As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

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

15152545657102

Posts

  • LaOsLaOs SaskatoonRegistered User regular
    Awesome! Thanks for the help.

    [FakeEdit]That totally worked. The factory Phone app let me use the keypad no problem. It actually still had all my call history information and whatnot, still.

    Thanks a bunch![/FakeEdit]

  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    I have a Pixel 2 and recently the Google Fi VPN has been giving me issues at my work's WiFi. Apparently IT did a firmware update to the router. Now whenever my phone is connected I cannot access Twitter, SMS text messages, or any of my Outlook emails. But as SOON as I disable the Google Fi VPN it immediately works.

    Now it wouldn't be a big deal if it stayed disabled when I turn it off. But every 10 or so minutes it re-enables itself.. It's very frustrating.

  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    I have gone full doofball and now have a Note 10+. My previous phone was an S6, so it is a significant upgrade.

    The camera hole was weird at first, but I quickly got used to it. I spent some time disabling things and replacing the keyboard and I really like it.

    Charging my coworker's phone using my phone was something I don't expect to be terribly useful in the future, but it was fun to do.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    I have gone full doofball and now have a Note 10+. My previous phone was an S6, so it is a significant upgrade.

    The camera hole was weird at first, but I quickly got used to it. I spent some time disabling things and replacing the keyboard and I really like it.

    Charging my coworker's phone using my phone was something I don't expect to be terribly useful in the future, but it was fun to do.

    The reverse wireless charging is less good for other phones, but more useful if you have something small that can use it, like a qi watch or wireless headphones.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    I know a number of you aren't particularly keen on the secondary market, but this is the time of year that I think you should at least make some effort to look around.

    A number of people will give/receive phones for Christmas either by misunderstanding the type of phone someone wants, or they use it to attempt to swap between iPhone and Android and decide to swap back.

    This time last year, I picked up my Pixel 3 for $600 (~4-5 mos before the price drop) from someone whose son wanted to go back to (or stay with?) iPhone. So I got a basically brand new phone for 2/3 the price.

  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Just don't bite at the ones that seem too good to be true. Don't want to grab a stolen IMEI locked device.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Even before that, it's still easy to get sold the incorrect branded model (and potentially miss out on something like Wifi calling even if your SIM card still technically works with it in other functions) if you're not in the mood to go chasing down an unlocking solution.

  • BarrakkethBarrakketh Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    This time last year, I picked up my Pixel 3 for $600 (~4-5 mos before the price drop) from someone whose son wanted to go back to (or stay with?) iPhone. So I got a basically brand new phone for 2/3 the price.
    That's one option. But carrier discounts for upgrading are decent around Black Friday and even through part of December so you might be able to get a comparable deal.

    I was able to pick up a Pixel 4 XL for $400 off, and thanks to however it worked on the retailers end the discount was applied as a down payment instead of the usual bill credits. The upside being that I can pay it off whenever if I wanted/needed to switch carriers without being penalized.

    Rollers are red, chargers are blue....omae wa mou shindeiru
  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    Went ahead and got Google Fi, and it seems to be working fine so far. It looks like they also have a deal for a $150 Moto G7, which I may have to jump on, assuming that I can overcome my squeamishness at spending money on a new phone when my current one still mostly sort of works despite the fact that it's cracked. The notch sucks, but honestly once I implement the developer-mode fake bezel over it'll be the same size as the bezel on my current G5S Plus anyway. The real weirdness is going to be getting used to the loss of any sort of physical button on the front side. On my current phone I have the touch sensor rigged up to perform button actions, but with the touch sensor being moved to the back that won't really be a practical option any more.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Currently downloading Android 10 onto my Note 10+

    Samsung really has come a long way in the cadence of their software updates. Still would have been nice to have it in the fall, but this is about 6-8 weeks earlier than they've been puhsed out in the last few years, which is a big improvement.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    jothki wrote: »
    Went ahead and got Google Fi, and it seems to be working fine so far. It looks like they also have a deal for a $150 Moto G7, which I may have to jump on, assuming that I can overcome my squeamishness at spending money on a new phone when my current one still mostly sort of works despite the fact that it's cracked. The notch sucks, but honestly once I implement the developer-mode fake bezel over it'll be the same size as the bezel on my current G5S Plus anyway. The real weirdness is going to be getting used to the loss of any sort of physical button on the front side. On my current phone I have the touch sensor rigged up to perform button actions, but with the touch sensor being moved to the back that won't really be a practical option any more.

    There are apps (or sometimes system/launcher options) to map swipe actions on the rear sensor to shortcuts. I never liked it, but some people swear by it.

  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    Got the Moto G7, and of course, not only does hiding the notch create arbitrarily rounded corners that actually do obstruct content, the notch itself is also improperly configured such that the hardware notch extends very slightly below where the software thinks it does (which affects the display even if the notch isn't hidden). I guess it's my fault for buying cheap (thanks to the Google Fi half off discount). I really should have shelled out the extra money for a G7 power instead.

    Well, that's my tech curmudgeonry out of the way for now, hopefully. I'll see you all again in a few years.

  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    Not sure when they added this Google Fit app but it's great, now I don't even need a fitness tracker to see my steps. And it syncs with Pokemon Go so I don't have to have the app open. Very nice. Maybe that's how it's always been and I just never noticed but that's cool.

  • Ed GrubermanEd Gruberman Registered User regular
    Not sure when they added this Google Fit app but it's great, now I don't even need a fitness tracker to see my steps. And it syncs with Pokemon Go so I don't have to have the app open. Very nice. Maybe that's how it's always been and I just never noticed but that's cool.

    Syncs with Pokemon go, you say? I think that's new. Might even be enough to get me to reinstall Pokemon go but, it sure seemed like that game was responsible for destroying the battery life on my Nexus 6p

    steam_sig.png

    SteamID: edgruberman GOG Galaxy: EdGruberman
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Not sure when they added this Google Fit app but it's great, now I don't even need a fitness tracker to see my steps. And it syncs with Pokemon Go so I don't have to have the app open. Very nice. Maybe that's how it's always been and I just never noticed but that's cool.

    Syncs with Pokemon go, you say? I think that's new. Might even be enough to get me to reinstall Pokemon go but, it sure seemed like that game was responsible for destroying the battery life on my Nexus 6p

    I actually haven't played PoGo in over a year, for a while my Google account just refused to let me log in. I only redownloaded it to see if I can get any shinies for Shield

    Being able to just open the app and kill it after doing what I want, and still be tracked is awesome

    Local H Jay on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Not sure when they added this Google Fit app but it's great, now I don't even need a fitness tracker to see my steps. And it syncs with Pokemon Go so I don't have to have the app open. Very nice. Maybe that's how it's always been and I just never noticed but that's cool.

    Syncs with Pokemon go, you say? I think that's new. Might even be enough to get me to reinstall Pokemon go but, it sure seemed like that game was responsible for destroying the battery life on my Nexus 6p

    Nah, your Nexus 6P was responsible for destroying your Nexus 6P's battery life all on its own.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • IanatorIanator Gaze upon my works, ye mighty and facepalm.Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Did somebody say destroying batteries?

    I was playing a game on my Moto Z3 a few minutes ago. Suddenly my phone froze and reset.

    Now it keeps resetting either a minute after booting or whenever I try to pin into the home screen. The phone was a bit warm during play but it's having problems even after cooling off. I worry the battery or internal power handler's shot.

    EDIT: It's bricked pretty bad. I went to Moto's website and followed their troubleshooter. Did a factory reset but it still locks up and reboots before I can even input anything. Lenovo's repair tool can't recognize my phone when I plug it in. Unfortunately I think it's gonna have to go back.

    Ianator on
    steam_sig.png
    Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
    Backlog Challenge List
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    New Google Maps icon? Wow. Yes, it matches up with their other icons better now, but the old one was a classic. Gonna miss that.

  • KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    They finally started selling Pixel phones at the little kiosk at work, so maybe for my next one I won't have to worry about it being left on my doorstep for hours on end.

  • CauldCauld Registered User regular
    Jazz wrote: »
    New Google Maps icon? Wow. Yes, it matches up with their other icons better now, but the old one was a classic. Gonna miss that.

    I really don't like the new icon. It makes me think of GPS/something getting my location. I know that's similar, but it's also different.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    Jazz wrote: »
    New Google Maps icon? Wow. Yes, it matches up with their other icons better now, but the old one was a classic. Gonna miss that.

    I really don't like the new icon. It makes me think of GPS/something getting my location. I know that's similar, but it's also different.

    I'm sure I'll get used to it, but yeah, not a fan. I really liked the old one.

  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    Jazz wrote: »
    New Google Maps icon? Wow. Yes, it matches up with their other icons better now, but the old one was a classic. Gonna miss that.

    I really don't like the new icon. It makes me think of GPS/something getting my location. I know that's similar, but it's also different.

    You say that like it isn't doing that

    camo_sig.png
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    Cauld wrote: »
    Jazz wrote: »
    New Google Maps icon? Wow. Yes, it matches up with their other icons better now, but the old one was a classic. Gonna miss that.

    I really don't like the new icon. It makes me think of GPS/something getting my location. I know that's similar, but it's also different.

    You say that like it isn't doing that

    I get an email every month from Google about my travels. It's a big pile of spaghetti across Vermont and New Hampshire. It's kinda cool to look at for about ten seconds until I'm reminded what exactly it represents.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    google location history is both the single best thing I think about with google, but also the single scariest.

    I can go into my location history and think "what was the name of that place I went to in [random city] in April of 2015" and find it in about 3 seconds.

    That's actually a super useful thing that I use more than I ever thought I would.

    But also kind of scary that it's just... there.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but at least Google offers people the option of deleting said history. I don't think Apple provides that option.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but at least Google offers people the option of deleting said history. I don't think Apple provides that option.

    They do, and technically always have, but in the past it was really hard to do/find. Now there are more granular options, you can actually tell google to delete anything older than 90 days, which I think is a decent compromise between keeping everything forever but still being able to go back and look at something.

    I don't know what apple does for this.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    There's been some weirdness with Google Maps' UI as well. A week ago I noticed that they had changed the menus to some non-hamburger thing that I loathed enough to bother to complain to Google about. Today the hamburger menu is back.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    That'll be like the icon change, part of 15th anniversary "updates".

  • jjae2123jjae2123 Registered User regular
    I had a weird deja vu at this coffee shop, I searched google and found out I was there before, back in 2013. It was wild, but helpful.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Let's just all take a second to think about how Google knows where we all sleep.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Let's just all take a second to think about how Google knows where we all sleep.

    Lots of companies know that.

    Google knows when we sleep, how much, and how well.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Let's just all take a second to think about how Google knows where we all sleep.

    Lots of companies know that.

    Google knows when we sleep, how much, and how well.

    and with whom

    kFJhXwE.jpgkFJhXwE.jpg
  • CauldCauld Registered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but at least Google offers people the option of deleting said history. I don't think Apple provides that option.

    They do, and technically always have, but in the past it was really hard to do/find. Now there are more granular options, you can actually tell google to delete anything older than 90 days, which I think is a decent compromise between keeping everything forever but still being able to go back and look at something.

    I don't know what apple does for this.

    I have it delete anything 1 yr older. Still, I think there's a difference between the maps app and your location. Also, Google frequently gets my location wrong. I guess it's a product of NYC living. But all day when I'm at work it thinks I'm 2 blocks away. And at home it thinks i'm about 1 block away (used to think I was about 3 blocks away while at home too).

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited February 2020
    For a recent trip, despite showing my hotel in its correct location, Google Maps showed my reservation with said hotel as being halfway across the (rather large) city.

    GG, Google.

    Also it shows my address as being several houses down the street from where it actually is, and my next door neighbour's address as being round the corner.

    Jazz on
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    So are there any flagship 5g phones announced that still have a headphone jack?

    steam_sig.png
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Spoit wrote: »
    So are there any flagship 5g phones announced that still have a headphone jack?

    No.

    But also, don't buy a 5G phone yet regardless. Never buy phones with first gen radio tech.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    So are there any flagship 5g phones announced that still have a headphone jack?

    No.

    But also, don't buy a 5G phone yet regardless. Never buy phones with first gen radio tech.

    Also 5G isn't going to be readily available anywhere anytime soon.

    Also also kiss your battery life goodbye.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    So are there any flagship 5g phones announced that still have a headphone jack?

    No.

    But also, don't buy a 5G phone yet regardless. Never buy phones with first gen radio tech.

    Listen to this man. 1st gen radio tech has almost always obscene power consumption. Compared to the last gen of the old tech AND compared to the second gen of the new tech.

    1st gen UMTS (3G) phones barely managed 10 hours standby ..

    kFJhXwE.jpgkFJhXwE.jpg
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    I will say that the one issue with this is that any phone with a Snapdragon 865 *must* come with 5G, which is really, really annoying. It does mean that most really high end flagships will have 5G this year. Most people won't know to look for this, but it could be the year for the tek savvy folk to look at phones running the Snapdragon 765 or 765G.

    those parts will basically be slightly more efficient 855's, and could end up in some great phones.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited February 2020
    Spoit wrote: »
    So are there any flagship 5g phones announced that still have a headphone jack?

    The LG V50 ThinQ 5G still keeps the headphone jack (and the signature quad DAC for best-in-class wired headphone support as usual). In the US it's apparently exclusive to Sprint and Verizon.

    Edit: The leaked V60 still has it too.

    Jazz on
Sign In or Register to comment.