Smartphones

Lenas · Jun 19, 2014

Do yourself a favor and find out how to update it to Windows Phone 8.1, gets way better.

Xarpolis · Jun 19, 2014

Here's another post about the new Kindle Fire Phone. (It's not good).
Four Reasons We Won't be Buying the Fire Phone

LachiusTZ · Jun 20, 2014

Goddamnit, now I have to give the apps permission to read / write to a micro SD card?

Starting to miss my 10$ flip phone I was using for a month or so.

(This post was originally to ask WTF is keeping me from it, but I found it, and now have to change the app permissions etc . . . so this post has become me talking to myself . . . outloud . . . online. Lol)

Pinch_sl · Jun 20, 2014

I haven't been following the Amazon phone, but I saw the link 2 posts up. Is it true that you don't have home or menu buttons (hardware or onscreen), and have to tilt the device to perform those functions? I foresee that getting tiresome extremely fast. It reminds me of the first generation Kindle Fire that had no volume buttons, and depended entirely on the touchscreen slider. It was 100% awful. Look to the LG G2 for advice on how to incorporate a new feature (knock on) side by side with the power button, rather than trying to replace it outright.

Kedwyn · Jun 20, 2014

It will not only get tiresome but it will also get triggered accidentally and piss people off. I have no clue what they are thinking but I'd be looking for a new design team.

Lanx · Jun 20, 2014

No google services? Its no better than a flip phone then.

The Dauntless One · Jun 21, 2014

I tried using a Lumia 1520... It's a great phone but I couldn't live without the app selection Android has.

LachiusTZ · Jun 23, 2014

Ok, fuck it, how do I get a FTP app (such as, ANDFTP) to write directly to a micro SD card on a HTC one M8?

Vaclav · Jun 23, 2014

Not familiar with the process to write directly to the SD Card, but it's not an M8 exclusive thing, it's something Android has locked down since 4.1 or 4.2 - so I'd just do a generalized search for methods to work around the issue.

Siliconemelons · Jun 24, 2014

Soo windows nokia droid phone eh...?

Frenzied Wombat · Jun 24, 2014

baerf_sl said:
Just bought my first smartphone (all others i've had have been company given). I went for the Nokia 1320 in the end, as i wanted a a big phone, as my usage would generally be calls, emails, netflix and ebooks and i have to say I'm completely impressed. The battery life is utterly amazing. Was at 90% charge last night, i've made just over an hour worth of calls, just under an hour of plants vs zombies, watched an episode of Top Gear, it's had a constant 3G/4G connection and the wireless has been on constantly - and I'm at 51% battery as of now (11PM) - so over a day of decent usage and it's lost less than 40% battery.

It's my first Windows phone - previously had a blackberry and then a few Andriods - and with this one, I actually enjoy using it. The Appstore isn't massive, but it has most of the apps i want. The gaming choice is slightly weak, but it's never been my main reason to use a phone anyways. Credit has to be given to the screen as well. It's only a 720p display, but it's clear and bright. Was using it on the train with the sun streaming in, and i had no trouble viewing the display. Camera is rather average though (however, i'm not a massive photo person, so that's not a problem for me).

Website reviews have been rather against it, but i'm not sure why to be honest. I'd of loved to have bought the 1520 but i just couldn't of justified the price for what I'd be using it for.

Also, lastly, it's just refeshing having a different UI compared to static rows of icons in a grid - sounds weak i know, but the whole phone is just refreshing to use.

I think Windows Phones, just like everything MS in recent years, gets needlessly panned by the media. The Nokia 1020 and 1520 are both great phones. We have some employees that were holding onto their OLD (think OS 5/6) blackberries because they were simple to use, had great battery life, and had easy/quick access to email. These people don't give a shit about facebook on their phone, they just wanted a good email experience with great battery life. IPhones failed with them because of battery life/keyboard. Android phones for the same reason, plus they found the interface confusing. However, they ALL liked the 1020's and 1520's when I handed them out. Battery life on both units could almost reach the 2 day mark, longer even with the 1020's camera frame/extended battery, and the larger screen made the keyboard tolerable for them. They all also liked the customizable live tile home screen.

I honestly can't think of any significant shortcomings of the OS besides lack of apps and no EAP-TLS support for corporate Wi-Fi. In terms of user friendliness and interface I rank it right up there iOS.

Void · Jun 24, 2014

I looked a few pages back and didn't see this mentioned, so if it was I apologize.

I bought my HTC M8 One a couple months ago, and other than taking a quantum leap backward in flashing LED technology (as in, I only get two colors, and it stops flashing 5 minutes after whatever notification came through so I never fucking know that I have a text message), it has been pretty great. The first several weeks I had it I would literally have 75-80% battery left when I went to bed at night. I'd charge it all night, take it off in the morning, and next night would be the same. I don't use my phone a ton, so that is probably a fairly low usage, but I was pretty impressed.

So one day I decided I'd just let it drain totally to see how long it took. Three full days and it was down to where it was notifying me it needed a charge, so I went ahead and hooked it back up. From that day forward, it is practically dead by the time I go to bed the next night. That chart listed a few pages back says up to 23 hours of talk time, but I can't even get 23 hours of standby time. Hell, barely 15 hours now that I think about it.

I took the battery out, restarted it, checked all the settings, checked the battery usage, etc. The only thing that seems to have changed as far as battery usage is that everything just seems to have increased. Nothing really stands out as being extreme, unless you count wifi taking up the biggest chunk now. But even if wifi is using 25%, all the other functions shouldn't be equaling 75%. I've googled it and tried various setting changes, nothing seems to work. I also didn't install any apps or perform any significant updates during that time. I've also been using the same charger the whole time, so it shouldn't be the chargers fault.

Anyone else experiencing anything like this?

Vaclav · Jun 24, 2014

I know you're on VZW and not Sprint - but the Sprint "Connections Optimizer" got turned on for mine (not the wife's though, interestingly) during an update or something and was a HUUUUUUUUGE battery leech for my M8 - I'd wonder if there was a similar connection optimizer type thing that VZW uses that is thrashing yours.

Also a few apps recently have been using more if I let them stay active after I use them (like my file manager I use to shoot files across the network when I'm too lazy to hop out of bed) which those specific apps used to not do, but that's easily fixed by pulling up the running apps and swiping the file manager away (or other problem ones as I find them).

Zindan · Jun 24, 2014

Has anyone used the Moto G LTE phone? I'm considering getting that phone and dumping Verizon for Staight Talk. I'd pay half as much, but I would also lose truly unlimited data (long time Verizon user).

opiate82 · Jun 24, 2014

Kedwyn_sl said:
I avoid LG.

If the Note 4 isn't up to specs I'll wait for the Galaxy 6 or whatever the hell they'll call it.

If that isn't good enough I'll check out HTC's offering

If that isn't good enough I'd grab the newest nexus

If that isn't good enough I'd go back to an Iphone.

LG isn't even on the long list.

You do realize the latest Nexus is built by LG right?

Rumor is that the Nexus 6 won't be built by LG but the N6 itself is still just a rumor.

Intrinsic · Jun 25, 2014

Vvoid_sl said:
I looked a few pages back and didn't see this mentioned, so if it was I apologize.

I bought my HTC M8 One a couple months ago, and other than taking a quantum leap backward in flashing LED technology (as in, I only get two colors, and it stops flashing 5 minutes after whatever notification came through so I never fucking know that I have a text message), it has been pretty great. The first several weeks I had it I would literally have 75-80% battery left when I went to bed at night. I'd charge it all night, take it off in the morning, and next night would be the same. I don't use my phone a ton, so that is probably a fairly low usage, but I was pretty impressed.

So one day I decided I'd just let it drain totally to see how long it took. Three full days and it was down to where it was notifying me it needed a charge, so I went ahead and hooked it back up. From that day forward, it is practically dead by the time I go to bed the next night. That chart listed a few pages back says up to 23 hours of talk time, but I can't even get 23 hours of standby time. Hell, barely 15 hours now that I think about it.

I took the battery out, restarted it, checked all the settings, checked the battery usage, etc. The only thing that seems to have changed as far as battery usage is that everything just seems to have increased. Nothing really stands out as being extreme, unless you count wifi taking up the biggest chunk now. But even if wifi is using 25%, all the other functions shouldn't be equaling 75%. I've googled it and tried various setting changes, nothing seems to work. I also didn't install any apps or perform any significant updates during that time. I've also been using the same charger the whole time, so it shouldn't be the chargers fault.

Anyone else experiencing anything like this?

My battery went shit up a week or so ago when Amazon App Services (I think it was called) got updated. I don't even use anything Amazon on my phone, actively, but it was taking up like 25% battery while in stand by. Also somehow 'high accuracy' got turned on in the GPS settings at or around the same time. Fixed those two and things seem to be more or less normal now.

Ameraves · Jun 25, 2014

Vvoid_sl said:
I bought my HTC M8 One a couple months ago, and other than taking a quantum leap backward in flashing LED technology (as in, I only get two colors, and it stops flashing 5 minutes after whatever notification came through so I never fucking know that I have a text message), it has been pretty great.

Can't help with your battery issues, but you can try an app called Light Flow. I use it for my notification lights, and it works great.

Kedwyn · Jun 25, 2014

opiate82_sl said:
You do realize the latest Nexus is built by LG right?

Rumor is that the Nexus 6 won't be built by LG but the N6 itself is still just a rumor.

Yes. What is the issue? I don't own the current nexus. LG likely isn't making the next one, thus I would consider it.

opiate82 · Jun 25, 2014

I figured by "latest" Nexus you meant the currently available one. /shrug

Vaclav · Jun 25, 2014

opiate82_sl said:
I figured by "latest" Nexus you meant the currently available one. /shrug

I can see where you're coming from - but they were talking about an evaluation starting with the Note 4 - which is probably close to Winter.

Smartphones

Trump's Staff

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Rogue Deathwalker Box

shitlord

Silver Squire

Lord Nagafen Raider

Rogue Deathwalker Box

Bronze Baronet of the Realm

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider

Potato del Grande

BAU BAU

Bronze Baronet of the Realm

Bronze Baronet of the Realm

Bronze Squire

Person of Whiteness

New title pending...

Silver Squire

Bronze Squire

Bronze Baronet of the Realm