Question Should I really change to galaxy - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Hello everyone, in the past 9-10 years I have been an iPhone user after a bad experience with an android device. Now after 10 years I feel like android have become good enough to work fast on phones and got some nice features. So I thought about finally brake the chains of apple and move to android but I still have concerns.. I’m talking here specifically on galaxy s21 ultra but my questions are also relevant to other devices if I’ll find a better phone than the s21 ultra. My main concern that I also experienced with my old android device is a lack of support and updates. With apple I only had 2 iPhone in the past 10 years and they both received updates. (My iPhone X is still receiving updates) I was wondering what is the case with android? Or if I want to be more specific, with Samsung’s flagships, how long do they support their devices? If they stop supporting can you still get android updates? Using custom roms or kernels? I remember people have done it on my old device but those roms had many bugs, they were lack of features and the whole experience was pretty bad… how is this experience now? Is it still bad if Samsung doesn’t support the device anymore? What about the speed of the device? Does it get slower when time passes? (I’m not talking about reasonable reduced in speed that occurs over time, I’m talking about getting a device that is so slow that it is a nightmare to use it). Phones today have become so expensive and I’m not buying a new phone unless my old phone dies, so I want to have a phone that will last me for years, and I want to get the best phone with the best hardware to do it.
Thank you in advance!

Might want to break up your multi-part question into distinct discussions, because they are separate topics worthy of independent deep discussions.
have you considered Pixel? That's a pure software experience.

"I’m not buying a new phone unless my old phone dies" Which is to say you're curious not serious. Maybe you'll get serious about the time the Galaxy S32 becames available?

kfirbep said:
Hello everyone, in the past 9-10 years I have been an iPhone user after a bad experience with an android device. Now after 10 years I feel like android have become good enough to work fast on phones and got some nice features. So I thought about finally brake the chains of apple and move to android but I still have concerns.. I’m talking here specifically on galaxy s21 ultra but my questions are also relevant to other devices if I’ll find a better phone than the s21 ultra. My main concern that I also experienced with my old android device is a lack of support and updates. With apple I only had 2 iPhone in the past 10 years and they both received updates. (My iPhone X is still receiving updates) I was wondering what is the case with android? Or if I want to be more specific, with Samsung’s flagships, how long do they support their devices? If they stop supporting can you still get android updates? Using custom roms or kernels? I remember people have done it on my old device but those roms had many bugs, they were lack of features and the whole experience was pretty bad… how is this experience now? Is it still bad if Samsung doesn’t support the device anymore? What about the speed of the device? Does it get slower when time passes? (I’m not talking about reasonable reduced in speed that occurs over time, I’m talking about getting a device that is so slow that it is a nightmare to use it). Phones today have become so expensive and I’m not buying a new phone unless my old phone dies, so I want to have a phone that will last me for years, and I want to get the best phone with the best hardware to do it.
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're happy with your iphone, the updates, the performace and have been in the apple ecosystem for a decade now, what is your main motivation to switch platforms? Why exactly do you want to jump ship to Android? Is there anything particular you want with your phone that Android provides? You mentioned you wanted to "break the chains of Apple..." Android will definitely halp with that to some extent but that's going to come with it's own baggage. If you're really fed up of Apple, and have decided to jump ship after V.E.R.Y. careful consideration of the pros and cons of that decision, then the S21 ultra is worth recommending. It's one of the best Android flagships out there. Samsung is at the top of the game when it comes to frequency and promptness of updates (the quality of updates is a whole other discussion) and security patches - almost as good as Google itself. Pixels are good too if software and exclusive Google features matter more to you than hardware. S22 series is around the corner with the S22U rumored to have in-built S-Pen and basically a rebranded Note so you might want to hold off on upgrading for a few more months if that's your jam.
Just out of curiosity. what Apple "chains" are you talking of breaking?

Yes you should come to android world
Any android phone supports updates for around 3 years i think (and its enough) after that you can do custom roms (but most are little buggy)
Best android experience phones (according to me)
Google pixel, Samsung, Oneplus and Xiaomi

kfirbep said:
I’m talking here specifically on galaxy s21 ultra but my questions are also relevant to other devices if I’ll find a better phone than the s21 ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you feel fancy to get acquainted with ADB
then it makes sense to consider Samsung.
Samsung out of the box is an unusable piece of trash
because of the absolute unimaginable amount of bloatware all running in the background draining your battery and making attacking surface the biggest in the industry.
But, if you remove all the bloatware (around 50 packages) you will get a decent phone
with four years of updates after that I'd consider to install LineageOS or
/e/ OS if you care about privacy.
I wouldn't wait for S22 Ultra,
besides of narrative smartphones do not make any progress since Samsung's S10,
S22U will be not a significant improvement
worthy double the price of the S21U.

Android. I simply cannot bear to use an iphone in any capacity. In my opinion, a rooted/tweaked Android makes apple products look like toys.
Security555 said:
If you feel fancy to get acquainted with ADB
then it makes sense to consider Samsung.
Samsung out of the box is an unusable piece of trash
because of the absolute unimaginable amount of bloatware all running in the background draining your battery and making attacking surface the biggest in the industry.
But, if you remove all the bloatware (around 50 packages) you will get a decent phone
with four years of updates after that I'd consider to install LineageOS or
/e/ OS if you care about privacy.
I wouldn't wait for S22 Ultra,
besides of narrative smartphones do not make any progress since Samsung's S10,
S22U will be not a significant improvement
worthy double the price of the S21U.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly how I feel. Getting my s21 Ultra on the 21st and plan on using this guide to tweak since unlocking the bootloader isn't an option for the US build 4+ phone just yet.

burnxtc said:
I simply cannot bear to use an iphone in any capacity. In my opinion, a rooted/tweaked Android makes apple products look like toys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why we all here, aren't we? )
iPnone is out of competition though if you look for a "grandma certified" phone.
iPhone isn't actually a smart phone it is rather a dumb phone, because all you can do with it is run apps from the app store.
On Android on the otherhand,
among other things I run a full-fledged Kali Linux including UI in user space on my old unrooted Mate 20 pro.
On my S21U I exclusively run FOSS only.
Android and iPnone are two different animals, people who compare them have no technical understanding at all, in my opinion and should stick with iPhone (if freedom is not a cause of concern, of course)

kfirbep said:
...My main concern that I also experienced with my old android device is a lack of support and updates. With apple I only had 2 iPhone in the past 10 years and they both received updates. (My iPhone X is still receiving updates) I was wondering what is the case with android? Or if I want to be more specific, with Samsung’s flagships, how long do they support their devices? If they stop supporting can you still get android updates? Using custom roms or kernels? I remember people have done it on my old device but those roms had many bugs, they were lack of features and the whole experience was pretty bad… how is this experience now?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent question. This is a common misconception. While Apple may provide operating system updates for longer, the effective usable lifespan on the flagship devices is identical. The reason for this is that the equivalent iOS apps require a much newer version of iOS than Android. Put plainly, a circa-2017 iPhone will have access to about the same software library as a high-end Android handset from the same time period. Same for a circa-2015 iOS and Android device.
My recommendation is to base your purchasing decision on literally anything else (hardware, ergonomics, audiovisual experience, etc.). The whole myth of iOS devices being useful for longer is simply not based in fact.

Related

Bye Nexus 5, Bye Google. Hello Apple.

Almost 3 years being with Google - Coming from a Nokia -
Only if the LG Phone Nexus 5 was builtt as good or better than ****, but it was so flimsy, in spite of being well taken care of all the components kept breaking -
And then there is the android system, I like Android (Oh and thanks god for Cataclysm ROM it made the nexus experience even better) , I like the new Android M too, but inconsistency, bugs that got in the way of your productive such as the memory leak in the android kitkat, and then the wifi drain in Android M. But I did not actually experience the Android M Wifi battery drain (I don't think I did); but I still experienced WiFi using a lot of battery, maybe another bug maybe not.
But the main reason I leave google's nexus line (the only line I would consider for staying with google): Cheaply built phones, that don't last, that have all kinds of hardware problem. Whether its Huwaie, or LG (disgusting). I remember my nexus 5 started to have problems 5 days before the warranty expired, I was busy and called immediately the day after it expired but neither google or lg were willing to help. And then after replacing part after part on my nexus 5, other hardware problems just eventually gave in - a phone barely lasted 2.5 years, without me applying thermal paste and replacing other components.
Now I am with iPhone and I have to say - well built, clean software, not as customizable YES, but, it does not get in the way of my productivity, specially with hardware problems. It's time for Android fans to start criticizing google, and it's cheap phones, I want Google to be able to compete with Apple, but at this moment, Apple is superior to google, seriously.
> phone barely lasted 2.5 years
Apple isn't going to be any different unfortunately. Good news is that their eco-system is well constructed and the scenarios that they do support, work very well.
Best of luck. I just came to Nexus 5 after leaving Windows Phone, where I couldn't stand the "coming soon". Honestly the fact that the Nexus 5 is still running strong was the primary motivation for me to move.
PFFF I have both F***& Apple biggest POS I have ever used
It's your choice!
I'l see u back on this forum after a couple of years when google gets his stuff together!
What parts did you have to constantly replace?
"so flimsy, in spite of being well taken care of"
Really? Seriously? Did you leave it in a drawer? Things just don't break.
It's always sad to see someone go over to the technologically-illiterate side. Apple's hardware & software may be well-made and well-integrated, but you never actually own your iDevice - you just rent it. If you jailbreak it they feel entitled to brick it, I've heard. Naturally I haven't got concrete evidence with my own eyes, because their ethos is so utterly repellent to me that I could never give them a cent.
"neither google or lg were willing to help". Really? When my own N5's radio stopped working after 18 months after the battery ran down to zero (which I appreciate sort of conflicts with my first statement, but bear with me), supposedly outside warranty, Google replaced it without a murmur. I got a "refurbished" phone which was to my eyes absolutely new, and which is still working perfectly with Marshmallow 6.0.1.
I know full well that this is a pointless and stupid argument. You like Apple or you don't. I don't. Marmite/Vegemite. But to proclaim in an Android forum that your Android experience isn't as good as your new Apple experience (after how much time, I wonder...?) is a particularly pointless waste of time.
So I'll stop wasting mine now.
Was it necessary to let us know that you switched to a different phone?
Good for you.
Beat it.
What's the point?
This was kind of "If you need me I'll be jogging for the next hour", "but I didn't ask" "Well, just in case you wanted to know, I'm running" "Um... I didn't want to know"
I like my iPhone fine, but I wouldn't stick my neck out in an Android forum to point that out unless I was spoiling for a trolling.
Sent from my LG-D852 using XDA Forums
I prefer android myself and have found the build quality on the nexus 5 not very good, but you get what you pay for i guess.
I dont like the apple OS but they make great hardware for sure, their stuff just shouts quality , however im sure you could find similar quality in some android phones too, htc etc
Well, my experience with Apple wasn't good... Bought all the models until 5c (couldn't afford 5) and have to tell that Apple throws a way their models leaving the behind with a ios that does not work properly (last ios for each model)... And as well lot of hardware problems still have some where a 4s and a 5c somewhere at home... Good luck and save a lot to buy their "New product"
I agree about one thing pretty much all Android phones have had so-so build quality over the years. Now that has changed as more and more start to build in metal. Now this does not account for actual better quality but the perception of quality is much greater. I know I will never buy a plastic phone again they just feel cheep no matter whay. Only Nokia has basically been able to make plastic feel good in the past with the Lumia line.
At the moment I have a Huawei Mate S, iPhone 6S Plus and a Nokia Lumia 1520. Out of these three, I hold the Mate S as the superior build. It just feels best in the hand. As big screen as the iPhone but a lot smaller in the hand and it looks even better. An impressive piece of engineering indeed.
However this leads me to your trouble. (somethat) Only the Huawei has it's small issues from time to time with wakelocks. This has almost been the case for me with most Androids I've had over the years (and I've had a lot). Android has had these kind of battery draining bugs for so long it's sickening. Something I never experience on either Windows Mobile/Phone nor iOS. Specially iOS feels more polished than anything else on the market, albeit limited in comparison.
That being said, I use my Mate S as a daily driver now, which has the "mobile radio active" bug that's in Lollipop but for me it thankfully does not seem to affect battery life when it happens (daily), it's just a statistical error. Knowing it's there the system feels inferior in use. I have to worry about my usage at times when I'm not on WIFI. With my other phones I feel more at ease.
Each system has their strenghts and weaknesses. I'm no fanboy in either way and having three mobile OS's to chose from at any given day feels great. Something more people should adapt. Stop defending one system so much just because you own it at the moment. Just enjoy what is out there! But do not necessarily speak open about it like this because not many will care. Nature of people is that they get offended and enter defensive mode.
OP, congratulations on your new phone and hope it is everything you are looking for.
Now before this turns into an Apple vs Android thread (which we have had many over the years) going to close this.
Thanks
FNM

iPhone to Android?

Hi,
So, currently I am using iPhone Xs and I feel this is the right time to make a switch to an android phone.
I have been using IOS since last 7 years, I update my phone every year with the latest apple offering.
I have used android(galaxy S5 it was I guess) for a brief period of time and to be honest hated it. But now what I have known after reading so much about android that it has come a long way and does most of the things better than iPhones.
Would like to know how the transition would be? As have said using iPhone since past 7 years will I find it difficult to get used to android os? has anyone else did this jump from iOS to android? Also have been reading that app quality on iOS is better than android, is that even remotely true? One thing I am really going to miss is the emoji, which on android look so alien and cartoonish.
I am really bored to death with iOS, nothing has changed in the last many years. One can’t customise it and give it a new look, other than changing he wallpaper, that too is hardly visible due to those apps. Have invested a lot on apple ecosystem but now I refuse to pay more for the basic things like ringtones. Yes, I have over 70 ringtones which I have bought from iTunes store along with many songs.
Initially Pixel 3(smaller one) was on my radar but then in few months time pixel 4 will be out so buying pixel 3 now doesn’t make sense, it also is slightly overpriced for what it offers. So, now I’m left with galaxy S10(no plus version, too big). Is it good for someone who is coming from iOS? On screen fingerprint scanner not too accurate and gives trouble unlocking the phone? Battery life on exynos?
Will be really very grateful if you guys can help me in everything which I should know before jumping to android bandwagon. Thanks!
Holysmokee said:
Hi,
So, currently I am using iPhone Xs and I feel this is the right time to make a switch to an android phone.
I have been using IOS since last 7 years, I update my phone every year with the latest apple offering.
I have used android(galaxy S5 it was I guess) for a brief period of time and to be honest hated it. But now what I have known after reading so much about android that it has come a long way and does most of the things better than iPhones.
Would like to know how the transition would be? As have said using iPhone since past 7 years will I find it difficult to get used to android os? has anyone else did this jump from iOS to android? Also have been reading that app quality on iOS is better than android, is that even remotely true? One thing I am really going to miss is the emoji, which on android look so alien and cartoonish.
I am really bored to death with iOS, nothing has changed in the last many years. One can’t customise it and give it a new look, other than changing he wallpaper, that too is hardly visible due to those apps. Have invested a lot on apple ecosystem but now I refuse to pay more for the basic things like ringtones. Yes, I have over 70 ringtones which I have bought from iTunes store along with many songs.
Initially Pixel 3(smaller one) was on my radar but then in few months time pixel 4 will be out so buying pixel 3 now doesn’t make sense, it also is slightly overpriced for what it offers. So, now I’m left with galaxy S10(no plus version, too big). Is it good for someone who is coming from iOS? On screen fingerprint scanner not too accurate and gives trouble unlocking the phone? Battery life on exynos?
Will be really very grateful if you guys can help me in everything which I should know before jumping to android bandwagon. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I normally use android, but sometimes use iPhone from time to time, just for fun. Most phone do similar things these days and I don't really think that Android will be that different as it was many years ago.
So when you buy S10(the normal version), you would be able to transfer your data via Samsung Smart Switch and most of the time the phone will ask you during the setup process. If for some reason, you weren't offered to transfer data, you can do it using aforementioned Smart Switch app/option. Samsung also puts an adapter in the box, so you can use cable to transfer data from old phone or do it over the air (your choice, but cable is faster)
App quality is getting better. For example you may/may not notice the fluidity of the apps. The scrolling of some iPhone apps might be a be smoother than Android versions. In my case, I personally don't notice it much as I do think that quality for both platforms went up.
As you mentioned above, the customization of Android is pretty much endless and it is a joy to use Every time when I put my sim into iPhone 7, I come across few issues and want to do back to Android. For example at home, I can set my Galaxy S10e to stay unlocked, but in iPhone I can't. Also in the car, I can tell my phone to not lock the device when it is connected to a Bluetooth device(car, watch, headset and so on). My phone can easily play music through 2 Bluetooth speakers simultaneously. One hand mode is also present, multi window, picture in picture is there too! I remember Samsung had 1 month trial for Apple iPhone users where they would use the phone and if didn't like, easily could return it back - don't know is they still do that. In any case, you can buy the phone from Samsung.com and you will have about 2 weeks, try it out and see.
Holysmokee said:
Hi,
So, currently I am using iPhone Xs and I feel this is the right time to make a switch to an android phone.
I have been using IOS since last 7 years, I update my phone every year with the latest apple offering.
I have used android(galaxy S5 it was I guess) for a brief period of time and to be honest hated it. But now what I have known after reading so much about android that it has come a long way and does most of the things better than iPhones.
Would like to know how the transition would be? As have said using iPhone since past 7 years will I find it difficult to get used to android os? has anyone else did this jump from iOS to android? Also have been reading that app quality on iOS is better than android, is that even remotely true? One thing I am really going to miss is the emoji, which on android look so alien and cartoonish.
I am really bored to death with iOS, nothing has changed in the last many years. One can’t customise it and give it a new look, other than changing he wallpaper, that too is hardly visible due to those apps. Have invested a lot on apple ecosystem but now I refuse to pay more for the basic things like ringtones. Yes, I have over 70 ringtones which I have bought from iTunes store along with many songs.
Initially Pixel 3(smaller one) was on my radar but then in few months time pixel 4 will be out so buying pixel 3 now doesn’t make sense, it also is slightly overpriced for what it offers. So, now I’m left with galaxy S10(no plus version, too big). Is it good for someone who is coming from iOS? On screen fingerprint scanner not too accurate and gives trouble unlocking the phone? Battery life on exynos?
Will be really very grateful if you guys can help me in everything which I should know before jumping to android bandwagon. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My son has been an Iphone user for years and has an S10 now.
Het went over with the S8.
I have asked him which system he preferred and he told me that 95% of the 2 systems (IOS vs Android) are identical in usage but the fact that he has so many more choices in Android makes that is his preference of choice.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Seriously no EMUI 10.1 for the P20 Pro?

I read some news what said there will be no EMUI 10.1 for the P20 Pro.
What the duck, is this for real?
no one know...i think no emui 10 for p20 pro....lol
10.0 has started coming out today for the p20 pro, it's been available in china but now seems to be going wider. 10.1 won't because the phone is reaching the end of its life cycle sadly
dlevick said:
10.0 has started coming out today for the p20 pro, it's been available in china but now seems to be going wider. 10.1 won't because the phone is reaching the end of its life cycle sadly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But 10.1 is just a bit of optimization for 10, or am I wrong?
It should get 10.1, like every other phone.
I will not buy Huawei again, for sure. The phone's great, I really like the software, but updates are trash. Also, no bootloader unlock code.
What feature are you wanting from 10.1? This phone is 2 years old now, pretty much end of life for tech device. Not sure what people want from unlocking bootloader, there's pretty much zero development on this phone. Some crappy ROMs with broken stuff. You really not missing anything apart from ad blocking lol. Days of Rom dev are almost over unfortunately, buy an older phone if that's what you want.
"Not sure what people want from unlocking bootloader,"
Well, I could be able to revive one of my bricked devices. Complicated story, that is why this would be the only method.
"What feature are you wanting from 10.1?"
Everything new.
I wouldn't count on it. Android 11 is coming out next month and we still don't have EMUI 10 here in Australia.
Yep. It got confirmed that p20 pro will not get EMUI 10.1.
Emui 10 got delayed till June, and also we got removed from montly security updates.
---------- Post added at 09:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 AM ----------
purple patch said:
What feature are you wanting from 10.1? This phone is 2 years old now, pretty much end of life for tech device. Not sure what people want from unlocking bootloader, there's pretty much zero development on this phone. Some crappy ROMs with broken stuff. You really not missing anything apart from ad blocking lol. Days of Rom dev are almost over unfortunately, buy an older phone if that's what you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While i agree with you that custom roms are dying, unfortunately you are completely wrong about the 2 year cycle of life.
All android manufacturers can push as many updates as Apple, but they refuse, because mob mentality. I paid a lot of cash for this phone only to be treated the same way as the P9 days : Delayed updates for x times, updates that got canceled because of unknown reasons and so on.
Huawei had the ability to come on top if they announced that phones from 2017 and up will get a lot of updates, since now they no longer have google services and they can easily use their OWN services to gain profit, just like Apple. They refuse to see it, they become stubborn, and me as a consumer will put my foot down and no longer buy phones from this brand, neither anything related to Huawei.
Great hardware, bad software.
I will have to waste 1k on an Iphone but at least i can be assured that i get a lot of support for more than those 2 years that android manufacturers provide.
Huawei, you deserve all you're getting. If you don't man up and stop with these PR stunts and "communism", the brand will die. Literally Xiaomi surpassed them!
I'm done with Huawei.
My next phone will be an OnePlus, Samsung or Xiaomi.
Huawei as a company became trash af.
I was in love with the brand since I got a Mate 10 lite - but what they're doing is nonsense bull****.
Great hardware, nice UI, but the attitude towards updates is seriously bad.
Without GMS and changes in their behavior, this company will get out from Europe maybe around 2025. At least their mobile section for sure.
Qgloof said:
My next phone will be an OnePlus, Samsung or Xiaomi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't plan to immediately switch to a custom ROM don't go with Xiaomi. They have terrible software, with hard-to-imagine amount of bloat and ad-ware. From my past experience they are even worse than Huawei in terms of updates.
If you live in any country that gets Exynos variants of Samsung phones - it's a waste of money. It's proven that they have far worse performance compared to the Snapdragon variants of the same model (at the same price). Don't know how fast Samsung rolls out updates now, but in the past they were very slow.
arty_a said:
If you don't plan to immediately switch to a custom ROM don't go with Xiaomi. They have terrible software, with hard-to-imagine amount of bloat and ad-ware. From my past experience they are even worse than Huawei in terms of updates.
If you leave in any country that gets Exynos variants of Samsung phones - it's a waste of money. It's proven that they have far worse performance compared to the Snapdragon variants of the same model (at the same price). Don't know how fast Samsung rolls out updates now, but in the past they were very slow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I live in Hungary, we get Samsung phones with Exynos.
Do you have any experience with OnePlus? I heard that they're the "iPhone" of android phones.
Qgloof said:
Do you have any experience with OnePlus? I heard that they're the "iPhone" of android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have experience with OnePlus yet, but I'm considering it as an option for my next device.
I can't really imagine what "They're the "iPhone" of Android phones." means.
OnePlus phones are pretty open and have some nice custom ROM options. They are not as expensive as other flagship devices (although getting closer every year). In the last models they had some green tint issues with the screen (some say minor and limited). Overall considered to have good hardware and software.
That's more or less what I know, you probably can get much more (and more reliable) information on the OnePlus forums.
arty_a said:
I don't have experience with OnePlus yet, but I'm considering it as an option for my next device.
I can't really imagine what "They're the "iPhone" of Android phones." means.
OnePlus phones are pretty open and have some nice custom ROM options. They are not as expensive as other flagship devices (although getting closer every year). In the last models they had some green tint issues with the screen (some say minor and limited). Overall considered to have good hardware and software.
That's more or less what I know, you probably can get much more (and more reliable) information on the OnePlus forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Thank you, have a nice day!
Qgloof said:
I'm done with Huawei.
My next phone will be an OnePlus, Samsung or Xiaomi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL you think Samsung or Xiaomi cares about software updates? Any company that produces 10+ lines of devices dont care about keeping up with updates.. only selling....
You want consistent updates, go with Apple, Google or even OnePlus, as they openly support 3rd party roms...
I'd also not go with Samsung. They are very poor with regards to updates as well. Xiaomi is fast with updates actually, but there skin really is ****. Think.. original touchwiz ****.
Apple, Google or OnePlus are the only options for updates. Though, if 'Murica decides to ban all tech to China, then oneplus is also out.
Did you know more about it?
No, we only get 10.0, as it seems.
Just came. Poland, Orange.
pasza_sadyka said:
Just came. Poland, Orange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine still haven't arrived. Others?
Update is live in UK as well. Went live four days ago.

Is there a way to get rid of MIUI android?

Hi,
Is there any way to get rid of this cancer and get a lineageos rom that is stable for the recent Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro?
Or is this not adviced. I would like to get 10hrs of SOT if possible don't want MIUI bullcrap. The phone itself the hardware and quality is really good. It's just the damn Chinese mutated android
I don't want there crappy software iPhone x clone crap.
As an Android purist I absolutely agree that the only thing holding back an otherwise perfect phone (for the price) is the software. I know there are many MIUI fans out there, and I'll never understand why as it's a bloated, cartoony mess that's trying too hard to be IOS with its obnoxious animations and blur effects. If this were an Android One device I'm sure it'd sell like hotcakes.
That being said, there are many custom ROMs available in these very forums, including unofficial LineageOS and Pixel Experience builds and they seem stable enough. Personally I'm holding out for MIUI12 just to test it for a few days, then I'll probably flash one of those.
SpaceDye said:
As an Android purist I absolutely agree that the only thing holding back an otherwise perfect phone (for the price) is the software. I know there are many MIUI fans out there, and I'll never understand why as it's a bloated, cartoony mess that's trying too hard to be IOS with its obnoxious animations and blur effects. If this were an Android One device I'm sure it'd sell like hotcakes.
That being said, there are many custom ROMs available in these very forums, including unofficial LineageOS and Pixel Experience builds and they seem stable enough. Personally I'm holding out for MIUI12 just to test it for a few days, then I'll probably flash one of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree. Not saying that all user interfaces are bad but just the way you describe it iOS clone etc, I feel the same about it. If I want an iPhone I will buy one, money is not the problem.. Not to forget that Xiaomi was banned by Google several times and I had one of the first Xiaomi devices released, it was not even for sale here in the stores. I did order it online from some dropshipper on the slow boat. Flashed a fresh official international rom and modem and hooked it up to my man-in-the-middle machine, when I looked at the traffic with wireshark oh my god... The rom was bloated to hell official Xiaomi rom and never seen something like this I mean multiple spyware and bloatware !! I patched all dirty **** away but quickly switched back to stock because the patches introduced bugs (what the hell can you except when its so bad, with no source code and private sign keys, had to unlock bootloader and flash with TWRP...). I mean most cellphone brands do or did this. Nothing new but this was just next level. Had to remove so many spyware, bloatware.. Just the amount of cancer that was introduced, I would rather live with bugs instead of a bloated phone. I remember my first bloated phone was a HTC with the Carrier IQ spyware. Also I loved HTC so much, right? Nooo, only the hardware!! The phone was out of the box so full of themes and ****ing garbage that it was slowed down to an almost unusable state... Obviously I quickly found out that Cyanogenmod was back in the days. A clean Android version that had great features and was way nicer with the CPU and thus saving the battery also no crappy themes that made your device go slow, laggy and drain the battery.
In case of Xiaomi I really think they have their ROI in cellphone sales = based on data that they mine big data by MIUI Android. Can't be otherwise, why else is the phone so cheap and now new feature introduced that you can't rollback firmware update? :laugh::fingers-crossed:
Obviously now we don't have lag anymore because most SoCs are super fast and can even handle demanding games. But yeah, I don't care about games and themes, just want a solid phone near stock Android with no bull**** added to it. I have searched for phones, again I am back to Motorola, Lenovo phones seems to have moved away from large batteries so. I would like to buy the Motorola Edge+ but it's only 999 US dollars.. Also don't want to go that crazy, I don't need a high end device. Mid range is fine, >= 170.000 Antutu 4+gb ram, amoled display and big battery decent camera & no MTK soc. Really hard to find with stock android or near stock on it. I believe that there are only like 3 phones.. Regarding amoled burn in, really not a big deal. I really watch a lot of movies on my phone or when I travel. After 4 years I can see a little burn in, and some times I have had 300gb bandwidth because of streaming and SOT of 12+ hours. So people really should shut up with bs, the burn in is no issue. LCD technology looks so nasty and it's bad for the eyes...
Will have to think about it, unofficial LineageOS/CM is a long time ago for me.. I actually want a stable phone for daily use don't really want to flash my phone 2 times a week anymore like I did back in the days..
NiTrOwow said:
I completely agree. Not saying that all user interfaces are bad but just the way you describe it iOS clone etc, I feel the same about it. If I want an iPhone I will buy one, money is not the problem.. Not to forget that Xiaomi was banned by Google several times and I had one of the first Xiaomi devices released, it was not even for sale here in the stores. I did order it online from some dropshipper on the slow boat. Flashed a fresh official international rom and modem and hooked it up to my man-in-the-middle machine, when I looked at the traffic with wireshark oh my god... The rom was bloated to hell official Xiaomi rom and never seen something like this I mean multiple spyware and bloatware !! I patched all dirty **** away but quickly switched back to stock because the patches introduced bugs (what the hell can you except when its so bad, with no source code and private sign keys, had to unlock bootloader and flash with TWRP...). I mean most cellphone brands do or did this. Nothing new but this was just next level. Had to remove so many spyware, bloatware.. Just the amount of cancer that was introduced, I would rather live with bugs instead of a bloated phone. I remember my first bloated phone was a HTC with the Carrier IQ spyware. Also I loved HTC so much, right? Nooo, only the hardware!! The phone was out of the box so full of themes and ****ing garbage that it was slowed down to an almost unusable state... Obviously I quickly found out that Cyanogenmod was back in the days. A clean Android version that had great features and was way nicer with the CPU and thus saving the battery also no crappy themes that made your device go slow, laggy and drain the battery.
In case of Xiaomi I really think they have their ROI in cellphone sales = based on data that they mine big data by MIUI Android. Can't be otherwise, why else is the phone so cheap and now new feature introduced that you can't rollback firmware update? :laugh::fingers-crossed:
Obviously now we don't have lag anymore because most SoCs are super fast and can even handle demanding games. But yeah, I don't care about games and themes, just want a solid phone near stock Android with no bull**** added to it. I have searched for phones, again I am back to Motorola, Lenovo phones seems to have moved away from large batteries so. I would like to buy the Motorola Edge+ but it's only 999 US dollars.. Also don't want to go that crazy, I don't need a high end device. Mid range is fine, >= 170.000 Antutu 4+gb ram, amoled display and big battery decent camera & no MTK soc. Really hard to find with stock android or near stock on it. I believe that there are only like 3 phones.. Regarding amoled burn in, really not a big deal. I really watch a lot of movies on my phone or when I travel. After 4 years I can see a little burn in, and some times I have had 300gb bandwidth because of streaming and SOT of 12+ hours. So people really should shut up with bs, the burn in is no issue. LCD technology looks so nasty and it's bad for the eyes...
Will have to think about it, unofficial LineageOS/CM is a long time ago for me.. I actually want a stable phone for daily use don't really want to flash my phone 2 times a week anymore like I did back in the days..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's literally Xiaomi's business model; they make little to no profit on the phones they sell, relying instead on the revenue they make from their apps and services. That's why even their most fundamental apps like the music player and file manager serves ads. The ads can supposedly be turned off, but some still slip through the cracks and who knows what user data is being uploaded to their servers. MIUI is literally SaaS.
Don't get me wrong, I really do love this phone. I too don't like spending too much on phones as I don't really need most flagship features on my device, and spending upwards of $1000 for a device that's going to be outdated in a couple of years seems absurd to me. If I wanted a status symbol I'd go out and buy a Rolex instead.
I absolutely agree about AMOLED screens. I swore off LCD screens on phones after my first AMOLED device (Galaxy S3 Neo). I'll take deep blacks, vivid colors and better battery life over the small risk of burn-in after a few years of use any day. Besides, the panels of today are way more resilient than the older generations.
I grabbed the Mi 9 Lite after my trusty OnePlus X finally died on me after 5 years. The build quality and screen were the biggest factors in my decision. It just seemed like a much better proposition than the plasticky midrangers with crappy screens in this price bracket, even though I was almost tempted by Nokia and Motorola with their Android One phones. If OnePlus had released another device around 250-300€ I'd absolutely get that, but until they do this phone is the midranger to beat as long as you flash an AOSP based ROM

Question Should I switch to an iPhone?

I'm sure this topic will stir up a lot. I've mostly been an Android user. Reasons I preferred it was to root them for ad blockers. Since I've been using my S21 Ultra, I haven't rooted it. I use DNS66 to block ads, and it's worked just fine.
I'm considering switching to an iPhone, since my entire family uses them.
I'm just looking for any pros and cons about switching.
Lol, might as well.
Both Android (scoped storage, forced encryption) and Samsung Flagships (no SD card slot, no 3.5mm jack with huge price tags) seem to think they are Apple.
I for one however do not welcome our new Apple overlords
ledvedder said:
I'm sure this topic will stir up a lot. I've mostly been an Android user. Reasons I preferred it was to root them for ad blockers. Since I've been using my S22 Ultra, I haven't rooted it. I use DNS66 to block ads, and it's worked just fine.
I'm considering switching to an iPhone, since my entire family uses them.
I'm just looking for any pros and cons about switching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you manage to get S22 Ultra?
OnnoJ said:
How did you manage to get S22 Ultra?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry... Fixed.
I think I'll change to iPhone 14 Pro max when it comes out given the S22 Ultra is really a note
I switched for a bit but every time there is something that annoys me to the point that I end up coming back. Consistant phones that are good for basic stuff, but once you try to do anything they don't "allow" is it frustrating.
For the first time since the Samsung S7 Edge, when i switched away from my iPhone 6S+ i am seriously looking back at Apple.
Android 12 on my Exynos S21U has ruined it -- the battery life is way worse, the OS feels laggy and buggy -- having to reboot more often and some apps just plain drive me insane as despite doing a factory restore when i got the S21 in the first place they just don't work as they should.
Samsung OneUI is still too bloaty and their insistance of having Google app clones is ridiculous and i think would be better to abandon.
I just don't see a viable Android alternative anymore - MIUI12 is a buggy mess on Xioami. The whole OnePlus Android 12 upgrade debacle has been nightmare and my wife's 9Pro is average at best for taking pics.
Sony is lovely hardware but Android doesn't like their aspect ratio and i had several apps on my 1II that just wouldn't go close to full screen
Will want the Exynos 2200 to be at least everybit as good as a 8Gen1 if not better in which case i might continue my upgrade programme --- but if it's not then i'll probably look closely at iPhone 14 when it arrives
Over the past year I went from a 1+ 7 Pro, to an 11Pro Max, to Pixel 5, to an iPhone 12 Pro Max, to a Pixel 6 Pro, and now to the S21 Ultra.
The Ultra is the first phone that Sparks joy in a long time.
I am the type to change phones often and find myself switching between Android and iPhone.
iPhone is nice if you have family and friends that use it and you're a US user. Their pretty stable and the integration withing the OS makes most day to day tasks seamless.
But over time I'd get bored with them and switch back to Android because I missed the customization (which can be done with iPhones now to an extent) and apps like YouTube Vanced.
Everyones use case is different but I always appreciate the freedom of Android. Sometimes a factory reset and undoing all your tweaks can give it a fresh feel again.
Won't judge you either way because truthfully it's hard to go wrong with both options.
If you already have the accessories and ecosystem IOS a home run.
But personally I won't be switching for a while. The S21 Ultra even in stock form has so many granular tweaks and it's so snappy I can't see a reason to switch.
Chavannigans said:
Over the past year I went from a 1+ 7 Pro, to an 11Pro Max, to Pixel 5, to an iPhone 12 Pro Max, to a Pixel 6 Pro, and now to the S21 Ultra.
The Ultra is the first phone that Sparks joy in a long time.
I am the type to change phones often and find myself switching between Android and iPhone.
iPhone is nice if you have family and friends that use it and you're a US user. Their pretty stable and the integration withing the OS makes most day to day tasks seamless.
But over time I'd get bored with them and switch back to Android because I missed the customization (which can be done with iPhones now to an extent) and apps like YouTube Vanced.
Everyones use case is different but I always appreciate the freedom of Android. Sometimes a factory reset and undoing all your tweaks can give it a fresh feel again.
Won't judge you either way because truthfully it's hard to go wrong with both options.
If you already have the accessories and ecosystem IOS a home run.
But personally I won't be switching for
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree more with this and that is exactly how I feel. This is the first phone in a long time that ticks all the boxes for my usage case and that I am entirely happy with. I can't see myself switching anytime soon, which is not something I've really felt for ages now. This phone is perfect for me.
I'll switch to an iPhone in 2023.
Chavannigans said:
Over the past year I went from a 1+ 7 Pro, to an 11Pro Max, to Pixel 5, to an iPhone 12 Pro Max, to a Pixel 6 Pro, and now to the S21 Ultra.
The Ultra is the first phone that Sparks joy in a long time.
I am the type to change phones often and find myself switching between Android and iPhone.
iPhone is nice if you have family and friends that use it and you're a US user. Their pretty stable and the integration withing the OS makes most day to day tasks seamless.
But over time I'd get bored with them and switch back to Android because I missed the customization (which can be done with iPhones now to an extent) and apps like YouTube Vanced.
Everyones use case is different but I always appreciate the freedom of Android. Sometimes a factory reset and undoing all your tweaks can give it a fresh feel again.
Won't judge you either way because truthfully it's hard to go wrong with both options.
If you already have the accessories and ecosystem IOS a home run.
But personally I won't be switching for a while. The S21 Ultra even in stock form has so many granular tweaks and it's so snappy I can't see a reason to switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent reply.
While I don't have this level of experience with modern devices, I can say the s21 Ultra sparks joy too and has moved into a reliable partnership with me.
My whole family and 75% of my friends are on iphone. I hate iphones. Every time I have to help one of them with their phones I feel like I have to temporarily lower my intelligence to work it. I have to dumb myself down. And maybe there are more tweak options with them now, but I haven't spent the time to find them. I know this is an old argument, but I will never settle for the one button thing.
I make the time to tweak, hack, turbocharge, and sometimes burn & butcher every piece of hardware I own - from cars to computers to vintage receivers to vacuums. I love pushing hardware to the max and optimizing performance. Sticking someone like with this OCD obsession to an iphone is like putting them in a straightjacket.
Now that I can take comparable pictures I won't be having a pang of envy until I see something new & worthwhile from them. Oh yeah, and I hate the company as well.
I've tried both iPhones and Macs, and I couldn't conceive the notion of being stuck with something so walled off from what I can get from another option. You can praise all the merits and advantages of Apple software and hardware, but at the end of the day it's all about what you're willing to forego.
There is something very limiting with iPhones. I have an iPhone 11 as my other daily driver and I've always preferred using my S21U. The amount of ads on iPhone is so much, I get frustrated. I don't feel like I get as much ads on Samsung or Android for that matter.
ledvedder said:
I'm sure this topic will stir up a lot. I've mostly been an Android user. Reasons I preferred it was to root them for ad blockers. Since I've been using my S21 Ultra, I haven't rooted it. I use DNS66 to block ads, and it's worked just fine.
I'm considering switching to an iPhone, since my entire family uses them.
I'm just looking for any pros and cons about switching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't ever used an iPhone. i would recommend asking someone you may know that has maybe an extra one to test drive it. Pop in your sim and get ready to be disappointed . Android isn't perfect but when it's compared to an iPhone. It's like night and day.
burnxtc said:
Excellent reply.
While I don't have this level of experience with modern devices, I can say the s21 Ultra sparks joy too and has moved into a reliable partnership with me.
My whole family and 75% of my friends are on iphone. I hate iphones. Every time I have to help one of them with their phones I feel like I have to temporarily lower my intelligence to work it. I have to dumb myself down. And maybe there are more tweak options with them now, but I haven't spent the time to find them. I know this is an old argument, but I will never settle for the one button thing.
I make the time to tweak, hack, turbocharge, and sometimes burn & butcher every piece of hardware I own - from cars to computers to vintage receivers to vacuums. I love pushing hardware to the max and optimizing performance. Sticking someone like with this OCD obsession to an iphone is like putting them in a straightjacket.
Now that I can take comparable pictures I won't be having a pang of envy until I see something new & worthwhile from them. Oh yeah, and I hate the company as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was so well articulated. I had a similar experience when I went from my Samsung Note 3 to the iPhone 6S. I was sick and tired of TouchWiz and just wanted to escape to iOS.
At first everything was nice, probably because I also got a MacBook Pro along with the phone. The device and software integration was a pleasant surprise. I actually liked the experience for about a year - it was a simple, uncomplicated life.
But over time I started to realise how limited I was in terms of what I was "allowed" to do on "my" device. Hated the absence of a proper file system on my phone. iTunes was a pain to use and I had to do mental gymnastics to accomplish the most basic tasks we take for granted on Android devices. After a year, I started absolutely detesting the way Apple did things. I couldn't understand how a company could push a software update that could result in the phone refusing to accept a 3rd party lightning charging cable that had been working perfectly for 6 months. The phone refused to even bloody CHARGE itself, forget file transfer! Unsupported accessory, it said! I remember I was driving somewhere interstate, in unfamiliar territory, and phone battery was low. I absolutely needed the navigation and connectivity, and i still remember the horror that the freaking phone wanted another cable just to accept charge. This happened right after a software update which apparently updated the MFI codebase for manufacturers participating in the program. Allegedly my cable manufacturer did not pay apple licensing fee - so no charging for me. Not for safety or performance reasons, just because apple could do stuff like that via software. Many such experiences over the next year made me realise I don't like this 'overlord' approach to devices, where the manufacturer still owns your device even after you pay full price for it.
I jumped to the OnePlus 6 the day it was available and realised how bad iOS had suffocated me intellectually over the past 2 years. And I also realised that my anger was over TouchWiz, not Android itself. For the first time in 2 years I could do everything on a phone that I could on a PC. That also made me realise how bad MacOS was if you wanted to tinker outside of apple made software and their approved usage. Over time, I just full time bootcamped to Windows 10 on the Mac and haven't even seen MacOS in 2 years. No doubt the hardware is top notch though -I still have the MacBook Pro running well after 7 years.
But an iPhone is not just an iPhone. It's a portal into apple's way of doing things. If you are okay with it, it's great. But if the word 'tinkerer' even remotely describes you, it's a bad choice.
At least that's my experience - YMMV.
ledvedder said:
I'm sure this topic will stir up a lot. I've mostly been an Android user. Reasons I preferred it was to root them for ad blockers. Since I've been using my S21 Ultra, I haven't rooted it. I use DNS66 to block ads, and it's worked just fine.
I'm considering switching to an iPhone, since my entire family uses them.
I'm just looking for any pros and cons about switching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u own a s21 ultra and want to shift? F
No.
iPhone is janky, stiff, and makes it difficult to do basic things. The only thing that it has going for it is good hardware, (good screens, great cameras, and best speakers) but garbage software can spoil just about anything. Also, iOS doesn't even support fundamental protocols like RCS.
I feel like apple thinks I'm a baby that needs to be micromanaged in every way. When you see the lengths people are going to in order to have custom icons (shortcuts for every single app), or to add empty spaces on their homescreens, it is obvious even their own users want some basic customization and freedom.
Yes, goodbye.

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