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[Eanan]

So giving my Xperia Z2 to my dad, as been over a year since I got that and want a refresh. The xperia camera is not as good anymore compared to others and want a bigger screen on my phone.

On a budget, and saw on amazon that they have a few used unlocked 16gb LG G3 on their warehouse for approx €180 delivered. Ive heard contrasting opinions on this phone.

Anyone here have one still? How is it with marshmallow? Also does the extra GB of ram make paying like €40 extra worth it or would you notice it?

And main thing; is the battery really as bad as some people say? Note; Ill be rooting and xposing it as soon as I get it and putting greenify, wakelock etc so can make the battery life better.

 

[Mindwipe]

Has anyone had some pretty nasty battery drain while using Pocket lately? I've used the app for years and Inever had any problems. Now it can easily drain more battery than screen even if I don't actively use it.[/url]

It's the one app that consistently messes up Stamina mode on an Xperia.

 

[vdlow]

Has anyone had some pretty nasty battery drain while using Pocket lately? I've used the app for years and Inever had any problems. Now it can easily drain more battery than screen even if I don't actively use it.

I'm having this problem too. Force closing the app is the only thing that fixes it, until I open the app again.

 

[longdi]

Has anyone had some pretty nasty battery drain while using Pocket lately? I've used the app for years and Inever had any problems. Now it can easily drain more battery than screen even if I don't actively use it.

Also, Arstechnica P9 review : great camera; ghastly software

I have the slightly older mate 8 and yes Chinese OEM love to clone the iPhone skin, something about what their Chinese buyers want. Emoui definitely looks much differnt from stock android. There are also oddities like now on tap and Google settings being added back in a later update, Doze working finicky and delayed notifications.

However I think Ars is over-reacting much. For instance, I prefer the look of emoui skin over say LG, it is after-all a clone of iOS skin. Emoui performance is also extremely snappy and has efficient ram usage, much better than older touchwiz. Emoui also give a deeper level of settings to users. You can also manually update the firmware without rooting or needing a PC.

You wont get short changed in the user experience side with modern emoui, imo. Ars is just hating.

 

[NeOak]

I have the slightly older mate 8 and yes Chinese OEM love to clone the iPhone skin, something about what their Chinese buyers want. Emoui definitely looks much differnt from stock android. There are also oddities like now on tap and Google settings being added back in a later update, Doze working finicky and delayed notifications.

However I think Ars is over-reacting much. For instance, I prefer the look of emoui skin over say LG, it is after-all a clone of iOS skin. Emoui performance is also extremely snappy and has efficient ram usage, much better than older touchwiz. Emoui also give a deeper level of settings to users. You can also manually update the firmware without rooting or needing a PC.

You wont get short changed in the user experience side with modern emoui, imo. Ars is just hating.

They gave shit to the Priv when it shipped with 5.1 when uhhh... no one else was shipping with 6.0? And no one else gave 6.0 updates until like 3 months later?

Oh but hey, BB is doing the monthly updates same day as Google. But no, Ars doesn't report that.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Oh my. Just picked up my Nexus 9 in forever and it still has the default icons for everything.

Those new Play icons are disgusting.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

For about $300 to $400 for something that works on Verizon, what would be the best overall phone (brand new and probably buying from eBay)? No Samsung products. I was thinking the LG G4 around $300 new since it has a big-ish battery, microSD card and so on. Any other suggestions?

 

[crazy monkey]

sony should have made z6 compact.

 

[jiggle]

For about $300 to $400 for something that works on Verizon, what would be the best overall phone (brand new and probably buying from eBay)? No Samsung products. I was thinking the LG G4 around $300 new since it has a big-ish battery, microSD card and so on. Any other suggestions?

Look up g4 bootloop before getting 1

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Look up g4 bootloop before getting 1

What would you suggest? I mean, I'll recommend the 6P up and down the street to him but not sure if he'll bite for the higher price. Would the Moto X Pure be a better option?

 

[Bboy AJ]

Oh my. Just picked up my Nexus 9 in forever and it still has the default icons for everything.

Those new Play icons are disgusting.

I really like the new ones. They're uniform and cleaner in presentation and consistency compared to the hideous old ones. They have a stronger, bolder identity. Maybe I'm just too demanding. Maybe I'm just like my father, too bold. Maybe you're just like my mother. She's never satisfied.

 

[Hasney]

Hate the new Play music notification icon when playing stuff. Don't mind the rest of it.

 

[Asgaro]

Anyway using Zooper Widget Pro?

You can use some slick third-party creations with it. Example:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=my.pkg.RetroWidgets.zwskin.sample

The problem is: the latest version dates March 11, 2015. Some reviews say issues are popping up, like the time not being accurate anymore after a while.
Any experiencing this?

I don't want to pay if this is a major issue. I could try to buy it and then refund within the first 2 hours, but I'm not sure all issues would pop up within that short timeframe...
(Trying the free version is also not an option since that version doesn't allow importing third party creations.)

 

[Bboy AJ]

Good lord that's ugly. It's something ugly that people would tattoo on themselves.

 

[The Faceless Master]

one more for AJ

 

[Asgaro]

Found some neat multitasking apps:

- Pintasking
You can pin any app to the side of the screen.
Clicking it opens the display app. Clicking it again returns to the previous app.
You can also swipe down on a certain area on the top of the screen, to go to the previously used app.

Works really smooth. I especially like that you can resize and hide the badges like that, otherwise I wouldn't have used it.

- Edge Launcher
Allows you to swipe from a border to open a list with recents apps (and also display certain apps permanently.)

 

[Noema]

So giving my Xperia Z2 to my dad, as been over a year since I got that and want a refresh. The xperia camera is not as good anymore compared to others and want a bigger screen on my phone.

On a budget, and saw on amazon that they have a few used unlocked 16gb LG G3 on their warehouse for approx €180 delivered. Ive heard contrasting opinions on this phone.

Anyone here have one still? How is it with marshmallow? Also does the extra GB of ram make paying like €40 extra worth it or would you notice it?

And main thing; is the battery really as bad as some people say? Note; Ill be rooting and xposing it as soon as I get it and putting greenify, wakelock etc so can make the battery life better.

The G3 is probably not much of an upgrade over the Z2. In fact it probably feels slower since it has 75% more pixels to push along with LG's bloat. I wouldn't get it. The 16GB version also has less RAM than the Z2.

I'm pretty sure you can find a good deal for a 2015 phone for €220. Which Amazon are you buying from? In any case Amazon UK has several used 32GB Nexus 5x at £200. Much better phone than the G3.

 

[Toki767]

2 HTC Nexus devices this year. Sounds like a pass.

 

[LostMyNarbles]

2 HTC Nexus devices this year. Sounds like a pass.

Why would that be a pass? The HTC 10 is a great phone and HTC's proven under many different occasions they can build great hardware.

 

[DrFunk]

2 HTC Nexus devices this year. Sounds like a pass.

Eh, not necessarily. The 10 was a pleasant surprise, so I'll give em the benefit of the doubt

 

[Toki767]

It's like you guys already forgot about the Nexus 9.

HTC can make great hardware, but it doesn't seem likely with Google's budget restrictions.

 

[DrFunk]

Shhhhh, it's #Nexusseason and I got my flip-flops on

 

[osiris3355]

It's like you guys already forgot about the Nexus 9.

HTC can make great hardware, but it doesn't seem likely with Google's budget restrictions.

The Nexus 9 had two major problems. Build quality and performance.

Most of the build quality issues were random. Mine didnt have them for example.

The performance issues were a much larger problem and really have nothing to do with HTC.

 

[Jazzy Network]

2 HTC Nexus devices this year. Sounds like a pass.

Huawei or bust.

 

[Little Old Man]

Why do apps keep getting moved back onto my system memory after I've transferred them over to my SD card.

Every few days my internal storage is suddenly full again.

Anyone?

Also I've made the jump from Opera to Firefox. I'm not sure if it's because Opera has had a recurring bug, or because it's more memory intensive, but in numerous releases, and on a fresh install, the app regularly crashes to the home screen.

Firefox on the other hand is buttery smooth. The only thing I miss is speed dial. Any extensions to fix this?

 

[this_guy]

HTC has good perceived build quality but not actual good build quality. Feels and seems immaculate out of the box but build quality problems surface soon after.

 

[shacklesmcgee]

Hey everyone,

If I was going to buy a new phone tomorrow and was looking to spend <300 dollars (Canadian), is the Nexus 5X my best choice?

I'm coming from a Nexus 4 with terrible, abysmal battery life, and am really nervous at buying the 5X as I have heard it's not the best battery either. I browse the web a lot through out my day, and lately I've been riding the subway home with a dead phone, aka bored out of my mind.

I've also been looking at some chinese import phones with 3000 mah batteries, like the Xiaomi Redmi 3, but the lack of support and no marshmallow are holding me back.

 

[Quixzlizx]

Hey everyone,

If I was going to buy a new phone tomorrow and was looking to spend <300 dollars (Canadian), is the Nexus 5X my best choice?

I'm coming from a Nexus 4 with terrible, abysmal battery life, and am really nervous at buying the 5X as I have heard it's not the best battery either. I browse the web a lot through out my day, and lately I've been riding the subway home with a dead phone, aka bored out of my mind.

I've also been looking at some chinese import phones with 3000 mah batteries, like the Xiaomi Redmi 3, but the lack of support and no marshmallow are holding me back.

Do you have the Blu Life One X up there? I also upgraded from a Nexus 4, and the battery life is way better. It doesn't have Marshmellow, though.

 

[Sanjuro]

Chrome Beta got rid of multi window tabs now FYI. Kind of guessed it was coming due to them reverting to it by default with the beta.

 

[osiris3355]

Hey everyone,

If I was going to buy a new phone tomorrow and was looking to spend <300 dollars (Canadian), is the Nexus 5X my best choice?

I'm coming from a Nexus 4 with terrible, abysmal battery life, and am really nervous at buying the 5X as I have heard it's not the best battery either. I browse the web a lot through out my day, and lately I've been riding the subway home with a dead phone, aka bored out of my mind.

I've also been looking at some chinese import phones with 3000 mah batteries, like the Xiaomi Redmi 3, but the lack of support and no marshmallow are holding me back.

You cant beat the 5x for the price. The nexus 5x has better battery life than any Nexus phone ever besides the Nexus phablets.

Sure its average by today's standards but on a whole different level than a Nexus 4 which was below average 3-4 years ago.

 

[shacklesmcgee]

Do you have the Blu Life One X up there? I also upgraded from a Nexus 4, and the battery life is way better. It doesn't have Marshmellow, though.

I could get the Life One X from Amazon for 199.99 off contract but it's temporarily unavailable, no marshmallow as you said, and doesn't have XDA support.

The 5x would be 249.99 + 5 dollars a month, no shipping and marshmallow.

You cant beat the 5x for the price. The nexus 5x has better battery life than any Nexus phone ever besides the Nexus phablets.

Sure its average for today's standards but on a whole different level than a Nexus 4 which was below average 3-4 years ago.

hmm thanks!

 

[Noema]

Hey everyone,

If I was going to buy a new phone tomorrow and was looking to spend <300 dollars (Canadian), is the Nexus 5X my best choice?

I'm coming from a Nexus 4 with terrible, abysmal battery life, and am really nervous at buying the 5X as I have heard it's not the best battery either. I browse the web a lot through out my day, and lately I've been riding the subway home with a dead phone, aka bored out of my mind.

I've also been looking at some chinese import phones with 3000 mah batteries, like the Xiaomi Redmi 3, but the lack of support and no marshmallow are holding me back.

The 5x is a good phone. My only issue with it is the 2GB of RAM which might get long in the tooth in long run.

 

[funkystudent]

Hey everyone,

If I was going to buy a new phone tomorrow and was looking to spend <300 dollars (Canadian), is the Nexus 5X my best choice?

I'm coming from a Nexus 4 with terrible, abysmal battery life, and am really nervous at buying the 5X as I have heard it's not the best battery either. I browse the web a lot through out my day, and lately I've been riding the subway home with a dead phone, aka bored out of my mind.

I've also been looking at some chinese import phones with 3000 mah batteries, like the Xiaomi Redmi 3, but the lack of support and no marshmallow are holding me back.

Just got the 5X last week and the piss poor battery life really stands out.


My Moto G 2nd Gen could easily make a entry day. Nexus 5x gets around 25% battery by the time I get home from work and needs a quick charge to get the rest of the day.


Still a good little phone but I dunno... if battery life is a thing you care about I wouldnt recommend.

 

[VoxPop]

GS7 + GS7E on sale today @ Newegg for $599/$699 if anyone wants

 

[Frustrated_me]

My HTC ONE M7 was a total beast.

 

[Fracas]

Any way I can remove the Google search bar from the top of my screen? I'd like another row for icons.

 

[Noema]

Any way I can remove the Google search bar from the top of my screen? I'd like another row for icons.

Assuming you're using the Google Now launcher, go to Settings > Apps > “ALL” tab > select “Google Search” > press “Disable”.

 

[Fracas]

Assuming you're using the Google Now launcher, go to Settings > Apps > “ALL” tab > select “Google Search” > press “Disable”.

No luck. I'm on a BLU Life One X, if it means anything. There's a Google app which looks like it includes the search bar, but it seems I can't fully remove it.

 

[Quasar]

Just got the 5X last week and the piss poor battery life really stands out.

My Moto G 2nd Gen could easily make a entry day. Nexus 5x gets around 25% battery by the time I get home from work and needs a quick charge to get the rest of the day.

Still a good little phone but I dunno... if battery life is a thing you care about I wouldnt recommend.

I still get 2-3 days on my 5x. Plus fast charging is helpful when I get caught with a low battery.

 

[Quasar]

one more for AJ

Well I'd be happy enough with that. With any move though I just fear a bunch of proprietary rubbish so I'd need different headphones for different devices.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Chrome Beta got rid of multi window tabs now FYI. Kind of guessed it was coming due to them reverting to it by default with the beta.

did anyone actually like that behavior?

 

[Sanjuro]

did anyone actually like that behavior?

No, but I got used to it enough. Looked cleaner if you need an argument.

 

[Noema]

No luck. I'm on a BLU Life One X, if it means anything. There's a Google app which looks like it includes the search bar, but it seems I can't fully remove it.

Then you could try using a different launcher. I this thread we are partial to the very popular Nova Launcher which is incredibly customizable. You can easily remove the search bar, or turn it into a tiny widget the size of an icon.

did anyone actually like that behavior?

I quite like it, for what it's worth. Makes app switching feel more natural instead of tabs being constrained to their own little sandbox.

My app flow is usually tab > app > app > tab > app > tab > tab so having the tabs work like separate apps just worked very well for me.

Hopefully the chromium forks will keep it.

 

[Fracas]

Then you could try using a different launcher. I this thread we are partial to the very popular Nova Launcher which is incredibly customizable. You can easily remove the search bar, or turn it into a tiny widget the size of an icon.



I quite like it, for what it's worth. Makes app switching feel more natural instead of tabs being constrained to their own little sandbox.

My app flow is usually tab > app > app > tab > app > tab > tab so having the tabs work like separate apps just worked very well for me.

Hopefully the chromium forks will keep it.

Just installed! This is super rad.

I love Android. The customization options are so damn cool.

 

[Noema]

Just installed! This is super rad.

I love Android. The customization options are so damn cool.

Glad you are enjoying it. There's a paid version as well (Nova Prime) which is worth every penny.

 

[Baroquemantic]

one more for AJ

If they're gonna start putting two type c ports on mobile devices, then sure, go ahead and remove the headphone jack. I'm still not gonna buy a device with no jack, but at least I'd be able to charge and use headphones at the same time with two type c ports.

 

[Jazzy Network]

Motorola (a Lenovo company) gettin taken to court.

 

[Bboy AJ]

did anyone actually like that behavior?

I liked it. It feels more natural. I don't keep many tabs.

 

[The Faceless Master]

If they're gonna start putting two type c ports on mobile devices, then sure, go ahead and remove the headphone jack. I'm still not gonna buy a device with no jack, but at least I'd be able to charge and use headphones at the same time with two type c ports.

LOL

removing the headphone jack saves them money, why would they add a port that costs more?

 

[Sanjuro]

All this garbage makes me enjoy the fact more the S7 has regular micro USB.