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After playing with my wife's S6E--there's honestly not too much bloat on the S6. Toss the Material theme on there if you don't like Samsung's colors and just use it as usual. There's some weird jank with default music app on bluetooth and stuff but honestly that's all pretty minor. It's a solid phone. The battery issues seem like they would get resolved any day now if Google's committed to fixing the radio-locking-open bug in both Lollipop and Marshmallow (that's the only egregious thing I noticed on the S6) and Samsung does their promised regular image updates for security and other issues so it would probably get rolled in. I got a Note 5 to Jump my 4 and even the weird stuff I noticed on the S6's factory rom is gone. Default music app always goes to GPM now, for example.
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Oct 2, 2015 20:17
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this_is_hard posted:drat. Motorola seems pretty salty at how they were treated with the Lollipop update fiascos. I wonder if the Turbo situation had anything to do with this? Turbo-tastic adj. - (a mobile device which is) such a hot mess that it impugns all other objects in the same (broad or narrow) category. The Droid Turbo is so loving Turbo-tastic that it's causing Motorola to question continuing support of any of their other phones on Verizon.
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Oct 2, 2015 20:22
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I snuck an international Turbo for testing and it seems pretty solid. Sucks to be on Verizon.
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Oct 2, 2015 20:27
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My new phone says "Before using the device for the first time, you must charge the battery" in the manual. Is it going to explode if I don't? 
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Oct 2, 2015 20:34
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gmq posted:My new phone says "Before using the device for the first time, you must charge the battery" in the manual. Is it going to explode if I don't? No.
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Oct 2, 2015 20:37
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broken clock opsec posted:I snuck an international Turbo for testing and it seems pretty solid. Sucks to be on Verizon. There's nothing wrong with the Turbo on Verizon and it's getting M so....? I'm going to go out on a limb and say the carrier branded versions of the X sold so poorly that it's not worth doing the update channels with the carriers. Either that or it's a mixup.
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Oct 2, 2015 20:53
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bull3964 posted:There's nothing wrong with the Turbo on Verizon and it's getting M so....? I feel like it's Motorola trying to push itself away from carriers in general. With the new moto x not being carrier branded at all and the lack of updates to the 2014 moto x, they don't seem happy dealing with the carriers at all.
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Oct 2, 2015 21:01
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Are there any explanations as to why Apple can push iOS updates without any problems yet most Android phones have to go through carrier red tape?
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Oct 2, 2015 21:18
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HolyDukeNukem posted:I feel like it's Motorola trying to push itself away from carriers in general. With the new moto x not being carrier branded at all and the lack of updates to the 2014 moto x, they don't seem happy dealing with the carriers at all. I'd imagine the only manufacturer happy dealing with carriers is Samsung because they have the resources to make a whole blizzard of special-build devices to spec. Everyone else just grudgingly goes along because they need the sales. Motorola Mobility probably falls into the middle because they have uniquely good products which are even more outstanding at their price points, with Lenovo backstopping them if needed, and enough brand goodwill to make carrier-agnostic flagships while still cranking out But who knows, Verizon is kind of a high-walled garden because of how much control they have by way of their market share. Maybe it's the other way around and manufacturers are dying to get the check mark on the back of the phone so they can get in on that sweet sweet subsidy cash from Big Red. Kaiju Cage Match posted:Are there any explanations as to why Apple can push iOS updates without any problems yet most Android phones have to go through carrier red tape? Same way the potato famine killed like all the taters in Ireland. It's a monocrop, with identical hardware across all carriers and they refuse to allow carrier fuckery with much in the way of software. That means they can roll out updates with less time spent testing because the reference devices are identical (or nearly so) to devices sold by carriers. FAUXTON fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Oct 2, 2015 |
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Oct 2, 2015 21:18
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Kaiju Cage Match posted:Are there any explanations as to why Apple can push iOS updates without any problems yet most Android phones have to go through carrier red tape? Apple dictated the terms of the agreements with the carriers. Most of the carriers had no sway. AT&T took a risk with the exclusivity and got a lot of money out of it. The other carriers wanted in and Apple decided what was best for them.
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Oct 2, 2015 21:21
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Kaiju Cage Match posted:Are there any explanations as to why Apple can push iOS updates without any problems yet most Android phones have to go through carrier red tape? Apple stood its ground. Google didn't - couldn't afford to way back when - and now they're kinda stuck.
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Oct 2, 2015 21:24
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Sir Unimaginative posted:Apple stood its ground. Google didn't - couldn't afford to way back when - and now they're kinda stuck. Google didn't make any phones for quite a while. Apple is both OS and device manufacturer. Each manufacturer is negotiating with the carriers and only Apple has the sales/balls to tell them to screw off. One of the benefits of going to a direct sales channel is avoiding a good portion of this.
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Oct 2, 2015 21:34
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Motorola's approach, while definitely the best for us consumers, will probably result in some very dismal sales numbers. E: Begall posted:How does an S6 Edge priced between the 5x & 6p sound? I've read that a custom rom can make a big difference to the battery life/bloat so that'd be my plan if I went with one, but it seems like a lot more fuss than a Nexus or Moto X. There's also the Note 5 at $579 if that deal is still going on, not sure. That said, whatever phone you get do not load a custom ROM on it for the love of god, it's not 2011 anymore. Desk Lamp fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Oct 2, 2015 |
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Oct 2, 2015 21:39
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Desk Lamp posted:There's also the Note 5 at $579 if that deal is still going on, not sure. That said, whatever phone you get do not load a custom ROM on it for the love of god, it's not 2011 anymore. You'd have to have a really good reason to use another ROM on a Note or Edge device, those have software that should add value. If you're not interested in the edge display software or S Pen... Why buy either of those phones?
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Oct 2, 2015 21:54
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FAUXTON posted:Same way the potato famine killed like all the taters in Ireland. It's a monocrop, with identical hardware across all carriers and they refuse to allow carrier fuckery with much in the way of software. That means they can roll out updates with less time spent testing because the reference devices are identical (or nearly so) to devices sold by carriers. To emphasize this: the iPhone 6s has like 3 real hardware versions, mostly to do with the radio and spectrum/compliance stuff. For the entire world. Other than to support that they put the exact same software on all of them. Everything else that goes into the full model string is incidentals like storage and color.
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Oct 2, 2015 22:03
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Apple also DOES do carrier testing, it's just part of what's baked into their timelines and they have the resources to *ahem* 'support' the device through the testing phase. It's no secret that the carriers (Verizon especially) takes the amount of business your device brings to their network into account in prioritizing updates. Apple drives sales to the carrier networks so if Apple says "I need validation testing of this update completed by 'x' date", carriers do it.
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Oct 2, 2015 22:25
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Kaiju Cage Match posted:Are there any explanations as to why Apple can push iOS updates without any problems yet most Android phones have to go through carrier red tape? Apple makes iOS and all the devices that run it. Google makes Android and the Nexus line, and Nexuses have updates available pretty much immediately - but they do slow OTA rollouts for testing purposes, so it can take a while unless you flash the update yourself Other manufacturers base their devices on Android, and often change the software (including parts of Android itself). So they're responsible for taking the Android update and then making sure all their custom poo poo works. They're responsible for their devices too, so they have to write hardware drivers and do proper testing to make sure everything's working, which adds another delay. And obviously they prioritise certain products over others Then there's what people have said about the carriers themselves. Apple told them to get lost but other device manufacturers (the companies producing the actual phones, not the Android team) have to go through all the nonsense, probably with extra testing and sometimes carrier customisation, which is yet another delay It's like a chain of resellers. Android is the raw material they make their products from, they're not tightly coupled to its development like Nexus reference devices are (or iDevices in Apple's case)
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Oct 2, 2015 23:48
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Android needs to be redesigned to not rely on manufacturers for updates. It's the only way this poo poo can be fixed.
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Oct 3, 2015 00:16
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Pyroxene Stigma posted:You'd have to have a really good reason to use another ROM on a Note or Edge device, those have software that should add value. If you're not interested in the edge display software or S Pen... Why buy either of those phones? I hadn't used a Samsung phone since my S3 and honestly the TouchWiz experience is light-years better with my Note 5. I wouldn't waste the energy dealing with KNOX. The carrier bloatware is much more egregious.
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Oct 3, 2015 00:16
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SwissCM posted:Android needs to be redesigned to not rely on manufacturers for updates. It's the only way this poo poo can be fixed. It largely has been, that's why everything is in play services now.
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Oct 3, 2015 00:18
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The only devices that get updates properly are nexus devices, because, surprise, those are the only ones without other companies in the chain. Between samsung/et al getting preview versions of Android before release, and play services, and manufacturers decreasing device counts, the situation seems to be improving.
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Oct 3, 2015 00:29
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SwissCM posted:Android needs to be redesigned to not rely on manufacturers for updates. It's the only way this poo poo can be fixed. If manufacturers lose the ability to skin Android, they lose their advantage in the market. There's only so much you can do to separate yourself from the competition when you're only allowed to customize the hardware.
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Oct 3, 2015 01:25
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SwissCM posted:Android needs to be redesigned to not rely on manufacturers for updates. It's the only way this poo poo can be fixed. Why would google want to manually test every single phone on the market to make sure their updates work? That's ridiculous. A lot of the variance in hardware between manufacturers also relies on custom software. So would google just be in charge of that now?
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Oct 3, 2015 01:28
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bull3964 posted:It largely has been, that's why everything is in play services now. To expand on this: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ Also, I just got one of the new Chromecasts. 5 GHz works as intended and it's a lot snappier in general. Neat! The thing is like twice the size of the older Chromecast, though.
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Oct 3, 2015 02:15
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Isn't the deal Google has with manufacturers now that manufacturers have to guarantee one-year of updates if they want to include Google Play and official Google apps on their device out of the box? That's why Samsung has this clusterf*ck of delayed updates for their hundreds of devices: http://samsung.youmobile.org/
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Oct 3, 2015 02:18
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Any part reason why I always see the intent picker for gifv/webm links on 5.1? Every time I tell the phone to always open with Chrome, but it never remembers.
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Oct 3, 2015 02:34
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What are you android folks using for earbuds to 1: use the phone and 2: to listen to music? I can't find any earbuds on Amzn that appear to offer even the basic inline volume/pause/play features that the apple versions do. Inline is key and this should be so simple but every review says either the volume controls don't work or aren't even available. I don't even give a crap about full noise cancellation - I have those already for listening to music/ watching movies on the train..........I just want something to use with the phone that act just like the apple versions with the hard plastic so you can still hear background noise like when walking somewhere. No idea if these Amzn fire ones will work, look like they are for some: http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-KA416Y...=bisafetynet-20 and these bluetooth earbuds as well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YDVY34Q/ Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Oct 3, 2015 |
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Oct 3, 2015 02:37
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Keyser S0ze posted:I can't find any earbuds on Amzn that appear to offer even the basic inline volume/pause/play features that the apple versions do. Inline is key and this should be so simple but every review says either the volume controls don't work or aren't even available. http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Earphones-Remote-iPhone-Devices/dp/B00WP8RA6W/ Just make sure you get an Android version.
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Oct 3, 2015 02:40
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EugeneJ posted:Isn't the deal Google has with manufacturers now that manufacturers have to guarantee one-year of updates if they want to include Google Play and official Google apps on their device out of the box? One year is unacceptable, the standard should be a minimum of two years for major updates, 3-4 for major security flaws.
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Oct 3, 2015 02:41
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Three Olives posted:One year is unacceptable, the standard should be a minimum of two years for major updates, 3-4 for major security flaws. Google guarantees 5 years of support for all their Chrome OS devices, so yeah it's baffling. Apparently they just want to poo poo out as many Android phones and tablets as possible instead of clamping down and focusing on quality-control.
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Oct 3, 2015 02:51
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Propaganda Hour posted:To expand on this: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ I recant my entire previous post, this article says a ton about how Google updates Android and why Android updates have gotten way less exciting in general. Definitely worth a read!
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Oct 3, 2015 02:59
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BottleKnight posted:Why would google want to manually test every single phone on the market to make sure their updates work? That's ridiculous. Stuff like libstagefright and other software libraries should be able to be patched by Google. It's their code. If this isn't possible with Android's current architecture then Android is broken. As for custom software, as long as it isn't required for the OS to function and has the ability to be disabled, then Google wouldn't need to be in charge of it at all. Touchwiz is all fine and dandy for many but it'd be ideal if it were possible to purge any android phone back to it's AOSP experience without having to root it.
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Oct 3, 2015 05:27
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Didn't like every single OEM say they'd work on patching Android on a monthly basis?
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Oct 3, 2015 05:45
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SwissCM posted:Stuff like libstagefright and other software libraries should be able to be patched by Google. It's their code. If this isn't possible with Android's current architecture then Android is broken. And the code is patched by Google, it was almost immediately and those patches are made available to OEMs immediately. From there it's out of Google's hands. Why should Google update a device they didn't make, didn't write the software for, didn't sell, and don't support?
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Oct 3, 2015 06:50
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Yeah even Stagefright 2.0 is being patched in the release on the 5th and partners were given access to the patch on September 10th.
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Oct 3, 2015 07:02
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LastInLine posted:And the code is patched by Google, it was almost immediately and those patches are made available to OEMs immediately. From there it's out of Google's hands. Why should Google update a device they didn't make, didn't write the software for, didn't sell, and don't support? Because the public doesn't get nuance and will assume Android is insecure when loving Verizon refuses to patch the vulnerabilities they aren't able to monetize.
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Oct 3, 2015 07:11
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FAUXTON posted:Because the public doesn't get nuance and will assume Android is insecure when loving Verizon refuses to patch the vulnerabilities they aren't able to monetize. Verizon has gone out of their way to be the name and face their customers associate with their devices. They insist on their branding being on every device they sell (with the exception of the iPhone). It is Verizon's responsibility to ensure the devices are secure because, to their customers it is a Verizon phone.
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Oct 3, 2015 07:19
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LastInLine posted:Verizon has gone out of their way to be the name and face their customers associate with their devices. They insist on their branding being on every device they sell (with the exception of the iPhone). It is Verizon's responsibility to ensure the devices are secure because, to their customers it is a Verizon phone.
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Oct 3, 2015 08:12
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LastInLine posted:Verizon has gone out of their way to be the name and face their customers associate with their devices. They insist on their branding being on every device they sell (with the exception of the iPhone). It is Verizon's responsibility to ensure the devices are secure because, to their customers it is a Verizon phone. And it'll be a Verizon replacement phone when it gets compromised.
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Oct 3, 2015 10:27
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Keyser S0ze posted:
The Amazon Fire earbuds definitely work with both my Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, volume controls and all. I've been using them as my backup headphones for when my bluetooth headset is out of juice, and it's nice that I don't worry about earbud tips when I roughly stuff them in a pocket. The magnetic buds are a nice feature, which tends to keep the cord from getting tangled up, and also means that I can use just one of the earbuds without having the other one flopping around loose though it probably does look a bit weird to have the other earbud clamped onto my ear. The back of the left bud is convex and the right one is concave, and that makes it pretty easy to figure out which one is which without looking at them. But yeah, as mentioned upthread, you really have to make sure that the earbuds advertise themselves as android-compatible if they have a volume control. Apple's volume-button system is proprietary, so if a headset says its volume controls will work with the iPhone/iPod, they almost certainly won't work with Android.
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