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[RoadHazard]

What's the best way to keep text messages synced between multiple Android devices?

There are various 3rd party apps that can backup your messages to cloud storage and restore them to your device, and some that can also automatically do this to enable a kind of "sync". But in truth there's no really great way to do this. Google, who will let you backup and sync almost everything else on your phone, really need to implement a good native solution for this.

Also Goog needs to figure out the photos app vs gallery app situation.

I think they have figured it out. And the answer is that Gallery is dead, Photos will be the standard app going forward (just like how Hangouts is now the default messaging app while the AOSP one isn't even included on new Google devices anymore). The reason that many devices have both is that they won't delete Gallery from ones that came with it. I would be very surprised if Nexus 6 does.

I used to think it was dumb to have two photo apps but it actually makes a ton of sence. One is your on device gallery and the other is tailored to photos on the cloud and their back up status. The only thing that is confusing is the naming. Photos should have either cloud or drivein the name so they aren't confused.

Photos does both. You can easily view only what's on the device. So again, Gallery is on its last legs.

 

[NotBacon]

So on the new Moto X battery life:

This isn't 100% accurate because he hasn't settled into normal use yet, but someone who has been using it since the reveal is saying it's passable with above average use. Not stellar, not bad, but it lasts the whole day.

He also said someone at Moto told him L will do wonders for the new Moto X and Moto G. And that's believable considering people running just the L preview are reporting 30-40% better battery life on the N5.

So I think Moto is just gambling on L. It's a good gamble too, but we won't know for sure until we see it for ourselves...

 

[Hasney]

Well they're claiming the Z3 will last 2 days of regular use, or at the very least, as good as the G2. If that gets even better once L rolls around, it'll be insane.

 

[NotBacon]

I think they have figured it out. And the answer is that Gallery is dead, Photos will be the standard app going forward (just like how Hangouts is now the default messaging app while the AOSP one isn't even included on new Google devices anymore). The reason that many devices have both is that they won't delete Gallery from ones that came with it. I would be very surprised if Nexus 6 does.

What annoys me though is that the Photos app defaults to my cloud photos instead of the photos on my device. I have to specifically choose that from side menu. But maybe I just have to play with it more...

Too much hassle. I don't really want to constantly manage the storage of my music.

This.

Will be interesting to see the verge reactions to the uninspired and boring as hell iphone6

"The Retina+ display on the new iPhone 6 is revolutionary and magical. You have to see it to believe it."

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

"while Android has had larger resolutions for a while, the new iPhone is the first phone to truly take advantage of it"

 

[Nicktendo86]

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Galaxy-Note-4-faces-the-G3-in-an-early-speed-comparison-can-you-guess-who-wins_id60384

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Note-4-goes-out-against-the-One-M8-in-early-speed-comparison-loses_id60385

Surprise surprise, touchwiz slows the phone down despite killer specs and 3gb ram. So sick of samsung.

Edit: please don't tell me that iPhone quote is real?

 

[Blackhead]

Daring Fireball: Conjecture Regarding Larger iPhone Displays

2208 × 1242: The 5.5-inch ‘Holy Shit’ Sweet Spot

Everything works at these dimensions for a 5.5-inch display. With an increase in area of 68 percent and a scaling factor of 1.06, this display would address both reasons why someone might want a very large iPhone: it would show a lot more content, and it would render everything on screen, point-for-point, a little bit bigger. And at 461 pixels-per-inch, everything would be amazingly sharp. At that point it would be difficult for most of us to perceive individual pixels from any viewing distance, not just from typical practical viewing distance. This would be so sweet, I’d wager Apple comes up with a new marketing name for it: super-retina or something. (4)

4. This in turn will drive the Android die-hards nutty, on the grounds that there have been Android handsets with 450+ PPI displays since last year, but Apple will play it on stage and in TV commercials as though they’re breaking new ground.

 

[MegalonJJ]

Hi there, I'm coming up for an upgrade in a few weeks and I'm considering moving to Android. (Currently I'm using a Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 800))

Would very much appreciate some advice please:

What is the best Android phone? Particularly when it comes to specs and/or the phone which runs the latest version of Android the best please? (I'm also interested in the build quality of the phone).

(If I stick with WP, I'll go for the 930 but I'm really interested in switching to Android, but would like to find out which phone has a similar speed/response etc to the Nokias).

 

[Bboy AJ]

I think the Z3 or Z3C is in my front running for phone I will buy down the road. I'm actually surprised that more people aren't talking about it here. I mean even though Sony has too frequent updates to their line up, they seem to be doing so much right here. The Z3 seems to have an improved camera, which was excellent on the Z2. Apparently the dual front facing speakers are comparable to the M8s according to an impression I watched on YouTube. Even if their not as clear, it should be solid. Then of course it's dust/water proof with the highest rating, features PS4 remote play (RIP Vita), not heavily skinned Android, SD card expansion, and should deliver incredible battery life. I didn't even know that the Xperia Z2 did this well on the GSMarena test... And this is WITHOUT stamina mode turned on:

I think that the design of the phone is excellent with combination of the glass and smoothed metal frame. The only negative I see are the top and bottom bezels. I guess that's just a trade off to deal with because of those dual speakers?

The big question mark is how quickly and stable Sony's releases of the updated versions of Android will be. I mean I want Android L as soon as it's available, but after that initial release, will it even matter that much considering that Google is making most of their major updates through Google services? With all that said, is there anything else I'm missing here that's a big reason that this isn't going to be the best flagship release?

It's my most popular pick, along with the Moto X. But only if there weren't a new Nexus coming out. As is, other phones are too expensive for not enough difference.

 

[reKon]

Well they're claiming the Z3 will last 2 days of regular use, or at the very least, as good as the G2. If that gets even better once L rolls around, it'll be insane.

Exactly. The Z2 was insane with it's battery life without stamina mode on. So if the Z3 is already better than without Android L....shit is going to be nuts. Props to them for sticking with the 1080P screen, which still looks great and has still improved in quality according to the impressions I've watched/read. I'm going to assume the increase in battery life is partially due efficiency improvements with the screen.

 

[vivftp]

I'm liking the route Sony is taking so far, like not putting in new tech for the sake of putting it, but instead being smarter about the way they do things. REALLY hoping for a Z Ultra successor next year because I'm getting the itch to upgrade and don't want to go down to a significantly smaller screen size.

 

[NotBacon]

Hi there, I'm coming up for an upgrade in a few weeks and I'm considering moving to Android. (Currently I'm using a Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 800))

Would very much appreciate some advice please:

What is the best Android phone? Particularly when it comes to specs and/or the phone which runs the latest version of Android the best please? (I'm also interested in the build quality of the phone).

(If I stick with WP, I'll go for the 930 but I'm really interested in switching to Android, but would like to find out which phone has a similar speed/response etc to the Nokias).

What kind of screen size do you want? How important is the camera? Also check out stock vs TouchWiz vs Sense vs Xperia versions of Android to see what you prefer.

Check out the new Moto X, Nexus 5, Sony Z3/Z3c, Note 4, HTC M8...

 

[MegalonJJ]

What kind of screen size do you want? How important is the camera? Also check out stock vs TouchWiz vs Sense vs Xperia versions of Android to see what you prefer.

Check out the new Moto X, Nexus 5, Sony Z3/Z3c, Note 4, HTC M8...

Cheers for the reply.

Not too bothered about screen size (provided the PPI is good).

I'm after the phone which would offer best call quality and the best/smoothest running of the latest version of Android, with support for future firmware updates. (Camera etc comes second).

 

[reKon]

Cheers for the reply.

Not to bothered about screen size (provided the PPI is good).

I'm after the phone which would offer best call quality and the best/smoothest running of the latest version of Android, with support for future firmware updates. (Camera etc comes second).

So the new Nexus or the new Moto X (moto has the best cell radios typically). If you really care a lot about battery, the Xperia line seems to be in the front running in that regard and it also offers one of the smoothest, stock android-like experiences (I'm not sure how Sony does with updates though).

 

[MegalonJJ]

So the new Nexus or the new Moto X (moto has the best cell radios typically). If you really care a lot about battery, the Xperia line seems to be in the front running in that regard and it also offers one of the smoothest, stock android-like experiences (I'm not sure how Sony does with updates though).

I'll check those out. Cheers.

I did read up on the Sony Z2, and there seems to be an issue with (over) heating?

The LG G3 looks promising too, as does the HTC M8.

 

[reKon]

I'll check those out. Cheers.

I did read up on the Sony Z2, and there seems to be an issue with (over) heating?

The LG G3 looks promising too, as does the HTC M8.

Yeah, I'm reading about it too. Apparently, it happens when you record 4K videos for lengthy periods? Fortunately for me, I don't plan recording 4K video, but that is still disappointing.

 

[MegalonJJ]

Yeah, however the Z3 might correct the over heating issue. So, I'll check that out too.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Cheers for the reply.

Not too bothered about screen size (provided the PPI is good).

I'm after the phone which would offer best call quality and the best/smoothest running of the latest version of Android, with support for future firmware updates. (Camera etc comes second).

Next Nexus, very likely.

 

[MegalonJJ]

Next Nexus, very likely.

Is that the Nexus 5?

I'm liking the look of that, along with the Z3.

 

[Groof]

Is that the Nexus 5?

I'm liking the look of that, along with the Z3.

I think he means the one coming up in the coming month or two.

 

[Toki767]

Is that the Nexus 5?

I'm liking the look of that, along with the Z3.

Nexus 6 is rumored for October or November.

 

[outunderthestars]

So who are these people that want to keep 30+GB of music and 50+GB of images on their devices at all times? What do you gain from this?

Using the cloud has its benefits. Then you make a playlist with your absolute favourites and pin it offline for when you can't access the cloud. Easy as shit, and you don't waste unnecessary storage because you want your entire LP collection in FLAC with you all the time.

Ummmm, because I like to keep my media on my device? My music collection is almost 100 GB's. I listen to a wide variety of music and want it available and in a better quality than a super compressed music stream. My "absolute favorites" would still be 40-50 GB of music that I listen to on a regular basis. Having to constantly pin, unpin, etc doesn't really seem "easy as shit" in comparison to simply having the media stored locally.

How can you not see what I gain from this?

 

[The Faceless Master]

It's beneficial in the way that with a single press, you can remove the files from your phone while still have access to them in the case you'd need more space for whatever reason (be it videos or photos etc). You won't be tied to using a computer for your removing and adding, just a Wifi (or data if you don't have a stupidly low cap) connection.

More storage is always good, yes. But in the world we live in right now where 16GB still is the starting point, there are ways to circumvent without having to spend extra cash (even though SD cards are "cheap," not everyone can afford that) just so you can store your lifetime's worth of music which you'll probably never listen to.


Brot, I like you.

tied to using a computer? lol!

i can hook up a portable HDD directly to my phone and transfer music if need be...

or ... get this ... i could use the cloud in addition to having stuff already there!

 

[NotBacon]

Is that the Nexus 5?

I'm liking the look of that, along with the Z3.

Yeah for you I'd say it's between the new Moto X (pending battery life results, but keep in mind it's getting Android L which is bringing massive battery improvements), the next Nexus (if you can wait until about mid-October), or Z3/Z3C.

 

[Groof]

tied to using a computer? lol!

i can hook up a portable HDD directly to my phone and transfer music if need be...

or ... get this ... i could use the cloud in addition to having stuff already there!

Isn't this basically what I said though

 

[Fatalah]

Google gave Moto X users 40gb of Drive space last year. Maybe it will happen again with the new Moto X.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Isn't this basically what I said though

sure it is if you ignore all of the parts of it that you basically didn't say.

 

[Drifters]

Next Nexus, very likely.

You say that on every nexus.

 

[Furyous]

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Galaxy-Note-4-faces-the-G3-in-an-early-speed-comparison-can-you-guess-who-wins_id60384

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Note-4-goes-out-against-the-One-M8-in-early-speed-comparison-loses_id60385

How in the hell does a Galaxy Note with a Snapdragon 805 and the same amount of RAM get outperformed by a G3 with a Snapdragon 801? Don't let the LG G3 the author of the video used contain 2 GB of RAM or this is comparison is laughable. This doesn't make sense because the S805 in the GS5 LTE-A performs better than the G3 LTE-A. I don't get it so can someone explain how this is possible?

 

[markot]

Samsung is utter shit at software.

They can't code. They cant design appealing stuff. They bloat out the arse with programmes and features no one uses but you can't uninstall.

 

[MegalonJJ]

Thank you for all of your help gentlemen, it's very much appreciated.

After looking at all the options, I've narrowed down my choice to the Z3, but I'll see how it fares in reviews/tests for call quality and battery life.

 

[markot]

Ars shat all over the moto watch. Sounds terrible.

 

[NotBacon]

How in hell does a Galaxy Not with a Snapdragon 805 and the same amount of RAM get outperformed by a G3 with a Snapdragon 801? Don't let the LG G3 the author of the video used contain 2 GB of RAM or this is comparison is laughable. This doesn't make sense because the S805 in the GS5 LTE-A performs better than the G3 LTE-A. I don't get it so can someone explain how this is possible?

ShitWiz™

 

[SimleuqiR]

Ars shat all over the moto watch. Sounds terrible.

The Bad

Terrible performance. The decision to go with an ancient TI OMAP3 instead of a more modern Snapdragon 400 makes the device slow and stuttery.
Terrible battery life. That TI chip also sucks down a lot of power. Expect to charge it 2-3 times per day during heavy use.
The Bluetooth phone-to-watch connection is unstable and loses connection randomly. Every Android Wear device we've tested does this.
The leather strap looks and feels cheap. It's way better than other smartwatches, but that's a very low bar.

Yikes!!

The LG G watch has the better battery performance.

 

[Toki767]

How in hell does a Galaxy Not with a Snapdragon 805 and the same amount of RAM get outperformed by a G3 with a Snapdragon 801? Don't let the LG G3 the author of the video used contain 2 GB of RAM or this is comparison is laughable. This doesn't make sense because the S805 in the GS5 LTE-A performs better than the G3 LTE-A. I don't get it so can someone explain how this is possible?

I dont know if you realize, but benchmarks are pretty meaningless compared to real world performance.

 

[asdad123]

Yikes!!

The LG G watch has the better battery performance.

I might wait for the G Watch R rather than the moto 360. It baffles me that motorola used such a power inefficient processor in the moto 360. I love everything else about it.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

How in hell does a Galaxy Not with a Snapdragon 805 and the same amount of RAM get outperformed by a G3 with a Snapdragon 801? Don't let the LG G3 the author of the video used contain 2 GB of RAM or this is comparison is laughable. This doesn't make sense because the S805 in the GS5 LTE-A performs better than the G3 LTE-A. I don't get it so can someone explain how this is possible?

It's a pre-release software build, and they are purposely testing some of the Samsung apps which are well-known for being laggy?

 

[cjkeats]

Note 3 owners... What is your average real world battery life? I'm curious and may pine for the Note 4.

I have a work line and a personal line, the work one getting the most usage during the day because of the data plan, so when my Note 3 is on that, it's usually around a day and a half until it's telling me to connect my charger.

When it's on my personal and being used very moderately outside of Wi-Fi, I get about 2 and a half days, give or take, but that's hardly representative of real world usage. It mostly sits in my pocket unless I have to show it to a customer.

Got a G Watch yesterday and it's been pretty much the same as usual after having that paired to it all day.

 

[Vyer]

Where would you guys say the Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 falls compared to the Galaxy phone line.

 

[Emperor Bohe]

i'm probably a broken record, but how do I update my Nexus 5 if it is rooted? I'm using Xposed Installer, Xposed GEL Settings, and Franco Kernal... I rooted if when I got the phone a few months ago, but haven't done a system update since...

 

[osiris3355]

There are various 3rd party apps that can backup your messages to cloud storage and restore them to your device, and some that can also automatically do this to enable a kind of "sync". But in truth there's no really great way to do this. Google, who will let you backup and sync almost everything else on your phone, really need to implement a good native solution for this.



I think they have figured it out. And the answer is that Gallery is dead, Photos will be the standard app going forward (just like how Hangouts is now the default messaging app while the AOSP one isn't even included on new Google devices anymore). The reason that many devices have both is that they won't delete Gallery from ones that came with it. I would be very surprised if Nexus 6 does.



Photos does both. You can easily view only what's on the device. So again, Gallery is on its last legs.

Yeah well unfortunately Motorola included the old messenger on the new moto x. Apparently google didn't give them the memo. I wonder if messenger and gallery will stick around in android L.

 

[Exokell]

Is this the golden age of android handsets? Every company has stunning phones to offer.

 

[Mr.Mike]

So Samsung's back to cribbing Apple's work?

In other news, it seems that Apple is finally going to put out a phone with NFC, so hopefully that stuff can start to become something more widespread and commonplace.

Is this the golden age of android handsets? Every company has stunning phones to offer.

I don't see why we should think that next years phones aren't going to be even better. I guess one day we might hit a wall with improvements in mobile procs and stuff, but I think we're still a good while away from that.

 

[Yaboosh]

i'm probably a broken record, but how do I update my Nexus 5 if it is rooted? I'm using Xposed Installer, Xposed GEL Settings, and Franco Kernal... I rooted if when I got the phone a few months ago, but haven't done a system update since...

I assume you have a custom recovery? Surely there is a flashable zip of the latest version somewhere on XDA?

 

[Fatalah]

I hate how pictures I share in Hangouts get duplicated in my G+ photo gallery.

 

[CriterionDog]

I hate how hangouts won't let me send multiple pictures in one text. Are there any good texting apps that let me send multiple pics?
I have a Nexus 5. Will be upgrading to the Galaxy S6 next year : )

 

[Bboy AJ]

You say that on every nexus.

Yeah, and I'm not wrong. Top specs for a low price. Still confuses me when people buy similar devices for more money. Something like the Note instead, I can understand. But a Galaxy S? Why

 

[Jazzy Network]

Yeah, and I'm not wrong. Top specs for a low price. Still confuses me when people buy similar devices for more money. Something like the Note instead, I can understand. But a Galaxy S? Why

Gee I dunno. Battery? Camera? Sd card?

 

[reKon]

Yeah, however the Z3 might correct the over heating issue. So, I'll check that out too.

I guess 4k recording is one of the most demanding task for all flagship's. Found this: http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/08/02/xperia-z2-in-4k-heat-test-against-lg-g3-galaxy-note-3-and-s5/

 

[Yaboosh]

The xposed module for adding pie controls to Chrome is amazing.