What phone should I get? - General Topics

I really need a new phone since my OnePlus 5T has just suffered a hilarious death by hammer after I broke the WiFi trying to change the MAC address so I need a new phone, but everything out there just seems so....crap! I regret not getting the shotgun involved but it's a little late for that.
I can't stand the horrible, bloated stock ROMs that phones come with these days so I need something that is very easy to unlock the bootloader, flash a custom recovery, then a custom ROM. My choice would be another OnePlus device, but I don't want to buy another 5T and since the modern ones don't even have a 3.5mm audio jack, it will be completely impractical for me so I won't even consider another OnePlus device again. I find even the stock OnePlus ROMs to be too bloated with the heavy Gapps package.
So what I need is:
High end Android device
Must have 3.5mm audio jack
Must be very easy to install custom ROMs with great ROM support
Not have a stupidly high, battery draining screen resolution where the human eye is the limiting factor due to insane pixel densities
Screen needs to be 6" or larger
Does anything like this even exist?

Related

Is a V20 on Verizon a good choice for my first Android phone?

Hi, All! I am going to be leaving the world of Windows Phone and switching to Android. The V20 looks like a good choice. The only thing that worries me is the bootloop problem I keep seeing when I search for user reviews.
Has this been resolved? I don't want to get a used one and have it pop up suddenly. If the issue has been corrected, then a new one from the factory might be a better option?
The other thing that I cannot figure out are the bad reviews complaining about lag, poor audio volume, and loss of wireless signal. Is that all related to the bootloop/solder issue? Are these common problems?
Anyone wish they had gotten an S7 or another phone?
I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts.
Update: And let me add that I first came to xda years ago when I was messing with Palm ROMs. I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty with rooting, etc. I'm getting old and not as up on things like I used to be, but I'd rather post here than some Android site with less technical knowledge.
frettd said:
Hi, All! I am going to be leaving the world of Windows Phone and switching to Android. The V20 looks like a good choice. The only thing that worries me is the bootloop problem I keep seeing when I search for user reviews.
Has this been resolved? I don't want to get a used one and have it pop up suddenly. If the issue has been corrected, then a new one from the factory might be a better option?
The other thing that I cannot figure out are the bad reviews complaining about lag, poor audio volume, and loss of wireless signal. Is that all related to the bootloop/solder issue? Are these common problems?
Anyone wish they had gotten an S7 or another phone?
I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts.
Update: And let me add that I first came to xda years ago when I was messing with Palm ROMs. I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty with rooting, etc. I'm getting old and not as up on things like I used to be, but I'd rather post here than some Android site with less technical knowledge.
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Click to collapse
I've had my Verizon V20 for awhile now. Honestly stock isn't so bad. After awhile it got laggy for me, but I had it loaded full of apps and media. Never had any issues with it until I rooted, unlocked bootloader, and starting flashing ROMs. Since then I've been running LOS. I love the phones stock camera, the filters and software are amazing. The wide angle camera is my favorite feature. Video quality is amazing. The sound output on headphones even better (with good headphones). Louder than any phone I've ever tested...but the actual phone speaker is rather dull. Would I recommend it for a first Android phone? Probably not. Usually Sammy phones are great first Android phones. Personally I'm coming from a Galaxy Note5. I do miss my Galaxy a bit. Just better overall build quality. My V20 hasn't had a single software update and is still months behind on security patches. Cell signal is iffy all the time, although it may just be the area I live in but I've heard this is a V20 issue. Never had VoLTE working, which sucks too. Lose data each time I call. Do I wish I had chose another phone? Not really. Although my next phone will most likely be a Note 8 since I'm a basic Sammy fanboy. But that's my 2¢ for what it's worth. I never really knew about the solder/bootloop issue until you brought it up actually. That may have been an early production defect...
I haven't really seen definite proof of a bootloop issue on the V20s-- just lots of people who know of LG's reputation (G4/V10 *do* have horrible bootlooping issues-- much of it due to a processor that runs far too hot, which the V20 does not share) and make assumptions. People who get into bootlooping situations on the V20 are usually trying to root the phone without reading the instructions. (and with that said, the V20's root is complicated but not impossible and as long as you're patient and *read*, you can get out of most any jam.)
I love my Verizon V20 but I don't know about it being someone's first Android phone. It's not a perfect phone, but it's AMAZING at what it does well. The sound quality for both playback and recording is unmatched IMHO. The onboard speaker is pretty bad but with headphones and good source material it shines. I haven't had any lag or jerk issues but I DID root it as soon as the exploits were available and have done a lot of tweaking on it to keep it running well (on stock rom). That said people talked about lag out of the box which I never experienced (I had it for about a month or two before the root was found) which makes me wonder if there wasn't a bad initial batch of hardware. I'd say if you decide to get one and it lags, return it and get a new one right away. It's not "normal", or at least doesn't have to be.
I feel like the V20's hardware was incredible, but let down a bit by LG's software (it's not as bad as some complain, but it is a bit "spartan" and would've been nice if it was better documented given how complicated the phone is) and really let down by lack of documentation and by reviewers who didn't "get" it and tried to review it like an iPhone. I feel like it got a bad reputation from LG's previous hardware and from people not understanding this isn't an iPhone. This phone is incredibly complicated to use at times if you really want to push it, and it takes patience to learn. It's sort of like giving a fighter jet to someone who's never even driven before-- this isn't a standard "phone" and takes time to learn its ins and outs. That said,if you take the time you'll realize it can do a lot of things most phones can't do and in a lot of ways is as good or better than much more expensive media devices in general. It was my primary camera on a trip to Europe this summer, mostly because it was just easy to have it with me all the time. The photos aren't perfect but I felt like much less of a tourist/target using it a lot of the time. Manual mode is your friend, which is the case for much of this phone.
I love mine, but it's not for everyone by any stretch. I have no idea what I'd want to replace it with since the things I use are pretty much dead features now going forward on phones-- I USE the spare battery (again, on the trip to Europe, I had to swap batteries a few times mid day after a lot of photos-- quick charge would've been of no help in the middle of a sightseeing day!), I use the SD card, I use the remote, I use the HD audio recording... I think I'll have this phone until it dies, and then I might have to find another one.
I've had my v20 for about 7 months now or so.
After rooting and getting on the lastest Weta + Werewolf kernel, adding in updates here and there, installing xposed, and substratum themes... I think this is the perfect phone for me.
When I purchased the phone from the verizon store it was blazing fast. It's been fast for me since I bought the thing. I haven't had any issues with it whatsoever besides my own blunders. Signal never cut out for me. Bluetooth works fantastically. This phone + Arise makes every single song I play sound like an ear orgasm. I haven't even looked at other phones or felt that urge to flash roms I've had on other phones like the LG G3, Galaxy S3, and such. I get constantly 7 hours of Screen on Time. Even more if I use it conservatively.
This is the first phone I fell in love with. Everything is how I want it exactly the way I want it and I wouldn't have it any other way. If this phone lasts another 2+ years I'll be perfectly fine.
Id say its an ok device i moved in
Thanks for the advice thus far. THIS is why I didn't want to ask on an Android fan site. I wanted input from power users and people that would be more objective.
I actually just made the same move as you. Been using a windows phone for years but finally switched to the V20. It's a nice phone but there are a lot of things about windows phone I miss. I've been frustrated with it since I got it but I think they are android beefs and not beefs with this phone. I have seen the lag though, not sure what is causing it but it's definitely there. Not enough for me to recommend against getting this phone.
Quality of stock Google/LG apps seem to be of lesser quality than Microsoft apps, but I have been pleasantly surprised that some 3rd party apps have way more functionality than their windows phone counterparts did.
Also, I am using the Microsoft launcher and switched to all Microsoft services and it has made the transition a little easier.
Well till about a couple of years back i used to be a Samsung fanboy, but the day I got my G3, I realised how good LG can be.
You might hear a lot of stuff about LG phones here and there but I find them to be pretty good, the best part is the screen, due to ips display the whites are pretty punchy and that's what I prefer.
I have had all the LG devices (mostely ) g2, G3, g4, g5 and now the v20.
V20 is pretty solid, nice build quality, great cusyomization options via LG smart world, you can get Ringtones, wallpapers, themes. If you are willing to spend you can buy many more awesome looking themes from The playstore.
Camera is good, battery backup is decent, I haven't rooted it and apart from those adverts here and there I don't see the need, though till date i have only used rooted devices with huge cusyomization therein.
Call quality is great, signal strength though network dependent but is great.
Another notable thing is the awesome dac that v20 has, wonderful audio output from of the 3.5 mm jack and Bluetooth.
Go for it, though you might find more whistles than you may be used to like the second screen, but they are great to play around with.
My 2, best is go to the store, check the device personally if it's still available in em, play around for atleast half an hour and check whatever you can.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
lord dredd said:
Well till about a couple of years back i used to be a Samsung fanboy, but the day I got my G3, I realised how good LG can be.
You might hear a lot of stuff about LG phones here and there but I find them to be pretty good, the best part is the screen, due to ips display the whites are pretty punchy and that's what I prefer.
I have had all the LG devices (mostely ) g2, G3, g4, g5 and now the v20.
V20 is pretty solid, nice build quality, great cusyomization options via LG smart world, you can get Ringtones, wallpapers, themes. If you are willing to spend you can buy many more awesome looking themes from The playstore.
Camera is good, battery backup is decent, I haven't rooted it and apart from those adverts here and there I don't see the need, though till date i have only used rooted devices with huge cusyomization therein.
Call quality is great, signal strength though network dependent but is great.
Another notable thing is the awesome dac that v20 has, wonderful audio output from of the 3.5 mm jack and Bluetooth.
Go for it, though you might find more whistles than you may be used to like the second screen, but they are great to play around with.
My 2, best is go to the store, check the device personally if it's still available in em, play around for atleast half an hour and check whatever you can.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I bought mine used last February, and it has been an excellent device. I plan on grabbing a new one before they become unavailable. The V20 is a large phone, though, so if you prefer small phones, it's not a good choice. Extra battery and charging cradle means I rarely need to plug it in.
Sent from my VK815 using Tapatalk

Pixel in 2018 (coming over from Samsung)

Hi guys,
As you could tell from the title; I have an opportunity to buy a nearly-mint condition smaller Pixel, white color, for a pretty good price.
Currently I'm rocking a Galaxy S7 and have been satisfied with it; the only thing I'd change is the software. Being a fan of pure Android, I'd love myself a Pixel; hence the question: would you recommend it as a phone to use for the next year/year and a half?
Also, and maybe more importantly, I'd like to ask you to tell me some of your annoyances with the Pixel - both hardware and maybe software.
Not to take any more of your time; stay well and happy flashing!
harisyks said:
Hi guys,
As you could tell from the title; I have an opportunity to buy a nearly-mint condition smaller Pixel, white color, for a pretty good price.
Currently I'm rocking a Galaxy S7 and have been satisfied with it; the only thing I'd change is the software. Being a fan of pure Android, I'd love myself a Pixel; hence the question: would you recommend it as a phone to use for the next year/year and a half?
Also, and maybe more importantly, I'd like to ask you to tell me some of your annoyances with the Pixel - both hardware and maybe software.
Not to take any more of your time; stay well and happy flashing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go for it. Its pretty easy to develop for and I plan on releasing a couple roms hopefully within a few weeks. It has pretty average battery life I would say. If I'm somewhere with horrible signal and I just play games I fan get 3 hours, which is pretty good. If you have decent signal and don't play a ton of games you will probably get 6hours sot. Also if there is any software issues you can just flash a factory image from google that will return your phone to stock. Camera is obviously great. One annoyance is I would say speakers aren't amazing. They aren't terrible but definitely could be improved. It doesn't get very hot either. The display is great for 1080p. I would say this phone will hold up for a while, its a pretty good phone.
shagbag913 said:
I would go for it. Its pretty easy to develop for and I plan on releasing a couple roms hopefully within a few weeks. It has pretty average battery life I would say. If I'm somewhere with horrible signal and I just play games I fan get 3 hours, which is pretty good. If you have decent signal and don't play a ton of games you will probably get 6hours sot. Also if there is any software issues you can just flash a factory image from google that will return your phone to stock. Camera is obviously great. One annoyance is I would say speakers aren't amazing. They aren't terrible but definitely could be improved. It doesn't get very hot either. The display is great for 1080p. I would say this phone will hold up for a while, its a pretty good phone.
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Click to collapse
I got it but I have an amazing issue. Everything was working but then I updated to 8.1.0 March security patch and my microphone and speakers don't work. Calls connect sometimes but the phone often hangs. I've Googled the **** out of everything and no solution. Are you familiar with this?
harisyks said:
I got it but I have an amazing issue. Everything was working but then I updated to 8.1.0 March security patch and my microphone and speakers don't work. Calls connect sometimes but the phone often hangs. I've Googled the **** out of everything and no solution. Are you familiar with this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't sound too good. Is there any way you could get logs? Or flash a factory image? Because there was a manufacturing defect in the pixels that caused a crack in the solder joint of the audio codec. Does a reboot fix the issue?
I got a Pixel 6 months ago after years of sony phones. I don't regret it. Like you Im very happy with stock android and I am always on the very latest version. At the moment I'm on 8.1 stock, rooted with twrp, xposed and custom kernel. There are custom roms available on these forums if that's your thing. Unlocking bl is easy, so root is easy. So long as you don't get a verizon in the US or EE in the UK. Unlocking your bl is a problem on pixels on these networks.
The phone itself, whilst not spectacular is very good. After my Sony phones constantly having problems with the screen coming loose Im looking for this pixel to be robust and reliable. So far so good. I've got the 128 gb but do miss an sd card. Makes wiping data so much easier but it's not a big problem.
There are monthly updates from Google and my understanding is the pixel will be supported until October 2019. I'm waiting for android p, the developer version is already available, so should get this in the next couple of months.
Oh and the camera is very very good
Overall would highly recommend. Always being on the latest android is the big plus for me.

(Discussion) Is This the End of the Line?

I thought nothing could replace my bootloader unlocked and rooted LG G3 running SkyDragon and the Xposed framework. Then came my US996 V20 factory unlocked, rooted and also with Xposed framework. This phone nearly had it all for me. I wanted FM radio but all attempts at getting it with Verizon as a carrier were unsuccessful. But I still loved and love myV20! Now is a very sad time for me because my 2.5 year old V20 is showing signs of advanced age. One of the primary reasons for choosing it was the replaceable battery. I don't give a rat's rear end about waterproof design, selfie cameras, using near field to pay for purchases or fingerprint unlocking but apparently the marketplace is driven by those desires. I do care about the ability to root and unlock the bootloader and, above all, the ability to replace the battery in any phone I own. Looks like I'm screwed on the latter!
If I bite the bullet on replaceable battery but absolutely must have root, what are my primary options? I would really like to hear from you guys and perhaps start a discussion on this subject. I paid $800 for my V20 and think it was nearly worth it but I do not have to have a flagship, especially when prices are getting absurd. I also would prefer a phone physically no larger than the V20 (absolutely loved the G3 sizewise!) and require a display that is visible in sunny outdoors. I would also like to be able to use my 256 GB SD card. I know my quest is practically hopeless but when the time comes I would like to get a phone that I feel I haven't paid for a lot of those trendy features I don't want or will never use.
Sorry about the rant – but the current state of affairs sucks, imho! BTW, 5G will "never" get to my area either but most of my usage is WiFi and I have a Gigabit FiOS connection but my V20 does not do well in the WiFi speed category.
PhoneBill said:
I thought nothing could replace my bootloader unlocked and rooted LG G3 running SkyDragon and the Xposed framework. Then came my US996 V20 factory unlocked, rooted and also with Xposed framework. This phone nearly had it all for me. I wanted FM radio but all attempts at getting it with Verizon as a carrier were unsuccessful. But I still loved and love myV20! Now is a very sad time for me because my 2.5 year old V20 is showing signs of advanced age. One of the primary reasons for choosing it was the replaceable battery. I don't give a rat's rear end about waterproof design, selfie cameras, using near field to pay for purchases or fingerprint unlocking but apparently the marketplace is driven by those desires. I do care about the ability to root and unlock the bootloader and, above all, the ability to replace the battery in any phone I own. Looks like I'm screwed on the latter!
If I bite the bullet on replaceable battery but absolutely must have root, what are my primary options? I would really like to hear from you guys and perhaps start a discussion on this subject. I paid $800 for my V20 and think it was nearly worth it but I do not have to have a flagship, especially when prices are getting absurd. I also would prefer a phone physically no larger than the V20 (absolutely loved the G3 sizewise!) and require a display that is visible in sunny outdoors. I would also like to be able to use my 256 GB SD card. I know my quest is practically hopeless but when the time comes I would like to get a phone that I feel I haven't paid for a lot of those trendy features I don't want or will never use.
Sorry about the rant – but the current state of affairs sucks, imho! BTW, 5G will "never" get to my area either but most of my usage is WiFi and I have a Gigabit FiOS connection but my V20 does not do well in the WiFi speed category.
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Click to collapse
I bought an Essential phone and then moved to a new Mi mix 2S and both have been great replacement for the V20.
The new Mi 9 is also a great alternative
Sent from my Mi MIX 2S using Tapatalk
OnePlus is also very good, that's where I moved to from V20 and S8+.
No matter what people say I'll stick with my us996 and f800k.......this ticks all the boxes for me.
Same problem I have with all the new devices. I tried the non-replaceable battery in a Nexus 6. Never again. Sucks when it dies, and they all will. It's just chemistry. And you can't get known good quality cells, just random China crap that is completely unknown. Perhaps a bigger name flagship like the S8 would have some options for good quality cells. Everyone else gets the rejects. It's a bit harsh, but I've personally tested random batteries and they are nearly universally crap that don't meet the stated capacity and lifetime. Not just in a phone either, real discharge testing. There are a couple decent manufacturers, but you pay more and they don't make batteries for every device, they just can't. Particularly when "normal" people don't go opening up a glued together device to replace the battery.
I get that my desires mean I'm not the "mass market". But it would be nice to have a couple options to pick from. Maybe just a big and small? I like larger devices, but not everyone does.
If they want more than about $300, I demand replaceable batteries, expandable storage, and headphone jack. And, most important, root. If I don't have root, I don't own the device. If I don't own it, I'm not paying nearly a grand for it. Hell, I got all that on my V20 for about $400. Sadly, at the moment there is no upgrade path. The best thing is, the things I ask for are cheap as hell, maybe $5 total in quantity, so the potential profit margin is huge. Everyone is just too busy trying to look like Apple. If I wanted that, I'd have already bought an iPhone.
stinka318 said:
No matter what people say I'll stick with my us996 and f800k.......this ticks all the boxes for me.
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Totally agree. The V20 is the last of it's kind and they did most things right for it's time.. it even has an IR blaster, which I use as a universal remote. Like it's been mentioned before: the replaceable battery, expandable memory, quad dac+3.5mm jack, and decent all around specs for it's time makes this phone one of a kind. They don't make phones like this anymore, at least on the hardware level. Even though we all complained about LG and their crappy software updates, at least I gotta give credit to LG for making a phone like this (hardware wise).
Hopefully the dev community keeps it running for some time, in retrospect, this phone is a legend.

Is it worth buying a 3a these days?

I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)
If you're going to root and load a custom rom I go for the phones with the best hardware for the price. Older highly rated flagships be ideal. A SD card slot be useful.
Keep it simple: A 60hz refresh rate Amoled display with a high color rendering index.
That support 4G VoLTE.
Who's bootloaders compatible with firmware you want to load.
You have a lot of options, take your time and buy from a reliable vendor, whatever you chose.
Why do you want to change anyway? The Moto G5 still has official Lineage support. And technically it offers everything you need with a perfect small size. If you want a new one, you can't go wrong with a Pixel. I currently have a Pixel 1 and am very satisfied. Great quality and perfect custom rom support.
trisolaris said:
Why do you want to change anyway? The Moto G5 still has official Lineage support. And technically it offers everything you need with a perfect small size. If you want a new one, you can't go wrong with a Pixel. I currently have a Pixel 1 and am very satisfied. Great quality and perfect custom rom support.
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I tried out Lineage18, the g5 was an absolute slug. Probably because it only has 2gb of RAM. Way better sticking with Nougat/Oreo vintage roms. Even on LOS14 I find the odd time I do use it for typical smartphone crap (web browsing, etc) it still is pretty ponderous. I also keep kicking myself in the ass for not noticing there was no compass either. Based on that alone I would've bought something else.
The Pixels do seem to check all of the boxes, feature wise, and I keep reading recommendations about buying older flagship models. I just haven't done much digging into the Pixel lineup until now and have no idea how much older is a safe bet.
I also have looked at some of the older Oneplus models, but it seems like they're prone to screen issues - most of the ones I've seen for sale mention screen burn
Horrible Username said:
I tried out Lineage18, the g5 was an absolute slug. Probably because it only has 2gb of RAM. Way better sticking with Nougat/Oreo vintage roms. Even on LOS14 I find the odd time I do use it for typical smartphone crap (web browsing, etc) it still is pretty ponderous. I also keep kicking myself in the ass for not noticing there was no compass either. Based on that alone I would've bought something else.
The Pixels do seem to check all of the boxes, feature wise, and I keep reading recommendations about buying older flagship models. I just haven't done much digging into the Pixel lineup until now and have no idea how much older is a safe bet.
I also have looked at some of the older Oneplus models, but it seems like they're prone to screen issues - most of the ones I've seen for sale mention screen burn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All AMOLED displays have a finite lifespan. The higher energy blue pixels tend to go first, reds last. How high the brightness and for how long has a direct bearing on lifespan.
This N10+ has been heavily used for 2.5 years and has gone through one battery, soon the second one as well. Yet the display is still perfect.
I almost never use in direct sunlight and rarely go above 50% brightness, I manual brightness only except very rarely. I also use dark mode and wallpapers. Minimized red icon pack.
Problem is with used devices all you can do is use ScreenTest to look for damage or age related wear. This should be done even with new displays. One of the first things I test. For a higher price unsold older factory sealed new phones from 2020 can be had. My second N10+ was one of these. The benefits are obvious but they are almost double the price of a used one.
Regardless always buy from a trusted vendor, best to talk with them first. There's a lot of scamming going on... always use a Visa or MC to buy it with so you can do a charge back if needed.
blackhawk said:
All AMOLED displays have a finite lifespan. The higher energy blue pixels tend to go first, reds last. How high the brightness and for how long has a direct bearing on lifespan.
This N10+ has been heavily used for 2.5 years and has gone through one battery, soon the second one as well. Yet the display is still perfect.
I almost never use in direct sunlight and rarely go above 50% brightness, I manual brightness only except very rarely. I also use dark mode and wallpapers. Minimized red icon pack.
Problem is with used devices all you can do is use ScreenTest to look for damage or age related wear. This should be done even with new displays. One of the first things I test. For a higher price unsold older factory sealed new phones from 2020 can be had. My second N10+ was one of these. The benefits are obvious but they are almost double the price of a used one.
Regardless always buy from a trusted vendor, best to talk with them first. There's a lot of scamming going on... always use a Visa or MC to buy it with so you can do a charge back if needed.
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Click to collapse
Good advice. Most likely I'd end up buying through Amazon.ca. They seem to have a decent refurb. policy, and of course are great for returns.
I'd totally buy a NiB or open box except the prices for those units are absurd here in Canada - basically original MSRP for a 3yr. old phone when it comes to the Pixel models
Horrible Username said:
Good advice. Most likely I'd end up buying through Amazon.ca. They seem to have a decent refurb. policy, and of course are great for returns.
I'd totally buy a NiB or open box except the prices for those units are absurd here in Canada - basically original MSRP for a 3yr. old phone when it comes to the Pixel models
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I'm not pleased with what Samsung or Google Android have released since the Note 10+ and Android 9 respectively. So I run my N10+'s and just don't care... or update.
Probably be 2-4 years until I buy another phone.
Maybe a Sony device could be a solution. Sony have a very good developer support. You can find very good refurb devices at a good price.
Horrible Username said:
I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)
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Click to collapse
I bought my pixel 3A a couple months ago, it's japan version. and i think this device still can be use as my primary device till a year ahead, i have nothing to complaint about this phone.
With 4G a SD card slot be useful.
12gb of ram be very useful.
The N10+* is a big (but thin) phone so you're probably hating that
However the Beast is just a joy to use. The spen is irreplaceable when needed for Smart Capture or as a bt remote camera shutter release. Build Q is impeccable as is its reliability... but it's huge... great for vids
The earlier S models from 2019 are smaller but lack the spen and the almost nonexistent bezel of the N10+, the N10 is smaller but so is the battery/SOT. The S series can be had with everything else though including a great AMOLED display. Stay away from all of the Folds.
I would make sure whatever you get has no higher than Android 10 on it. Because of the age of the phones you're targeting use the experiences of users as far as how they hold up and known faults for that model.
Samsung's especially the flagships are very customizable stock. The Galaxy store has hundreds of free icon packs, themes, plus the Good Lock family of customization apps.This is the Beast dark moded out, all stock running on Pie.
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
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*Note, most of the Samsung Snapdragon variants are notoriously hard to root including the N10+.
Unfortunately that generation of Samsung's is where you see a big leap in performance especially in ones with 12gb of ram. The Exynos variants are easily rooted but depending on the model may have poorer performance than the Snapdragon's. Read newer user reviews to see if this is an issue.
Horrible Username said:
I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat. Looking for Pixel 3a as they suppose to have a good camera and a smaller size. It's going to replace Oneplus X which still works fine but there is no Lineage support anymore and /e/OS has some software issues and no updates.
Did you get it or choose something else in the end? How much did you pay?
Thanks.
Fostel said:
I am in the same boat. Looking for Pixel 3a as they suppose to have a good camera and a smaller size. It's going to replace Oneplus X which still works fine but there is no Lineage support anymore and /e/OS has some software issues and no updates.
Did you get it or choose something else in the end? How much did you pay?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still haven't made up my mind yet, but It's looking more likely that I'll get either a 3 or a 4a. The price diff. between refurbed 3 and 3a on Amazon isn't enough to not get the better specced phone. The 4a are quite a bit more $$ here in Canada, but probably are more "future proof" with the 6gb of RAM. I doubt I'd bother with the 5G 4a however
Personally, I'd stay away from the Pixel 3 due to disappointing battery life and overheating issues. The 4a is a bit better. The best value IMO is the 5a. Same SoC as the 4a5g and 5, with a larger screen and battery.
Unless your credit is terrible, you'll likely qualify for the interest free financing. Look for a sale on the 5a when the 6a launches. I picked the 5a up for my wife for $349 when the 6/6Pro launched.
V0latyle said:
Personally, I'd stay away from the Pixel 3 due to disappointing battery life and overheating issues. The 4a is a bit better. The best value IMO is the 5a. Same SoC as the 4a5g and 5, with a larger screen and battery.
Unless your credit is terrible, you'll likely qualify for the interest free financing. Look for a sale on the 5a when the 6a launches. I picked the 5a up for my wife for $349 when the 6/6Pro launched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably good advice, but I hate smartphones enough that there's no way I'd pay +$500 CAD just to get a refurb (TBH, for what and how much I use my phone, ~$200/250 is plenty). Plus, I would prefer to keep my screen size under 6"
I ordered Pixel 3A yesterday, based on the hype of the great camera and a good screen. Then I found that SO MANY users broke the screens just by a small 1 feet drop.
And yes, they had expensive screen protectors, cases and still, the screen shattered. As could be expected, Google is making the phone purposely weak as screen damage voids their warranty and cost a lot to replace.
Tons of Reddit and Google support posts evidencing this.
Why so many companies are advertising Pixel 3A screen replacement?
It's really simple - supply and demand!
Google is no different from Apple and other brands. They make those phones in China for a few bucks and sell them to you for a few hundred.
I will be returning this one and will look for a proper phone. I have Oneplus One (2014 model), Oneplus X (2015), and Oneplus 5T (2017). All of them were dropped multiple times, from more than one foot, sometimes on concrete.
They are still fully working. OP1 and OP5T just received the Android 12 update. Even the original batteries are still going strong. The Gorilla glass seems to be way better than the one they used on those 3A's.
The 3A is prone to screen crack. It's a weak phone with an inferior glass.
Hard to deny that after spending some time on research.
Fostel said:
I ordered Pixel 3A yesterday, based on the hype of the great camera and a good screen. Then I found that SO MANY users broke the screens just by a small 1 feet drop.
And yes, they had expensive screen protectors, cases and still, the screen shattered. As could be expected, Google is making the phone purposely weak as screen damage voids their warranty and cost a lot to replace.
Tons of Reddit and Google support posts evidencing this.
Why so many companies are advertising Pixel 3A screen replacement?
It's really simple - supply and demand!
Google is no different from Apple and other brands. They make those phones in China for a few bucks and sell them to you for a few hundred.
I will be returning this one and will look for a proper phone. I have Oneplus One (2014 model), Oneplus X (2015), and Oneplus 5T (2017). All of them were dropped multiple times, from more than one foot, sometimes on concrete.
They are still fully working. OP1 and OP5T just received the Android 12 update. Even the original batteries are still going strong. The Gorilla glass seems to be way better than the one they used on those 3A's.
The 3A is prone to screen crack. It's a weak phone with an inferior glass.
Hard to deny that after spending some time on research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More good info. Considering I have a longstanding feud with gravity, maybe a 3a isn't a good choice for me.
Maybe I'll just say screw it and keep my Moto Potato until it complete packs it in
I can't vouch for the 3a, but the Pixel 2 is a similar form factor and power. I loved it, though it had overheating issues and some apparent software flaws with LineageOS. I'm here now because after cracking it, I dropped it again and the screen is finally dead. No case.
A year ago when I bought the Pixel 2, it was neck and neck with the 3a. I happened to get a deal on the 2 so that's what I went with. If you want a cheap Android phone it makes sense to get a popular old phone like a Pixel series. The good camera requires Google apps, and on the Pixel 2 it didn't always work. But that was a hacked APK to get night sight.
My Pixel 2 was very expensive (new from Google), and both of them developed bulged batteries, both the original and its warranty replacement. In contrast, my Pixel 3a started out cheaper, and has been trouble free ever since.
About a month ago, I noticed that there was a wide selection of used Pixel 3a's on Ebay for around $55 - $70! I bought several (all from vendor "wise-deals"; no affiliation) for my kids to use as Minecraft tablets, for which they're excellent. No complaints; battery life seems ok, and even the "fair" graded phone looks great. I like the simple clear Spigen Liquid Crystal case, $9 or $10 from Amazon. Currently it looks like the selection of used Pixels is down, but you can still get an unlocked 3a XL for $75 or so. A used Pixel 4a 5G also seems like a good deal at around $175, but of course that's more than twice the price.
The only downside I see to these used 3a's (or the 3a XL) is that Google is stopping all further software updates. They just pushed a June security update to my 3a, and there might be one more coming, but that's it. Definitely nothing past their current Android 12 for these released-in-2019 phones. If you ever want to install non-stock software, be sure to get the "unlocked" 3a 2020G model. It works on any (American) cellular network, and it's easy to unlock its bootloader and install a different Android ROM, just follow the instructions. The Verizon-only G020E model is usually slightly cheaper, but regardless of whether it is SIM locked or unlocked, it has a PERMANENTLY locked bootloader; you can NEVER install your own version of Android on it.
blackhawk said:
If you're going to root and load a custom rom I go for the phones with the best hardware for the price. Older highly rated flagships be ideal. A SD card slot be useful.
Keep it simple: A 60hz refresh rate Amoled display with a high color rendering index.
That support 4G VoLTE.
Who's bootloaders compatible with firmware you want to load.
You have a lot of options, take your time and buy from a reliable vendor, whatever you chose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you recommend me a replacement for my P3A? the headphone jack is dead and I tried to open it thinking it was like the Nexus5/X but apparently it is glued on.. basically I ruined the entire edge of the phone trying to just replace the jack port. So I think I'll just get a new phone.
I use LineageOS, I'd like to keep using that, pref 64gb minimum 32gb, must have a headphone jack on the top of the phone, and able to load custom roms(lineage etc), kernels, root it, install something like TWRP backup permanently because it's so awkward on this phone I never once made a nandroid backup and I'd like to be able to do that again.
I'll be getting something used on ebay, it doesn't have to be powerful just at least a bit better than the P3a.
Could you ping me with a couple suggestions I can check out please?
Thanks in advance.
paradoxiumwind said:
Can you recommend me a replacement for my P3A? the headphone jack is dead and I tried to open it thinking it was like the Nexus5/X but apparently it is glued on.. basically I ruined the entire edge of the phone trying to just replace the jack port. So I think I'll just get a new phone.
I use LineageOS, I'd like to keep using that, pref 64gb minimum 32gb, must have a headphone jack on the top of the phone, and able to load custom roms(lineage etc), kernels, root it, install something like TWRP backup permanently because it's so awkward on this phone I never once made a nandroid backup and I'd like to be able to do that again.
I'll be getting something used on ebay, it doesn't have to be powerful just at least a bit better than the P3a.
Could you ping me with a couple suggestions I can check out please?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I run stock Samsung N10+'s. They are Snapdragon's that are notoriously hard to root with no 3.5mm jack. Not a good rooting candidate... but a superb workhorse.
You want expandable storage if possible. The upper midrange Samsung's have both. Like the S10. I'm not well enough versed to give you a good opinion on this.
For your purposes there may be better choices from other manufacturers like LG, HTC, etc.
This is a known good vendor that sells new, factory sealed Google and Samsung's, many were bought up as overstock. A good choice if you want a new unit. WYSIWYG...

General I hope it doesn't have a curved screen

I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
EDIT 10/6: Pre-ordered 7 Pro. The trade in for my 12 Pro Max with Best Buy was just too good to pass up, essentially makes the phone free once I find something to use the gift card for.
EtherealRemnant said:
I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the Zizo Bolt with my Samsung N10+'s and it works very well. Occasionally causes cut/paste problems but going to landscape fixes that. Prevents accidental touches and keeps the phone undamaged. The curved screens absolutely need cases with -slightly- higher than display right/left edge guards or they will likely get destroyed.
Do Pixel's have any curve nested apps like Samsung ie One Handed Operation plus? Otherwise empty curves are sort of wasted space. I use both sides as app launchers and to control various switches.
At first I wasn't sure about the curve display but after a couple months I started to prefer curved over flat. Much easier to keep clean and great for vids. I don't even think about them now after over 2 years. Visually it took some adjustment for me... the visual cortex adapts and integrates.
It has a curved screen. The sneak peak during I/O made that clear.
I'd go back to a Pixel if it didn't suck. P6 was a f&[email protected]( disaster, and still is.
If you don't want a curved screen you can go for Pixel 7 instead of Pro. It has a flat screen!
hemstheworthy said:
If you don't want a curved screen you can go for Pixel 7 instead of Pro. It has a flat screen!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.
EtherealRemnant said:
It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One Plus seems to be putting out some good models. Google is more screwed up than Samsung and Sammy's pretty screwed up nowadays.
blackhawk said:
One Plus seems to be putting out some good models. Google is more screwed up than Samsung and Sammy's pretty screwed up nowadays.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but OnePlus keeps screwing up the software and there isn't even an MSM Tool for the 10 Pro so if you brick it, which seems to be way too easy to do on OnePlus devices (I have done it multiple times on my 9 despite doing everything right when trying to flash a custom ROM and would have been in a situation if the MSM Tool wasn't available), you are screwed.
Additionally, they have been throttling CPU performance. My Geekbench single core score on the latest OOS 12 is around 800 which makes my 888 slower than the 865. They changed the way they do the throttle as well, it can no longer be disabled with a Magisk tweak. OnePlus' answer to all of us who are complaining about how unresponsive the browser and other operations can be? Toggle high performance mode to force the phone to use high clocks all the time, even when idle, at the cost of much higher power consumption and heat than if they just left the processor alone to begin with. They haven't released OOS12 kernel source that's usable either so no custom kernel around to fix it unless you flash to a custom ROM.
So yeah, I feel like I'm being forced to go back to iOS. At least Apple listens to feedback and fixes bugs, OnePlus doesn't even seem to care about that anymore, and Apple doesn't throttle their SoCs, has prompt updates (OnePlus has been giving India updates first and has been leaving EU and global a month behind and we were already multiple months behind China), and has incredible battery life without having to disable basically every premium feature in the phone.
And yeah, Samsung is a no go for me since the Note 5. Swore that would be my last Samsung and as long as they encrypt the bootloader on Snapdragon variants, I will stick to that.
I guess I better start saving for that 14 Pro Max......
EtherealRemnant said:
Yeah but OnePlus keeps screwing up the software and there isn't even an MSM Tool for the 10 Pro so if you brick it, which seems to be way too easy to do on OnePlus devices (I have done it multiple times on my 9 despite doing everything right when trying to flash a custom ROM and would have been in a situation if the MSM Tool wasn't available), you are screwed.
Additionally, they have been throttling CPU performance. My Geekbench single core score on the latest OOS 12 is around 800 which makes my 888 slower than the 865. They changed the way they do the throttle as well, it can no longer be disabled with a Magisk tweak. OnePlus' answer to all of us who are complaining about how unresponsive the browser and other operations can be? Toggle high performance mode to force the phone to use high clocks all the time, even when idle, at the cost of much higher power consumption and heat than if they just left the processor alone to begin with. They haven't released OOS12 kernel source that's usable either so no custom kernel around to fix it unless you flash to a custom ROM.
So yeah, I feel like I'm being forced to go back to iOS. At least Apple listens to feedback and fixes bugs, OnePlus doesn't even seem to care about that anymore, and Apple doesn't throttle their SoCs, has prompt updates (OnePlus has been giving India updates first and has been leaving EU and global a month behind and we were already multiple months behind China), and has incredible battery life without having to disable basically every premium feature in the phone.
And yeah, Samsung is a no go for me since the Note 5. Swore that would be my last Samsung and as long as they encrypt the bootloader on Snapdragon variants, I will stick to that.
I guess I better start saving for that 14 Pro Max......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A sad state of ball dropping screwups when an Apple starts looking like a viable alternative.
The only flagship Samsung I would recommend is the Note 10+ N975U1. The Beast is a sublime work horse that just keeps running. New can be had loaded with Android 10, but forget trying to root this variant. It runs well stock though.
After that Samsung started going downhill, more hype than meat. If Samsung had a good new flagship it be in my hand.
Between Google Android 11/12, Samsung's no SD card and other insanities, I went with my second new N10+; twins. The one in my hand will be 3 yo this September, current load is 2 yo.
No detectable display degradation of any kind in spite of thousands of hours of use. It looks and runs like new. The only repair has been a replacement battery, due for another soon as it's heavily used. It's a dual drive 1.5tb machine that doesn't run out of ram.
It's a snappy fast phone that's still fun and fulfills its mission. I'm good for another 2-3+ years. Whatever... I'm not buying the hype or the junk.
blackhawk said:
A sad state of ball dropping screwups when an Apple starts looking like a viable alternative.
The only flagship Samsung I would recommend is the Note 10+ N975U1. The Beast is a sublime work horse that just keeps running. New can be had loaded with Android 10, but forget trying to root this variant. It runs well stock though.
After that Samsung started going downhill, more hype than meat. If Samsung had a good new flagship it be in my hand.
Between Google Android 11/12, Samsung's no SD card and other insanities, I went with my second new N10+; twins. The one in my hand will be 3 yo this September, current load is 2 yo.
No detectable display degradation of any kind in spite of thousands of hours of use. It looks and runs like new. The only repair has been a replacement battery, due for another soon as it's heavily used. It's a dual drive 1.5tb machine that doesn't run out of ram.
It's a snappy fast phone that's still fun and fulfills its mission. I'm good for another 2-3+ years. Whatever... I'm not buying the hype or the junk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was on iOS from 2017 until 2021. Had the 8 Plus, XS Max, and still have my 12 Pro Max lying here. The lack of customization for notifications bugs me and the annoyance of having to manually sign apps to sideload them was obnoxious but I can live without customization and sideloading if I have a device that just performs well. Apple's hardware is solid too, I didn't have a single hardware issue with any of them.
I can't bring myself to buy anything but new flagships. I would just feel like I threw money away if I went to an older device, even if it's stable. This is obviously a psychological issue, I have many of those lol, but it is what it is. The OnePlus works fine on OOS11 for the most part but again, I can't bring myself to be okay with not running Android 12. I am actually pretty annoyed with some issues with the Indian ROM I flashed on here though so I may just decide to stick with OOS11, root it, and disable the performance throttling either with a custom kernel or by the Magisk module I mentioned because I would probably be able to accept that tradeoff but I always get FOMO whenever a new update comes out.
It's good that you found something you are happy with though. I haven't been totally happy with a phone since the HTC U11 although I will say the 12 Pro Max was close and if it wasn't for the fact that my cheap MVNO doesn't have a carrier bundle on iOS which cost me 5G access, I probably would have just stuck with it. Since I held onto it though and paid in full for my 9, I have a $650 trade in value which will probably drop to $450-$500 when the 14 models drop in the fall which makes the price tag much easier to swallow.
I have some hope OnePlus may get it right with Android 13 so I'm going to see how that goes but if not, and no other viable options (has to have compatibility with all US carriers, has to have an unlockable bootloader, has to have at least a 6.4" screen that's not curved, and has to have at least 8GB of RAM), it's back to Apple.
EtherealRemnant said:
I was on iOS from 2017 until 2021. Had the 8 Plus, XS Max, and still have my 12 Pro Max lying here. The lack of customization for notifications bugs me and the annoyance of having to manually sign apps to sideload them was obnoxious but I can live without customization and sideloading if I have a device that just performs well. Apple's hardware is solid too, I didn't have a single hardware issue with any of them.
I can't bring myself to buy anything but new flagships. I would just feel like I threw money away if I went to an older device, even if it's stable. This is obviously a psychological issue, I have many of those lol, but it is what it is. The OnePlus works fine on OOS11 for the most part but again, I can't bring myself to be okay with not running Android 12. I am actually pretty annoyed with some issues with the Indian ROM I flashed on here though so I may just decide to stick with OOS11, root it, and disable the performance throttling either with a custom kernel or by the Magisk module I mentioned because I would probably be able to accept that tradeoff but I always get FOMO whenever a new update comes out.
It's good that you found something you are happy with though. I haven't been totally happy with a phone since the HTC U11 although I will say the 12 Pro Max was close and if it wasn't for the fact that my cheap MVNO doesn't have a carrier bundle on iOS which cost me 5G access, I probably would have just stuck with it. Since I held onto it though and paid in full for my 9, I have a $650 trade in value which will probably drop to $450-$500 when the 14 models drop in the fall which makes the price tag much easier to swallow.
I have some hope OnePlus may get it right with Android 13 so I'm going to see how that goes but if not, and no other viable options (has to have compatibility with all US carriers, has to have an unlockable bootloader, has to have at least a 6.4" screen that's not curved, and has to have at least 8GB of RAM), it's back to Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android 9 may be the best. Haven't played much with the Android 10 N10+ but noticed Karma Firewall lost it's valuable logging feature due to it.
My old free copy of WPS Office works in both version as do most of my trusted overlay apps.
Android 9 and above are all reasonably secure unless you do something stupid. No malware on this 2 yo Pie load yet.
I use Poweramp as my player, just my music files alone are over 225gb.
An SD card is mandatory. I can do a full reload with no internet connection; the SD card is the data drive which is backed up redundantly. Even has all my apps as installable copies, no Playstore needed. So a factory reset isn't that big of a deal if I have to... anytime, anywhere.
Only the DCIM folder (backed up regularly to the data drive), the download folder and the installed apps go on the internal memory. No cloud anything needed or wanted other than Gmail.
So the hardware and firmware aren't my prime consideration, why should they be? It was a step learning curve to optimize these devices. Them fulfilling their mission is my primary consideration. I'm an Android pragmatist, I got out of the Samsung/ Android hype loop over 6 years ago. If not proven good, I'm not using it.
Got lucky with the N10+... always wanted a Note.
Firmware upgrades and updates (apps as well) can and do break things. No need to constantly be chasing the loose ends they create, so I don't.
Pretty much solid play time... that's the plan
Pro version will have a curve screen ... that is a problem with most manufacturer now
i am not a fan of curve screen too.. i went to get p6 and it is ok at first then it has bugs soon after .. another pain is for countries which is not officially sold, it wont be able to use VoLTE and VoWiFi. Need to root and modify the xml ... ah well cant say much about that since it is not official sold.
Seems like OP also is not so great now since they are under OPPO now and Sammy is just too expensive now with more or less not so exiting tech.
Other china phones? that is another story
blackhawk said:
Android 9 may be the best. Haven't played much with the Android 10 N10+ but noticed Karma Firewall lost it's valuable logging feature due to it.
My old free copy of WPS Office works in both version as do most of my trusted overlay apps.
Android 9 and above are all reasonably secure unless you do something stupid. No malware on this 2 yo Pie load yet.
I use Poweramp as my player, just my music files alone are over 225gb.
An SD card is mandatory. I can do a full reload with no internet connection; the SD card is the data drive which is backed up redundantly. Even has all my apps as installable copies, no Playstore needed. So a factory reset isn't that big of a deal if I have to... anytime, anywhere.
Only the DCIM folder (backed up regularly to the data drive), the download folder and the installed apps go on the internal memory. No cloud anything needed or wanted other than Gmail.
So the hardware and firmware aren't my prime consideration, why should they be? It was a step learning curve to optimize these devices. Them fulfilling their mission is my primary consideration. I'm an Android pragmatist, I got out of the Samsung/ Android hype loop over 6 years ago. If not proven good, I'm not using it.
Got lucky with the N10+... always wanted a Note.
Firmware upgrades and updates (apps as well) can and do break things. No need to constantly be chasing the loose ends they create, so I don't.
Pretty much solid play time... that's the plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I went back to OOS11 last night and I'm going to stick with it for a bit. It seems to work pretty well although I'm annoyed at the discovery that the module that was posted to alter the CPU throttling doesn't actually seem to work fully even on OOS 11.2.10.10. I don't want to go any older than that though so I guess it is what it is at this point. Games definitely are smoother at least. Still not as smooth a iOS though...
I wouldn't mind having an SD card again. I have gotten used to not having one but it does get annoying having to back up my OnePlus backups to the PC when I have to factory reset and then move them back. In the time it took to copy from the PC back to the phone last night, I was able to floss and brush my teeth. When I got back to the computer, the bar was at the very end.
This phone will work for now on OOS11. I really hope that OnePlus listens with OOS13 because I really don't want to buy another phone but being stuck on Android 11 isn't going to be enough for me.
cruzzmz said:
Pro version will have a curve screen ... that is a problem with most manufacturer now
i am not a fan of curve screen too.. i went to get p6 and it is ok at first then it has bugs soon after .. another pain is for countries which is not officially sold, it wont be able to use VoLTE and VoWiFi. Need to root and modify the xml ... ah well cant say much about that since it is not official sold.
Seems like OP also is not so great now since they are under OPPO now and Sammy is just too expensive now with more or less not so exiting tech.
Other china phones? that is another story
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's not a great situation for the Android ecosystem as a whole right now really. I may just suck it up and get a 7 Pro. I really don't want to go back to iOS. I have an iPad, that's enough iOS for me.
EtherealRemnant said:
Yeah I went back to OOS11 last night and I'm going to stick with it for a bit. It seems to work pretty well although I'm annoyed at the discovery that the module that was posted to alter the CPU throttling doesn't actually seem to work fully even on OOS 11.2.10.10. I don't want to go any older than that though so I guess it is what it is at this point. Games definitely are smoother at least. Still not as smooth a iOS though...
I wouldn't mind having an SD card again. I have gotten used to not having one but it does get annoying having to back up my OnePlus backups to the PC when I have to factory reset and then move them back. In the time it took to copy from the PC back to the phone last night, I was able to floss and brush my teeth. When I got back to the computer, the bar was at the very end.
This phone will work for now on OOS11. I really hope that OnePlus listens with OOS13 because I really don't want to buy another phone but being stuck on Android 11 isn't going to be enough for me.
Yeah it's not a great situation for the Android ecosystem as a whole right now really. I may just suck it up and get a 7 Pro. I really don't want to go back to iOS. I have an iPad, that's enough iOS for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I committed to using the N10+'s for likely another 2-3+ years by buying a second new running on Android 10. Both will likely never be upgraded beyond 10.
Not for everyone but I absolutely wuv this Note. At this point it's optimized very well and is just a gorgeous beast of a work horse. Using a SD card as the data drive adds a layer of protection and redundantly to the device. With a mobo failure or a system crash the data drive will likely be untouched.
So now the processors are too fast to be practical so they throttle them?
Even though the N10+ doesn't have the thinner cpu chipset form factor or the fastest memory it runs almost as fast as the S22U in normal usage.
With the N9 the lag vs N10+/N20U/N22U is quite noticeable. The S22U has a huge battery and less SOT than the N10+. Weights a full display cracking ounce more too.
For what?
If you listen to all the hype the latest Androids sound wonderful... until you think it through and realize what is important for your device to fulfill its mission. That's why a well designed/built 3 yo model running on 2.5 yo firmware can still effectively compete with the newest phones.
blackhawk said:
This is why I committed to using the N10+'s for likely another 2-3+ years by buying a second new running on Android 10. Both will likely never be upgraded beyond 10.
Not for everyone but I absolutely wuv this Note. At this point it's optimized very well and is just a gorgeous beast of a work horse. Using a SD card as the data drive adds a layer of protection and redundantly to the device. With a mobo failure or a system crash the data drive will likely be untouched.
So now the processors are too fast to be practical so they throttle them?
Even though the N10+ doesn't have the thinner cpu chipset form factor or the fastest memory it runs almost as fast as the S22U in normal usage.
With the N9 the lag vs N10+/N20U/N22U is quite noticeable. The S22U has a huge battery and less SOT than the N10+. Weights a full display cracking ounce more too.
For what?
If you listen to all the hype the latest Androids sound wonderful... until you think it through and realize what is important for your device to fulfill its mission. That's why a well designed/built 3 yo model running on 2.5 yo firmware can still effectively compete with the newest phones.
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Click to collapse
The annoying thing about the throttling is that it's not necessary. I have used a custom ROM on here and they don't have any of the throttling and it's no problem. Sure, the device gets a bit warmer under load, but it's not dangerously hot, we are talking like 42-48C, well within all normal tolerances. People ***** about their devices being warm and everyone suffers for it. Unfortunately every custom ROM I have tried has issues ranging from a stuttering UI to broken NFC and the fingerprint reader being off center so after the last attempt flashing a custom ROM resulted in a brick, I just went back to OOS and stayed there. Maybe it is time to try again though, I will run OOS11 for a few days and see if I can get used to it.
Honestly I really like my Pixel 3 XL, it's just too slow and lacking in RAM for me to make it my daily driver. The memory is more the issue than the Snapdragon 845 honestly.
P3XL was a great phone, i used it until it went dead last year. Then i went for p6 in hope for a better support and features as promised but then again ...
anyway p6 suffers from bugs since first update and i think still until now it has not been sort out yet. The thing i like about pixel is you can still flash it via fastboot and the image it officially available in the support page.
Just that if the country is not an official country that sell pixel then you will be stuck with no VoLTE and VoWiFi and that is a hassle
EtherealRemnant said:
It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.
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After Carl Pei left Oneplus started going down and now they are one of the worst companies under Oppo and the phone OS, design, and specs are not that good!
hemstheworthy said:
After Carl Pei left Oneplus started going down and now they are one of the worst companies under Oppo and the phone OS, design, and specs are not that good!
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My OnePlus 9 has better specs across the board than the Pixel 6 besides the cameras. OOS12 is terrible but I don't mind OOS11 so if OnePlus goes back to their roots with OOS13 like they are promising, I may stick around, and besides, the custom ROMs for this device are pretty good so I can just as easily just stick to those.
Qualcomm > Samsung and I don't see that changing with the 7 series.
EtherealRemnant said:
I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
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I think the non-pro Pixels are a better value anyways, seeming as this launch won't be too different to the Pixel 6s apart from minor upgrades like a new SoC with moderate performance increase.
razercortex said:
I think the non-pro Pixels are a better value anyways, seeming as this launch won't be too different to the Pixel 6s apart from minor upgrades like a new SoC with moderate performance increase.
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I can't go from a 6.55" screen to a 6.2" screen though. Honestly I would rather have a 6.7"-6.10" screen. I could go from 6.55 to 6.4 but with them shrinking the screen size on the 7, it's a nonstarter.

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