If it has an indicator light I'm in. The headphone jack doesn't really bother me, but I don't understand taking away the SD and indicator light options.
4G Android phone megathread
- Thread starter Foulkey Reese
- Start date
Of course they wait after I've just bought a new phone to announce this.
Good to see, anyway.
I'm guessing there isn't a simple solution I haven't tried but I'm throwing this out there in case.
I have Sprint and was switched to a T-Mobile sim card in the fall (using a Galaxy S20). Ever since the switch I don't get voicemail notifications. The only way I know I have a voicemail is if I open the app and refresh it. Once in a while it works correctly but mostly it's useless. I've called TM twice and they claimed that they refreshed my settings or whatever. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app, made sure all of the settings are correct, rebooted, etc.- everything you would find in a Google search. Nothing works. If I have a missed call I get a notification, and now whenever that happens I refresh the voicemail inbox to check. But if I'm on the subway or something and don't have a signal, so I don't have a missed call, I'd never know I had a voicemail.
Any advice?
I have Sprint and was switched to a T-Mobile sim card in the fall (using a Galaxy S20). Ever since the switch I don't get voicemail notifications. The only way I know I have a voicemail is if I open the app and refresh it. Once in a while it works correctly but mostly it's useless. I've called TM twice and they claimed that they refreshed my settings or whatever. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app, made sure all of the settings are correct, rebooted, etc.- everything you would find in a Google search. Nothing works. If I have a missed call I get a notification, and now whenever that happens I refresh the voicemail inbox to check. But if I'm on the subway or something and don't have a signal, so I don't have a missed call, I'd never know I had a voicemail.
Any advice?
I've been having problems with missed text messages ever since I had to replace my Sprint Sim card with a T-Mobile one. (I have a Samsung A71 5G)
When I go to Access Point Names there is only one option: T-Mobile US LTE. So that's checked.
The power button on my Pixel 3 was being dodgy since October (coinciding with the Boston Marathon, so probably some sweat got in there) and yesterday it fell right off. I can still click the button with my fingernail but that's not fun, and it's still a little dodgy. I had to turn off the "double click to open camera" option months ago. I set up some software workarounds, a Tasker button to open the power menu, and a Nova Launcher gesture to turn off the screen without locking down. But maybe this is a sign that I'm overdue to upgrade.
I'd been holding out for a Pixel 7 since Google seems to be going back and forth with the back-of-the-phone fingerprint reader, which I really like, and I've heard the Pixel 6 front one isn't very good. But some Googling suggests the 7 will be breaking this pattern.
How are people feeling about their 6s?
My phone is still working well otherwise. Battery life has declined, but is still pretty good and I've had this since February 2019. By contrast, my Pixel 1 fell off a cliff soon after the two year mark.
Is it worth trying to get it fixed?
I'd been holding out for a Pixel 7 since Google seems to be going back and forth with the back-of-the-phone fingerprint reader, which I really like, and I've heard the Pixel 6 front one isn't very good. But some Googling suggests the 7 will be breaking this pattern.
How are people feeling about their 6s?
My phone is still working well otherwise. Battery life has declined, but is still pretty good and I've had this since February 2019. By contrast, my Pixel 1 fell off a cliff soon after the two year mark.
Is it worth trying to get it fixed?
I will never stop being mad at Google for moving away from one of the best differentiators they had (the excellent rear fingerprint scanners) to do what everyone else does (shitty under screen) but not as well.
I finally retired my pixel 3 a couple months ago (it wouldn't start up unless it was plugged in - a fairly major issue when combined with the declining batter life that required turning off occasionally to conserve battery power when out and about) and switched to a 6. I miss the back of phone fingerprint reader but I've gotten used to everything being on the front and love the upgraded cameras. It was a pretty seamless transition. Obviously, these phones are too new to really be able to give any insights into long term issues but I was attracted to the 5 year support cycle on these ones (as someone, like you it seems, who wants to upgrade their phones as infrequently as possible).
Pour one out for the 3 tho, best cell phone I ever owned. I'll miss the free unlimited uncompressed photo backup for sure. Wasn't gonna get rid of my 3 until that service sunsetted.
My Pixel XL2 is on its last legs. Two days ago there were problems with sending texts - it asked me to notify Google.
I figured it would still a couple more months till they discount the Pixel 6s prior to the launch of Pixel 7.
But no! - One day after reporting a problem with my XL2 I get a coupon in the mail for 20% off Pixel 6s!
Just ordered a 6 Pro.
Any other Google Fi customers getting these discount coupons in their email?
I figured it would still a couple more months till they discount the Pixel 6s prior to the launch of Pixel 7.
But no! - One day after reporting a problem with my XL2 I get a coupon in the mail for 20% off Pixel 6s!
Just ordered a 6 Pro.
Any other Google Fi customers getting these discount coupons in their email?
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T-Mobile is offering me a free S22. My S20 is fine so I'm hesitant. What do you lose without stock Android?
I'm still annoyed about the lack of an SD slot and an indicator light. What's the downside of the light? I recently got an S20 FE for a work phone and it has no light and it's annoying that I can't see if I have new messages without turning the screen on.
I'm just like the feel of Vanilla android. I suffered through HTC's customizations years ago and then switched to a Pixel 1 and loved it until it died. I had to get an iPhone during the pandemic and while I despise my iPhone I appreciate just using a stock OS that isn't tweaked in weird ways.
So the big sell for me is vanilla Android because I can't think of a compelling reason why Samsung needed to come up with their own UI for it.
Got it. Is the S22 version much different than what's on the S20? That's what I thought you were getting at but I assumed they'd be the same.
Hah.. maybe my coffee hasn't kicked in or Im distracted by the duel at The Open, but I'm not sure why we're talking about the S20, I actually know very little about Samsung phones. I was posting originally to see if anyone had any opinions on Pixel6 vs S22 because I need a new phone.
Nah, I was asking a different question so my bad. I don't know anything about Pixels. I'm on my third Samsung and I've always liked them, other than the indicator light issue. I use AOD Notify to get around it on my S20 and it works well. I'm always hesitant to upgrade without knowing if my work arounds will still work.
I have the S22+ and it's great. I don't mind not having stock android, in all honesty, the only annoying thing in that regard is the occasional Samsung password manager prompts that sometimes pop up when I log into various sites. You can say "never" on a per site basis, but you can't disable the thing altogether so it comes back any time a new site is logged into.
Other than that minor annoyance it doesn't feel much different from stock Android to me.
None of the other Samsung stuff is intrusive, much of it can be removed, Bixby fully disabled etc.
One of the things that got me back to Samsung this round was the promise of 5 years of security updates. And they come through pretty quick - my phone just updated to the July 1 security update for android yesterday (7/16).
Other than that minor annoyance it doesn't feel much different from stock Android to me.
None of the other Samsung stuff is intrusive, much of it can be removed, Bixby fully disabled etc.
One of the things that got me back to Samsung this round was the promise of 5 years of security updates. And they come through pretty quick - my phone just updated to the July 1 security update for android yesterday (7/16).
I'm looking for a particular kind of Android app and I can't seem to find anything, because all I get is things like To Do List apps, which isn't quite what I'm looking for.
What I want is a list of recurring tasks/chores and a counter of how long it's been since I've done them, and a button I can push to reset each one.
So I open the app, it tells me it's been 10 days since I've cleaned the bathroom, 12 days since I cut the dog's toenails, 40 days since my last haircut, etc. And then I cut the dog's nails and push a button and it goes back to zero days.
Anyone use anything like that?
What I want is a list of recurring tasks/chores and a counter of how long it's been since I've done them, and a button I can push to reset each one.
So I open the app, it tells me it's been 10 days since I've cleaned the bathroom, 12 days since I cut the dog's toenails, 40 days since my last haircut, etc. And then I cut the dog's nails and push a button and it goes back to zero days.
Anyone use anything like that?
Wondering if anyone else is experiencing this:
The Twitter app on my Pixel 5A and on my wife's Pixel 5 suddenly won't load beyond a blank screen unless you enable notifications. What the fuck?!
The Twitter app on my Pixel 5A and on my wife's Pixel 5 suddenly won't load beyond a blank screen unless you enable notifications. What the fuck?!
I need a nudge:
My current phone situation is a Pixel 3 on Verizon, but I also have Google Voice. So I have an underlying number with Verizon (857 area code) that used to be my phone number to the world at large, but when I started using Google Voice I got a new number (617 area code) with that, and got everyone I know to start using that instead, and most people don't even remember that I had the older 857 number.
I'm not sure why I still have Google Voice at this point. The visual voicemail was cool but everyone seems to have that now. I like being able to search my text messages, and to be able to text people from my computer. But I don't use the "ring several phones with one number" feature anymore because I only have my mobile phone. The blocking and screening features are occasionally useful, but it seems like those are also widespread now. And it's always been behind on other things. I couldn't text MMS for a long, long time so people would send me pictures and they'd just go into the ether, and people would think I was rude for not responding. That all works now, though I still think my texts don't go through every so often.
Meanwhile Verizon has gotten very pricey so I've been curious about switching to Google Fi, since I'm mostly on WiFi either at home or at work.
It looks like I can port my 617 GV number to Fi so that's not a problem. But how do texts and voicemail work on Fi? Do they use Google apps? Google seems to have gone through a number of messaging apps lately (remember Hangouts?) and I don't know where they've settled.
My current phone situation is a Pixel 3 on Verizon, but I also have Google Voice. So I have an underlying number with Verizon (857 area code) that used to be my phone number to the world at large, but when I started using Google Voice I got a new number (617 area code) with that, and got everyone I know to start using that instead, and most people don't even remember that I had the older 857 number.
I'm not sure why I still have Google Voice at this point. The visual voicemail was cool but everyone seems to have that now. I like being able to search my text messages, and to be able to text people from my computer. But I don't use the "ring several phones with one number" feature anymore because I only have my mobile phone. The blocking and screening features are occasionally useful, but it seems like those are also widespread now. And it's always been behind on other things. I couldn't text MMS for a long, long time so people would send me pictures and they'd just go into the ether, and people would think I was rude for not responding. That all works now, though I still think my texts don't go through every so often.
Meanwhile Verizon has gotten very pricey so I've been curious about switching to Google Fi, since I'm mostly on WiFi either at home or at work.
It looks like I can port my 617 GV number to Fi so that's not a problem. But how do texts and voicemail work on Fi? Do they use Google apps? Google seems to have gone through a number of messaging apps lately (remember Hangouts?) and I don't know where they've settled.
I've been in Fi for years and have had Pixels 3, 4, 5, 6 and a 7 on the way. Also a former GV guy that jumped to Fi. The short answer is that it's basically a seamless transition. You can use .messages for web on you computer for texts. It's just Google Messages for texts on your phone. There can be some quirkiness with messaging iPhone people, but that's an iPhone thing, not a Google thing. The voicemail and filtering features baked into a more modern Pixel blow away anything you're using in GV. You won't miss much, if anything, making the switch.
Thanks! Very helpful. I actually need to port my Verizon number to get the full $300 off Black Friday deal, so I'll start by doing that. Then I think I should be able to switch to my GV number down the road.
And yeah, I know all about the annoyance of being on a text chain with iPhone people. We're a mixed household
It's here and it's enormous.
On a related topic: can anyone recommend a USB-C charger that is all one piece? In other words, where it's just just an adapter that has a USB-C slot for a cable, which seems to be most of them.
I want this:
Not this:
But it's hard to find anything that doesn't look like phony junk. I got one that came with my Samsung Chromebook but I want more. I need something that can withstand a bit of tugging without coming apart.
On a related topic: can anyone recommend a USB-C charger that is all one piece? In other words, where it's just just an adapter that has a USB-C slot for a cable, which seems to be most of them.
I want this:
Not this:
But it's hard to find anything that doesn't look like phony junk. I got one that came with my Samsung Chromebook but I want more. I need something that can withstand a bit of tugging without coming apart.
I'm almost tempted to start a new thread given we've progressed slightly beyond 4G Android phones at this point.
Google just officially announced their folding Pixel phone.
Google just officially announced their folding Pixel phone.
I mean, it's not for me, but that's the same price as Samsung's folding phone. The iPhone Pro Max with similar storage is already $1200. I'm just more excited by the advancements in tech. I thought that folding screens were going to be an absolute gimmick that would never work in the real world.
I'm firmly in the Apple ecosystem, but my wife is not. Her favorite phone was the Moto X and the Moto Z Force (which was essentially the X but extra durable). She has a Pixel 5a now and she's missing the Moto Actions that aren't present on the Pixel. Her ideal phone:
- Has at least 1 TB of onboard storage, or expandable storage
- Has a great camera. She's unimpressed with the one on the 5a. She liked the one on my iPhone 13 Pro (and my iPhone 11 before that), but she's not looking to make the switch.
- Has Moto Actions:
- Turn on the flashlight by making two chopping motions
- Open the camera by twisting your wrist twice
- Wave to silence incoming calls or wake the display
I'm very happy with my Moto Edge, but I'm also not a premium phone guy. She should check out their site
They're fantastic phones. Buy with confidence. The Pixel 7a (which, unlike the 7, I have not used) just came out last week, and is a *very* similar phone, so it isn't too surprising to see discounting on the 7's.
Thanks for this recommendation! It looks like the Edge is Verizon-exclusive. We're currently on US Mobile and we like it so I don't think we'll switch, but I'm tempted to find out if Verizon would unlock phone if you pay in full.
If you don't want a mega large phone, I think the Pixel 7 is the best Android phone in the market.
Pixel 7 at retail is $499, which means it's cheaper to that to the reseller. Maybe $300-400? $10/month is still $240 over two years which is I'm guessing the length of the agreement period. They're mainly trying to prevent people from jumping to other carriers as they're probably making $30-40/month profit on you as a customer for their wireless subscription.
I got a notification today that pixel pass is being discontinued, 2 months before my phone gets automatically updated. I am fucking pissed.
I was at first; but the Pixel Pass was the only time I ever financed a phone (and first time I ever insured one), and if it wasn't for the replacement phone I got about 2 weeks ago because the screen started dying, I don't feel like I got a lot out of the deal. I also lost a grandfathered rate for YouTube Music family plan, so my wife has had to listen to commercials for the past 2 years.
So in the end, I was plenty happy with the $100 store credit they gave us.
The USB-C port on my phone (Pixel 6 Pro) got damaged back around the end of last year, and it has been a royal pain since. The phone would charge and connect fine, but the "hold cord in place" aspect was completely gone. There were a couple of cables that would stay in well enough if the phone was still on a flat surface. Brought it into the shop and they said the port is soldered to the mainboard so it would be a "not worth it" replacement cost.
Got a deal (via Google Fi) on a Pixel 8 Pro so I jumped on that. Setup was very easy, had to sign into apps/sites again but pretty much everything moved over smoothly. The one exception being YouTube Music, I have to go in and re-download everything manually again because it doesn't backup/restore its state and its downloads don't count for music sync. I think my "use it as a bag of CDs" use case is pretty rare, but it was the biggest miss.
Wouldn't have probably updated this year if not for the port, but there are some pluses. The mobile radio is supposed to be somewhat better and chew less battery. The screen doesn't have the stupid curved edges, and gets much brighter in daylight. The camera went from being roughly 15-400mm equiv capable to (as far as I can tell) 11-750mm equiv capable which is crazy handy for testing compositions without changing lenses or resetting a tripod.
Got a deal (via Google Fi) on a Pixel 8 Pro so I jumped on that. Setup was very easy, had to sign into apps/sites again but pretty much everything moved over smoothly. The one exception being YouTube Music, I have to go in and re-download everything manually again because it doesn't backup/restore its state and its downloads don't count for music sync. I think my "use it as a bag of CDs" use case is pretty rare, but it was the biggest miss.
Wouldn't have probably updated this year if not for the port, but there are some pluses. The mobile radio is supposed to be somewhat better and chew less battery. The screen doesn't have the stupid curved edges, and gets much brighter in daylight. The camera went from being roughly 15-400mm equiv capable to (as far as I can tell) 11-750mm equiv capable which is crazy handy for testing compositions without changing lenses or resetting a tripod.
I'm really tired of Android Auto issues. A couple of months ago every text I got while driving would automatically be read out loud. I don't know what I did but somehow I got it to stop. Today it started happening again. I think I figured out that it's not Google Assistant- it's my phone's text to speech function. I changed the text to speech language to Spanish and all my messages were read in Spanish.
If I tap play Google plays them normally in English. There's no option to toggle text to speech off. This only happens when I'm in the car. What the hell happened and how do I get this to stop? Is this an Android Auto issue or a Samsung issue?
If I tap play Google plays them normally in English. There's no option to toggle text to speech off. This only happens when I'm in the car. What the hell happened and how do I get this to stop? Is this an Android Auto issue or a Samsung issue?
That was the first thing I tried. When I say it my phone says it doesn't understand or something.
At least your Android Auto is working. My wife and I both have Pixels and AA stopped working for us when we're connected via Bluetooth. From reading online, looks like others have similar issues when they're using a wired version of AA (which I have to because my car won't support wireless)
It worked well for 4+ years and suddenly no longer. Looks like it might have to do with what version of Android we're running? But I've tried so many different solutions and have gotten nowhere.
I've had it for two years and it worked great until this spring. The first time the auto read happened I freaked out. Out of the blue my phone started reading every notification I had.
Another weird thing was that one particular conversation wouldn't trigger a notification but it would get read out loud. Somehow that conversation had something unchecked.
Odd stuff is happening with Android lately and none of it is good.
Another weird thing was that one particular conversation wouldn't trigger a notification but it would get read out loud. Somehow that conversation had something unchecked.
Odd stuff is happening with Android lately and none of it is good.
My AA has always been fluky with SMS. Sometimes it will show notifications and other times it will not. I gave up trying to figure it out.
Not that this is all that helpful but something may work for you.
https://support.google.com/androidauto/thread/269322027/messaging-notification-isn-t-working?hl=en
https://support.google.com/androidauto/thread/269322027/messaging-notification-isn-t-working?hl=en
Thanks. I tried a bunch of stuff and finally gave up. At least that is the only issue. AA with my last car was complete crap.
I've been pretty annoyed with AA lately too, it randomly disconnects in the same spot on the highway on the way to work every morning. It's the weirdest thing.
Something is going on. Out of the blue it's terrible. At this point I just want it to stop loudly playing every notification I get while I'm driving. It freaks me out and if my daughter is in the car that could be bad. How the fuck can the specific voice command that is mentioned in Google's help page not be recognized by the devices? That's clown show-level shit.