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[Android] Thread v. 2018: Pixel 6 is out. Google might be bad at phones.

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  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Veevee wrote: »
    Sunday I lost my S7 so my wife gets to get a new phone while I take her S7. She decided on a LG G6 on Monday. Wednesday morning she decided she didn't like it and was going to return it after work.

    Shortly after that it fell out of her pocket while crouching down, hit the floor, and the screen shattered. (Our S7's have both fallen from much greater heights multiple times without even a scratch on the screen, even unprotected without a case or screen protectors)

    Return isn't possible now, and she is not happy about it. How much would a screen replacement be, and could we even get one that was a bit sturdier than the piece of shit screen it has from the factory?

    probably a couple hundred bucks, and no, the screens are the screens. They're just one assembly and they are what they are.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    The situation implies to me that she de facto purchased it. Does [shitty carrier] have a one-time screen replacement policy or do they offer screen replacements on new phones at a given price?

    [P.S. they're all shitty carriers]

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Also, drops are complicated. It's perfectly reasonable that a 1-foot drop could shatter the screen of a phone when a 6-foot drop does no damage to the same phone. It's all about the exact angle of the impact and what it hits on the ground. That's why YouTube drop tests are basically 100% pointless except as destruction porn.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • CormacCormac Registered User regular
    I will always put my phone in a case. That extra few mm's of thickness and $10-30 is an acceptable compromise to prevent myself having to spend $100-700+ on replacement parts or an entirely new device.

    Steam: Gridlynk | PSN: Gridlynk | FFXIV: Jarvellis Mika
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    I was anti-case until I got a phone with a glass back in the GS8+. Now it spends 95% of its time in a case.

    However, phones can still break in a case. It drastically helps, of course, but I literally saw someone I know drop a phone that was in a case and the screen still cracked. It's not fool proof.

    That being said, in this specific circumstance if you have a phone you know you're planning on returning in a couple days not spending money on a case is understandable, though the result is unfortunate.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Cormac wrote: »
    I will always put my phone in a case. That extra few mm's of thickness and $10-30 is an acceptable compromise to prevent myself having to spend $100-700+ on replacement parts or an entirely new device.

    It always annoys me when reviews and spec sheets tout the 1/2mm slim down of a phone. I'm never going to notice that in an Otterbox.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    Project Fi question, figured this would be the best place to put it.
    Been using Fi for maybe two years almost. A friend of mine just got the Pixel2. I was at their place and noticed I had almost no service. This was kind of rare. She had full service. I tried resetting my phone and then even just toggling my mobile off and on. But I never picked up anything. Leaving everything worked fine elsewhere in town. I returned and again lost the majority of my service.

  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    Project Fi question, figured this would be the best place to put it.
    Been using Fi for maybe two years almost. A friend of mine just got the Pixel2. I was at their place and noticed I had almost no service. This was kind of rare. She had full service. I tried resetting my phone and then even just toggling my mobile off and on. But I never picked up anything. Leaving everything worked fine elsewhere in town. I returned and again lost the majority of my service.

    I don't completely understand the question. Are you both on Fi, but she had a Pixel 2 & service and whatever device you had on Fi didn't? Or she had a Pixel 2 and a different carrier and was fine?

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    yea, without clarity there are two different tracks.

    If you're both on Fi, it could be that for whatever reason your phone didn't want to switch between networks for better coverage. Fi uses both Sprint and T-Mobile and is supposed to intelligently switch between them based on what has the best signal.

    If your friend is not on Fi, the likeliest carrier she is on is Verizon, unless she did buy it outright from Google. If that is the case and she is on Verizon, then it's just likely that Verizon has way better coverage in her home than either Sprint or T-Mobile, which is a thing that happens.

    I'm waaaaay more likely to guess that option 2 is the thing happening here.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    Yes sorry, we're both on the Fi network. And yeah I'm aware their network is really several but it was weird to have the issue twice in the same place, and even cycling things a few times.

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Fi also has wifi calling. Is it possible she had service by being connected to her wifi network?

  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    No, I was checking her phone. I eventually connected to her wifi as well and called it a day.
    Just somewhat worried about my phone I suppose. Worth keeping an eye on. Guess there isn't much for you guys to do for me, but I was curious.

  • a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    What phone do you have? The Pixel 2 will pick up T-Mobile's 700MHz band (would be LTE Band 12 on the spec sheet) while an older phone may not.

  • Anon the FelonAnon the Felon In bat country.Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    So, are all new flagship phone releases going to have this glass on the back crap?

    Anon the Felon on
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    So, are all new flagship phone releases going to have this glass on the back crap?

    The Pixels don't, at least not completely.

    Problem is nobody wants plastic anymore & metal blocks antennas and probably costs more on their bottom line I assume.

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    yea metal is actually a terrible material in terms of signal ability. Metal is bad for Cellular, wifi, wireless charging, basically everything. You won't find a metal baked phone with wireless charging, and metal phones have to have some kind of solution for a place to put the antennas so the phones can actually get a signal.

    Plastic phones also have the problem where plastic is a thermal insulator, which makes thermal management (i.e. cooling) a more difficult task. Both metal and glass are natural thermal conductors which makes heat dissipation much easier for phones with that construction.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    And I'll be damned if I go back to a metal phone and give up wireless charging.

    minor incident on
    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    I just would like a phone that looks nice and isn't going to explode if dropped. I realize these are pretty much mutually exclusive things in this age of glass screens and glass backs.

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • DelduwathDelduwath Registered User regular
    Sometimes we can't even get phones that don't explode without being dropped.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Naphtali wrote: »
    I just would like a phone that looks nice and isn't going to explode if dropped. I realize these are pretty much mutually exclusive things in this age of glass screens and glass backs.

    The high quality polycarbonite phones from the past (think HTC One X and then the One M7 and M8) were the closest we could get to that, but again, Plastic is bad for dissipating heat which is part of the reason everyone has moved away from that on the higher end phones.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Naphtali wrote: »
    I just would like a phone that looks nice and isn't going to explode if dropped. I realize these are pretty much mutually exclusive things in this age of glass screens and glass backs.

    The high quality polycarbonite phones from the past (think HTC One X and then the One M7 and M8) were the closest we could get to that, but again, Plastic is bad for dissipating heat which is part of the reason everyone has moved away from that on the higher end phones.

    Yeah, the M8 was pretty great at the time.

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    There's always cases.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    There's always cases.

    Yeah but that defeats the entire point of the phone looking nice, if it's going to be in a case 24/7/365, you know?

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    I like the look of my case. Most modern high end phones are too thin and slippery for me to be comfortable using without a case anyway.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    high quality polycarbonite

    han-solo-frozen-in-carbonite-desk-640x533.jpg


  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    I got to play around a little with a GS9 and GS9+ at a store today.

    Not gonna lie, that is an awfully tempting piece of hardware. But a bloody expensive one. Meanwhile, the V30's price is creeping down and the S8's is plummeting.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    If having "omg the best camera on a smartphone everrrrrrrr" isn't *super* important to you, the S8 isn't a terrible buy. The S8's camera is really good, but not quite as good as a Pixel 2 or GS9 in really low light.

    The one question is software updates on the S8. 90% that it gets Android P, 50/50 on Android Q.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    I'm more annoyed than I thought I would be about the update delays. This might be the last time I buy a phone through a carrier. I'm way too spoiled on prompt updates, having come from a series of iPhones and Nexus devices.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    I'm more annoyed than I thought I would be about the update delays. This might be the last time I buy a phone through a carrier. I'm way too spoiled on prompt updates, having come from a series of iPhones and Nexus devices.

    The problem on Android is that unless you buy Pixel, You're not getting "timely" upgrades. And for me personally, I really don't like what google has done with the Pixel line.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    I'm more annoyed than I thought I would be about the update delays. This might be the last time I buy a phone through a carrier. I'm way too spoiled on prompt updates, having come from a series of iPhones and Nexus devices.

    The problem on Android is that unless you buy Pixel, You're not getting "timely" upgrades. And for me personally, I really don't like what google has done with the Pixel line.

    Well, some are timelier than others. Apparently I've got at least 1 to 2 months to go before I get Oreo (well, according to everyone's best estimate -- it's not like AT&T will actually announce any sort of schedule).

    For the record, I'd be all onboard with the Pixel if it just had wireless charging.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    If having "omg the best camera on a smartphone everrrrrrrr" isn't *super* important to you, the S8 isn't a terrible buy. The S8's camera is really good, but not quite as good as a Pixel 2 or GS9 in really low light.

    The one question is software updates on the S8. 90% that it gets Android P, 50/50 on Android Q.

    Yeah, the S8 is a nice bit of kit. I've played around with a friend's one. The S9 is clearly iterative on it, but it's a good place to do that from. And even if the S8's not the new hotness any more, the camera is still really good.

    To follow up my explorations, today I finally got to play with a V30, and I really liked it. It retains a lot of what I like about the G4 I'm still rocking; the only major loss is the IR blaster but that goes for every new phone nowadays. Boo.

    Funnily enough the salesman at the store had an S8 himself, and he reckoned the V30's camera blows the S8 out of the water. Not quite what I've heard from elsewhere (more that it's certainly comparable but the Samsung has an edge), but I got the impression he was just really taken with the V30's super wide angle option, which does work really well. And if I remember right, I read the V30 has a low-light mode that combines pixels on the sensor for a lower-res but better lit picture, which makes sense as it still uses a 16MP sensor rather than a 12.

    I'm not in a hurry so I'm just taking on food for thought at the moment. I'm definitely leaning toward the V30 but I'm hoping I might be able to get one a bit cheaper if I hold out a little longer. But, again, the longer I hold out the potentially worse the software update aspect gets. Same with everything again, though.

    I'm with you on the Pixels; they're nice enough but I do want a phone with an SD card slot and a headphone socket. Google are chasing a customer that isn't me.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    Just for fun I had a look at what Cubot are doing now. It's pretty amazing what they can shoehorn into a budget phone. It wouldn't surprise me if they had their own sort of enthusiast scene. I was mighty impressed with the first model of the Rainbow.

  • LaOsLaOs SaskatoonRegistered User regular
    So, Daylight Savings messed up everything in my Google Calendar and I'm hoping there's an easy way to fix it.

    I live in Saskatchewan and had my Nexus 5X set to get my time and time zone from my cell network. This should have been fine, as it has been in the past--we don't change our clocks here and the switch in the fall didn't have any impact on my phone or Calendar. However, when I woke up Sunday, my phone time had "sprung forward" for the Daylight Savings switch. I didn't really think too much about it, went into System and changed my timezone manually to Regina - Central Daylight, which is what we're on all the time.

    It looks like something through this shifted all my calendar entries forward an hour and I haven't been able to shift them back. There are a number of entries I've put in manually that I could edit (although that's going to be a pain), but there are a number of calendars I've added through URL that are shifted as well that I can't change. I'm hoping there's a way to just "undo", so to speak, and shift everything back an hour. Any suggestions?

  • BlazeFireBlazeFire Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Have you checked in your google calendar settings to see what is set there? https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r/settings

    Also, you may have seen this but if not maybe this has a solution for you? https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37064?hl=en

    It is interesting that your phone changed. My 5X never changed.

    BlazeFire on
  • LaOsLaOs SaskatoonRegistered User regular
    Yeah, I've tried playing around with the calendar time zone settings and it's not seeming to do the trick. Right now it appears to be set on the right time zone, but everything is still shifted an hour forward.

    I'm not sure why my phone changed. I've had it for a couple years now and it's never changed, and it definitely didn't change in the fall with the last shift. It's real annoying.

  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    I need to get to a phone store and see how the Galaxy S9/S9+ feel in my hand, because if I upgrade, I'll probably end up getting one of those. This hand me down Galaxy S5 is getting quite long in the tooth and I think it's time. I'll probably do one of those device payment plans I've heard so much about.

    edit: The 3 features I care the most about are a headphone jack, a swappable battery, and expandable memory, and all these new phones seem to have anywhere from only 2/3 of those features, to 0/3 of those features I want. I don't care for where phones are trending.

    cooljammer00 on
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    3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
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  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    yea, replaceable batteries are pretty much a thing of the past at the high end. You just aren't going to find it anymore.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Yeah, resign yourself to either busting out a soldering iron or paying for a professional job (or, of course, the manufacturer) to change the battery in due course, if you keep the phone long enough. In the short and medium term, a good power bank is a cheap and worthwhile investment if you're going to be away from chargers for long enough.

    Jazz on
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Jazz wrote: »
    Yeah, resign yourself to either busting out a soldering iron or paying for a professional job (or, of course, the manufacturer) to change the battery in due course, if you keep the phone long enough. In the short and medium term, a good power bank is a cheap and worthwhile investment if you're going to be away from chargers for long enough.

    It's not so much that they are hardwired in, as it is the battery is now more integrated into the build of the phone; and so you need a heat gun and pry tools to get the screen off to get to the battery.

  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    Haven't been able to get myself to a phone store, but I did find a website that has lifesize photos and size comparisons of phones (you just have to calibrate with a credit card or a phone pressed against your monitor)

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    3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
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