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Tots posted:Any recommendations on battery apps to view more detailed/better battery usage info? Also, I have to ask why this thread is anti root? The only reason I'd root is to stop intrusive ads, but since they're everywhere it seems like a big plus to me. Are there any downsides? Can I still get OTA updates if I gently caress with the hosts file? I'm not anti-root, I rooted my 6p for the same reason as you - ads are out of control otherwise. That (and the ability to direct-access some buttons, like airplane mode, from widgets) is the only thing I use it for. There are non-root adblockers that do things like use internal VPN servers to redirect traffic but nothing beats a simple host file change that gets solid updates, which is all the better root adblockers do. I think the anti-root sentiment is directed more towards the XDA-style, mod the poo poo out of your phone with custom roms, etc, which these days isn't really necessary and is also really easy to screw up. If you unlock/root you will not be able to get OTA updates on the 6p, you'll need to apply them manually. The Nexus Root Toolkit makes this process painless but it's not as convenient as OTA. It's a tradeoff I'll take in order to avoid a deluge of ads.
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Jan 2, 2016 20:50
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withoutclass posted:If the Imgur app is using the JavaScript to native bridge and the malicious advertiser happened to know which native methods the Imgur app has attached to the bridge and some how were able to forcibly install an application that would pop up web pages whenever you happen to click a URL, then I guess I could see that happening. Seems pretty far fetched on vanilla unrooted Android to me though. Malicious or not it is just loving annoying on mobile these days. I lasted 3 weeks on my 6p before I rooted and put a decent adblock hosts file back on there. I don't know how people who don't deal with it.
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Jan 3, 2016 07:38
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Mercury Ballistic posted:I use the imgur app on my 5x and cannot recall seeing any ads. In chrome, on news sites it rampant though. Where on mobile imgur via the app are ads presented? I don't know about imgur since I don't use the app. Browser and various other apps (Play Newsstand in particular) is where things go south in a hurry. Yes, there are alternative browsers (like the adblock one) that don't require root, however while you can make them the default browser they won't replace the built in webkit one that launches from most apps (like Newsstand). I also like Chrome integration since I use it on the desktop. There are lots of links to stories in Newsstand (and other apps) that launch the Webkit browser and if you don't have any kind of ad blocking you are in for a treat, most times. Over the last couple of years many mobile ads that I've run in to (in the US even) have come pretty close to the "grey" line between legit and outright scam as well. Google may police out the worst malware but there's plenty of poo poo that comes too close for my tastes. So I root, install one of the better blockers (i.e. app that periodically refreshes lists of ad sites and updates the host file automatically) and avoid it all. If that makes my phone slightly less secure so be it, I'm betting I'll run in to less problems this way than a stock user dealing with ads (the day when a malware ad gets through and finds a way to gently caress with phones is coming, just like has long been the case for desktops).
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Jan 3, 2016 19:56
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Tots posted:I'm sure this already happens, but likely not on as big of a scale as desktop yet. Look at stagefright, it's not hard to imagine that someone has found and used a zero day via mobile browser. I have the Rinke Fusion case for my 6p (it's on Amazon, Prime) and it's great, actually one of my favorite cases ever. Adds hardly any bulk, looks great, has so far done an excellent job protecting my phone from scratches and the occasional short fall to the floor, and comes in several colors. I have the clear version because I like the look of the phone as it is. No sharp edges and it's easy to rest your finger around the charging port. Volume and power buttons (they are extenders) work fine, in fact I like them better because on the case volume up and down are separated. I haven't had any issue doing things like double clicking power for the camera or taking screenshots (power+volume down) either. It does have a headphone jack cover/plug. It's easy to pop on and off and can be a good thing, depending on how you look at it, but may annoy some people.
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Jan 4, 2016 08:21
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It's also one of the few phones/services that gets Wifi right. Meaning if you are in your house/office/etc and have decent Wifi you'll never touch Sprint or T-Mobile, all your calls, texts, and data will go over Wifi, seamlessly. If it goes down, Fi decides the connection is poo poo, or you leave, you'll switch to one of the other networks. Works great. Outside of Wifi coverage it's whatever T-Mobile/Sprint have in your area that determines your experience. Mine so far (I've been on Fi since July and traveled all over the world with it) has been great. It helps that I have an AT&T work phone that I also have to carry to compare to. There have been a few times - in LA, for some reason - where AT&T got a signal my Fi phone didn't but those are rare. You also get credit for data you don't use so you'll probably save even more on it. My Fi bills are ridiculously lower than AT&T.
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Jan 6, 2016 18:59
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Casual Yogurt posted:After using Fi and 5x for a week I'm kinda torn. The 5x is too big and Fi has trouble hanging on to a signal. I drove from LA to SF and the whole way up Fi was bouncing around from LTE to 3g to Edge and couldn't hold on to any of them, i was just in my office on good Wifi and Fi just dropped my call. I do like how cheap it is so hopefully Google makes it better. I had a lot of problems in LA until I installed Signal Spy and manually set it to TMobile while in town. Something is off with auto switching and or Sprint there on Fi. I reported it to Google.
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Jan 13, 2016 00:45
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YouTuber posted:It seems like the Project Fi app just gets lovely with Android 6. It works fine under Lollipop and my T-mobile service was flawless with it as well. The OTA seemed to have failed and now says I'm "up to date" despite being on Lollipop still. I'll go see what the wiz kids have come up with over at XDA, using official Google help is worthless as the advice is always "clear cache on apps" or "factory reset" as if that is warranted on a fresh device out of the box. No, something else is wrong. This is not a common issue, at all.
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Jan 18, 2016 04:16
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an skeleton posted:I know this was a page ago but hahaha. You think the 5x is too big. I have the 6P and while it is an amazing phone, god drat it is big. I really really wish they offered a 5X-sized phone with the 6P's specs. I'd probably buy it even at the same price of the 6P. I have the Ringke clear case: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01637DS70 It's really good. Has held up well over the last couple months too.
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Jan 21, 2016 14:32
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maltesh posted:That's the one I picked up, too. My only complaint is that the small headphone jack hole means that if your plug isn't first-gen iPhone slim, you probably won't be able to use it with the case on. That seems a little weird, it works fine with my Bose n/c headphones and the jack on that is normal size, and at a right angle to boot. Maybe a manufacturing defect?
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Jan 21, 2016 20:52
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maltesh posted:I guess it is regular size, now that I think about it and look at the cases I have on some of my other devices. It hasn't really been an issue with the headphones I use on those rare occasions when I'm not using the bluetooth horsecollar. Yeah, some (particularly older) line in cables and such have bigger plastic grommets around them. A lot of cases have problems with them though. The danger in making the port bigger, of course, is that it weakens the case around it. There's only so much room to play with with phones (and cases) getting as thin as they are.
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Jan 22, 2016 04:39
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amenenema posted:I've had pretty much the same experience at a few different functions. Thanks Google! Just got my Fi bill and it was $23 (including credits). Granted, I spend a lot of time on WiFi but that is kind of the point - I only pay for what I use. On AT&T I paid a minimum of $70 no matter what. Fi rules.
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Jan 25, 2016 03:42
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Chief Savage Man posted:Got my Nexus 6p today and I love pretty much everything about it so far. Project Fi setup is so easy it's ridiculous (my old t-mobile number was ready to use within twenty minutes of me starting the phone) and looking at my bill is easy compared to the awful opaque T-mobile website. It seems like I'll be paying about the same as I was but that also includes a 27 dollar payment for the phone, so it's pretty great. Hopefully, it keeps impressing me. Having used many since 2010, good and bad, the 6p for me is the best Android phone yet made. Pretty much the best phone I have ever owned. There are details that can be nitpicked, most along the lines of "they should have included feature <x> etc." (mostly from Moto fans) and the size can be hard for people to wrap their heads around if they are used to chocolate bar phones but seriously, all that is just noise. Phone is the poo poo. Fi as well.
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Jan 27, 2016 22:50
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greasyhands posted:I used it for the first time the other day, and yes it was basically useless. It would occasionally get on track then it would wander off again. It seems like if you hold it upright in front of you and walk around like that it works, but if you want to just reference it every once and a while, as soon as you drop it to your side or put it in your pocket you completely disorient it I agree. This is the first thing about the 6p that has annoyed me. I am on a trip to London + Geneva this week and city walking is a loving chore no matter what app I use for it. I finally pulled out my work-provided iPhone 6 as a reserve because...goddamn. Hopefully it is something they can fix - I submitted a bug.
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Jan 31, 2016 15:22
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For a number of reasons I have also switched to using other apps (in my case, Facebook messenger, which in spite of having its own drawbacks and general "Facebook LOL" crap is what most of my family/friends use, because we are a bunch of old shits). SMS hasn't been much of a problem for me on Fi, but generally speaking you'll get a better experience using whatever app (Whatsapp/Facebook/etc.) your friends use. It's also better for things like video chat (one reason I switched is because my wife has an iPhone and the Facebook messenger app is actually pretty decent now for cross-platform video chat, in spite of its battery killing tendencies on Android).
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Feb 19, 2016 22:54
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I've been to, at last count, 11 countries in Europe and Asia (from the US) as well as Mexico since getting Fi and I would never think of buying a local sim to put in it, because there is no point. While it's perfectly true that you can sometimes get a local sim that will get you faster network speeds (though that varies a great deal) Fi "just works" almost everywhere and is cheap as poo poo. You don't need to do anything, just go there. I mean, I'm not going to be torrenting movies or watching Netflix for 5 hours on it, but for vacation or business travelers who want to use their phone wherever it's perfect.
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Mar 5, 2016 16:57
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I always pre-cache in the hotel or office overseas even if going on foot. For that matter even if I do get 4g. It's much nicer and the GPS stays accurate.
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Mar 5, 2016 18:26
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Ranter posted:This is good information to have. The GPS was all over the place on our last trip and it was a pain in the rear end. Offline is much nicer in the new Google Maps for Android and you can cache much more. I can get all of Tokyo, which is enormous, as well as London. It's really handy in the latter because it's a good city for walking around.
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Mar 5, 2016 19:06
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SpiderLink posted:I'm moving to Tokyo soon and tried to cache Tokyo, but it won't let me. Apparently some countries don't have that option available for legal reasons. Can you please specify the app version you're using? Thanks! You know, I forgot, you are right. I have MapsWithMe, which is a paid app that uses Google Maps. It gets the offline maps from that not through the native offline feature I am sure. Edit: Should clarify that I am being specific about Tokyo in this case. I bought MapsWithMe a couple-three years ago on a trip there because it was one of the better options. There are a few other places in Asia (Thailand and mainland China come to mind) that also don't allow offline maps in Google maps presumably because they charge for them somehow. I'll be in Tokyo again on Wednesday so I'll check for sure to see what's going on. Ixian fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Mar 6, 2016 |
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Mar 6, 2016 17:53
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Darkpriest667 posted:Please do, some friends and I are going to Japan next summer and I'd like to know because I don't want to be without maps. Question. When I ask for directions somewhere, do I have to give the kanji in text or is there some other way? Depends on where you are. If you are in Tokyo (and by that, I mean the metro area, which is huge, Tokyo is more than a city), no, you don't really have to speak a lick of Japanese to get around Tokyo (though it's polite if you know the basic greetings and such). Same for the more touristy areas like Kyoto. Anywhere else, you might want to have a translator app handy, sure. If you are going to some off the road fishing village you read about on Lonely Planet or whatever it helps. Japan is pretty awesome, and one of the reasons is even the areas that are used to Westerners still don't feel Westernized, if that makes sense. You will definitely know you are in a different part of the planet if you are used to the US or Europe. Edit: Not to turn this in to an Ask/Tell thread about some idiot businessman's experiences in Japan over the last 20 years but: A) Fi works pretty well there - though it is one of the countries where if you go local, you will get much faster speeds, their LTE is insane in most metro areas. You can rent portable wifi hotspots in most airports fairly cheaply (even cheaper if you book ahead) if you are really in to internet on the go. B) The Subway system in Tokyo is one of the best in the world, and also one of the most confusing to non-Japanese speakers, until you figure it out (all maps have English translations) at which point it is dead simple and you can literally get anywhere you want to go for cheap and C) Japanese people love chicken more than most Western people who haven't been to Japan realize. This isn't a universal rule, but seriously, they eat fried and grilled chicken over there like they grew up in Alabama, I am not kidding. First time I went I thought it would be all Sushi and rice (and you can get a lot of that if you want) but the chicken is great. Which has nothing to do with Fi I know but thought I would bring it up. Ixian fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Mar 7, 2016 |
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Mar 7, 2016 04:13
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nocal posted:I am actually thinking of finally switching to Fi, because I'm going to Tokyo in June, so this is interesting to me. You'll get 2g, sometimes 3g, speeds on Fi there. It's decent enough for texting and occasionally looking stuff up, though as mentioned if you have a way to cache maps you'll be much better off. And Japan is one of those places where offline maps aren't free, as we've established, so look at MapsWithMe or an app like it where you can buy them. Before Fi I used to rent little mifi hotspots - about $45 USD for a week, you get pretty fast to very fast LTE speeds depending on where you are, and you can share 3-4 devices via wireless. No real download cap that I remember though I wouldn't try running Netflix all day on one. The battery in them will generally last you most of the day, depending on how much you use it and how many devices are connected - they charge over usb, so I used to hook mine up to a portable battery charger and carry everything around in a little backpack when I was being a tourist. Even with Fi it's worth considering because it is faster and much more so if you plan on having more devices hooked up (such as a travelling companions/etc). I've even done Skype video live from Shibuya crossing with one. At Narita and Haneda airports the kiosks to rent them are right before you exit the terminals (all of them). You can also pre-book them online; they will deliver them via mail to your hotel with a pre-paid shipping envelope, when you are done just drop it in to a mailbox (or ask your hotel to). This way is a little cheaper and you're guaranteed to get the model you want (they have different speed devices with smaller/larger battery combos, etc.). I'll see if I can dig up the site I used before.
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Mar 7, 2016 13:10
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The Electronaut posted:rear end in a top hat, I want yakitori now. I'll eat some for you Thursday. The 6p takes great pics and I should be able to post with Fi right off the street, just to keep it on topic.
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Mar 7, 2016 19:28
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I don't even like the 5X that much, only because the 6p is a better phone, but 199 USD free and clear plus Fi is the best deal in cell phones + service you can get in the US right now, in my opinion.
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Mar 8, 2016 03:16
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surc posted:I am hoping this is going to be the case! Hopping on coming from unlimited data on T-Mobile, since it looks like the most data I've used in the last year is .9 gigs one month. I do stream music, so I went with 3GB and will see how that goes. I use my phone to listen to music on my commute, but lately I've just been downloading a few of my playlists at home, then playing them offline on the drive, so If you are already on T-Mobile then you've really got nowhere to go but up with Fi. And chances are whatever phone you have with them isn't as good as the 5x, unless you already own a 6p or one of the better Sonys. Unless you are a Samsung fan in which case stock Marshmallow may take some getting used to. I personally can't stand them no matter how good (or bad) their hardware may be at any given time so in my book the 6p is tops, though it certainly isn't the sales leader.
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Mar 8, 2016 18:21
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Kaleidoscopic Gaze posted:Hopefully it is a good deal, I just placed my order yesterday. Because I was getting a surprise $150 off, I sprung for 2-day shipping, so my phone should come by tomorrow. I had the N5. It's better than the N5. Better camera, better screen, better battery for the most part. I just like the 6p a lot more even if you take the larger screen size out of it (I like the bigger screen but I know not everyone does). The hardware is better and it's built really well. But the 5x is still a good phone, and at this price it's about the best deal in phones there is right now. It's a step up from the N5 and at this price it's finally the true successor to it in my mind.
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Mar 9, 2016 04:51
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Darkpriest667 posted:it encrypts your data when you're on open wifi ;-) Open WiFi is one of Fi's better features, fully encrypted and automatic. However the number of truly open hotspots is not as large as you'd think, and Fi's preference for connecting to them over mobile has occasionally backfired as the open hotspots it finds are not always the fastest around. I think they are working on an internal list of "good" ones, especially in major cities. I know in the Bay Area when I travel there I always seem to hit one or two. That said flat out disabling it isn't something I'd recommend on Fi, it's safe and the pros have outweighed the cons for me so far.
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Mar 10, 2016 02:06
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Endless Mike posted:T-Mobile connects to LTE, but is throttled when you're overseas. I imagine Fi is just using that. I'm on an Asia trip with my Fi 6p now (currently in Singapore) and this is the case, icon may say LTE but you are getting throttled. It's fast enough for basic stuff and certainly cheap. If you really want speed on a trip see my previous post about renting a portable hotspot (Japan is particularly good for this).
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Mar 16, 2016 02:11
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Valicious posted:Eh....that's fine. My current number ended up on a bazillion telemarketing lists, time for a change. There's an excellent chance any new number you will get will also be on a zillion lists, telemarketing and otherwise, just FYI. They don't exactly "scrub" old numbers.
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Mar 20, 2016 20:54
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No Butt Stuff posted:If you don't order from Fi, you'll have to order a Fi SIM. And it's worth noting that order from Fi means the actual Fi store NOT the Google Play store - even if you order from the latter you won't get a Fi SIM. The stores look the same and all but they are not. Yes, I found this out the hard way myself. Fortunately Google will ship you a Fi SIM for free and they are pretty quick about it so just do that ahead of time.
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Apr 4, 2016 09:14
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Tots posted:Do people anywhere actually get 100 down? That seems like a fantasy to me. I don't know what backwoods you live in  but lots of people do now, yes. Hell I can even get (claimed) gigabit in my little corner of the woods now, if I wanted it. I am happy with 200, which requires more than 8 channels as well. The Arris model people should buy these days, at a minimum, is the 6183, not the 6141. The latter will limit you in the future, or the present if you have more than 8/4 channels.
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Apr 5, 2016 13:56
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As Endless Mike says new Nexus phones are usually in the fall, like the last bunch. The 6p has always been a fantastic phone and the 5x is now good after a number of updates. If you see either for $50 off or whatever snatch it up, no point in waiting, there's always something better right around the corner but in this case it's not a month or two away.
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Apr 25, 2016 21:26
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Endless Mike posted:Weird that you'd get advertisements on a carrier intended specifically to harvest your data to better serve you advertisements. Quit trolling. Google isn't handing your data out to overseas VOIP spammers mass-dialing IRS warnings, timeshares, and credit card offers and you know it. Far more likely, one or more spammer has inside access to the ports database at these companies (considering how much they outsource, almost certain) and his wife's number ended up on a fresh list. A ported number is likely more valuable to a spammer since blocking is done at the device level and the new owner won't have done that yet.
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May 8, 2016 21:58
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Massasoit posted:Also they extended the 5x discount until August and added a 6p discount. Even if they are the 6p is still a fantastic phone and at $150 off it is a no brainer, nothing touches it in the Android world anywhere near that price (or any price, I'd argue). Awesome news about LTE/4G overseas. I travel a lot and while I appreciated the free 3G it was awfully slow, especially in countries that are mostly 4G now and neglect 3G.
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Jul 12, 2016 18:18
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Ace of Baes posted:My 5X came in the mail today, was surprised because it was 3-5 days ground shipping and it actually came 3 days after I ordered it, activating my number only took 2 minutes to go into effect too. Also it came with a free 90 day trial of play music but idk if I want to make a new play account to get 3 months for free. So far Google has beaten every shipping date they've listed for me, even for free replacement Fi cards. I think you still have time so if you haven't done it look at their protection plan. I had never dropped a phone in my life (or rather, never dropped one and shattered the screen) but it happened to my 6p just last month and I had a no hassle replacement fresh in the box 2 days later. It's worth the coin.
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Jul 13, 2016 02:04
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Jacobin posted:Has anyone had any experience taking apart a Nexus 6P and repairing it? My first (and last) Fi/6 experience without a warranty went like this: I paid for a new phone and use the broken one (screen) in my car as a permanent Android Auto PC. They are not easy phones to fix yourself and repair costs are often as much as a new phone now that they are discounted. Which is why for my 6p I have the warranty, it's not that expensive and they swap you out quick if there is a problem.
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Aug 1, 2016 19:38
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azurite posted:You can blacklist specific numbers via the Dialer app, but that's about it. Google's implementing a warning for spam callers, but I don't think it does anything to block them. The Do Not Call list does virtually nothing. First, legit companies - the only ones that would abide by the list - aren't supposed to use mobile numbers in the first place. They are automatically exempted. Second, legit political organizations - a lot of them - are exempted (from having to abide by the list). And third, the scourge of overseas VOIP scam farms that comprise some 99% of robocalls don't give a flying gently caress about the list. You can block the numbers, but they change constantly, so all that will do is knock out any particularly annoying/stupid operations for a few days. You need a program that relies on a crowdsourced, vetted, rolling blacklist. The very best of those is Nomorobo.com - unfortunately their version for cell phones is in a very limited trial right now and you have to sign up for a waiting list. I can confirm it works *great* though. Truecaller is also supposed to be pretty good though I haven't tried it. Google's (and Apple's) upcoming systems that are being slowly rolled out may help though as noted I think Google just warns you if it thinks it's a robocall, it won't block it for you automatically.
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Aug 6, 2016 14:42
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rhombus posted:Thanks. Trying to figure out if I can keep my 5x credit card points after switching. Looks like probably not. If you get bonus points for telecom spending it should show up as that, it does with Chase. If not you can probably call your CC company and have them correct it, shouldn't be a big deal. I mean, it is Telecom, after all.
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Nov 8, 2016 01:32
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If anyone else is looking to sign up and get $20 each for us both here's my referral link: https://g.co/fi/r/1F92N6 I've had Fi for over a year now and it's well worth it. I travel a lot for my job overseas and it works really well. Even better now that they support 4G in most countries.
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Dec 23, 2016 16:08
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I recently updated my Fi 6p to a Pixel 2 XL when they had the sale (I got $100 for the 6p, which was decent enough, probably could have done better but Google was zero hassle) and it's the bee's knees. And the camera is stupid good. Going on 3 years now with Fi and love it. My greatest fear is Google decides to kill it one day. I use the second sim option in my iPad when travelling and the combo is just the best. If you travel overseas a lot Fi is the poo poo in my experience.
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May 3, 2018 04:49
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Admiral Joeslop posted:Someone up thread mentioned using their tablet; now that Google has opened up Fi to non-Fi phones, does that mean tablets could also work? I have an Amazon Fire HD 10 that I don't use data on currently. I don't really need to but it would be nice to have the option. Fi has supported tablets for some time, assuming they have a compatible LTE radio/sim slot. The LTE iPads, at least, have worked for a couple years now. The HD 10 doesn't have LTE so it won't work...with any service
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Nov 29, 2018 15:04
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Has Fi service gotten that bad? I haven't had to use it in over a year myself but I remember it being quick and painless. Online chat - I don't think I've called any Google related business ever for end user support, it doesn't seem to be their thing.
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Dec 12, 2018 03:05
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