Phones I jumped to Android and it was a disaster?

[nickdalzell1]

Granted I got a new battery a few months ago, but my Galaxy S5 gets plenty of screen on time (it's a sort of micro-tablet and I use it to read service manuals) plus it probably plays 8 plus hours of Slacker Radio through a set of Bose SoundSport Frees, coming home with a bit over 38% charge remaining.

Still got more features than any modern Android much less iPhone, such as IR Blaster, removable battery, headphone jack, water resistance, expandable storage, and a UI design I can enjoy using. It also has a hardware home button, doesn't force gestures down my throat, and a fingerprint scanner as well as a 16 MP camera. I have no clue why anyone would even upgrade today when phones cost tons more for literally less other than a huge screen.

I actually like the Samsung apps. I despise Google's apps and consider them bloatware. Samsung's messages app allows custom themes, bubble styles, and their email app has custom sync schedules and conversation view or regular view, it's akin to Mozilla Thunderbird. Their calendar app allows Google sync as well as Exchange sync and even goes as far as putting the weather forecast for each day. Their voice assistant puts Google Assistant to shame. The Samsung Internet browser also allows extensions and adblock, dark/light themes while Chrome wants to pretend the year is still 2011.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Granted I got a new battery a few months ago, but my Galaxy S5 gets plenty of screen on time (it's a sort of micro-tablet and I use it to read service manuals) plus it probably plays 8 plus hours of Slacker Radio through a set of Bose SoundSport Frees, coming home with a bit over 38% charge remaining.

Still got more features than any modern Android much less iPhone, such as IR Blaster, removable battery, headphone jack, water resistance, expandable storage, and a UI design I can enjoy using. It also has a hardware home button, doesn't force gestures down my throat, and a fingerprint scanner as well as a 16 MP camera. I have no clue why anyone would even upgrade today when phones cost tons more for literally less other than a huge screen.

I actually like the Samsung apps. I despise Google's apps and consider them bloatware. Samsung's messages app allows custom themes, bubble styles, and their email app has custom sync schedules and conversation view or regular view, it's akin to Mozilla Thunderbird. Their calendar app allows Google sync as well as Exchange sync and even goes as far as putting the weather forecast for each day. Their voice assistant puts Google Assistant to shame. The Samsung Internet browser also allows extensions and adblock, dark/light themes while Chrome wants to pretend the year is still 2011.

Which voice assistant are you talking about? Please tell me it’s Bixby (which I know isn’t on the S5) and not S voice Bixby has a lot of faults but it’s tons better than S voice.

I still have an S5 too. If not for the battery life it would get more use. It has a lot of desirable features despite being an older phone.
However I just wanted to point out that even on modern Samsung phones you can forgo gestures in favour of the old navigation buttons.

 

[nickdalzell1]

It is S-voice (although I played with Bixby on the S8, and my watches, and it's sad how under-rated it is. It can do more than Tasker!)

But I like the voice pack it uses and it still does more than the Assistant can do (well, it only supports Now since Assistant isn't fully compatible with the S5) and seems 100%. Can open apps, do searches, toggle wifi or bluetooth, and you can add custom voice packs from the Galaxy App store. Does what I need it to, why change?

I know you can put a nav bar on newer phones but first of all, One UI doesn't do it for me. I prefer Touchwiz Nature UX myself, being a nature lover and I loved the droplet touch sound. The nav-bar still uses the screen. The bottom bezel on the S5 avoids the fingerprints on the screen since it's on the bottom bezel. I hate looking at a screen covered in fingerprints. Just nasty.

I also prefer using older apps from the Android 2.3 days, most of them on my S5 and other devices that support them. Android 9.0 and up lost the backward compatibility with old apps so I can't use the ones I prefer with the UI I like (skeuomorphism) so I don't upgrade. I probably have the only S5 around that has the USB cover still intact.

 

[Shanghaichica]

It is S-voice (although I played with Bixby on the S8, and my watches, and it's sad how under-rated it is. It can do more than Tasker!)

But I like the voice pack it uses and it still does more than the Assistant can do (well, it only supports Now since Assistant isn't fully compatible with the S5) and seems 100%. Can open apps, do searches, toggle wifi or bluetooth, and you can add custom voice packs from the Galaxy App store. Does what I need it to, why change?

I know you can put a nav bar on newer phones but first of all, One UI doesn't do it for me. I prefer Touchwiz Nature UX myself, being a nature lover and I loved the droplet touch sound. The nav-bar still uses the screen. The bottom bezel on the S5 avoids the fingerprints on the screen since it's on the bottom bezel. I hate looking at a screen covered in fingerprints. Just nasty.

I also prefer using older apps from the Android 2.3 days, most of them on my S5 and other devices that support them. Android 9.0 and up lost the backward compatibility with old apps so I can't use the ones I prefer with the UI I like (skeuomorphism) so I don't upgrade. I probably have the only S5 around that has the USB cover still intact.

Mine still has the usb cover intact.
I bought one for my mother in law last year which didn’t have the usb cover. So I bought a tool kit and replacement cover from eBay and replaced it myself.

 

[Stevie jobz 2.0]

I disagree, the P30 is as fast as any fps out there.

I concur, I have a P30 Pro, and the fps is as fast if not faster than any I've ever used before... On all platforms...

 

[nickdalzell1]

Just wanted to add that I learned quite a lot about Android over the years of rooting/ROMs and so on and I know how to properly optimize it (what to turn off/disable, what to enable, what to sync, how to keep certain apps from auto-starting, etc) so my S5 is as fast as a new phone. One reason why Android tends to 'lag' over time is the 'update itch'. See that 'update' button on an app or notification from Play Store, you must press it!!!

I realized rather fast that despite not needing the latest version of Android, most phones still allow app updates. That also includes Google Services--the worst for causing unnecessary CPU and battery over-utilization. So while most Android phones might get 2 OS upgrades, the app updates can go on quite a long time before your devices are labeled 'EOL'.

Since app updates often mean more RAM and CPU needed, the updated versions eventually run slower, or drag the phone down to its knees, making it run very hot, battery life halved, whatever. Like running Windows 98 on an i486DX2, with 8MB of RAM. Sure, it will run, it's supported. But it's an awful experience. That 486 would be better suited with Windows 3.1 and apps from the era it came out.

So I tend to keep the apps no newer than the phone's release year. The S5 my newest apps are from 2014. Oldest from 2009. Motorola G7 Power, no newer than 2020 at the moment. But I don't have the 'update itch' any longer. Not after iOS 7 came out and made it look like flat, lifeless garbage. Why I went over to Android for 6 years and with Samsung since their UX was not just nature themed, but resembled the skeuomorphic UI I loved. So I stick with that even today, sometimes a mix of both modern and skeuo. Sometimes I find older apps supported in Apple devices that retain skeuo. Whatever. I like what I like, don't upgrade if the apps work fine, and my devices, regardless of OS, run as fast as the day they were new. I no longer have 'hot phone syndrome' or halved battery life.

The only exceptions I make for app updates are when they're mandatory to keep using the app (so far, only my Little Caeser's app has forced such an update on me over time) or if it's subscription paid usually requiring the latest version to continue to utilize the subscription (and why I only use apps that are paid one time and unlocked, or pay to remove ads, etc. I don't support the subscription mindset)

People usually don't get it, but many apps will work perfectly fine on their oldest version. Google Play Books on one of my Android 4.1 tablets never got an update (I turned that off) and that old Holo-era design app still works perfectly fine. And no, there's no security risk so please, everyone, stop with that FUD over older apps = instant hackery, your identity stolen or the world ending...You have nothing to worry about by using the Gingerbread-era Angry Birds....or the Jelly-bean era version of Google Movies and TV. Seriously, unless you're browsing shady dark web sites you have nothing to worry about!

 

[Vegastouch]

I wasn't a fan of SVoice and I am going to upgrade, but I upgrading to a mid spec A71, not a S20. My screen on my S9 is all cracked up and will cost $200 plus tax to fix. Still cheaper than the A71 will be but the only things I'll miss from the S9 is wireless charging as I have a couple cradles in spots around the house.
Not looking forward to a huge 6.7" screen in my pocket though. That's the only real drawback.
Maybe one day I'll fix the screen on the S9, but not anytime soon.

 

[nickdalzell1]

If the variety of smartphones from 2010 still existed today I'd love to try something else eventually. I miss the many different screen sizes, small or large, plastic or metal or glass, or features such as slider keyboards, trackballs, etc.

Please tell me I'm not alone in being rather bored with modern smartphone offerings? I mean literally two OSs that to anyone unaware, look quite identical (Android has been following Apple's lead since 5.0 Lollipop), all with huge screens the smallest being the same size as the Galaxy Note 3's, at 5.7", no variety in hardware, all of them glass slabs devoid of buttons or bezels.

Used to be, a huge shift in both features and software made upgrading from a 2010 phone to a 2011 phone worth it. Remember Samsung's 'the next big thing is already here' ads? Today, what is the incentive to upgrade? same lame flat design UX, huge screen and what? 35 cameras? Is that it? where's the 'wow?'

Guess I shouldn't be upset since it's now saving me money and I'm not buying into the disposable mindset, but still. I see folks upgrade and I keep hoping that like the 'unboxing' video shown in the Samsung Galaxy S2 advert, the reaction would be "aww, it looks like last year's phone!" because that's exactly what you get. there's literally no incentive to upgrade. Just don't update your apps like crazy and keep using what you got since nothing offered today is anything short of boring/all look alike.

 

[Vegastouch]

If the variety of smartphones from 2010 still existed today I'd love to try something else eventually. I miss the many different screen sizes, small or large, plastic or metal or glass, or features such as slider keyboards, trackballs, etc.

Please tell me I'm not alone in being rather bored with modern smartphone offerings? I mean literally two OSs that to anyone unaware, look quite identical (Android has been following Apple's lead since 5.0 Lollipop), all with huge screens the smallest being the same size as the Galaxy Note 3's, at 5.7", no variety in hardware, all of them glass slabs devoid of buttons or bezels.

Used to be, a huge shift in both features and software made upgrading from a 2010 phone to a 2011 phone worth it. Remember Samsung's 'the next big thing is already here' ads? Today, what is the incentive to upgrade? same lame flat design UX, huge screen and what? 35 cameras? Is that it? where's the 'wow?'

Guess I shouldn't be upset since it's now saving me money and I'm not buying into the disposable mindset, but still. I see folks upgrade and I keep hoping that like the 'unboxing' video shown in the Samsung Galaxy S2 advert, the reaction would be "aww, it looks like last year's phone!" because that's exactly what you get. there's literally no incentive to upgrade. Just don't update your apps like crazy and keep using what you got since nothing offered today is anything short of boring/all look alike.

It's old hat now. Nobody gets in line to buy the iPhone anymore. And they are following Android, not the other way around. They are entering the fragmentation Era that iPhone users used to say was bad lol. Copying everything they can now to compete as they are way behind in features that people WERE getting bored of iOS.

For me it's the cost now. I'm not spending 1k on a phone. In a few months I can probably get the A71 for $400 on Amazon. I can get an international version for less than that now. But they don't have 5G. I got my S9 for $350 by trading in my S7. I keep them for 2 to 2.5 years so so the high cost isn't worth it anymore.

Don't know how some here have three high priced phones at the same time and just change them every few months. Kind of nuts and expensive to me but to each their own. I'm going the mid spec route now.

May even try the TCL 10 Pro. I can get a nice case for it, which is important to me.... I always use a case, and it's only $400 as well though the chip set is not as advanced as the A71..... And also not 5G but Flossy liked it better than the A71(Internarional version)

 

[nickdalzell1]

When I said Android was following Apple it was in software, not hardware.

When iOS 7 came out, with all that nonsense flat UI design (which I still hate!) Android followed with equally flat design Lollipop complete with pastel colored icons, text-based 'buttons' and tons of whitespace.

iPhone X came out, soon after that, Android 9 Pie released, complete with gesture controls, also rounded corners in dialogs and even more whitespace and later on, notches and lacking headphone jacks finally arrive on the Android side.

Let's not forget the mess of SafetyNet and Google locking it down even more, discouraging root and custom ROMs, making Android a watered down iOS copy. I really miss the early days when Android was open and encouraging for 'geeks' and techies to toy with. It was the only OS actually encouraging it and the motto 'be different not the same'. Today? it's dumbed down, the Pixel is an iPhone wannabe, and it's about as boring as the phone variety.

There's zero incentive to be intelligent these days. You don't find anything out there for geeks or folks and even Linux has started dumbing down for the masses. It's like everyone wants to encourage ignorance and stupidity.

 

[Vegastouch]

When I said Android was following Apple it was in software, not hardware.

When iOS 7 came out, with all that nonsense flat UI design (which I still hate!) Android followed with equally flat design Lollipop complete with pastel colored icons, text-based 'buttons' and tons of whitespace.

iPhone X came out, soon after that, Android 9 Pie released, complete with gesture controls, also rounded corners in dialogs and even more whitespace and later on, notches and lacking headphone jacks finally arrive on the Android side.

Let's not forget the mess of SafetyNet and Google locking it down even more, discouraging root and custom ROMs, making Android a watered down iOS copy. I really miss the early days when Android was open and encouraging for 'geeks' and techies to toy with. It was the only OS actually encouraging it and the motto 'be different not the same'. Today? it's dumbed down, the Pixel is an iPhone wannabe, and it's about as boring as the phone variety.

There's zero incentive to be intelligent these days. You don't find anything out there for geeks or folks and even Linux has started dumbing down for the masses. It's like everyone wants to encourage ignorance and stupidity.

Well I think that discribed Samsung more than Android but I don't know. In any case I wouldn't wannabe a iPhone, it's why I don't buy them. Boring and featureless. Now they are adding features in the newest iOS that Android has had for years.
That can only be a good thing for iPhone users but they still have a long ways to go. The homescreen needs to be fixed to make it custom as well for one thing...... Which is a big one.
But again with their prices I'll probably never have a iPhone again.

As for Samsung.... Another reason I want to get the A71 is it has a flat screen. I don't particularly like the edge screens.

 

[michael9891]

The longes battery life of the brand new iphone is 2 days as far as I know, while Android lasts for 5-6 days in a first month of use

But surely you're barely using it to last that long? A phone wouldn't last 5-6 days with a few hours use each day.

Not sure I understand the "first month of use" comment, they don't degrade badly after a month.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I've had the opposite ever since the iPhone 3GS days. iPhones tend to be far better on battery (especially if you're on Verizon) than their Android counterpart.

My Galaxy S5 will barely last 5-7 hours STANDBY if the signal is low or no-service. It runs extremely hot when that happens. iPhone? not even warm. Still get two-three days. Fandroids back in the day used to critisize me saying 'well the iPhone doesn't DO anything!! lols!'

I'd rather use a phone that doesn't 'do anything' and still does what I need and gets decent battery life than be plugged in a wall every 5-7 hours just because I've dropped to a 3G/1x area (yes they still exist and many areas around here still haven't got 4G)

The only way I've managed 3-day plus battery life is on the Motorola G7 Power, which is more likely due to its super large battery @ 5,000 mAH.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I've had the opposite ever since the iPhone 3GS days. iPhones tend to be far better on battery (especially if you're on Verizon) than their Android counterpart.

My Galaxy S5 will barely last 5-7 hours STANDBY if the signal is low or no-service. It runs extremely hot when that happens. iPhone? not even warm. Still get two-three days. Fandroids back in the day used to critisize me saying 'well the iPhone doesn't DO anything!! lols!'

I'd rather use a phone that doesn't 'do anything' and still does what I need and gets decent battery life than be plugged in a wall every 5-7 hours just because I've dropped to a 3G/1x area (yes they still exist and many areas around here still haven't got 4G)

The only way I've managed 3-day plus battery life is on the Motorola G7 Power, which is more likely due to its super large battery @ 5,000 mAH.

Is there any point in getting a bigger battery for my S5? It drains really quickly in standby. About 6-7 hours.

 

[Stevie jobz 2.0]

My Galaxy S5 will barely last 5-7 hours STANDBY if the signal is low or no-service. It runs extremely hot when that happens. iPhone? not even warm. Still get two-three days. Fandroids back in the day used to critisize me saying 'well the iPhone doesn't DO anything!! lols!'

S5? if that isn't a typo and you are still using a 6 year old handset, do you really think any observations Bout the battery are relavent in 2020?

 

[jamezr]

S5? if that isn't a typo and you are still using a 6 year old handset, do you really think any observations Bout the battery are relavent in 2020?

I think he is trolling....his remarks are obviously not current.

 

[nickdalzell1]

The S5 has a removable battery so it's not that hard to grasp that the person might have already replaced their battery many times over the 6 year period.

That being said, the S5's last official update gave it Android 6 Marshmallow--that was it. Marshmallow still had the 'mobile radio active' bug that causes severe battery drain if you use any apps that need internet--they continue to hold the mobile radio/wifi active consuming CPU and battery and = warm/hot phone.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3ljw9f

Google Will Finally Fix The Infamous 'Mobile Radio Active' Bug In Android 6.0

www.androidpolice.com

The only workaround (other than rebooting every day) is to force-quit any app that you use that needs internet to work (such as Slacker Radio, Spotify, or Pandora, or even Google Chrome). The iPhone never had this issue since it never allows apps to do much of anything online when you leave them.

 

[Apple_Robert]

We all make mistakes at times. You are still welcome here, even though you temporarily left the ranks.

My first phone was Android. After that, I made a vow I would never go back. It just didn’t work for me.

 

[nickdalzell1]

My first smartphone was an iPhone 3GS my boss gave me (I was still using a Nokia 5185i in 2008!!!) because my Nokia's battery was literally only able to last 1-2 minutes in a call (he hated it dropping during field work).

That was my first intro to smartphones--at that time I despised the very idea, and saw the iPhone as the second coming of the Apple Newton--doomed to fail. I was very, very wrong...

After 2013 when my then iPhone 4 and iPad 3 decided to self-install iOS 7 (and I found out I couldn't get my beloved skeuomorphic iOS 6 back) I went and jumped ship to Android for 6 years with a Galaxy SIII, SIV and Note 2 (Only ones doing skeuomorphism at all other than HTC but Samsung's nature UI just worked for me). I then got an S5 that had a flatter UI but still better looking to me than iOS 7-10 in my view.

I had just started to love a iPhone 6S I got really cheap later last year but more recently it stopped being able to send SMS via the cloud or from the phone anymore. iMessages still worked but my girlfriend has been separated from me due to Coronavirus (she's in locked-tight North Carolina) so keeping contact with her is far more vital (and she uses a old Android phone) than whatever color her messages end up being. So I had to jump ship back to Android (my Galaxy S5 and my Moto G7 Power--which is starting to fast replace my S5--showing its age now)

Still quite bored with modern flagships though. I miss the wild west of smartphones back when things such as the T-Mobile Sidekick existed, the Motorola Photon, with its sliding keyboard, the OG Sony Xperia Play with its LED illuminated PlayStation style controls, or the HTC Desire Z with QWERTY slider, Boomsound front-facing speakers, and photo kickstand mode. What happened?! Where's the 'next big thing' to wow me into burning money again? I'm sick and tired of glass sandwiches!

Today, I would forgive anyone who at first glance couldn't tell Android's UI from iOS's UI. They're so close these days it's hard to tell them apart, right down to their gesture controls and rounded corner UI designs.

 

[t1328]

Interesting to read folks arguing over which is a better starter phone for someone switching. I think a lot of that depends on what is important to you in a phone. I essentially agree with both the Pixel/OnePlus camp, and the Samsung camp. Each, much like iPhone vs. Android, has its strong points and weak points. If battery life is very important to you and you don’t need multitasking much, the iPhone 11 family is about as good as it gets, particularly if you can afford the Apple ecosystem that goes with it like the Apple Watch, AirPods, etc.

If you like Android but want a rich ecosystem and tons of useful features, Samsung is very hard to beat, although the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Watch are not as good or feature rich as the Airpods and Apple Watch. OneUI is excellent for large phones, because much unlike the iPhone, it moves all controls to the bottom of the screen. Samsung’s screens are insanely good, and they’re no longer slow. Differences in speed are minimal and not noticeable unless you’re watching a comparison test. The Pixel is super smooth, has the 2nd best haptic engine after the iPhone, and gets monthly security updates. It’s camera is lacking on the wide angle side, so if wide angle camera is important, I wouldn’t bother. But it’s amazing in its computational photography, although in my experience, the iPhone has now caught up, and with the Pro Max, eclipses it by also offering a wide angle camera, and the best video camera on a phone, period.

The OnePlus is also excellent. It offers almost stock Android, but has some really minimal, but clever tweaks that the Pixel doesn’t offer. Last OnePlus I had was the 7 Pro, and it was great. Very, very fast with that 90Hz refresh rate, and very solid. Camera was more than acceptable, and in-screen fingerprint reader was as fast as any kind of unlock I’ve ever used. It is huge though, and not having OneUI with the controls on the bottom, means you’re reaching up a lot, just like you do on the larger Pixels and the larger iPhones.

So something different for everyone, depending on what’s important to you. Since the iPhone 11 Pro Max came out, and I also switched to an MBP, I switched to Apple. For the most part, I hated it initially, but now prefer it a fair amount. I really miss proper multitasking. But I love the camera, the video camera, the battery life (currently at 46% after being in use for 14 hours), the ecosystem, which grows on me more and more as I get more Apple products, and just how much better many apps are on the iPhone because developers have to test on so many fewer phones and form factors for iOS than they do for Android. I thought I’d hate it, but I love FaceID, particularly because it works every time, and because every app that requires a login, allows you to enable FaceID. So you’re looking at your app and it just unlocks. No need to even move a finger.

I hate that Apple, even in iOS 14, still insists on top justifying app icons on massive phones like the 11 Pro Max. But I just swipe down and search, and more often than not, it knows what app I’m looking for before I type a single letter, since it has learned my behavior.

The sounds on the 11 Pro Max speakers is astonishingly good for a phone (oh yeah, for audiophiles, look at the LG phones if you don’t mind how buggy they are). Bottom line is that there isn’t a perfect phone for anyone, let alone everyone. But depending on what’s important to you, there are several options for you on the market. It’s a good time for smartphones.

 

[alien3dx]

My first smartphone was an iPhone 3GS my boss gave me (I was still using a Nokia 5185i in 2008!!!) because my Nokia's battery was literally only able to last 1-2 minutes in a call (he hated it dropping during field work).

That was my first intro to smartphones--at that time I despised the very idea, and saw the iPhone as the second coming of the Apple Newton--doomed to fail. I was very, very wrong...

After 2013 when my then iPhone 4 and iPad 3 decided to self-install iOS 7 (and I found out I couldn't get my beloved skeuomorphic iOS 6 back) I went and jumped ship to Android for 6 years with a Galaxy SIII, SIV and Note 2 (Only ones doing skeuomorphism at all other than HTC but Samsung's nature UI just worked for me). I then got an S5 that had a flatter UI but still better looking to me than iOS 7-10 in my view.

I had just started to love a iPhone 6S I got really cheap later last year but more recently it stopped being able to send SMS via the cloud or from the phone anymore. iMessages still worked but my girlfriend has been separated from me due to Coronavirus (she's in locked-tight North Carolina) so keeping contact with her is far more vital (and she uses a old Android phone) than whatever color her messages end up being. So I had to jump ship back to Android (my Galaxy S5 and my Moto G7 Power--which is starting to fast replace my S5--showing its age now)

Still quite bored with modern flagships though. I miss the wild west of smartphones back when things such as the T-Mobile Sidekick existed, the Motorola Photon, with its sliding keyboard, the OG Sony Xperia Play with its LED illuminated PlayStation style controls, or the HTC Desire Z with QWERTY slider, Boomsound front-facing speakers, and photo kickstand mode. What happened?! Where's the 'next big thing' to wow me into burning money again? I'm sick and tired of glass sandwiches!

Today, I would forgive anyone who at first glance couldn't tell Android's UI from iOS's UI. They're so close these days it's hard to tell them apart, right down to their gesture controls and rounded corner UI designs.

when current people how rectangle all phone is hehee.. Have bought also keyboard sony slide phone also.

2007 ~ 2010 - nokia 6120 classic . 3 hours call,exchangeable battery when need . Rock
Current phone - iphone 7 . Reason i just need small phone to call,receive mail and ipad for big thing.

** i still have android phone 7(cheepo china brand),9(realme i5),10(samsung a20)
** today android freakin big... annoyance

 

[nickdalzell1]

Motorola also has IMO a better FaceID system. My G7 Power, I wake it with side button, just look at it, instant unlock.

iPhone X I tried for a bit but returned later, have to swipe up, wait a few seconds, hope it registers, which can take more than a few times in certain light. I hated having to look through a nasty oily swipe mark on my screen after unlocking it. I also prefer the Motorola having a rear-mounted fingerprint ID system. Smart Lock is something Google got a leg-up over Apple on, which keeps the extra security off if it's with you, or in a location you trust, etc. It auto-secures itself after 4 hours of inactivity.

Motorola phones have mostly stock Android, and a few nice Moto gimmicks that have been around a long time, such as the 'chop chop' flashlight gesture, wake display (similar to the Galaxy S7's idle display), flip over for DND, cover to mute, attentive display (similar to Samsung's Smart Stay), and that honking 5,000 mAH battery on the G7 Power. It looks a lot like an iPhone X complete with notch (albeit smaller and with a bottom chin as well) but IMO the gestures make more sense. I never could get the home gesture or recent gesture to work for me on the X. Moto, just tap pill it acts like a home button. Swipe right for recent apps, swipe left for go back. Makes more sense than whatever Apple attempted, which I suppose is meant to look cool, but doesn't really make sense.

The only app that's really missing for me on the Galaxy Watch is 'Radio'. If on wifi only on the watch, it was quite nifty to call up Siri and ask it to play 'some 80s music' through the AirPods and have it call up Radio and just work. Galaxy Watch? Bixby says 'that feature isn't supported on Galaxy Watch' and there's no actual radio app other than Spotify, which doesn't really do decade playlists (it acts like a second-hand Pandora) and for the watch version to even work it claims you need a premium subscription.

I checked the 'Galaxy Store' on the watch but no such app to replace 'Radio' exists So I have to just ask the Assistant on my phone to 'play 80s music' and have it play through my Bose Soundsport Frees, but using the phone over the watch feels, well, so 2013.

 

[dj1891]

Granted I got a new battery a few months ago, but my Galaxy S5 gets plenty of screen on time (it's a sort of micro-tablet and I use it to read service manuals) plus it probably plays 8 plus hours of Slacker Radio through a set of Bose SoundSport Frees, coming home with a bit over 38% charge remaining.

Still got more features than any modern Android much less iPhone, such as IR Blaster, removable battery, headphone jack, water resistance, expandable storage, and a UI design I can enjoy using. It also has a hardware home button, doesn't force gestures down my throat, and a fingerprint scanner as well as a 16 MP camera. I have no clue why anyone would even upgrade today when phones cost tons more for literally less other than a huge screen.

I actually like the Samsung apps. I despise Google's apps and consider them bloatware. Samsung's messages app allows custom themes, bubble styles, and their email app has custom sync schedules and conversation view or regular view, it's akin to Mozilla Thunderbird. Their calendar app allows Google sync as well as Exchange sync and even goes as far as putting the weather forecast for each day. Their voice assistant puts Google Assistant to shame. The Samsung Internet browser also allows extensions and adblock, dark/light themes while Chrome wants to pretend the year is still 2011.

Ah the S5, I remember owning one of them and to be honest I couldn't fault it, I miss the removable battery and the camera was excellent, no gimmicks back then just a decent main camera. That was back in the days when Samsung offered real value for money, I owned the S2 and S5 and you got real bang for your buck compared to an iPhone, then Samsung caught on "OK these guys are charging silly prices and people are paying it so why dont we do the same" now Samsung are as expensive if not more so than iPhones. In terms of value for money Samsung doesn't offer that any more. That A71 cost me £420 for an average mid-range which looking back was a rip-off, £200 - £250 would have been reasonable for that phone, I could have got one of them Chinese brands such as Realme or even the Mate 20 pro is around that price now and they do offer bang for buck.

 

[nickdalzell1]

When Samsung got rid of TouchWiz Nature UX

Ah the S5, I remember owning one of them and to be honest I couldn't fault it, I miss the removable battery and the camera was excellent, no gimmicks back then just a decent main camera. That was back in the days when Samsung offered real value for money, I owned the S2 and S5 and you got real bang for your buck compared to an iPhone, then Samsung caught on "OK these guys are charging silly prices and people are paying it so why dont we do the same" now Samsung are as expensive if not more so than iPhones. In terms of value for money Samsung doesn't offer that any more. That A71 cost me £420 for an average mid-range which looking back was a rip-off, £200 - £250 would have been reasonable for that phone, I could have got one of them Chinese brands such as Realme or even the Mate 20 pro is around that price now and they do offer bang for buck.

When Samsung got rid of TouchWiz Nature UX (which was my favorite UX, combined just enough skeuomorphism and some neat neature sounds and great wallpapers) they lost me really. I have used a Nature UX themed launcher but without all the sound effects it's just skin deep--literally.

I quite miss the plastic. the way the rear of the S5 was, it felt like my Nexus 7 tablet. Great grip and not attracting fingerprints.

What happened wasn't Samsung looking at Apple, it was them seeing reviewers and blogs crapping on them for 'using cheap plastic' and 'please PLEASE my God get rid of TouchWiz!' meanwhile I doubt any Samsung users cared or noticed. Stock Android fans would more likely just buy a Nexus or Pixel.

I do miss them packing features in though that were way ahead of their time, with Stock Android just now catching up. How long did they have multi-window again? since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich?! Google finally saw fit to add it in on 8.0 Oreo. Of course, much like Apple fans whenever the iPhone gets an Android-exclusive feature--5 years later, they say 'well it's great because Apple/Google done it. Prior to that, if you so much as bragged about a feature that Google lacked or Apple didn't care to add, the fans just cried 'but it's just a gimmick!!'

Oh well, what's done is done. At least I can find a plethora of S3-S5s super cheap on Amazon if I wanted to amass some backups.

 

[t1328]

When Samsung got rid of TouchWiz Nature UX


When Samsung got rid of TouchWiz Nature UX (which was my favorite UX, combined just enough skeuomorphism and some neat neature sounds and great wallpapers) they lost me really. I have used a Nature UX themed launcher but without all the sound effects it's just skin deep--literally.

I quite miss the plastic. the way the rear of the S5 was, it felt like my Nexus 7 tablet. Great grip and not attracting fingerprints.

What happened wasn't Samsung looking at Apple, it was them seeing reviewers and blogs crapping on them for 'using cheap plastic' and 'please PLEASE my God get rid of TouchWiz!' meanwhile I doubt any Samsung users cared or noticed. Stock Android fans would more likely just buy a Nexus or Pixel.

I do miss them packing features in though that were way ahead of their time, with Stock Android just now catching up. How long did they have multi-window again? since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich?! Google finally saw fit to add it in on 8.0 Oreo. Of course, much like Apple fans whenever the iPhone gets an Android-exclusive feature--5 years later, they say 'well it's great because Apple/Google done it. Prior to that, if you so much as bragged about a feature that Google lacked or Apple didn't care to add, the fans just cried 'but it's just a gimmick!!'

Oh well, what's done is done. At least I can find a plethora of S3-S5s super cheap on Amazon if I wanted to amass some backups.

I respect your views of this, but the reality is that for every person who liked their plastic backs and TouchWiz, there are 2 others who prefer where they did go with glass backs that look beautiful but attract fingerprints and OneUI, which is more modern and more functional. That why they sold so many more flagship units starting with the S6 compared to other Android vendors.