The Official Android Thread Part XV: Time For Some Oreo!

[M.C.G. 31]

Didn't Samsung release phones with Tizen on it instead of Android in select markets? I doubt they ever do that in NA and it doesn't even look that good from what I've seen, but they do have something I guess.

 

[HansonBro]

I think they're too far behind and don't have the technology to catch up in a meaningful way. It's kind of like Chrome OS trying to get into the PC space or Microsoft trying to get into the phone game, but worse. What does Samsung have to offer other than the devices themselves?

I was a long time apple user but was constantly frustrated with things like volume, itunes, lack of SD cards etc..

However I did need to restore a phone after a failed update (another problem) but icloud did it basically by itself and restored EVERYTHING.

That being said, I intentionally switched over to the Samsung/Android platform and have been much much happier. Every aspect seems as good or better then Apple and I have yet to find a reason to complain. That's what they offer to me anyways. Being A+ certified, I really don' have a bias. Just want what works

 

[Shrimper]

Very tempted to get the Pixel 2 at Christmas but always have reservations about spending a lot on a phone.

Samsung Note 8 is also tempted but, again, expensive. S8 is in a better price band.

 

[Sined]

Got my shipping notification for my Pixel 2 XL!

 

[member 51464]

Got my shipping notification for my Pixel 2 XL!

My pixel has gotten clunky lately. I wonder if it was done on purpose....damned sneaky Google.

 

[aleshemsky83]

Wow the ipod style earbuds that come with the S7 are fantastic, does samsung sell them separately at all?

Seriously, they're great, sound is nice and clear and I've never had earbuds with bass this good before. Its actually better bass then my sennheisers (not saying much but still)

 

[V13]

Question. I just saw the Q3 market share and Apple beat out Samsung again. In a quarter where Samsung really should have taken it (S8 vs. an 8 while most were waiting on the X). In my personal opinion, the thing holding Samsung back is having their own OS. What would it take for this to happen?

I think it come down to Apple being it's own brand while there are multiple choices for Android users , from the galaxy to pixel to HTC to LG to OnePlus etc. Basically if you want an Apple phone you will get one of the IPhones which score points for Apple while if you want an Android phone you are not just limited to Samsung. I could be wrong but i think it has to affect the Samsung vs Apple sales
somehow

As for the OS , touchwiz...ermmm sorry it's the "samsung experience" now is much better than it once was. I personally prefer stock android by i have been using an S8 for 2 months now and it's still fast and almost lag free. Its certainly an improvement over the S6 i had before.

But yeah Samsung still need to reduce some of the bloat. It,s better but there is still some work to do. I uninstalled or disabled a bunch of shit as soon as i first booted up my S8.

 

[PK Cronin]

I was a long time apple user but was constantly frustrated with things like volume, itunes, lack of SD cards etc..

However I did need to restore a phone after a failed update (another problem) but icloud did it basically by itself and restored EVERYTHING.

That being said, I intentionally switched over to the Samsung/Android platform and have been much much happier. Every aspect seems as good or better then Apple and I have yet to find a reason to complain. That's what they offer to me anyways. Being A+ certified, I really don' have a bias. Just want what works

The question was about Samsung making their own OS, because you're right about the other things (hardware related). It just doesn't make sense for Samsung to do their own OS because it'd be a stand alone, which isn't appealing at this point. It wouldn't be integrated with anything else other than the phone, and in today's world, that's not appealing.

Google and Apple using aspects of their services in all their products to connect them to televisions, phones, tablets, cameras, speakers, cars, etc. and their software seamlessly blends from one product to the next. Samsung simply can't compete in that space at the moment and would have to work incredibly hard in order to break into it with their own OS.




Got my hands on a Pixel 2 XL this week for the first time. I currently have a Nexus 5X and was really impressed with how quick the Pixel 2 XL was. The screen looked and felt great, as did the case. Didn't test the camera out, but after a brief viewing I'll probably end up re-placing my order on one.

 

[HansonBro]

The question was about Samsung making their own OS, because you're right about the other things (hardware related). It just doesn't make sense for Samsung to do their own OS because it'd be a stand alone, which isn't appealing at this point. It wouldn't be integrated with anything else other than the phone, and in today's world, that's not appealing.

Google and Apple using aspects of their services in all their products to connect them to televisions, phones, tablets, cameras, speakers, cars, etc. and their software seamlessly blends from one product to the next. Samsung simply can't compete in that space at the moment and would have to work incredibly hard in order to break into it with their own OS.




Got my hands on a Pixel 2 XL this week for the first time. I currently have a Nexus 5X and was really impressed with how quick the Pixel 2 XL was. The screen looked and felt great, as did the case. Didn't test the camera out, but after a brief viewing I'll probably end up re-placing my order on one.

I seriously hope they don't make an OS. But I'm curious to see what happens next with Google releasing their own hardware. Google could theoretically shutdown the Android platform to any other hardware developer and we'd be left with an Apple/Google monopoly. Let's hope this doesn't happen.

Who knows how long Android lease agreements are, but should the market turn, Samsung and others could be forced to reinvent the wheel....someday

 

[Power Man]

Lol :

Your Android phone has been sending location data to Google, even if you opted out https://t.co/v5O7Ox09bW Gizmodo on Twitter

By the way, does Apple do the same shit?
I don't want to switch tbh

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Lol :

Your Android phone has been sending location data to Google, even if you opted out https://t.co/v5O7Ox09bW Gizmodo on Twitter

By the way, does Apple do the same ****?
I don't want to switch tbh

I've never read of Apple doing something like this. There's much greater control of privacy in iOS and when you send location data anywhere.

With how encrypted iMessage is and how much Apple has been in the news for protecting privacy even when it comes to trials and investigations, I'm not surprised that they probably don't mine that information.

Google makes a lot of money off that stuff, Apple makes most of their money from hardware last I read.

 

[Very Stable Genius]

Picked up a Razer Phone today, this thing absolutely flies like no Android phone has ever done before. Very impressed.

 

[Supermassive]

Picked up a Razer Phone today, this thing absolutely flies like no Android phone has ever done before. Very impressed.

I’m straight-up jealous. Where did you buy it?

 

[Very Stable Genius]

I’m straight-up jealous. Where did you buy it?

Razer Store.

 

[Supermassive]

Razer Store.

Ah, gotcha. I’m hoping to test drive one in person before committing. Very impressive phone though. Can’t wait to test the 120 Hz screen and those boomin speakers.

 

[Power Man]

Still getting security updates on my S6, currently on the November patch.

And apparently S6/S6 Edge are getting Oreo.

I really care about Oreo, but my S6 has seen Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat, so an Oreo update is surprising

 

[wolfgaze]

Can anyone tell me how long a personal Google API key is supposed to last for? One Youtuber said something like one million uses and another said hundreds of thousands. I tried doing some google searches and couldn't find anything. Thanks!

 

[V13]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere in this thread before as i haven't read every page nor posts but Elephone S8.....top of the line specs for 260$ ? Hard to believe but it's true. Apparently camera is average and speakers aren't that great but if you don't really care about that and are on a budget or u want a backup/secondary cheaper phone then this look like a solid phone to get for the price. Chinese company



Elephone S8 2K Screen Helio X25 Deca Core Android Smart Phone 64GB

 

[SJSharksfan39]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere in this thread before as i haven't read every page nor posts but Elephone S8.....top of the line specs for 260$ ? Hard to believe but it's true. Apparently camera is average and speakers aren't that great but if you don't really care about that and are on a budget or u want a backup/secondary cheaper phone then this look like a solid phone to get for the price. Chinese company



Elephone S8 2K Screen Helio X25 Deca Core Android Smart Phone 64GB

Now that looks more like a tablet than a phone.

I’m looking to make the switch from the iPhone SE to an android phone. Does anyone have recommendations for something in the 400 to 600 range. I was thinking S8 but it’s expensive.

 

[wolfgaze]

Now that looks more like a tablet than a phone.

I’m looking to make the switch from the iPhone SE to an android phone. Does anyone have recommendations for something in the 400 to 600 range. I was thinking S8 but it’s expensive.

How big of a screen are you looking for?

For me, personally, I can't stand the HUGE phones that look like they should be mini-tablets...

Not too long ago I switched from my old Blackberry to a Sony Android-based phone, in Dec. of 2016. I'm using the Sony Xperia X Compact - which was one of the smaller-sized smartphones that were available at the time... I'm quite pleased with it and it has served me well. I purchased it unlocked and brand new from a reputable retailer (bhphotovideo.com)

 

[SJSharksfan39]

How big of a screen are you looking for?

For me, personally, I can't stand the HUGE phones that look like they should be mini-tablets...

Not too long ago I switched from my old Blackberry to a Sony Android-based phone, in Dec. of 2016. I'm using the Sony Xperia X Compact - which was one of the smaller-sized smartphones that were available at the time... I'm quite pleased with it and it has served me well. I purchased it unlocked and brand new from a reputable retailer (bhphotovideo.com)

Maybe slightly bigger than the SE. probably dosnt need to be S8 or IPhone X size but slightly smaller than that.

 

[V13]

Now that looks more like a tablet than a phone.

I’m looking to make the switch from the iPhone SE to an android phone. Does anyone have recommendations for something in the 400 to 600 range. I was thinking S8 but it’s expensive.

It's certainly quite big and borderline phablet territory. But for 260$ it look like good investment

As far as android phone goes in the 400-600 range i'd go with the OnePlus 5T for 499$ (64gb)/559$(128gb) if you are in the U.S and with AT T or T-Mobile. Won,t work on Sprint of Verizon

According to a lot of reviews it's the best price/features ratio android phone on market at the moment. You basically get a flagship featured phone for 499$. Sure there are some cut corners but not much for that price.
OnePlus 5T review | TechRadar OnePlus 5T hands-on: What's new? | Trusted Reviews

In that price range there are also other interesting optins like the Motorola Z line , most notably the Z2 Play. Or you could look into getting a flagship from last year. Pretty sure you can find deals on still very solid phones like the S7 or Pixel 1 from anywhere from 300$ and upwards.

The other 2017 flagships are mostly out of your price range (Pixel 2 XL , S8+/Note 8+ , V30 etc). That said look around for deals on the regular S8. I'm pretty sure you can find it for around 550-600 in some places if you look enough.

Edit : Just saw your comment about the phone needing to be not 2 big. In that case i'd totally look into getting a S7. It's a 5.1 inch phones and still a very good phone in 2017.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I was looking at the 5 one plus and unfortunately I’m on Verizon.

I was thinking about the S7 too but with the S8 and + Out isn’t that like working backwards?

 

[aleshemsky83]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere in this thread before as i haven't read every page nor posts but Elephone S8.....top of the line specs for 260$ ? Hard to believe but it's true. Apparently camera is average and speakers aren't that great but if you don't really care about that and are on a budget or u want a backup/secondary cheaper phone then this look like a solid phone to get for the price. Chinese company



Elephone S8 2K Screen Helio X25 Deca Core Android Smart Phone 64GB

If it's a Chinese phone, meaning a phone marketed and sold in china that needs to be imported, then it's an instant dealbreaker to me. I've been through that nightmare way too many times. There will almost always be some defect unless you're absolutely lucky.

Spend an extra 50 bucks and buy a used S7 or iPhone 6.

Unbox therapy just gives off a weird vibe. Every once in a while he puts out a super sanitized "pro consumer" video to show he's not some shill, the "don't buy an iPhone X" video and "the iPhone 7 128 GB phone is faster" video (that turned out to be horribly inaccurate). But the majority of time he seems to shill horrible products. I could go on about him all day.

 

[V13]

If it's a Chinese phone, meaning a phone marketed and sold in china that needs to be imported, then it's an instant dealbreaker to me. I've been through that nightmare way too many times. There will almost always be some defect unless you're absolutely lucky.

Spend an extra 50 bucks and buy a used S7 or iPhone 6.

Unbox therapy just gives off a weird vibe. Every once in a while he puts out a super sanitized "pro consumer" video to show he's not some shill, the "don't buy an iPhone X" video and "the iPhone 7 128 GB phone is faster" video (that turned out to be horribly inaccurate). But the majority of time he seems to shill horrible products. I could go on about him all day.

OnePlus is Chinese and they make solid phones. To be honest i don't know much about Elephone but the reviews are very solid all round. It's not just Unbox Therapy on this one.I wouldn't have posted this if the phone was 500$ but at 260$ i think it could interest some people.