Technology Android
- Thread starter THEV1LL4N
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In regards to our recent battery longevity talks, funny that there's now a product that is designed to slow down charging speeds:
The New Chargie C, Fast Charging and Battery Degradation - Chargie
You plug this into a fast charger to limit charging speeds up to 5V/2A. Really what it does is fool the charger into thinking that what's connected isn't capable of fast charging, so it instead delivers the fastest legacy charging speed available, which is typically 5V/2A (max 10W).
What I found interesting, if legit, is their test results with it:
According to this, fast charging your phone 10-20 times degrades your battery as much as a year of 24/7 discharging and charging using slow chargers and keeping battery between 30% and 85%.
The New Chargie C, Fast Charging and Battery Degradation - Chargie
You plug this into a fast charger to limit charging speeds up to 5V/2A. Really what it does is fool the charger into thinking that what's connected isn't capable of fast charging, so it instead delivers the fastest legacy charging speed available, which is typically 5V/2A (max 10W).
What I found interesting, if legit, is their test results with it:
According to this, fast charging your phone 10-20 times degrades your battery as much as a year of 24/7 discharging and charging using slow chargers and keeping battery between 30% and 85%.
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Same, there's a very solid chance I'll pick up the Pixel 6 Pro. However, if they announce a Pixel Fold that isn't insanely priced, I might go for that. I'm keen for a new form factor after all this time.
I need to see pricing etc before I make my decision. I could be tempted by the pro
If they chuck in a pair of Bose 700s, I'll bite
By "legacy" do you mean the 2A the Galaxy lineup has used from the S10 back to the S7 or even earlier? lol. Samsung was so slow to move to a faster charging speed and I think the S20 was the one that moved beyond 2A. I rarely use the cable and charger that came with my S10 since my old, S7 one was the same speed and lasted pretty well until a year ago. Then I either use my MBP charger or wireless (1A) charger. My S10 cable is in my car but I don't think my car's native USB port supports even 2A of charging, which is weird. I'll have to take a closer look when I plug it in that port to see what the rate of charge is but I gained like 15% on a 30 minute ride once. I did have Android Auto running wirelessly and my phone does get a bit toasty whenever I run it. But still... So now I use the cigarette lighter and adapter from Aukey for it and it charges a bit faster. Still toasty when AA is used but it feels like it's charging somewhat faster than when using the USB port built-in to the car. I think I have USB-C ports...in the back seat.
Speaking of AA, I only just came across this article from a few weeks ago: https://9to5google.com/2021/09/23/android-auto-assistant-pay-gas/
Gas payments via AA/Assistant. That would be really neat to use. I'm not sure how it'd work and I'd probably need to download the gas station's app from Shell, BP, etc. but it uses GPay so at least I'm not saving my card info on to another app. I imagine pulling up and telling AA to "pay at pump 9" or something, maybe even put in a specific amount, and then getting out to pump the gas. Also, AA/Maps saved my ass the other day by warning me of a speed trap about 5 seconds before I passed a cop car waiting on the side of the highway.
I might just stop, then. I notice some loss in capacity from the battery's design capacity, but I'd say it's no more than 15%, at worst, from getting the phone in 5/2019. Like I said above, I still occasionally do plug it in to my MBP charger and that can do 87W, if need be, so I'm sure my S10 is pulling the max, 2A, all the time for Fast Charging.
Crazy how designs haven't changed much since 2012, or so. After my OG Moto Droid with the slide out keyboard, I went to the S3 and that design (candy bar style?) has been the norm for all OEMs since then, until the Fold and Flip. Or That RAZR revival that still wasn't quite the same.
Who does this, carriers in the UK? If a phone comes in a bundle, it's usually with accessories from the OEM. Samsung might slip in a pair of their wireless buds or bundle in a tablet or watch with a good discount. But I haven't seen Google bundle their stuff with Bose or any other brand's stuff.
Legacy is 5V at 2A max, which is 10 watts. Samsung was actually one of the earliest adopters of fast charging and started offering it with the S6 at 9V at 1.67A (15 watts). What they were slow at is moving past that, as Samsung just stuck to that speed up until the S10. I personally think it was a good choice, albeit one of those things that is good for the customers, but one that customers don't understand/appreciate. I think it's why they eventually upped it to 25 watts with the S20. I appreciate Apple in a way, because they don't give a fuck about what people think they want - they just tune devices in a way that they last for years.
Fast charging is the holy grail of planned obsolescence in a way, because it's the second fastest way to reduce a device's usable life and force people to upgrade, that consumers actually also demand. First one being end of software support, but this one has been getting a lot of pushback recently.
In the end if it wasn't for software nerfing and battery degradation, at this point due to slow improvement rate people would start using their Smartphones the way they use their computers - not upgrade for years unless they break it or lose it.
And speaking of software nerfs, I'd be happy with my S10 for at least two more generations, but just wait and see that Android 12 will run like shit on the S10 compared to the S22 when it launches with it. They will port it as promised, but it definitely won't be taking advantage of the performance the S10 hardware can deliver the same way the previous versions did, but it will surely squeeze every last bit out of the S22. So you will see how much faster the S22 is at launching apps or how much smoother scrolling is to make you want to upgrade. There will definitely be tricks and software improvements (perhaps image processing improvements/modes) that the S10 is perfectly fast enough to handle that they just won't port to it too.
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Google have given away Bose headphones before in the UK.(https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wh...live-with-free-bose-qc-35-ii-headphones-offer)
I've seen an offer from a German outlet which leaked where they offer Bose 700s. https://www.xda-developers.com/saturn-bose-pixel-6-pre-order-leak/amp/
I buy my phones SIM free.
This is what I'm hoping to do with my S10. I'll even get a battery replacement from Samsung or an authorized repair center like UBreakIFix before upgrading. I still use the MST aspect of Samsung Pay, I think the phone's battery life, new or current capacity, is more than enough for me and my usage, and I still have legacy features like a headphone jack and expandable storage. I don't value the latter two as much as others might, but it's nice to have. On top of all of that, I'm just happy with the phone.
If a carrier has a ridiculous deal similar to what VZW had a few months back where trading in a phone and switching carriers gets you an $800 trade in credit on your phone, I'll reconsider. But without that, I can hang on to this for quite a while. 2 or 3 year contracts ruined people's expectations for how long a phone should last, despite some people having $1000+ phones and a computer that's half that price, but changing the more expensive device more frequently because carriers said they were "eligible for an upgrade." Now contracts don't explicitly exist but upgrading a phone and getting a discount through a carrier is tied to billing credits, which end if you decide to switch a carrier within the billing credit period. Usually 24 months, just like contracts used to be.
I think if this comes to light, I'd once again reconsider getting another Samsung. I know they've done this in the past but now that we've seen very minor improvements from the S10 to 20 to 21, I am more aware of the similarities between the three lineups. If they gimp the software on the S10, I'd just hang on to it longer and move on when I have to. I'd also wait to install the updates and see what others find first and then hold off on upgrading or upgrade accordingly. I guess that means I should also start hoping that Google continues to really improve Pixel devices so that I can consider a Pixel if Samsung is no longer an option. Otherwise, I have always had one foot out the door and in to Apple's walled garden. I'll miss the things that keep me from upgrading from my S10 but what's the use of those features if Samsung is going to dump an unrefined turd as an "update" in an effort to get me to move on to a newer phone.
Now I can see why. It's not often you see retailers in the US sell phones SIM-free/unlocked. They do but it's at full price from place like Best Buy or something. Everyone has Stockholm Syndrome with their carriers despite the option to buy a phone unlocked from Apple or Samsung's website.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be wrong about this. If Android 12 works amazingly well on the S10, I'd be pleasantly surprised. It'd be something new though. I have no idea about Google's track record, but even Apple aren't above nerfing late iOS ports. If not a horrible port, it will certainly not be optimized to work as well on older devices. It really is one of the easiest ways to gently nudge people to upgrade, and there's plausible deniability because "oops, it's three-year old hardware". People don't think long that hardware hasn't changed all that much over those three years and it's not why the new software/feature can't work as well on the S10 as it will on the S22.
I also do what Pittsey does here in Canada. I never sign contracts - just stick to a much cheaper monthly BYOD plan and upgrade outright whenever I feel like I need to. I wouldn't want to be on a cycle upgrading when I'm told is a good time, and I would hate a 24-month contract. I can change my plan anytime, and change my phone anytime, and it's cheaper in the long run, as I never pay full prices on my phones - I typically time upgrades with good deals. If nothing interesting launches for longer than expected, I just save a lot of money as I only pay for the service.
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TMo had a perk for 3 months of Google One for free. I'm going to redeem it soon and see what it's about. I hear about it on the Android subreddit but never looked in to it. I just know it's basically like OneDrive or the paid version of iCloud for online storage. They do list some perks and benefits so I'll see what it's about. I doubt I extend beyond the trial period, though.
I have 100GB Google One. It's just cloud storage. Not much more than that. You get some cashback on store purchases on the form of credit, but that's it!
I'm seeing that now. Automatic phone back up is another pro but for three months, it won't do me much good, I don't think.
Like I said, I'll probably forget about it until they remind me that my trial is over and I'll just cancel then. I read something about a VPN though, which I'll have to see if it's included or not.
No wonder. They used to have a great competitive advantage back in the day when they'd make their own cores. Their Krait core that powered the early Snapdragon 600 & 800 chips was at the time what Apple chips are now. And suddenly they gave up on their own designs. Now their CPUs are just generic stock ARM cores that anyone can release, which still boggles my mind.
The only thing (apart from marketing and company politics) that keeps them so popular is that their specialty is that they include very good modems, that they spend the most time tuning their chips for performace vs. power efficiency, and pack solid image signal processors all in one package that's ready to be soldered onto a phone board that will not cause anyone major issues. Apple CPUs are great, but their modems are garbage in comparison. Samsung's are mediocre, plus Samsung can't tune their chips once they make them. I remember how literal tech websites and forums would fix the broken CPU governor behavior on Samsung chips. Which is in stark contrast with the elegant behavior of Qualcomm chips that really just behave right at most times and you can tell they pay attention to making sure these chips come out working as flawlessly as they can (within the fairly limited performance envelopes).
Qualcomm's specialty is that nothing in their chips sucks at the moment. It won't turn heads, but in the end if you're a phone manufacturer, ordering Qualcomm chips is the easiest way to ensure it won't catch fire, drop calls or suffer from any weird technical issues that could lead to returns. So they look much more attractive to phone makers. I also know that having a Qualcomm chip it will.. just work right, which I appreciate, even if the CPU performance is nothing to write home about.
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These chips are so complex in that each component has its own performance that differs from others. I never thought that deep about it but you mention how QC has the modem advantage and, at the same time, Apple's sucks. I kind of forget Samsung makes their own since I don't think we get the Exynos variant in the US, so I've never had experience with them. But it explains why international variants have different performance numbers than the US variants. The S7 was really good on battery and, maybe, performance compared to the QC US variant but then the opposite happened with the S10 and Exynos users are always complaining about it and wishing for the QC variant. Same phone, different chip, very different performance.
I'm sure Apple and Samsung and Google will catch up to QC and surpass them soon enough, if QC is indeed sitting on its ass and doing nothing after previously being king of the market. Doesn't Apple's photo sensor and GPU outshine almost everyone else? And hasn't it been this way for almost a decade now? If their modem still needs work, that's still a different thing. I know Apple hasn't been the best and even now their 5G performance is different and tuned to battery life and not performance so you may not get 5G speeds unless Apple thinks you need it lol. I don't know if that's software or hard/software, both, that determine that. But I know Apple basically wants to control when and how you use 5G so that battery life doesn't drop and customers complain.
In other news, the US still has it out for Chinese OEMs lol
https://www.reuters.com/technology/...n-blacklist-huawei-spin-off-honor-2021-10-14/
Pixel 6 ads showing up in AU. https://streamable.com/urwcfz
I'm seeing more excitement around the 6 than I remember seeing in the past few versions of the Pixel. Aside from the Tensor chip, which is a big deal, is there something else Google announced for this phone that has people so excited?
I was turned off by the Pixels of years past because of what I read on Reddit from users, good and bad. Either it was the pricing or the performance or even some QC issues, if I remember correctly. Did the 5 change drastically from those criticisms and is the hype for the 6 building from the 5?
I'm seeing more excitement around the 6 than I remember seeing in the past few versions of the Pixel. Aside from the Tensor chip, which is a big deal, is there something else Google announced for this phone that has people so excited?
I was turned off by the Pixels of years past because of what I read on Reddit from users, good and bad. Either it was the pricing or the performance or even some QC issues, if I remember correctly. Did the 5 change drastically from those criticisms and is the hype for the 6 building from the 5?
I believe it's largely due to the inferior competition in Pixel's target markets this time around, which is the first time that Google has this opportunity not to be significantly behind on tech at launch. Almost all of the Smartphone innovation these days is happening in China, and Chinese brands aren't selling in the US, Canada, Australia etc. - markets that the Pixel is targeting. It is competing against Samsung Galaxy S series and iPhones, which were very underwhelming this year. So I guess more people started looking at the Pixel side with more hopes than usual seeing an opportunity for Google, hoping they can deliver something interesting in turn.
The Pixel 5 wasn't that great, but wasn't that bad either, while the S20 and the iPhone 11 were arguably better and launched earlier. The Pixel phones were always awkward, as they always came over half a year after the vastly improved Samsung flagship, while still landing behind in most metrics compared to it and the previous year's iPhone - so the Pixel would come late and underdeliver in comparison. This relegated the Pixels to targeting Google-fans with their fewer, more specific strengths (rather than Samsung's or Apple's strategy of making the swiss knife of smartphones). It didn't help that Google's designs have always felt dated, with bigger bezels and less mainstream appeal too. Case in point, the Pixel 6 looks like a 2019 Galaxy S10/Note 9 crossover (with a still inferior display to body ratio!). Because Pixels were a niche product, selling absolutely tiny numbers of units compared to Samsung or Apple, of course things like QC and support outside of the few western countries they are sold in were far inferior, further making them less attractive.
This year, the S21 and the iPhone 13 are very minor upgrades (and regress in some aspects), so if the Pixel 6 can seriously improve upon the 5, it would be relatively more attractive than usual. And things like Google's new chip are creating some more hype, in particular amongst those who don't understand what the level of expectations should be regarding those chips. At least that's my perspective.
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That's the impression I get from previous Pixel devices. It came later on and people expected Samsung or iPhone specs and then were underwhelmed by what actually came out. There was always a " Samsung/Apple has feature, how come Google didn't put it the Pixel?" I thought something about this year's model was going to be different. Tensor is a big, new thing for the Pixel but I don't know what the specs/performance is like compared to others. Maybe it'll be more clear once it releases and someone does a thorough review of it.
Then I mentioned QC issues, or software bugs that took some time to fix, which is odd for a phone made by the same ones making Android. I know Apple usually fixes major bugs within a week or two so I would expect Google to be able to do the same.
Reddit isn't reflective of larger society so I can understand it being a niche product and the hype on Reddit being something only a small part of the population feels about Pixel devices. This just means Google has no intention to make Pixel devices at the same level they used to make Nexus devices. Even those tailed off towards the end; the 6P had some serious flaw, right? Same with the Nexus 5? I can't even remember all the Nexus devices anymore after the Nexus One and Galaxy Nexus. Google killed a good thing back then, although shortly after it started turning "bad."
TMobile is offering $700 or $800 for each of our phones to upgrade to an iPhone 13 variant or S21 variant. MST is a stupid hill to die on for a deal as good as this but I really am going to miss it.
On another note, on your iPad Air, have you tried replacing Siri with Google Assistant? I downloaded the Assistant app on my iPad but I can't get it to work in the same way it does on my phone, including the always-listening "OK, Google." I wonder if Apple gimped the apps permissions, or maybe Google did, so that it doesn't work as well on iOS as it does on Android? Or maybe I'm overlooking a setting that needs to be changed, but I looked everywhere for it. Couldn't find it.
The iPhone is huge for Apple. The Pixel is still a niche product. There is far less people working on it, so it's definitely not getting anywhere close to the same amount of attention that Apple or Samsung phones do. I think the idea that Google would put more effort into it because they also make the software is wishful thinking that earns Google more cred than it deserves. And it's in no way similar to what Apple can do with the iPhone, as they develop software specifically for their phones. Android is open source and meant to work on any device from any maker, so everyone has access to it at about the same time, and nobody thinks about the Pixel while creating a new Android release. Pixels aren't even running stock Android the way the Nexus series used to, so what Google does when they make an Android build for the Pixel is exactly what Samsung does when they make it for the Galaxy S series, except with a far smaller team. I think there is a good chunk of people who like the Pixel because they don't understand this and think it's supposed to get more special treatment since it's also made by Google, but it's not the case.
I actually don't use either! I just played around with Siri on the iPad and Google Assistant on my phone, but never tried Google assistant on iOS. But I can imagine how it is likely more heavily integrated into the OS on Android, and I can see it's likely Apple wouldn't allow it to use the same permissions it being just an app rather than something integrated with the OS and having full access to everything the device sees or does.
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I'm sure it is but a lot of my Assistant use is finding numbers, directions, or locations of businesses, at least on my phone. Usually I'd say something like "call Macy's in 75th street" or something like that and my phone will make the call. Even if I can't make a phone call via an iPad, I could just say "how far is Macy's on 75th street" and it would still be a useful tool. I'll look in to it some more because I can't imagine Apple blocking off that simple of a function of voice search. Apple has to know Siri is shit compared to Assistant and even Alexa. I can understand Apple being insecure about it and gimping Assistant's reach but to completely disable voice activation? I don't believe it and I'll look further. Maybe I'll ask on the Apple subreddit, too. I have to be doing something wrong. People use Assistant to control their smart home devices, too. I refuse to believe that's disabled on iOS devices.
Also, the new Macs were announced today. i missed the event but there's a notch on the MBP screens now? lol. So weird. I expect performance to be great though. The pricing I saw, however, was not. $200 starting price for a 14" MBP with M1X. 16" is $200 more, starting. So much for bringing costs down by switching to their own chips.
At least there are more ports this time. I guess the whole remove of legacy USB ports 6+ years ago was a mistake Apple isn't going to admit publicly but will reintroduce those ports back. I think I saw an HDMI port on one of the pictures? And the return of MagSafe. It's a cool thing but I would miss having one charger for my phone, MBP, Buds case, and Sony headphones. And my Xbox headset. lol I use that one MBP charger for all of those because I rarely find myself being low on power on all my devices at once. MagSafe would probably change that unless it was USB-C compatible? But I'm betting on it being a proprietary thing. I'll have to look in to it more.
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