Cellphones

[lightsout]

So I'm in the market to replace my Pixel 7 Pro, which I've enjoyed but the flashlight stopped working and my kids cracked the screen. I already replaced it once because it got lodged in my lawn mowers motor housing (don't ask how, still not certain) and melted half a corner off.

 

I had an s21 but dropped it from a scissor lift to concrete. Was fine until then, except the battery life.

 

So my dilemma is going to the Pixel 9 Pro vs s24+. Anybody have  anything to say between these two? 

[d-dave]

I'm rocking a Pixel 8 Pro.  Generally, I'm pretty happy with it.  I still get those Pixel photos, the video is much better (especially with the blackmagic camera app), battery life has been great for me.  I haven't had many real issues.  It just works, doesn't get too hot (unless left in the sun).  The screen is beautiful, HDR does pop.  Speaker sucks, but that's how it goes.  It's been rock solid.

My wife on the other hand has not had a good phone since her iPhone4s years ago.  Everything she gets (S8, Pixel 3, S21, iPhone, Pixel 8 pro) has had some kind of issues.  From wifi to bluetooth, to battery life issues, quality issues, etc.  She's the ultimate lemon getter.  Guess that explains our marriage! 

For reference, I owned a S21 for a little while before I got an iphone 13pro.  So I think I've played with the big boys here.  My son is still rocking my S21, though he keeps running the phone to 0% so I'm not sure how much longer it will work.  Performance wise, it's still great.  Photos are fine.  He's had zero problems (except him being a dumb dumb with the battery).  The least impressive phone was the iPhone.  I'm just not an iPhone person.  

I guess the better question is, who do you feel more comfortable listening to you?  They all listen to sell ads, who are you more comfortable with =P  I like google assistant.  Samsung does win for hardware.  It's really bleeding edge mobile in the android space.  The tensor chip in the pixels is good, not great.  If you end up using something hardcore on your phone, then that's an important consideration.

I have a few games that I play and they work well on my Pixel 8 Pro.  The AI features have actually been handy to translate stuff, asking Gemini for stuff, etc.  I get that most AI is a total gimmick.  It's not really AI, more machine learning fill in the blank stuff.  I'd also go to a place like Best Buy and touch'em all.  The hand feel is important, and one of the things I'm not super thrilled by the race to a thinner device.  I've got big ole meaty hands with sausage fingers.  I don't need a dainty phone, lol.

Like I said, I'm happy with my current Pixel 8 Pro, and don't feel a real need to upgrade right now.  My wife...maybe her next phone won't be a lemon...whatever it is!

[Anybodyhome]

I'm strictly an android user. My wife is an iPhone user, but they make zeros logical sense to me from a user standpoint.

I've had Samsung because I've got a couple Frame TVs in the house and the integration is very easy. S24, S21 and am now using an A13, although it's about 2 years old and I'm ready to get a new one. Battery life on the A13 is the best of any phone I've ever owned.
My next will likely be the A25.

[Cullenator]

if youre into foldables that you cant use in this country...

 

[lightsout]

2 hours ago, Cullenator said:

if youre into foldables that you cant use in this country...

 

 

That is straight fire though. Foldable touch screen is pretty sick, one of my supervisors has one and enjoys it. It did finally break but it got replaced fairly quickly and it went a good while before having any issues at all. 

[lightsout]

5 hours ago, Anybodyhome said:

I'm strictly an android user. My wife is an iPhone user, but they make zeros logical sense to me from a user standpoint.

I've had Samsung because I've got a couple Frame TVs in the house and the integration is very easy. S24, S21 and am now using an A13, although it's about 2 years old and I'm ready to get a new one. Battery life on the A13 is the best of any phone I've ever owned.
My next will likely be the A25.

 

 

We are the same person I think. My wife thinks iPhones are easier to use and I just don't see it. Then again, she can't navigate a windows pc so.

 

I enjoy Samsung phones when I've had them. I'm pretty heavily invested into the google ecosystem but I'm trying to break it up a touch (I use edge which is still chrome based but I use bing which can be .. interesting at times). 

[lightsout]

6 hours ago, d-dave said:

I'm rocking a Pixel 8 Pro.  Generally, I'm pretty happy with it.  I still get those Pixel photos, the video is much better (especially with the blackmagic camera app), battery life has been great for me.  I haven't had many real issues.  It just works, doesn't get too hot (unless left in the sun).  The screen is beautiful, HDR does pop.  Speaker sucks, but that's how it goes.  It's been rock solid.

My wife on the other hand has not had a good phone since her iPhone4s years ago.  Everything she gets (S8, Pixel 3, S21, iPhone, Pixel 8 pro) has had some kind of issues.  From wifi to bluetooth, to battery life issues, quality issues, etc.  She's the ultimate lemon getter.  Guess that explains our marriage! 

For reference, I owned a S21 for a little while before I got an iphone 13pro.  So I think I've played with the big boys here.  My son is still rocking my S21, though he keeps running the phone to 0% so I'm not sure how much longer it will work.  Performance wise, it's still great.  Photos are fine.  He's had zero problems (except him being a dumb dumb with the battery).  The least impressive phone was the iPhone.  I'm just not an iPhone person.  

I guess the better question is, who do you feel more comfortable listening to you?  They all listen to sell ads, who are you more comfortable with =P  I like google assistant.  Samsung does win for hardware.  It's really bleeding edge mobile in the android space.  The tensor chip in the pixels is good, not great.  If you end up using something hardcore on your phone, then that's an important consideration.

I have a few games that I play and they work well on my Pixel 8 Pro.  The AI features have actually been handy to translate stuff, asking Gemini for stuff, etc.  I get that most AI is a total gimmick.  It's not really AI, more machine learning fill in the blank stuff.  I'd also go to a place like Best Buy and touch'em all.  The hand feel is important, and one of the things I'm not super thrilled by the race to a thinner device.  I've got big ole meaty hands with sausage fingers.  I don't need a dainty phone, lol.

Like I said, I'm happy with my current Pixel 8 Pro, and don't feel a real need to upgrade right now.  My wife...maybe her next phone won't be a lemon...whatever it is!

 

I dig the Pixel line. I've kinda always enjoyed having something few others around me have, and almost everybody I know is rocking a Samsung or iPhone. Hell, I used a Motorola for a few years at one point and was pleased with it until the battery started lasting like, 7 hours.

[d-dave]

14 hours ago, lightsout said:

 

I dig the Pixel line. I've kinda always enjoyed having something few others around me have, and almost everybody I know is rocking a Samsung or iPhone. Hell, I used a Motorola for a few years at one point and was pleased with it until the battery started lasting like, 7 hours.

Man, I had a Moto X with a leather black that I LOVED.  It just felt so good to hold without a case.  Sadly, the screen got totaled, and I couldn't replace it with insurance, again.  Both times from a fall, one with a case, one without.  That was such a great phone for me though.

Now that I've used the big three, it's really all about price now.  I think we really hit peak phone performance right now.  It's hard to find a phone with an abjectly terrible camera, screen or battery life under $300.  Cell phones are tools, and it's important to find the right tool.

Good luck there!

[PanthersATL]

you won't go wrong with either the latest Samsung or Pixel

There are tradeoffs with specific accessories that will/won't work with each other. If you're going to pair a smartwatch, then you're better off getting the matching samsung or google watch for the device you're getting for best integration. Earbuds are kinda similar, in that some phone-specific features may not work as well on the wrong device

 

[d-dave]

22 hours ago, PanthersATL said:

you won't go wrong with either the latest Samsung or Pixel

There are tradeoffs with specific accessories that will/won't work with each other. If you're going to pair a smartwatch, then you're better off getting the matching samsung or google watch for the device you're getting for best integration. Earbuds are kinda similar, in that some phone-specific features may not work as well on the wrong device

 

I don't know about the whole syngery thing =P

I roll with my older fitbit versa 2, Sennheiser wireless earbuds on my pixel...  I'm sure there are bonuses, but I've seen android users with apple watches, and too many people to count using air pods.  I think a lot more people just get what they can on sale.  Or they follow the trends...

[PanthersATL]

13 minutes ago, d-dave said:

I've seen android users with apple watches, and too many people to count using air pods.  I think a lot more people just get what they can on sale.  Or they follow the trends...

Apple watches are unable to sync with Android phones.

The watches you see likely have their own SIM and act independently from the android device (and still require initial setup to have a paired iphone)

Yes, you can use a variety of Bluetooth headsets with any phone, but there are integrated benefits from using the official ones (like Apples upcoming hearing aid feature that needed FDA approval) that won't be available.

Unhappy how Google treated their Fitbit purchase. But that's a different thread

 

[d-dave]

2 minutes ago, PanthersATL said:

Apple watches are unable to sync with Android phones.

The watches you see likely have their own SIM and act independently from the android device (and still require initial setup to have a paired iphone)

Yes, you can use a variety of Bluetooth headsets with any phone, but there are integrated benefits from using the official ones (like Apples upcoming hearing aid feature that needed FDA approval) that won't be available.

Unhappy how Google treated their Fitbit purchase. But that's a different thread

 

Really?  People pay the inflated apple watch price and a data plan???  OMG....  I just realized how foolish some people I know are....  wow....  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

The apple/hearing aid thing is HUGE.  Talk about a disruption to the ecosystem!  $4k-6k for hearing aids now just $250...  It will be interesting to see how that works out.

Honestly, I don't really see the appeal of a smart watch other than quickly seeing the notifications so I know who I'm ignoring instead of being surprised about it =P

[lightsout]

6 minutes ago, d-dave said:

Really?  People pay the inflated apple watch price and a data plan???  OMG....  I just realized how foolish some people I know are....  wow....  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

The apple/hearing aid thing is HUGE.  Talk about a disruption to the ecosystem!  $4k-6k for hearing aids now just $250...  It will be interesting to see how that works out.

Honestly, I don't really see the appeal of a smart watch other than quickly seeing the notifications so I know who I'm ignoring instead of being surprised about it =P

 

My pixel watch is used primarily to track my sleep and secondarily to see my texts and calls handsfree. 

[PanthersATL]

4 hours ago, d-dave said:

The apple/hearing aid thing is HUGE.  Talk about a disruption to the ecosystem!  $4k-6k for hearing aids now just $250...  It will be interesting to see how that works out.

 

FDA just approved it earlier today
 

Quote

"FDA describes Apple’s solution as “the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device.
Bringing hearing aid functionality to the AirPods Pro is a significant development that could help to reduce stigma and lessen costs for consumers looking to protect their hearing."

There are tons of people who have no issue wearing Airpods, but cringe at being seen wearing a hearing aid. Or similarly, there are people who are unable to utilize a hearing aid with a silicone tip but are able to wear Airpods comfortably.  

While I don't see this being a new market (meaning, there likely won't be Android users suddenly converting to Apple for this reason alone -- especially as one could predict Samsung doing something similar down the line), it definitely will encourage new Airpod purchases for some older adults already in the Apple ecosystem that might not have happened before

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/12/24242929/apple-airpods-pro-hearing-aids-fda-authorization