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Hello Everyone,
I'm mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario. I'm making the huge leap from iOS to Android and I need some advice. I searched all of the forum, post after post, reading thoughts on devices, operating systems, future products and I am in a bind. I am going to buy a phone to replace my iphone 4, I love modding, customizing and the latter and I don't know what phone to get. I am leaning to the Galaxy Nexus (i'm with Rogers in Canada). I don't care about internal memory because frankly I don't think I have ever reached 10 GIGs on my iphone. I don't have LTE and won't in my area for a year. I love the design of the GN but is it worth while to wait for something new this year or is the GN the phone to get? I understand from all the other posts that the GN is the more pure android device and that I like. All of your comments will be greatly appreciated. (cost is no issue, i can purchase any device out there).
Ya, Galaxy nexus is a great start for android, get it and be ready to taste the pure android experience.
thanks, do you think it is the best phone on the market? I have been looking at the s2 lte as well. I can't say I like the phone design better than the Nexus. I have to say I am rather nervous about the learning curve but it seems android has way more to offer.
The Galaxy S2 it's great also. And this year is coming the Galaxy S3.
You will be good with the Galaxy Nexus Matt. Development for this phone will be ongoing for a long time. I made the switch YEARS ago and never looked back to ios.
First off, thanks for all of your speedy replies, its awesome. Do you think it is worth the wait? Is there that much difference between the s2 or s3 and Nexus? I was offered a free upgrade, so I can get any phone from Rogers free pretty much anytime in the next year.
FACK IT! *611 to Rogers as we speak I am going for it. Ordering the NEXUS ! YA BABY.. Stoked.
Well how bad are you trying to get rid of your current phone? If you can't stand it upgrade now but if you just have an itch then it comes down to how bad that itch is.
The only reason I don't want to wait is, if I do, a new iphone will come out and I won't be able to sell if for close to as much (I probably could get 375 for it today).
Go for the Galaxy Nexus. If you keep waiting for the best, you will wait forever.
Thanks buddy, I'm on it. Ps. your videos are pretty sweet. Well done.
Thank you sir.
I'm far from a video pro.... but I don't mind doing them to help the Android community.
I would say yes, go for the Nexus Prime, it's uber easy to unlock and mod, as long as you take the time to learn the process behind the retard proof one-click methods of rooting and installing recoveries, etc. The Nexus series of phones are an excellent choice for an introduction to Android.
Welcome to XDA, Mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario.
Like the others said.if you can wait I would wait for something down the road..as technology is outdated so quickly and new devices are always out performing them...I've had the Droid x.x2..bionic..And this phone is the best so far..One thing with this phone is the nexus community will always be here with full support of roms,kernals,and themes..due to the phone being so new a lot of roms and kernals are in testing and constantly making changes...you'll love the phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Great, I think I made the right choice
Coming from a and Iphone 3g myself I can offer some opinions after going to the galaxy nexus:
Pros of the iOS and Iphone:
1. Battery life is better - with the GN I'm finding all sorts of ways to decrease my battery usage from different kernels, darker wall papers and apps, etc. I find it adequate now, but definitely not as good as my GF's Iphone 4s
2. Speaker much better - you'll need to get some apps to increase the volume on the GN, which intern distorts the sound a bit
3. iTunes (can be a pro and a con), everything is quite integrated with itunes, all your photos, videos, music, books etc... it's all one system and one place. Where as with android I find you have the flexiibility to choose whatever you want, but it's not as integrated. Even backing up the GN is not easy unless your rooted and have clockwork mod. if your a bit of a techie, it's not really an issue.
4. Specifically for the 4s, the Siri system works with bluetooth... for some reason, the google voice commands don't work with bluetooth. Just this stupid generic voice recognitiion that doesn't work very well.
5. Accessories - With apple, there is a whole slew of Apple and aftermarket accessories that work with the phone... Samsung can't even get their own accessories to launch in a timely fashion.
6. Apps - undisputely there are more apps for the iOS. Reality is that it's not as big of a detriment as Android has plenty of apps and most of the important ones.
7. Smoother scrolling - Android is not as smooth in the scrolling and will studder. It's not bad, but when you put it next to an iOS device you will notice it.
8. High Resolution Contact Pics - This is just something stupid on Googles part. If you load up High Res photos to your contacts and it's sync'd with your gmail, the high res photos will be downgraded into this pixelated mess.
Pros of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus over the iOS:
1. Big ass screen - this makes browsing, emails, pretty much anything more enjoyable. I find I use the GN more than the Iphone just because of this... probably also why I drain the battery faster too
2. Highly customizable - once you play with custom launchers, roms, kernels, you'll get the phone to exactly how you personally like it
3. UI controls - after you get through the learning curve, it's actually much faster accessing anything on the Android. Everything from quick menus, toggle switches.
4. Widgets - darn cool to have widgets and things that update automatically in the menu screen.
5. File System - you can actually see what you download, where things are stored, manipulate them like it's on a PC
6. Notification screen and icons - Much nicer than the iOS
7. Google Music - can load all your songs up there without having to pay!!
8. Navigation - Turn by turn navigation as well as seeing things on street view. much better than the iOS
Overall, I'd say if you like to play with your electronic devices and let the geek in you come out, the Android is a wonderful device that can be customize to your needs and wants. If all you do is take it out of the box and want it perform at it's best, the iOS does that much better. I find the iOS is a purposefully designed device and works as it should right out of the box. Whether the design suits your needs is another question.
Welcome to Team Android!
I think you'll like it here
I got the Galaxy Nexus as my first Android phone and I LOVE IT! Amazing that I can customize and set it up the way I want it, and the development of custom roms on this device have really come a long way in the short time since launch.
The next great android phone might be the s3, but that's still far away.
You wont regret it. I switched from iOS on an iPhone 3GS and Android as a whole is a much better experience.
my 2 cents
Hi,
i also switched from iphone4 to gnex for about a month now and let me tell u my experience...
Expecting the worst...
1) battery: expect to be half of iphone
2) OS: not stable. Need restart avg 5 times a wk. I now get into a habbit of doing it evryday.
3) music: headset support only 1 button where ios supports 3
4) music: i had 2-3 songs playing at the same time... usually should be 1. Again, lot of bugs
5) apps stop: quite often apps willl say it stops. I don't see much in ios
6) pics file management: every apps has a folder. All pics assoicated to apps saved to their own folder. After sometime, you have 20+ folders everywhere with dup pics everywhere
7) apps: IOS apps still better i have to say
The goods....
1) big screen
2) voice recognization is very good. English i say 90-95% types out what you said. You can even do chinese in simplified or traditional. When i m home and chat with someone, i just talk to it instead of typing.
3) Lots of cool home customizations
4) ligh weight
5) Many good voice assistant to choose from and they are fun (Skyvi, eva, vlingo etc)
Conclusion:
I feel i m back to pocket pc phone day where i spent lots of time fixing the phone rather than using or enjoying it Don't get me wrong i still have the phone. The reason i stuck with it it's because i broke a sim pin when i first insert micro sim adaptor. NEVER DO THAT!!!! cuz the sim tray on gnex the pin stick out lot and if you put in an adaptor it will likely break the pin which i did and the reason i m still stuck with it. Hard to find spare part still.
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
I'm also not sure if I should do 128gb or 256gb
I plan on using my cool galaxy watch 4 with this badboy device! Cheers
I just pre-ordered mine. 128gb stormy black. Gonna put a dbrand skin on it
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to know. I'll do that when i get it
orlans21 said:
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought the phone but I dont have it yet. But that is interesting to hear. Maybe make a post about it in the GW4 forums
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That maybe android 12 issue rather then phone
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same setup as you. I don't have this issue at all. Maybe occasionally after a reboot I'll have to go the app and hit connect, but it's quick to do so.
Overall, I think the experience is what I hoped for.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. It does seem like a good time to join the Pixel family. Only device I've seen previously is my partner, who has a Pixel 4a, which I've used a bit, and I found it to be a impressive device.
I'll stick with it for now, maybe do a factory reset without restoring from a backup, go in fresh, and maybe that will help with this problem.
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
ailinmcc666 said:
Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can drain fast if you have weak cell service and its also adaptive battery so it could be learning your usage
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
ajftl said:
Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is dude. You turn on adb debugging on the watch, connect to it via wifi, put in like 3 commands and done. Also, if you're in XDA, this is probably the most simple thing you do to devices.
Adb connect 'ip'
Adb -s install 'ip' watch4.xxx
Adb disconnect 'ip'
Done
I have no issue with pairing. Phone and watch work good together.
Well after being excited to get the Pixel 6 Pro with all the hype of best pixel phone in years, i have returned the phone after finding it disappointing. Probably the phone i have been most disappointed with ever, So i have gone back to my Huawei P30 Pro
main issues are battery life, after finding the phone struggling to get through a day on a charge, after googling and finding turning off the 5g and 120hz display improves battery life. WHAT the main features of the phone drain the battery too much, battery life on P30 is 2 days for me constantly (i know peoples usage will vary), but after Lumia phones and Huawei it was like going back to Iphone 3 days barely getting 24hrs on a charge.
also the UI is terrible, how is this an improvement the notification area with the huge tiles take up so much room that you have to scroll to the right to see most of the shortcuts etc. P30 is much more intuitive and fewer steps to do the same action
The Google search bar/ assistant and clock can't be moved or resized so much for customising android, none of these restrictions on P30
Colour theming what a joke to the point of being pointless couldn't pick the colour i wanted and the choice of 4 colour LOL, P30 has a huge colour theming section and is easy pick what colour you want and away to go
You will need a case for the phone it will literally slide off everything, i know a lot pf people fit cases but you wont have any choice with the Pixel 6 or it'll end up in broke
I would go as far to say EMUI 4 was better than android 12 on the Pixel 6, only good point was the camera
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
nighthawk626 said:
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
96carboard said:
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I don't get that. I just really miss Huawei phones.
Podster16 said:
Well after being excited to get the Pixel 6 Pro with all the hype of best pixel phone in years, i have returned the phone after finding it disappointing. Probably the phone i have been most disappointed with ever, So i have gone back to my Huawei P30 Pro
main issues are battery life, after finding the phone struggling to get through a day on a charge, after googling and finding turning off the 5g and 120hz display improves battery life. WHAT the main features of the phone drain the battery too much, battery life on P30 is 2 days for me constantly (i know peoples usage will vary), but after Lumia phones and Huawei it was like going back to Iphone 3 days barely getting 24hrs on a charge.
also the UI is terrible, how is this an improvement the notification area with the huge tiles take up so much room that you have to scroll to the right to see most of the shortcuts etc. P30 is much more intuitive and fewer steps to do the same action
The Google search bar/ assistant and clock can't be moved or resized so much for customising android, none of these restrictions on P30
Colour theming what a joke to the point of being pointless couldn't pick the colour i wanted and the choice of 4 colour LOL, P30 has a huge colour theming section and is easy pick what colour you want and away to go
You will need a case for the phone it will literally slide off everything, i know a lot pf people fit cases but you wont have any choice with the Pixel 6 or it'll end up in broke
I would go as far to say EMUI 4 was better than android 12 on the Pixel 6, only good point was the camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really should have waited a bit to try a pure aosp build. I found the google [bloat|spy]ware to be bad enough that I couldn't put my sim card in it because it was completely unusable. Running pure aosp built from source and its like a dream.
Under very heavy use since about 7am this morning (its now after 3), I'm still over 70% battery, including leaving 120hz enabled. Not 5g though, my carrier only has LTE for now.
Some of your complaints don't really matter. The quick settings pane for example is a feature of android 12, not the google build, so no matter who sells you the phone, you'll have that eventually anyway.
96carboard said:
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hostile wing of USA or China take your pick
nighthawk626 said:
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had no where near that battery time, fully charged at 9:00am out on the mtb for 6 hrs with pics on the way normal use after that by 8:00 pm 15%
The UI is just not as intuitive, take restricting apps working in the background pixel you have to go to each app individually, P30 the settings for all apps are on one page, just simpler
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
blackhawk said:
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
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Click to collapse
Note 9 owner
Everyone knows the 10 lineup was literally a downgrade in all the ways literally a minor cpu bump and a 3rd camera.
You lost iris scanner, spo2 ,heart rate , headphone jack and sd card slot on certain models.
It was also the mark of samsung making like 4 3/4 different models of phone which had worse hard ware than previous versions unless you get the top top end.
For example the fact screens on the note10 itself are worse than 9.
It literally started the mark of samsung killing off the note line with the making it a glorified Samsung Galaxy with a pen in which case then note 20ultra is worse that the galaxy 20 ultra in a lot of ways.
It's not even ahead of software updates since the note 10 lite uses the same chipset as the s9/n9 so it's easily ported to them.
So yeah the fact you said that means you literally have no clue on the state of it.
Also you think Samsung will simplify it gl they literally need to make a new ui every year because they can't do it right it's improving but still , if you don't like stock android get different launcher.
At least we know we going to get software support for a long time and direct also support
Phone is Awesome! Best purchase ever!
blackhawk said:
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
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Click to collapse
As you stated in so many posts you have 2 Note 10's so I can only assume that your opinion is pure speculation! Did a clean install and don't have any issues at all. When the Note 20 Ultra first came a lot of members were having issues with it to because of importing data and apps from an old phone, once they did a FDR all the problems magically disappeared! Just saying...........................
ggrant3876 said:
As you stated in so many posts you have 2 Note 10's so I can only assume that your opinion is pure speculation! Did a clean install and don't have any issues at all. When the Note 20 Ultra first came a lot of members were having issues with it to because of importing data and apps from an old phone, once they did a FDR all the problems magically disappeared! Just saying...........................
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Click to collapse
I read a lot. The Pixel UI... well each to his own is the best I can say.
The N20U has display issues caused by the variable frequency, the N10+ color rendering exceeds the N20U, S21U and likely the P6pro.
I have extremely good color perception, top 1% so I find color aberrations annoying with displays. The 10+ is near spot on even after two years of heavy usage. I'll do a color test between the new and old one to see how tight the calibration is just for kicks sometime.
The N20U is running on R, enough said.
Some of both have 5G, not worth the increased battery usage. This problem persists in most of the newest devices. Variable rate displays, 5G and especially scooped storage are not mature technologies and continue to underperform.
Stats with pics... or it never happened.
Here's what a stock N10+ Snapdragon/P variant did just today with a 4300mAh battery. About one hour is watching utube vids, the rest browsing. The N10+ isn't even breaking a sweat...
The entire pre-order mess has soured my excitement for the phone. Google showed early November delivery, now shows mid January. It seems to cut costs, Google went with outdated and inferior parts and made some strange sacrifices. Samsung always gives it's competitors last year's display tech. Android 12 feels largely incomplete, much like hipster aesthetics were put before functional changes. I have been excited to get a flagship that has a clean base, can be rooted and built upon, but if the hardware is subpar, it may not be worth it.
With Samsung phones, I've debloated and modded almost every element to my liking without even needing root. Custom themes, custom fonts, custom clock styles and placement, always on display scheduling, ability to hide the navigation bar, and endless GoodLock modules to fine tune the UI are all things stock Android 12 can't do. That said, it's always bugged me that Samsung phones have roughly 300 preloaded system apps, where stock Android has about 100. I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
Guyinlaca said:
The entire pre-order mess has soured my excitement for the phone. Google showed early November delivery, now shows mid January. It seems to cut costs, Google went with outdated and inferior parts, and made sacrifices to keep costs down. Samsung always gives it's competitors last year's display tech. Android 12 feels largely incomplete, much like hipster aesthetics were put before functional changes. I have been excited to get a flagship that has a clean base, can be rooted and built upon, but if the hardware is subpar, it may not be worth it.
With Samsung phones, I've debloated and modded almost every element to my liking without even needing root. Custom themes, custom fonts, custom clock styles and placement, always on display scheduling, ability to hide the navigation bar, and endless GoodLock modules to fine tune the UI are all things stock Android 12 can't do. That said, it's always bugged me that Samsung phones have roughly 300 preloaded system apps, where stock Android has about 100. I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
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Click to collapse
I was comparing my 2 N10+'s, one running on 9, the other 10. The 10 variant has dozens of small apks that show on the package disabler, but they're not bloatware. Samsung deliberately moded Android 10 to make it more user friendly and functional. It runs very well.
The S21 isn't anything I want but it shreds the P6pro.
However both are having display issues. I would at least wait for the dust to settle...
Hold out until Samsung gets their act together again if you can... it may take a year or two. Latter 2022 or perhaps 2023. I wouldn't hold my breath... it may take until 2024 to arise from the ashes of mediocre and lack of features.
Guyinlaca said:
I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
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Keep in mind you can't unlock the bootloader on recent Samsung phones without breaking the camera completely. I had nothing against them until now but this is major BS on their part.
Ghisy said:
Keep in mind you can't unlock the bootloader on recent Samsung phones without breaking the camera completely. I had nothing against them until now but this is major BS on their part.
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Click to collapse
To be fair, on a Samsung, one doesn't really need root. So much debloating can be done using ADB. Many developers have found ways to utilize Samsung's theme engine and font engine to customize the phone however one prefers. I installed an AOSP theme using Hex Installer that made the UI look 95% stock.
Guyinlaca said:
To be fair, on a Samsung, one doesn't really need root. So much debloating can be done using ADB. Many developers have found ways to utilize Samsung's theme engine and font engine to customize the phone however one prefers. I installed an AOSP theme using Hex Installer that made the UI look 95% stock.
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Click to collapse
I'm running 2 stock N10+'s using Samsung Galaxy mods, a package disabler, a firewall and heavily optimizing them.
That's all you need... they run great and look/function exactly how I want them too.
No plain Janes here... some assembly required.
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
darbylonia said:
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
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Click to collapse
darbylonia said:
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I had two glasses of wine.
darbylonia said:
Sorry, I had two glasses of wine.
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Click to collapse
Good thing it wasn't WT 101
Stability, functionality, speed and good battery life are all that matters. This "pu$$y" phone in my hand right now has all four, it's current load is over 1.5 years old with minimum maintenance/zero updates.
Yeah, I really hate it...
I bought that watch because i heard that there is app gallery in it. i bought it, opened it, and was surprised that there is only about 9 apps available on app gallery!
useless apps! i think of selling that watch to buy a wear os watch yet still underwhelmed of the their battery. It sucks!. on the other hand, Huawei watches' batteries are phenomenal. so i have some questions:-
- is there a way to root or flash the os of my Huawei watch fit 2? (i have never flashed a software before, so I am a newbie
- if not, will there be anytime sooner or later?
- if not, which wears os watch would recommend me to buy( I prioritize battery life, and third party apps availability of course)
thanks
I'm researching this too, there are very few applications, there is not even a calendar, a so-called smart bracelet Huawei definitely don't buy it, it's garbage
forum is dead no one seems to be
Does anyone know about this, this clock needs to be revived huawei watch fit 2
Hey everyone,
iPhone 14 Pro Max user here,
What's everybody's thoughts about this phone? Why would an iPhone user who gets top dollar for selling their phone right before/after announcement of the next want to buy this? I ordered the OP 11 for a crazy price of $500 after taxes from an open box deal and was wondering if this phone would be worth keeping.
I used to visit this site to find the latest tweaks and cool tricks you could do with your Android phone and there seems to be pretty much nothing that you couldn't do with a stock OnePlus 11. I am the type to try to not be reliant on expensive subscriptions such as cloud storage, hardware that is just overpriced, and being wrapped up deep into a single brand's ecosystem. I figured I already use Snapdrop instead of AirDrop, AirParrot instead on my Windows laptop instead of AirPlay on an Apple device, my home NAS instead of iCloud, and Windows PC's over expensive comparable Macs. However, I still use a few Apple devices in my daily life.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Apple nor do I feel any reason to HAVE to leave them, but I am always open to other options and I've always had a soft spot for OnePlus ever since the original 1. iPhones are becoming well-polished phones but I feel like iOS is bland sometimes.
In my opinion, OnePlus peaked with the 7 Pro. (It almost got me to switch back to Android) That phone did really everything right to me besides having pretty lackluster cameras. I really was only interested in checking this phone out because I noticed it was one of the only devices that supports Wi-Fi 7, it has incredibly fast charging, and it has USB-C! My iPhone has hardly any weaknesses, so I would really have to be won over big time by an Android phone to make me want to switch.
Do we see a future where, within the next few months to a year, this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality a lot and/or we receive some really neat custom ROM options / mods that really enhance the experience this hardware has to offer?
Something about these OnePlus phones and their bleeding-edge performance in certain key areas still have me wanting one every year. I just have a hard time justifying how I could force myself to use an Android phone living in the United States where all my business/family contacts use iOS for their mobile operating system. I feel like once iPhones use USB-C, they no longer have a camera cutout on their screens, and they can support faster charging speeds, Android will be dead in the US. It's a rough future ahead. For me, I used to love Android for the customization, the fun stuff that iOS would never allow, and that there were just so many choices to decide between depending on what device suited your needs most. Just my thoughts and opinions. Feel free to reply with what you think about this phone or how you navigate having to use an Android in an iOS-dominant country. I could easily switch, but I just don't see any major reason to do so anymore. And seeing the OP 11 forums kind of quiet compared to the old days of Google Nexus devices doesn't lead me to believe that people overall like this phone / are working on anything unofficially to try to improve the phone.
The forums have been relatively quiet for multiple reasons:
1. OnePlus has become developer community unfriendly, almost hostile: it's way too hard/too much work to create/install a different ROM than the official. In addition to that OnePlus has totally disabled full access to its cameras, "this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality" - no, very unlikely to happen.
2. OnePlus once was a flagship killer but in terms of price/features they have been lacking recently. OnePlus 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of pricing but there are much much more affordable options such as the ZTE Nubia Z50 at $400 or something, which is almost twice as cheap as the OnePlus 11.
3. OxygenOS 13 is not the OxygenOS you may remember, it's a ColorOS facelift. OxygenOS 12 was extremely buggy and incomplete. "OxygenOS" 13 is lacking literally dozens of features present in OxygenOS 9-10-11.
4. Developers in general tinker with their Android phones a lot less nowadays than in the past. The whole development scene has been in decline.
5. Weird update policy doesn't help. I've heard (cannot confirm) that certain older OnePlus devices haven't got updates in the past 8 months.
That's my thoughts which may not necessarily represent the status quo.
To be honest I see no reason to switch from Apple to OnePlus unless you need advanced Android features such as normal file management, downloading any files from the Internet, being able to send files via BlueTooth, modding, various home screens, third party phone/SMS applications, etc. etc. etc.
You just listed pretty much most of the features Apple users don't have anyway so LoL
Unfortunately I have to use iPhone in my work so 3/4 of the day I spend on iOS. Compared to stock Oxygen OS13 (even if hated by die hard Oneplus fans) it is still much better IMO and more configurable than iOS. Apps eco system is different, iOS have generally more stylish apps but most of them if not pretty much every single one that is actually worth consideration is always paid version only.
From birdie's list, only the update policy on Android phones are worse compared to Apple.
birdie said:
The forums have been relatively quiet for multiple reasons:
1. OnePlus has become developer community unfriendly, almost hostile: it's way too hard/too much work to create/install a different ROM than the official. In addition to that OnePlus has totally disabled full access to its cameras, "this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality" - no, very unlikely to happen.
2. OnePlus once was a flagship killer but in terms of price/features they have been lacking recently. OnePlus 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of pricing but there are much much more affordable options such as the ZTE Nubia Z50 at $400 or something, which is almost twice as cheap as the OnePlus 11.
3. OxygenOS 13 is not the OxygenOS you may remember, it's a ColorOS facelift. OxygenOS 12 was extremely buggy and incomplete. "OxygenOS" 13 is lacking literally dozens of features present in OxygenOS 9-10-11.
4. Developers in general tinker with their Android phones a lot less nowadays than in the past. The whole development scene has been in decline.
5. Weird update policy doesn't help. I've heard (cannot confirm) that certain older OnePlus devices haven't got updates in the past 8 months.
That's my thoughts which may not necessarily represent the status quo.
To be honest I see no reason to switch from Apple to OnePlus unless you need advanced Android features such as normal file management, downloading any files from the Internet, being able to send files via BlueTooth, modding, various home screens, third party phone/SMS applications, etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's sad to see! My shipment got delayed and I'm already thinking of not keeping the phone. I feel like OnePlus needs a really strong camera setup before they can finally compete. I use my cameras too much to not have the best out there. The more reviews I watch, the more people say how the S23 Ultra is pretty much a better phone in almost every area besides charging and not having Wi-Fi 7. Not only that, but it seems that the phone also have custom ROM support. Just not trying to spend iPhone money on an Android unless I was for sure going to switch over. The Samsung has me slightly more intrigued...
rmx36 said:
It's sad to see! My shipment got delayed and I'm already thinking of not keeping the phone. I feel like OnePlus needs a really strong camera setup before they can finally compete. I use my cameras too much to not have the best out there. The more reviews I watch, the more people say how the S23 Ultra is pretty much a better phone in almost every area besides charging and not having Wi-Fi 7. Not only that, but it seems that the phone also have custom ROM support. Just not trying to spend iPhone money on an Android unless I was for sure going to switch over. The Samsung has me slightly more intrigued...
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Click to collapse
SGS23 Ultra currently has the absolute best camera setup of any smartphone on Earth. I've seen its 50MP shots, they are outstanding. OnePlus 11 pales in comparison.
I'd have bought SGS23 Ultra but it's at the very least $400 more expensive which is too much for me.
It's not the best phone out there, but it isn't the worst either. People bash a lot about the color os version of oxygen os. I'm using it and kind of got used to it. It gets the work done. Cameras are very good according to the price. Front camera is mediocre. But the rear is very strong. You can see the reviews. Also it gets better through updates. Lastly and fortunately, a developer got the phone through crowdfunding as far as I know. So development might just happen for op11. Fingers crossed.
OP if you are able why not just use both? I have both OnePlus 11 and iPhone 14 pro max that I use everyday along with my pixel 7 pro. the iPhone 14 pro max has my primary sim in it which I use paired with an apple watch. and I recently made the move to an IPhone in early 2022 full time before that I was android all the way. I still want to use android because as everyone knows it still does things IPhones cant do. so anyways i use my oneplus 11 to mainly listen to podcasts, watch sports and tv. the speakers on this thing are great. maybe the iPhone beats it but not by alot imo. the screen i feel is better than the Iphone 14 pro max. and it acutally has a damn sim card slot which is something I hate that apple got rid of and sadly i see most companies doing in the future. the camera on the oneplus isn't as good but for me i dont care about that.
the only reason besides the apple watch that keeps me on an iphone as my daily is because of a very niche app otherwise i would be on android full time and i would just use the iphone to keep in the know.
cavist said:
... Apps eco system is different, iOS have generally more stylish apps but most of them if not pretty much every single one that is actually worth consideration is always paid version only.
From birdie's list, only the update policy on Android phones are worse compared to Apple.
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Click to collapse
This is why android users are generally categorized as being cheap people. I don't care what platform I'm using iOS, android or whatever if an app is worth it to me then I will pay for it. IMO this is why apple apps perform better than their android counterparts because developers know that people will pay for them so its worth their time.