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skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
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Brazil
Do you use apple ecosystem already? Do you buy songs from iTunes or ebook? Did you use iCloud extensively already? If so, better buy the cheapest iPhone you can afford (i.e. iPhone 5/5s). I had been back and forth from androids to iPhone and found it was very hassle to switch & moved the data.
Well, I try to keep away as much as I can from Apple ecosystem. I don't want to be locked in Apple's world, even though I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. I don't buy songs from iTunes nor ebooks from Apple. I use apps that I can use in every platform such as Kindle and Spotify.
 

skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
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Brazil
There are two different options on my Xperia Z Ultra:

1. Stamina Mode

In this mode, you can pretty much do everything, however, it won't give you as much battery life (around 8 hours and approx. 24 hours in standby-mode)

2. Ultra Stamina Mode

This mode is extremely powerful. It disables most functionalities except the basic ones like making and receiving phonecalls, messaging, etc. The advantage is that you have around 4 days of battery life and 14 days in standby-mode.

It works by adjusting things like cpu speed, brightness, and turns off certain elements whilst screen is not working.

Most phones have some for of battery saving.

dd119e35411df10722179fdbd3874aa8.jpg

Thanks. I read somewhere that Sony's power management is the best out there. Are there any good alternatives, say, on the app store?
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
Thanks. I read somewhere that Sony's power management is the best out there. Are there any good alternatives, say, on the app store?
Haven't found any on the app store but yeah Sony's is indeed excellent.

Samsung, HTC and even Google have a power save mode now but I still think Sony's strikes the best balance.
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
As a Nexus 5 user, I would advise against it, because you value battery life and that isn't one of the Nexus 5 strong points I'm afraid.
Plus the new Nexus, possibly a 5 replacement, will be out in September / October. I would wait to see what Motorola launch.
 

skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
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Brazil
As I keep researching my options, I keep getting confused, perhaps because I know so little of the Android environment.

I have just come accross this:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/08/06/stock-android-on-every-device/
http://www.techradar.com/news/softw...ncher-explained-what-you-need-to-know-1231503

What does this mean? Can I just install stock Android on any Android smartphone, leaving the customized interface and all the bloat behind? How does this work exactly? I thought the customization involved more than just the launcher, but I may be wrong.

Can someone help me here?
 

skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
As a Nexus 5 user, I would advise against it, because you value battery life and that isn't one of the Nexus 5 strong points I'm afraid.
Plus the new Nexus, possibly a 5 replacement, will be out in September / October. I would wait to see what Motorola launch.
Thanks. I read it really has a not-so-good battery life.
 

flybub

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
182
43
As I keep researching my options, I keep getting confused, perhaps because I know so little of the Android environment.

I have just come accross this:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/08/06/stock-android-on-every-device/
http://www.techradar.com/news/softw...ncher-explained-what-you-need-to-know-1231503

What does this mean? Can I just install stock Android on any Android smartphone, leaving the customized interface and all the bloat behind? How does this work exactly? I thought the customization involved more than just the launcher, but I may be wrong.

Can someone help me here?

The article refers to the Google Now Launcher which is a way to change up how the phone looks. Every OEM has their own way of adding their own "skin" to Android. Samsung has Touchwiz, HTC has Sense, so on and so forth. The beauty of a launcher is the ability to change the grid size of the home screen, change the icons and the size of them, how the animations are displayed and other options. There are many different launchers to choose from, the most popular being Nova Prime, but there is also ADW, Action Launcher, Go, and others. However, it is still is not stock Android even though it may look like. The manufacturers processes are still running in the background. Launchers can speed up some processes but there will be times you see some hangs and glitches. Ever heard the phrase 'you can put lipstick on a hog, but under neath it's still a hog'? That is a launcher, not dissing them because I use both Nova and Action Launcher, but they are simply covering up what the manufacturer has put on top of stock Android.

Hopefully this helps out.
 

skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
The article refers to the Google Now Launcher which is a way to change up how the phone looks. Every OEM has their own way of adding their own "skin" to Android. Samsung has Touchwiz, HTC has Sense, so on and so forth. The beauty of a launcher is the ability to change the grid size of the home screen, change the icons and the size of them, how the animations are displayed and other options. There are many different launchers to choose from, the most popular being Nova Prime, but there is also ADW, Action Launcher, Go, and others. However, it is still is not stock Android even though it may look like. The manufacturers processes are still running in the background. Launchers can speed up some processes but there will be times you see some hangs and glitches. Ever heard the phrase 'you can put lipstick on a hog, but under neath it's still a hog'? That is a launcher, not dissing them because I use both Nova and Action Launcher, but they are simply covering up what the manufacturer has put on top of stock Android.

Hopefully this helps out.
Thanks, this was very helpful. It is how I imagined.
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
A little bit of advice. Forbes technology / android articles are generally poor.

I have had many twitter disputes with Gordon Kelly their main 'expert' over articles which were misleading or inaccurate and sometimes entirely false. They do little research preferring to simply cut and paste stories that other tech bloggers/journalists post even if that source happens to be wrong or inaccurate. So you just end up with a dozen sites all posting completely wrong info as news simply because they need to fill article space and are paid by articles submitted & subsequent traffic.

There is no quality control. And yes this is from first hand experience after catching Kelly out posting an article on Forbes which was wrong & misleading - I should know 'he was quoting something I had written on Xda out of context and not in full and presenting it as an official Samsung statement '...

Since then I have realised many 'technology' journalists are simply one step up from ludites. They're still ignorant but have at least managed to learn what 'copy and paste' do and mastered the art of pretence.
 
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ackmondual

macrumors 68020
Dec 23, 2014
2,446
1,151
U.S.A., Earth
@OP,
I take it being able to swap out a dying battery for a fresh one on the spot is still no substitute for poorer battery life? Either way, note that some Android devices have been moving away from user replaceable batteries, and expansion card slots for that matter.

I was going to recommend the Galaxy s4 (what I currently use), but that's out. Another "jinx" was I was going to recommend against a gs6, but the replaceable battery and micro SD card slot are really my concerns. The battery life may be up to snuff there though.
 

skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
I saw the new models unveiled by Motorola today. The Moto X Play got my attention, and it will be released here in Brazil in August. Do you think it would be a better choice than the Droid Turbo?
 

macrem

macrumors 65816
Mar 11, 2008
1,438
102
I had a previous iPhone that went completely underwater. I shut it off immediately and left it off for two days to dry out and then it worked flawlessly, which apparently is quite common if you shut it off right away. If this was not the case for you, sorry for your loss. Apple has a replacement program and the cost depends whether you have AppleCare or not. In either case it should be (a lot) less than buying a MotoX. There may also be cheaper third party repair options.

For instance, in the U.S.:

"AppleCare+ covers two incidents of accidental damage each with a $79 service fee."
"Out-of-warranty cost...iPhone 6: $299"

https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/repair/other/

Apparently a MotoX in Brazil would run you $670...

http://www.gsmarena.com/brazilian_prices_for_motorola_moto_x1_and_moto_g2_leak-news-9513.php

It sounds like you also had a defective battery. I like Nexus and have a Nexus 7 tablet but overall compared to iOS & Apple hardware, the Nexus stutters and is laggy on Android 5.1.1, there are 1/2 baked features & it feels a lot cheaper.
 
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skaertus

macrumors 601
Original poster
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
I had a previous iPhone that went completely underwater. I shut it off immediately and left it off for two days to dry out and then it worked flawlessly, which apparently is quite common if you shut it off right away. If this was not the case for you, sorry for your loss. Apple has a replacement program and the cost depends whether you have AppleCare or not. In either case it should be (a lot) less than buying a MotoX. There may also be cheaper third party repair options.

For instance, in the U.S.:

"AppleCare+ covers two incidents of accidental damage each with a $79 service fee."
"Out-of-warranty cost...iPhone 6: $299"

https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/repair/other/

Apparently a MotoX in Brazil would run you $670...

http://www.gsmarena.com/brazilian_prices_for_motorola_moto_x1_and_moto_g2_leak-news-9513.php

It sounds like you also had a defective battery. I like Nexus and have a Nexus 7 tablet but overall compared to iOS & Apple hardware, the Nexus stutters and is laggy on Android 5.1.1, there are 1/2 baked features & it feels a lot cheaper.

Well, my iPhone has not yet recovered, and I guess it is lost forever. I don't have Apple Care. I saw Apple's website and it says that, while the repair for an iPhone 6 costs US$ 299, it also says that accidental damage is not covered. Does that mean that I will have to buy another one?
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
Bigger screen, bigger battery, same 720p screen, quad core, same MP on camera.. Not a million miles away, just a polycarbonate body.. And kool aid not needed....

So we forget about speed / quality of the various components do we ?

The Moto G is a great phone but

1. its screen is still not of the same quality panel as the iPhone 6
2. It has a plastic build compared to the all aluminium of the iPhone 6
3. The camera may have similar MP but the sensor itself and the quality / makeup of the components is poles apart.
4. Processor wise the G uses dated processor whereas the the iPhone 6 uses a processor that benchmarks with the top Android flagships.

Then there are the many other things like Touch ID etc..

The G is a great phone - but to compare it to an iPhone 6 is just people being silly and not comparing component quality - just spec numbers which give only a tiny part of the true picture. Arguing it doesn't is morose.
 

ackmondual

macrumors 68020
Dec 23, 2014
2,446
1,151
U.S.A., Earth
So we forget about speed / quality of the various components do we ?

The Moto G is a great phone but

1. its screen is still not of the same quality panel as the iPhone 6
2. It has a plastic build compared to the all aluminium of the iPhone 6
3. The camera may have similar MP but the sensor itself and the quality / makeup of the components is poles apart.
4. Processor wise the G uses dated processor whereas the the iPhone 6 uses a processor that benchmarks with the top Android flagships.

Then there are the many other things like Touch ID etc..

The G is a great phone - but to compare it to an iPhone 6 is just people being silly and not comparing component quality - just spec numbers which give only a tiny part of the true picture. Arguing it doesn't is morose.
Quick internet search shows Moto G is roughly $100 to $200 off contract. Iphone 6 is around $600 to $800. The numbers and quality may not compare vs. an Iph6, but given what you're paying, one may not care.

And I've always been bugged by the metal/aluminum argument of Iphones... nearly everyone I've met who's had an issue with plastic builds on phones who use an iPhone puts their iPhone in a protective case. Either a PLASTIC case, or RUBBER one! When you do that, you're touching THAT material instead.
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
Quick internet search shows Moto G is roughly $100 to $200 off contract. Iphone 6 is around $600 to $800. The numbers and quality may not compare vs. an Iph6, but given what you're paying, one may not care.

And I've always been bugged by the metal/aluminum argument of Iphones... nearly everyone I've met who's had an issue with plastic builds on phones who use an iPhone puts their iPhone in a protective case. Either a PLASTIC case, or RUBBER one! When you do that, you're touching THAT material instead.

That applies to every phone including the €949 ($1040) 64gb S6 Edge sat on my table.

It still doesn't mean the comparison between the two devices is appropriate or negate the fact that despite similar sounding numbers on paper there is a big difference in component quality / performance.

It's a silly argument. End of.
 
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