Clearly and this time, there are limitations as per launching the device to certain countries like India and Japan on wait. Project SOLI requires a certain 60ish frequency in order to work. My question is can this be force enabled to countries that don't support it? I am planning to purchase it from US but my country is not on the list that supports it so apparently it'll become useless brick when I plan to use it here.
galangdj said:
Clearly and this time, there are limitations as per launching the device to certain countries like India and Japan on wait. Project SOLI requires a certain 60ish frequency in order to work. My question is can this be force enabled to countries that don't support it? I am planning to purchase it from US but my country is not on the list that supports it so apparently it'll become useless brick when I plan to use it here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I read correctly, no. Because it checks to see what carrier you are on and if you were not on the whitelist, then it won't work. I was actually talking to somebody from India the other day about that and I mentioned that. You could have one imported, but I don't believe it will work
Thanks mate. That's just sad. I was really looking forward on having this one. Bad move Google, really bad.
How I understand it is, it's not really Google's fault. India just won't allow the technology there. Hell, Google had to get permission from the FCC to test it, here. It is a radar after all, which is what I keep trying to tell people when they keep trying to compare it to the LG's air gestures or any other phone that had air gestures. This is a completely new animal. I feel your pain though. similar to how people felt about OnePlus only releasing the 7T in the states and not the T pro version. Not that I would have bought either, but it's a similar instance
I wouldn't write off the phone completely; some smart guys may figure out a way to bypass the checks. I'm in no way saying this will happen but somewhat similar feats have been accomplished before.
This is true as well
Any idea if FaceUnlock requires the Soli radar chip to function or would it work with MotionSense disabled?
Also, could someone please throw some light on cons of getting the phone from USA and using it in India? (Apart from the warranty and power adapter pins).?
1. Would / could it be geo blocked totally ??
2. Would FaceUnlock work without Soli?
3. Would it support Indian carrier frequencies ??
Etc
Thanks in advance
pai.pradeep said:
Any idea if FaceUnlock requires the Soli radar chip to function or would it work with MotionSense disabled?
Also, could someone please throw some light on cons of getting the phone from USA and using it in India? (Apart from the warranty and power adapter pins).?
1. Would / could it be geo blocked totally ??
2. Would FaceUnlock work without Soli?
3. Would it support Indian carrier frequencies ??
Etc
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's my understanding that face unlock is independent of soli. But at times it uses soli to make unlocking a little bit faster and easier, if that makes any sense. Face unlock is just a couple of IR sensors, the flood illuminator and the dot projector, that has nothing to do with soli radar, which currently is banned from India. So here's an example of it working. You lock it, then bring it to your face and double tap the screen and it will unlock. But you will not be able to use the soli side of the features that allow it to virtually unlock in a more fluid motion. Soli detects your hand approaching the device and activates the screen, then the face unlock kicks in. Without soli, you would have to manually wake the device first. So, IMO, it would not be worth importing a pixel to India, unless you were absolutely positive that you could unlock the soli feature. As far as it supporting Indian frequencies. That's basically a shot in the dark, since nobody in India has the device right now to test it. Or at least we haven't heard of anybody
All true but I'm not certain that there isn't other ways the phone may be woke because we know soli can be wholly disabled and it seems unlikely that the next step would be the physical power button. As an example it may be possible that the accelerometer will also wake up the phone, DTTW, etc. Certainly were I planning on importing it I'd want to know that because I agree that it would really ruin the ownership experience to have to hit the button to wake it up every time.
This is true, I forgot about raise to wake
ZeroKool76 said:
it's my understanding that face unlock is independent of soli. But at times it uses soli to make unlocking a little bit faster and easier, if that makes any sense. Face unlock is just a couple of IR sensors, the flood illuminator and the dot projector, that has nothing to do with soli radar, which currently is banned from India. So here's an example of it working. You lock it, then bring it to your face and double tap the screen and it will unlock. But you will not be able to use the soli side of the features that allow it to virtually unlock in a more fluid motion. Soli detects your hand approaching the device and activates the screen, then the face unlock kicks in. Without soli, you would have to manually wake the device first. So, IMO, it would not be worth importing a pixel to India, unless you were absolutely positive that you could unlock the soli feature. As far as it supporting Indian frequencies. That's basically a shot in the dark, since nobody in India has the device right now to test it. Or at least we haven't heard of anybody
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, so without Soli, it would be 'just like any other Face Unlock(read: FaceID, as Google tried to emphasize)', there shouldn't be issues with the carrier frequencies too but who know if they (can/could) Geo-block it? I also understand that the e-Sim wouldn't be enabled for Indian carriers either.
Looks like Google just doesn't want the phone to be used by anyone in India.
or, let's hope they launch a Pixel4a without Soli in India.
pai.pradeep said:
Yes, so without Soli, it would be 'just like any other Face Unlock(read: FaceID, as Google tried to emphasize)', there shouldn't be issues with the carrier frequencies too but who know if they (can/could) Geo-block it? I also understand that the e-Sim wouldn't be enabled for Indian carriers either.
Looks like Google just doesn't want the phone to be used by anyone in India.
or, let's hope they launch a Pixel4a without Soli in India.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I stated in another thread, I don't believe that it was Google's decision, but rather, India's. India wont allow the soli tech because of the frequencies it uses. At least that's my understanding. In America, they had to get permission from the FCC just to test it. But that still doesn't detract from the face unlock feature which is still the first of it's kind on an android device. I am looking forward to unlocking in the dark, rather than being blinded by an in screen fingerprint sensor
To be honest Soli itself doesn't have a big use case right now, it's actually a little surprising to me how little it's utilized when it could do so much more. I wouldn't buy this phone because of it as it is and the lack of it does little to change the phone in my mind. That is based on my own use however and others may find the current features more valuable. Longer term I expect more to be added to it and those possibilities are more what I'm interested in that what it does now. An example: Why isn't it possible to be washing the dishes, get a call I want to take, and make a motion with my wet dish washing hands to take the call and send it to speakerphone? There are many similar things I can think of right off the bat and some of them or even all of them may come to pass if they allow us to start making our own gestures and assign them to functions. That's the Soli I'm interested in, the one that doesn't exist yet.
krabman said:
To be honest Soli itself doesn't have a big use case right now, it's actually a little surprising to me how little it's utilized when it could do so much more. I wouldn't buy this phone because of it as it is and the lack of it does little to change the phone in my mind. That is based on my own use however and others may find the current features more valuable. Longer term I expect more to be added to it and those possibilities are more what I'm interested in that what it does now. An example: Why isn't it possible to be washing the dishes, get a call I want to take, and make a motion with my wet dish washing hands to take the call and send it to speakerphone? There are many similar things I can think of right off the bat and some of them or even all of them may come to pass if they allow us to start making our own gestures and assign them to functions. That's the Soli I'm interested in, the one that doesn't exist yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, it's certainly underwhelming at this point. But the tech is there, just need Google to stick the landing with upcoming software updates, implementing new features, including your scenario.
Forcing it in unsupported countries is very likely possible to do based on my analysis of the leaked Motion Sense APKs. However, I won't share what I know about it because you'll be broadcasting on unlicensed radio waves in your country. I'm sure someone else will figure out how it's done in no time, though.
MishaalRahman said:
Forcing it in unsupported countries is very likely possible to do based on my analysis of the leaked Motion Sense APKs. However, I won't share what I know about it because you'll be broadcasting on unlicensed radio waves in your country. I'm sure someone else will figure out how it's done in no time, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know if you figured out if its at least possible on your unit! Is it a deal breaker though if it wouldn't work ? do you find yourself relying on it much or is it necessary and finally do the phone's other merits outweigh the lack of motion sense as i am considering pre-ordering it but really ambivalent
thanks
I've imported Pixel 4 XL to use in Indonesia and really really disappointed that I can't utilise this technology. Waiting for someone to create a utility, kernel, or anything, to force enable soli chip..
Allesa said:
I've imported Pixel 4 XL to use in Indonesia and really really disappointed that I can't utilise this technology. Waiting for someone to create a utility, kernel, or anything, to force enable soli chip..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you exactly disappointed? I am not so sure to the grave of annoyance but if face unlock works with waking up the phone, I'd be happy with that. The wave gestures sure is fun but for practical use and the frequency of using it is close to none in most situations. Thanks. I am considering the phone so if you could please share your experience with the phone with its limitation atm, or anything that I should be aware, that would be of great help and appreciated.
Allesa said:
I've imported Pixel 4 XL to use in Indonesia and really really disappointed that I can't utilise this technology. Waiting for someone to create a utility, kernel, or anything, to force enable soli chip..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are all the features relating to Soli disabled? Or just the music gestures?
It can be enabled with root by setting a property in the device, see the mods forum.
Related
Thats my only deal breaker.
That is correct, there is no fingerprint scanner. I must ask though, why is that a deal breaker? Seems like such a trivial thing when the rest of the phone is absolutely top notch.
I hate fingerprint sensors so I'm glad it doesn't have one.
Not a deal breaker for me, but I am certainly disappointed. I was hoping for a fingerprint sensor for lastpass, and to make 2-factor authentication simpler.
The fingerprint sensors on Android phones are kind of junk right now (compared to the one on the iPhone. Every once in awhile Apple does something amazing!), so I'd rather wait until there's actually a good one, but still... I was hoping.
Pilz said:
I hate fingerprint sensors so I'm glad it doesn't have one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you hate them? Ever use Touch ID? It's amazing.
_MetalHead_ said:
Why do you hate them? Ever use Touch ID? It's amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want my fingerprint data used for anything in terms of mobile because its possible to compromise it. You can't replace your fingerprints like you can a password, and just because no one has taken your data yet, it doesn't mean they won't in the future. Anything is hackable these days so I'd rather not have a person obtain my fingerprint coupled with my card data and information.
_MetalHead_ said:
That is correct, there is no fingerprint scanner. I must ask though, why is that a deal breaker? Seems like such a trivial thing when the rest of the phone is absolutely top notch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
_MetalHead_ said:
Why do you hate them? Ever use Touch ID? It's amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well part of the reason being what you mentioned "Touch ID", it is great. Now I also own a samsung galaxy tab s and all I use is the fingerprint scanner to unlock it and Im actually used to it now. So for my next android device thats a must for me now, which is why I'm now leaning towards the Note 4
Pilz said:
I don't want my fingerprint data used for anything in terms of mobile because its possible to compromise it. You can't replace your fingerprints like you can a password, and just because no one has taken your data yet, it doesn't mean they won't in the future. Anything is hackable these days so I'd rather not have a person obtain my fingerprint coupled with my card data and information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure how Samsung stores your prints, but I know that the iPhone doesn't actually store any type of usable image. From apple.com- "Touch ID doesn't store any images of your fingerprint. It stores only a mathematical representation of your fingerprint. It isn't possible for your actual fingerprint image to be reverse-engineered from this mathematical representation." The data is also encrypted and stored locally in a secured place on the A7 chip. Someone would actually need physical access to your phone to even attempt to get the data and even if they somehow managed to pull it off, it is still encrypted and still not an actual image. So even if Apple is wrong and it is possible to reverse-engineer your prints, it would be a colossal undertaking to end up with a usable print and you would have to be someone real important for someone else to be willing to go to those lengths to do it. That said, and please don't take this the wrong way, I think your fears might be slightly irrational, at least as it applies to fingerprint scanners in general.
SysAdmNj said:
Well part of the reason being what you mentioned "Touch ID", it is great. Now I also own a samsung galaxy tab s and all I use is the fingerprint scanner to unlock it and Im actually used to it now. So for my next android device thats a must for me now, which is why I'm now leaning towards the Note 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I love having it on my iPhone 6 but the way Samsung implemented it isn't as reliable or convenient. I would love to have one on the Nexus 6, but it certainly isn't important enough to make me even consider buying a Samsung phone. The Note 4 is pretty slick, but it is locked down super tight, and I'm one of those people that absolutely can't stand TouchWiz.
Anything can be reverse engineered (remember the enigma machine) and I don't trust apple because they don't post source code so ego knows what actually happening
Pilz said:
Anything can be reverse engineered (remember the enigma machine) and I don't trust apple because they don't post source code so ego knows what actually happening
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying it can't be reverse-engineered, but the time and resources needed to do it would far exceed the value of the print. And even so, with the fact that the would be hacker would need to be in physical possession of the device to do it- wouldn't it make more sense to just lift the prints the old fashioned way off the phone itself?
who cares about fingerprint scanner anymore, now with android L we have the ability to use a smart devices(watch) to unlock our phones!!!
2swizzle said:
who cares about fingerprint scanner anymore, now with android L we have the ability to use a smart devices(watch) to unlock our phones!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And face unlock running in background.
G3
Don't get me wrong, I love having it on my iPhone 6 but the way Samsung implemented it isn't as reliable or convenient. I would love to have one on the Nexus 6, but it certainly isn't important enough to make me even consider buying a Samsung phone. The Note 4 is pretty slick, but it is locked down super tight, and I'm one of those people that absolutely can't stand TouchWiz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I gotta correct you on the reliable part, I use it daily and its just as reliable as the iphone's but I rather stay away from comparisons. Maybe I just have good prints :0. All I'm saying is I'd rather have an android device with that kind of security convenience than the type I'm using today, zilch. I have a wide open device, no lock code. I just hate having to enter a pin or swipe to unlock.
As for the locked down part, I'm not sure what you mean but Tmobiles is already rooted and unlocked. They got some roms and kernels already I believe. Touchwiz isnt my favorite but has improved a bit, and I cant stand plain vanilla just bores me after a while. Then again to each his own and thats why android rocks
2swizzle said:
who cares about fingerprint scanner anymore, now with android L we have the ability to use a smart devices(watch) to unlock our phones!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me personally am not wearing a watch, let alone a smart watch lol.
Your Google password can be reverse engineered and cracked a million times easier than a mathematical representation of your fingerprint. Think of the fingerprint as a 10000 character long completely random password and you'll have some idea of how hard it will be to exploit.
TouchID is the best thing ever. Samsung's fingerprint scanner also works well. Biometric security should be on every phone, its much more secure and reliable, not to mention easier to use.
SysAdmNj said:
All I'm saying is I'd rather have an android device with that kind of security convenience than the type I'm using today, zilch. I have a wide open device, no lock code. I just hate having to enter a pin or swipe to unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, yea....
Gonna leave it at that.
G3
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
The M20P is a great phone in many ways but I'm throwing in the towel. At this point I really wish I had held onto my P20P.
I can't trust this phone as a daily driver because of intermittent issues where phone calls go straight into voicemail without the phone ever ringing. It's not like I'm missing the calls because multiple people have reported that when they called it went straight to voicemail with no ringing.
There was some theorizing in a separate thread that the issue might be due to a compatibility issue with the T-Mobile network here in the United States (where the M20P isn't officially sold or supported) but I have found owners in other countries complaining about the same problem .
I've tried numerous fixes from experimenting with the APN and network settings, turning off raise to wake and voice answering settings, using performance mode, using Shortcut Maker to disable the hidden Wi-Fi calls menu, turning off power optomization for all apps, giving call related apps unlimited data access, disabling Power Genie with ADB--and every time it seems like the problem might be fixed it eventually happens again.
I previously owned both the M10P and P20P and never ran across the issue on either phone. I'm not sure if this is happening because of MIUI 9 or the way Huawei is implementing Android Pie or if it is only specific to this model but as much as I like the M20P I can't use it as my daily driver if I can't trust it to ring every time I receive a call.
I'm not a fan of Samsung phones, One Plus or Google Pixels so I'm looking at probably getting a Xiaomi MI 9 and relegating this to the back up phone status currently occupied by my Mix 2S.
Maybe the problem will get fixed in the 9.1 update but I can't keep missing calls.
jhs39 said:
The M20P is a great phone in many ways but I'm throwing in the towel. At this point I really wish I had held onto my P20P.
I can't trust this phone as a daily driver because of intermittent issues where phone calls go straight into voicemail without the phone ever ringing. It's not like I'm missing the calls because multiple people have reported that when they called it went straight to voicemail with no ringing.
There was some theorizing in a separate thread that the issue might be due to a compatibility issue with the T-Mobile network here in the United States (where the M20P isn't officially sold or supported) but I have found owners in other countries complaining about the same problem .
I've tried numerous fixes from experimenting with the APN and network settings, turning off raise to wake and voice answering settings, using performance mode, using Shortcut Maker to disable the hidden Wi-Fi calls menu, turning off power optomization for all apps, giving call related apps unlimited data access, disabling Power Genie with ADB--and every time it seems like the problem might be fixed it eventually happens again.
I previously owned both the M10P and P20P and never ran across the issue on either phone. I'm not sure if this is happening because of MIUI 9 or the way Huawei is implementing Android Pie or if it is only specific to this model but as much as I like the M20P I can't use it as my daily driver if I can't trust it to ring every time I receive a call.
I'm not a fan of Samsung phones, One Plus or Google Pixels so I'm looking at probably getting a Xiaomi MI 9 and relegating this to the back up phone status currently occupied by my Mix 2S.
Maybe the problem will get fixed in the 9.1 update but I can't keep missing calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do also Miss calls. And I can't get Google voice to work, and use it for voicemail. So sometimes I don't even get notification of new voicemail too. Same here, T-Mobile US. I'm thinking of trading up, but really waiting for the upcoming 5g phones.
For me, it's not a deal breaker. But an inconvenience. Might trade my son-in-law for his 6t.
I hate to do it. Because everything about the performance is great. I love the camera...... Ugh.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
Afaik, this has never happened to me or anyone I know with the M20P. But we also weren't affected by the infamous iPhone Death Grip here in Sweden, probably because our mobile networks are decently stable.
No issues here on Rogers in Canada. Sorry to hear that.
That's also a deal breaker for me. If it can't make and receive phone calls, she's gotta go.
ChongoDroid said:
No issues here on Rogers in Canada. Sorry to hear that.
That's also a deal breaker for me. If it can't make and receive phone calls, she's gotta go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must be related to the network not the phone...either the band it's on in your area, or the communication with the tower.
While most of us in countries where the phone is sold have problems with notifications (EMUI 9.1....I hope that will solve them...) I NEVER missed a call. And my provider (Videotron) has agreements with 3 more for coverage, so I jump a lot between bands and carriers when I travel.
Considering you have no recourse in US, I would just give up and get something more mainstream. 6T might be good idea.
I can make phone calls and 95% of the time I receive them fine. But the other 5% is driving me crazy ?.
The other day I had to call Amazon customer service The website said the call was connected but my phone never rang. I canceled the call and clicked for them to call me back and the same thing happened twice more-the Amazon website said the call was currently connected but my phone never rang, there's nothing in the call history and no voicemail notification.
I reboot my phone and there's suddenly 3 missed calls and a voice mail notification and when I click for Amazon to call me again the phone rings immediately.
I hadn't missed a call for weeks before that.
Maybe I shouldn't have screwed around with manually flashing updates. It was never a problem with the M10P or P20P but since the updates for this phone aren't locked to the specific hardware version it's not the same as before and the phone always shows up as uncertified which never happened on the other phones.
NoSubstitute said:
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
Afaik, this has never happened to me or anyone I know with the M20P. But we also weren't affected by the infamous iPhone Death Grip here in Sweden, probably because our mobile networks are decently stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
or maybe we didn't held the phone wrong
You should try a factory reset as a last resort first
what firmware version are you on? M2p here in the states and have had zero problems here
I was on one of the versions with the April security patch. I did a factory reset and e-recovery to the latest approved version for my model which is 210 with the March security patch but it didn't make any difference. I haven't had any calls yet to miss but I couldn't get text messages to set up my Amazon and Chase apps until after rebooting the phone which is a different symptom of the same issue. I was sending and receiving texts earlier this morning with no issues. I had to reboot about 4 hours later.
I have the LYA-L09 version from the UK. I don't think It should make a difference but maybe the international or Canadian versions would work better with T-Mobile in the US. Band support isn't an issue but Huawei did something new with this phone where the custom partition (which contains carrier and region specific software) is separate from the rest of the firmware which is why the same firmware versions can be manually flashed across all non-Chinese models.
The new custom partition might be causing issues with missed calls and notifications that some people like me are experiencing.
On earlier Huawei phones removing specific apps from battery optimization was enough to ensure that notifications from those apps were delivered quickly but a really common complaint with many M20P owners is that doing that no longer works. Some people don't get any notifications from certain apps unless the display is on and others need to reboot their phones when they suspect they have missed notifications--especially from SMS.
I didn't come across this missing calls issue but there is a bunch of other annoyances that putting me off this phone. To start with, it disappointed me straight away from day one due to simple, unexpected reason - inability to unlocked it at first-second-third attempt with in-screen fingerprint sensor. It was like a sobering slap to the face. Believe me or not but this fancy feature was one of the buying point. Seriously, that fingerprint reader seems works only at the time of first set up . Next day during the phone normal use with clean screen with no screen protector the most common scenario - unlocked with face recognition after 4 failed fingerprint attempt. Seriously, the first "date" with this beautiful phone was ruined straight away!! Further - more "minor" issues like tons of accidental screenshots in my gallery due to improper buttons position, inferior sound from the speakers (coming from Pixel 3) - acceptable at max volume only for me, useless AOD, inability to wake up the phone with double tap, no notifications issue (due to too long (!) operator name as I figured out later), no Google Feed out-of-the-box for my region, poor tactile engine (still can't feel that it's even here compared to iPhones or Pixel 3), camera inconsistency (too many out of focus, blurry shots, bad selfies, poor low light video).... Basically the only things forced to keep me this phone are great battery life, versatile camera, cool unique back design. I understand that there is no perfect phone for sure BUT there are far too many negative bullet points for this one considering the price I paid for it. Frankly, it is certainly not a over $1000 phone at all. If I was aware of all above-mentioned issues, I would't pay more than $500 for it. Sure I have got some quite stunning shots from it BUT everything else must be up for the price as well! So I gave up and put it on sale as well. Sorry Huawei, try harder next time.
Boo hoo.
WarVic said:
I didn't come across this missing calls issue but there is a bunch of other annoyances that putting me off this phone. To start with, it disappointed me straight away from day one due to simple, unexpected reason - inability to unlocked it at first-second-third attempt with in-screen fingerprint sensor. It was like a sobering slap to the face. Believe me or not but this fancy feature was one of the buying point. Seriously, that fingerprint reader seems works only at the time of first set up . Next day during the phone normal use with clean screen with no screen protector the most common scenario - unlocked with face recognition after 4 failed fingerprint attempt. Seriously, the first "date" with this beautiful phone was ruined straight away!! Further - more "minor" issues like tons of accidental screenshots in my gallery due to improper buttons position, inferior sound from the speakers (coming from Pixel 3) - acceptable at max volume only for me, useless AOD, inability to wake up the phone with double tap, no notifications issue (due to too long (!) operator name as I figured out later), no Google Feed out-of-the-box for my region, poor tactile engine (still can't feel that it's even here compared to iPhones or Pixel 3), camera inconsistency (too many out of focus, blurry shots, bad selfies, poor low light video).... Basically the only things forced to keep me this phone are great battery life, versatile camera, cool unique back design. I understand that there is no perfect phone for sure BUT there are far too many negative bullet points for this one considering the price I paid for it. Frankly, it is certainly not a over $1000 phone at all. If I was aware of all above-mentioned issues, I would't pay more than $500 for it. Sure I have got some quite stunning shots from it BUT everything else must be up for the price as well! So I gave up and put it on sale as well. Sorry Huawei, try harder next time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had any of those problems although the AOD display does seem to bug some people who are used to what Samsung or Apple does with it.
I think the Pixels are among the worst phones on the market. They easily list for twice what they are worth, have worst build quality than a $200 Xiaomi phone, run too hot, suffer serious hardware failure within 2 years in staggering numbers and every generation of Pixel devices to date has had significant hardware and software problems that the tech press ignores.
I really like this phone a lot. The build quality is fantastic. It takes great pictures and everything runs smooth and fast without the phone ever running hot (unlike Google phones which have been running in performance mode by default since the Nexus 5X). Battery life is great. My LG display (you know--the one that was supposedly defective?) is gorgeous.
But I can't deal with the missed calls anymore. I'm sure it could be fixed with a software update but after 6 months I'm not confident that a fix is ever going to come.
jhs39 said:
I've never had any of those problems although the AOD display does seem to bug some people who are used to what Samsung or Apple does with it.
I think the Pixels are among the worst phones on the market. They easily list for twice what they are worth, have worst build quality than a $200 Xiaomi phone, run too hot, suffer serious hardware failure within 2 years in staggering numbers and every generation of Pixel devices to date has had significant hardware and software problems that the tech press ignores.
I really like this phone a lot. The build quality is fantastic. It takes great pictures and everything runs smooth and fast without the phone ever running hot (unlike Google phones which have been running in performance mode by default since the Nexus 5X). Battery life is great. My LG display (you know--the one that was supposedly defective?) is gorgeous.
But I can't deal with the missed calls anymore. I'm sure it could be fixed with a software update but after 6 months I'm not confident that a fix is ever going to come.
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Click to collapse
Hi there. I believe you never owned the Pixel 3 or 3 XL! Because you certainly don't know what are you talking about. The only thing those phones are missing is versatile camera system. That's it. Otherwise Pixel 3s are the best smartphones around. I had Pixel 3 XL for 4 month, still own a Pixel 3 as a business / backup phone. No single hardware or software issue with them whatsoever. Build quality is top tier. No heating issues with my small Pixel 3 for sure whereas my buggy Mate 20 Pro becomes hot as hell after just half an hour driving with GPS app running. Pixel 3 stays cool at the same conditions! You seriously need to get Pixel 3 first and start talking afterwards!
So.... I too have abandoned the phone. I love it. It was a beast with battery and camera and speed. But.... missing calls has cost me a vacation that my timeshare had called and I didn't get the trade for the time. And timeshares can be finnickey to get a trade for the area/time you want.
Anyway. I ended up trading to my son-in-law for the oneplus 6t since its sold by Tmobile and should have any missed calls. He got a hell of a phone for the trade. Oh well.....
WarVic said:
Hi there. I believe you never owned the Pixel 3 or 3 XL! Because you certainly don't know what are you talking about. The only thing those phones are missing is versatile camera system. That's it. Otherwise Pixel 3s are the best smartphones around. I had Pixel 3 XL for 4 month, still own a Pixel 3 as a business / backup phone. No single hardware or software issue with them whatsoever. Build quality is top tier. No heating issues with my small Pixel 3 for sure whereas my buggy Mate 20 Pro becomes hot as hell after just half an hour driving with GPS app running. Pixel 3 stays cool at the same conditions! You seriously need to get Pixel 3 first and start talking afterwards!
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Click to collapse
I have owned Nexus and Pixel phones. I definitely know what I am talking about. The Nexus devices had much more premium build quality than the Pixel line and the phones were much cheaper.
Just go to the Official Google Pixel Support site and read the posts from the many owners experiencing serious issues with their phones. That's pretty much the only place people can find accurate information about Pixel phones because the tech press holds Google to a much lower standard than it does Samsung, Apple, Huawei, or Xiaomi. The only company that gets a similar treatment to Google is One Plus. The official One Plus support site has so many reports of issues everyday that after a couple hours all of the posts that had been visible are completely buried under the tidal wave of new posts.
The difference is that the majority of issues One Plus owners report are software related because the coding on One Plus phones is inept and the majority of reported Pixel problems are hardware related.
steadly2004 said:
So.... I too have abandoned the phone. I love it. It was a beast with battery and camera and speed. But.... missing calls has cost me a vacation that my timeshare had called and I didn't get the trade for the time. And timeshares can be finnickey to get a trade for the area/time you want.
Anyway. I ended up trading to my son-in-law for the oneplus 6t since its sold by Tmobile and should have any missed calls. He got a hell of a phone for the trade. Oh well.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not a fan of One Plus but I'm sure you won't have an issue with missed calls. If you have a T-Mobile One Plus instead of an unlocked one you get far less frequent updates because T-Mobile is trying not to release Oxygen updates that introduce new bugs. I don't think T-Mobile knew what they were getting into before they decided to carry those phones.
I got my MI 9. It's not as nice as the M20P obviously but it's a good value which is what Xiaomi is known for. I'm also getting all my calls, texts and notifications with zero problems and VoLTE works.
WarVic said:
Hi there. I believe you never owned the Pixel 3 or 3 XL! Because you certainly don't know what are you talking about. The only thing those phones are missing is versatile camera system. That's it. Otherwise Pixel 3s are the best smartphones around. I had Pixel 3 XL for 4 month, still own a Pixel 3 as a business / backup phone. No single hardware or software issue with them whatsoever. Build quality is top tier. No heating issues with my small Pixel 3 for sure whereas my buggy Mate 20 Pro becomes hot as hell after just half an hour driving with GPS app running. Pixel 3 stays cool at the same conditions! You seriously need to get Pixel 3 first and start talking afterwards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks to me you're the only one who doesn't know what he's talking about...plus you might wanna try to be more considerate when you post here. No need for personal baseless attacks.
Pixel 3 is an outdated phone with an excellent camera app and timely updates. That's ALL. Had one, ditched it for the Mate 20 pro (in before the personal attack that "you don't know what you're talking about").
I can also ask you how did you get your Mate 20 pro to become "hot as hell after just a half an hour driving with GPS app running". I took 4-5 hour trips with GPS on, the only slight warm area was the wireless charging one, as the phone sat in a holder with wireless charging.
Not sure what point you are trying to prove (if any) but you haven't convinced anyone.
Maybe this will:
https://www.droid-life.com/2019/04/29/doesnt-sound-like-google-sold-very-many-pixel-3-phones/
have you tried using a fresh new sim card?
I just received my watch in the UK direct from Samsung.
The 2 main reasons i purchased the watch are for the features above.
1) How do i get to the ECG and BP app on my new watch (its on firmware 5 and above)
2) I didnt realise my network provider had to offer a plan so i could use my watch as a phone if my phone was not with me - now i find ou Three dont offer plans for this watch....have i no choice but to switch provider? If so which providers offer a plan?
Vodafone offer plans
Mines on EE (not purchased from them, from Samsung directly)
nk33 said:
I just received my watch in the UK direct from Samsung.
The 2 main reasons i purchased the watch are for the features above.
1) How do i get to the ECG and BP app on my new watch (its on firmware 5 and above)
2) I didnt realise my network provider had to offer a plan so i could use my watch as a phone if my phone was not with me - now i find ou Three dont offer plans for this watch....have i no choice but to switch provider? If so which providers offer a plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look on youtube for the instructions, but I can confirm you can easily install the ECG and BP (look for the instructions that only use your phone and not need a computer). It's just a download and install two apk's then give the watch permissions. You'll need a BP cuff to calibrate the BP function and it looks to require this every 28 days.
When you sideload ECG/BP app as shown in the YouTube videos, does it create problems when you receive official update?
i dont get it - this watch is advertised as having BP and ECG sensors - yet we have to jump through hoops to get it to work? I just dont get it why are the apps not already installed on the device?
nk33 said:
i dont get it - this watch is advertised as having BP and ECG sensors - yet we have to jump through hoops to get it to work? I just dont get it why are the apps not already installed on the device?
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Click to collapse
According to Samsung it is because they are not allowed yet in certain countries by authorities.
Truth behind this could be that it is not accurate enough though ? Dunno...
It pisses me off when all brands, even cheapest watches get SPO2 and other ECG... Apple got this in no time.
Yet it takes over a year and 2 watch models of advertizing these features and still they arent available for Active 2 and GW3 here in France.
Was lucky to find these apk but still missing SPO2 feature ! I wonder if i could install the right Samsung health to get it to work, thru a VPN for example, but since my GW3 is LTE i dont think i'll be able to do this... i cannot remove the sim card like we do on smartphones. Also maybe it is done through a firmware update, dunno.
So we're let with a O² tracker that is never used for a premium price ?
Then next year they will release a GW4 and advertize a SOP² "that really works" !...
The watch is awesome really, but the brand is ****tiest on the planet, they are crooks.
I didn't have any issues with the update, that I'm aware of.
It seems if you have the LTE version, the update will come through your carrier (so you'll have to activate your watch to get the update). That update contains the SPo2 feature. But you're not missing anything - it's slow and extremely temperamental, so I don't think it can be integrated into a fitness app for anything useful. I don't know if it's just the LTE version with the issues, but right now the SPo2 feature is completely worthless.
You can do the hack to get the ECG and BPM features. Nice to have, but if you're healthy you won't be using them. Also on-demand only, so they're not going to monitor your health 24/7 in the background. I think for BPM that could be automated, and that would be pretty big. ECG requires you "complete the circuit" placing your index finger on one of the buttons, so it will never be able to take automated readings in the background.
kodiak799 said:
I didn't have any issues with the update, that I'm aware of.
It seems if you have the LTE version, the update will come through your carrier (so you'll have to activate your watch to get the update). That update contains the SPo2 feature. But you're not missing anything - it's slow and extremely temperamental, so I don't think it can be integrated into a fitness app for anything useful. I don't know if it's just the LTE version with the issues, but right now the SPo2 feature is completely worthless.
You can do the hack to get the ECG and BPM features. Nice to have, but if you're healthy you won't be using them. Also on-demand only, so they're not going to monitor your health 24/7 in the background. I think for BPM that could be automated, and that would be pretty big. ECG requires you "complete the circuit" placing your index finger on one of the buttons, so it will never be able to take automated readings in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I am in the UK - isnt this one of the countries it is allowed in? Maybe i am missing something...could the app be in the health app on the phone and i have to enable it from there?
nk33 said:
But I am in the UK - isnt this one of the countries it is allowed in? Maybe i am missing something...could the app be in the health app on the phone and i have to enable it from there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are 2 apps required: Samsung Health and a new one, Samsung Health Monitor. The second one also installs on the watch and is what allows BP and ECG.
As noted above the O2 sensor is close to worthless. It reads all over the place. One time my level is 85% (bad enough for serious medical treatment) and 5 minutes later I'm at 97%. When you watch it, you can see your heart rate strong, weak, then ? Then, without moving your arm, you take a BP measurement, and the heart rate is perfectly even and smooth. The systolic (high) numbers seems to be within about 5 points of my cuff, the diastolic (lower) numbers within about 3 points, and the pulse accurate within 1 or 2 bpm of the cuff. Quite good for this device, in my opinion. You need to touch the button to take a ECG and like the BP, looks very stable, although I have no experience knowing what I'm looking at.
PS: my watch is bluetooth only, so the O2 issues are not related to the LTE version
agbva said:
There are 2 apps required: Samsung Health and a new one, Samsung Health Monitor. The second one also installs on the watch and is what allows BP and ECG.
As noted above the O2 sensor is close to worthless. It reads all over the place. One time my level is 85% (bad enough for serious medical treatment) and 5 minutes later I'm at 97%. When you watch it, you can see your heart rate strong, weak, then ? Then, without moving your arm, you take a BP measurement, and the heart rate is perfectly even and smooth. The systolic (high) numbers seems to be within about 5 points of my cuff, the diastolic (lower) numbers within about 3 points, and the pulse accurate within 1 or 2 bpm of the cuff. Quite good for this device, in my opinion. You need to touch the button to take a ECG and like the BP, looks very stable, although I have no experience knowing what I'm looking at.
PS: my watch is bluetooth only, so the O2 issues are not related to the LTE version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you try to take measures with the watch below your wrist instead of above ?
mafy31 said:
Could you try to take measures with the watch below your wrist instead of above ?
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Click to collapse
That's not how it's supposed to work!
I'm hoping it's just a software fix. It's hard to imagine Samsung released this feature given how many people appear to be having issues. Seems like it would be a simpler thing to pull off than ECG or BPM, which appear to work surprisingly well.
kodiak799 said:
That's not how it's supposed to work!
I'm hoping it's just a software fix. It's hard to imagine Samsung released this feature given how many people appear to be having issues. Seems like it would be a simpler thing to pull off than ECG or BPM, which appear to work surprisingly well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read somewhere that it worked better this way for spo2... Dunno
mafy31 said:
I have read somewhere that it worked better this way for spo2... Dunno
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Click to collapse
I saw that, too. But that's not how anyone wants to wear their watch. Gives hope for a software fix, though.
I assume the BPM works very similar, with respect to sensors. So it seems like it should be fixable.
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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