Database Develop

How I managed to reduce lag - for inexperienced users

The S6 is a fast and fluid phone by all means and doesn't lag often -but it does. And until Samsung (under AT&T's crippled control) comes forward with some firmware updates we can expect less than optimal software. These steps seemed to help keep performance smooth and lower the frequency of any stuttering for the time being.
Step 1
Disable Bloat
AT&T Bloat - AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Hot Spots, AT&T Live, AT&T Locker, AT&T Locker, AT&T Mail, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Mobile Transfer. AT&T Navigator, Caller Name ID, Device Help, DriveMode, Milk, Milk Video , Smart Limits (Why is there so much!?!)
Samsung Bloat - S Voice, Keeper, Lookout, Hancom Office 2014,
Other Bloat - OneNote, Skype, Uber, YP, Hangouts, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon
You can disable more or disable less, but honestly the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T.
Once you disable everything restart your phone. It is important to make sure all of the applications are not loaded in the RAM, and a reboot should guarantee this. Of course, if you root you can delete the applications instead of disabling them - it's your call.
Step 2
Disable Sensors You're not Using
NFC
Motion and Gestures - Direct call, Smart alert, Mute, Palm Swipe to capture
Bluetooth
Themes (These may not actually affect performance, only time will tell)
Account Sync
GPS
Wifi - Network notification, Always allow scanning
News Briefing
Step 3
Stay up to date
System updates
Google Play App updates
Galaxy App updates - new users may not know to check this application for system updates
That about does it for now. Time to wait for both ROMs (if the bootloader is ever unlocked) and firmware updates.

Hippoman13 said:
The S6 is a fast and fluid phone by all means and doesn't lag often -but it does. And until Samsung (under AT&T's crippled control) comes forward with some firmware updates we can expect less than optimal software. These steps seemed to help keep performance smooth and lower the frequency of any stuttering for the time being.
Step 1
Disable Bloat
AT&T Bloat - AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Hot Spots, AT&T Live, AT&T Locker, AT&T Locker, AT&T Mail, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Mobile Transfer. AT&T Navigator, Caller Name ID, Device Help, DriveMode, Milk, Milk Video , Smart Limits (Why is there so much!?!)
Samsung Bloat - S Voice, Keeper, Lookout, Hancom Office 2014,
Other Bloat - OneNote, Skype, Uber, YP, Hangouts, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon
You can disable more or disable less, but honestly the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T.
Once you disable everything restart your phone. It is important to make sure all of the applications are not loaded in the RAM, and a reboot should guarantee this. Of course, if you root you can delete the applications instead of disabling them - it's your call.
Step 2
Disable Unnecessary Sensors
NFC
Motion and Gestures - Direct call, Smart alert, Mute, Palm Swipe to capture
Bluetooth
Themes (These may not actually affect performance, only time will tell)
Account Sync
GPS
Wifi - Network notification, Always allow scanning
News Briefing
Step 3
Stay up to date
System updates
Google Play App updates
Galaxy App updates
That about does it for now. Time to wait for both ROMs (if the bootloader is ever unlocked) and firmware updates. Samsung is known for laggy launch software and that is what we're dealing with, folks.
I would appreciate feedback and input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, this is almost laughable. You literally have everything on the device disabled? Turn off WiFi Bluetooth GPS??? Why don't you just run your phone in airplane mode since you're only one step away from it....
Even more laughable that you think its "laggy" and not the fastest phone on the market.....
Even MORE laughable that you're actually waiting for the bootloader to get unlocked.... check with the S5 people who bought their phones a year ago and see how that's going for them...
You should just delete Steps 2 and 3 from your list since step 2 is just rediculous, and step 3 is just common sense.

TechSavvy2 said:
Lol, this is almost laughable. You literally have everything on the device disabled? Turn off WiFi Bluetooth GPS??? Why don't you just run your phone in airplane mode since you're only one step away from it....
Even more laughable that you think its "laggy" and not the fastest phone on the market.....
Even MORE laughable that you're actually waiting for the bootloader to get unlocked.... check with the S5 people who bought their phones a year ago and see how that's going for them...
You should just delete Steps 2 and 3 from your list since step 2 is just rediculous, and step 3 is just common sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming to terms with lag is hard. Especially after you spend your hard earned money on a new Samsung® Phone. EVEN more so for someone who cries under a guide made for inexperienced users. You sound like you know what you're talking about - why are you here?
I don't have everything disabled. I said Disable Unnecessary Sensors(I changed it for you). If any of them are necessary to you, leave them on. Are you still confused?
The phone IS laggy. Every Android phone is to different degrees and your new, shiny Galaxy S6 is no different. ESPECIALLY the AT&T variant. I said the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T, so other versions of the S6 are probably faster and what you read about. Not this one.
The bootloader might be unlocked, or maybe not. Assuming it definitely won't be is laughable.
There's no need to freak out on a guide for inexperienced users. A TON of people bought the S6 and don't know how it works. You certainly do, so don't waste your time.

This is a good guide and starting point, thank you for taking the time to post it here. As always, other users should take all guides as such; a starting point to customize "your" rig for what "you" use. Take what you like and leave the rest aside. :good:

S6 making more problems than S5
My S5 Goes better then the s6 Egde

I opted to get the iPhone 6+ a chance,,and I don't regret it. with the 8.3 update is just buttery smooth, I was going to get the S6, but will all that bloat and no root in the near future the decision was easy. Now just wait for the LG G4 to come out and see what it brings....
The M9 is just out of the equation since I really hated that bezel when I had the M8

eortizr said:
I opted to get the iPhone 6+ a chance,,and I don't regret it. with the 8.3 update is just buttery smooth, I was going to get the S6, but will all that bloat and no root in the near future the decision was easy. Now just wait for the LG G4 to come out and see what it brings....
The M9 is just out of the equation since I really hated that bezel when I had the M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yay for you. Who cares?
Sent from my SM-P900 using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

Well the M9 display and camera are quite poor compared to the S6 and iPhone. It's really unfortunate.
The new iPhone is only 5 months away, so enjoy your phone while it's relevant. I've played around with iOS 8.3 and it really is killer, I just don't like iPhones lol.

Hippoman13 said:
Coming to terms with lag is hard. Especially after you spend your hard earned money on a new Samsung® Phone. EVEN more so for someone who cries under a guide made for inexperienced users. You sound like you know what you're talking about - why are you here?
I don't have everything disabled. I said Disable Unnecessary Sensors(I changed it for you). If any of them are necessary to you, leave them on. Are you still confused?
The phone IS laggy. Every Android phone is to different degrees and your new, shiny Galaxy S6 is no different. ESPECIALLY the AT&T variant. I said the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T, so other versions of the S6 are probably faster and what you read about. Not this one.
The bootloader might be unlocked, or maybe not. Assuming it definitely won't be is laughable.
There's no need to freak out on a guide for inexperienced users. A TON of people bought the S6 and don't know how it works. You certainly do, so don't waste your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're joking, right?
Many bloat apps run in the background and consume CPU and RAM. They don't just sit there dormant in the storage.

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are an idiot.... Because on physical disk drives (HDD's not SSD's) being fuller does mean slower. That is that the drive will take longer to seek data as the way that the disk writes/reads data it would have to move the heads back an forth much further/more often. as I drive gets fuller it also fragments data more often. his is why a SSD is superior at seek times as it does not have to seek data on a physical level, especially as they get closer to full utilization of capacity.
Beyond that, a HDD writes from outside edge of the disk inward. This is because at the same rpm, each revolution that the disk makes it is able to pull more data on the outside of the disk than the inside. Density of data is uniform so it simply passes more data. Think of a car that has a tiny (diameter) tire vs a large one (same car). At the same rpms in a given gear, the large diameter tire will be moving faster. Why? The outside edge has a higher velocity than the inside of the tire as it spins. The further a spinning object reaches from center, the faster it will be spinning at an outside edge vs inner.
I agree this guide is bs...Just as your understanding of computer storage architecture is.

There really isn't much lag. That may be b/c I disabled everything first thing after unboxing, but I disabled b/c I dont want all those apps downloading updates. Not b/c I noticed any lag. Touchwiz is definitely snappier than the GS5.
I'm running my HTC M8 GPE (just wiped it clean). The M8 is a tad bit quicker/responsive, but the S6 is very, very close. M8 GPE is still an awesome phone
The camera and added software features like multi-window, quick camera access, etc. make the S6 slightly better in my opinion (for me at least).
My main concern with the S6, and why I'm considering returning it and waiting for the Note, is the battery life. So far it just hasn't been good. Probably 3.5hrs of screen time. And I can't replace the battery, so after a year the battery life is going to be bad. It does charge fast, but I don't want to have to worry about that.

brushrop03 said:
There really isn't much lag. That may be b/c I disabled everything first thing after unboxing, but I disabled b/c I dont want all those apps downloading updates. Not b/c I noticed any lag. Touchwiz is definitely snappier than the GS5.
I'm running my HTC M8 GPE (just wiped it clean). The M8 is a tad bit quicker/responsive, but the S6 is very, very close. M8 GPE is still an awesome phone
The camera and added software features like multi-window, quick camera access, etc. make the S6 slightly better in my opinion (for me at least).
My main concern with the S6, and why I'm considering returning it and waiting for the Note, is the battery life. So far it just hasn't been good. Probably 3.5hrs of screen time. And I can't replace the battery, so after a year the battery life is going to be bad. It does charge fast, but I don't want to have to worry about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the battery has been a disappointment so far coming from the g3... but I only had the g3 for a month and had a nexus 5 for a year before that so I'm kinda used to it. Still a buzzkill tho

I feel like each and everyone of you shouldn't be surprised by any of this. It happened on S3, S4, S5 and the note devices why would the S6 be any different. Until we start putting our foot down(never going to happen) as consumers it's safe to assume that the S7 won't be any different.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app

LeKtRiCzzz said:
I feel like each and everyone of you shouldn't be surprised by any of this. It happened on S3, S4, S5 and the note devices why would the S6 be any different. Until we start putting our foot down(never going to happen) as consumers it's safe to assume that the S7 won't be any different.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was by no means surprised. I saw the size of the battery before I bought it. I know it's a quality screen that will also impact it. I'm surprised it gets the same kind of battery life as the nexus 5 tbh

This is honestly so dumb. There is no lag...

DigitalUnderground said:
I was by no means surprised. I saw the size of the battery before I bought it. I know it's a quality screen that will also impact it. I'm surprised it gets the same kind of battery life as the nexus 5 tbh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm only disappointed in the fact that we finally get a Samsung battery efficient processor, but then they make the battery smaller than the S5 and seal it. I could see myself keeping this phone for 2 years, but I would need to replace the battery at some point.

brushrop03 said:
I'm only disappointed in the fact that we finally get a Samsung battery efficient processor, but then they make the battery smaller than the S5 and seal it. I could see myself keeping this phone for 2 years, but I would need to replace the battery at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand that... but remember the device's footprint is smaller and more compact than the s5. There's only so much room. Once you've owned a nexus 5, u learn to keep a charger at the office in case of emergency and a car charger in the center console outlet.

DigitalUnderground said:
I can understand that... but remember the device's footprint is smaller and more compact than the s5. There's only so much room. Once you've owned a nexus 5, u learn to keep a charger at the office in case of emergency and a car charger in the center console outlet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have a 2A charger at work and in my car. So i'm usually not far away from a charger. But the more you charge, the faster you wear the battery life. If I could replace the battery, not a big problem. But they sealed it!!! arghh!! wth Samsung?!

brushrop03 said:
Yeah I have a 2A charger at work and in my car. So i'm usually not far away from a charger. But the more you charge, the faster you wear the battery life. If I could replace the battery, not a big problem. But they sealed it!!! arghh!! wth Samsung?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never replaced a battery in any phone I've had and I don't use microsd so I actually like the device being sealed. It adds to the build quality and the sturdiness. You couldn't have the glass back if it was removable

Compared to Samsung Galaxy Note 9, How much will you rate the Oneplus 6T

From 1-10, what you gonna rate the oneplus and the note 9?

7, would be higher if it had a headphone jack, sd card slot and or stereo speakers. The Note 9 has all of those.

PlanoManic said:
From 1-10, what you gonna rate the oneplus and the note 9?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
8 Because of the blazingly fast speed and updates though i like this in display fingerint scanner its fine OOS is like stock android i like stock android samsung experience has slow updates and too many bloatwares no headphone jack is fine for me i dont listen to music so much small notch i like it.

I prefer the 6T so I'll give it an 11. The size and weight of the phone feels better in my hand, I do fewer misclicks with a flat panel compared to infinity display, quick updates and the 6T is faster than the Note 9 at just about everything.
Headphone jack I wish was there but that battery life makes up for it. I'd also like wireless charging but again when I have 40% left at the end of the day, who needs charging.

10, due to the fact that the oneplus 6t's OS is near stock , frequent updates , better hardware and mainly the amazing battery life.

20 , wouldn't touch Samsung with a stick

jim262 said:
7, would be higher if it had a headphone jack, sd card slot and or stereo speakers. The Note 9 has all of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really get people complaining about no SD card slot. Base model has 128GB of storage and you can get 256GB model for a lower price than the Note 9. I mean, there's no way you're going to fill all this space (unless you REALLY want to). Internal storage is also faster.
As for a score- 8. 6T isn't without flaws and compromises, but it's also incredible at what it does, especially if you consider the price.. If I could get Google Play Edition of the Note 9 that would be no brainier.

Ryan Mixed said:
8 Because of the blazingly fast speed and updates though i like this in display fingerint scanner its fine OOS is like stock android i like stock android samsung experience has slow updates and too many bloatwares no headphone jack is fine for me i dont listen to music so much small notch i like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you call bloatware is what I miss on the OnePlus.
Samsung ecosystem is so great, that's what I'm really missing compared to my s9 (don't own note 9).

Lebrun213 said:
What you call bloatware is what I miss on the OnePlus.
Samsung ecosystem is so great, that's what I'm really missing compared to my s9 (don't own note 9).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to admit that between stock android and TouchWiz, I much preferred stock but after testing the One UI, even though it's heavier than stock, I actually like it. At least you don't need so many duplicate apps as Samsung allows you not to install its own app if you prefer to use Google's

Op 6T for "
- price, cca. 1/2 of note 9
- hardware. Allmost the same, with More ram
- software. It's the second phone after Google to get Android updates.

I had the note 8 and love my 6T. I will give it an 8.

The only thing that I wish the 6t had would be stereo speakers.

mjnoles1 said:
The only thing that I wish the 6t had would be stereo speakers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this, absolutely. Watching a video without headsets on the 6T is was makes me miss the Note 9 the most. That sound is horrible.

I'll take the 6T over the Note 9 (I came from a Note 8) any day of the week and twice on Sunday, because:
1. Price
2. Specs
3. Battery life
4. Updates
5. Root
6. No bloat/close to stock Android experience
This is a true flagship phone at midrange price. I thought I'd miss wireless charging, SD card, and headphone jack, but I dont. I'm a fairly heavy user and I'm usually between 40-60% battery left at the end of the day with 6 hours of SOT. When you couple all those things together, the 6T is a slam dunk.

jamaniek said:
I don't really get people complaining about no SD card slot. Base model has 128GB of storage and you can get 256GB model for a lower price than the Note 9. I mean, there's no way you're going to fill all this space (unless you REALLY want to). Internal storage is also faster.
As for a score- 8. 6T isn't without flaws and compromises, but it's also incredible at what it does, especially if you consider the price.. If I could get Google Play Edition of the Note 9 that would be no brainier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously don't travel much. When I travel, much of the time there is little to no internet access. So streaming, downloading and watching movies becomes quite difficult since there's little to no internet access and what there is charges for it or you must share free internet with 1000s of other users, which also opens up all sorts of other problems. Having games, videos and movies pre-downloaded to SD cards, allow me to swap out things quite easily without loading up my phones memory. This also is financially better for me, as I don't need to purchase the more expensive model with more storage and can use that additional money on my trip for other things. Bottom line, it makes life easier.

jim262 said:
You obviously don't travel much. When I travel, much of the time there is little to no internet access. So streaming, downloading and watching movies becomes quite difficult since there's little to no internet access and what there is charges for it or you must share free internet with 1000s of other users, which also opens up all sorts of other problems. Having games, videos and movies pre-downloaded to SD cards, allow me to swap out things quite easily without loading up my phones memory. This also is financially better for me, as I don't need to purchase the more expensive model with more storage and can use that additional money on my trip for other things. Bottom line, it makes life easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Memory card does have advantages, I like the Note 9's hybrid SIM setup (two SIMs or one SIM and one memory card). I personally have a hard time using even a quarter of the 128gb I have on the 6T. Went to Vegas recently, I think I put 8 movies on the phone to have plenty of entertainment and I'm not even sure that used more than 15% of the storage.

jim262 said:
You obviously don't travel much. When I travel, much of the time there is little to no internet access. So streaming, downloading and watching movies becomes quite difficult since there's little to no internet access and what there is charges for it or you must share free internet with 1000s of other users, which also opens up all sorts of other problems. Having games, videos and movies pre-downloaded to SD cards, allow me to swap out things quite easily without loading up my phones memory. This also is financially better for me, as I don't need to purchase the more expensive model with more storage and can use that additional money on my trip for other things. Bottom line, it makes life easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice assumption first of all.
I travel to places where I'll be able to have a decent internet access or to places where I don't need it that much. And even if I did...256GB of movies and games? What are you watching and where? If I'm planning to watch a movie on a trip I'm going to bring my laptop with me and not watch it on 6-ish inch screen.
MicroSD Cards (apart from the most expensive ones) also are almost certain to give user a headache while recording [email protected] video...on a trip for example.
I'm not trying to offend you or assume you don't need. Just saying that the need to have more than 256GB of storage on a mobile phone is a niche at best. To the point where OEMs don't even bother. They can spend their time, effort and space for something different, not a feature that is not going to drive the sales one bit.

I don't go for the flashy/trendy things. For the past 4 years, I've been quite happy with the Huawei phones,
after the problems I had with the OnePlus One. Now that the Huawei phones won't really have any love for
the USA market (understandable), gave the OP phone another look. One of my coworkers bought the 6 and
has had zero trouble, so I got the 6T about 3 weeks ago. They have obviously improved. Build quality, finish
is better than the OnePlus One. Receiving the updates in a timely manner is another thing.
Camera for my use is good enough. If I want a quality photo, I'll just use my real camera. But, the camera is
adequate for snapshots, and good lighting photos. I use 3 camera apps. Open camera if I'm in a hurry, Camera FV-5
if I want to really get a good photo, and the pixel 3 camera app that works for the OP6T in low light.
I just don't see the justification for spending 800-1000 dollars for a phone, that for most, will keep maybe 24-36 months.
But, it's a free thing...buy what you want.

jamaniek said:
Nice assumption first of all.
I travel to places where I'll be able to have a decent internet access or to places where I don't need it that much. And even if I did...256GB of movies and games? What are you watching and where? If I'm planning to watch a movie on a trip I'm going to bring my laptop with me and not watch it on 6-ish inch screen.
MicroSD Cards (apart from the most expensive ones) also are almost certain to give user a headache while recording [email protected] video...on a trip for example.
I'm not trying to offend you or assume you don't need. Just saying that the need to have more than 256GB of storage on a mobile phone is a niche at best. To the point where OEMs don't even bother. They can spend their time, effort and space for something different, not a feature that is not going to drive the sales one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you travel for work, you do not have the luxury to determine your internet capabilities. Also, when you are flying or in the airport, you may not have access for as much as a full day.

I have both and swap back and forth. I am leaning more to the 6t due to form factor, battery and speed.
Note 9 for sound, memory card support and camera.
One plus gets a 9 and note 9 a 8 or 8.5 if half scores are acceptable.

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.
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...
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

General Offloaded my S21 U.

Gonna miss the camera though, but sadly that's pretty much it for a $1300 device. Most of my frustration lately regarding this phone is about an excessive amount of advertising on part of Samsung.
I was getting constantly interrupted with adds prompting me to do this or that or, to consider some of their(Samsung) ideas with apps that would “enhance my Samsung experience” etc...etc... I mean, what is this? They don't own my phone, I paid for it so why do they think they're entitled to push all that crap on me over and over again? They're using all kind of tricks like a mandatory permission requests and if they don't get it then they would cripple your device like a smartwatch for example, depriving you of the watch ability to function normally.
That's OK, the lesson learned – I'm going to use my active watch 2 at the minimal capacity now, w/o the Health app - what's left on the watch is good enough for me, I'm still able to monitor my heartbeat rate to know if I can push myself harder while biking or 'power' walking.
Anyway, right now I'm flagships free! Yay! I'm left with my Pixel 4a5G which I'm liking a lot but I'll be looking for some other high end, quality phone. Galaxy S21 U is a superior device right now no doubts about it, though it has some issues: battery life and a lack of sufficient heat dissipation – those are the two top negative ones imo. Will see, but right now my hope goes to 2022 with better than 888SOC.
Experia 1 III/5 III at first looked promising then the pic samples came in and killed it for me, same SOC and it runs hot as well, supposedly.
Too bad that Sony, a camera powerhouse makes so disappointing phone cameras, it's a shame. I'll tell everyone who feels offended by my above opinion: go take a good look at the low-light pictures.
ps.Got a really good money for my 16/512GB S21 U that puts me way ahead of the usual Samsung trade-in quotas, apparently it's a hot item right now, considered to be a “rare find”.

mzsquared said:
Gonna miss the camera though, but sadly that's pretty much it for a $1300 device. Most of my frustration lately regarding this phone is about an excessive amount of advertising on part of Samsung.
I was getting constantly interrupted with adds prompting me to do this or that or, to consider some of their(Samsung) ideas with apps that would “enhance my Samsung experience” etc...etc... I mean, what is this? They don't own my phone, I paid for it so why do they think they're entitled to push all that crap on me over and over again? They're using all kind of tricks like a mandatory permission requests and if they don't get it then they would cripple your device like a smartwatch for example, depriving you of the watch ability to function normally.
That's OK, the lesson learned – I'm going to use my active watch 2 at the minimal capacity now, w/o the Health app - what's left on the watch is good enough for me, I'm still able to monitor my heartbeat rate to know if I can push myself harder while biking or 'power' walking.
Anyway, right now I'm flagships free! Yay! I'm left with my Pixel 4a5G which I'm liking a lot but I'll be looking for some other high end, quality phone. Galaxy S21 U is a superior device right now no doubts about it, though it has some issues: battery life and a lack of sufficient heat dissipation – those are the two top negative ones imo. Will see, but right now my hope goes to 2022 with better than 888SOC.
Experia 1 III/5 III at first looked promising then the pic samples came in and killed it for me, same SOC and it runs hot as well, supposedly.
Too bad that Sony, a camera powerhouse makes so disappointing phone cameras, it's a shame. I'll tell everyone who feels offended by my above opinion: go take a good look at the low-light pictures.
ps.Got a really good money for my 16/512GB S21 U that puts me way ahead of the usual Samsung trade-in quotas, apparently it's a hot item right now, considered to be a “rare find”.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish you all the best buddy. Hope you find a device you like. The Pixels are just around the corner so they may be worth waiting for. Every other flagship is running on the same nuclear reactor.

You just have to know what options to select in order to avoid any advertising.
I have a US unlocked-from-samsung S21U and I don't see any ads because I when setting up the device and when going to samsung.com (my account page), I made sure to turn off all ads and marketing. Plus, I went to their CCPA page to turn everything off as well.

mzsquared said:
Gonna miss the camera though, but sadly that's pretty much it for a $1300 device. Most of my frustration lately regarding this phone is about an excessive amount of advertising on part of Samsung.
I was getting constantly interrupted with adds prompting me to do this or that or, to consider some of their(Samsung) ideas with apps that would “enhance my Samsung experience” etc...etc... I mean, what is this? They don't own my phone, I paid for it so why do they think they're entitled to push all that crap on me over and over again? They're using all kind of tricks like a mandatory permission requests and if they don't get it then they would cripple your device like a smartwatch for example, depriving you of the watch ability to function normally.
That's OK, the lesson learned – I'm going to use my active watch 2 at the minimal capacity now, w/o the Health app - what's left on the watch is good enough for me, I'm still able to monitor my heartbeat rate to know if I can push myself harder while biking or 'power' walking.
Anyway, right now I'm flagships free! Yay! I'm left with my Pixel 4a5G which I'm liking a lot but I'll be looking for some other high end, quality phone. Galaxy S21 U is a superior device right now no doubts about it, though it has some issues: battery life and a lack of sufficient heat dissipation – those are the two top negative ones imo. Will see, but right now my hope goes to 2022 with better than 888SOC.
Experia 1 III/5 III at first looked promising then the pic samples came in and killed it for me, same SOC and it runs hot as well, supposedly.
Too bad that Sony, a camera powerhouse makes so disappointing phone cameras, it's a shame. I'll tell everyone who feels offended by my above opinion: go take a good look at the low-light pictures.
ps.Got a really good money for my 16/512GB S21 U that puts me way ahead of the usual Samsung trade-in quotas, apparently it's a hot item right now, considered to be a “rare find”.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I could disagree with you on more points, but for the most part you nailed it.
Not getting any kind of ads here, cleaned most of the garbage with adb, fiddled with power saving and the likes until I'm at a point where I can live with this phone long term.
It all depends on your use case...so far it fits mine,but that doesn't mean it doesn't drive me insane for not being able to get my trusty email client check my work mail every 30 min during day. It does it at 31, 45, 56.....anyone's guess between 30-59 min. That's with an app excempt from battery management, no power saving, etc.
So yea...far from perfect for 1200$....fortunately I paid a lot less so that lessens the pain.

enigmaamit said:
Wish you all the best buddy. Hope you find a device you like. The Pixels are just around the corner so they may be worth waiting for. Every other flagship is running on the same nuclear reactor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I am fine w/ 4a5G, was using it more then S21U as a phone, but for pics & vids there is no comparison between these two with the range of things cameras could do. Will see what kind of a promise they'll paint for us in a bright colors before new models release and how it's going to look like in the real life.

nixnixnixnix4 said:
You just have to know what options to select in order to avoid any advertising.
I have a US unlocked-from-samsung S21U and I don't see any ads because I when setting up the device and when going to samsung.com (my account page), I made sure to turn off all ads and marketing. Plus, I went to their CCPA page to turn everything off as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ipse_Tase said:
I wish I could disagree with you on more points, but for the most part you nailed it.
Not getting any kind of ads here, cleaned most of the garbage with adb, fiddled with power saving and the likes until I'm at a point where I can live with this phone long term.
It all depends on your use case...so far it fits mine,but that doesn't mean it doesn't drive me insane for not being able to get my trusty email client check my work mail every 30 min during day. It does it at 31, 45, 56.....anyone's guess between 30-59 min. That's with an app excempt from battery management, no power saving, etc.
So yea...far from perfect for 1200$....fortunately I paid a lot less so that lessens the pain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was blocking some of that but they(Samsung,Google) have their sleeves full of tricks anyway. If I didn't have the watch I would probably never go to Samsung store. With the watch and their sh**load of widgets and apps they get you to visit that store anyways like 'a must go to the XIX Century company store'.

Samsung has really taken a dumpster dive this year, obviously following Android Android 11's lead in a full afterburner high G flat spin, crush depth crash dive down the perverbial toilet.

mzsquared said:
Gonna miss the camera though, but sadly that's pretty much it for a $1300 device. Most of my frustration lately regarding this phone is about an excessive amount of advertising on part of Samsung.
I was getting constantly interrupted with adds prompting me to do this or that or, to consider some of their(Samsung) ideas with apps that would “enhance my Samsung experience” etc...etc... I mean, what is this? They don't own my phone, I paid for it so why do they think they're entitled to push all that crap on me over and over again? They're using all kind of tricks like a mandatory permission requests and if they don't get it then they would cripple your device like a smartwatch for example, depriving you of the watch ability to function normally.
That's OK, the lesson learned – I'm going to use my active watch 2 at the minimal capacity now, w/o the Health app - what's left on the watch is good enough for me, I'm still able to monitor my heartbeat rate to know if I can push myself harder while biking or 'power' walking.
Anyway, right now I'm flagships free! Yay! I'm left with my Pixel 4a5G which I'm liking a lot but I'll be looking for some other high end, quality phone. Galaxy S21 U is a superior device right now no doubts about it, though it has some issues: battery life and a lack of sufficient heat dissipation – those are the two top negative ones imo. Will see, but right now my hope goes to 2022 with better than 888SOC.
Experia 1 III/5 III at first looked promising then the pic samples came in and killed it for me, same SOC and it runs hot as well, supposedly.
Too bad that Sony, a camera powerhouse makes so disappointing phone cameras, it's a shame. I'll tell everyone who feels offended by my above opinion: go take a good look at the low-light pictures.
ps.Got a really good money for my 16/512GB S21 U that puts me way ahead of the usual Samsung trade-in quotas, apparently it's a hot item right now, considered to be a “rare find”.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you first the get phone you can opt out of all advertising from Samsung / Google. You can also go to the settings and stop the advertising as well if you didn't opt out.
I also have 0 ads on my S21 ultra 512gb

blackhawk said:
Samsung has really taken a dumpster dive this year, obviously following Android Android 11's lead in a full afterburner high G flat spin, crush depth crash dive down the perverbial toilet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, each generation of 'flagships' brings new wave of marketing hype stirred up by manufacturers being quick to avertise upcoming developments in technology. No doubt a progress is happening, but the end products based on those new advances don't always deliver the goods as promised: “oh yes, this year we'll put a fantastic SoC into your phone, 5nm node – lightning fast and able to run at 20% less power then the previous one” --- wait a minute, that's great but you said exactly same words about 7nm and 10nm before that. So, comparing the power usage demands, S21 should be using only about 40% of the required CPU power needed to run Galaxy 8? Why are the batteries bigger now but lasting less and why can't you get a better control of devices heat?

chungdae said:
When you first the get phone you can opt out of all advertising from Samsung / Google. You can also go to the settings and stop the advertising as well if you didn't opt out.
I also have 0 ads on my S21 ultra 512gb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How often do you go to the Galaxy Store?

mzsquared said:
How often do you go to the Galaxy Store?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every morning to update apps. I don't have any ads beyond that. Same as the Google play store

mzsquared said:
Yup, each generation of 'flagships' brings new wave of marketing hype stirred up by manufacturers being quick to avertise upcoming developments in technology. No doubt a progress is happening, but the end products based on those new advances don't always deliver the goods as promised: “oh yes, this year we'll put a fantastic SoC into your phone, 5nm node – lightning fast and able to run at 20% less power then the previous one” --- wait a minute, that's great but you said exactly same words about 7nm and 10nm before that. So, comparing the power usage demands, S21 should be using only about 40% of the required CPU power needed to run Galaxy 8? Why are the batteries bigger now but lasting less and why can't you get a better control of devices heat?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's faster memory and CPU but it's weighted down by the useless scoped storage and a more bloated OS. The MS/Intel paradox
My Note 10+ running on Pie get about 8%@hr battery usage on it's 4300mAh battery when browsing, 10% streaming vids.
No scoped storage so even with it's slower hardware... how much slower is it? It probably uses less battery as well. In actual use the 10+ doesn't lag and runs fast without getting hot unless it's a really CPU intensive task.
It's 96F out and I'm in the shade with a fan; my battery temperature is 95F. It's at least 92F where I'm sitting.
I can't afford the liability of a hot running device throttling back because it's system is a hog running needless CPU cycles to emulate Apple's lame scope storage ideas.
Gookill Android, the new green Apple

mzsquared said:
How often do you go to the Galaxy Store?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do it once every month or two. I'd never do it if the Galaxy apks didn't "time out". Sometimes Samsung screws them up with their lame graphics. Idiots.

mzsquared said:
How often do you go to the Galaxy Store?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the shortcut to update your apps. Don't go to the main store.

never had a heating issue with mine and battery alot better than rivals as i have oneplus 9 pro and that what you call heating issues the phone disables itself till it cools down, for me best phone out there is s21u although i have 512gb 16gb version

mzsquared said:
Gonna miss the camera though, but sadly that's pretty much it for a $1300 device. Most of my frustration lately regarding this phone is about an excessive amount of advertising on part of Samsung.
I was getting constantly interrupted with adds prompting me to do this or that or, to consider some of their(Samsung) ideas with apps that would “enhance my Samsung experience” etc...etc... I mean, what is this? They don't own my phone, I paid for it so why do they think they're entitled to push all that crap on me over and over again? They're using all kind of tricks like a mandatory permission requests and if they don't get it then they would cripple your device like a smartwatch for example, depriving you of the watch ability to function normally.
That's OK, the lesson learned – I'm going to use my active watch 2 at the minimal capacity now, w/o the Health app - what's left on the watch is good enough for me, I'm still able to monitor my heartbeat rate to know if I can push myself harder while biking or 'power' walking.
Anyway, right now I'm flagships free! Yay! I'm left with my Pixel 4a5G which I'm liking a lot but I'll be looking for some other high end, quality phone. Galaxy S21 U is a superior device right now no doubts about it, though it has some issues: battery life and a lack of sufficient heat dissipation – those are the two top negative ones imo. Will see, but right now my hope goes to 2022 with better than 888SOC.
Experia 1 III/5 III at first looked promising then the pic samples came in and killed it for me, same SOC and it runs hot as well, supposedly.
Too bad that Sony, a camera powerhouse makes so disappointing phone cameras, it's a shame. I'll tell everyone who feels offended by my above opinion: go take a good look at the low-light pictures.
ps.Got a really good money for my 16/512GB S21 U that puts me way ahead of the usual Samsung trade-in quotas, apparently it's a hot item right now, considered to be a “rare find”.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your Pixel 4a can also easily install CalyxOS, which you might like if you value privacy and never want to see an ad again

Thank you all for kind words, I owe you an update on this subject: I've re-loaded!!! I'm back with a new s21U, I really need the camera on me, I spend a lot of time outdoors observing Nature(the only and truly positive result of covid) and there is no substitute for this phone camera ois zoom, I have decent 'regular' camera but can't use it for calling/texting/music etc... this phone pretty much does it all.
I'm trying to get rid of the bloat annoyance , didn't even sign-up to my Samsung account on this phone, though I've been using Buds pro and watch active 2 - everything works(w/ limitations - that's ok) I'll check for updates once a month maybe and that's all. I de-bloated most of Samsung related apps, no need to be spreading all the permissions more then once after Google already has it.
So, my current Samsung status reads: Underground

Google phones don't even support native dual / parallel apps. Rubbish.

General s21 Ultra G998U1 Opinions - Android 11 vs. 12

Opinions are like a-holes, so I thought I'd stay in character & post mine.
This is my first Samsung. Until now, 9 of 10 phones I've owned have been Moto - I used to work for the company and got stuck on them (even when they went to Google then Lenovo). All phones have been rooted since 2010 when I got my first Droid Razr. It's been about 6 years since I've been cutting edge - my last phone was so incredibly reliable I got stuck on it. I've never owned an iPhone & never will. This past December my house decided to overhaul our devices, so I got the s21 Ultra for ~850 USD after discounts. I've been on Verizon since 1999.
My primary uses for owning a mobile device are directly related to the Windows & Linux experiences I have in my life. I want something with maximum horsepower, something I can lock down the best I can, tweak, web/text/data etc., a cutting edge camera, quick & easy 24/7 webdav, and seamless connection/configurability to my NAS. I don't play games (yet) and don't use any social media apps. My machines have to do exactly what I say, quickly, and look good doing it.
There are plenty of people here who could flesh out the technical better than I, but the reason I wanted to share my thoughts here is because I absolutely love this phone & cannot stop talking about it. I love the feel of it, the weight, the screen, the speed & the camera. When I take the few extra seconds to frame & configure a shot, the photos/videos dust the iPhones everyone else uses in my house. One of the things I don't hear many talk about with this phone is how it feels in your hand & on your face when you're actually on a call. Never have I held such a quality device - it's less like a slab and more like a monolith. Anyone who has spent that extra money on say, a car, can attest to this. I really believe I got what I paid for and that's such a terrific feeling I seldom feel anymore.
So when I got the phone I flashed it out of the box to A12 XAA 4BUKF before I even simmed it. Because root was not available, I used ADB AppControl (phenomenal software) to tweak & script the changes I made. I am one of the lucky ones who was able to run 12 with minimal issues. After reading some of the thoughts on 12, I flashed back to A11 XAA 4AUJ7 to test it. Here are my general thoughts on Android 11 vs 12.
Quick notes: I do not use Bixby, I kept only the Samsung apps I ended up liking such as Gallery, Camera, Calculator, Keyboard & Voicemail. I ditched all the rest. I use Signal for texting, Edge for browsing and a few older misc. apps/widgets for everyday stuff.
FunctionEdgeCommentsData SpeedsTie80-150mbps 5G in the NW suburbs of ChicagoCall QualityTieBloatTieBoth are loaded with garbage. If for whatever reason I was restricted in my abilities to adb into this phone, I would not own it.Camera12• The stock camera app produces superior pictures on 12 imho, but both require manual iris intervention before every shot.
• If memory serves me right, the stabilizer "click" when you tilt the phone is not present like it is on 11. Can someone on 12 confirm this?Processing Speeds1111 is smoother and slightly faster.OneUI12• Real close but 12 edges out 11 because of the 85% charge option & ability to add an image to the peek/always on screen.
• Again I am one of the lucky ones as both were equally stable
*** As a new Samsung user, I'm floored by the customizability of OneUI and I love it. I could write pages about the changes I made in here. Bravo Samsung.Battery11Distant first place. The battery on 11 feels nearly twice as good. I get just at/under two days on a 100% charge with moderate use.Overall Personal Preference12But I am staying on 11 for now because of the battery, unfortunately. There is just no comparison.
*** Flashing this phone has been a seamlesss experience and not once has it *****ed at me about a single thing.
After weeks of research, attached are the apps I've frozen which produce no drain. I went much further than this, but reverted back to this in the end due to some perceived drain. Here are some pictures & a video I've taken with the stock app just for giggles - view settings can be changed to thumbnails using the icon on the top right of the page. These are untouched outside of the phone.
Outstanding phone, best I've ever owned, and I'm going to keep it for years. I would love to hear some counterpoints on what I've listed here.

Hi, thanks for the detailed review. Is that Exynos or Snapdragon?

ssj100 said:
Hi, thanks for the detailed review. Is that Exynos or Snapdragon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally. Snapdragon.

@burnxtc the one counterpoint that helps null Android is Samsung's going chintzy and removing the SD card slot. That combined with the new Google Android OS's new forced encryption and scoped storage the S21U is more Apple than Android.
Samsung hasn't been firing on all cylinders for way over a year. The N10+ was the last homerun flagship release Samsung made... in my opinion.
​

burnxtc said:
Totally. Snapdragon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting that you also notice the "processing speeds" to be a bit slower with 12. I definitely noticed it with the Exynos here (have owned it since pretty much release). Since 12, I've also observed issues with:
Picture in Picture, Split Screen etc - Refresh Rate drops to 60Hz (EXYNOS)
Hi there, I'd not noticed this before the Android 12 update, but refresh rate appears to drop from 120Hz to 60Hz when using Picture in Picture or Split Screen views. Can anyone else reproduce this please? You can confirm this by going into...
forum.xda-developers.com
And certainly animation "jitteriness" not infrequently has suddenly become noticeable where it didn't really exist on 11.

ssj100 said:
Interesting that you also notice the "processing speeds" to be a bit slower with 12. I definitely noticed it with the Exynos here (have owned it since pretty much release). Since 12, I've also observed issues with:
Picture in Picture, Split Screen etc - Refresh Rate drops to 60Hz (EXYNOS)
Hi there, I'd not noticed this before the Android 12 update, but refresh rate appears to drop from 120Hz to 60Hz when using Picture in Picture or Split Screen views. Can anyone else reproduce this please? You can confirm this by going into...
forum.xda-developers.com
And certainly animation "jitteriness" not infrequently has suddenly become noticeable where it didn't really exist on 11.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The refresh rate stuff is definitely something missing from my review. I am all eyes when I've read about it on this forum and learning much more about it.

ssj100 said:
Interesting that you also notice the "processing speeds" to be a bit slower with 12. I definitely noticed it with the Exynos here (have owned it since pretty much release). Since 12, I've also observed issues with:
Picture in Picture, Split Screen etc - Refresh Rate drops to 60Hz (EXYNOS)
Hi there, I'd not noticed this before the Android 12 update, but refresh rate appears to drop from 120Hz to 60Hz when using Picture in Picture or Split Screen views. Can anyone else reproduce this please? You can confirm this by going into...
forum.xda-developers.com
And certainly animation "jitteriness" not infrequently has suddenly become noticeable where it didn't really exist on 11.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The forced encryption maybe but certainly the scoped storage is sucking away cpu cycles for nothing. It's like air drag on a jet fighter, you can jam in bigger engines but the drag is still there slowing it down and burning more fuel.
For what? I like my Androids fast and loose.

burnxtc said:
The refresh rate stuff is definitely something missing from my review. I am all eyes when I've read about it on this forum and learning much more about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a big problem on all variable rate displays. All suffer from reduced color rendering to a greater or lesser degree.
Display reliability has also dropped it seems. That's a big reason I decided on buying a second N10+, probably the best display out there for color rendering, still. It slaughters the Apples too.
Still waiting for the newest model reviews but don't expect the color rendering index to increase much or at all; variable refresh rate displays are extremely hard to color calibrate, just too many variables. They are smooth but eat power. My SOT is 7-12%@hr with a 4300 mAh battery using 35-50% manual brightness. Ram usage almost never exceeds 5.3gb so it's snappy. The memory is roughly 20% less efficient than what you have.
So where's all the battery going on the newer models?
So pick your poison. For me it was choosing a phone over 2 years after it was first released. I have 2 N10+'s, the oldest will be 2.5 yo in March.
A Snapdragon variant 512/12gb running on Pie.
Current load will be 2 yo in June, still fast and stable, security isn't an issue. Only repair was a battery replacement back in April 2021. It looks and runs like new, zero detectable display degradation in this heavily used device. It's a beast. The reliability, display quality, battery life (trade offs: no 5G, variable refresh rate, and slower cpu/memory), form factor (7mm thick), SD card slot, the device is just stunning, and fun to use are some of the factors that made me go with a second one. I have twins...

blackhawk said:
It's a big problem on all variable rate displays. All suffer from reduced color rendering to a greater or lesser degree.
Display reliability has also dropped it seems. That's a big reason I decided on buying a second N10+, probably the best display out there for color rendering, still. It slaughters the Apples too.
Still waiting for the newest model reviews but don't expect the color rendering index to increase much or at all; variable refresh rate displays are extremely hard to color calibrate, just too many variables. They are smooth but eat power. My SOT is 7-12%@hr with a 4300 mAh battery using 35-50% manual brightness. Ram usage almost never exceeds 5.3gb so it's snappy. The memory is roughly 20% less efficient than what you have.
So where's all the battery going on the newer models?
So pick your poison. For me it was choosing a phone over 2 years after it was first released. I have 2 N10+'s, the oldest will be 2.5 yo in March.
A Snapdragon variant 512/12gb running on Pie.
Current load will be 2 yo in June, still fast and stable, security isn't an issue. Only repair was a battery replacement back in April 2021. It looks and runs like new, zero detectable display degradation in this heavily used device. It's a beast. The reliability, display quality, battery life (trade offs: no 5G, variable refresh rate, and slower cpu/memory), form factor (7mm thick), SD card slot, the device is just stunning, and fun to use are some of the factors that made me go with a second one. I have twins...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is absolutely incredible, I had no idea the N10+ was that right on the money - "Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect." No wonder they're still fetching that price.
Curious, did you do the battery replacement yourself & was there any degradation to the "structure" after you got it done? I've done batteries on a dozen phones/tablets, but taking my Samsung apart looks really daunting.

burnxtc said:
That is absolutely incredible, I had no idea the N10+ was that right on the money - "Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect." No wonder they're still fetching that price.
Curious, did you do the battery replacement yourself & was there any degradation to the "structure" after you got it done? I've done batteries on a dozen phones/tablets, but taking my Samsung apart looks really daunting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like it's square display corners, only the N20U has those too but that damn cam hump. In person the square corners look so much better.
Being raised on CRTs, I'm sick of rounded corners
The Zizo Bolt case mates perfectly with the 10+ making it easier to use and has great drop protection... so I knew casing the second one be easy. These corner hitters need a case. The spen's Smart Capture and bt shutter release are hard to live without once you use them. Deciding took some time.
It was between the N10+ and the N20U as the SD card slot is mandatory for me. In the end the trouble free and snappy fun nature of the 10+ won out. Never thought I would have done that in 2019, thought for sure I be wanting the next Samsung flagship in 2022. Ummm, thanks Samsung?
Had a shop do the replacement as I was intimidated too. I watched and learned. Use a little anhydrous isopropyl in a syringe to help loosen the double sided tape on the rear cover (and heat) and battery. Not bad if you take your time and have the right tools... easy does it, no rush.
Get the OEM rear cover seal or a good aftermarket one. Lol, never test if it's water tight even with the factory done one.
In the end I realized I could do a better job myself, but that in person demo really helped a lot. And yeah, I was a menace, asking questions... got my money's worth