blandy Posted October 4, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 4, 2017 3 hours ago, Stevo985 said: I would think it's merely that Samsung is seen as the high end android phone. I can't think of any that are more expensive or perceived as more "premium" than Samsung. Now I know as well as anyone that doesn't mean they're the best alternative, but that's probably why they're seen as the alternative. The perception is that Samsung phones are the "best" Android phones. I'm sure they aren't, but perception means an awful lot. Yeah. I think they've, er, "followed" the Apple approach in terms of initially (a while back) mimicking some of the design features in terms of appearance and marketing of their phones, and they've since come up with designs that are ahead of Apple's. But that kind of model detail and attention costs more to build and is aimed at making more profit per unit. Some of their top range models are even more costly than broadly equivalent Apple phones, which is eye-wateringly expensive. I guess as a business model it has worked well for Apple and Samsung, but as features and styles kind of filter down, then less expensive but very capable phones from others are probably a better deal. It's got to the point where pretty much any phone will do all the things most people could want a phone to do and do them pretty well. Like with computers really, I suppose. And as with computers, I'm kind of not sure there's anywhere really to go next. The "improvements" will be far smaller year by year then was the case maybe 5 or 6 years ago. So the "need" or incentive to upgrade also becomes much less. And with high prices on top, I dunno whether the whole premium market will go - probably gently downwards. The cheaper ones, if they're not built so well, or are more breakable, will keep selling 'cus they'll pack in, still, quite often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 From speaking to regular Samsung users in the office, Touchwiz seems to be less intrusive by the year. 4 people in my team now have the Samsung S8 with the remaining 10 or so with iPhones of various specs. Samsung do seem to be the alternative to Apple for a lot of people. The power of marketing! I don't recall ever seeing a Google Pixel phone in the flesh. A lad in the office did have a Huawei at one point but that's been replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted October 4, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted October 4, 2017 52 minutes ago, Xela said: I don't recall ever seeing a Google Pixel phone in the flesh Same here, if there is one thing Google is rubbish at, it's shifting phones. I can't even buy one here without resorting to import. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted October 8, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 8, 2017 Since getting my hands on my new Note 8, I've started to become really cynical towards Apple. As Limpid said previously, (and I paraphrase here) they've got vice like grip on my information. I've managed to start getting my pictures sorted, but the way Photos structures its filing system inside the Photos package makes it really hard to just drop the pics into Google Drive and have them show up in the right order. I'm still trying to figure it out. Most things are the same between the two OS, but I'm loving how Android lets me control everything. The customisation is incredible. Strangely, though, a good chunk of mine has been doing away with the app drawer and setting up my interface into the folder system I'm used to on iPhone. At least it was my choice though. I love the sidebar menu, and the quick setting menus at the top is simple but far more comprehensive than Apple. Even being able to immediately switch between ringing, just vibrate or silent is a revelation that really ought to be obvious - I want my phone to vibrate if I'm in a meeting, but I want it silent while I'm asleep... The main thing I've missed so far has been iMessage. It's a great app, and one I really took for granted whereas now I'm having to flick between Google Message and WhatsApp, Viber etc. I'm also finding that people who I had been texting via iMessage previously are now not receiving my texts or not able to text me. Still trying to resolve that one. All in, I really feel Apple have got fat and lazy. The handsets are the same year on year, the prices get ever higher, and they maintain an almost Scientology-esque grip on customers. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be using a Mac and an iPad, but in terms of phones it's going to take a big turnaround to get me back now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 9, 2017 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2017 8 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: All in, I really feel Apple have got fat and lazy. The handsets are the same year on year, the prices get ever higher, and they maintain an almost Scientology-esque grip on customers. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be using a Mac and an iPad, but in terms of phones it's going to take a big turnaround to get me back now. I agree with this in fits and bursts. For me Apple got lazy with the iphone 5 and 6. To me those phones were tiny improvements on previous versions and they didn't even look very nice in comparison to the competition. I do think with the 7 though they stepped up a gear again. Don't get me wrong, it was still releasing current android features repackaged into an Apple product, but they were, and still are, very good phones. I'm not as much of an expert as many people on here, but that's how I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted October 9, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 9, 2017 15 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: I've managed to start getting my pictures sorted, but the way Photos structures its filing system inside the Photos package makes it really hard to just drop the pics into Google Drive and have them show up in the right order. I'm still trying to figure it out. ......Even being able to immediately switch between ringing, just vibrate or silent is a revelation that really ought to be obvious - I want my phone to vibrate if I'm in a meeting, but I want it silent while I'm asleep... The main thing I've missed so far has been iMessage. It's a great app, and one I really took for granted whereas now I'm having to flick between Google Message and WhatsApp, Viber etc. I'm also finding that people who I had been texting via iMessage previously are now not receiving my texts or not able to text me. Still trying to resolve that one. All in, I really feel Apple have got fat and lazy. The handsets are the same year on year, the prices get ever higher, and they maintain an almost Scientology-esque grip on customers. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be using a Mac and an iPad, but in terms of phones it's going to take a big turnaround to get me back now. Maybe the thing to do with photos, Rob, to put them onto google in date order would be to try one of these methods: either from the already opened photos application on your Mac, select a bunch of pics, e.g. from a month, or year, or event. Then drag them onto the desktop. Then add them from there into google photos? And repeat .... or, go to your Mac’s pictures folder, go to the photos library, right click, show package contents, then go to the Masters folder. In there are all the originals in date hierarchy folders, years, months...so you could copy the folders from there to the google place? Perhaps renaming as you see fit. or use InstallPhotosBackupAndSync.dmg on your Mac, which you can get from google's internet page. It seems to (very slowly) stick them all in the right order onto the google clouds, Or get their app for your old phone and do it from there? re the ring/ vibrate thing on a phone, you can do that with do not disturb completely silent (swipe up, press) and the physical switch on the side of the iPhone for vibrate only. i agree they’re lazy. To be honest all tech companies seem to be going that way to me. Maybe there’s not so much left to invent now. Apple had a real weak spell a couple of years or so + ago with below par software releases, but at least they’ve pulled that back. Now it’s overpriced hardware, because they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted October 9, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2017 10 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: The main thing I've missed so far has been iMessage. It's a great app, and one I really took for granted whereas now I'm having to flick between Google Message and WhatsApp, Viber etc. I'm also finding that people who I had been texting via iMessage previously are now not receiving my texts or not able to text me. Still trying to resolve that one. Imessage will be a continuous problem for you if you still use a mac and an Ipad as both of them will report you as a active user, thus fooling your iphone friends to send their sms over that service. I'm actually not sure how to get out of that without turning off the feature in every device. @blandy Do you know if there is a way around it? I havent used it myself but Disa is supposed to have a hub service for all your messaging needs if you dont want to jump around different messaing apps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 From memory I just turned off iMessage on any device I didn't want them going to (ie my IPad and Macbook) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted October 9, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2017 8 minutes ago, Xela said: From memory I just turned off iMessage on any device I didn't want them going to (ie my IPad and Macbook) So in that case, @NurembergVillan If you fire up the old iphone and turn off imessage before you shut it down again it might help? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted October 9, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 9, 2017 @blandy Thanks for the tips. I've tried the Photos processes you suggested, but it makes a mess of the order in Google Photos. Seems like an answer might be to export the ones I want on Google, as that brings the meta data with it, apparently... For the silent/vibrate thing, I'd only ever looked at Do Not Disturb as a bedtime thing even though it's obviously applicable any time! Durr me! @Tegis Thank for that with Disa. I'm going to give it a try and see how I get on. In terms of iMessage, I've completely disconnected from it on all devices. Just need to convince the few of my pals who still don't use other apps for messaging that they really should... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted October 9, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 9, 2017 9 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said: @blandy Thanks for the tips. I've tried the Photos processes you suggested, but it makes a mess of the order in Google Photos. The tool works properly for me, Rob. The DMG app thingummy sorts to out automaticallistically. I just tried it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 30, 2017 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 30, 2017 Picked up my 8 Plus today. Absolutely loving it. It’s beautiful, lightning quick, battery seems superb compared to my old Z5 and transferring everything over was simple. I’m excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I'm a year into my first personally owned iphone (6s) and still think its great. After over 10 years of Android its by far the longest I've gone without shopping around for a new handset. In pretty much every Android handset I had before it started off lightning and then over about 4-6 months started to get really bogged down and slow. The 6s is still super fast at everything I ask it to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 31, 2017 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 31, 2017 I've made it to lunchtime and I'm on 94% battery With my Z5 I'd be on 30% if I was lucky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted October 31, 2017 Moderator Share Posted October 31, 2017 My 6 started freezing at random points and refusing to respond to any swipe or screen input at all. Even after resetting, wiping clean restoring from back up, restoring from scratch....It did this while I was travelling using things like airline apps to check in and so on. I think the sensor thingummy is defective. It's been getting gradually worse. I thought it might be software to start with, but an update hasn't fixed it, either, so had to replace it, which is a massive pain. Now got an 8, which is basically the same as the 6 (but without the defect) and much faster and better camera, battery life etc. Not happy that the damn 6 packed in working, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I've had my 6S Plus for 18 months and took it off charge at 6am this morning and 12 hours later still on 65% Roughly 1 hour Spotify, fair amount of browsing and messaging. Not too shabby for a phone at this age. Plus still as quick as the day I had it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 31, 2017 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 31, 2017 Unexpectedly used Apple Pay today too and was impressed. Impressed both by how quick it was to set up and how easy it was to use. I did a big shop and realised when everything was on the till that I'd forgotten my wallet. In the time it took the person in front to complete their transaction I'd set up Apple Pay and was ready to use it. Fingerprint scanner meant the £30 limit didn't matter either. I can't compare to Android Pay as Barclays don't allow you to use Android pay so you have to use their own app. But compared to that Barclays app it was way way easier to set up and use 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 I used ApplePay once about a year ago in my local Spar just to try it, haven't used it since. Part of me wants to forget my wallet so it can save the day but it hasn't happened yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 9, 2017 Author VT Supporter Share Posted November 9, 2017 11 hours ago, Genie said: I used ApplePay once about a year ago in my local Spar just to try it, haven't used it since. Part of me wants to forget my wallet so it can save the day but it hasn't happened yet. I've used it a few times now. Double clicking my home button takes me instantly to apple pay, ready to use because my finger print has already approved it. So it genuinely is quick. The only slow part remain explaining to a shop assistant that you're paying with your phone, just like when contactless cards first came out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Yep, it’s really slick, even quicker than getting my wallet out my pocket (no coins) and then the card out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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