Related
From what I've seen there is not a lot more that the Ifoon can offer over what the BA has.
I like the look of the ifoon, but other than edge what else does it offer?
A bigger hole in the bank account.
Agreed.
Apple, welcome to 2004.
Heh, they've just announced that it won't be able to run third-party apps unless they are certified by Apple.
no ways yoz
fraser said:
Heh, they've just announced that it won't be able to run third-party apps unless they are certified by Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha bros that's an apple patent.. we all know this!! software support always been an apple downfall. Not only that but no physical buttons?!? What happens when the 'super apple' touchscreen goes out? ouch! You got that bar of soap it so much resembles!
I dig my BA, but it's too big and bulky, get a hermes for that price! Apple and Jobs built a POS. They're just jealous that M$ is getting so much recognition with new smartphones. Last year at this time it seemed half the world didn't even know what a smartphone was.. until the release of these smartphones like the Q/blackjack, every lil 16yr old cries to their parents for one. What a crock! My opinion.
Apple needs to stick to software, the Intel macs are tearing up the G5's all around.
I have watched the introduction of the iPhone over the net.
This is the best device of this class!! It is lightning fast, it is operated with fingers only (no stylus!!!!!) it is a unique Softwae/hardware simbiot!!! After all how many IPods have crashed or needed soft reset, hard reset and so on? If Apple release this wonderfull device I'll get myself one for sure!
This is personal opinion!
OrionBG, I'm not convinced. I know at least three iPod users that have had serious problems. Dodgy batteries, music db corruption (complete loss) and other issues with iTunes have left me quite unimpressed. The mere fact that they force you to use iTunes bites the big one. My friend had to reset his whole library after his PC hard drive crashed. Well, he would have if it hadn't been for the "illegal" utilities I helped him use to recover most of it.
Apples "Just Works" thing is largely a marketing myth. Pop over to any unofficial apple forum to see the real issues that their hardware has. You can't discuss these things on their official forums; if you raise a bug that they can't be bothered fixing, they'll just delete the thread everytime you raise it. Check the discussion in that link; they have a long history of this.
They also sue websites and threaten them if they say anything bad about apple. If this forum was larger they would be complaining about my current post. Paul over at Modaco had to remove a Today screen for Windows Mobile that looked a little like the apple one announced. If you announce any Apple "secrets", they will threaten to sue you even though you have never signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement. They have bigger lawyers than you and more money to spend so people rarely fight back.
Apple suck. This is not the right way to run a company IMHO. They are a bad company guilty of anti-competitive practices and this has been consistent over the past five years. Their recent hardware has been very anti-consumer and of poor quality. The only reason they get away with it is because their main competitor has a worse track record in these regards and that they have a fantastic marketing department.
Have u heard about piratebay activity called http://buysealand.com/ they've just decided to buy small "island" - no lawyers problem anymore.
... and one of the greatest tactic is "how something is amazing" post by "ordinary people" together with deleting "the wrong one".
I read jobs' debut of the ifoon. There's some neat ideas there. I like the large screen. This is also the reason I've kept a BA. I also like the idea of the device sensing the orientation of the device and changing the screen orientation. I don't possibly see how the keyboard is going to work, especially if one's fingers are large.
I love the slide out keyboards by HTC. The keys stick out enough to feel.
Concerning the OS, I used to hate MS OSs. Win98was aweful. However I've been using XP Pro on an HP laptop for almost 2 yrs with very little problems.
I also use an HTC Wizard with Gamescans Mr. Clean AKU2.3 is completely stable. It is the most reliable phone/pda I've ever used and I've had a Treo. The Wizard needs a larger processor and UMTS/HDSPA - hence the Hermes.
I haven't bought the hermes yet because I keep hoping to see HTC give us a large screen, processor, and 3G. I'm getting older and like the big screen.
The perfect phone would have the Dash's rubbery non-slip outer surface with a 3.5" hires screen, at least a 400 processor, a slide out keyboard, AM/FM radio, SD card slot and maybe a HD, UMTS/HDSPA, quad band, headset jack, BT 2.0, add GPS and WiFi. The device has to go at least a day with heavy UMTS surfing.
I may settle for a Hermes (TyTN or xv6800) if AKU3.** is available. I want to tether my phone & Laptop at 3G once in a while
rambo6 said:
I read jobs' debut of the ifoon. There's some neat ideas there. I like the large screen. This is also the reason I've kept a BA. I also like the idea of the device sensing the orientation of the device and changing the screen orientation. I don't possibly see how the keyboard is going to work, especially if one's fingers are large.
I love the slide out keyboards by HTC. The keys stick out enough to feel.
Concerning the OS, I used to hate MS OSs. Win98was aweful. However I've been using XP Pro on an HP laptop for almost 2 yrs with very little problems.
I also use an HTC Wizard with Gamescans Mr. Clean AKU2.3 is completely stable. It is the most reliable phone/pda I've ever used and I've had a Treo. The Wizard needs a larger processor and UMTS/HDSPA - hence the Hermes.
I haven't bought the hermes yet because I keep hoping to see HTC give us a large screen, processor, and 3G. I'm getting older and like the big screen.
The perfect phone would have the Dash's rubbery non-slip outer surface with a 3.5" hires screen, at least a 400 processor, a slide out keyboard, AM/FM radio, SD card slot and maybe a HD, UMTS/HDSPA, quad band, headset jack, BT 2.0, add GPS and WiFi. The device has to go at least a day with heavy UMTS surfing.
I may settle for a Hermes (TyTN or xv6800) if AKU3.** is available. I want to tether my phone & Laptop at 3G once in a while
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody will build a perfect phone : )
!! M$ !!
Sure everyone hates M$ but what are the most widely used OS variants in the world.. Without a doubt...Windows products! Eat that Apple/Linux/whatever users
Plus like I stated, the need for physical buttons are a must, no? That must be one super touchscreen on the apple it will be the one way to navigate? Not even a scroll wheel like relatively cheap smartphones? OUCH! hope you have absolutely clean fingers no matter what that screen will be soo smudged up with nastiness!
Apple jealous of M$ tearing up the mobile market, can't stand it! hahaha I love it!! They're hardware is behind, only thing they've got going for them is the camera.
Apple ish*t specs
Technical Specifications
Screen size 3.5 inches
Screen resolution 320 by 480 at 160 ppi
Input method Multi-touch
Operating system OS X
Storage 4GB or 8GB
GSM Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
Wireless data Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0
Camera 2.0 megapixels
Battery Up to 5 hours Talk / Video / Browsing
Up to 16 hours Audio playback
Dimensions 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm
Weight 4.8 ounces / 135 grams
I have never had apple stuff, but I watch apple closely. And I must admit, they build good stuff.
It's easier to shrug off the iPhone, especially if you don't have the money to buy it
cutting through the grituitous bashing, as well as the hype, I have seen good and bad things.
GOOD:
No doubt it has a hardware platform powerful enough to perform at least as good as our BAs, and probably better. Yeah, it could have 3G, but it would add too much to the cost of the machine.
INTERFACE. Don't spit this 'I can do the same with 15 taps on my screen' style of crap. The machine has MULTITOUCH. That opens a whole window of possibilities for interactivity. like the demoed zoom, where you hold two fingers together and slide them apart on the screen to zoom in a map.
It's not like our touchscreens which can only detect a single coordinate on screen.
Not to mention all that eye-candy OS X is famous for. OK, you may scoff on eye candy, but used wisely (and apple knows how to do it), you can have visual clues of what's happening and this actually improves usability. Otherwise just pick up your Nokia 1110 with its black-and-white matrix and shut up.
They have no legacy to keep compatible, so they can really innovate. And I believe they are really innovating on this area.
Another nice touch is the orientation sensor which automatically changes from portrait to landscape when you rotate the machine. no buttons.
THE MIXED:
Apple's choice of software model. It will have a final say on what's available for the machine and what's not. I bet the apps will be available only through iTunes. It's good in the sense that they can ensure that software complies to a certain standard, which means good quality.
It's also probably a bane for the warez crowd, because pirating software will be much more difficult, if not impossible.
It will probably be bad for the hobbyst crowd, which would like to code for fun for their devices, and probably won't be allowed to. Unless Apple releases some open IDE a la Carbide, but since they are already closing up the door on software availability, this possibility is remote.
I think it's more bad than good, but at least we can hope this will be a death sentence for software developemnt for this platform, and that this will actually result in more security. Not that we have many actual threats out there, but smartphones have the potential to be hacked into, become zombies for spam botnets etc. etc. When the spammers/crackers start to tap on this, we might start to see Windows Mobile get into a nightmare...
THE BAD:
It lacks 3G, it does not have direct iTunes access (you have to cradle it to sync and add stuff);
It has no SD card slot. Now THAT's a ****up, it has a screen big enough to play videos, but not enough space to carry them.
No removable battery? WHAT did they have in mind? OK, I don't usually swap batteries around, but I tend to buy extended batteries (my BA has one). I only this machine has GOOD battery life, this might not bite as much.
It would be good to have a GPS throwed in too... hey, let me dream!
Cingular only... Hmm, I believe this won't last long. Other companies have launched branded products, but eventually they open up for the market after some time. I believe there have been t-mobile onlys before, after some time they will allow everyone to buy it. Remember, it's all about PROFIT. Apple will not close their market that much. If they can sell more, they will. They are probably working first with the operator which was easier to work with, they gave more of how apple wanted to control the device and the network. And they will probably use this to scrub on other operator and say 'Ok, if you don't do it the way I like it, I won't do you the favor of selling my devices to you' (Yeah, Apple is a bit like a diva). They will try to use the Cingular-only argument to try to drive the operator into submission. It's a reversal of roles, where usually the operators dictate what they want and don't want on their devices. And maybe they can pull it off.
IT's EXPENSIVE. Apple/Cingular is really 'stretching the thong' on this one. Either Cingular is not subsidizing AT ALL (have you thought of this possibility?), or the machine is really expensive.
I don't think the BOM justifies anywhere close to this price tag. The screen is the same size of a LifeDrive, which is not anywhere near the cost of this machine. 4-8 GB flash? look at the iPod nano's price tags. ARM CPU + radios, there are plenty out there. motion/orientation sensor? Hmm, look at the Wii controls, I think I have read something about them, those things are not expensive nowadays. The only exotic stuff is the multi-touch sensor, and those things exist for quite some time, they are just not popular. and lacking stuff like 3G radio, SD slot and... a removable battery cover (sigh) helps driving down the cost.
The profit margin is fat here! yeah, there is all this 'pay for R&D blah blah', but they are going to make a few good bucks.
BOTTOM LINE:
It's the first generation. I will wait and see. 1 year from now the price tag will be sane, I will probably be able to buy an unlocked one, and even better if I can find a 2nd generation device which has GPS and a SD card slot.
pda...of course
in primis...here in hungary every apple stuff is sold for a double or triple price as in the US, this means, that the ifoon would cost minimum 1000-1200$...that is not affordable...or, of course, it is, but the ifoon doesn't worth that much...
pro secundo...the operator lock...well...it's discussed on many forums, that it wont be easy to crack it, so if it ever would be sold here, you couldn't change operator easily, and if not at all, it sucks...
pro tertia...the multitouch...say anything, that it's better than a single stylus...but i can't imagine, that i'll use my thumbs to scroll an ebook, or play minesweeper ;]...but anyway, if the software range is limited, than it matters no...sending an sms could be easyer, maybe, because, you could type...but you should use full screen keyboard...which is annoying, and anyhow, you could take it in your hand like a psp, so you could use only thumbs, that are big...and as mentioned...you will mess the whole screen with fingerprints all the time...that suck again
the thingy has no IRDA, this way you cannot use it as a remote control for tv, or what...
and, and as mentioned above...no gps, no sd, no changeable battery...anyhow 3G is said to be installed in it, till it will be merchandised...
Brazilian Joe said:
I have never had apple stuff, but I watch apple closely. And I must admit, they build good stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. Sure, their PCs will get you on the net but as soon as you try to do something more complex they fall down. Their support is rubbish and they regularly delete bugs and forum posts about issues they can't be bothered fixing. Their computer hardware and QC have been slated regularly. About the best thing they have going for them is their legion of fanboi's (and astroturfers) convincing people that their computers "just work" when it's not the case.
They also threaten sites like xda-developers as a general rule. They probably have more lawyers than developers, basically a small Microsoft during it's evil phase.
About the only thing they've done right lately is the iPod, and even it has all the "all apple, all the time" idea where you can only buy music from iTunes and get it on to the device. If you try to write software so that people are free to use something else other than iTunes, they'll sue you for that.
Oh, and now they are charging you for patches and feature updates and calling it "an accounting quirk".
Apple suck, most people are just too blinkered by their dislike for Microsoft to see it.
INTERFACE. Don't spit this 'I can do the same with 15 taps on my screen' style of crap. The machine has MULTITOUCH. That opens a whole window of possibilities for interactivity. like the demoed zoom, where you hold two fingers together and slide them apart on the screen to zoom in a map.
It's not like our touchscreens which can only detect a single coordinate on screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's nice, but I'm not all that impressed. Sure, most of us will have seen the multitouch proof-of-concept videos last year on a full PC, but this is on a phone. There isn't all that much room for more than one active finger. And what about one-handed operation? You'd need to have it on a table for multi-touch. And what, on a mobile, can it actually be used for that's superior to any other UI component?
Not to mention all that eye-candy OS X is famous for. OK, you may scoff on eye candy, but used wisely (and apple knows how to do it), you can have visual clues of what's happening and this actually improves usability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's most redeeming feature IMHO.
They have no legacy to keep compatible, so they can really innovate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, built of OSX and it uses iTunes. That's quite a legacy there alone.
And I believe they are really innovating on this area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could not disagree more. All they've done is take a standard device and slap a pretty UI on it. We could get that via a software update on old hardware right now. In fact, we had it and they forced hanmin to remove his post via bogus legal threats. One good thing about all of this is that MS will have to rethink their UI and play catchup a little.
Another nice touch is the orientation sensor which automatically changes from portrait to landscape when you rotate the machine. no buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My digital camera has that, it's very useful and intuative. You see it happen once and from then on it's instinctive just to rotate it. However, on a phone when it has to send redraw events to the running applications and deal with resolution changes, I'm not convinced this is something you want switching everything you move your arm.
Apple's choice of software model. It will have a final say on what's available for the machine and what's not. I bet the apps will be available only through iTunes. It's good in the sense that they can ensure that software complies to a certain standard, which means good quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fine, but IMHO if you visit the xda-developers website often, this is not the phone for you. If you visit "hello" magazine and read about Paris Hilton, maybe that's the software delivery model designed just for you.
It's also probably a bane for the warez crowd, because pirating software will be much more difficult, if not impossible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure, signing doesn't prevent piracy, it just prevents tampering and provides a trust mechanism. Unless they generate you an unique key-pair for every purchase which I seriously doubt.
It has no SD card slot. Now THAT's a ****up, it has a screen big enough to play videos, but not enough space to carry them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stream via WiFi, via iTunes and your credit-card? Standard Apple practice, charge 'em where possible.
No removable battery? WHAT did they have in mind?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Making money. Officially when your iPod battery dies (often 1 year old), you have to buy a new iPod.
Cingular only... Hmm, I believe this won't last long. Other companies have launched branded products, but eventually they open up for the market after some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't hold your breath, it's a two-year (!!) contract.
I don't think the BOM justifies anywhere close to this price tag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but the Apple logo does apparently. All of their stuff is at least 30% over market value.
It's the first generation. I will wait and see. 1 year from now the price tag will be sane, I will probably be able to buy an unlocked one, and even better if I can find a 2nd generation device which has GPS and a SD card slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Might even get one myself, but I reckon that it'll give the other mobile platforms a kick up the butt and they'll be well ahead by then.
The subject is iphone versus BA
Nobody actually talk about BA at this thread.
Obviously, iphone wins.
Apple's real advance is draw all ppl's attention, media focus, even they build a ****.
Jobs yells, Look at our new ****!!
yoz my last post as a BA user
Heck I have cingular and i'd take a $200 BA over an $499 iphone anyday!! My last post as a BA user, I loved it, great, fast, versitile device. 3.5" display can't beat that.. widescreen at 240x320.. amazing hardware when it released. Lets seea crossbow leap to the BA.
! Long live HTC !
A friend of mine is very Iphone-minded; so from the moment he get's it, I'll have a look at this "device".
I can tell you this much: you will only be able to do with it what apple wants you to do with it - modifying, installing apps? forget it!
I can't imagine a iphone-developers.com
Hmm, there is an iSupply review estimating the BOM (hardware cost alone) to be around 250/280 for the 4/8 GB iPhones.
Even if I lived in the US, I wouldn't rush into the iPhone. i'd wait and see.
I like to see all technological advancements, and I am not a fanboy of ANY brand.
For example, while I have always preached AMD over intel since the K6, now I am recommending Core 2 Duo to anyone who asks. The performance speaks for itself. Since I acknowledged what the Centrino was doing, I kept a close eye on the Intel developments... When They announced that the Core 2 Duo would have an average 20% better performance over the Core Duo, I seriously doubted about it. I have read the technical articles, but I still was skeptic, believeing that they were trumpeting a 'best case' as if it were THE performance. But I was wrong. Core 2 Duio is really all that, and it will be interesting to see AMD catching up.
personally, I actully think AMD will pull it off, with the 'specialized cores' approach. They will embed a GPU (I believe it will be generalized and simply called a 'stream processor') in a multi-core package this year, and soon I believe we will see a Crypto core, and who knows what else. maybe AMD even ecides it's a good idea to have a FPGA as an extra core, and that would open an incredible number of possibilities.
Back to the iPhone subject:
I see the iPhone design as the antithesis of Nokia, nothing is more antagonic to the 'buttons only' approach of S60 than a touchscreen-only.
UIQ and Windows Mobile stay in-between, playing both games, but apparently losing on both. I would like to have a hands-on test drive on the iPhone, but I believe they got it right on the interface.
I really believe the software model they are trying to impose is on of iPhone's greatest risks, the other one is being locked on Cingular for too long, and those could cause its demise.
I really hope it suceeds though, because there is at least one thing it brought to the market, and I really, really hope Microsoft adds it to Photon (WM7): MultitouchScreen.
Competition is good.
well. I have read a great deal on the new i phone. My own opinion is simply that they will NOT corner any part of the mobile phone market let alone come anywhere close to the BA or HTC models of any description.
Apple are already running into stupid problems already if the BBC news here in UK is correct. Apparently the "i phone" name is already a no go thanks to a previous copyright name came from a different company. And as far as being original and up2date....apple are always very close to the mark when it comes to this. Remember last year towards Nov Dec time when LG showed up with their version of what they say as the interactive mobile phone. And how close
the apple phone is in comparison to the LG. I say no more.
OS X maybe pretty to look at, but I much prefer the adaptability and personalizing of the modern Windows Phone edition etc. Have what you want, when you want, HOW you want. AND then....carry ALL your media content including movies mtv clips cartoon....oh yes...AND music (mp3 ogg files etc)it all about (if you prefer) on you OWN memory card.
I digress...
Well, Apple is not that much of a stupid company.
They negotiated and researched before trumpeting the iPhone name.
More recently, after the 'what did they had in mind' reaction, it came up that complaints were filed both in the US and in the EU, in attempt to revoke Cisco's copyright over the iPhone brand for lack of use.
Seems they picked one of their existing products and just badged it as an iPhone, to try to keep hold of the name at the expiry date.
the productitself was released much later and is not what they showed previously, so Apple is trying to free up the name.
Well, it's a gamble, but they would't even try if there was no chance to win on trial.
It will depend on convincing the judge that Cisco was sitting on the name and not using it for too long, so long that they lost their rights over it.
It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.
After being touted as Samsung's flagship tablet in 2014, it's truly shocking to find out that not only this device came with an outdated SoC and a sub-par battery, but it doesn't even have USB 3.0 support. You gotta be joking Samsung. I have never seen such sleazy cost cutting before, where the manufacturer uses premium parts for the things you can see with your eyes but bargain basement parts bin for everything that goes inside. Moreover, yesterday I find out that Samsung's Lollipop update won't install through the regular update channel because I have made "unauthorized modifications" to my tablet (read rooting my device in order to correct the idiotic deficiencies, such as ridiculously low headphone volume gain). Geez.
They have taken away USB3 from devices after S5 due to a lack of popularity. None of the new flagships have it.
If you root and then do an update - they have no guarantee on what you did - so how can they give you an OTA when it might ruin it.
What the heck does the "lack of popularity" mean. USB 3 has been a standard for all new USB interfaces in PCs for what, for years now? They mean, the PCs people buy with USB 3 interfaces are not popular? Do people who just bought a PC in 2013 and 2014 wish to switch back to USB 2? That's just laughable. Lack of popularity? Lynxblaine, are you being paid by Samsung?
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/samsung-galaxy-note-4-hands-on/
Well no one was using it, and it was unsightly. According to the review.
lynxblaine said:
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/samsung-galaxy-note-4-hands-on/
Well no one was using it, and it was unsightly. According to the review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No other manufacturer has put it in a smartphone. Everyone has been waiting for USB C, which we'll probably see in smartphones later in the year. Maybe the next Nexus.
Don't appreciate some new member of XDA forums criticising me and asking if i am 'paid' by Samsung for offering some opinion on an issue they are facing.
lynxblaine said:
Don't appreciate some new member of XDA forums criticising me and asking if i am 'paid' by Samsung for offering some opinion on an issue they are facing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for offending you. Citing the lack of popularity as the reason for not including the USB3 support sounded like an apology by or for a manufacturer's cost cutting. Now that I see the linked article, the linked article said: "This year, the phone maker went back to USB 2.0; the product managers said that not many people were using the 3.0 port for data transfers, so they didn't see the point in taking up room inside the phone for that purpose. " which apparently contains an apologetic excuse from some Samsung people. This device can have quite a bit of internal storage as well as sd card, which should justify having a faster USB connector. Of course, I can just move the data by the SD card, but I consider it more hassle than plugging a USB wire.
Consider using something like Airdroid, wifi speeds are definitely catching up with usb2 speeds, i have wireless AC so can copy files to it quicker with WiFi.
This isn't a flagship device, why would it have the latest tech? Especially a tech that no one else was using. I can see USB 3.0 on the next Note 5 (and I wouldn't be disappointed if it doesn't have it), but on Tab S, a device that was released last year?
oilfighter said:
This isn't a flagship device, why would it have the latest tech? Especially a tech that no one else was using. I can see USB 3.0 on the next Note 5 (and I wouldn't be disappointed if it doesn't have it), but on Tab S, a device that was released last year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not a flagship device. But supposed to be a flagship tablet for samsung
syncomp said:
It is not a flagship device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't that your answer right there? The marketshare of tablets, especially just Samsung's tablets, is so miniscule when compared to their flagship devices that you shouldn't be surprised about Samsung's lack of new hardware on a devices from 2014.
USB had a buggy launch, inconsistent and confusing connectors that didn't map well in the mobile space, power issues, chip issues, and the broader billion dollar mobile market clearly didn't care that much about it, at least according to the millions poured in to overall market research on it each year...why *would* they include it? The few devices that did have it got slammed for it anyway for problems. Also who cares? No manufacturer is making these things with an eye towards how easy it is to get a lot of large files on them as quickly as possible using a cord hooked up to a PC, that was 5-7 years ago.
USB-C is where things are going, then there will be some movement. Seems silly to knock anyone, even Samsung (who have their share of decisions to be knocked about) over this.
It has the best display among tablets. That makes it flag ship.
There will be no tl;dr here so if you're not into long rants this may not be the topic for you.
Smart phone manufacturers think we're raccoons. Or idiots. Possibly both. Idiotic raccoons for the purpose of this rant. I liked it when Apple was the only company that made premium but dumb phones. I liked that they only gave users 1GB to 2GB of RAM, because what were they going to use it up on? But now, EVERYONE is doing it. They take whatever level of affordable hardware they can get away with and then wrap it in aluminum/glass and send it out touting refinement of the brand. The only thing they "refined" was their ability to market things that shouldn't even be sold. These phones are supposed to be built by ENGINEERING teams and engineers are supposed to innovate and solve problems. And there are plenty of problems with the cell phone that need to be addressed. A few examples:
Texting and driving:
How is safety with these devices not at the top of the list for these companies? People cannot help themselves when it comes to looking at their phones. I did a quick survey of 10 cars coming onto my campus and 4 out of 10 were texting near a crosswalk. 40% as a sample of the population on my campus who would rather look at their phone than look out for people walking or riding their bikes. I guess barreling down the road at 60 mph doesn't give people the thrill it used to so now we're adding the thrill of driving with one hand busy and not looking. What an exciting time to be a pedestrian. For the love of all that is holy in this world use the GPS technology in the phone to detect speeds over 20mph and lock the screen until it stops. And if you need your GPS for directions you open the app before you move and it replaces your lockscreen blocking usage of the rest of the phone. And before someone jumps in here yelling, "government overreach!" cool your jets, there is a reason seatbelts are not an optional feature in your car. The CDC reports that 9 people, per day in the U.S., die because of distracted driving SOURCE: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/. I would bet that a few a of those deaths are people who aren't in the car at all, but walking somewhere and hit by someone who doesn't have the common courtesy to drive like their life, or other people's lives, depended on it.
Texting and walking:
If you do this you're probably going to be hit by the cars I mentioned above.
Thermal Throttling:
A genuine issue with modern smartphone processors. We are to the point where transistor traces are 14nm apart and yet our only method of heat dissipation is the wind. That's preposterous. Engineering majors are required to take thermodynamics and it's because heat is a real issue. But you're telling me that allowing heat to just be carried away passively is the best we can do in a several billion dollar industry? My laptop is 13mm thick and has an active fan when plugged in and a passive fan on battery power with 10 hour battery life pushing 1080P. Smartphone manufacturers just aren't doing it because it isn't sleek and sexy. And why do I think they should be cooled? This thing is supposed to replace every device in my living room and be near me 24 hours a day. Why is is that I get frame rate drops when I'm enjoying one of my favorite games? Oh yeah, it is because my processor decides that it gets too hot and stops running as fast as it was before. Oh, and that "advertised speed" you paid all that money for? Really only reaches its peak when you'e browsing the web or doing less intense activities. If any of our other serious electronics did that, we would throw them out. Your game consoles and desktop PC's run at full speed until they reach their thermal threshold and then shut off. They don't vary their speed in intensive tasks, they go hard until they can't go any further and they shut down. Hell if your microwave changed power settings while heating your dinner and you had to wait an extra 2 minutes to get your food you would have it replaced. In a world demanding more battery life, I demand better cooling and maintained top speeds for CPUs and GPUs while gaming.
Aesthetics:
While I never wanted an Apple phone I always respected that they decided to make an uncomplicated operating system, wrapped in a very professional package and served to the masses as "premium". What I don't understand is why innovation is being stymied in the name of "premium" feel? When people in this forum heard that the new Nexus 6P was going to have the Snapdragon 810 in it, they almost in unison said there was no way they would buy a phone with that processor. In fact, response was so bad that LG refused to put an 810 in any of their devices (bravo!). However, now that the 6P is out and it looks "premium" people are rescinding on their stance about how they won't buy one. It's like a phone being pretty is enough to forgive it for being partly broken on the inside. Now that I've written that, it seems like a deeper human issue, but back on topic we lamented as a community about how 2015 was the worst year for cell phones and that seems to be changing with those same people considering the 6P. And that isn't my only example. let's take the Galaxy Note 5/S6/6Edge+ (now with plus sign!) and pay attention to what they did in the marketing department. 3 phones, identical hardware, different cases. Identical hardware at astronomically more expensive prices because the screen is larger. But the processor in the S6, which came out early this year, is in a device that came out two months ago. How are consumers who have access to this information convinced that these devices are worth more of their money. Samsung just increased their profits because they didn't have to innovate, at all, and just pushed the same old board out with a high-end screen. Example 3!: LG G4 to the LG V10 is going to have the same processor as its predecessor. It is recycling hardware used within the same year by wrapping it in a different shell and calling it "premium." What makes me sad is that people are going to buy it. Probably thousands of people and probably some people who actually already have the G4. It boggles my mind that people see this happening and just jump on the train.
Software:
This is my last piece of rant and then I'm done. Being here I love Android; anyone that knows me knows that. I will defend it and what it stands for until it betrays me in the night and locks my sweet bootloader into oblivion while hiding its source code in the dark shadows of Google's labs. But let's get down to brass tacks: there is only one Android OS and that is pure Android on Nexus devices. If your manufacturer put their name somewhere inside your software you just landed at the mercy of not one, but two teams who decide if you can have access to an open source operating system update. How is it that people are just OK with buying phones that insist the consumer like what the manufacturer thinks is aesthetically pleasing? I thought the whole point of Android was to choose how your phone was supposed to behave yourself? Why is is that we bash Apple users for accepting whatever they are given whenever they can get it and we are stuck complaining about how Samsung/LG/HTC might never release their revisions of Android to our devices? Manufacturers paid for the hardware, they didn't pay a dime for the software other than what they pay their team to change it to their liking and then we are deprived of updates because it is too much work for the teams that they put in place themselves! How hard it is to just develop device trees and pass them to Google so that pure Android runs on everyone's devices? CM does it every new release and people who purchased software from for-profit manufacturers may never see Marshmallow. This is a real problem and I know that circumstances are different but Apple supports devices for an incredibly long time before dropping it from updates. The iPad 2 was released in 2011 and it is getting updates for iOS 9 the same time as everyone else. That is 4 years of support. And the Note 3/4 are one to two years old and almost two releases behind? Software updates should not be sold as a feature (especially not open source software), it is updated to protect consumers and their personal information from being compromised and misused through security patches and release fixes. And no, not everyone can ride the train forever, I get that. But a company dropping support because they didn't think their devices would last 5 years so they didn't hire the manpower to continue making releases sounds like a corporate issue, not a consumer issue. The only thing we can do is vote with our wallets. Oh, and case in point for updates for old devices: Google is dropping support for the Nexus 4 (2012) in Android 6.0 but maintaining security patch releases so people using that device are not left open to security vulnerabilities. If you needed a reason to support a manufacturer, it would be because they support you.
Rant over. I'm just tired of reading the same articles and comments on here, being disappointed by each subsequent phone release, let down by a huge lack of innovation by smartphone manufacturers, and let down by people who continue to be part of the trend and not fight it in some way. I'm also mad at people who text and drive--cut it out. If I had an answer to fix all of these things I would post them here, but I don't. There should be a way to change the status quo of the current hardware industry and push them to innovate as opposed to buying into their hardware subscriptions plans. Hopefully you know how much you pay a year to do all that Jump!ing and upgrading of those devices. We're tethered to a yearly fee and we just let it ride.
You don't have to leave your thoughts but I'm open to them. I'm open to your own personal rants about the topic. I'm open to ideas and solutions that haven't been presented and ways to fix things that we know are broken. This community is amazing for that because we have talented people here who aren't satisfied with the idea that what you get is what you are stuck with. They work hard and use their time to make something better. There has to be answers here and a way to fix the calamity that is the smart phone market. /rant
Nice rant. I am not developer but I am with you. Got a couple of rants my self. Me to brings apple as example to look at for tey updates and I would say reliability. Both of them matters to me because I don't root and tinker and I want my phone to work well an safe for a few a couple of years at least maybe 3-4 years. I know its xda dev page but the period I had iph6 in truly got to know what is reliable and consistent in respect. So if I pay £500 for a brand new phone I expect it to work accordingly or even £200 worth phone.
O am willing tonpay phone even more than I said but in return I want brilliance O was talking aboit just like buying iPhone.
I hate oersaturated screen tendency and in general pop out colour display trend but that come from my work because I retouch photos and work on calibrated monitor . first of all I prefer panelnto be natural then I can decide if I want it to be saturated or not. At least give that choose like sammy does , I think lg does but the screen still is from ideal. I envy those sharp panels that China OEMs mounting on the phones. Anyway nothing makes me more annoyed than temporarily trends. Give us an option to choose from!
Not much reading any review on here or articles looking at other tech websites it seems they simply making business out of t, yes they have to earn BUT don't take you reader for fool. It seems just because they have writing skills they can trick us into believe phone B is a an A class phone. Luckily many of us speak out fearlessly and with much furious and I liken a lot . there are people and a lot of them tech educated. Reviewers get easily tempted into era of electronic corruption and do what they asked to do. Trustworthy reviewer is the thing of the past-dinosour.
Just about it.... I think
nebulaoperator said:
Nice rant. I am not developer but I am with you. Got a couple of rants my self. Me to brings apple as example to look at for tey updates and I would say reliability. Both of them matters to me because I don't root and tinker and I want my phone to work well an safe for a few a couple of years at least maybe 3-4 years. I know its xda dev page but the period I had iph6 in truly got to know what is reliable and consistent in respect. So if I pay £500 for a brand new phone I expect it to work accordingly or even £200 worth phone.
O am willing tonpay phone even more than I said but in return I want brilliance O was talking aboit just like buying iPhone.
I hate oersaturated screen tendency and in general pop out colour display trend but that come from my work because I retouch photos and work on calibrated monitor . first of all I prefer panelnto be natural then I can decide if I want it to be saturated or not. At least give that choose like sammy does , I think lg does but the screen still is from ideal. I envy those sharp panels that China OEMs mounting on the phones. Anyway nothing makes me more annoyed than temporarily trends. Give us an option to choose from!
Not much reading any review on here or articles looking at other tech websites it seems they simply making business out of t, yes they have to earn BUT don't take you reader for fool. It seems just because they have writing skills they can trick us into believe phone B is a an A class phone. Luckily many of us speak out fearlessly and with much furious and I liken a lot . there are people and a lot of them tech educated. Reviewers get easily tempted into era of electronic corruption and do what they asked to do. Trustworthy reviewer is the thing of the past-dinosour.
Just about it.... I think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think a lot of screen oversaturation stems from consumers responses to reviews and critic description of what the "perfect screen" is. Consumers will agree not based on personal opinion and then OEMs try to emulate the visuals that type of screen renders.
Or Samsung dictates everything since they are the majority seller of device screens.
Thanks for adding to, I appreciate knowing what about the industry bothers other people.
AlkaliV2 said:
I think a lot of screen oversaturation stems from consumers responses to reviews and critic description of what the "perfect screen" is. Consumers will agree not based on personal opinion and then OEMs try to emulate the visuals that type of screen renders.
Or Samsung dictates everything since they are the majority seller of device screens.
Thanks for adding to, I appreciate knowing what about the industry bothers other people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes indeed. OEM's will push trends that appeal to the mass and mass wants and craves for an eye popping colour utterly unnatural and repelling to my eye.... and when they look at the same image on the computer monitor it suddenly lost all it it's magic and now they want to go back to their phone. My background is related to colour accurate calibrated monitor and this must be the reason I don't see amoled technology so appealing to me but again hundreds of millions of iphone users are perfectly satisfied and not only but happy.
If we take Android market we have bloggers, tech websites, youtube channels. media that are constantly praising that unnatural deviation in colour. Another myth is those magic amoled blacks! No they are not great they and in fact bad because there are no shadow gradient it's just a black blob while IPS panel can't have those perfect 0 pitch blacks but what it can do is gradient from the darkest shadow to the lighter shadow. Watch a film on your phone and pay attention to the dark scene you will know what I mean.
There were 2 ocassions in my life after going round and round in circles, chasing my perfect phone I heard hundred of times : oh this amoled screen is super, it has super accurate colours like never before and though I saw that super duper screen my self I could not help my self but to go again to shop and see if there was anything I missed in my judgment. All I wanted is to run basic mode on a S6 BUT whites on the basic mode looks dull and yellowish while in wider gammut mode it pops out like never before. I checked all the possible panels in the shop. S6 S6+ S6 edge S6 edge + . Yes I am purist and it is hard living for me. I think I am just wasting time in my life My point is your mind will most likely be brainwashed and you will buy perfect amoled screen.
Indeed Samsung will push anything that is related in visual agenda because everyone knows Samsung TV and they awesome. Easy to follow and trust trendy technology or product.
I am so happy Moto choose IPS panels this year because they look marvelous a little on the saturated side but nothing overblown like other OEM's.
I don't try to sell anything I said here to anyone if you prefer other panel that is your choice and I don't have a problem with it.
Battery life
While most manufactures claim weeks of operation the truth is often obscure and bent.
I like your rant.
And I agree with all of it.
Some companies will deny overheating and shove their source code 50 miles deep into their butt.
Some devices are so pretty but have horrible hardware other are so ugly but have brilliant hardware.
I'm so sick of people just blindly buying devices that are a total joke.\
On the note of displays.
It's all pointless unless we have hardware that can drive a 50000000000000000000000K display where 90% of the pixels are so small they could never be seen.
Rant mode OFF
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
I'm sure I am not the only one who feels like the S22 Ultra is a Galaxy Note...and replaces the S for this year. I'm worried that this may be a permanent thing, and I really hate the design of the S22 Ultra.
Are we going to see a return to the more curved design of the S21 Ultra in the S23 or am I doomed to abandon Samsung in the future and take a bite out of a manky apple?
Any thoughts?
Last great Note was the 10+. The 20U had some improvements but Samsung didn't do as good a job. Samsung has been wasting too much of its resources on the Fold series.
Worse Android 11 and 12 just suck. Then Samsung decides to pull SD card support and the native spen on its flagships. Almost an iPhone at this point. Less features, better price tag.
Perfect. Except I hate iPhones...
Solution, got a 2nd new N10+ running on Q. It will be at least 2023 until Samsung and Android get their crap together is my guess.
Got a device I wuv in my pocket and don't have to deal with their bs; I'm good for 2+ years.
Not my problem anymore
blackhawk said:
Last great Note was the 10+. The 20U had some improvements but Samsung didn't do as good a job. Samsung has been wasting too much of its resources on the Fold series.
Worse Android 11 and 12 just suck. Then Samsung decides to pull SD card support and the native spen on its flagships. Almost an iPhone at this point. Less features, better price tag.
Perfect. Except I hate iPhones...
Solution, got a 2nd new N10+ running on Q. It will be at least 2023 until Samsung and Android get their crap together is my guess.
Got a device I wuv in my pocket and don't have to deal with their bs; I'm good for 2+ years.
Not my problem anymore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? Samsung has never pulled native s-pen support on its flagships. All note series obviously has it. They added S-Pen support to the S21U and now the S22U will functionally be a Note with the built in S-Pen slot. Android is moving away from SD cards as a whole, Google is making it harder and harder to support it with increase security measures that affect performance.
I disagree with less features. There hasn't been a release where they have only removed features without also adding something new. Shifting focus on features isn't the same as just removing them.
And to the point of the OP, it depends on how sales figures are. It's weird to completely switch ecosystems and phones just because of a square vs rounded corners but I guess everyone has different priorities. The design is fine to me but I am disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any hardware upgrades to the camera system.
For me it's very much like buying a car. I wouldn't buy a car I didn't like the shape of. The great thing in past years is I could choose between a note or an 's' device. Now with the merge Samsung essentially takes the choice away from me, and I really don't find square edges aesthetically pleasing.
beserker15 said:
What do you mean? Samsung has never pulled native s-pen support on its flagships. All note series obviously has it. They added S-Pen support to the S21U and now the S22U will functionally be a Note with the built in S-Pen slot. Android is moving away from SD cards as a whole, Google is making it harder and harder to support it with increase security measures that affect performance.
I disagree with less features. There hasn't been a release where they have only removed features without also adding something new. Shifting focus on features isn't the same as just removing them.
And to the point of the OP, it depends on how sales figures are. It's weird to completely switch ecosystems and phones just because of a square vs rounded corners but I guess everyone has different priorities. The design is fine to me but I am disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any hardware upgrades to the camera system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Fold series never had native a Spen or expandable storage.
Samsung biggest R&D and capital outlay to date has been their Fold series.
It's been their worst flagship seller too, they are still aren't generating a net profit from it, not even close.
Sd Cards are more secure than internal storage. If you used data drives you would know that. Cloud storage wastes money, power and bandwidth especially when you have over a 1tb of data. Memory needs are increasing not decreasing with 8K vids, higher resolution images and higher resolution media
I can do a full reload from my SD card, no internet connection or Playstore needed. No need to reload all my data if forced to reload. Not using a data drive on a PC or smartphone is just plain inept.
It's a lick on you.
blackhawk said:
The Fold series never had native a Spen or expandable storage.
Samsung biggest R&D and capital outlay to date has been their Fold series.
It's been their worst flagship seller too, they are still aren't generating a net profit from it, not even close.
Sd Cards are more secure than internal storage. If you used data drives you would know that. Cloud storage wastes money, power and bandwidth especially when you have over a 1tb of data. Memory needs are increasing not decreasing with 8K vids, higher resolution images and higher resolution media
I can do a full reload from my SD card, no internet connection or Playstore needed. No need to reload all my data if forced to reload. Not using a data drive on a PC or smartphone is just plain inept.
It's a lick on you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Fold series is more or less still an experiment. The Z Flip 3 was actually a better than expected seller for them but the Fold will never be mainstream until it becomes cheaper and more durable. It's the reason why they canceled the Note 21 and kept the Fold series...because they would not have been able to keep up with demand. Hell, they're still struggling with supply shortages in the S21 series.
I disagree with your view on SD Card security. By default, modern internal storage is encrypted. Most people who put in a passcode and biometrics make it very hard to get access to. The majority of people I know who even still have an SD Card in their phones do not encrypt them (and at that point, you can then just pop out the card and have access to everything without needing to unlock the phone). Even if you do encrypt them, performance would be affected. Google's scope storage and future changes to Android makes it more and more difficult for apps to access SD Cards.
Besides, we can debate cloud vs local storage for days, everyone has differing opinions and usage patterns. What isn't going to change is the fact that those features are being used less and less over time (even if your point about higher data usage and bandwidth is true). I believe that it is important to you. I also totally understand that it and the removal of the headphone jack are deal breakers for some people. However, just to say that all Samsung is doing is removing features is not true at all. To me, the S21u's addition of variable refresh rate to have 120hz when needed but dropping down to save battery when isn't is very important. The addition of the second telephoto camera is the single feature that I value most so far and it would be my own personal deal breaker if their future phones do not have the same reach.
beserker15 said:
The Fold series is more or less still an experiment. The Z Flip 3 was actually a better than expected seller for them but the Fold will never be mainstream until it becomes cheaper and more durable. It's the reason why they canceled the Note 21 and kept the Fold series...because they would not have been able to keep up with demand. Hell, they're still struggling with supply shortages in the S21 series.
I disagree with your view on SD Card security. By default, modern internal storage is encrypted. Most people who put in a passcode and biometrics make it very hard to get access to. The majority of people I know who even still have an SD Card in their phones do not encrypt them (and at that point, you can then just pop out the card and have access to everything without needing to unlock the phone). Even if you do encrypt them, performance would be affected. Google's scope storage and future changes to Android makes it more and more difficult for apps to access SD Cards.
Besides, we can debate cloud vs local storage for days, everyone has differing opinions and usage patterns. What isn't going to change is the fact that those features are being used less and less over time (even if your point about higher data usage and bandwidth is true). I believe that it is important to you. I also totally understand that it and the removal of the headphone jack are deal breakers for some people. However, just to say that all Samsung is doing is removing features is not true at all. To me, the S21u's addition of variable refresh rate to have 120hz when needed but dropping down to save battery when isn't is very important. The addition of the second telephoto camera is the single feature that I value most so far and it would be my own personal deal breaker if their future phones do not have the same reach.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately the Fold3 is an experiment too. Delamination issues have predictably already shown up again. The materials aren't up to the task.
I never encrypt data drives or anything else because you are the most likely one to be locked out. Or lose all your data. In over 17 years I never had any malware breach the data drives. It's not impossible by a long shot but in actual usage it rarely happens. Of course some of that depends on how well you mind the store.
Security is handled best by having redundant time staggered backups that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC.
Accounts/passwords can reset, bank accounts are insured.
beserker15 said:
The Fold series is more or less still an experiment. The Z Flip 3 was actually a better than expected seller for them but the Fold will never be mainstream until it becomes cheaper and more durable. It's the reason why they canceled the Note 21 and kept the Fold series...because they would not have been able to keep up with demand. Hell, they're still struggling with supply shortages in the S21 series.
I disagree with your view on SD Card security. By default, modern internal storage is encrypted. Most people who put in a passcode and biometrics make it very hard to get access to. The majority of people I know who even still have an SD Card in their phones do not encrypt them (and at that point, you can then just pop out the card and have access to everything without needing to unlock the phone). Even if you do encrypt them, performance would be affected. Google's scope storage and future changes to Android makes it more and more difficult for apps to access SD Cards.
Besides, we can debate cloud vs local storage for days, everyone has differing opinions and usage patterns. What isn't going to change is the fact that those features are being used less and less over time (even if your point about higher data usage and bandwidth is true). I believe that it is important to you. I also totally understand that it and the removal of the headphone jack are deal breakers for some people. However, just to say that all Samsung is doing is removing features is not true at all. To me, the S21u's addition of variable refresh rate to have 120hz when needed but dropping down to save battery when isn't is very important. The addition of the second telephoto camera is the single feature that I value most so far and it would be my own personal deal breaker if their future phones do not have the same reach.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The logic you employ regarding features is flawed. When a feature is removed you lose that feature regardless of how many different features are added. If you liked the feature you're not pleased.
Internal Storage isn't encrypted by default, access to files is protected by passcodes or biometrics only IF the user sets these up, not encryption.
Removing MicroSD is Samsung's stragity to increase profit. The 512GB variant is USD $400.00 more than 128GB and 256GB variants, whereas the added expense to Samsung for manufacturing the 512GB device is likely less than $5.00. Transferring data, videos, music, photos and documentations from my S10 to the S21 literally took HOURS! One would think If External Storage is outdated why does Samsung continue including the feature on almost all of their lower price point devices? Less Internal Storage also compels users to pay for Cloud Storage (more profit). Cloud Storage offers less privacy and security since all major providers have already been hacked.
Note 20 worldwide sales came in at 3.2 million units while the S20 sold 17 million. The S21 is even worse at 13 million but the S10 and S10 Plus with MicroSD and 3.5 Jack weighed in at 25 million units. That's a 47% decline from the S10 to the S21. You and others may believe External Memory isn't important but that's not what sales metrics are exposing. With the S22 Ultra now essentially a Note no one should be surprised Samsung's flagship sales decline will accelerate.
varcor said:
The logic you employ regarding features is flawed. When a feature is removed you lose that feature regardless of how many different features are added. If you liked the feature you're not pleased.
Internal Storage isn't encrypted by default, access to files is protected by passcodes or biometrics only IF the user sets these up, not encryption.
Removing MicroSD is Samsung's stragity to increase profit. The 512GB variant is USD $400.00 more than 128GB and 256GB variants, whereas the added expense to Samsung for manufacturing the 512GB device is likely less than $5.00. Transferring data, videos, music, photos and documentations from my S10 to the S21 literally took HOURS! Less Internal Storage also compels users to pay for Cloud Storage (more profit). Cloud Storage offers less privacy and security since all major providers have already been hacked.
Note 20 worldwide sales came in at 3.2 million units while the S20 sold 17 million. The S21 is even worse at 13 million but the S10 and S10 Plus with MicroSD and 3.5 Jack weighed in at 25 million units. That's a 47% decline from the S10 to the S21. You and others may believe External Memory isn't important but that's not what sales metrics are exposing. With the S22 Ultra now essentially a Note no one should be surprised Samsung's flagship sales decline will accelerate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said that those features aren't removed. All I'm saying is the statement "Almost an iPhone at this point. Less features, better price tag" or the common statement that says all they're doing is removing features is simply false. The pitchforks didn't come out when they removed the FM radio or the IR blaster. People obviously care about the SD Card more than those two but it doesn't change the fact that the number is shrinking. If all they did was remove things without adding anything else, then I can agree. However, they're merely putting more resources elsewhere and focusing on other features.
Again, we can debate on the merits of cloud versus local for days, but you must also realize for your sales argument to be true, OEMs that still have those "desired" features should have seen a boost and they have not. Samsung is not the only OEM to remove the SD Card from the flagship. Google did it, Huawei did it, OnePlus did it, etc. The Pixel 6 is probably Google's best selling phone in years and it has neither an SD slot or a headphone jack. LG and Sony are the only ones who still kept both features, and LG has dropped out of mobile phones and Sony is still barely scraping by. What is true though that the S20 got significantly more expensive and both the S20 and S21 were released during the pandemic.
Also your profit margins statement is also incorrect. The S21U with 128GB is $1200 MSRP, with the 512GB model that also has 16gb of RAM at $1380, a difference of $180, not $400. And no, it doesn't cost them less than $5 to quadruple the storage. Hell, they struggled with the chip shortage and have basically discontinued the 512gb model because they couldn't keep up with the demand. Samsung has also exited the cloud storage business so it doesn't directly benefit them if people move to the cloud.
And yes, internal storage is encrypted by default. While on a phone, you can't really just rip out internal storage and move it to another device or read it on a computer, the idea is the same. Encryption is enabled by default and decrypted once the phone is unlocked. If you never setup a passcode on your phone, that just means that whoever has the phone can just unlock your device and have access to your data. If your device is powered off however, or in some state where you can't turn on the phone, another person can't just dismantle the phone, grab the flash memory chip, and put it in another device to read it.
With Android 11 and up encryption automatic as I understand it.
Lol, I just raked Samsung customer service over about expandable storage and consequences.
Just because "everybody" is doing something doesn't make it a good idea. Thinking like that can lead to a thrombosis epidemic in today's world.
You're only as good as your last phone... the manufacturer doesn't dictate the market, they cater to it.
Samsung deserves the profit crater their Fold excursion caused. Wanna go for sloppy seconds, again, Sammy?
beserker15 said:
I never said that those features aren't removed. All I'm saying is the statement "Almost an iPhone at this point. Less features, better price tag" or the common statement that says all they're doing is removing features is simply false. The pitchforks didn't come out when they removed the FM radio or the IR blaster. People obviously care about the SD Card more than those two but it doesn't change the fact that the number is shrinking. If all they did was remove things without adding anything else, then I can agree. However, they're merely putting more resources elsewhere and focusing on other features.
Again, we can debate on the merits of cloud versus local for days, but you must also realize for your sales argument to be true, OEMs that still have those "desired" features should have seen a boost and they have not. Samsung is not the only OEM to remove the SD Card from the flagship. Google did it, Huawei did it, OnePlus did it, etc. The Pixel 6 is probably Google's best selling phone in years and it has neither an SD slot or a headphone jack. LG and Sony are the only ones who still kept both features, and LG has dropped out of mobile phones and Sony is still barely scraping by. What is true though that the S20 got significantly more expensive and both the S20 and S21 were released during the pandemic.
Also your profit margins statement is also incorrect. The S21U with 128GB is $1200 MSRP, with the 512GB model that also has 16gb of RAM at $1380, a difference of $180, not $400. And no, it doesn't cost them less than $5 to quadruple the storage. Hell, they struggled with the chip shortage and have basically discontinued the 512gb model because they couldn't keep up with the demand. Samsung has also exited the cloud storage business so it doesn't directly benefit them if people move to the cloud.
And yes, internal storage is encrypted by default. While on a phone, you can't really just rip out internal storage and move it to another device or read it on a computer, the idea is the same. Encryption is enabled by default and decrypted once the phone is unlocked. If you never setup a passcode on your phone, that just means that whoever has the phone can just unlock your device and have access to your data. If your device is powered off however, or in some state where you can't turn on the phone, another person can't just dismantle the phone, grab the flash memory chip, and put it in another device to read it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please share a link where someone can buy a new 512GB Ultra for $1,200 USD. How can Internal Storage be "encrypted" when after you use a passcode or biometrics everything is there to be taken. Who cares if the OS is encrypted? Thieves want your data, not the source code for the OS or anything else. Your explanation that the pandemic retarded sales seem at odds with the reality that governments were throwing around lots of cash. I bought the S21 Ultra and a new laptop, all with government handouts. People can rightfully disagree over External Memory, myself and millions of users would take advantage of it IF it were available. I passed on the S20 Ultra and will pass on the S22 as well. If Samsung doesn't make sense by the time they release the S23, TOODLES!
varcor said:
Please share a link where someone can buy a new 512GB Ultra for $1,200 USD. How can Internal Storage be "encrypted" when after you use a passcode or biometrics everything is there to be taken. Who cares if the OS is encrypted? Thieves want your data, not the source code for the OS or anything else. Your explanation that the pandemic retarded sales seem at odds with the reality that governments were throwing around lots of cash. I bought the S21 Ultra and a new laptop, all with government handouts. People can rightfully disagree over External Memory, myself and millions of users would take advantage of it IF it were available. I passed on the S20 Ultra and will pass on the S22 as well. If Samsung doesn't make sense by the time they release the S23, TOODLES!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read my post? The 128gb version is $1200, the 512gb (which is no longer for sale due to supply issues) was $1380. The difference between the two is $180, not $400 as you had previously said. I'm glad you were able to benefit from the handouts. There were plenty of people who either lost their jobs or got their hours/pay reduced during the pandemic. I myself took a pay cut for 2020 so the handouts only partly soften the blow.
I get the point that what everyone is doing it doesn't make it right, but also know that OEMs have access to usage data and have their own cost/benefit analysis. They pulled the SD Card in the S6 series and quickly put it back on the S7 series due to demand. If the declining sales were because of that, this would easily have been back in the S22 series. Like I said though, the market leaders are all without this feature.
Perhaps Samsung ditching that feature made it so people are more open to going to other brands like Xiaomi who are cheaper or Apple themselves. But then if you think about it, how much does a person really care about a feature, if they leave Samsung just to buy a different phone from another OEM that also doesn't have the feature. "If I have to use cloud storage, I might as well use iCloud"? What happened with LG and Sony is basically telling all OEMs involved that ditching the SD Card is fine since those two OEMs never saw any sales boost from having that feature. Manufacturers cater to the market, and the market is saying that SD Cards might be a nice to have feature, but it certainly isn't a main selling point for most people.
beserker15 said:
Did you read my post? The 128gb version is $1200, the 512gb (which is no longer for sale due to supply issues) was $1380. The difference between the two is $180, not $400 as you had previously said. I'm glad you were able to benefit from the handouts. There were plenty of people who either lost their jobs or got their hours/pay reduced during the pandemic. I myself took a pay cut for 2020 so the handouts only partly soften the blow.
I get the point that what everyone is doing it doesn't make it right, but also know that OEMs have access to usage data and have their own cost/benefit analysis. They pulled the SD Card in the S6 series and quickly put it back on the S7 series due to demand. If the declining sales were because of that, this would easily have been back in the S22 series. Like I said though, the market leaders are all without this feature.
Perhaps Samsung ditching that feature made it so people are more open to going to other brands like Xiaomi who are cheaper or Apple themselves. But then if you think about it, how much does a person really care about a feature, if they leave Samsung just to buy a different phone from another OEM that also doesn't have the feature. "If I have to use cloud storage, I might as well use iCloud"? What happened with LG and Sony is basically telling all OEMs involved that ditching the SD Card is fine since those two OEMs never saw any sales boost from having that feature. Manufacturers cater to the market, and the market is saying that SD Cards might be a nice to have feature, but it certainly isn't a main selling point for most people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do mean they're no longer available? Readily available and the price difference is still $400.00.
varcor said:
What do mean they're no longer available? Readily available and the price difference is still $400.00.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm, isn't that eBay? I meant through official channels, like Samsung's own website, Best Buy, mobile carriers, Amazon (and not a 3rd party Amazon seller). Price difference on eBay doesn't count. Also since the 512gb model is now more rare since it is no longer available retail, the price will likely not drop on places like eBay.
beserker15 said:
Ummm, isn't that eBay? I meant through official channels, like Samsung's own website, Best Buy, mobile carriers, Amazon (and not a 3rd party Amazon seller). Price difference on eBay doesn't count. Also since the 512gb model is now more rare since it is no longer available retail, the price will likely not drop on places like eBay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Price difference on ebay doesn't count? It's one of few places you can aquire a 512GB besides a few retail outlets abroad. Here's what doesn't count, any outlets advertising a lower price which don't have the device in stock and never will. $400.00 difference in price where you can actually BUY the device's, not some advertising hummer. Just admit it, it can't be explained away, you're flat wrong!
varcor said:
Price difference on ebay doesn't count? It's one of few places you can aquire a 512GB besides a few retail outlets abroad. Here's what doesn't count, any outlets advertising a lower price which don't have the device in stock and never will. $400.00 difference in price where you can actually BUY the device's, not some advertising hummer. Just admit it, it can't be explained away, you're flat wrong!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're joking right? Prices on eBay aren't set by Samsung. Your whole argument is that Samsung is trying to ditch expandable memory by charging $400 more for 512gb to profit. That's completely false. Why stop at $400? If some small phone shop went on clearance and decided to put the 128gb model on eBay for $400, that'll be an $800 difference! lol
If you're comparing what Samsung is charging, you have to base it off of MSRP. The difference is $180. The MSRP of the 128gb model is $1200...not $850 on eBay.
DS1000RR said:
I'm sure I am not the only one who feels like the S22 Ultra is a Galaxy Note...and replaces the S for this year. I'm worried that this may be a permanent thing, and I really hate the design of the S22 Ultra.
Are we going to see a return to the more curved design of the S21 Ultra in the S23 or am I doomed to abandon Samsung in the future and take a bite out of a manky apple?
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That most likely WILL depend on sales. Of it's not extradinary good, they'll most likely make it a special edition model and go back to the regular S Series model.
beserker15 said:
The Fold series is more or less still an experiment. The Z Flip 3 was actually a better than expected seller for them but the Fold will never be mainstream until it becomes cheaper and more durable.
Google's scope storage and future changes to Android makes it more and more difficult for apps to access SD Cards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with both points.
Foldables in gerneral is an "experiment" or a "look what we can do... aren't we smart?" exercise., by Samsung & other manufacturers.
I have owned the Fold1, Fold2 and Fold3 and am now "over it" with Foldabless. period.
Z Flips I have played with but never quite got the point... they are just S series phones with rubbish cameras and a small battery.
Too expensive, too big & heavy (for one handed use or for use when walking), too fragile, etc... basically just not practical as a daily driver long term.
Foldables as a genre will fades away in the next 2-3 years... unless of course Apple releases an iFLip in which case it will be a massive success and a mainstream "must have" device. lol. (sic!)
SD Cards are now only supported on mid range devives (eg A series for Samsung) and not on flagships. Sooner or later SD Cards support will disappear from smartphones entirely.
I think the main reasons for this trend is not security or google changes to android. Heres my own explanation:-
1. performance - SD Cards (even the best ones) struggle to sustain consistent read/write rates for 4k or 8k video and similar high IO functions. If the camera app crashes or produces poor quelity output because the SD card is too too slow, users will post to forums like XDA and trash the manufacturer or the device when really it is the SD Card that is the problem. Some users may return device as "faulty" for a warranty repair. Basically SD Cards on a smartphone are a total PITA for Samsung & other brands. Its much easier for them to drop support for SD Cards then sell users a (more epensive!) device with larger internal storage options.
2. Fake SD Cards (on ebay, Amazon, and other online "tat" markets). Same outcome as for 1. but much worse as data may be lost or corrupted on fake cards & performance is often much lower than advertised. It's diffucult to tell a fake from a genuine item in online markeplace apps.
dezborders said:
Totally agree with both points.
Foldables in gerneral is an "experiment" or a "look what we can do... aren't we smart?" exercise., by Samsung & other manufacturers.
I have owned the Fold1, Fold2 and Fold3 and am now "over it" with Foldabless. period.
Z Flips I have played with but never quite got the point... they are just S series phones with rubbish cameras and a small battery.
Too expensive, too big & heavy (for one handed use or for use when walking), too fragile, etc... basically just not practical as a daily driver long term.
Foldables as a genre will fades away in the next 2-3 years... unless of course Apple releases an iFLip in which case it will be a massive success and a mainstream "must have" device. lol. (sic!)
SD Cards are now only supported on mid range devives (eg A series for Samsung) and not on flagships. Sooner or later SD Cards support will disappear from smartphones entirely.
I think the main reasons for this trend is not security or google changes to android. Heres my own explanation:-
1. performance - SD Cards (even the best ones) struggle to sustain consistent read/write rates for 4k or 8k video and similar high IO functions. If the camera app crashes or produces poor quelity output because the SD card is too too slow, users will post to forums like XDA and trash the manufacturer or the device when really it is the SD Card that is the problem. Some users may return device as "faulty" for a warranty repair. Basically SD Cards on a smartphone are a total PITA for Samsung & other brands. Its much easier for them to drop support for SD Cards then sell users a (more epensive!) device with larger internal storage options.
2. Fake SD Cards (on ebay, Amazon, and other online "tat" markets). Same outcome as for 1. but much worse as data may be lost or corrupted on fake cards & performance is often much lower than advertised. It's diffucult to tell a fake from a genuine item in online markeplace apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3. Space - space the insides of these phones is a premium and the majority of owners don't care for or want SD Cards.
4. IP rating - more slots more issues with securing the IP rating
5. Consumerism - Most people don't want to buy a device with basic 64GB memory then go buy an SD card, they want the device fully loaded and ready to use. You could argue they could add an SD card to the device with 256GB ram but you can't due to (3) space being premium. If they put 256GB ram then they have to sacrifice something to get the space RAM vs SD Card.
This thread has been hijacked and I guarantee this thread will be about SD Cards are good, cloud backups are bad, the group single-digit percentage of owners that want SD Cards are the most important customers, the Note 1-+ is the best, Android 12 sucks.
And we all know the S23 will fail as it will not have an SD Card. I'm still trying to get my head around how amazing the iPhone has done and it has never had, or will, an SD Card slot
lywyn said:
3. Space - space the insides of these phones is a premium and the majority of owners don't care for or want SD Cards.
4. IP rating - more slots more issues with securing the IP rating
5. Consumerism - Most people don't want to buy a device with basic 64GB memory then go buy an SD card, they want the device fully loaded and ready to use. You could argue they could add an SD card to the device with 256GB ram but you can't due to (3) space being premium. If they put 256GB ram then they have to sacrifice something to get the space RAM vs SD Card.
This thread has been hijacked and I guarantee this thread will be about SD Cards are good, cloud backups are bad, the group single-digit percentage of owners that want SD Cards are the most important customers, the Note 1-+ is the best, Android 12 sucks.
And we all know the S23 will fail as it will not have an SD Card. I'm still trying to get my head around how amazing the iPhone has done and it has never had, or will, an SD Card slot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. And I apologize for hijacking the thread. I swear I'm not some crazy fanboy but I do get triggered when someone says Samsung is just copying Apple by removing features lol.
Apple is really the only manufacturer that sets its own terms on both features and design (trying to bring back to the OP) and that consumers follow. I don't think anyone loved the notch design at first or the removal of the headphone jack but Apple lovers followed anyway and the trend continued.
Samsung, Google, OnePlus and other OEMs are all reactionaries. They don't have the balls to take such a huge risk by removing features until they know there won't be significant pushback (and if they find out they're wrong, they course correct to bring back the feature to try and win back customers).
The merging of the S Ultra and Note series is a small risk by Samsung. They know there are Note loyalists and they hope that turning the S Ultra into a Note won't upset the regular S Ultra users like the OP. If the S22 Ultra ends up being a flop and enough people complain about the design, my prediction is that the S23 Ultra will then return to the curvy, no S-Pen form and perhaps the Fold 4 may end up being the one that merges with the Note series.