special update cycle that allows me to gain access to the beta version of the next update. If you encounter bugs you are supposed to post on the Google+ group and mention what happened.

Now what's interesting to me is that mojang is apparently able to use Google+ and have it connect to google play in order to

A. Verify that I purchased the game

B. Set me up on a special update schedule so that I can have access to the beta versions of the app.

now google, let's have a seat here, no I'm not going to bitch at you over SD cards again. This is how you should be trying to get people to use google+, not by having it take over youtube comments but by having cross-platform stuff like this. Get some of your YouTube partners to open up google+ pages for their channels and give them an extra 0.002% ad revenue for holding contests and stupid stuff like that. Maybe have a special thing for a small number of people to basically chat with people on the android team and have a q&a thing.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: MegaByte on June 14, 2014, 10:52:52 PM
Lots of apps do this.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 14, 2014, 11:00:56 PM
Lots of apps do this.
And Google is doing a wonderful  job explaining to people that this is something that g+ can do while fb and twitter can't. (NOT)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 15, 2014, 03:43:11 PM
Google sucks at 2 things and just don't seem to know how to fix it:

1 - Customer facing interaction
2 - International availability (aka "oh its USA only")
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 15, 2014, 04:29:24 PM
'murrica that's why!
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 15, 2014, 10:25:05 PM
And pokepal, you probably don't need to root your device. World famous geohot (iPhone and PS3 hacker) has made a program that root just about *any* Android device with a kernel built before June 2 2014.

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-verizon-and-att-now-have-root-method
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 16, 2014, 03:10:55 AM
'murrica that's why!

And that's a frustrating problem they need to fix.

I've had NFC in five Nexus devices - Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, 4, 5 and 7 - and in every single one it's turned off because it's primary feature, payment methods, simply isn't available outside the USA.

Why not? Google just don't say.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 16, 2014, 03:34:21 AM
You need to look at it the other way, and ask yourself why we in America should be held back because the rest of you lack our exceptionality.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 16, 2014, 03:57:19 AM
You need to look at it the other way, and ask yourself why we in America should be held back because the rest of you lack our exceptionality.

Exceptional, such as the insanity of being able to pay for things via plastic without a PIN number while we've had that security feature for 10 years already?

Exceptional, such as region locking videos on youtube?

Exceptional, such as the GPE phones and hardware simply not leaving the USA?

Or Moto Maker not being available to the adjacent countries?

It doesn't take 30 seconds to explain why we're not getting it (yet, when, what's the hold up?) instead of silence all around. At least Apple and Microsoft both have clearer processes in that regard.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 16, 2014, 04:11:59 PM
GOOD. Samsung is still free to modify the icons - this is apparently more about all the god damn S-Apps and horse **** that Samsung puts on their phones. You can change the icons yourself if you want to.
Except for every useless s-app like their stupid store there's a useful one like s-planner(which wipes the floor with Google Calander's app) or s-note and Samsung does include some useful toys in their modifications to android like a damn good power saving mode (I think the touchwiz version of the S4 was able to outlast the Google play edition in a battery test by like an hour with that mode active) and a nifty multiwindow mode that I really hope google integrates into stock.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 12:07:19 PM
Google I/O!

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 25, 2014, 01:57:04 PM
Pretty boring so far. Once they hit watches they keep going on too long for something that should be so simple.

I like how they kept the Phone the center of the devices through the cloud. It reminds of the continuity feature on the apple eco-system.

I really like the new android UI.

This chromebook feature to transfer from the phone to chromebook seems to be addressing the major problems with Chromebook being that in all honestly its pretty useless. Seems like they got to where Microsoft has been trying to postion its eco system much faster, and were probably going to see a repeat of what was saw here and at wwdc for the Microsoft ecosystem later this year.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 02:00:37 PM
It's a developer conference...it's mainly for developers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 02:05:53 PM
...aaaaannnndd Hello Navi just made me cry.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 02:10:21 PM
Wow, heckler talking about machines that kill people...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 25, 2014, 02:19:36 PM
Wow, heckler talking about machines that kill people...

Big Class war going on in San Fran right now and Google is right in the middle of it.

As per it being a developer conference I really liked last year's google I/o and WWDC. Stuff like android studio and the new ios design  language were cool. I think all the segments went on a bit too long.

I felt Android TV has all the same problems that killed Google TV to be honest.  The chromestuff looks cool but it and the using tablets for nearly every demo just shows Google doesn't have a real Truck platform so to speak. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on June 25, 2014, 02:52:22 PM
I watched most of it on and off.  It went on for way way to long so there is a lot of cool stuff I missed in the fluff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 09:23:57 PM
Unreal Engine 4 running on Android TV (and not the Wii U :( )

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 25, 2014, 09:33:47 PM
God are they really doing this TV stuff again I mean honestly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 25, 2014, 11:12:02 PM
Yes and it will be awesome. You basically get a TV with a built-in game console and has any multimedia (aside from BluRay) that you will probably ever need. TV with built-in XBMC = the greatest thing to ever happen to TV.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 26, 2014, 01:03:22 AM
But didn't google TV flop for being exactly this.  I mean consumers only buy TVs every once in a while. Also won't oems screw it over buy out pricing it compared to their own internal TV OS's.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just get a roku or an Xbox One if you want the TV take over stuff.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 26, 2014, 01:32:25 AM
Consumers only buy new TVs every once in a while, largely due to the price, I'd say. TVs are getting so cheap, I'm even surprised how cheap 4KTVs already are. Next year Samsung, SONY, etc., are releasing TVs with Android TV built-in. There would be no reason to price an Android TV higher than their own OS-based TVs, in fact it would probably be cheaper to sell an Android TV than to pay their own development team to build their OS and make updates. Sure they'll have to pay a couple bucks in royalties to Microsoft like everyone does (I assume), but if you're getting the OS essentially for free then why not go with it? Especially since Android TV is also a gaming platform, and can cast anything from your phone, be controlled with a watch or phone or tablet it just makes sense and would be a huge selling point for any new TV. Google TV failed because it sucked, no one was making apps for it, and it was expensive. Google TV = current version of Android. Control issues aside, an Android app is an Android TV app.


I've been on the fence for getting a new TV for a few months now, but I'm definitely going to hold out for a 4K Android TV now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 26, 2014, 02:35:53 AM
I would much rather have a box that connects to the TV than have this built into the TV. Those are easier and cheaper to replace or upgrade. Most of the smart TVs I've seen also suck compared to something like a Roku in terms of interface, performance and selection of services.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on June 26, 2014, 03:01:37 AM
I have a £5 HDMI cable connected to my PC and an do 99% of these things already.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 26, 2014, 03:07:22 AM
Yeah, that's even better if you have a setup where it's feasible.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 26, 2014, 12:29:51 PM
Even if you get an Android TV, there's nothing stopping you from getting another Android TV set-top box later down the road. Since I have a cable box, Wii U, PS4, Xbone, Chromecast, and OUYA, my HDMI ports are precious, so any way that I can not use them and still get the content on my TV is always a plus. I would much rather free up some ports and have my PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked back up.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on June 26, 2014, 12:40:54 PM
Why did people stop getting Receivers and Surround sound systems?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 26, 2014, 01:37:35 PM
Why did people stop getting Receivers and Surround sound systems?
Idk they are idiots. Recievers are awesome nowadays because they all have like 18 hdmi ports in them. Seriously especially since nobody puts speakers in tv's you would think people would be more willing to invest in surround sound.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 26, 2014, 01:42:45 PM
Because sound bars have taken over that market, and they typically have zero or one HDMI inputs. I'd probably be fine with a sound bar, since my TV has digital audio output (from any input source).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on June 26, 2014, 02:05:16 PM
Yeah, a sound bar is the the perfect middle ground for having something better than your TV speakers but less expensive than proper surround.  It's also much easier to set up and usually less intimidating to people.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on June 26, 2014, 02:19:02 PM
I just don't understand how you can be a Gamer of any type of seriousness and not have a receiver in the end.

Yeah, I mean Soundbars are fine for most people but if you own multiple consoles there is nothing like a good receiver and surround sound setup.  Especially the Subwoofer.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 26, 2014, 04:07:09 PM
I'm poor. :(

Any news on L being updated to the nexus 4?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 26, 2014, 04:59:26 PM
I don't think there is any doubt whatsoever that it will get the update.

And of course you can be a serious gamer without surround sound, that's just silly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 27, 2014, 05:55:20 AM
Even if you get an Android TV, there's nothing stopping you from getting another Android TV set-top box later down the road. Since I have a cable box, Wii U, PS4, Xbone, Chromecast, and OUYA, my HDMI ports are precious, so any way that I can not use them and still get the content on my TV is always a plus. I would much rather free up some ports and have my PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked back up.

True, but that functionality wouldn't be a factor in a TV purchase for me. As for HDMI limits, my current TV has four HDMI ports and I still need a hub to give me more.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 27, 2014, 09:13:19 AM
Same here.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 27, 2014, 01:04:42 PM
Only have 3 HDMI ports on my TV two being used for my Xbox and Chromecast.


A thing I noticed about Google i/o was the lack of Focus on Web as a platform. Chrome OS, Glass, and Google Plus were barley mentioned. Glass might as well not exist and seems to be a Vanity prodcut or something for the long term. Chrome and Plus were mentioned but both were used in relation as being background services for Google Now and the google ecosystem.


Chrome did have a focus on getting away from web apps since I'm assuming what they showed connecting with android were packaged apps.


The Google Watches seem to be the best type of wearable so far. The LG G watch seems to be able t go 24 hours even with the screen always on.




I know Theverge put out an article saying its time to choose between eco systems and its harder than ever to go cross platform.


I find it intresting that as cool as the stuff at WWDC was google has sort of leap froged both microsoft and apple when it comes to eco system coheasion.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 27, 2014, 01:12:54 PM
I'd say it's going pretty far to say Google has a more cohesive experience than Apple or especially Microsoft. And it's still perfectly feasible to go between Apple and Google, in my experience. As I believe everyone here knows, I'm a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Apple guy, but I also use a bunch of different Google services and they integrate just fine into it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 27, 2014, 02:09:15 PM
I guess, but you get the optimal experience using everything together. The main problem google has is that they haven't sorted out Hangouts/Voice features between their platforms.


The Chrome OS stuff is pretty tempting to switching over to a chrome book. If only there was a way to code on one and have more storage.


The Apps they showed off aren't the packaged apps that Google tried to push with no real success. (They only made one packaged app and couln't even get evernote to make one.


So instead Chrome OS seems to have an Android run time.
(http://d0od.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AlloyHeroScreenshot.png)


There will only be a few apps launching this fall, but hopefully its opened up quickly so you can get stuff like Press and Pocketcasts on chrome.




Promixty unlock between chromebook's and android devices.
(http://d0od.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/easy-unlock-2.jpg)


A google version of continuity were what you've been doing and notifications link between the two.


I was hoping we would have seen a more refinfed version of Google Now for chrome.


Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 27, 2014, 02:15:38 PM
The Acer Chromebooks come with 320 GB hard drives, so no storage issue there. I've got one of them (which I've installed Linux on).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 27, 2014, 02:24:18 PM
I imagine a Chrome OS-based Android Studio will be released eventually, or Chrome OS will basically be merged with Android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 27, 2014, 04:59:06 PM
The Acer looks good, but I wish it was as good looking as the pixel or the Chromebook 11.

Think I'm going to get a Android Wear watch come this Christmas. Funny how far Android has come and now androids main marketing for their products seems about the combination of design, fashion, and technology.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on June 28, 2014, 09:37:04 AM
Had anyone heard of the Oppo Find 7?
http://www.engadget.com/products/oppo/find/7/specs/

I have one of their DVD players and it's a damn good, so I'm wondering if anyone had seen, heard our had hands on this phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 28, 2014, 04:25:08 PM
So tiny little rant I need to get off my chest.

The newest YouTube update is like 8mb and so I decinde I'm going to update it. I have about 500mb open so I figure why not.

So I try to download it off the play store and get the stupid 'insignificant storage' notice.

so Google, if 500mb isn't enough to download an 8 mb app are you gonna tell me what is? No? Are you going to explain to me why I need 500mb to download an 8mb update? No? Well at least I can click somewhere on your oh so informal notification and be taken to my storage settings right? No?

It's probably some cache thing somewhere but google, you need to explain what the hell is going on here this is absurd and I shouldn't need over 500mb open storage to download an 8mb update, what the hell?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on June 28, 2014, 04:35:11 PM
The storage issue is really my only complaint with my Galaxy S2. Next phone I get I will be sure does not have those silly storage issues.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 28, 2014, 07:39:06 PM
This isn't a device thing either i mean i had this issue with the ZTE Avail which runs stock gb (soon i will finally replace that thing) this is something Google has been having issues with for a while. The issue lies with google play.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on June 28, 2014, 07:44:09 PM
It's a play issue and not an android one? I just blamed it on android when my updates failed due to "storage issues". I just stopped updating my apps unless I viewed it as a very important app.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 28, 2014, 08:11:13 PM
either that or I have two unlucky hits. perhaps it's an issue of the storage analysis thing misreading how much free space I have but I don't think so.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 29, 2014, 10:07:11 AM
Google will prevent OEM's from customizing the UI on Android Wear, Auto, and TV.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-prevent-oems-customizing-ui-android-wear-auto-tv (http://www.androidcentral.com/google-prevent-oems-customizing-ui-android-wear-auto-tv)

YES. It makes sense to allow OEM's to slap their own UI on top of Android for phones, since that's part of the drawing point for many phones. I could even see if for Android Wear, but TV and Auto need to have the same UI among every device, period.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 29, 2014, 02:29:27 PM
Makes sense, while they had to make Android open source and customizable its probably the worst thing Google could have done for the OS in the long term.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 29, 2014, 02:50:22 PM
Android wouldn't have been as successful as its been if Google had tried to lock it down. They're trying to pull it back a bit, but I'm not convinced they'll be successful.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 29, 2014, 03:20:43 PM
I know, but I feel since ICS that the OEM skins have been dragging Android down to a point where ios and windows phone don't have to deal with. For all its awesomness of Android L, most people won't even see its changes outside of apps.


Google has been trying to take control of Android so to speak for a while now. It was telling when they killed off reader, Gallery, and Music in favor of their Google controlled counterparts.


I don't they'll be successful either but it seems like they're gearing up to try.


They finally have all of their services and apps working together as well as having a common desgin language. When they make the Jump to L every major Google app and service needs to be redesgined the same day. Google tends to have a problem with updating an app with a new look and the others being updated later.




Android One should be good at grabbing the emerging markets, but i'm a bit suprise they didn't announce it as a push in America and other western markets. Android still doesn't have a lot of good low end models and a nice low end phone would be paired wonderfully with google's own chromebook Initiative especially in schools.




I don't think google will do well till they get a concreate marketing push. The Nexus 7, chromebook, and google play rebranding went very well becuase google actively marketed them all the time on the web and TV.

[/size]But it seems google wants android without putting in the work as evidence by selling Motorola off to Lenovo. The Moto devices are good phones but they should have been branded google.[size=78%]




[/size]But at the end of day Google is weird bone headed company at times. Despite the fact that mobile chrome works good with touch, and they make a chromebook with a touch screen, desktop chrome isn't natively touch friendly and only works if you enable stuff in flags. [size=78%]
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on June 29, 2014, 03:36:59 PM
Google stock phones have always been cheaper though.

Furthermore, those wanting a vanilla experience can do it with very little trouble. I, for one, like what Samsung and HTC and others are doing. It's like they are right along side the developers at XDA trying to put the best version of Android out there.

But, and this an assumption, most people could careless about the software, just as long as everything works and most thinks are easily customizable. That's the appeal of android in the first place. It basically an unlocked iPhone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on June 29, 2014, 04:00:37 PM
Maybe its cause I'm a tech guy who likes to dabble in design but I hate skins. It lacks the cohension as well as the speed and joy to use that I've found I get with stock andorid, iOS, and Windows Phone.

If you guys want to try it the L keyboard is in the marketplace. Somebody ripped it from the emulator and put it in its own apk.


L just looks so good.
(http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4679589/Material_Design_music.gif)

So looks like the nexus 8/9 will be 4:3.
(http://phandroid.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Google-Material-Design-multiplatform-640x362.png)

(http://pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/android-l.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 29, 2014, 05:32:06 PM
I'm not a fan of 4:3, but 3:4 (as in portrait mode of 4:3) tends to work better for reading. I'm also not completely sold on those new icons, I see nothing wrong with the old ones (and will SONY sue?). I could try out L right now on my Nexus 7...but it seems that there is a lot that doesn't work yet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on June 29, 2014, 07:54:30 PM
so google is now beating the on-screen buttons with the ugly stick? Great...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 01, 2014, 01:13:02 PM
Speak of the devil.


http://gigaom.com/2014/07/01/want-to-build-chrome-or-android-apps-from-a-chromebook-now-you-can/


Might seriously think about picking up a chromebook soon. Will ait to see if the Chromebook 11 firesale hits sub $150 prices.




The newer menu buttons are the only thing I find off about L so far.  It just doesn't go with the OS and feels like it ould have went better with Honeycomb or Roboto.




Here's a big meatly ebook on Material Desgin and how to use it.
http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html




It has a ton of images of what the future google apps will look like with it.


Gmail
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/Style-Color-Themes-theme-01_large_mdpi.png)




Calander
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/style-typography2_large_mdpi.png)




Google Drive
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/style-typography7_large_mdpi.png)
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/layout-structure-drive_chrome-02_large_mdpi.png)
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-menus-menus-menus-05_large_mdpi.png)










Google Now
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/style-imagery-principles-information_large_mdpi.png)






Google Music
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/style-imagery-integration-typetreatment3do_large_mdpi.png)
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/style-imagery-integration-imagetypegallerya_large_mdpi.png)




Google Maps
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-buttons-usage-01_intro_large_mdpi.png)




Unsure what app this is
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-buttons-usage-flat-do_large_mdpi.png)
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-cards-15_large_mdpi.png)


Google Books
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-cards-content-card_books_large_mdpi.png)



Keep
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-cards-content-card_notes_large_mdpi.png)


Google Newstand or Google Reader relaunch
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-cards-usage-card_noa_large_mdpi.png)


Google Desktop possible makeover
(http://material-design.storage.googleapis.com/images/components-menus-menus-menus-02_large_mdpi.png)


I'm guessing they're going to keep the web ap[s but also push all the Google Android Apps to Chrome OS where it makes sense.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 01, 2014, 01:51:01 PM
Man I am not a fan of how L looks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on July 01, 2014, 02:49:21 PM
I think it's clean but I'd still rather have physical buttons for things like Home/Back/Menu.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 01, 2014, 02:53:29 PM
Is it the reliance on more Pastel colors to contrast the black/white main spaces, or is the somewhat Flat desgin similar to ios and Windows.  Or is it how casual it is, despite being less rigid ios and Windows Phone still look pretty uniform all things considered.



Anyword on if the Moto 360 will have changable bands like the LG G Watch does. As much as I like the moto being able to change watch bands is a big selling point for me.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 01, 2014, 03:23:42 PM
I think it's the flat pastels and ugly on-screen buttons.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 01, 2014, 03:43:55 PM
Well it isnt completely flat in some of the cards you can see shadows. But yeah this was going to be just as polarizing as ios7/Yosemite and windows.

I'm wondering how developers will change their apps to reflect it. An app like pocket will be able to make the cgnage pretty seamlessly but something like Press probably won't.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 09, 2014, 10:50:48 AM
I feel like the android interface in general has had alot of aesthetic changes that I haven't enjoyed. Like Aesthetically I think android peaked at 2.3. I just feel that 2.3 had a more sorta 'high tech-industrial' feel whereas L seems to have embraced a style inspired by 'Joeseph's Technicolor dream coat'

I feel that I've been finding myself disagreeing more and more with some of google's (along with collective decisions by OEMS) decisions regarding android, for example:

SD cards: It seems that nobody wants to have an SD card slot on their phone anymore. While I realize that SD cards can cause some issues with App specific data and can cause some confusion with the average consumer the value of having a separate storage option for photos and music and stuff like that is invaluable.

The Menu Button: ok the reason google gave is that they felt the menu button was causing confusion with consumers... that's bullshit.

I suspect that Google decided they wanted the multi-tasking button thing on there because that's a big thing in android and decided that the menu button was the least important of the three to the way android operates.

My issue here is twofold:
1. the Multitasking button fails to justify having more then something like 'if you hold the home button for 2 seconds you can access your recent apps and running tasks'

2. the excuse for getting rid of the menu button is bullshit. The menu button at it's core is basically a 'stuff' button. you press the button and 'stuff' happens. The nature of the 'stuff' that happens depends on what app you're using. THAT ISN'T HARD TO UNDERSTAND

And Onscreen buttons:
Now in order to understand my issue with on-screen buttons we're going to take a look at what LG did for the G2 pro.

(http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/large/public/article_images/2014/03/gpro-2-buttons.jpg?itok=UeV7Yzph)

You see that? That's something you can do with on-screen buttons.

If I get a phone with on-screen buttons there is no reason I shouldn't be able to rearrange them to match Samsung's format. Now I get alot of people prefer the standard layout but I see no reason to not offer a bit of flexibility.

And a few things with bloatware which everyone's guilty of (my phone doesn't need google+ to be a phone.)

And some other little things.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 09, 2014, 11:25:33 AM
You forgot to finish your poast, bruh.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 09, 2014, 01:15:24 PM
On-screen button > Real button
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 09, 2014, 01:40:13 PM
On-screen button > Real button
in your opinion... the way they are implemented right now with Android in general makes it difficult for me to see an advantage here.

If what LG brought to the table there becomes standard though I might change my tune.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 09, 2014, 02:00:06 PM
Having on-screen buttons all the time seems like a waste of screen real estate. If you're not going to do physical buttons you should at least activate these kinds of things with some kind of touch screen gesture instead.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 09, 2014, 02:18:21 PM
The big point people pushed in these debates is having a smaller bottom bezel but all I'm seeing is an empty bottom bezel.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 09, 2014, 05:11:18 PM
Insano - since 4.1 onscreen buttons are not there all the time, if the app developer wants it that way. Apps go into fullscreen mode, and you swipe down from the top to make the buttons appear. Honestly with large screens, onscreen buttons do not bother me one bit. It comes down to the app and if it would actually benefit from an extra 6-8% of screen space. Also, with onscreen as opposed to physical buttons, the position (and orientation) of the buttons changes with the orientation of the screen. This is (one reason) why I would never own a Galaxy Tab. Onscreen wins over physical every time.


And bezels have definitely gotten smaller, but they haven't, and simply cannot go away, yet. There has to be somewhere for the flex cables to extend from, and they also make it so when you hold your phone in landscape with one hand, you don't cover any of the screen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 09, 2014, 05:53:02 PM
That makes sense. Honestly, I haven't spent much time with Android so I was just going by what I've seen in screenshots. I like the physical home button on the iPhone, though, and if it stayed there despite Steve Jobs' rabid, outspoken hatred of buttons then there must have been pretty good arguments in its favor.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on July 10, 2014, 01:48:12 PM
Physical buttons are better for one reason alone: you can press them underwater.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 10, 2014, 04:35:49 PM
That's what a Go Pro is for.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 13, 2014, 05:39:16 PM
Took me way too long to think of this, but my TV has 5 HDMI inputs and I need 6 (really I need 8 so I can hook up the 360 and PS3 again). I have my Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, cable box, and Ouya hooked up, but no room for the Chromecast. Thank you, XBox One, for your HDMI input. Now I have the Chromecast hooked up to that input, essentially giving me 6 HDMI inputs.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 13, 2014, 05:50:43 PM
Why would you keep an ouya hooked up?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 13, 2014, 05:53:24 PM
Because it has CM11 flashed on it and now is a great emulation center and HTPC (with a 2TB HDD of movies and TV shows hooked up to it).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 15, 2014, 11:38:51 AM
A bit lttp but the only problem with buttons on a phone was I felt HTC perfected it early on.
(https://hdimages-raw.s3.amazonaws.com/htcg2-1356305253-4.jpg)


I don't mind the current look but I wish there was an actual search button.

Anyway I feel the same way about Physical buttons as I do SD card slots, they're not needed. Only thing I thing I think should be optional is removable batteries in case of emergency, but even than I'd glady sacrifice for a better design.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 16, 2014, 09:26:06 PM
So anyone pick up an Android Wear device?


Here's what the L play store will probably look like.






(http://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nexusae0_wm_Screenshot_2014-07-11-18-11-241.png/img]http://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nexusae0_wm_11.pnghttp://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nexusae0_wm_4.pnghttp://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nexusae0_wm_21.pnghttp://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nexusae0_wm_5.png)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 16, 2014, 09:29:34 PM
Your image isn't showing (for me), but the Play Store should be the same on every Android version...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 16, 2014, 10:10:15 PM
Nope its getting a bit of a Material based overhaul.




http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/13/exclusive-google-prepping-play-store-update-thats-one-step-closer-to-material-with-beautiful-new-listing-ui/


Ars has an even bigger look at Android L from the google i/o sessions.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 18, 2014, 07:26:00 PM
so moto g impressions/thoughts, It's a nice phone overall, I still prefer physical/capacitive buttons and I don't like not having a menu button but here are some overall impressions

+this thing feels really snappy in terms of preformance given its price

+ its pretty friendly for one handed use

+ motorola had the common sense to add a 'dump anything that isn't an app onto the SD card. Basically the company formerly owned by Google has the best implementation of the sd card ironically enough.

(Observation) The way the sd card slot is placed implies they were planning to have a different battery cover cover that would have an opening so you could quickly access it but that at some point they just decided to use the regular moto g cover.

Now I have some nits to pick so let's go.

- holy **** this thing is a pain in the ass to remove the cover from if you want to access the sd card or sim.

- this thing is almost too thin, like I feel like it just doesn't have the heft it feels like a device of that size should.

- holy **** that camera is horrible,

- the usb cable is white despite being included with a black version of the phone. Said cable is like 2 inches long and doesn't come with an ac adapter what kind of cheap, greedy company would be so desperate to avoid irrelevancy as to not include a ac adapter with their new gizmo in order to cut a few pennies off the cost (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=38614.0)

Software
- I absolutely positively hate the way the notification/quick settings menu is set up. Samsung had it right by having the quick settings toggle things as a little sidebar (except it's on the top but work with me) on the notification menu and many other companies have been doing it that way since gingerbread.

- by god the transparent notification/digital buttons on the home menu just looks ugly to me, luckily I found a wallpaper that is cropped in such a way that the black borders on the top and bottom cover them perfectly so it looks like they aren't transparent but on the fucking home menu that really should be a setting.

- the google keyboard is an abomination.

- I wound up disabling like half of the preinstalled apps

- I officially hate the stock google launcher, switched to nova in 24 hours
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 19, 2014, 12:57:27 AM
Not liking Stock Android (where you using the google experince launcher) and deleting the pre installed apps. What the? (what came installed BTW?).


I was thinking of picking up a Moto G/E sometime to use as a workout MP3 Player. Probably will do it early next year since its the year i'll upgrade all my tech.


Has the Motorola/lenovo deal went though yet?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 19, 2014, 02:00:35 AM
Alot of stuff like google+, play music/books/magazines/video

Basically the less necessary parts of googles whole app pack deal.

And I was using the built in launcher. Just didn't feel right for me, idk... guess I prefer touchwiz.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 19, 2014, 02:49:48 AM
That's understandable even though i'm running everything through google for the most part. I want to say whatever the Moto G isn't exactly stock andoid, but to the poit touchwiz as a skin has many more features than stock/near stock.


Here's my current nexus 4 lockscreen.
[size=78%] [/size]
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 19, 2014, 09:07:12 AM
That's a lot of bitching about the best LOW-END android phone you can buy (which was made when Google did own all of Motorola Mobility). This phone is not any type of flagship device, it is a cheap phone - the cheapest Android phone from one of the top manufacturers.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 19, 2014, 10:59:11 AM
It's not even bitching it's nitpicking. I thought I made that clear.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 20, 2014, 12:26:42 AM
Just picked up a near-mint factory unlocked Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505) for $50...not sure what I'm going to do with it though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 20, 2014, 11:55:31 AM
Just picked up a near-mint factory unlocked Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505) for $50...not sure what I'm going to do with it though.

You want to give it to me.... is it Verizon?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on July 20, 2014, 12:20:51 PM
Depending on the carrier I would be interested in it. I believe it is a GSM phone so I can use it on the T-Mobile network. Let me know if you are interested in selling it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 20, 2014, 12:27:53 PM
It's from Claro, it won't work on Verizon. I'm probably going to give it to my wife but if not I'll let you guys know. Trying to find out what non-Claro ROM I can flash on it, because Claro has all these stupid apps and custom icons and boot animations that are really dumb.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 20, 2014, 03:54:04 PM
Anyone who likes Touchwiz andits bloatware over stock doesn't know what they are talking about. Even if you are nitpicking, its a 200 dollar phone at full price. You can't really complain.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 20, 2014, 05:08:15 PM
$50 on Verizon (or was a couple weeks ago), full retail price. I should have bought one just for development.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 20, 2014, 05:08:44 PM
Anyone who likes Touchwiz andits bloatware over stock doesn't know what they are talking about.
Oh but play books is totally not bloatware, is that what you're saying?
Quote
Even if you are nitpicking, its a 200 dollar phone at full price. You can't really complain.
It's the internet, I can complain about whatever the hell I want.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on July 20, 2014, 08:27:38 PM
It can be disabled or even deleted. If you don't delete it, it isn't bad software.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 20, 2014, 10:59:58 PM
$50 on Verizon (or was a couple weeks ago), full retail price. I should have bought one just for development.

You are saying that I could have bought a Galaxy S 4 from Verizon for $50 w/ no new contract?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: UncleBob on July 20, 2014, 11:20:12 PM
I like buttons. :(

I've been using the same phone for going on my third year now because I don't want to get rid of the physical keyboard and because there's apparently no market for them now.  Which makes absolutely no sense to me.  I have friends who are always giving me a hard time about my refusal to give up the physical keyboard - telling me how awesome virtual keyboards are today - until I challenge them to a texting competition.  Open a book to a random page and type the first paragraph in.  I'll always be the first completed and with far, far fewer mistakes (no damnyouautocorrects for me).

But then, judging by how most people type now-a-days, no one cares about quality or accuracy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 20, 2014, 11:25:19 PM
I like buttons. :(

I've been using the same phone for going on my third year now because I don't want to get rid of the physical keyboard and because there's apparently no market for them now.  Which makes absolutely no sense to me.  I have friends who are always giving me a hard time about my refusal to give up the physical keyboard - telling me how awesome virtual keyboards are today - until I challenge them to a texting competition.  Open a book to a random page and type the first paragraph in.  I'll always be the first completed and with far, far fewer mistakes (no damnyouautocorrects for me).

But then, judging by how most people type now-a-days, no one cares about quality or accuracy.

I have just the phones for you.

(http://www.canada.com/technology/cms/binary/9954847.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on July 20, 2014, 11:29:43 PM
I understand completely. Only reason I am tolerating not having one is because I found an excellent alternative keyboard that positions the buttons in a better layout. I still plan to go back to one down the road, maybe find a Droid 4 Global so it will run on GSM networks as well.


There are add-on keyboards for some devices like iPhones so you might try looking for one of those.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: UncleBob on July 20, 2014, 11:36:50 PM
I have just the phones for you.

Is Blackberry still going to be alive in 2015? :D

There are add-on keyboards for some devices like iPhones so you might try looking for one of those.

I'm a 'droid fan all the way (not so much the O/S, but removable battery and removable storage are both a huge plus for me) and I haven't found much in the way of an Android phone with an attachable keyboard that turns it into a singular device.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2014, 12:06:03 AM
Well I've been asking that question for a few years now.  I know they just made a deal with Amazon to have the amazon app store as an alternate market place. I' really like the look with the classic, and it does has android app support. Unsure about the battery and stuff.


Maybe the project Ara modcular devices will bring the keyboards back. I loved my HTC G2 so much.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 21, 2014, 12:38:11 AM
It can be disabled or even deleted. If you don't delete it, it isn't bad software.
Then you can't complain about touchwiz bloatware, :D
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on July 21, 2014, 05:58:25 AM
Blackberry is dead. I have one and even I don't want it. But **** me those iPhone prices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 21, 2014, 09:30:40 AM


$50 on Verizon (or was a couple weeks ago), full retail price. I should have bought one just for development.


You are saying that I could have bought a Galaxy S 4 from Verizon for $50 w/ no new contract?

No, the Moto G, on Verizon pre-paid.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on July 21, 2014, 02:28:18 PM
Did we talk about the Amazon Fire Phone? (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EOE0WKQ/ref=amb_link_423232362_2?ie=UTF8&nav_sdd=aps&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0PZFM7M8JFV9JD3D2392&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1867442982&pf_rd_i=507846)

My Wife is looking to get one at launch if we can swing the money.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 21, 2014, 02:45:37 PM
Speaking of irrelevant linux based phones that can run android apps...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2014, 02:57:12 PM
The fire phone is going to bomb. Its just so unappealing compared to regular android.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 21, 2014, 03:03:06 PM
With how successful Kindle Fire tablets have been, I wouldn't be so sure. They may not appeal to people like us, but I think there's a certain segment of people who would be drawn to it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2014, 03:16:35 PM
With how successful Kindle Fire tablets have been, I wouldn't be so sure. They may not appeal to people like us, but I think there's a certain segment of people who would be drawn to it.




Well I think its going to badly because its an AT&T exclusive device That company has not done any favors to anyone one who went exclusive other than the iphone. Samsung didn't really start to gaintraction till they set the prededent and told the carriers and AT&T to screw off with different variants and exclusive dates. Also I think windows phone would be in a much better place if they hadn't went ATT exclusive with like every device.


I think the phone will be good for someone living in Amazon's world.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 21, 2014, 03:19:59 PM
The kind of people who'd want that phone are likely people who don't feel that strongly about carriers. And it's somewhat disingenuous to say no one's had success being AT&T exclusives if you're not counting the most successful phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 21, 2014, 03:44:35 PM
The kind of people who'd want that phone are likely people who don't feel that strongly about carriers. And it's somewhat disingenuous to say no one's had success being AT&T exclusives if you're not counting the most successful phone.


That's why I said other than the iphone, the market has changed pretty dramatically since than and it seems all major phones tend to launch on every carrier.


 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 22, 2014, 09:15:50 PM
Nope its getting a bit of a Material based overhaul.




http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/13/exclusive-google-prepping-play-store-update-thats-one-step-closer-to-material-with-beautiful-new-listing-ui/ (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/13/exclusive-google-prepping-play-store-update-thats-one-step-closer-to-material-with-beautiful-new-listing-ui/)


Ars has an even bigger look at Android L from the google i/o sessions.



COUGH COUGH
http://www.androidcentral.com/material-design-inspired-google-play-app-update-now-rolling-out


COUGH COUGH COUGH...seriously I'm choking.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: UncleBob on July 22, 2014, 09:56:31 PM
You know, I'm not the kind of person to go gaga over the design of a cell phone... but can I just say, cell phones are sooooo bland.  Every freakin' phone looks the same anymore.

Due to an interesting loophole, I've figured out how to upgrade my phone at a discount and keep my unlimited data with Verizon, but they all suck.  And I'm not just talking about the lack of a physical keyboard - Everything's a thin phone, thin bezel, couple of touch-sensitive buttons on the bottom.  Black, silver or white... blah.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 22, 2014, 10:20:04 PM
I seriously watched a commercial for the LG g3 on the moto g for one of the YouTube ads and I'm just for a few seconds thinking it was a moto g commercial untill I saw the buttons on the back.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on July 22, 2014, 11:54:35 PM
The fire phone is getting pretty bad reviews.


The new UI looks good but right now its only the app info screen that's been  L'd. The overall look is pretty desgin over function.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 23, 2014, 12:13:30 AM
Whiz-bang Fripery? Thanks NYT for that... interesting use of wordplay...
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 25, 2014, 08:44:57 PM
So yeah I found this interesting article basically speculating on how Google decides where to establish their whole fiber service (http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-google-fiber-lottery/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on July 25, 2014, 10:03:41 PM
Since this is going to come up probably: Yes, the US Congress has allowed for the subsidy locks to be removed from phones. Yes, the carriers (at least at&t-mobile) have already been doing this without intervention. In at&t's case, since at least 2006.

No, you will not be able to take a T-Mobile phone to Verizon because Verizon rode the wrong technology horse a decade and a half ago.

All the ruling does is legalize something that's already been available on the Internet for years now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on July 25, 2014, 10:07:56 PM
This is like when they made a special exception to the DMCA to make it legal to jailbreak phones. All it does is make it so that there's explicitly no legal penalty for doing something that you could already do with virtually no fear of legal penalty.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 25, 2014, 11:42:19 PM
Verizon actually has the best technology, and they are the best option for buying a phone if you want it unlocked, because every LTE Verizon phone since the Galaxy S III is (legally mandated) factory unlocked for any carrier. You may not be able to take your T-Mobile phone to Verizon, but you can take your Verizon phone to T-Mobile, without any hassle or contract requirements to meet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 08, 2014, 01:28:45 PM
The new versrion of the L developer preview is out for all you dudes with the N5 & N7. The latest build has support for google fit which just had its sdk released this week as well.


http://www.androidcentral.com/google-posts-updated-android-l-factory-images-nexus-5-7-support-google-fit


http://www.androidcentral.com/google-fit-sdk-preview-now-available-developers
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 09, 2014, 01:17:08 AM
Serious Tablet/Smart phone related question. My experience with Android is limited to Google TV, I had a Logitech Revue and they loaded Android, um I think it was 3. something a while back, and basically ruined it. Anyways I did have an iPad tablet the college loaned me but that was taken back when they kicked me out of school. Next month my contract expires and I have to get off my parents plan and get my own, the phone I have now was a birthday present for turning 30 and making the Deans list in school so it was a nice little reward. Anyways now that the contract is up and school didn't pan out as expected I have to get my own plan.

Here are my questions, my sister just switched from iPhone to Android and she loves it swears iPhone is worthless in comparison. If I get an Android tablet what am I looking at are they like just iPads with a different OS or are they really unique? Or should I consider getting a Windows Tablet? I do a LOT of video editing so I will keep my current laptop/desktop set up for that but I would like to look into getting a tablet of some sorts for the portability options and for maybe doing some light stuff on the fly from time to time.

What kind of features are there on the basic Android phones? My iPhone is a 3GS and I got it two years ago, I am looking at probably entry level so it would probably have been new two years ago or thereabouts. How do the actual phone apps compare? I hate the iPhone phone app with a passion I hate the separate apps for text, talk, and phone book my old Samsung flip style phone kept it all together. I hate how you have two choices All calls or Missed calls no outgoing way to sort by just outgoing from incoming. I hate how it autdials the last number you dialed if you click OK without backspacing all the way to the start to dial a number on the keypad.


The only thing I like is it uses iTunes as I have been iPod loyal since 2004. Its late I am tired if this doesn't make much sense I will try again in the morning stay cool all.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 09, 2014, 01:39:51 AM
Androids are basically like mini computers. They are completely open (if you get Google stock) and can be customized by the carrier and maker. That makes the "Android experience" completely dependent on the phone you buy. It isn't unified like Apple.

But unlike Apple, things are closed off so much so you have more control. But I do know that some people like that control since it makes things simple.

Beyond that, I really can't help you.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 09, 2014, 01:44:07 AM
Get an iPhone and then jailbreak it. Best of both worlds.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 09, 2014, 01:45:24 AM
Get an iPhone and then jailbreak it. Best of both worlds.

And when he fucks up and makes his battery life last two hours, I hope he blames you. ;)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 09, 2014, 01:49:17 AM
That's not all that common, especially at this point, and if it were to become an issue it's easy enough to reverse.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 09, 2014, 02:37:28 PM
You can get a GOOD entry-level Android device for very little money, depending on your carrier. The Moto G on Verizon (pre-paid, which is a good deal) is only $99 or $50 when it's on sale (that's the full retail price).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on August 09, 2014, 03:40:05 PM
Are there any good QWERTY phones left on the market? I've looked at the Motorola Photon but not much else seems to be available. I'm missing my old QWERTY phone. If it were larger I would go back to it.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 09, 2014, 03:50:52 PM
Blackberry's your only choice for a keyboard these days. The keyboard just doesn't give with modern phone trends sadly.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 09, 2014, 09:44:34 PM
Motorola Photon is an outdated piece of crap. Keyboards waste space or cause phones to break easier. Welcome to the touchscreen era.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 10, 2014, 01:25:37 AM
Oh look, I guess Google's tweaked the keyboard you use to go into the playstore and type into search 'swiftkey' (or for me on tablets 'hackers keyboard'). Lets see how it looks.
(http://www.tescotechsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/android-5-l-keyboard.jpg)

Android 5.0 ugLy

And stratos there are still some ways to get a QWERTY keyboard on your phone. (http://www.plusbuyer.com/mini-bluetooth-qwerty-keyboard-with-touch-pad-71-keys-led-flashlight-p-3262.html)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 10, 2014, 09:31:12 AM
You mean Sexy right, I've been using a rip of the L keyboard and its a joy tp use and look at.


Chrome Beta got the Material Desgin look.


http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/07/gallery-chrome-beta-for-android-gets-a-material-design-makeover/#image-3


BB10 is using android apps and will be getting the amazon app store in the next major revision.


You really only have two choices.
(http://crackberry.com/sites/crackberry.com/files/styles/large_wm_brw/public/article_images/2014/06/First_Look.jpg)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 10, 2014, 09:39:22 AM
I guess I'm still on the fence about Android L, and I've never actually used it - but I'm not a fan of the on screen button icons. It kind of reminds me of that facebook phone which was a steaming pile of ****. The ones HTC uses look a lot better.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 10, 2014, 09:48:12 AM
I'd say you liking L depends on how you feel about minimalism and how design is pushing toward it on all fronts.


(http://cdn.redmondpie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lock-screen1.png)
(http://cdn.redmondpie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/home-screens.png)


Though we won't be able to make a full comparasion till the full L release.



Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 10, 2014, 01:54:10 PM
I am a Windows all the way guy but I do have an iPhone and I HATE IT. I did jailbreak it that does not fix the shitty phone apps. the only thing I like about it is the iPod/iTunes features but I am just going to get an iPod classic and stick to that I love those things.


I guess what I am really worried about is if I get a tablet what will not be able to do on it that I can do on my laptop. Also I need a keyboard I had an iPad mini at school and  I hated it, even with a keyboard attached it was a piece of ****. I haven't heard anything good about Windows tablets and what I did try of Windows 8 I hated also.


I think what I want for a tablet is something I can use to play games an watch videos on, if I can attach USB devices and to use it for reading PDF files, specifically D&D rule books and comics. Are those the types of things Android is good for or should I suck it up and make Windows 8 work? As for a phone I just need it for a phone that is why I want a tablet to get away from the smartphone aspect and just use a regular iPod for music and a tablet for videos and portable computing stuff, then I will just use the phone as a phone an to manage like a few apps but not much else. My eyes are bad which is why I hate little screens and don't buy portable game consoles. I only hear good things about Android but nothing good about Windows Tablets so I might do some more research but I did my initial research two years ago and decided they products out did not live up to my standard or needs.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 10, 2014, 02:17:33 PM
I am a Windows all the way guy but I do have an iPhone and I HATE IT. I did jailbreak it that does not fix the shitty phone apps. the only thing I like about it is the iPod/iTunes features but I am just going to get an iPod classic and stick to that I love those things.


I guess what I am really worried about is if I get a tablet what will not be able to do on it that I can do on my laptop. Also I need a keyboard I had an iPad mini at school and  I hated it, even with a keyboard attached it was a piece of ****. I haven't heard anything good about Windows tablets and what I did try of Windows 8 I hated also.


I think what I want for a tablet is something I can use to play games an watch videos on, if I can attach USB devices and to use it for reading PDF files, specifically D&D rule books and comics. Are those the types of things Android is good for or should I suck it up and make Windows 8 work? As for a phone I just need it for a phone that is why I want a tablet to get away from the smartphone aspect and just use a regular iPod for music and a tablet for videos and portable computing stuff, then I will just use the phone as a phone an to manage like a few apps but not much else. My eyes are bad which is why I hate little screens and don't buy portable game consoles. I only hear good things about Android but nothing good about Windows Tablets so I might do some more research but I did my initial research two years ago and decided they products out did not live up to my standard or needs.
The asus transformer may be you're cup of tea.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 12, 2014, 05:48:53 PM
I got the "Material Design" update for the Play Store today (HTC One M8), looks pretty nice actually.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Oblivion on August 12, 2014, 06:48:48 PM
On the other hand, the MD Chrome Beta is not. Its huge and bloated. I'll stay with my original Chrome app.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on August 12, 2014, 10:15:46 PM
Motorola Photon is an outdated piece of crap. Keyboards waste space or cause phones to break easier. Welcome to the touchscreen era.


My QWERTY phone is the only smartphone my wife and I have used that has not broken is some fashion. Plus I don't mind the size of qwerty phones. They feel just right to what I picture for the size of a phone.


I found some bluetooth keyboard attachments for Galaxy S2 and S3. I'll pick up the S2 one now and may upgrade to an S3 in the future so I'll keep an eye out for the other one.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 12, 2014, 11:16:37 PM
The Photon q 4g is probably your best bet.

Unless you wanted to test your luck with a Bluetooth keyboard case.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 13, 2014, 01:21:19 AM
If you want a 3 year old phone running an obsolete version of Android (Gingerbread), are under contract to Sprint, and must have a physical QWERTY keyboard, then yes...the Photon 4G is probably your best bet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 13, 2014, 02:39:23 AM
Sorry, forgot to put a Q in there, that gives you 4.1.2 I believe.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 13, 2014, 09:22:37 AM
Yeah, actually the Photon doesn't have a keyboard.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on August 13, 2014, 10:38:10 AM
A little late but on the Phone front you should consider a Windows Phone Marvel_Moviefan.  Its a Great Phone and a pretty good stock Smart Phone.  Its not very good app wise though, think 3rd party Nintendo style support.

On other parts, I don't mind on screen keyboards but I have ground to really hate touch buttons for the hard buttons.  I really wish I could buy a Modern Windows or Android phone that uses hard buttons you have to click to make work.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 13, 2014, 11:19:13 AM
Man If Windows Phone/Windows Tablets had a good comixology app and an offical pocket app i'd probably switch no questions asked.


honestly you can't go wrong with either of the big three OSes. Too bad HP mismanged web os.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 13, 2014, 11:34:13 AM
I guess my concern is the same issue I had with ever leaving MS behind, all the software I currently have. I am not sure how Windows 8 works, tablet or otherwise but I was under the impression some software is not compatible without patches or whatever?

As for laptop I am, sadly, going to have to upgrade sooner or later as this one is getting old, over heating more often, and is outdated enough it can't keep up with my work. I might have to just cave and get a Mac laptop but I don't know yet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on August 13, 2014, 11:58:36 AM
Besides some games, everything that worked on Window 7 works on Window 8 and the game thing is really Direct X related.

In all honesty you probably have less problem then jumping from an older version of OSX.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 13, 2014, 12:03:27 PM
games are not an issue, I have Steam for that but mostly I console game. My software is Sony related I have Vegas and migrating from XP to 7 was seemless but Vegas does not support Mac which has kept me back. I know I should upgrade from Vegas to like Adobe but that isn't even Max exclusive but I don't like the new Adobe model. I didn't care for the Mac one either what was it Final Cut or something? I guess I just have to adjust.

Everything else I have had no issues with, okay my video capture devices and software I always run into driver issues and things so that is also why I am slow to migrate/upgrade because I rely heavily on my video capture devices.


Also truth be told, I don't respond well to change I usually ease into new things these days. I used to be all about the change but then I got burned too many times in the past. I don't see newer as always better like I used to.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 19, 2014, 12:18:35 PM
My Swype had been messing up lately,  so I decided to seek out an alternative program that works the same or similar.
First suggestion I ran across was SwiftKey....  It's ok,  but required me to give up some things I really got used to with Swype.

So if I decide this isn't for me,  are there any other recommended Swype alternative out there?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on August 19, 2014, 04:48:04 PM
I like that they integrated that into Windows Phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 21, 2014, 03:36:28 PM
I decided to get a new Desktop for absolute sure. I might just keep my current laptop as is so no change there. I have to change phones because I am changing carriers and I live in a desolate part of the country that is so anti technology we still have old fashioned phone booths and people still use them.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 21, 2014, 08:07:53 PM
Try the Google experience keyboard or android L
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.e.android.softkeyboard




I decided to get a new Desktop for absolute sure. I might just keep my current laptop as is so no change there. I have to change phones because I am changing carriers and I live in a desolate part of the country that is so anti technology we still have old fashioned phone booths and people still use them.


That sounds pretty cool to be honest. Sometimes feel like technology is too apart of my everyday life.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 21, 2014, 08:21:32 PM
both of those swype?

because my default Google keyboard (cyanogenmod) does the finger trailing, but it doesn't actually swype.

I've downloaded both now, and will try them next time I pick up my phone.

That Android L keyboard is pretty ugly though. a little too minimalistic for my taste.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 21, 2014, 08:41:37 PM
Until I looked at that I had no idea that the Android keyboard had integrated the swype feature.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on August 21, 2014, 09:29:49 PM
did it? I will have to try it out again.

It does finger trailing, but doesn't formulate words based on your trace last time I used it.


edit: They did.


The L and Goggle keyboard do not "gesture type" or swype or whatever they want to call it. But the base Android Keyboard does. nice.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 22, 2014, 12:12:25 AM
That keyboard above isn't the actual L keyboard, unless they ripped it from the SDK.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 22, 2014, 12:32:50 AM
Hackers Keyboard is the KING on tablets, hands down, no questions asked,
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 22, 2014, 12:46:35 AM
Just looked at it...looks pretty nice. Love the D-pad.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 22, 2014, 07:35:23 AM
That keyboard above isn't the actual L keyboard, unless they ripped it from the SDK.


They ripped t from the SDK back when it was released in June.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 22, 2014, 03:15:44 PM
damn it we are phone shopping today, I thought I had more time to figure this out. Oh well I will share what I end up with.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 22, 2014, 09:25:29 PM
That Android L keyboard is pretty ugly though. a little too minimalistic for my taste.
I could say the same thing about L in general.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on August 26, 2014, 05:48:44 PM
Not sure where to put this, but am I the only one interested in an E-ink phone? It may not have the visual prowess of any new phone, but I can read it in the sunlight, text, call, and surf the web (in black and white). And it lasts 30 days.

There's also that phone that has both a regular screen and a full E-ink screen. Best of both worlds.

I've been looking for a phone that's more a phone than a computer. I'll probably switch that framework around once phones get powerful and popular enough to do the whole cradle business; where my phone is the CPU and my laptop or desktop are simply skins. Until then, I need a phone that is more of a phone than a computer and lasts forever.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 26, 2014, 06:32:30 PM
No. A phone like that wouldn't last 30 days either, unless you're nothing doing anything that refreshes the screen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on August 26, 2014, 07:25:01 PM
I though everyone here was pretty cool, but you guys are hating on L. I bet you guys don't like Metro or iOS 7 either.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on August 26, 2014, 11:30:07 PM
well tempers flared over new contract terms and other BS so we didn't get the phones will try again next month perhaps. I suggested going to Radio Shack and shopping around but it was not going to happen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on August 27, 2014, 10:51:53 AM
Not sure where to put this, but am I the only one interested in an E-ink phone? It may not have the visual prowess of any new phone, but I can read it in the sunlight, text, call, and surf the web (in black and white). And it lasts 30 days.

There's also that phone that has both a regular screen and a full E-ink screen. Best of both worlds.

I've been looking for a phone that's more a phone than a computer. I'll probably switch that framework around once phones get powerful and popular enough to do the whole cradle business; where my phone is the CPU and my laptop or desktop are simply skins. Until then, I need a phone that is more of a phone than a computer and lasts forever.
Back in the day I was honestly expecting the Color e-Ink would progress to the point that it could  handle 30 frames per second making it viable for Handheld application.

I'm still holding hope that one day I'll be able to get a monitor that is easy on the eyes like eInk.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 27, 2014, 12:16:05 PM
30FPS isn't fast enough for handheld applications, especially anything that involves long presses and dragging, it wouldn't feel responsive enough.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on August 27, 2014, 12:16:44 PM
30 FPS use to be what 60 FPS is today.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 27, 2014, 02:33:21 PM
No. A phone like that wouldn't last 30 days either, unless you're nothing doing anything that refreshes the screen.

For reference, my Pebble watch, which uses an e-ink screen, lasts 4-5 days at best between charges.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 09, 2014, 08:33:02 AM
All the new Motorola devices are out.

The Moto X is getting really good reveiews up their with the 5S and its at a pretty nice price point compared to the last model.

The 360 is getting ravaged since its not even an actual 360 and its become pretty obvious that Android Wear wasn't made for rounded screens and it hasn't got over the battery issue.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 14, 2014, 08:56:14 AM
So we should be getting the Nexus Line refresh alongside Android L either next month or in November. The list is looking like.


A refreshed Nexus 5
A refreshed Nexus 7
A Nexus 9 replacing the 10


I wonder if were going to see a Nexus Watch to go along With Android Wear 2.0.


Also i'm wondering if by next year are we going to see Android Wear expand from being a notification platform and become more inline with the apple watch getting NFC for payments and more complex apps.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on September 15, 2014, 07:43:14 PM
Android One the low end pure google version of Android is launching today.


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ8wYvVKQnM/VBYiMPEPgPI/AAAAAAAAPXE/GYeNagvTVIE/s1600/Android-One_white.png)

Quote
Addressing key barriers—hardware, software and connectivity
There are three big reasons why it’s hard for people in countries such as India, Indonesia or the Philippines to get their hands on a high-quality smartphone. First, is the hardware itself. Even entry-level smartphones still remain out of reach for many (bear in mind that in some of these countries the average monthly income is around $250). Second, many people in these markets do not have access to the latest Android software and popular applications. Finally, even where 3G and 4G networks are available, not enough people have phones that can support data and the plans can be expensive.

Android One aims to help tackle these challenges. By working closely with phone and silicon chip makers to share reference designs and select components, we’re making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable. They have lots of processing power, so you can get information quickly. They have high-quality front- and rear-facing cameras. And for all those pictures, along with your apps and videos, Android One phones will have expandable storage. We also added features that people in India will find particularly useful, like dual SIM cards, a replaceable battery and built-in FM radio.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHw5suXP8VY/VBYiNuSeTCI/AAAAAAAAPXM/ruRKn0IUTYM/s1600/group_UI-visible.jpg)

Quote
To help ensure a consistent experience, Android One devices will receive the latest versions of Android directly from Google. So you’ll get all the latest features, up-to-date security patches, and peace of mind knowing your stuff is always backed up. It also means Android One devices will be some of the first to be updated to the Android L release later this year. For our hardware partners, they’ll be able to create customized experiences and differentiate their devices without having to change the core software.

In an effort to reduce data costs, if you have an Airtel SIM card, you’ll get these software updates for free for the first six months. As part of this same Airtel offer, you’ll also be able to download up to 200MB per month worth of your favorite apps (that’s about 50 apps overall) from Google Play—all without counting toward your mobile data usage.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on September 16, 2014, 04:59:28 AM
I've never understood how dual-sims never caught on outside of Africa and Asia.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 15, 2014, 04:50:58 PM
Google's Nexus Player announced! Want!

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/15/google-nexus-player/?ncid=rss_truncated
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 16, 2014, 06:05:41 AM
The Nexus 6 was announced, and it's just way too big. I also expect a severe amount of price gouging in UK and Europe if its $650.

I'll stick with my 5.

I doubt the Nexus Player will even come here.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 16, 2014, 09:02:11 AM
Looks like google just out priced me on the nexus line. If I stickm with android next year I'll be getting a moto x and a Samsung tablet I guess. (Bleh)

My 4 has been pretty much eol'd and for whatever reason the nexus 5 and 7 didn't get a spec update making them sort of useless for some of the features of L.

Might look into what's coming up next year for windows and if the lumia 1020 and the RT tablets will get the 10 upgrade.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 16, 2014, 11:07:39 AM
Yeah I'm kind of shocked at the Nexus 6 price - though it is absolutely a beast and compared to other phones is still a bargain. I'd have to see one in person, but knowing that it's on Verizon may potentially make me angry for getting the One M8. Maybe one will show up on Craig's List.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 16, 2014, 11:33:08 AM
I was really hoping the price was a misnomer, but it seems gone are the days where the nexus 4/5 are $350/$399 and the nexus 7 is $199. Personally I think this will bite google in the ass since what moved the nexus and pure google to prominence was good specs for a reasonable price point.  At the prices the new devices are, I might as well just jump ship to the apple or windows eco-system.

With the 5 being the new small device Google relly should have gave it a update specs wise to take advantage of everything. The new stuff looks good but I was hoping I could get a nice spec'd device off of contract and do pay as you go.

Really hope 10 can get the Windows eco-system going since they tend to have decent prices and don't mind putting out a reasonably sized flagship phone. All I really need to jump ship is a better comixology app, an official pocket app, and a good podcast client.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on October 17, 2014, 11:19:24 PM
So the Play Store just got updated with all the new gear and the nexus 7 just got delisted and now an end of life product.


The New prices.


Nexus 9 16GB -$399.99 (black, sand, white)
Nexus 9 32GB- $479.99(black, sand, white)
Nexus 9 LTE  - $599.99 (black only)
Nexus 9 keyboard Foilo- $129.99
Nexus 9 cover- $39.99


Nexus 6 32GB -$649.99 (blue, white)
Nexus 6 64GB- $699.99 (blue, white)


Nexus 5 16GB- $349.99 (black, white, red)
Nexus 5 32GB- $399.99 (black, white, red)


Nexus Player- $99.99
Nexus Player gamepad- $39.99
Its sort of Asanine that the phone has more memory than the tablet.


Overall I like the new devices but i'm dismayed at being priced out of the nexus program for the time being and how big the six is when th five isn't getting a hardware refresh. Seems like google got really greedy with the nexus 4/5/7 becoming popular so they decided to spin the nexus into a true high end brand.


I'll probably cut my losses and get a nexus 4 and wait next year to see if the nexus 5 gets a refresh of some sort.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on October 18, 2014, 01:31:59 AM
So I got a Moto G. I'm told it's barebone interface is similar to the Nexus. I found it too barebones and installed Nova Launcher.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 12, 2014, 04:06:52 PM
Lollipop images are up:

http://www.androidauthority.com/android-5-0-factory-images-566622/

OTA has begun for Nexus devices:

http://www.androidauthority.com/lollipop-nexus-rollout-begins-566620/
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on November 13, 2014, 11:12:23 AM
Google is so slow when it comes OTAing everything. Seems like most of the google apps have been given the material design makeover for me, only holdouts are Youtube, Google Calendar, and Maps.




Youtube's Music service is called Music Key.
Quote
You didn’t just watch [/size]"All About That Bass" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk)[/color][/size] 200+ million times on YouTube. You watched Meghan Trainor perform it live for the [/color][/size]first time ever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyVQtPkMM0M)[/color][/size] and later with [/color][/size]Jimmy Fallon and The Roots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc9MzCcmNCU)[/color][/size]. You used the song in tens of thousands of your videos, like [/color][/size]covering it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyTTX6Wlf1Y)[/color][/size] with an upright bass. Your views helped put the song at the top of the[/color][/size]Billboard Hot 100 (http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6296997/hot-100-meghan-trainor-hozier-top-10)[/color][/size] for weeks. And that’s all just for one song.[/color][/size]You've watched, shared, remixed, invented, parodied and whatevered your favorite songs, making YouTube the ultimate place for artists and fans to connect. To celebrate all that music and unlock new ways to enjoy, we’re making it easier to find new music on YouTube and rock out to old favorites. Plus, we’re starting the launch of a new subscription service that lets you watch and listen to music without ads, in the background or offline.A new home just for musicStarting today, you’ll see a new home just for music on your YouTube app for Android, iOS and on YouTube.com that shows your favorite music videos, recommended music playlists based on what you’re into and playlists of trending music across YouTube. You can find a playlist to perfectly fit your mood, whether that’s a morning motivators playlist (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFgquLnL59alZ5m7XEk44TI-FTrfNwL2B) or Boyce Avenue YouTube Mix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie9VxRF7ucM&list=RDHCkloyspXv6u8). Check out the newest songs from channels you subscribe to, like FKA twigs (https://www.youtube.com/user/twigstv) or Childish Gambino (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjYO25ZVJT523TD1iYHzcbw). Or quickly find the songs you’ve played over and over and over again.


Full albums in high quality audio that are easy on your bandwidthIf a song exists in this world, you can probably find it on YouTube. But until today you couldn’t easily find and play full albums. In the coming days, you'll be able to see an artist’s discography on YouTube, and play a full album with both their official music videos and high-quality songs our music partners added to YouTube.



You’ve asked us for ways to listen to music without ads, to keep playing music videos even if you lock the screen or start using another app, and to play music even if you’re not connected to the Internet. That’s why today we're introducing YouTube Music Key beta, a monthly subscription service starting with the promotional price of $7.99/month (discounted from $9.99/month) that will give you all that—ads-free music, background play and offline viewing. It will also include a subscription to Google Play Music, with 30+ million songs, expert-curated playlists, and in the coming days, the ability to watch many YouTube official music videos right from the app.Thanks to your music videos, remixes, covers, and more, you’ve made YouTube the biggest music service on the planet. To turn YouTube into your perfect music service, we’re launching YouTube Music Key as a beta with our biggest music fans first, and then we’ll bring YouTube Music Key to the whole world together. So, if you see an invite in your app or email, try it out for six months for free.[/size]
[/color]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMQxeb5ERps[/youtube]


Really confusing that they have two separate services yet one of the services gives you access to both.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Ceric on November 13, 2014, 03:46:44 PM
Sort of wish they had taken the Amazon prime model.

You buy Music Key for music streaming but, you also get an ad free Youtube experience.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on December 12, 2014, 10:42:53 PM
So Plume (a twitter app) last month decided to roll out an update for material design and let me tell you, It's fucking horrible.

They somehow took everything you could do with the app before and made it twice as complicated.

Here's what it looked like before
(http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/w680h550/public/postimages/684/plume.jpg)

And here's how it looks now

(http://cdn03.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Plume-Collage-710x426.jpg)

Now notice that little bar on the top of the before thing, you could actually swipe it over to scroll over to whatever you need. Now you can't because... well... OFFICIAL GOOGLE SPONSORED Material Design biatches!!!!! You also can't while viewing your timeline glance to the side to see how many mentions you have. Why? I don't know. Oh and that light blue post button is hideous.

Oh but at least I can find some other third party app that doesn't do this **** and...

**** (http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/11/3631108/tweetro-user-token-limit-api) YOU (http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/firstworldproblems-twitter-api-and-third-party-problem/) TWITTER (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/01/09/twitters-api-limit-claims-another-victim-as-carbon-runs-out-of-tokens/)

The plan is to 1-star it on Google Play and then find an apk for the last update made before they shoved this material design BS down our throats.

Oh and I see Youtube got an update. Apparently it's a new interface because obviously the old one was **** despite me never having any problems with it. Oh and the reviews seem to suggest that this interface is also ****.

Why do I have this feeling that maybe these new interfaces based on Material design are a step back from Holo or maybe were not the best idea.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on December 12, 2014, 11:09:28 PM
I didn't like material design at first, and I typically give any app I create the Holo theme, but looking at them side by side, Holo looks dated.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on December 13, 2014, 12:09:22 AM
The design itself I can mostly live with as long as it doesn't force changes in how you interact with the app. It should basically be a skin.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on December 14, 2014, 11:13:23 PM
Man I updated my Nexus 4 too Lollipop and I sort of regret it. While a lot of the design is cool, it completely borked google now for me, my battery drain is worse, and everything espially voice and contacts has a few seconds of lag.

Also the L material Desgin looks really nice and has sort of lost its luster to me. It's also too fun and casual. Wih IOS8 and the leak of the new Metro for win10 they both have a lot of modern design ticks but their is still this air of coolness in the design of their apps.


Android Wear just got the 5.0 update and now has a ton of cool looking watchfaces similar to what apple showed for the iwatch.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 12:49:33 AM
I remember someone sharing an off market android app market, and I can't remember who or where.

anyone remember what that was called? I need a wifi tether app that works for my phone ASAP.
and my phone is rooted if that matters.

thanks.


edit: nevermind.
after a little more thorough google search, I found a list that pointed me at F-Droid.
I believe that was the one that was suggested.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 02:12:51 AM
Ok, I still need a Wifi Tether app that works....

nothing works on my phone. GS3 on 4.4.2 rooted

I didn't want to have to flash back to Cyanogenmod just yet, because Verizon may be giving me a replacement phone since i no longer get 4G for some reason. So I stock reset and upgraded, then rooted. Trying to keep stock just incase I need to send the phone back in, don't want to go through all the trouble of setting everything back up only to undo it all again.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 28, 2015, 10:24:12 AM
Just use the built in tethering. Phone companies are not allowed to charge you for tethering anymore.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 10:42:24 AM
I asked a Verizon tech and they said it comes free with a different plan, but I'm not Fucking with my grand fathered unlimited plan not am I paying extra.

So maybe I should Val back and ask someone else.
Where is a link stating that they can longer charge for it?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 28, 2015, 11:03:14 AM
Didn't know you were still grandfathered in. Congratulations. No one is allowed to charge for tethering on tiered plans (per the FCC), been that way for a couple of years - but unlimited plans still can (well, your old plan can). I'm seriously considering switching to T-Mobile - unlimited everything on 2 lines is $100. I don't tether often, but you can share tether up to 5GB on their unlimited plan, every other plan is 100% of your data. Also with T-Mobile music streaming does not count towards your data (on any plan).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 12:09:21 PM
After this weekend I'm just gonna flash back to cyanogen if they aren't sending me a new phone, and then problem solved.

But if you run across a good deal on a new phone, let me know.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 28, 2015, 03:04:45 PM
I'll let you know. Also Verizon is getting their Nexus 6 in a couple of weeks, but apparently any other US version already works, just pop your SIM (you would have to trim yours) in and it works. That's very rare for a non VZW-branded phone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 09:22:17 PM
Just to update, my SIM card worked. Got my 4G back. But I still can't tether, so that kinda sux. I'll just mood my phone again when I get home tomorrow night, hopefully all will be good for another year.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on February 28, 2015, 09:32:51 PM
I've always found the "entitlement check" hack to work, but I think that's only for Motorola phones. PDANet?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on February 28, 2015, 10:51:08 PM
Wait?  You have to pay extra to enable tethering over in the States?  As in WiFi tethering?  Or some other feature I'm not aware of?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 28, 2015, 10:54:19 PM
I used FoxFi, but you have to pay for it if you more than like 5 minutes of streaming. And it uses some sort of VPN to tunnel past the entitlement check.

FoxFi is owned by PDAnet, but I couldn't figure out my way around that cost issue.... if ya know what I mean.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on March 14, 2015, 07:39:35 PM
I played with a Nexus 6 yesterday and my upgrade is ready in may. My nexus 4 is on its last legs with poor battery life and the charging port is starting to go out so i've been using a wirless charging pad at home.


Now I wonder should I go with the Nexus 6 or instead get one of the mid range moto phones off contract and stick in out another 5-6 months until the nexus line is refreshed.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on March 14, 2015, 10:18:55 PM
Up until the next couple of weeks the Nexus 6 is basically the cream of the crop. But, only for the next couple of weeks.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on March 15, 2015, 06:04:54 AM
I ordered a Nexus 6 but i'm going tot he newly-opened Google Store (inside a PC World) in central london later to have a play with it.

I'm kind of concerned that its just too big for me, and the Nexus 5 feels "just right" to use.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: DrFunkenstein on March 15, 2015, 09:53:52 AM
I've been looking for an indestructible phone lately. I'm the type of person who will have a phone for as long as I can get away with it. Phones to me use to be about calls, messaging and email. But now i need uber as well. If i can find a phone that can withstand my ****, I'd use it for the next 5 years at least.

I almost caved in and bought an S5 Active last year, but i heard it was **** and still likely to break if dropped, so I'd still need a case and if you've seen the phone, it already looks like it has one. Speaking of cases, I'm surprised by Sony. They have probably the best phone for me. I'd still have to get a case, but the Z series (especially the compact) and M aqua series phones are IP58 rated, meaning I can submerge the phone at depths over a meter and beyond for as long as I'd like and still take photos with its 20 mp camera. This is perfect for me since most of my phones have died due to deeper than a meter water.

Still, I am accident prone and I'd hate to break the damn thing, so I looked into other phones and Kyocera brigadier came out on top. It has a sapphire screen. It can withstand being thrown across a room on to a hard floor. It is IP67 rated (dust proof, water resistant). And is military rated to withstand the worst temperatures and vibrations. Pretty much, this thing is a brick. The only problem is it has **** for specs. A terrible camera, processor, and storage capacity. But then again, if it can take decent photos and run uber and the like, I'll be fine.

Does anyone have an opinion of these phones? Have you tried them out? Do you have any other phones to recommend?

P.S. Why uber? I find it a good benchmark. First of all, its an insanely useful app to have when you're drunk and in a strange city. Two, it uses all the features of a phone at once.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 20, 2015, 10:07:05 PM
So i accidentally cracked the screen on my GS3 and I'm 3 years overdue on my discounted upgrade.

(http://i.imgur.com/NAZyBtw.png)

Was just looking at the GS6 or maybe the One M9.
is there something else I should be looking at?

easily rooted/modded is a plus, because I would really like to get my tether back.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 20, 2015, 11:41:59 PM
Keep in mind if you upgrade ad a discounted price you will lose your unlimited data (if you still have it). In fact if you want to keep your plan you will probably have to purchase a phone outright form a 3rd party retailer, just order a Nano SIM cutter when you do, or take your SIM somewhere to get cut because apparently even replacing your SIM now will kill your unlimited plan. I haven't read up on the S6 or M9 as far as rooting is concerned, but based on history and user-friendliness, I would say HTC is the way to go.

On the other hand, if you go with a tiered plan, tethering is included (by law, on any U.S. non-unlimited data plan with any carrier).
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 21, 2015, 12:25:30 AM
keeping unlimited is a must.

I'll go in the store and check out an M9 and see if it's the phone for me.
Then I will talk with the people on the phone about an upgrade and keeping my plan.

otherwise, plan B is off to eBay or something.

I'm not in a rush though. my phone still works for now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on April 21, 2015, 01:57:18 AM
Get the Sony Xperia Z1 or Z3 compact. Completely waterproof. Small, but sharp form factor. Works with every cell phone tower imaginable and comes unlocked. Super fast, lasts two days with regular use easily, and has the best camera on the market - which can be used underwater. Also...it's much cheaper than an S6.

You're like me and will keep a phone as long as it works. It's as future-proof as your gonna get and you can make a phone call in the shower.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on April 21, 2015, 02:35:15 AM
Have you considered a Nexus 6?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 21, 2015, 02:43:45 AM

You're like me and will keep a phone as long as it works. It's as future-proof as your gonna get and you can make a phone call in the shower.

I was honestly hoping my S3 would last another 2 years or more.
It was supposed to be the last phone I needed to buy.

I might just have them warranty replace it if they do it for practically free.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on April 21, 2015, 08:49:48 PM
So I am currently employed at Walmart which is, so-so, except I just learned that I can get a discount on that family plan they have with Tmobile, you know the one which is already stupidly cheap and gets you unlimited data (although throttled at 2g after the first GB)...

And, if when I leave Walmart the plan is still a thing then I'll be able to keep that discount because apparently Tmobile will always think I'm working at Walmart, which is hilarious

Excuse me, At&t? Yeah, it's been good, I'm probably going to recommend your gophone plan to anyone looking for cheap PAYG calling and texting, but... I need some data.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 21, 2015, 10:29:44 PM
This *might* be a better deal. GoSmart is actually 100% owned by T-Mobile. My daughter has free service (for life, apparently) because we used to be a dealer. Bear in mind it's "3G" but really it's HSDPA.

https://www.gosmartmobile.com/ (https://www.gosmartmobile.com/)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on April 21, 2015, 11:36:20 PM
I have 2gb for 45$ plus unlimited data for music apps with t-mobile. I haven't come close to hitting my gb wall.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: shingi_70 on April 22, 2015, 10:29:42 AM
I replaced my aging Nexus 4 with a Nexus 6 yesterday.  I really love the bigger screen size and the newer hardware features like always listening Google Now the anbient lock screen.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on April 27, 2015, 01:26:28 AM
Anyone have experience connecting to xfinitywifi hotspots with an Android phone?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 09, 2015, 12:47:40 PM
I'm getting a bit worried about Samsung's plans with the SD card.

My plan was to drag the Note 8.0 along for another year and then dump both it and my moto g for next years model of the note but if they don't have an sd card there then I'm not buying.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on May 09, 2015, 08:55:25 PM
So...we were planning on upgrading our phones this summer (we both have Galaxy S2s) but I was awarded a brand new Nexus 6 at work for a job well done. I am blown away at what I can do with this thing! Everything loads fast and no more space issues for my apps! And the screen is HUGE!


Only complaints I have are that there is no removable storage options. But between clouds and the 32gigs in the device I don't see that being much of an issue.


Finally a lot of these apps from Google feel convenient, efficient, and functional versus the sluggish and frustrating performance I had before.


My wife has been eyeing a Galaxy Note 4, but we are open to other options.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 10, 2015, 02:18:08 AM
The note 5 should be out very soon if you can hold out.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 11, 2015, 05:18:49 PM
Dear google: I only set up the account for retail.dalek@Gmal.com as a compliment to my newest parody account @retail_dalek. /shamelessplug. I don't want to put it on your other services.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on July 21, 2015, 05:53:11 PM
You would think that transferring data from one SD card to another using multiple android devices (don't have a computer to do it for me) would be easy, and it would be, if they weren't running Kit Kat.

Basically the only thing I can have my phone do is create a .zip backup of my music. Kitkat will not allow me to extract the .zip to an SD card and oh lucky me, both my devices are running at least 4.2

Samsung's built in file manager is supposedly able to bypass these restrictions so I'm going to probably have to transfer the Zip file to the tablet, extract it on the system memory, and then use 'My Files' to move everything to the SD Card.

And if that doesn't work I'll have to dig up my old phone that runs f-ing gingerbread and use that to do all the extraction work.

(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5th7kk8Pl1qca6l1.gif)

Great Job there Google.

Thankfully I just found out that the Moto G got updated to 5.1 last month, but I was never aware because apparently they have an app that handles updates that I didn't update, and without that update my phone cannot update.

Hopefully that will move things along.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on August 21, 2015, 11:31:55 PM
Hey, you know that snarky internet comment about how phone companies will cut half the features people like about a phone in order to make next years model a few millimeters thinner?

Well introducing the Galaxy Note 5.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 07, 2015, 11:54:03 PM
If that runs stock Android or something approximating it... I might buy it.

(As it is, leaning OnePlus Two or Moto X).
From what I've seen Blackberry is mostly sticking to stock
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 11, 2015, 08:09:36 PM
Blackberry's arrival to the android space, although late, nonetheless comes at a beneficial time for them. Alot of people were frustrated by the Galaxy Note 5 announcement including myself because of the loss of certain key features like the SD card slot just to make the phone thinner and have it made out of glass. sometimes it feels like all of the big Android phones are made by a bunch of copy-paste wannabe iPhone makers instead of individual phone manufacturers.

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on October 12, 2015, 07:10:09 PM
There is a gap in the Android market for a top of the line system.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on October 13, 2015, 04:40:18 AM
Just flashed Marshmallow on my Nexi 6 and 9.  Fantastic update.  I think it's the best one they've done.  Not the most impressive in terms of new features, but they have really optimized it well.  The Nexus 9 is now a tablet I would recommend people buy.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 13, 2015, 11:41:15 PM
I'm not a fan of the Nexus 9 at all. I wish I was, but it just feels like one of those $60 Android Tablets from Big Lots, build-wise. I'll flash Marshmallow on my 2013 Nexus 7 soon I guess, and wait patiently for the update for my Nvidia Shield Android TV, Google ADT-1, and HTC One M8.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on October 14, 2015, 12:00:58 AM
Tempting me to flash marshmallow to my Nexus 6. I've had a few performance issues that it might be able to fix. I sporadically loose wi-fi calling for no good reason.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shaymin on October 14, 2015, 07:47:49 AM
I got the Marshmallow upgrade on my Nexus 5 last night... so far, the chief irritant is that I manually have to put the phone into file transfer mode.

Can't speak to battery life improvements or anything of that nature.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on October 14, 2015, 04:56:01 PM
I'm not a fan of the Nexus 9 at all. I wish I was, but it just feels like one of those $60 Android Tablets from Big Lots, build-wise.

I understand this.  Especially being HTC built, it's very disappointing.  When HTC were announced as the manufacturers I was expecting a splendidly built device.  Google must have put some directives in place regarding the build.  I would only now recommend it for a tablet since it got Marshmallow.  Not on 5.1.1 and especially not 5.0.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Plugabugz on October 15, 2015, 11:00:18 AM
Tempting me to flash marshmallow to my Nexus 6. I've had a few performance issues that it might be able to fix. I sporadically loose wi-fi calling for no good reason.

I flashed Mango (my preferred name for Marshmallow), then utterly wrecked my phone and then manually returned to Lemon Pledge. I'm waiting for the dust to settle on root (which is what broke it) before i upgrade again.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 15, 2015, 06:04:15 PM
I'm not a fan of the Nexus 9 at all. I wish I was, but it just feels like one of those $60 Android Tablets from Big Lots, build-wise.

I understand this.  Especially being HTC built, it's very disappointing.  When HTC were announced as the manufacturers I was expecting a splendidly built device.  Google must have put some directives in place regarding the build.  I would only now recommend it for a tablet since it got Marshmallow.  Not on 5.1.1 and especially not 5.0.
I suppose HTC doesn't have as much experience making something with cheap materials as LG and Samsung do.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 21, 2015, 01:06:15 AM
If that runs stock Android or something approximating it... I might buy it.

(As it is, leaning OnePlus Two or Moto X).
From what I've seen Blackberry is mostly sticking to stock
I spoke too soon, it looks like Blackberry basically went under the surface of the Android OS and locked it down a bunch so it can be more secure, although I will say this, I'm happy I'm not much into rooting.

Hey brandogg, I'm curious, how much will the type of stuff they are messing with affect app development and fragmentation compared to say, Touchwiz.

Quote
BlackBerry's Hardware Root of Trust, a unique manufacturing process that injects cryptographic keys into the device hardware, providing a secure foundation for the entire platform.

Verified Boot and Secure Bootchain, which uses the embedded keys to verify every layer of the device from hardware to OS to applications in order to make sure they haven't been tampered with.

A hardened Linux kernel with numerous patches and configuration changes to improve security.

FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption on by default to protect your privacy.

The BlackBerry Infrastructure, a secure distributed global network that transmits petabytes of encrypted data to and from the world's most powerful leaders and professionals.

BES12, the leading Enterprise Mobility Management platform used by the world's most powerful governments and corporations.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on October 22, 2015, 09:37:59 PM
It's a different crowd. These are basically just business phones, some people will purchase them because they look cool, but they will regret that purchase due to how locked down the phone seems like it will be. Arab kids will love it. And that is by no means anti-anything or racist. Arab kids love BlackBerry phones, period.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on October 23, 2015, 05:06:07 PM
$699 for the Blackberry Priv would be more offensive to me if I weren't essentially buying it as a phablet.

My life has reached a point where having both a tablet and a phone is not practical but the moto G (4g) as a phone doesn't seem very well suited for a solo act like that.

I need a phone that can be versatile enough to keep up with the changes in my life. The Moto G is not that phone so I was hoping the Note 5 would fill that role (after all, my current tablet is a Galaxy Note 8.0 and it seems to be holding out nicely over the years,) but well my frustrations with that model can be seen above.

The Blackberry Priv may be a "Business Phone" but it is by no means incapable of being used for more playful things because of the access to the play store and those security measures won't hurt either. I don't think many other phones can claim the same level of versatility that blackberry has offered here.

But I don't know how many people value that enough to spend $699 on that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on September 14, 2016, 01:18:27 PM
I have a dumb question: what actually happens when you buy music from the Google Play Store?

What I want to happen is that you download the mp3 files and you can then do with them what you want - put them on your computer, on your phone, on any other mp3-capable listening device, or just store them on a hard drive for later. I am hoping you basically own the files, just like if you ripped one of your own CDs.

So, uh, is that what happens? It doesn't seem like it. Actually, I just don't know and the help pages on the Google Play Store are cagey on this topic. I haven't ever bought any music from the Google Play Store but I'd like to. What would I be getting myself into if I did?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stogi on September 15, 2016, 01:54:47 PM
You can download them and put them on anything that plays MP3s, convert them, and/or burn them to a CD.

Source: I've done it before.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on September 15, 2016, 01:56:30 PM
You can download them and put them on anything that plays MP3s or burn them to a CD.

Source: I've done it before.
THANK YOU!!!  :) :) :D
Very timely, I was just about to throw caution to the wind and try it out during my lunch break.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on November 08, 2018, 12:18:47 AM
Holy **** guys..... THE FUTURE IS ALMOSTS HERE!!!

(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QAUAOy9eCicxQMddMMCyD0EDQdc=/0x0:916x600/1400x933/filters:focal(385x227:531x373):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62223361/Nov_07_2018_14_31_38.1541618716.gif)

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/7/18071720/google-android-foldables-fragmentation-displays
Quote
Google is officially announcing support for a category of Android devices it’s decided to call “Foldables.” Speaking today at the Android Developer Summit, VP of engineering Dave Burke said that Google is “enhancing Android to take advantage of this new form factor with as little work as necessary.”

They just need to make it thinner like this
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/6d51a324f8a300882a60e0618f7c3ac2/tumblr_oh20kqgSZC1qjsc4fo1_500.gif)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 08, 2018, 12:28:54 AM
Holy **** guys..... THE FUTURE IS ALMOSTS HERE!!!

(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QAUAOy9eCicxQMddMMCyD0EDQdc=/0x0:916x600/1400x933/filters:focal(385x227:531x373):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62223361/Nov_07_2018_14_31_38.1541618716.gif)

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/7/18071720/google-android-foldables-fragmentation-displays
Quote
Google is officially announcing support for a category of Android devices it’s decided to call “Foldables.” Speaking today at the Android Developer Summit, VP of engineering Dave Burke said that Google is “enhancing Android to take advantage of this new form factor with as little work as necessary.”

They just need to make it thinner.
Goodbye headphone jack.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on November 08, 2018, 02:12:06 AM
Why is everyone so hung up on the 3.5mm headphone jack?

is it an audio delay thing?
sound quality?
do you just like to be physically tethered to your phone?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Shorty McNostril on November 08, 2018, 02:40:16 AM
There is a difference in audio quality yes, especially if there is a good DAC powering the jack.  That said, the difference only really concerns those of the audiophile persuasion. Your everyday users don't notice it.

The issue is more that people have headphones with the lead. They want to use them. 
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on November 08, 2018, 12:35:31 PM
FYI, That isn't the final form factor. Samsung had it in a thick protective case because they don't want to reveal the final look. Expect it to look much nicer under that blocky case.

And I agree that everyone needs to get over the end of the headphone jack. Its nearly 150 year-old technology, time to retire it with prejudice. There are Bluetooth headphones with good quality and battery life for $20, so there is very little pain for anyone outside of the legit audiophiles, and there are alternatives for them available in the market.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on November 08, 2018, 03:37:08 PM
I just don't like losing functionality on my potential $700 smart devices.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on November 08, 2018, 08:01:55 PM
you're not losing functionality, you are just having to access it differently.

Has anyone patented the bluetooth 3.5mm jack, for those that refuse to give up their corded headphones, but honestly have nowhere to plug them in on these new devices?

because I'm calling DIBS right now.
my quick "get rich" idea.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 08, 2018, 09:29:07 PM
I still don't get the point of a foldable device. They're gonna be probe to breaking, warping, etc. Surely the constant opening and closing will lead to weakness in the display. You can sort of get around this by having the display be the "outside" of the fold. I'm intrigued to see where this goes, but it seems like a silly gimmick for now.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on November 08, 2018, 09:31:01 PM
3.5mm Bluetooth transmitters are already a thing btw.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on November 08, 2018, 10:05:28 PM
that device looks way too thick for a 2018 phone thing
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on November 12, 2018, 02:52:53 PM
Yeah, transmitters are a thing, though really the cost of them is about the same as a basic pair of Bluetooth headphones so whats the point? All the negatives of both, but without most of the benefits.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: Stratos on November 12, 2018, 02:53:31 PM
that device looks way too thick for a 2018 phone thing

Its in a protective case Shyguy. They don't want people seeing how the final design looks yet.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on December 30, 2018, 11:44:02 PM
So my Blackberry Priv's charging port gave out so I had to pick up a LG Rebel 4 on the cheap to get me by until I can get it fixed (literally the only one of my backup phones that still works apparently is the LG Neon which is unfortunately still locked to AT&T and my attempts to get it unlocked on the AT&T website failed because the site is apparently having problems.) It's not a bad phone at all but the Blackberry Priv is just a device that I legitimately enjoy using as my daily driver and once I get the Micro USB port fixed I hope to continue to enjoy using it for a few more years.

Also I can't believe I'm having this much trouble with a touch keyboard. That said this phone does have a headphone jack, SD Card Slot, and a removable battery so that's always nice.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on December 31, 2018, 12:12:08 AM
Can I interest you in a little device I like to call a PC?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: King of Twitch on January 01, 2019, 01:49:45 AM
Yo! I got the Note 5 for my first smartphone. Any tips or tricks or thoughts?
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on January 01, 2019, 01:58:57 AM
first smartphone?

https://www.androidcentral.com/how-take-screenshot-galaxy-note-5

https://thedroidguy.com/2018/05/samsung-galaxy-note-5-settings-how-to-locate-file-manager-capture-photo-from-video-change-default-email-app-set-text-messages-auto-signature-1055836

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nintendo.znca

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shazam.android&hl=en

Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 01, 2019, 02:59:39 AM
JetAudio is my go to music app and 1weather is my go to weather app. For podcasts I like to use podcast addict.

Also for god sakes get nova launcher.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 08, 2019, 09:01:08 PM
I found out that Blackberry put some of their apps out under the hub+ moniker years ago. I'm waiting for the repair shop to get a part in to fix my Priv but Blackberry Hub is legitimately just a really nice email client/notifications management thingy and it's nice to have it back.

There's a free 30 day trial and than you can either pay a 99 cent monthly fee to keep full access to the app suite or continue using ad supported versions of the three apps on the service that are actually worth using (Which are Hub, their proprietary calendar app that's basically just Google calendar with built in integration with blackberry hub and the homescreen widget that Google calendar used to have.) You can also use their Android launcher with ad support but like most of the apps you have to pay the monthly fee to continue using the launcher is pretty much just a solid android launcher geared towards a particular audience.

link for info on their website. (https://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-hub-plus)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 20, 2019, 04:28:26 PM
It's official - Samsung's Folding Phone revealed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r_UgNcJtzQ

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-20/samsung-launches-1-980-galaxy-fold-phone-that-turns-into-tablet

$2k, 4 colors, April 2019

(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wt2z0P0YspKD0K5g4nYgPJ_4wFw=/1200x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/14052271/google_fold_map.gif)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on February 20, 2019, 04:58:29 PM
Looks pretty good! Although the notch in the upper right of the big screen is pretty noticeable and the tiny screen on the front looks comically undersized.

Edit: watched the full reveal, and you don't really see the notch on Youtube, or when they do the 3 app split.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on February 20, 2019, 06:20:32 PM
Flip phones are back!

Make it a tri-fold with a keyboard

Chonker of a notch

12gb RAM? Now wonder it costs two grand.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: oohhboy on February 20, 2019, 11:47:32 PM
The hell is that doing with 12GB of ram?

Heheh, I read '4 colours' to mean a screen capable of 4 colours.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: NWR_insanolord on February 20, 2019, 11:55:27 PM
Foldable phones are one of those things where they're neat from a technology perspective, and they'd be fun to show off, but it doesn't seem to have that much practical use.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 21, 2019, 12:12:05 AM
Foldable phones are one of those things where they're neat from a technology perspective, and they'd be fun to show off, but it doesn't seem to have that much practical use.

I watch basketball games on the go all the time.
my daughter loves her youtube videos of other people playing games

being able to open my phone into a large screen would get lots of use from me.
not $2k worth of usefulness mind you, but once the price becomes reasonable, I'll certainly be in for a 3rd gen version.

Imagine the Galaxy Fold Note though....
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on February 21, 2019, 12:49:57 PM
The Galaxy Chord?

Sorry, not sorry
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on February 21, 2019, 05:18:05 PM
I expect ports of DS games
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: RABicle on April 17, 2019, 09:05:21 PM
https://wccftech.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-screen-breaks-after-a-single-day-of-use/
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on April 18, 2019, 04:01:26 AM
I cannot wait to see the comments section of the inevitable jerryrigeverything video.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on April 18, 2019, 01:36:41 PM
Mark Cuban's Galaxy Fold appears to be fine though. (https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1118901782527324160)
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BranDonk Kong on April 18, 2019, 02:06:15 PM
Folding screens are stupid. I doubt I will ever stop believing that.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 14, 2019, 12:08:31 AM
I'm starting to warm up to this beautiful thing. I might end up upgrading to it from the Priv.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: ShyGuy on May 21, 2019, 12:28:03 AM
This isn't Android, but this is a phone I am interested in.

https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on May 21, 2019, 01:05:28 AM
More power to you but there is some questionable stuff in the marketing I'm noticing.

Quote
With the industry’s obsession about thinness and “disposable” devices, the majority of phones manufactured in recent years embed the battery as non-replaceable part of the phone, typically soldered directly onto the motherboard.

Nobody solders the battery into the motherboard. That's what's called a really bad idea. Heat + battery = bad. LG recently superglued the battery into the LG G8 so it's pretty unsafe to remove but that's still pretty different from soldering.


Also generally the motherboard is pretty much a separate entity from the battery. My BlackBerry Priv for example basically has the motherboard shaped like the letter C and it sort of goes around the battery and than there's a cable that connects the battery to the board. It has these little pulltabs for removing the battery when needed and the battery sort of rests on the frame of the phone with those adhesive pull tabs I mentioned holding it in place while the motherboard is screwed onto the Frame with T4 screws. The LG G8 also uses a C shaped motherboard.

Basically, it's really hard to take your claims of "having the consumer's best interests at heart" seriously when you're throwing around misleading information like this

This one amuses me as well.

Quote
Your user experience will improve as we incrementally add commonly requested applications and features (such as calendaring, notes, calculator, PDF viewer, etc.) while keeping performance in mind

Calendar, notes, and calculators are pretty basic functionality for a smartphone nowadays. Hell, My LG Neon has all 3 of those things and that one isn't even a smartphone.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 31, 2019, 01:38:18 PM
SWYPE

anyone remember this program!? drag your finger across the keyboard and it predicitvely types for you. learns your most common words and will correct them for you!?

of course you do.
they eventually teamed up with Dragon speech recognition software, and then I had to get a new phone with and reinstall apps, and Swype was gone.... I was forced to use Swiftkey.

well, it's NYE and I can stand Swiftkey and it's non-ability to learn my words, and constant need to auto-correct my words to something that makes absolutely no sense, or not even close to what I was typing, even though the word I clearly swyped is the first choice on the line (it would select the 2nd or 3rd possible word, instead of the obvious 1st choice word... makes no damn sense) and I am certainly tired of it deciding to autocorrect my text after the fact, even if i selected the correct word, or even typed in the word letter by letter, just as I'm hitting the send button so that I now have to send a 2nd text to correct the word(s) that I watched change as the messages was to be sent.

I'm very annoyed with this program. It happens so randomly with the random word switches... actually it will often just put a single letter when I try to swype a simple word like "was" all I will get is the "w" so I end up with a sentence like "I w at the store" even though I clearly swyped the entire word. and just as I hit send, I will watch "store" change to "stairs".
it's the most annoying thing ever. I'm done with this ****, but I'm so used to "swyping" I need a better alternative... actually I just need the original program back.

does anyone know where to find it!?
please help.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: nickmitch on January 02, 2020, 10:11:05 PM
Google has a "gboard" for iOS, but I dunno what the android equivalent is.  The iOS default also lets you swipe type by default, so it could be right under your nose.  My gboard is actually starting to learn Pokemon names.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 02, 2020, 10:55:38 PM
I actually just decided to try it out.

test words.... tomorrow, yesterday, and "and"

3 words swiftkey would never recognize on the first 20 attempts.... I usually result to just manually typing those words or choosing them from one of the "possibilities". G Board got them every single time.

I run it for a few days and see if we click or not.
So far so good though.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on January 28, 2020, 01:47:01 PM
The Fxtec Pro1 has arrived at last. It seems nice so far.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on February 05, 2020, 12:41:16 AM
Looks like TCL is calling it quits on the whole Blackberry deal.
link. (https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/02/03/tcl_will_stop_making_new_blackberry_phones/)

I'm going to be laughing at the reactions on the Crackberry forums.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on March 23, 2020, 09:21:28 PM
So I'm looking to buy a new phone very soon.

Someone convince my why it shouldn't be a Galaxy 10 or 11.
(and don't post anything about an iPhone. not interested.)

Go.
Title: Re: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread
Post by: pokepal148 on March 24, 2020, 02:12:24 AM
The Fxtec Pro1 has incredible battery life that could easily be pushed to two days without the aggressive background task management stuff that other manufacturers, including Samsung, have adopted to achieve similar results. Also because the battery is fairly small at 3200mah and it has quick charge 3 via USB C, it can recharge it's battery really quickly compared to most modern flagships. It has an impressive set of sidefiring stereo speakers and because the keyboard mechanism functions as something of a kickstand it's a really nice little multimedia device.

It's also designed to be taken apart and easily repaired and can easily be flashed with other roms like LineageOS if that's something you're interested in.

IDK if it's right for you but it's a hell of an option that's worth looking into. Also the keyboard is a hell of a conversation starter.