Database Develop

Would you still get the Gear?

as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?

It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.

Jerry69 said:
as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GEAR = Worst + Expensive + To be not called a Gadget....

Yes. Although I did return my Galaxy Gear after Christmas to wait for the Gear 2. I'll be buying the Gear 2 over the Galaxy Gear. I think the watch is handy, especially when the Note 3 is in my pocket. I'm not looking for a toy or something to replace my Note 3, so I am satisfied with stock.

I would think this question would be better asked in the Gear General section but,
Yes, stock it is expensive crap. Null makes it amazing!
The bottom line is buy old Galaxy Gear for cheap or buy new Gear 2.... and that really depends on your $$$ and if Tizen is as unrestrictive as they are claiming it will be. So either way your good but rooting it is a must, and getting Null on it is key.

I sure would get it again!

I love my gear with null rom as it sits today. If I were in the market to buy a smart watch I would just wait til the NeptunePine is released.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

hurdlejade said:
It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
Sent from my GT-N7105T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

AndiF85 said:
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
Sent from my GT-N7105T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.

I own the Sony smartwatch 2. It is quite good with the stock. I just purchased the gear 1 at a bargain price in France to test it (60€!) And will root and install null ROM as a start.
From the Galaxy

I would buy it again. Cause it's even cheaper ^^ i have the hope that it will be possible to bring Samsungs Ultrapowersaving mode onto the gear. This is the only concearn i have about it...Batterydrain. Currently it runs on 2 cores 400mHz-1100mHz...still laggy sometimes...which annoyes cause of the clock syncing...
But i like this little thing...
GG2 is a no go with Tizen as long as i am not sure about the possibilities...

No.
In the previous year I had the Sony Smartwatch. After 2 weeks of continuous use, and serious effort to make the best of it, I stopped using it. I was disappointed mostly with the dim display which made it hard to use outside.
Last fall I got the Galaxy Gear, just weeks after it was available. Again, I made a concerted effort to use it and make the most of its functionality. But after a few weeks, again I stopped using it. My disappointment was:
MAJOR FAILINGS
- Bluetooth connection often fails when running outside (wanting to track performance on Runtastic app).
- Buggy (notification of missed calls)
POOR DESIGN
- Not adequately weather proof.
- Short battery life.
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
- Don't like that third party apps often use lots of resources on Note-3 phone.
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).

Skeleton said:
POOR DESIGN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curios to me that so many people does not like the design i like it. But Gear 2 is better. Except for the removed lock key and the removed screws...
Skeleton said:
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not with Null rom. Photo taking is quiet.
Blame the government fot the sound.
Skeleton said:
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But other smartwatches use android. Devs developing apps for them? or not? In future Smartwatches will a normal thing. if the android smartwatch itself grows. The Galaxy Gear with android grows too...
Skeleton said:
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope Tizen fails and they will bring back an Android Gear with the Note 4...Tizen makes this a nogo for me. Because of the compatibility to android...for the moment...

Bell Canada drops price of Galaxy Gear Smartwatch to $99 (Clearance)
'Nuff said!
Be Well,
DrNicket

Taizen will and feel like Touchwiz. This way the regular consumer will not notice the engine underneath. The same will likely happen to phones down the road as samsung wants to have control of their own ecosystem. Soon many more apps will appear on the samsung app store that mimics thier android counterpart and the majority of users will not notice they are using tizen, nor will they care as long as they have the 'samsung experience'
Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much

Clarky78 said:
I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are missing the whole point of null ROM...do a little of homework
Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

Just picked up a GG for £125 in o2, so far quite impressed, not blown away, but by the time I can upgrade (Galaxy note 4,5?), hopefully the third iteration will be kicking about, it's brilliant as a media remote (as beats don't allow for volume up /down etc. ) feedly is fun to.
All in all, yes I think I would by another iteration of the GG.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

Worth the Upgrade?

Forgive me members for I have sinned... It's been far too long since I popped a SIM in my OnePlus One
I've been using my iPhone 6+ exclusively for months now for a few reasons I'm hoping to have answered here by real-world users. I'm no stranger to Android, but I have fallen in a bad groove with iOS and just settling :/
I use the camera a lot. Not for anything super special, but I'm able to take FAST photos when I need it. Hit the button, and it's saved and done in under a second. Sharp, accurate... but tiny at 8mp on a 1080p screen. I've looked at samples of the Note 5 camera, and the quality is good, but how is the speed of the stock camera app? I don't want to have to wait 2-4 seconds before I can regain use of the camera again, nor have to wait 2 seconds for it to take a photo.
Is the built-in email worth using? I have gmail for my personal email, but my company is stuck on a 2003 exchange server and I'm forced to use a generic "email" client on phones I switch to. I need to be able to set priority on outgoing, and flag/star emails. (Everything else I need should be baked into any email client at this point... BCC, attachments, custom sig) Not a huge deal if it's not good... I can use CloudMagic if needed.
It's been a while since I even gave a Samsung phone a glance, but last time I did, screen-burning was a big issue... Is this still a problem anymore with the newer screens? I'm a fan of auto-brightness, but I input text a lot, and rarely change keyboards. I don't want to find out in a year that my screen has been burned beyond repair
Any help with these would be greatly appreciated. If I like what i'm hearing, I'll be going to T-Mobile this weekend to pick this up!
Thanks all

Hers is a camera speed and quality comparison between the 6s plus and the Note 5, I would say the camera is fast, probably not that fast as iphone but you will get better quality photos with the Note 5
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Apple-iPhone-6s-Plus-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-Note5_id4095/page/3
As for emails, you can use the built in email client or download any other from the play store that will do more than you want.
I'm not sure about the screen burning but my guess is that it was more of a concern with the unrealistic and inaccurate Amoled popping colors in the previous generations. The first thing I do is that I switch screen mode to basic as it provides accurate colors and I guess will reduce the probability of screen burning.
Hope it helps.

Liskrig said:
Forgive me members for I have sinned... It's been far too long since I popped a SIM in my OnePlus One
I've been using my iPhone 6+ exclusively for months now for a few reasons I'm hoping to have answered here by real-world users. I'm no stranger to Android, but I have fallen in a bad groove with iOS and just settling :/
I use the camera a lot. Not for anything super special, but I'm able to take FAST photos when I need it. Hit the button, and it's saved and done in under a second. Sharp, accurate... but tiny at 8mp on a 1080p screen. I've looked at samples of the Note 5 camera, and the quality is good, but how is the speed of the stock camera app? I don't want to have to wait 2-4 seconds before I can regain use of the camera again, nor have to wait 2 seconds for it to take a photo.
Is the built-in email worth using? I have gmail for my personal email, but my company is stuck on a 2003 exchange server and I'm forced to use a generic "email" client on phones I switch to. I need to be able to set priority on outgoing, and flag/star emails. (Everything else I need should be baked into any email client at this point... BCC, attachments, custom sig) Not a huge deal if it's not good... I can use CloudMagic if needed.
It's been a while since I even gave a Samsung phone a glance, but last time I did, screen-burning was a big issue... Is this still a problem anymore with the newer screens? I'm a fan of auto-brightness, but I input text a lot, and rarely change keyboards. I don't want to find out in a year that my screen has been burned beyond repair
Any help with these would be greatly appreciated. If I like what i'm hearing, I'll be going to T-Mobile this weekend to pick this up!
Thanks all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll be happy with a Note 5 honestly. In terms of the camera, I take rapid photos with mine all the time without issues. There's also a double tap home button function that takes maybe 1.5 seconds to pull the camera up and focus from any screen, even when the screen is turned off. My wife loves using my Note 5 for pictures over her LG G4.
Screen burn in hasn't been a thing for quite some time now. There is however, still the issue of shading that occurs on all AMOLED displays when on dark images, or scrolling a dark Web page. I think the Note 5 and S6 do the best to avoid that issue, but it does happen slightly. It's just not as visible.
Auto brightness is awesome on the Note 5 as well. There's an "over bright" function that kicks in automatically when the sun shines directly on the screen, or when you're in a very bright area (outside). It's awesome, and to me, can be a little overkill even in direct sunlight. Lol. It's a great feature though.
No SD like iPhone, but that's not an issue as we have cloud storage for dayz! Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox.....it goes on.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Jammol said:
You'll be happy with a Note 5 honestly. In terms of the camera, I take rapid photos with mine all the time without issues. There's also a double tap home button function that takes maybe 1.5 seconds to pull the camera up and focus from any screen, even when the screen is turned off. My wife loves using my Note 5 for pictures over her LG G4.
Screen burn in hasn't been a thing for quite some time now. There is however, still the issue of shading that occurs on all AMOLED displays when on dark images, or scrolling a dark Web page. I think the Note 5 and S6 do the best to avoid that issue, but it does happen slightly. It's just not as visible.
Auto brightness is awesome on the Note 5 as well. There's an "over bright" function that kicks in automatically when the sun shines directly on the screen, or when you're in a very bright area (outside). It's awesome, and to me, can be a little overkill even in direct sunlight. Lol. It's a great feature though.
No SD like iPhone, but that's not an issue as we have cloud storage for dayz! Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox.....it goes on.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the detailed reply! As you can see from my phones I currently have, I personally don't care about SD storage, and I haven't had a phone with a removable battery since the Galaxy Nexus so I've learned to deal. I checked out the link that @samitro provided, and the difference of 1.93 to 2.1 seconds is all the change I will be experiencing... So basically, it will be the same as far as I am used to

Liskrig said:
I appreciate the detailed reply! As you can see from my phones I currently have, I personally don't care about SD storage, and I haven't had a phone with a removable battery since the Galaxy Nexus so I've learned to deal. I checked out the link that @samitro provided, and the difference of 1.93 to 2.1 seconds is all the change I will be experiencing... So basically, it will be the same as far as I am used to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear. Glad we were able to help. Will you be rooting it and such when you get one?

Jammol said:
Good to hear. Glad we were able to help. Will you be rooting it and such when you get one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends... I'm jumping to T-Mobile when I get it, but I have a weird process when I root a phone.
Usually I will go 100% lock & stock UNTIL I find something that I just can't stand (bloat, battery, audio) but if I do root, I look for a stock ROM (or just keep the stock one) and modify it on the phone to remedy the issues I find. I haven't owned a Samsung since the Galaxy Nexus (not really a Samsung phone) and what I am reading about KNOX kinda scares me lol. T-Mobile doesn't really have too much junk on their carrier phones, but it is still there, and it still bugs me. I'm kinda worried about battery life, but I have read a lot here about how to save it sans root access.

Liskrig said:
Depends... I'm jumping to T-Mobile when I get it, but I have a weird process when I root a phone.
Usually I will go 100% lock & stock UNTIL I find something that I just can't stand (bloat, battery, audio) but if I do root, I look for a stock ROM (or just keep the stock one) and modify it on the phone to remedy the issues I find. I haven't owned a Samsung since the Galaxy Nexus (not really a Samsung phone) and what I am reading about KNOX kinda scares me lol. T-Mobile doesn't really have too much junk on their carrier phones, but it is still there, and it still bugs me. I'm kinda worried about battery life, but I have read a lot here about how to save it sans root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your system. That's the one I use personally as well. I will say that the one thing that will be annoying really quickly is the T-Mobile system app/process adapt.app. It's what they use to root checking or any kind of custom modification of the device. Even when you're not modified though, it'll sit there and pull root access and constantly scan your device, sucking up battery. It's more invasive now on the newest LP build, and on the MM beta that was leaked.
Don't worry about battery on the Note 5. It is surprisingly really good what they were able to pull off on only 3000mAh. You can pretty much freeze most bloat even without root. There's also a thread here for debloating without root using a script that goes undetected.
As far as knox is concerned. Don't root if you plan on using Samsung Pay. Once you modify the kernel, or root the device, the efuse is blown and your knox counter will forever be tripped. Even though you can go back to pure stock, knox will still be tripped and Samsung Pay will never work. There is NO work around.
I love the Note 5. I was skeptical about it because I had a Note 4, but I am glad I got it. It is an upgrade for me over the Note 4. I'll say the one thing I don't like about the Note 5, is that it's not very hand friendly at night when you're on the phone laying in bed, lol.

Awesome camera, fast, no lag... But, full of bloat, unknown battery drain, less settings about some properties!
worth to upgrade?
From Note 2 - No
From Note 3 - Buy a note 2!
From note 4 - Wait for note 6!
From iphone- At least i can flash custom rom and kernel! but it is not an upgrade huh??!

umudeus said:
Awesome camera, fast, no lag... But, full of bloat, unknown battery drain, less settings about some properties!
worth to upgrade?
From Note 2 - No
From Note 3 - Buy a note 2!
From note 4 - Wait for note 6!
From iphone- At least i can flash custom rom and kernel! but it is not an upgrade huh??!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the reply, but I don't think I could go back to a 2012 phone for my needs I'm glad you found a device that is working for you though

Liskrig said:
I appreciate the reply, but I don't think I could go back to a 2012 phone for my needs I'm glad you found a device that is working for you though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually i have a note 5 and i am a tired user who wait for marshmallow update. Hi five samsung!!!
Sent from my SM-N920G using Tapatalk

umudeus said:
Actually i have a note 5 and i am a tired user who wait for marshmallow update. Hi five samsung!!!
Sent from my SM-N920G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Marshmallow is nice. I got the OTA from Google for my Nexus 5 and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully Samsung will be open to using a lot of the features already present instead of baking them out.

Help needed - iPhone 6 Plus v OnePlus 3T

Hi all,
Im new to the forums and I'm after some serious information on the OnePlus 3 and Android in general.
I currently have a iPhone 6 Plus (128GB) and (in theory) could have upgraded to the iPhone 7/Plus as I buy my phones every two years outright.
I've been toying with the idea of getting the OnePlus 3T and passing my iPhone to the Mrs as she has an iPhone 5 (16GB). I really don't fancy forking out £819 to get the equivalent of my current iPhone when I could get a OP3T for £439 (128GB).
My options are keep my iPhone or get the OP3T and would like your opinion.
I'm sure someone on here could provide me with an idea of what Android is like as I've never used it before and what it's like switching from iOS.
I must admit that I'm more invested with Google than Apple. I do have an iPad and MacBook but I don't use iCloud and I'm not too bothered about iMessage and FaceTime as Whatsapp is what I tend to use and I use Google for most services (Gmail, Drive, Contacts, Calendars, Maps and Photos).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Andy

For what you described imho oneplus 3t and iphone7 are overkill...
If you want a good stock-ish android experience you can go for op3t. It is not one of those phones where if you are not satisfied somebody will tell you "of course, as an android newbie you should have gone for smartphone xy".
For some reason that I can not grasp with my stupid little mind some people who switched from iOS to Android just don't like the UI and find it too complicated. While I don't understand how a simple menu can be complicated at all, I honestly know that feeling, since whenever I have to use a Macbook I have an irresistable urge to throw it against a wall and then to burn the house down.
What I am saying is, noone can tell you if you will like it.

i went from iphone 6s+ > nexus 6p > op3t

I just switched over from a 7plus. Its not difficult at all to get used to, you get all the same or almost all the same apps as in iOS. The layout for the menus is easy to get used to as well.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Well I have checked my iPhone and have used 101GB with 19GB remaining so I would like to a phone with 128GB ideally.
minhajmsd said:
I just switched over from a 7plus. Its not difficult at all to get used to, you get all the same or almost all the same apps as in iOS. The layout for the menus is easy to get used to as well.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why did you switch from a 7 Plus to the OP3T?
I'm intrigued to know.

Just suggestion.. U can try very low entry Android phone or other older stock Android phone like nexus series to taste the pure stock Android experience before u spend £430 .
One of my friend did that way. It helped. Now he is considering to buy OP3T

i have both phones (7+ and 3T), and considering your current status where you use more google services than apple, i think you will be just fine with 3T as long as you are okay to learn the way android do things. in my opinion 3T has better battery life, and could do much more if you want to tinker a little bit. However 7+ also has it's strong points, like front facing speaker, and camera. for amateur like me that just need a good camera at all kind of condition to take pictures of my kids, 7+ just did the job in auto mode.

I've never owned an iProduct, so you can take my words with a grain of salt. But, my experience so far with the 1+3T is all positive. If you do switch, just be sure to give yourself some time and patience to adjust. Honestly, if you stick around here, maybe you'll come to appreciate Android as much as we do.

amk515 said:
Well I have checked my iPhone and have used 101GB with 19GB remaining so I would like to a phone with 128GB ideally.
Why did you switch from a 7 Plus to the OP3T?
I'm intrigued to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really have a concrete reason for switching.. Just had an itch to get this phone and once the 128gb one was available for ordering I just ordered it. After using this phone I am completely in love with it, the only thing I miss from the iPhone is iMessage.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

I went to OP3T after 2 years with iphone 6 and 6s, I don't miss anything about those two phone because I mostly use google app and youtube. And OP3T gave me far better battery life than ip6 and ip6s, but in your case it's a little different as you have the plus. I was a diehard android user before, so it's easy for me to make decision. Now, Huawei p10 is in my radar except this OP3T hasn't aged yet

I think what is stopping me is that I have always had iPhone's from the 3G and I'm unsure of using another OS.
Also, I noticed on the SGS7 that my friend has that some games were laggy in comparison to my iPhone and that he said it's because of Touchwiz?
I did have a mess around briefly with his SGS7 but not long enough to draw a conclusion about Android as a whole but I didn't really care for that phone.

amk515 said:
I think what is stopping me is that I have always had iPhone's from the 3G and I'm unsure of using another OS.
Also, I noticed on the SGS7 that my friend has that some games were laggy in comparison to my iPhone and that he said it's because of Touchwiz?
I did have a mess around briefly with his SGS7 but not long enough to draw a conclusion about Android as a whole but I didn't really care for that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will be better if u play around op3t before you buy, and see if games lag or something's you use work without lag or what.
I love this device, but hate iOS so that would be one sided thing.
So some of your friends might have one plus, you should get hands on one for a few hours.
Since everyone has different uses pattern and preference, at last everything comes to what you like or what you don't.
Don't know where you are from, but if u r from Delhi and want to get hands on, pm me.

Navi44 said:
It will be better if u play around op3t before you buy, and see if games lag or something's you use work without lag or what.
I love this device, but hate iOS so that would be one sided thing.
So some of your friends might have one plus, you should get hands on one for a few hours.
Since everyone has different uses pattern and preference, at last everything comes to what you like or what you don't.
Don't know where you are from, but if u r from Delhi and want to get hands on, pm me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm from the UK and OnePlus is somewhat unknown to a lot of people (well, to most of my friends anyway). A lot of my friends have iPhone's too.
Getting hold of a OP3T is quite hard, I know they have them in O2 shops here but they aren't connected to the internet and I wouldn't be able to use it like it was my own.

amk515 said:
I'm from the UK and OnePlus is somewhat unknown to a lot of people (well, to most of my friends anyway). A lot of my friends have iPhone's too.
Getting hold of a OP3T is quite hard, I know they have them in O2 shops here but they aren't connected to the internet and I wouldn't be able to use it like it was my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you can find a lot of guys from UK here in the forum's with op3t.
Maybe now you have mentioned somebody might come to your rescue
And I heard in EU all purchases can be returned under certain amount of time.
Purchase one, use it, if don't like them return it.
And purchase through card, cause PayPal don't have buyer protection.

Navi44 said:
Well you can find a lot of guys from UK here in the forum's with op3t.
Maybe now you have mentioned somebody might come to your rescue
And I heard in EU all purchases can be returned under certain amount of time.
Purchase one, use it, if don't like them return it.
And purchase through card, cause PayPal don't have buyer protection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose that the returns is true.
Is there a particular reason you prefer Android over iOS?
I'm intrigued to find out your reasons as I have never used Android for longer than 10 minutes.

amk515 said:
I suppose that the returns is true.
Is there a particular reason you prefer Android over iOS?
I'm intrigued to find out your reasons as I have never used Android for longer than 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly I can modify it to my likes.
Get bored of same UI for long.
That's one reason.
Other is for music, I keep it as I like with viper and other audio mods.
And moreover when I use iOS it feels like I lack many options android provides.
Like network settings, hotspots, downloading music, and getting to do backups locally, not on cloud or PC.

masri1987 said:
i went from iphone 6s+ > nexus 6p > op3t
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here!!! I love it.... I still have my iPhone 6s+ as a backup if I ever needed to get the OP 3t repaired. But I won't be going back to iOS even though the UI may look a little more pretty as some people would say

h3rnand3zz said:
Same here!!! I love it.... I still have my iPhone 6s+ as a backup if I ever needed to get the OP 3t repaired. But I won't be going back to iOS even though the UI may look a little more pretty as some people would say
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any particular reason?
As I say, I have no real experience with Android.

h3rnand3zz said:
Same here!!! I love it.... I still have my iPhone 6s+ as a backup if I ever needed to get the OP 3t repaired. But I won't be going back to iOS even though the UI may look a little more pretty as some people would say
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amk515 said:
Is there any particular reason?
As I say, I have no real experience with Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well to be honest i went 6p to the 6s+because i was in egypt with my lil brother who is a iphone freak for 2 months he taunted me, so i gave it a try, and after 6 months i wanted to destroy all things apple.
Apple customer service caters to the n00b customer base that they serve. I would literally pose questions to them that they had no answers to. on iOS you can't even arrange photos by date taken or large photos to small photos . once photos are out of order in ur albums there's no way to fix them even if the exif data is on point. bluetooth sucked on ios, it would take 2 mintues for the bluetooth to turn on, and hand offs from music to phone calls was horrendous up to 30 seconds.
It's an inferior product imo, it's made for people who aren't technically inclined, that's not really to say they are stupid but there's a reason the "____ for dummies" book line made millions

The reason I have always had an iPhone was because it always did what I wanted it to do.
People I know who have had Android in the past moved to iOS because they were fed up of their phones breaking for one reason or another.
Here, I can literally take my iPhone a few hundred yards from work into an Apple Store to be fixed if needed which is another bonus.
I take it that has all changed?
Is there anything major that Android can do that iOS can't?

Quality Upgrade?

I've had this Nexus 6 since it first came out and now it's giving me signs of stutter (especially with the camera app or snapchat), the battery also seems to be wearing out, barely lasts me half a day and I constantly have to charge it. I want to upgrade this device to something much better, but I would like to point out that I am on Verizon so CDMA devices only, (I wanted to get the OnePlus 3T).
So instead I started contemplating on upgrading to the S8+ especially with that $100 off deal at best buy, not really interested in the Pixel XL though or iphone lineup (had an iphone for 4 years, its boring). I had a Galaxy S5 before for about a month or so and it had a defect in the camera so I got a refund on that and got a Nexus 6 instead and now here I am 2 years later. Would definitely love to give Samsung devices another try. Anyways, what do you guys think? Which device should I upgrade to or any suggestions?

Change your carrier. If you have Verizon, your options are pretty much what is available from Verizon, and all of them are going to have a locked bootloader, even the Pixel/Pixel XL. Switching to a GSM carrier like T-Mobile will allow you to get the device you truly want.
And, before you say "but I like Verizon", Verizon uses CDMA, and CDMA is a living fossil that doesn't know that it's supposed to be extinct.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Change your carrier. If you have Verizon, your options are pretty much what is available from Verizon, and all of them are going to have a locked bootloader, even the Pixel/Pixel XL. Switching to a GSM carrier like T-Mobile will allow you to get the device you truly want.
And, before you say "but I like Verizon", Verizon uses CDMA, and CDMA is a living fossil that doesn't know that it's supposed to be extinct.
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I see where you're coming from but switching to T-MOBILE is not an option, where I work and live I used to get little to no reception with them, from there I switched to At&t and the service was even worse, they're also very bad in customer support whenever I had problems.
Hence me having to stick with Verizon.

Then your only real option is to head to Lenovorola's website and purchase an unlocked CDMA device from them. It's the only way to preserve your ability to modify the device, since it should not have a locked bootloader. Samsung isn't an option as they lock bootloaders on all US devices now, plus there's Touchwiz to consider. Most of the other manufacturers focus on GSM because of its worldwide reach.

Have you done a factory reset recently? That may improve both lag and battery. Also, someone mentioned that the April update improves lag.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Then your only real option is to head to Lenovorola's website and purchase an unlocked CDMA device from them. It's the only way to preserve your ability to modify the device, since it should not have a locked bootloader. Samsung isn't an option as they lock bootloaders on all US devices now, plus there's Touchwiz to consider. Most of the other manufacturers focus on GSM because of its worldwide reach.
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To be honest, I don't care much for modifying my device anymore, I use it as is for calls, texts, web browsing etc. Maybe the occasional file transfer between my PC and that might be all. And regarding TouchWiz, that is true, but I'm hoping there will be some sort of pixel launcher available to flash for S8+ in the near future or can get something off of the play store.
runekock said:
Have you done a factory reset recently? That may improve both lag and battery. Also, someone mentioned that the April update improves lag.
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Right now I'm on Pure Nexus ROM and the functionality is great, the stutter is only evident when I multitask heavily which leads to fast battery drain as well as taking pictures. Can't tell you the number of times I missed those one in a million moments because the camera app took too long to load or take the picture.
Also I've done many clean installs, these sort of problems seem to stick.

Changing the launcher only hides Touchwiz. It doesn't stop the resource drain that has plagued Touchwiz since its inception. Hell, I could drop a copy of Nova Launcher on my roommate's unmodified SIII and hide most of the ugliness of Touchwiz, but I still would have to face the issue that Touchwiz is a resource hog.
If you're not here to mod your device then why are you here? After all, it's called XDA Developers for a reason.

Okay, that sure sounds like you need more ram. And considering that 64-bit is less ram-efficient, 4 GB may not be a noticeable improvement. If you can't get 6 GB, then (oh how I hate saying this) you may want to turn to Apple - they are rumoured to have better memory management.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you're not here to mod your device then why are you here? After all, it's called XDA Developers for a reason.
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haha you got me there, i myself am a programmer in C++ and C#, but aside that maybe I made an overstatement in not caring about modding. I'm still going to get root and have certain mods and tweaks like YouTube Ad Blockers and LSpeed for init.d changes, but I won't be as avid on it as I used to be.
I decided I'm going to get the S8+ and await root for it.

Since my phone has a corporate partition on it root is not an option for me... so I am waiting for Pixel 2. If I had to have a phone now it would be a Pixel. Touchwiz was so janky (and barely updated) on the last Samsung that I had I will not be going that route again.

aroy97 said:
To be honest, I don't care much for modifying my device anymore, I use it as is for calls, texts, web browsing etc. Maybe the occasional file transfer between my PC and that might be all. And regarding TouchWiz, that is true, but I'm hoping there will be some sort of pixel launcher available to flash for S8+ in the near future or can get something off of the play store.
Right now I'm on Pure Nexus ROM and the functionality is great, the stutter is only evident when I multitask heavily which leads to fast battery drain as well as taking pictures. Can't tell you the number of times I missed those one in a million moments because the camera app took too long to load or take the picture.
Also I've done many clean installs, these sort of problems seem to stick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're OK with not modifying and/or not rooting the best phone VZW has, and I'm in the same spot you are - except I need to root and modify, is the Droid Z Force. It's an awesome phone - or hold out and pray the Asus Zenfone AR comes to VZW and is affordable

I know it only works on tmo or ATT, but I sold my Pixel, and got this phone, and no doubt, its the best android device I have ever seen or tried..
no real dev for it, but I couldnt care less, since its incredible just stock; plus I still have my shamu if I want to play around, but frankly havent flashed anything in weeks, I like this phone so much..
http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-phones/mate9pro/index.htm

Why Pixel 5

I am trying to compare the specs of the "Pixel 5" and the recently released "Samsung S20 FE" and would actually want to know, why Pixel 5 and not the S20 FE?For the reference, GSMArena comparison here.
Currently i see the following pros and cons comparing those devices:
S20 FE pros:
SD card slot
Bigger battery
Better SoC
Better GPU
120hz scree refresh rate
Front fingerprint sensor (debatable, but definitely my personal preference)
More cameras and (hopefully) better camera sensors (but not better camera software)
Available (unlike Pixel 5, that is still on pre-orders)
Pixel 5 pros:
More RAM
Better camera software
Less bloatware
Direct updates from Google
Usable eSIM (none of the S20 series have their eSIM enabled on US models)
Unlocakble bootloader (just an assumption, but the QC based S20 FE is unlikely to have it's btl unlockable)
Missing SD slot (which a find to be a pretty big deal) and a somewhat weaker SoC/GPU/battery make me lean toward the S20 FE, yet there seem to be a pretty big fan base on the Pixels those days, and i want to know why. So, what Pixel 5 pros did i miss?
Thanks in advance for replies.

You might not care what I think but I'm gonna reply anyway. Im using a Note 9 now.
The reason the P5 beats any Samsung phone, again this is IMO, is because it runs STOCK ANDROID OS. One UI is trash, TouchWiz was trash. Samsung can make a great, beautiful, crazy spec'd phone every time but it still runs a trash OS. And plz dont try to tell me its not that bad. It is and my wife has a Note 20 5G and its trash on there too even with the newer updates. This one thing is the reason I will never buy a Sam phone again.
And do I have to get into the bloat ware. Oh MY God! I have like 25-30 apps. When my phone updates, its says its optimizing 450+ apps. WTF. And forget about removing them cuz u can't UL BL to debloat. EVER.
Also don't let Sammy fool u with this quick monthly security updates. When it comes to new Android versions they still lag behind, especially if your device is a year or more old.

TokedUp said:
You might not care what I think but I'm gonna reply anyway. Im using a Note 9 now.
The reason the P5 beats any Samsung phone, again this is IMO, is because it runs STOCK ANDROID OS. One UI is trash, TouchWiz was trash. Samsung can make a great, beautiful, crazy spec'd phone every time but it still runs a trash OS. And plz dont try to tell me its not that bad. It is and my wife has a Note 20 5G and its trash on there too even with the newer updates.
And do I have to get into the bloat ware. Oh MY God! I have like 25-30 apps. When my phone updates, its says its optimizing 450+ apps. WTF. And forget about removing them cuz u can't UL BL to debloat. EVER.
Also don't let Sammy fool u with this quick monthly security updates. When it comes to new Android versions they still lag behind, especially if your device is a year or more old.
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I actually do agree on that, yes, the crap on Samsung stock ROM is pretty bad, but is it THAT bad? On a carrier branded CSC - yes, absolutely. Just a """"clean"""" (yea, i know, i know) stock Samsung - bad, but not THAT bad. And thats the main factor that makes me lean toward Pixel indeed.
Latest and greatest Android? Well, i can live without that. Heck, i am typing it from an Android 8 device right now, lol.
But... lower specs, and ESPECIALLY, the SD card slot do bother me. I've got Nexus7 FHD tablet, bought it more or less a few month after its release, still using it sometimes, and one damn feature i've missed every single time i've boarded a long flight is having an SD card slot! I don't know why the heck Google hates SD cards so much, but thats definitely bothers me.
In any case, i did mention "less bloatware" in my pros list, guess i should have called it "clean android". Do i turst it to remain totally clean? NO! Don't get me started on Google, their platforms, and ****loads of ads, some blockable, some may soon be less so. Just a few things to list on that topic, though - YouTube midroll ads (that drove me to finally start using alt client) and Android TV leanback launcher update with a huge ad on the top 1/3 of the screen (which has forced me to disable apps updates, cause on a TV Play market its all updates or no apps update).

I'm sorry. I do not agree. OneUI is far worse than u think. Im using it now. Go try for yourself. And I dont mean go to the store and look at it. Actually use a phone with it on it and u will want to throw it against a wall.
I have a 400gb mem card in my phone now. There is nothing an it. I used to need it for music but now everything is streaming. Photos and vids get backed up to cloud. I dont think I need a mem card anymore and I was a firm believer in them.
Please dont ever compare Google with Sam in terms of bloatware. It makes you look like u have no idea what u are talking about. Its not even a competition. I mean Sammy tried to put ads to our lockscreens at one point. If u think the Pixel has bloatware, go look at an app list on a new Sam phone. The Note 20 is an absolute joke.

I'm in the same debate as you... Pretty sure p5 wins due to unlocked bootloader. My p2 stands up still to processing power, I suspect I'll get 3 years out of the p5 since I've always found more ram is more important than more processing power and the 765g does hold up next to the p4 865.

Why do we run Pixels? Stock android, superior experience, no/limited bloat, reliable updates, and superior camera performance. But, you likely knew that already, and you came here to discuss specs. It's not the specs; it's the real world performance. You ever run a Windoze comp with a fresh install? See how snappy and smooth the performance is? Well, that's what a Pixel is like all the time. You're basically asking the PC equivalent of asking a tech forum "should I buy an Acer (or Dell or whatever) or build my own?" The answer will likely be build your own or reinstall Windoze and upgrade what you have. Look man, I was a Samsung lover for many years. But their bloat is intrusive and very poorly implemented, and I got sick of it. To complete the analogy: if you want a Dell (even if it is an Alienware) running the latest Intel, go ahead. I'll build my own AMD machine that rocks its socks off.

Come down to long term experience for me.
Pixel phones have been great to use and continue to feel great after a couple of years. Samsung phones haven't faired so well. Lots of slow down, lots of duplicate apps, lots of clutter.
It's personal preference of course, some love Samsung apps over Google apps. For these people, pixel comes full of bloatware!

mrkhigh said:
I'm in the same debate as you... Pretty sure p5 wins due to unlocked bootloader. My p2 stands up still to processing power, I suspect I'll get 3 years out of the p5 since I've always found more ram is more important than more processing power and the 765g does hold up next to the p4 865.
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Unlocked bootloader is sadly, becoming less and less useful as the time goes. TBH, i am sick and tired to try & look for yet another way to hide root from apps, while i find myself actually customizing the system less and less using that root. Add Widevine dropping to L3 and all the streaming apps that use it going below HD, and you get yourself one more reason not to unlock.
Is slightly more RAM more important than slightly more CPU/GPU? Yea, i think it is. Is it massive, either way? Nope, probably not.
Again, one big thing that turns me away from P5 is the SD slot. From the other side, 2 pretty big things that pull me toward it are cleaner Android and eSIM.

dudeman1st said:
...It's not the specs; it's the real world performance...
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The specs are the very first thing that affects real world performance. Yes, you can bog it down to a crawl with junk, but is it so? If you look at the Samsung side of XDA, i don't see that many complains about it, so realistically, in the real word words, i honestly don't know.

I've used an OG Pixel XL, and Pixel 3 XL as well as a OP 6T.
T-mobile had a "too good to pass up" trade in deal for the S20 FG and I received it on Friday. It is an awesome phone. The telephoto lens is neat, but the wide angle is awesome. Samsung's awful OS and lack of BL unlocking are really the only faults of it lol. Pixels got me over the need for an sd slot, although the lack of free unlimited storage since the Pixel 3 has me concerned. With that said, I'll be buying a Pixel 5 assuming there's some kind of a deal on black friday.

InfX said:
The specs are the very first thing that affects real world performance. Yes, you can bog it down to a crawl with junk, but is it so? If you look at the Samsung side of XDA, i don't see that many complains about it, so realistically, in the real word words, i honestly don't know.
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Fair enough, if specs are your measuring stick, sounds like you want the Samsung with the 8-series ARM. Go for it. I wouldn't shame you at all.
If you want to really understand what I am saying, try running a 3 or 4 year old Samsung (an S7 or S8) on Sam's version of Android 11 (if that's even possible) and then run Google's Android 11 on a Pixel or Pixel 2. I haven't tried it, but I know my old Samsungs ran like crap after just one or two updates, including severely reduced battery life. I am guessing that the Sams will run horribly for one reason or another. I know that Pixels run great on 11.
I run a Pixel (2 XL) stock, don't have to root it, don't have to monkey with flashing unless I want to try, don't have to constantly be looking for updated modems/ROMs/recoveries/kernels . Sure, most phones can be rescued with a good custom ROM, but you run the risk of bricking and voiding warranty. I used to love that hobby, and I loved my experience flashing with other phone hobbyists. But, I don't want to monkey with my daily driver anymore. I only flash my old phones.

jsbeagle said:
I've used an OG Pixel XL, and Pixel 3 XL as well as a OP 6T.
T-mobile had a "too good to pass up" trade in deal for the S20 FG and I received it on Friday. It is an awesome phone. The telephoto lens is neat, but the wide angle is awesome. Samsung's awful OS and lack of BL unlocking are really the only faults of it lol. Pixels got me over the need for an sd slot, although the lack of free unlimited storage since the Pixel 3 has me concerned. With that said, I'll be buying a Pixel 5 assuming there's some kind of a deal on black friday.
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Those are definitely not the only faults of it .Less RAM isn't exactly a good thing. If you look at the he S20 FE forum here, you'll immediately notice a "touch issues" thread, which is worrying. The eSIM being disabled on US CSCs, while Pixels, iPhones and even their own Fold got it is one heck of a turn off, too.

InfX said:
Those are definitely not the only faults of it .Less RAM isn't exactly a good thing. If you look at the he S20 FE forum here, you'll immediately notice a "touch issues" thread, which is worrying. The eSIM being disabled on US CSCs, while Pixels, iPhones and even their own Fold got it is one heck of a turn off, too.
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What are you doing that you actually need eSim?
Considering T-mobile and Samsung are essentially giving me the S20 FE, plus $60, plus $70 Samsung store credit for my Pixel 3XL, I'll take it and let my kids use it as a hotspot. T-mobile also gave me another completely free line a couple weeks ago in an unrelated deal.

jsbeagle said:
What are you doing that you actually need eSim?
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I don't "need" eSIM, but its a useful feature assuming the dreaded COVID19 is eventually going to end, so one could travel again. It allows you to get and install a local plan in a different country without having to physically get the SIM card, a feature i'd actually like to have on my next phone. Not a must. But definitely a bonus. And most definitely a turn-off to get a device with the actual hardware being there, but having it disabled because Sammy and the carriers told so.

InfX said:
Unlocked bootloader is sadly, becoming less and less useful as the time goes. TBH, i am sick and tired to try & look for yet another way to hide root from apps, while i find myself actually customizing the system less and less using that root. Add Widevine dropping to L3 and all the streaming apps that use it going below HD, and you get yourself one more reason not to unlock.
Is slightly more RAM more important than slightly more CPU/GPU? Yea, i think it is. Is it massive, either way? Nope, probably not.
Again, one big thing that turns me away from P5 is the SD slot. From the other side, 2 pretty big things that pull me toward it are cleaner Android and eSIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree on root becoming less and less important.
However the ability to update the device after it's eol is handy, and installing a custom rom is often nice as well.

Pure Android is where it is at for me, plain and smple. I might go for another non google device now and then if the bootloader is unlockable so I can end up flashing a pure android rom but I always end up back on a pixel. It is a shame that samsung has not allowed bootloader unlocking lately, especially on a so called "fan edition". What a joke!

Physical size of the device. Sure the size of the screen on my current phone is bigger and show more but it's also physically a larger phone.
That one of the main selling points for me. I also look forward to having the FP reader on the back again, current phone is under display and I'm not a fan!
---edit---
Another selling point is vanilla android vs having to find a reliable custom rom for my Mi 9T (pixel experience is good though).

InfX said:
I don't "need" eSIM, but its a useful feature assuming the dreaded COVID19 is eventually going to end, so one could travel again. It allows you to get and install a local plan in a different country without having to physically get the SIM card, a feature i'd actually like to have on my next phone. Not a must. But definitely a bonus. And most definitely a turn-off to get a device with the actual hardware being there, but having it disabled because Sammy and the carriers told so.
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Just get Fi, homie. Pay for the data you use, capped at 6 GB cost (60 bucks + 20 for the line), no international charges for phone or data, and it works almost everywhere. If it's a small country, Fi might even pick up neighboring service. I have been from Barcelona to Bratislava, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Columbia on Fi, and I had no problems whatsoever. Fi even sends you a nice little welcome text to let you know that you are in a different service area. And, no, I don't work for Google, lol. I changed because I love to travel and hate other carriers' intl fees or messing around with local SIMs.

dudeman1st said:
Just get Fi, homie...
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Thanks but no thanks, been there, done that. Yes, the international data on the Fi is definitely a plus. But:
Its expensive
I am currently on Cricket (AT&T MVNO), their lowest plan is $30 for 2gb, but before the COVID times i'd usually pay $35 for 5..10gb, slowed down afterwards, with similar plans also available directly from AT&T. My actual consumption now is close to 0, but has been somewhere in range of 2..3gb per month pre-COVID on average, so i've ended up paying $40..50, plus tax, as far as i recall, while most prepaid plans have tax included. Way too expensive just to have the same expensive data abroad, which is usually much cheaper there than it is in US.
It's coverage in US is pretty bad
In US its basically a T-Mobile MVNO. It got some contracts with US Cellular as well, i think, but its mostly just T-Mobile. I've been to many places i;ve just got NO reception whatsoever, where Cricket (read - AT&T) works perfectly fine, notably, on the ski sites in VT near #100, but this is just one example, the T-Mobile reception is generally just BAD.
Pay per use data is more annoying than i though it would be
You are basically paying $10/gb until you hit 6gb, which makes me think twice about everything i do online. Play Spotify? Nah, i don't remember if i have it downloaded, it will eat data, i'll pay for that. Watch that video on YouTube on the go? Nah, screw that, its probably 100mb in HD or so, that's $1 for a stupid video. And i absolutely hate this line of thinking. I want unlimited data which doesn't punish you financially if you go over the limit. And i don't want to pay $80+tax for that.
Sorry bro, but you DO sound like a Google sales person, lol

If you just want to text, make calls, twatter, and freakbook. Get the Samsung.
If need more independents, get the Pixel 5.
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