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[Got the Shakes]

It's a balancing act for sure, but I believe a smart watch has to be a god-tier product to actually justify itself to consumers and cut corners like that won't help.

I'm sure an Apple logo on the back will help with a certain segment of the market, but I don't think it's going to go to the wider masses without a full utility.

There is no doubt that it's a balancing act. I do think that currently the Moto 360 has the best chance of being successful of the 3 Wear devices we've seen because it looks most like a watch, and the battery life isn't completely terrible.

You're also right that if Apple launches an iWatch that it will likely be a big step into turning smartwatches into a "must have" tech item.

 

[RoadHazard]

I know phones though (I work tech support for telecom!) and I know I have absolutely nothing installed on my phone. Nexus 5 always had very average battery life. But before the latest version of android came out that I have on it I could get almost 3+ hours of on screen time (just leaving normal levels of brightness). And now since that update, maybe it was 4.4.3 or 4.4.4 whatever it is now, too lazy to check. It violently fluctuates.

Hmm, ok. I've been on the L preview since it was released (although I've now gone back to 4.4.4 because of some incompatible apps), and I was easily getting 4+ hours of screen-on time there (with pretty low screen brightness, but still). But I was on every update before that as well, and I've never noticed anything as bad as what you're describing. Have you tried a factory reset, or perhaps even re-flashing the factory image?

 

[RaySpencer]

And the Italian gadget blog Mister Gadget has a nice gallery of the Moto 360, including pictures of the charging cradle.



http://www.lucaviscardi.eu/moto360-la-gallery-in-esclusiva/

It's a really good looking watch, but the cut off bottom part and the low res looking display are a bit of a turn-off. Not that I'd have use for a smartwatch. I don't get nearly enough notifications per day and something like Pushbullet is more useful to me in that regard.

Hmmm... Do we know how many mm it is now that we can compare it to something else?

 

[thespot84]

Hmmm... Do we know how many mm it is now that we can compare it to something else?

i thought they said at IO itw as 42 or something.

EDIT: 46mm: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/others/news...s-18-inch-display-water-resistant-body-497835

again from the horses mouth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HpY8O5Zer78#t=797

 

[The Faceless Master]

It's a balancing act for sure, but I believe a smart watch has to be a god-tier product to actually justify itself to consumers and cut corners like that won't help.

I'm sure an Apple logo on the back will help with a certain segment of the market, but I don't think it's going to go to the wider masses without a full utility.

a circle doesn't have any corners.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Hmm, ok. I've been on the L preview since it was released (although I've now gone back to 4.4.4 because of some incompatible apps), and I was easily getting 4+ hours of screen-on time there (with pretty low screen brightness, but still). But I was on every update before that as well, and I've never noticed anything as bad as what you're describing. Have you tried a factory reset, or perhaps even re-flashing the factory image?

yeah I've done a factory reset which is why I don't have anything on my phone really. I only use it for texting and browsing the web these days. I admit I keep it on auto brightness which probably is the reason I'm not getting anywhere near 4 but I was still getting 2:50 to 3 hours before the latest update.

When I look at battery usage the most ridiculous things are near the top. "phone idle" is second most user. Wifi being the first most even on days when I was never connected to wifi. I'm assuming that means it was trying to find a connection all day. But I never had that problem before. Just stupid stuff.

I got a random question for you guys that you probably know, I'm too lazy to google. How big are the software buttons on the nexus 5? And other phones that have em? Lets say nexus 5 is 5 inch screen. If you subtract the software buttons does it go to 4.7 or 4.5? I think it's 4.5 but I'm not sure.

 

[Baroquemantic]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/

They look great.

 

[Nakazato]

So guys I'm sending my opo back to them since the reception is horrid.

What should be my next phone ?

G3 S5 or wait till nexus 6

 

[Got the Shakes]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/



They look great.

Pardon my ignorance since I am fairly new to Android, but I have a question about app updates like these. I know I could download the .apk right now to update Play Music. How long does it normally take for the update to be pushed to the Play Store though?

 

[kehs]

I got a random question for you guys that you probably know, I'm too lazy to google. How big are the software buttons on the nexus 5? And other phones that have em? Lets say nexus 5 is 5 inch screen. If you subtract the software buttons does it go to 4.7 or 4.5? I think it's 4.5 but I'm not sure.

It's brings the screen size down to 4.7, it's about 3/8'' of an inch tall.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

So guys I'm sending my opo back to them since the reception is horrid.

What should be my next phone ?

G3 S5 or wait till nexus 6

Firstly. Not the S5. Either G3 or Iphone 6 depending on whatever you feel like. And yes I replaced nexus 6 with iphone 6 necause nexus 6 isn't happening ;_;

It's brings the screen size down to 4.7, it's about 3/8'' of an inch tall.

Not sure why I thought it brought it down to 4.5. Thanks.

 

[Baroquemantic]

Pardon my ignorance since I am fairly new to Android, but I have a question about app updates like these. I know I could download the .apk right now to update Play Music. How long does it normally take for the update to be pushed to the Play Store though?

Well, Google seems to do staged rollouts for app updates these days, so the time you get the update could vary from the day it first starts rolling out to weeks later. It's basically random. I just get the apks from Android Police whenever I don't want to wait as they're a trustworthy source.

I believe it's up to the developer whether or not they want to do a staged rollout or not. Many still just push updates out to everyone at the same time, I think.

 

[Bri]

There was that issue with the Z kitkat release. I think the trick was to uninstall the play services update.

THe fix seems to be temporarily. Tried to gather som information about the problem on XDA. Sony abandoned the Z/ZL-ship. Returning it.

This is crazy land.

 

[Eanan]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/



They look great.

God damn this makes me so happy.

 

[The Faceless Master]

So guys I'm sending my opo back to them since the reception is horrid.

What should be my next phone ?

G3 S5 or wait till nexus 6

 

[Yaboosh]

So guys I'm sending my opo back to them since the reception is horrid.

What should be my next phone ?

G3 S5 or wait till nexus 6

Wait till nexus 6.

 

[NotBacon]

So guys I'm sending my opo back to them since the reception is horrid.

What should be my next phone ?

G3 S5 or wait till nexus 6

XFON+1

 

[rocketskates]

OK people, all I've known since having my HTC One M7 is ARHD. I absolutely love it. But truth be told, I'm getting a little bored of it. I'm about to make a backup and if anyone has any suggestions as to what my new ROM should be, speak up! I'm very much leaning towards CyanogenMod. I've heard nothing but good stuff about it and obviously it's popular for a reason.
What I loved most about ARHD was how it was for the most part, an exact copy of the stock (non Google) phone I was using before running ARHD. It's so simple, so clean, and so sharp. I had no complaints at all, I loved everything, including BlinkFeed.

So basically I'm looking for something that looks and feels sharp, I have used Samsung phones before so I am familiar with TouchWiz and I absolutely despise that piece of shit garbage. It's ugly, unorganized (to me) and just an all around poor experience. If anyone is familiar with both TouchWiz and this version of Sense (this is also my first Sense experience, so I'm not sure if the other versions ere the same) then you will know what I'm talking about, and hopefully you can give me some recommendations that you think I would like.

Thanks!!!

 

[RaySpencer]

i thought they said at IO itw as 42 or something.

EDIT: 46mm: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/others/news...s-18-inch-display-water-resistant-body-497835

again from the horses mouth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HpY8O5Zer78#t=797

Oh awesome. Now I need to find out if that's a good size. Haha.

 

[NotBacon]

OK people, all I've known since having my HTC One M7 is ARHD. I absolutely love it. But truth be told, I'm getting a little bored of it. I'm about to make a backup and if anyone has any suggestions as to what my new ROM should be, speak up! I'm very much leaning towards CyanogenMod. I've heard nothing but good stuff about it and obviously it's popular for a reason.
What I loved most about ARHD was how it was for the most part, an exact copy of the stock (non Google) phone I was using before running ARHD. It's so simple, so clean, and so sharp. I had no complaints at all, I loved everything, including BlinkFeed.

So basically I'm looking for something that looks and feels sharp, I have used Samsung phones before so I am familiar with TouchWiz and I absolutely despise that piece of shit garbage. It's ugly, unorganized (to me) and just an all around poor experience. If anyone is familiar with both TouchWiz and this version of Sense (this is also my first Sense experience, so I'm not sure if the other versions ere the same) then you will know what I'm talking about, and hopefully you can give me some recommendations that you think I would like.

Thanks!!!

CM and Paranoid Android are both great choices. CM is a little more bare, and I'm using PA, but you can't go wrong with either as they're both fast, simple, and stock-like.

 

[Snaku]

This.

 

[belvedere]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/



They look great.

Fellow Big Wreck fan, brofist.

 

[Baroquemantic]

Fellow Big Wreck fan, brofist.

Those are Android Police's screenshots, but I do actually have some Big Wreck music on my phone.

 

[VoxPop]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/



They look great.

They're okay..

They actually have a thread up on xda with custom Google Play Music widgets including a nice 3x2 transparent one you can throw into your dock to be available via dock swipe.

I really wish there was a way to get rid of the music stuff from your notification bar.

 

[Spiritreaver]

I have the G3. Love it. Fantastic phone.

Well if it's good enough for a fellow FitGAF brah it's gonna be good enough for me.

 

[hateradio]

My nexus 5 is at 43% with 24 mins of on screen time lol. Which was just sending a couple texts, visiting gaf for 2 mins, and the rest was just me checking notifications, which weren't many.

I literally have nothing on this phone. lol. It has always been average to below average but something must be going on with whatever version of android I have. Ahhh just tired of this. I already know I'm getting an iphone 6 but I think I'll pick up a moto G on the cheaps as well.

My N4 was draining pretty fast, too, until I ditched all the stock Google apps.

I installed a custom ROM and only the micro Google apps package. I currently use Paranoid Android, but CyanogenMod was fine. I just wanted to try something else.

Here's some info on the different GApps packages.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2397942

With my very minimal use of the phone, mostly texts, it can last over 48 hours on a single charge, sometimes even close to three days.

 

[thespot84]

Oh awesome. Now I need to find out if that's a good size. Haha.

I have small wrists that are ~ 49mm at the thinnest point

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

 

[Wads]

I got the g3 and I feel like returning it. The problem is me and not the phone... Just feel like something better will be out soon and I'll regret getting this one.

 

[The Faceless Master]

I got the g3 and I feel like returning it. The problem is me and not the phone... Just feel like something better will be out soon and I'll regret getting this one.

something better will always be out soon. especially in the mobile phone market.

 

[Groof]

something better will always be out soon. especially in the mobile phone market.

Yep. New devices will always be released "around the corner". Sometimes you just have to get something and stick with it. Any device released this year is good enough for a long while to come.

 

[Rewrite]

That is the unfortunate truth for the mobile market. I'd say stick with the G3, or if you change your mind, you can always wait and see what the Note 4 is going to offer. It's not that far away. I'm still rocking an S3, so any current phone right now would be an upgrade in my eyes, not that there's anything wrong with my S3, lol

Just pick a phone you'd be comfortable using in the long run if you don't upgrade that much.

 

[rocketskates]

CM and Paranoid Android are both great choices. CM is a little more bare, and I'm using PA, but you can't go wrong with either as they're both fast, simple, and stock-like.

Do you have any experience with ROM Installer or Amy other easy "one click" ROM Installer programs? Or do you just do it the old fashioned way of flashing in Recovery? I came across the program and was really surprised at how simple it makes the whole process appear to be.

 

[NotBacon]

I really wish there was a way to get rid of the music stuff from your notification bar.

You don't like controlling your music from any screen?

Do you have any experience with ROM Installer or Amy other easy "one click" ROM Installer programs? Or do you just do it the old fashioned way of flashing in Recovery? I came across the program and was really surprised at how simple it makes the whole process appear to be.

I use the custom recovery method. It's easy after the first time. Backup data, root and ul, flash custom recovery, wipe cache/dalvik/data/system, flash ROM, flash Gapps, wipe cache/dalvik, reboot.

 

[Bboy AJ]

something better will always be out soon. especially in the mobile phone market.

Yes but the g3 is not quite good enough. Nexus 5, g2, these phones were good on release. The g3 has a poor screen and old processor. I'd wait if possible.

 

[brotkasten]

Are there good and simple headphones with media controls (back, pause, skip) for Android (or the Nexus 5)? I'm looking at a shop right now and all they have is this in-ear stuff that I can't stand.

 

[Vanillalite]

The one person I trust who owned the Note 3 dropped it like a bad habit cause it sucked so bad. He grabbed a cheap G2 on Craigslist until he got his OnePlus.

I trust GAF Illuminati vs some of you shmos. Unless they dramatically fix Touch Wiz and improve the camera just stay faaaaaarrrr away.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

No phone, I didn't actually accidentally raise your volume past 70%. Idiot phone.

 

[Vanillalite]

Are there good and simple headphones with media controls (back, pause, skip) for Android (or the Nexus 5)? I'm looking at a shop right now and all they have is this in-ear stuff that I can't stand.

In general good headphones avoid that media controls crap.

 

[Vermillion]

Okay, AndroidGAF.

I have an ASUS Transformer Eee Pad. How do I make it better?

 

[brotkasten]

In general good headphones avoid that media controls crap.

I don't need them to have a great audio quality. I just don't want to pull my phone out, every time I want to skip or repeat a song in my playlist.

 

[Groof]

Are there good and simple headphones with media controls (back, pause, skip) for Android (or the Nexus 5)? I'm looking at a shop right now and all they have is this in-ear stuff that I can't stand.

I don't think stock android supports the three button setup. That's why most buttoned headphones come in a 3 button for iOS and 1 button for android config. Samsung phones work with 3 I think.

 

[RoadHazard]

Finally some new Google Play Music widgets!

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...public-playlist-search-and-more-apk-download/



They look great.

That's pretty sweet, and about damn time. While the Play Music app itself has been consistently updated and improved over the last few years the widget has been left outdated and ugly.

No update here yet.

 

[RoadHazard]

Are there good and simple headphones with media controls (back, pause, skip) for Android (or the Nexus 5)? I'm looking at a shop right now and all they have is this in-ear stuff that I can't stand.

You should get a Bluetooth handsfree with media controls that you can use any headphones with. Much better than getting some crappy headphones with built-in controls. I use one of these (with another pair of headphones):

Works great. Don't know if you can get that particular model anymore, since Sony Ericsson is dead, but there are other ones.

I don't think stock android supports the three button setup. That's why most buttoned headphones come in a 3 button for iOS and 1 button for android config. Samsung phones work with 3 I think.

Not sure about wired headphones with media controls, but over Bluetooth you can have all the buttons you need along with song titles displayed on the handsfree device.

 

[reKon]

I don't need them to have a great audio quality. I just don't want to pull my phone out, every time I want to skip or repeat a song in my playlist.

That's where xposed with gravity box comes in (if you're using stock android). Using the volume rocker to skip tracks when your screen is off is the best thing ever.

 

[Mindwipe]

Now Google have fixed the Google Play widget, if they could fix the Newsstand one that'd be good.

Stupid tiny, tiny touch target to scroll down. Why doesn't it just swipe like every other control in every other app on touch sensitive devices in history???

 

[SimleuqiR]

You should get a Bluetooth handsfree with media controls that you can use any headphones with. Much better than getting some crappy headphones with built-in controls. I use one of these (with another pair of headphones):

Works great. Don't know if you can get that particular model anymore, since Sony Ericsson is dead, but there are other ones.



Not sure about wired headphones with media controls, but over Bluetooth you can have all the buttons you need along with song titles displayed on the handsfree device.

I have that Sony Bluetooth, in black and in white. I cherish both dearly and will lament the day the battery stops charging on them.

 

[Vanillalite]

That's where xposed with gravity box comes in (if you're using stock android). Using the volume rocker to skip tracks when your screen is off is the best thing ever.

Default feature of Cyanogen Mod too!

 

[Vanillalite]

Samsung Galaxy "Alpha" making that stop at the FCC.

I expect that shit to be out within a month. Should be interesting to see how it gets priced. Will it be priced as an extra premium product? Will it force up the price of the normal GS5? Will that in turn force other companies to put downward pricing in effect?

It's a weird device in that it only has a 720p display, but it has a decent processor and a 12 MP camera. It isn't exactly a GS5 competitor. It isn't exactly a Moto G either.

 

[X05]

You should get a Bluetooth handsfree with media controls that you can use any headphones with. Much better than getting some crappy headphones with built-in controls. I use one of these (with another pair of headphones):

Works great. Don't know if you can get that particular model anymore, since Sony Ericsson is dead, but there are other ones.



Not sure about wired headphones with media controls, but over Bluetooth you can have all the buttons you need along with song titles displayed on the handsfree device.

I have one of these and it's excellent, have been using it every day for like 3 years. Sadly the clip on the back broke