So a bit more about the GS8+, since I'm too lazy to write the full on review I wanted to this weekend.
The hardware is fantastic, but yea, it's a fragile phone. The screen is incredible, and the 18.5:9 display is the real deal. I was looking at pictures from the camera last night and it basically feels like the entire device is a screen, it's really impressive. Colours pop, and as is always the case with Super AMOLED displays, they're a bit over saturated and not quite as colour accurate as an LCD, however I think the real truth is most people prefer that anyway. The back is glass, but I won't be looking at the back very often since it's in a case. Since, you know, the back is glass.
The Software was the big thing I was worried about, and honestly, it's fine. Is it perfect? No. But neither is the "Stock" Google image. I think Samsung over complicates some aspects still, especially in settings, but the flip side to that is that you get far more control and customization options out of the box than you do with a stock google device. And frankly, some of Samsung's choices are better. The camera app is leaps and bounds better than Google's. I actually prefer Samsung's Browser to Chrome. It's faster and more responsive. There isn't a ton of bloatware, and any Samsung app that isn't a core system app can be uninstalled, not just disabled, uninstalled. So while I can't disable the Samsung Calendar since that plugs in at a system level, there were a bunch of apps like Samsung Reminders, Smart Switch(for transferring data from old to new phone), etc that I was able to uninstall. There are still a couple duplicate apps installed (gallery and google photos, Browser and Chrome, etc) but it's manageable, and it's fine. The Launcher itself is fine. I have felt zero need to go back to the Google Now Launcher. The only thing I miss is the swipe to get to google now, but I put the google app shortcut on my main home screen to get quick access to it.
I could actually talk for a long time about just the various software aspects. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but while it's not perfect, I actually think that it's better than the stock google experience overall. I think Samsung does a really good job of giving you almost every option you could want without overwhelming you. If you never want to change anything you never have to, but there is a lot there that can be modified and customized. Samsung has done well. I've been using "Stock" Google since 2011, and I'm really impressed with Samsung here.
Now, there are the issues with updates. I'm worried. It took 5 months for the GS7 to get Nougat. I don't like that, and I hope it's a bit better this go round.
And Bixby... I turned it off. I hit the stupid button for it on occasion. But overall I rarely see it.
Lastly: the big "oh god the fingerprint reader is in the worst spot." It really isn't that bad. Is it the best place? No. Is it as bad as all the reviewers said it was: no. Especially when you put a case on it. I have no issue using it at all.
So yea, I'm *really* happy with this device. My phone is my most important computer, it's the one I use the most. I want it to be the best, and this one is.
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
So yes, that's the reason why.
I never understood the appeal of glass backs, it just screams "prepare to have more to worry about breaking and surface area to clean unless you put it in a case, in which why even have it"
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
So yes, that's the reason why.
I never understood the appeal of glass backs, it just screams "prepare to have more to worry about breaking and surface area to clean unless you put it in a case, in which why even have it"
What I will say is that it *feels* fantastic in the hand. Like, I love it. I also got the orchid grey version and the colour might be the best I've ever seen on a phone. But I'm almost never going to see that back because since the back is glass It's always going to be in a case.
It does all come down to personal preference. There are pros and cons to every type of material. My 6P, which was a metal phone, was more slippery than the GS8, But the casing could take a couple dings. Metal also is worse for radio performance though, and on the 6P it showed. a plastic/polycarbonate casing can feel really good in the hand, or it can feel really bad. IT won't dent like metal or shatter like glass, but will pick up other marks more quickly.
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
I'm curious to discover who will be first to successfully create a back to the phone that creates grip, is strong and aesthetically looks amazing.
I think a good polycarbonate is the best we have currently, but for some reason we just don't see that on high end flagships anymore. But the polycarbonate that was on the HTC One X and the early Nokia Lumia phones was fantastic.
EDIT: only downside to polycarbonate is that plastic is a natural insulator, so it can cause heat issues. Metal and glass conduct heat a lot better.
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
I'm curious to discover who will be first to successfully create a back to the phone that creates grip, is strong and aesthetically looks amazing.
I think a good polycarbonate is the best we have currently, but for some reason we just don't see that on high end flagships anymore. But the polycarbonate that was on the HTC One X and the early Nokia Lumia phones was fantastic.
EDIT: only downside to polycarbonate is that plastic is a natural insulator, so it can cause heat issues. Metal and glass conduct heat a lot better.
I suppose for Samsung with the Note 7 fiasco, anything that raises temperature by even 0.1 degrees would cause them panic.
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
I'm curious to discover who will be first to successfully create a back to the phone that creates grip, is strong and aesthetically looks amazing.
I think a good polycarbonate is the best we have currently, but for some reason we just don't see that on high end flagships anymore. But the polycarbonate that was on the HTC One X and the early Nokia Lumia phones was fantastic.
EDIT: only downside to polycarbonate is that plastic is a natural insulator, so it can cause heat issues. Metal and glass conduct heat a lot better.
I suppose for Samsung with the Note 7 fiasco, anything that raises temperature by even 0.1 degrees would cause them panic.
they've been on the glass train for 3 years now though. GS6, Note 5, GS7, Note 7 (RIP), Tab S3 and GS8 have all been glass backs.
Most of their mid-low range phones are still plastic, though I believe one of their mid range models is an aluminum chassis. I just don't remember which model/line because they have a billion of them.
How is it fragile? Simply because of the curved screen meeting the glass backplate?
Both the front and back are glass.
I'm curious to discover who will be first to successfully create a back to the phone that creates grip, is strong and aesthetically looks amazing.
I think a good polycarbonate is the best we have currently, but for some reason we just don't see that on high end flagships anymore. But the polycarbonate that was on the HTC One X and the early Nokia Lumia phones was fantastic.
EDIT: only downside to polycarbonate is that plastic is a natural insulator, so it can cause heat issues. Metal and glass conduct heat a lot better.
I suppose for Samsung with the Note 7 fiasco, anything that raises temperature by even 0.1 degrees would cause them panic.
they've been on the glass train for 3 years now though. GS6, Note 5, GS7, Note 7 (RIP), Tab S3 and GS8 have all been glass backs.
Most of their mid-low range phones are still plastic, though I believe one of their mid range models is an aluminum chassis. I just don't remember which model/line because they have a billion of them.
What I was trying to say is that if Samsung wanted to use a good polycarbonate, they would have to change pretty much all of the phone design, as such anything that could possibly change the phones temperature can affect the whole function of the hardware with how delicate top tier phones are. Considering how Samsung have had positive reception for glass back phones in the looks department, I doubt we will see change anytime soon.
I am disappointed that we didn't see more of that healing skin back that LG had on the flex phones.
I have a few core apps that I'm nearly certain are also "core" to Samsung. The most notable being Textra. Also, I have a big problem with a ODM outright making you use an app (as in, if you don't want to use it, it still sits there and eats up space). Projecting from the experience with my kids' tablets: the amount of storage I could potentially free up by being able to outright delete the "turned off" apps is significant.
Also, as you said, I'm still concerned with updates. That's probably top-3 in my likes of Google/Nexus/Pixel phones.
I have a few core apps that I'm nearly certain are also "core" to Samsung. The most notable being Textra. Also, I have a big problem with a ODM outright making you use an app (as in, if you don't want to use it, it still sits there and eats up space). Projecting from the experience with my kids' tablets: the amount of storage I could potentially free up by being able to outright delete the "turned off" apps is significant.
Also, as you said, I'm still concerned with updates. That's probably top-3 in my likes of Google/Nexus/Pixel phones.
the thing is, is that even on a google phone, if you use textra instead of messages, another email client instead of gmail, etc, you can't uninstall those "core" apps from a Nexus/Pixel either.
Sure there are a bit fewer of them, but Google phones are not exempt from it either.
I dont mind most of the apps Samsung throws on their phones since they mostly try to add something to the device. I used the default text app on my Note 4 for a really long time because it worked pretty well (although it was abysmal at handling group chats).
Carrier apps can die in a fire though. No Verizon I dont want your text messaging app, or your maps app, or some radio app, or IMDB's app oh god why cant I get it off my phone. I dont think I can get rid of the NFL app either, but honestly I havent tried.
The screen on my coworkers S8 died on her last week. Samsung did next day ship her a new phone, but she had an awful time having to go through multiple levels of T-Mobile and then Samsung's customer reps for them to realize the screen died by no fault of her own.
From what I understand, the phone got burning hot in her pocket and became totally unresponsive. We let it cool off, charge for an hour or so, and then neither 'normal' boot nor hard reset's would make it turn on. She took it to a local T-Mobile store and every level of customer service tried to charge the phone and hard reset it until finally they acquiesced that the screen was dead.
That said, she just got unlucky and had a bad phone, but the hardware itself is really nice. She's had Samsung's going back to the S4, and the S8 is by far the nicest, most premium feeling one. It makes my 5X feel like a cheap $100 phone.
Card Thief is an excellent game and I highly recommend it. Gorgeous art style! There is a one-time in-app purchase to speed up progress but I think the devs deserve my money so I got it.
Card Thief is an excellent game and I highly recommend it. Gorgeous art style! There is a one-time in-app purchase to speed up progress but I think the devs deserve my money so I got it.
That concept reminds me a bit of Metal Gear Acid, which I enjoyed. Will have to give that a shot, ta for the recommendation!
So, I've been seriously considering the jump from iOS to Android, but there's one thing that confuses me: Do android users just not use the fingerprint functionality? Or is it significantly behind iOS in terms of adoption? I use it in place of passwords whenever possible on an iPhone 6S, and the one thing holding me back is the placement on the Galaxy S8. I'd really like to switch sooner rather than later, but that's kind of a deal breaker.
Outside of unlocking my phone the only other things/apps that have made use of the fingerprint reader are mobile banking apps and maybe Google Play for purchase authentication. It would surprise if some password managers may support it as well.
The short answer is that it's just as integrated in Android but the placement of the reader for the S8 is just bad. The S7 had it on the front and other recent-gen handsets had it dead center, just below the center - aligned camera, on the back.
The S8 has been criticized by many review outlets / sites for the horribad sensor placement.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Outside of unlocking my phone the only other things/apps that have made use of the fingerprint reader are mobile banking apps and maybe Google Play for purchase authentication. It would surprise if some password managers may support it as well.
So, I've been seriously considering the jump from iOS to Android, but there's one thing that confuses me: Do android users just not use the fingerprint functionality? Or is it significantly behind iOS in terms of adoption? I use it in place of passwords whenever possible on an iPhone 6S, and the one thing holding me back is the placement on the Galaxy S8. I'd really like to switch sooner rather than later, but that's kind of a deal breaker.
first hand experience with the GS8+: it's really not as bad as reviewers made it out to be, especially if you have a case on the phone (which you should).
Is it as good as it was/is on the nexus/pixel line? No. It's a little higher than I'd like it. Is it really impacting my day to day use of the phone? Not in the slightest. It took a couple days to get used to, other than that it is fine. And to compare to iOS, I 500% prefer it on the back to the front. I've used phones with it on the front bottom, and back, and in my opinion back is superior in almost every single way. Only exception is lying flat on a desk/table.
Don't let the reviewers who all switch phones every 2 weeks and don't have time to get used to nuances of a device tell you it's wrong. It isn't perfect, but it really is nowhere near as bad as was reported.
As for apps that use it, yea I will say that's behind iOS. Unlocking phone, purchases in Google Play, Paypal, and LastPass are the ones I can think off off of the top of my head that support it, but there isn't a ton there otherwise.
There's a really long explanation for it, but the tl:dr is that to use the native fingerprint functions built into android the app has to be targeting the Android 6.x or higher API's, which too few developers do. too much of the attitude of "my app targets 5.x and works just fine on 7.x so it's not broken so I'm not going to fix it.
There's an even longer story as to why *that's* actually the bigger issue with Android fragmentation, and not the percentage of specific OS versions on handsets, but I'd need a lot longer to really parse that.
Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll need to find a display model and see how I feel about the rear fingerprint scanner in general. But if it works ok, then I might want to hold out until the Note 8 (assuming this one doesn't explode). That puts me in a difficult position though, since I need a new phone by August (my locked Verizon iPhone will not work on GSM networks, contract isn't up until October). But I could potentially get a not quite as expensive phone to hand over to my mom after August, when I hopefully get a Note 8.
So if I'm looking at a GSM (UK networks + AT&T) + CDMA (Verizon specifically) phone, which can take a MicroSD and has a good camera, would an unlocked LG G6 be a good candidate? I think it fits the bill as long as I get a US unlocked and not the International one. I know nothing of what these companies bundle software wise, what can/can't be removed, or reliability by manufacturer. I know there's some gnashing of teeth because not everyone updates to the latest Android version asap, but that's the extent of my knowledge.
Posts
The hardware is fantastic, but yea, it's a fragile phone. The screen is incredible, and the 18.5:9 display is the real deal. I was looking at pictures from the camera last night and it basically feels like the entire device is a screen, it's really impressive. Colours pop, and as is always the case with Super AMOLED displays, they're a bit over saturated and not quite as colour accurate as an LCD, however I think the real truth is most people prefer that anyway. The back is glass, but I won't be looking at the back very often since it's in a case. Since, you know, the back is glass.
The Software was the big thing I was worried about, and honestly, it's fine. Is it perfect? No. But neither is the "Stock" Google image. I think Samsung over complicates some aspects still, especially in settings, but the flip side to that is that you get far more control and customization options out of the box than you do with a stock google device. And frankly, some of Samsung's choices are better. The camera app is leaps and bounds better than Google's. I actually prefer Samsung's Browser to Chrome. It's faster and more responsive. There isn't a ton of bloatware, and any Samsung app that isn't a core system app can be uninstalled, not just disabled, uninstalled. So while I can't disable the Samsung Calendar since that plugs in at a system level, there were a bunch of apps like Samsung Reminders, Smart Switch(for transferring data from old to new phone), etc that I was able to uninstall. There are still a couple duplicate apps installed (gallery and google photos, Browser and Chrome, etc) but it's manageable, and it's fine. The Launcher itself is fine. I have felt zero need to go back to the Google Now Launcher. The only thing I miss is the swipe to get to google now, but I put the google app shortcut on my main home screen to get quick access to it.
I could actually talk for a long time about just the various software aspects. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but while it's not perfect, I actually think that it's better than the stock google experience overall. I think Samsung does a really good job of giving you almost every option you could want without overwhelming you. If you never want to change anything you never have to, but there is a lot there that can be modified and customized. Samsung has done well. I've been using "Stock" Google since 2011, and I'm really impressed with Samsung here.
Now, there are the issues with updates. I'm worried. It took 5 months for the GS7 to get Nougat. I don't like that, and I hope it's a bit better this go round.
And Bixby... I turned it off. I hit the stupid button for it on occasion. But overall I rarely see it.
Lastly: the big "oh god the fingerprint reader is in the worst spot." It really isn't that bad. Is it the best place? No. Is it as bad as all the reviewers said it was: no. Especially when you put a case on it. I have no issue using it at all.
So yea, I'm *really* happy with this device. My phone is my most important computer, it's the one I use the most. I want it to be the best, and this one is.
Both the front and back are glass.
So yes, that's the reason why.
I never understood the appeal of glass backs, it just screams "prepare to have more to worry about breaking and surface area to clean unless you put it in a case, in which why even have it"
What I will say is that it *feels* fantastic in the hand. Like, I love it. I also got the orchid grey version and the colour might be the best I've ever seen on a phone. But I'm almost never going to see that back because since the back is glass It's always going to be in a case.
It does all come down to personal preference. There are pros and cons to every type of material. My 6P, which was a metal phone, was more slippery than the GS8, But the casing could take a couple dings. Metal also is worse for radio performance though, and on the 6P it showed. a plastic/polycarbonate casing can feel really good in the hand, or it can feel really bad. IT won't dent like metal or shatter like glass, but will pick up other marks more quickly.
I'm curious to discover who will be first to successfully create a back to the phone that creates grip, is strong and aesthetically looks amazing.
I think a good polycarbonate is the best we have currently, but for some reason we just don't see that on high end flagships anymore. But the polycarbonate that was on the HTC One X and the early Nokia Lumia phones was fantastic.
EDIT: only downside to polycarbonate is that plastic is a natural insulator, so it can cause heat issues. Metal and glass conduct heat a lot better.
I suppose for Samsung with the Note 7 fiasco, anything that raises temperature by even 0.1 degrees would cause them panic.
they've been on the glass train for 3 years now though. GS6, Note 5, GS7, Note 7 (RIP), Tab S3 and GS8 have all been glass backs.
Most of their mid-low range phones are still plastic, though I believe one of their mid range models is an aluminum chassis. I just don't remember which model/line because they have a billion of them.
What I was trying to say is that if Samsung wanted to use a good polycarbonate, they would have to change pretty much all of the phone design, as such anything that could possibly change the phones temperature can affect the whole function of the hardware with how delicate top tier phones are. Considering how Samsung have had positive reception for glass back phones in the looks department, I doubt we will see change anytime soon.
I am disappointed that we didn't see more of that healing skin back that LG had on the flex phones.
Also, as you said, I'm still concerned with updates. That's probably top-3 in my likes of Google/Nexus/Pixel phones.
the thing is, is that even on a google phone, if you use textra instead of messages, another email client instead of gmail, etc, you can't uninstall those "core" apps from a Nexus/Pixel either.
Sure there are a bit fewer of them, but Google phones are not exempt from it either.
Carrier apps can die in a fire though. No Verizon I dont want your text messaging app, or your maps app, or some radio app, or IMDB's app oh god why cant I get it off my phone. I dont think I can get rid of the NFL app either, but honestly I havent tried.
From what I understand, the phone got burning hot in her pocket and became totally unresponsive. We let it cool off, charge for an hour or so, and then neither 'normal' boot nor hard reset's would make it turn on. She took it to a local T-Mobile store and every level of customer service tried to charge the phone and hard reset it until finally they acquiesced that the screen was dead.
That said, she just got unlucky and had a bad phone, but the hardware itself is really nice. She's had Samsung's going back to the S4, and the S8 is by far the nicest, most premium feeling one. It makes my 5X feel like a cheap $100 phone.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
That concept reminds me a bit of Metal Gear Acid, which I enjoyed. Will have to give that a shot, ta for the recommendation!
Steam | XBL
X (1+5) = Y
Where X is the number of OnePluses being purchased, and the Y is why are we still talking about this :biggrin:
You mean a Pixel 40.
That's pretty low-res.
Steam | XBL
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Recently I've noticed that my phone randomly locks up and slows down, but I can't pin down exactly what's causing it...
The S8 has been criticized by many review outlets / sites for the horribad sensor placement.
Lastpass supports it. I use it for it.
first hand experience with the GS8+: it's really not as bad as reviewers made it out to be, especially if you have a case on the phone (which you should).
Is it as good as it was/is on the nexus/pixel line? No. It's a little higher than I'd like it. Is it really impacting my day to day use of the phone? Not in the slightest. It took a couple days to get used to, other than that it is fine. And to compare to iOS, I 500% prefer it on the back to the front. I've used phones with it on the front bottom, and back, and in my opinion back is superior in almost every single way. Only exception is lying flat on a desk/table.
Don't let the reviewers who all switch phones every 2 weeks and don't have time to get used to nuances of a device tell you it's wrong. It isn't perfect, but it really is nowhere near as bad as was reported.
As for apps that use it, yea I will say that's behind iOS. Unlocking phone, purchases in Google Play, Paypal, and LastPass are the ones I can think off off of the top of my head that support it, but there isn't a ton there otherwise.
There's a really long explanation for it, but the tl:dr is that to use the native fingerprint functions built into android the app has to be targeting the Android 6.x or higher API's, which too few developers do. too much of the attitude of "my app targets 5.x and works just fine on 7.x so it's not broken so I'm not going to fix it.
There's an even longer story as to why *that's* actually the bigger issue with Android fragmentation, and not the percentage of specific OS versions on handsets, but I'd need a lot longer to really parse that.
So if I'm looking at a GSM (UK networks + AT&T) + CDMA (Verizon specifically) phone, which can take a MicroSD and has a good camera, would an unlocked LG G6 be a good candidate? I think it fits the bill as long as I get a US unlocked and not the International one. I know nothing of what these companies bundle software wise, what can/can't be removed, or reliability by manufacturer. I know there's some gnashing of teeth because not everyone updates to the latest Android version asap, but that's the extent of my knowledge.
Just throwing that out there.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I'm seeing that as only GSM, and I unfortunately need both
Oh yeah. Only GSM. Sorry, I misread your post.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.