Adventures in Android land (don't try this at home)

[gotluck]

Just to be clear Google doesn't sell data, they sell ads.

 

[AustinIllini]

easy answer: Google

I'm doing my best to avoid them mining my data, and they are trying hard.
You clearly are entitled to have a different opinion, but I really can't understand how people can support a company like Google.
DOn't get me wrong: Apple isn't a charity institution, it still is a business company, but Apple's target is to sell their product, hardware and software. This through customer satisfaction (most of the time).
Google doesn't care about that: they don't sell you anything, not even services (they are almost all free of charge). They just want you to sign up on their ecosystem to monetize on your data.
I don't like it, on principle.
I don't like Google literally infesting the web with their data tracking code.
Really, I am an Apple supporter for sure, but I like many Microsoft's products.
Not Google....
Google is the least ethic company on the planet.

My two cents.

(no argument intended)

You're confusing an opinion with an accusation. You are completely and totally wrong.

And if you honestly believe Apple isn't guilty of everything you despise about Google, I have a bridge to sell you.

 

[grkm3]

easy answer: Google

I'm doing my best to avoid them mining my data, and they are trying hard.
You clearly are entitled to have a different opinion, but I really can't understand how people can support a company like Google.
DOn't get me wrong: Apple isn't a charity institution, it still is a business company, but Apple's target is to sell their product, hardware and software. This through customer satisfaction (most of the time).
Google doesn't care about that: they don't sell you anything, not even services (they are almost all free of charge). They just want you to sign up on their ecosystem to monetize on your data.
I don't like it, on principle.
I don't like Google literally infesting the web with their data tracking code.
Really, I am an Apple supporter for sure, but I like many Microsoft's products.
Not Google....
Google is the least ethic company on the planet.

My two cents.

(no argument intended)

So hold up.you don't use Google maps,gmail,YouTube because it mines your info? The only data mining it does is Google search and guess what? In the Google vs oracle lawsuit your prefect precious apple company got its dirty little secrets leaked.Google pays apple 1 billion a year to be the default search engine and Google gives apple 33% of the add profits.

 

[AustinIllini]

So hold up.you don't use Google maps,gmail,YouTube because it mines your info? The only data mining it does is Google search and guess what? In the Google vs oracle lawsuit your prefect precious apple company got its dirty little secrets leaked.Google pays apple 1 billion a year to be the default search engine and Google gives apple 33% of the add profits.

Oh snap!

Max, change your search engine on iPhone to Duckduckgo. Too bad it's too late. Might as well get yourself a gmail to know what real services feel like.

 

[lowendlinux]

Soo..tinkering with my Raspberry PI, somehow the idea formed in my mind it would be nice to have a Linux (Android) phone to play with, with all the flexibility and freedom that supposedly comes with it.

In the last three weeks, I sold my iPhone 6 plus, ordered a LG Nexus 5X, a Samsung 6 Edge Plus and a Blackberry Priv (sorry Amazon). And, today I finally settled for an iPhone 6S Plus. Boy, not all is well in Apple land, but using Android feels like being covered in **** up to your neck.

I went for the Nexus 5X because they say it offers the purest Android experience and little to no bloatware. The first bummer was the shoddy build quality that thing creaks like my long dead grandmother. Every time you move your hand the phone groans as if its going to fall apart every minute. I'm not kidding you its that bad. The next let down was the camera, which according to the interwebs finally brings Android cameras up to par with Apple phone cameras. Thats a blatant lie, my iPhone 4S used to take better picture that that POS. One of the photoes I took featured two people skiing and they didn't have facial features whatsoever, and it wasn't motion blur. Its still creeping me out. At the end of day 1 with the phone I had lost all confidence using the camera, because you never knew if the camera got the shot right. I never had that feeling with the iPhone.

I used to think of Android having a understated and somewhat professional look, but that sure has changed with their latest release, even iOS looks converservative next to this eye cancer inducing atrocity.

Next up up was the Galaxy 6 Edge Plus and I gotta say its sure does have a nice screen. The curved screen looks nice and is accentuated by Samsung's choice of wallpapers, it feels a bit like looking into a 3D device. The camera is decent as well, I really like the double homebutton shortcut to bring it up even if the phone is locked. But thats where the niceties end. The iPhone 6 is somewhat slippy if you use if without a case, but the Edge is 10 times worse when it comes to ergonomices. Its not just slippy but also its really uncomfortable holding that thing, because of the slim edges. It comes with Touchwiz, Samsungs pimped up version of Android, and boy its one
feature overloaded mess. Also they couldn't just leave the edges to stand as a design feature all by itself, they had to cramp some weired functionality into this which of course nobody uses because its totally uses and just makes things ten times more complicated.

The last Android device I tried was a Blackberry Priv. I always held Blackberry in rather high regard, I don't know why but its always been like this but after 2 days with the Priv thats a thing of the past. First of all, that thing get hots, I mean really hot I thought the damn thing is going to explode right into my face when I set it up, but even later every time I did something with the phone for more than 5 minutes to would start heating up. The back is creaky like the 5X. The slider sure is nice, but the physical keyboard is really just a gimmick these days, its fun to use for the first 10 minutes but starts to get old really fast because its actually a lot slower to type that way. The camera features 18MP but its 18 really poor MP, and the photos looks like crap especially
in low light situations.

All that freedom Android promises comes at a price, that is being exposed to Google 24/7. It gets really creepy after a while I'm not super paranoid when it comes to my privacy but using an Android feels like being monitored all day long. I logged off my Google account every day in Chrome but sooner or later the browser would log me back in all by itself. I guess you can switch this off somehow but the setting is hidden somewhere in their god forsaken privacy tool. Its completey intransparent and complicated to use, and I assume they did that on purpose.

The app selection still sucks, Sky Safari didn't work properly on any of the three devices. The notification spam is super annoying, every other minute the damn thing starts flashing, beeping or whatever it does trying to get your attention its a bloody nightmare.

The decision to end my Android adventures finally came when I tried to paste a simple URL from Chrome in the blackberry hub, which didn't work. I mean seriously its 2016 and they can't implement copy/paste reliably??

I packed the crap up & sent it back this morning and drove to the nearest Apple store to pick up my new iPhone 6S plus. It feels good to be home.

That's nice

 

[AustinIllini]

The post was really so interesting and I'm glad to be a senior member of this interesting forum.

Member since: January 2nd, 2016

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I can't see myself going back to the iPhone unless Apple opens iOS up, which will be no time soon.

I'm more than satisfied with my S6 Edge, TouchWiz, and Android as a whole. Will most likely be going for the S7 Edge this year.

 

[Seiga]

So hold up.you don't use Google maps,gmail,YouTube because it mines your info? The only data mining it does is Google search and guess what? In the Google vs oracle lawsuit your prefect precious apple company got its dirty little secrets leaked.Google pays apple 1 billion a year to be the default search engine and Google gives apple 33% of the add profits.

Wow.. I have to say, this is the most logical post made on this thread by far. And you'd be a fool to think Apple doesn't collect data as well. It may be hashed data or encrypted in some way, but they collect as well.

 

[SeilerBird]

I don't have difficulties to understand why an user that is happy with a Samsung phone could love Google. I don't know what is worst (actually I know: Google. At least Samsung is just a phone maker with a little talent, but they don't cheat on us).

You have it backwards. I am a long time Google user who is happy with my Samsung. My last phone was an iPhone 6 and I much prefer the S6. I see no reason to hate Google. They are not the big bad monster you assume they are.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Biggest mistake OP made was not just getting the Nexus 6P and calling it day, ( The 5X is lame, and a budget phone ) no need for those other crappy phones. The 6P is the best smartphone available today, no matter OS preference.

But that's cool if you like the outdated OS, totally locked down, Fischer Price toy iPhone, that's designed for grandparents and teenyboppers.

Let me see your home screen please, oh did you leave the App drawer open ? You have all those app icons all over the screen, can't even see the wallpaper. LOL. I won't use the dreaded iFarm animal name.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Biggest mistake OP made was not just getting the Nexus 6P and calling it day, ( The 5X is lame, and a budget phone ) no need for those other crappy phones. The 6P is the best smartphone available today, no matter OS preference.

But that's cool if you like the outdated OS, totally locked down, Fischer Price toy iPhone, that's designed for grandparents and teenyboppers.

Let me see your home screen please, oh did you leave the App drawer open ? You have all those app icons all over the screen, can't even see the wallpaper. LOL. I won't use the dreaded iFarm animal name.

What's the big deal about the iOS home screen? I mean it's not the end of the world.

 

[Tig Bitties]

What's the big deal about the iOS home screen? I mean it's not the end of the world.

Check out the XDA threads of Android phone ' Post your homescreen ' threads, and see all the different varieties of ways people set up their phones, with some really wild cool designs, or some really good work business related screens, or very artistic setups. Tons of different widget designs for weather or sports, or calendars, or work stuff, etc...

Then look at the iPhone homescreen threads, they all exactly the same grid of app icons, just with different wallpapers behind them LOL sad.

And 'Themes' is another cool and fun feature on Android, Samsung, or HTC, or ROM's all have themes available, to really change the way the phone looks, to a dark or black theme, to artistic themes, to minimalist themes, etc... all different and cool ways to personalize your phone to exactly the way you want. Not just the same old boring iPhone 100 million people have setup exactly the same

 

[Shanghaichica]

Check out the XDA threads of Android phone ' Post your homescreen ' threads, and see all the different varieties of ways people set up their phones, with some really wild cool designs, or some really good work business related screens, or very artistic setups. Tons of different widget designs for weather or sports, or calendars, or work stuff, etc...

Then look at the iPhone homescreen threads, they all exactly the same grid of app icons, just with different wallpapers behind them LOL sad.

And 'Themes' is another cool and fun feature on Android, Samsung, or HTC, or ROM's all have themes available, to really change the way the phone looks, to a dark or black theme, to artistic themes, to minimalist themes, etc... all different and cool ways to personalize your phone to exactly the way you want. Not just the same old boring iPhone 100 million people have setup exactly the same

I know exactly what you can do with the home screen on android phones as I used them for 2.5 years. However personally I get bored of customisation. Both an iPhone and an android phone have the same apps with the same functions regardless of how you arrange them on the screen.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I know exactly what you can do with the home screen on android phones as I used them for 2.5 years. However personally I get bored of customisation. Both an iPhone and an android phone have the same apps with the same functions regardless of how you arrange them on the screen.

The thing is, you CAN'T arrange the app icons on an iPhone. Let's say I want a specific app icon dragged down towards the bottom near the dock, and away from the rest of the group of apps. Apple does not allow that, they all must be in a row following each, you can't drag and drop and place one specific icon anywhere on the homscreen. That's freaking unbelievable, that in the year 2016, the most basic of basic options is not even available on the iPhone.

When I had my iPhone 6 Plus for a month last year, the first hour of trying to do that, I almost threw the phone out the window in frustration, then I just LOL'd said yep typical Apple, of course you can't do that, why would Apple allow the user to have any control of their phone whatsoever. It's their way or the highway.

 

[Shanghaichica]

The thing is, you CAN'T arrange the app icons on an iPhone. Let's say I want a specific app icon dragged down towards the bottom near the dock, and away from the rest of the group of apps. Apple does not allow that, they all must be in a row following each, you can't drag and drop and place one specific icon anywhere on the homscreen. That's freaking unbelievable, that in the year 2016, the most basic of basic options is not even available on the iPhone.

When I had my iPhone 6 Plus for a month last year, the first hour of trying to do that, I almost threw the phone out the window in frustration, then I just LOL'd said yep typical Apple, of course you can't do that, why would Apple allow the user to have any control of their phone whatsoever. It's their way or the highway.

I remember that you sang the 6 plus' praises in the beginning when you first got it

 

[Tig Bitties]

I remember that you sang the 6 plus' praises in the beginning when you first got it

I Jailbreaked the phone the first night I got the phone. That was my first iPhone in like four years, and I never JB before, but the frustrations of the stock experience was so painful, and a major letdown, and very disappointing, that I had no choice but to JB, just to open the damn phone up to some sort of customization, and allowing access to the file system, and get away from the devil iTunes crap.

A bone stock out of the box iPhone NO ***** way would I ever use that. Couldn't pay me to use that thing.

 

[TheBigKing]

Curios what phone u use now? a 6p^^

 

[Tig Bitties]

Curios what phone u use now? a 6p^^

No, actually a rooted and ROM'd Note 5, that I am happy with. If I didn't get the Note 5 back in August, for sure I would have gotten the Nexus 6P. I still think the 6P is probably the best phone out there, with the Note 5 a close second.

 

[Frankied22]

I never understood people's complains with the iOS home screen. You might not be able to put icons in random places or clutter it with ugly widgets but within one (or two taps if the app is in a folder) you are right in an app. It does is job of getting out of the way and giving you quick access to apps.

 

[Channan]

View attachment 612434

That looks like a 100% crop. That picture is probably the size of that blank dude's face relative to the original photo.

 

[Seiga]

I never understood people's complains with the iOS home screen. You might not be able to put icons in random places or clutter it with ugly widgets but within one (or two taps if the app is in a folder) you are right in an app. It does is job of getting out of the way and giving you quick access to apps.

No one mentions this, but Apple has no true app drawer. My wife has a crap ton of apps installed on her iOS device. It's arranged first come first serve. In order to alphabetize it, you have to long press and re-arrange. Google has OPTIONS. Either do what you want to access home screen apps, or access the app drawer for an alphabetized format. Explain why Apple doesn't allow for auto arranging apps? That's a huge complaint if there is one. And yes, you can search for the app if you like, but you can do that on android as well. Android's App Management is severely > Apple's App Management.
[doublepost=1453854414][/doublepost]

The 5X is more like 480€ over here (32 GB), and yes I'm aware I can't expect iPhone materials and build quality, but what I can expect is decent build quality for that money. As for the photos, obviously I was exaggerting a bit, but with the iPhone 90% of the shots are ok, the per centage was a lot lower with the 5X.

View attachment 612434
[doublepost=1453751666][/doublepost]

No way this photo is from the 5X. Total lie and BS by the OP just for trolling purposes. For one, the photo res is 646x482 (N5X and 6P. This photo was probably taken with a iPhone 3GS if anything.

 

[AustinIllini]

View attachment 612434
[doublepost=1453751666][/doublepost]

Image resolution 646 x 482.

Actual Nexus 5x photo is a ton higher than that. Crop job. This should be enough to close the thread.

 

[Zwhaler]

Next up up was the Galaxy 6 Edge Plus and I gotta say its sure does have a nice screen. The curved screen looks nice and is accentuated by Samsung's choice of wallpapers, it feels a bit like looking into a 3D device. The camera is decent as well, I really like the double homebutton shortcut to bring it up even if the phone is locked. But thats where the niceties end. The iPhone 6 is somewhat slippy if you use if without a case, but the Edge is 10 times worse when it comes to ergonomices. Its not just slippy but also its really uncomfortable holding that thing, because of the slim edges. It comes with Touchwiz, Samsungs pimped up version of Android, and boy its one
feature overloaded mess. Also they couldn't just leave the edges to stand as a design feature all by itself, they had to cramp some weired functionality into this which of course nobody uses because its totally uses and just makes things ten times more complicated.

I agree with the ergonomics part... but at the end of the day it is probably the sleekest design/best looking phone on the market right now. The Note5 is a more ergonomic feel, but lacks the edge display. As far as TouchWiz goes, I don't really see why you had all of these problems. I also think the edge software feature sucks... that's why I disabled it and use SwipePad instead which is actually useful. That's the cool part about Android, there are so many apps out there that actually modify the way the user uses the OS. Apple does not allow this in their App store in any meaningful way. I'm glad you're back in your comfort zone, Android is not for everybody.

 

[mi7chy]

What kind of fool sells his current phone before trying the new one and and base a decision on one badly ported crapplet (try Stellarium instead)? The rest are just are personal preferences. Wasted my time reading garbage instead of looking into why my POS German car remote key fob stopped working and the door doesn't manually unlock.

 

[AustinIllini]

This is a 6P photo from the same camera as the 5x