Technology Android

[dilla]

VR is awesome, but there isn't all that much content yet so people aren't willing to buy expensive headsets for it, and devs aren't making much new software because there aren't that many devices in the wild.

Based on the Steam hardware surveys, 1.7% of all PC owners also own a VR headsets. Definitely not mainstream, but enough for some high profile games to come out (such as Half Life Alyx). Just not enough - most are fun but very small and simple, like Beat Saber. They are also expensive to recoup dev costs considering the small market. VR "Movies" and videos (and ahem porn) are amazing in VR at this point.

The adoption is the problem, as there is a barrier of entry that might not be obviously worth it when the ecosystem is still relatively small, and the ecosystem isn't growing all that fast due to this relatively small market. PlayStation does support VR as an optional accessory and there are a couple of games that work well with it. Also not enough imho, but the experience is great in those that do support it.

Although I do have some doubts as I hear news such as the one about Oculus requiring FB account, VR isn't going to die the way 3D did simply because the tech is really cool, and has tremendous potential once hardware improves and entry level tech is cheaper while offering a solid experience. Gear VR was something of a tech demo imho - I had it too, but the amount of content available there was just that, a demo.

So VR for the PS4, right now, is sort of what Kinect was for Xbox? I do remember MS trying to emulate the motion controls that made the Wii so successful but I don't think the Kinect ever took off not was it available for that many games. Maybe multiplayer party games but probably not much else. So is VR's implementation on PS4 sort of as 'successful' as the Kinect was for Xbox?

I figured VR was bigger for movies than for gaming. I have heard of VR porn but that was years ago and I haven't heard any hype around it since.

And you reminded me that 3D TVs used to be a thing 5-8 years ago and people were shelling out big bucks to have one and wear dorky glasses in their own living rooms. Again, never heard about 3D movies being big again since that time period and I don't know what happened to it. Back when theaters were still open, I'd only hear about 3D in the trailers for movies and even then I don't know if more tickets were sold for 3D or 2D variants of a movie.

Also did Xbox One or PS4 'win' this generation of consoles? The more I dig into reading about what MS has done on its platform in this current gen of consoles, I don't know why people would buy an Xbox when MS openly advertises most of its first party studio titles being available on Windows as well.

 

[masta247]

I don't think anyone won the console war. The Xbox One X is more powerful than the PS4 Pro, but it also came last. They also came up with the Game Pass, which is awesome. Sony had the better games though. Sales were great for both consoles, both consoles were wildly popular and the console market was very healthy this generation. I wouldn't be able to tell which one was objectively the better choice.
EDIT: Sony apparently sold twice as many consoles as Microsoft, so there you go, looks like Sony had the larger market success. That said, Xbox didn't do bad at all either, as consoles sold really well this generation.

PS VR isn't as great as PC VR solutions and it's not too popular, but it exists as an accessory, yeah. I wouldn't exactly call Kinect successful as it was a market failure. It just had a huge marketing budget so there was a lot of hype. PS VR isn't marketed heavily - it just is there for those who want it, and its sales are "meeting expectations", but it's a somewhat uncommon accessory still.

Between PS5 and the Series X, the new Xbox is going to be a bit more powerful where it counts, and its the better designed console from the hardware perspective. I expect Sony to again lead with their superior exclusives, and a higher number of exclusive games. And yeah, Xbox exclusives are also available on PC, since Microsoft doesn't care which platform they lure people to - they profit from both. If you have a gaming PC, there is hardly a reason for you to buy an Xbox anymore. Buying an Xbox is the cheapest way to play Xbox/Microsoft exclusives though. I admit that I'm likely not getting the Series X purely because I have the One X (which they said will run all Series X games, just not as well) and a PC for everything else. I might get the PS5 for the first time since the PSX though at some point, if any of their exclusives ends up being amazing.

 

[masta247]

Also, the Android situation is so bad that for the first time ever I'm open to what Apple shows in a couple of weeks. Hell, even if they discounted the iPhone 11 Pro by like ~$200, that would still be a much better phone than most Android flagships launched this year, and better value than anything other than the S10 is today.
I really don't care about 5G - I'll be long done with the phone I buy today before 5G gets to the point that it'd add any value to my life. My only problem with the 11 Pro is the notch, and that's a fairly superficial issue. In turn the back is of much better quality than Samsung's cheesy, glossy, fingerprint-magnet glass.
The camera hardware is also dated, but that's a minor issue as Apple went Pixel-way and made up for it with software - it's pretty much on par with the S10. With the 11 Pro, iPhones have never been as technically great compared to their Android competition though, and as absolutely amazing in performance.

That said, I am genuinely curious what Apple does with the iPhone 12. I really look forward to the event. Considering that the 11 Pro is already so competitive, with how stagnant and complacent the Android makers have gotten, it wouldn't take many improvements for Apple to actually make the best phone on the market. And they aren't even more expensive than their competition anymore.. might be a good opportunity for some change of scenery?

I never had an iPhone, and suddenly the concept of giving it a go for at least one generation sounds quite appealing. That's how bad Android OEMs have gotten, and how great Apple have gotten with their iPhone strategy. And I think this change would work well for me too, as upgrading a 3 year old Android phone to a brand new one doesn't even feel exciting, or even it doesn't feel like getting a fresh new phone anymore - same thing, slightly more modern design, an extra one or two camera lenses, and the same old feel, except I'd now be charged $1000 for the same experience I originally paid $600 for. If I'm paying that money, I might as well consider spending it on something that feels like a larger change from what I already had. Not saying I'm going to get an iPhone, but I actually might depending on what they end up doing, and I'm looking forward to this year's Apple September event much more than I did to any Google or Samsung event over the last couple of years, which is telling.

 

[Pittsey]

I have both Xiaomi and Huawei hardware. Both are excellent

However I'm still using a pixel 3a for my phone. Not ready to update yet. The only thing this phone needs is a better camera

 

[dilla]

I don't think anyone won the console war. The Xbox One X is more powerful than the PS4 Pro, but it also came last. They also came up with the Game Pass, which is awesome. Sony had the better games though. Sales were great for both consoles, both consoles were wildly popular and the console market was very healthy this generation. I wouldn't be able to tell which one was objectively the better choice.
EDIT: Sony apparently sold twice as many consoles as Microsoft, so there you go, looks like Sony had the larger market success. That said, Xbox didn't do bad at all either, as consoles sold really well this generation.

PS VR isn't as great as PC VR solutions and it's not too popular, but it exists as an accessory, yeah. I wouldn't exactly call Kinect successful as it was a market failure. It just had a huge marketing budget so there was a lot of hype. PS VR isn't marketed heavily - it just is there for those who want it, and its sales are "meeting expectations", but it's a somewhat uncommon accessory still.

Between PS5 and the Series X, the new Xbox is going to be a bit more powerful where it counts, and its the better designed console from the hardware perspective. I expect Sony to again lead with their superior exclusives, and a higher number of exclusive games. And yeah, Xbox exclusives are also available on PC, since Microsoft doesn't care which platform they lure people to - they profit from both. If you have a gaming PC, there is hardly a reason for you to buy an Xbox anymore. Buying an Xbox is the cheapest way to play Xbox/Microsoft exclusives though. I admit that I'm likely not getting the Series X purely because I have the One X (which they said will run all Series X games, just not as well) and a PC for everything else. I might get the PS5 for the first time since the PSX though at some point, if any of their exclusives ends up being amazing.

I saw the sales numbers and thought the sales numbers were indicative of the "winner" but I guess that's the old way of thinking from previous generations lol. I feel like the Xbox isn't as popular outside of the US and everyone goes for Sony's offerings, including last generation's PS3.

And I've seen a few videos explaining the Series X's tech (Austin Evans) and its controller and cooling and all of that, so I'm kind of familiar with what's being brought out for the next gen. He made a point about the unique cooling system and the design as he got to build one, kind of, from scratch in front of the Xbox developer's team. I think he got some special one-day access to it to preview the hardware.

I had a 360 before and a PS2 before that but stayed out of this generation's gaming scene. But the backwards compatibility of the One, and soon the Series X, is a huge plus. Especially for those who still have a big backlog of 360 and One games they want to get through. MS is good in that sense because I've read that backwards compatibility was poor for Sony since the PS3. I know the PS2 was great for PSX games and the PS3 did have a model or two that had backwards compatibility, but for the most part it was non existent. And the PS4 "lets" you re-purchase the old games, from what I understand. I'm not doing that.

Game Pass seemed too good to be true but it really is a great thing MS did. I think some plans also include Xbox Live with it and it comes out to $160ish a year for Game Pass and Live. And that's assuming you pay full price and don't find some killer deal on discounts.

What piqued my interest was a sale I saw on SD for a MS-refurb One X for $200 USD. It was a weird loophole some users found since it was on Amazon UK's site and not on the US site, but the users said they were shipping to the US, albeit with a week or two waiting time. Some got it and said a controller was included too and some of them came in new, unopened boxes. I don't know if that's true or BS, but that was a hot deal last week and everyone jumped on it. For $200, it seemed like a steal for a MS-guaranteed refurb.

I don't want to buy the new gen's right away because there is always some design flaw. I think the One had overheating issues and there are memes about "vapor" or something like that. I think it's a similar fiasco as the one with the 360's RRoD, which I ended up getting on my OG 360 but not yet on my 360 S. At least not since I booted it up after 7 years of non-use.

I don't mind riding out the One 2-3 years in to the Series X life cycle and getting whatever refresh they release a few years later on. But PS4s and One S and Xs, both, are completely sold out at retailers here. Scalpers are just buying them up and selling them for $400+ for just the S model. $500+ for the others. Even GameStop doesn't have used ones in stock, as per their website.

So maybe I'll just wait it out a big longer. I'm no hardcore gamer but I do miss the casual games like Madden and Forza and maybe the occasional COD.

 

[dilla]

Also, the Android situation is so bad that for the first time ever I'm open to what Apple shows in a couple of weeks. Hell, even if they discounted the iPhone 11 Pro by like ~$200, that would still be a much better phone than most Android flagships launched this year, and better value than anything other than the S10 is today.
I really don't care about 5G - I'll be long done with the phone I buy today before 5G gets to the point that it'd add any value to my life. My only problem with the 11 Pro is the notch, and that's a fairly superficial issue. In turn the back is of much better quality than Samsung's cheesy, glossy, fingerprint-magnet glass.
The camera hardware is also dated, but that's a minor issue as Apple went Pixel-way and made up for it with software - it's pretty much on par with the S10. With the 11 Pro, iPhones have never been as technically great compared to their Android competition though, and as absolutely amazing in performance.

That said, I am genuinely curious what Apple does with the iPhone 12. I really look forward to the event. Considering that the 11 Pro is already so competitive, with how stagnant and complacent the Android makers have gotten, it wouldn't take many improvements for Apple to actually make the best phone on the market. And they aren't even more expensive than their competition anymore.. might be a good opportunity for some change of scenery?

I never had an iPhone, and suddenly the concept of giving it a go for at least one generation sounds quite appealing. That's how bad Android OEMs have gotten, and how great Apple have gotten with their iPhone strategy. And I think this change would work well for me too, as upgrading a 3 year old Android phone to a brand new one doesn't even feel exciting, or even it doesn't feel like getting a fresh new phone anymore - same thing, slightly more modern design, an extra one or two camera lenses, and the same old feel, except I'd now be charged $1000 for the same experience I originally paid $600 for. If I'm paying that money, I might as well consider spending it on something that feels like a larger change from what I already had. Not saying I'm going to get an iPhone, but I actually might depending on what they end up doing, and I'm looking forward to this year's Apple September event much more than I did to any Google or Samsung event over the last couple of years, which is telling.

I've always wanted an iPhone since around the 4 or 6 days. They just felt so much more premium in the hand. I don't know how big jailbreaking is now but back then it was thriving and a lot of the "openness" you got in Android was available via jailbreak on an iPhone. The caveat was dealing with Apple's OS updates that would break the jailbreak and you'd have to wait for someone to crack it and release a new one. And some jailbreaks were tethered so a simple restart rendered your phone useless until you re-jailbroke it with a computer. But untethered JBs were great and I used to JB my iPod Touch and iPads back in the day.
But sideloading apps was a big deal for me when using cracked apps and it was tougher to deal with a JB and Cydia than just simply sideloading. Also, iOS was much more crippled compared to Android even with a JB but that has since changed. Now I don't hear anything about the root and custom ROM scene. In the early 2010s, it was a big deal to make sure a phone had an unlocked bootloader and was able to run custom ROMs because TouchWiz or Sense UI was so laggy, but that is also not as big of an issue now.

But as I got out of modding phones and other tech, the priority now is just to make sure it works reliably. And a step beyond that is how well it integrates within its own ecosystem and Apple just has the best ecosystem to be in, despite being quite more expensive. But it's not as restrictive as it used to be and Android is actually trending in a negative direction in regards to its openness and if you're in the Apple ecosystem, it just works and works better than Android and Google's ecosystem. I don't even know if a Samsung or LG or any other non-Google OEM can be considered a true member of the Google ecosystem and instead I picture just Google Pixel devices as being the main players there. The Pixel phones, Chromebooks, Buds. There isn't even a proper tablet or watch like Apple's ecosystem has and that's pretty lacking. When I go out and about and look around at people in stores and businesses, I see Apple Watches, iPhones, and iPads galore. I don't even notice if someone might have a Galaxy Watch or Samsung or LG phone because they just don't stick out as much.

So whatever flak Apple caught for early iOS versions and its limited capabilities, that was warranted and was enough for me to stay away. But I never was a power/pro user of Android's full capabilities and now that I've become even less of that type of user, the iPhone does look attractive with each update. I'll ride my S10+ out until it dies or until there's a game-changing feature released by Apple or Samsung's next flagship and then look to upgrade, but I'm expecting to go iOS the next time around because it works well with what I already have and I know if I spend another $1K or so on a phone, I'd feel like I'd be getting my money's worth. The S10 is fine for me but had I waited longer to upgrade to the S20 or Note 20, I think I would've been soured by paying over $1000 for the Plus model.

Maybe it's marketing but Apple's campaign of showing photos and videos shot on an iOS device has definitely imprinted itself in my mind and seeing just how amazing those look, I can't imagine an Android OEM doing the same because I don't think they can do that. If they could, they'd have fired right back with a campaign of their own to counter Apple's camera claims. And Apple has been doing this since, I think, the iPhone 6 or 6S era. Definitely the iPhone 7 had commercials shot with it to advertise itself and its camera power.

As for the notch, I'm OK with it. After using it for some time, the S10+'s camera location is just stupid and truly gets in the way for streaming video and gaming. I'd rather have had it in the middle like the iPhone or what the new Notes have. Also, did the OnePlus 7 not have a front facing camera? I just took a quick look at it and the front is entirely screen.

 

[dilla]

So my program uses Google Suite, so they provide the institution email through GMail and all communication is through that. Do you have any experience with it?

I added the account to my phone and it's doing some weird shit. First, it's made a "work" profile using KNOX so my app drawer is now split between "personal" and "work." And it's downloading a ton of redundant Google apps, like Meetup and Hangouts Business, or something like that.

I'll give it a few more hours to do whatever it's doing but this is just for communication with school. It shouldn't be this serious about separating work from personal and even activating KNOX.

Last time I had to use a school-issued email was back in 2011 and that was through whatever Microsoft had back then. Exchange? Outlook? It was real simple on Android back then and just a matter of adding an MS account. It didn't do all this "Work" crap nor did it trigger KNOX. I had my Moto Droid back then, so I guess there was no KNOX to trip.

 

[dilla]

Yeah, that shit sucked. I ended up removing that account from my S10. On every other device, there was no issue or big changes when I added the account. It just added the account and that was it. Something about Samsung/KNOX makes it a lot more complicated and it still didn't end up working. It kept giving me an error on Google's end with a persistent notification that something needed my attention. But nothing fixed it.

Worked fine on iOS and macOS, though.

 

[dilla]

Not getting it but did they just beat Apple to an AirPower device? They had the Duo before but the trio? That was what AirPower was supposed to be, I think.

https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-wireless-charger-pad-trio-three-devices/

 

[dilla]

I'm back on betas again on my iPad and MBP. It's been two years since I put a macOS beta on my MBP and my iPad, I think has been on betas for the past year. But I know I swore off them a few years back but there were starting to be some issues in some apps that had been made for Catalina (current) that I was getting on Mojave (2019). So I upgraded to the Big Sur developer's beta lol like a dumbass.

Stuff is good now. I had no 32 bit apps, aside from Flash, but I think that was force-upgraded once in Catalina before I did the Big Sur upgrade. Still has some UI bugs but that's OK. I've been playing around with Side Car for working and I'm still trying to get the hang of it. I'm not sure if it'll be useful for me but I'll give it a shot. I didn't need a second monitor and I do a lot of reading/lectures via the iPad with the screen split. Half side video, other half the Notes app for handwritten notes. Or a PDF of the lecture to write notes in margins. It was always a chore on a laptop to have the video playing, the MBP keyboard taking up 12 inches of space before I could set a book down to write in/on. The iPad was much better for that use case. Maybe Side Car is for those who take both devices with them (not me) and want a more portable display, albeit a tiny one. 10.5" isn't much for anything from a computer. I guess if I mirrored the MBP screen to the iPad, I could sign a document or use the Pencil in some other way before going back to my MBP, but...

The Pixel 4a is garnering some favorable reviews. Ars Technica asked if the difference between the 4 and 4a was worth the $450 price difference. Maybe Google will realize it. Or maybe they'll give the mid-range market to Apple's SE, for those who don't have brand loyalty to an OS or OEM. I think plenty of people will pay the $50 premium for the $399 SE over the $349 4a just "because iPhone." And they'd be getting a substantially more powerful device in the process.

Branching off of that, I won't be an early-adopter of an Apple Silicon Mac but I've been seeing some videos predicting what the performance could be like and it's certainly going to be...different. Leaps and bounds, generation over generation is what the prediction is. The initial year or so of new devices sort of setting the stage and then the next iteration in Year 2 or 3 blasts the competition away. They're predictions and I'm sure there's somewhat of a circlejerk around it but after only recently realizing just how powerful Apple's chips are compared to the competition, I'm excited to see that carry over to the Macs. I think it was you that explained it to me a few months back just how vast the difference is in performance and efficiency. I think I understood only a portion of it but I got a rough idea and have been reading more and more pieces that put it in layman's terms

 

[Pittsey]

Never liked any Apple products, never will (probably). Everytime I use one I'm amazed that anyone does. Yes they look nice, but they are not intuitive you use and they are so isolated. Everyone develops for Windows or Android but you have to find an alternative for Apple. I'll take my Huawei matebook all day long - China can have my data

 

[dilla]

To each their own. I'm too old to be dicking around with custom ROMs and kernels on my phone. Ten years ago, I was all about those things, even if it inconvenienced me at the most inopportune times, like losing signal or random restarts.

For the past few years, I just want something that works reliably and my S7 and S10 have been just that. The next step is integrating well with my other devices and since I'm ingrained in Apple (happily) products, it'll be the last device to finally go Apple.

I haven't paid full price for an Apple product I currently own, usually finding sales and other discount offers but I know it's not the case for everyone. Especially outside the US where the premium is even more exaggerated. But even paying the slight premium here, it's been worth it for me so far. I'll miss side-loading apps but that's about it.

I'm not sure about developers for Android vs iOS. Windows vs macOS? Sure, they favor Windows first but on mobile devices, the iOS devices perform much better and look much better. I don't use it but isn't it Snapchat that looks like shit on Android that spawned the memes of iOS users clowning on Android users and being able to identify them because their pictures looked like utter shit? I think Instagram also has its benefits on iOS over Android and I think that too has to do with image upload quality.

At retailers and restaurants, I see far more catering to iOS users than Android users. The App Store is always mentioned prominently on a poster and QR codes to the App Store are usually there.

 

[dilla]

Intel trying to pretend everything is fine after breaking up with Apple lol: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/09/02/intel-announces-tiger-lake-chips/

I think Qualcomm also has made, or plans to make, an ARM based CPU, if I'm not mistaken. I wonder if more OEMs start to shift their lower end notebooks to that and see if they can be successful or not. And then gauge their success to what Apple does with AS in the future.

 

[dilla]

I missed the news yesterday about the 3080. https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21409953/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3080-specs-price-release-date-features

Some users on Reddit are saying they may forego the next-gen consoles and just pay $600 to upgrade the GPU, the price of a new console, and just go PC gaming-only.

I had plans for picking up an Xbox One if the prices dropped after the Series X's release but with so many people saying there's no reason to stay with Xbox (and I felt this way too when seeing so many titles on PC or PS4) I might give pause to that. I thought Gamepass would be pretty neat to use for a year or two before upgrading whenever MS refreshed the Series X with an update but now it looks more and more like a PS4 would be a better investment for the PS5 and its exclusives.

But back to the 3080, if I'm reading the graphs right, not only is the performance two-fold better, but the price is half of the outgoing 20 series? This looks similar to what the iPhone SE is but with no drawbacks; it's a straight-up upgrade in performance for a fraction of the price.

 

[Pittsey]

To each their own. I'm too old to be dicking around with custom ROMs and kernels on my phone. Ten years ago, I was all about those things, even if it inconvenienced me at the most inopportune times, like losing signal or random restarts.

For the past few years, I just want something that works reliably and my S7 and S10 have been just that. The next step is integrating well with my other devices and since I'm ingrained in Apple (happily) products, it'll be the last device to finally go Apple.

I haven't paid full price for an Apple product I currently own, usually finding sales and other discount offers but I know it's not the case for everyone. Especially outside the US where the premium is even more exaggerated. But even paying the slight premium here, it's been worth it for me so far. I'll miss side-loading apps but that's about it.

I'm not sure about developers for Android vs iOS. Windows vs macOS? Sure, they favor Windows first but on mobile devices, the iOS devices perform much better and look much better. I don't use it but isn't it Snapchat that looks like shit on Android that spawned the memes of iOS users clowning on Android users and being able to identify them because their pictures looked like utter shit? I think Instagram also has its benefits on iOS over Android and I think that too has to do with image upload quality.

At retailers and restaurants, I see far more catering to iOS users than Android users. The App Store is always mentioned prominently on a poster and QR codes to the App Store are usually there.

I haven't messed about with a rom for a good few years. And that was to extend the life of my LG G3.

I don't care enough to get into a debate but I pick my tech based on how it performs and how you interact with it. Apple users (not everyone obviously) seem to be brand loyal and think purchasing an apple product is a sign of wealth. Take the Apple TV as an example, it is a serious piece of shit and you'd have to be an idiot to purchase one. The Chromecast is no better - but no one buys them, apart from Casey. A good Windows based laptop is better than a Mac. Software availability, ease of use etc etc. I'm talking for the general user. Apple may have an edge with some niche software uses. I think there is very little between Android and iOS. But I still prefer Android as an OS. If we are talking hardware then maybe Apple has an edge, the iPhone 12 looks really nice. But with Android you get far more choice. I'm not really a Samsung fan though. I like my android without the bloat

 

[masta247]

Wow, I missed so much over the last couple of weeks!

But back to the 3080, if I'm reading the graphs right, not only is the performance two-fold better, but the price is half of the outgoing 20 series? This looks similar to what the iPhone SE is but with no drawbacks; it's a straight-up upgrade in performance for a fraction of the price.

The Ampere GPUs are exciting, but the price is the same. The 3080 is twice the performance of the last gen 2080 for the same price, but you have to keep in mind that the 2080 was a massive price hike compared to earlier cards (as it launched on the tail of the mining craze) and it was amongst the smallest performance improvements in Nvidia's history, actually offering less performance per dollar than their 10 series launched back in 2016. Unfortunately they kept the sky high prices. For reference, xx70 series used to be ~$350, and xx80 series ~$500 - now they are $499 and $699 respectively, so an entire tier up in price. So the 3080 isn't as exciting as it sounds, but brings things back on track for Nvidia and is definitely a very large upgrade from the performance perspective, to make sure it can compete with the consoles. That thing is a space heater though, using almost twice as much power as a typical high end GPU to reach that performance. It's actually a record of sorts - 320 watts from a single part!

For $600 you'll likely get a whole new console, and these are shaping up to be great, and their GPUs aren't going to be much slower either. You're going to be good either way. I'd still probably get the series X if I were you - buying it might make less sense if you had a bad-ass Windows gaming PC, which you don't, so getting the Series X makes perfect sense. Its hardware is really an incredible leap over the previous gen in all possible regards, you'd get all games from Microsoft studios, which you're not able to play without Windows anyway, and Gamepass might just be the best thing that Xbox has ever gotten. You'll be fine with the PS5 too, if you prefer their exclusives and don't play a lot of games. Technically it's almost the same, with a slightly slower GPU and somewhat worse cooling. The worst thing about it imho apart from it being slightly behind in performance is the fact they don't have gamepass. Their exclusives are typically sweet indeed though.

 

[dilla]

For $600 you'll likely get a whole new console, and these are shaping up to be great, and their GPUs aren't going to be much slower either. You're going to be good either way. I'd still probably get the series X if I were you - buying it might make less sense if you had a bad-ass Windows gaming PC, which you don't, so getting the Series X makes perfect sense. Its hardware is really an incredible leap over the previous gen in all possible regards, you'd get all games from Microsoft studios, which you're not able to play without Windows anyway, and Gamepass might just be the best thing that Xbox has ever gotten. You'll be fine with the PS5 too, if you prefer their exclusives and don't play a lot of games. Technically it's almost the same, with a slightly slower GPU and somewhat worse cooling. The worst thing about it imho apart from it being slightly behind in performance is the fact they don't have gamepass. Their exclusives are typically sweet indeed though.

I didn't realize that about the 10 and 20 series difference. I only recently started paying attention to the GPU game and I still just know a cursory amount about it. I just read comments that were hyped about the performance gains as well as the price, but looks like there was more to it with the price increase in previous gen.

I'm not big on being an early adopter, so I don't think I'll get the X/5 right away. I'm just looking at the PS4/One right now to hold me over for a few years until the next-gen consoles get their refresh like the Slim PS4 or the One S/X. The pricing right now for the current-gen is inflated beyond belief because of low stock and scalpers. Even during COVID, like in May, the deals on consoles were amazing, where bundles were going for $200 for the One S. Or less. I just wasn't looking for it at the time, so I missed it. And I mentioned the Amazon UK deal for a MS refurb One X for $200 but I was afraid of ordering from overseas in case there was an issue, but it turns out the MS warranty was still valid and was even for 18 months or so, not just 12. So that sucked.

Game Pass is the big reason I'm leaning towards the Xbox. I was told buying Gold subscriptions for 2-3 years and then activating Game Pass for the first time for $1 would get you three years of game pass for the price of 2-3 years of Gold plus that $1 lol so I hope to do that soon before MS closes that

And Game Pass seems like such a deal right now because a lot of what I want to play is on GP, like Forza and every post-Halo 3 Halo. So if I pay full price for 2-3 years of Live, so like $120 for 2 years, that's two games worth plus a Live subscription. Unfortunately, they don't have EA games because I'd love to not have to buy Madden, but...yeah, I'm leaning heavily towards Xbox for GP and backwards compatibility with the few 360 games I have to finish. For next-gen, I'd give it a blank slate again because I'll hopefully have played whatever I wanted to on the One from the past few years.

The Series X looks like it's going to have the hardware advantage again, but I think Xbox has always had this since the OG Xbox days. Games just ran better on it compared to the PS2 and lowly Gamecube. I think this upcoming gen is supposed to be different, though. When I was last in to gaming, Sony had exclusive rights to Square Enix games, namely the FF series. But it looks like that series went down the shitter after X, which was 18 years ago lol. I do want the FF7 Remake but even that has some criticism that the story was actually altered this time around. But I don't have any desire for Sony's exclusives like God Of War, which looks amazing, and The Last of Us. They look great and win all these awards but I don't like those style of games.

I love turn based RPGs or even RPGs like Dark Cloud and Zelda, but these modern RPGs have very few turn based JRPGs like the FF's of old. Every game, from previews, looks the same to me. Just leveling up one character and playing the game with that one character.

Anyway, I might just get the S because that is the only one in stock. I'm probably spec-chasing by trying to wait it out for the last of the One X models to be back in stock, but I doubt it happens. I figured with a 4K TV, it makes sense to get the X which can do UHD and not just whatever the One S or even PS4 Pro does, but I'll be waiting forever. It doesn't look like it'll come back in stock. But I could also wait until Black Friday, or Prime Day before that, and see if anything falls from the One X tree. I'm in no rush. I'm still a simpleton that is ooh-ing and ah-ing at how good Devil May Cry 4 looks on my 360 on a 4K screen lol. So maybe I will be OK with the One Ss' upscaling. And I plan to view it as a "rental" or a "lease" since I'm looking at whatever console I get now as a bridge to the next-gen. But $300 is a bit steep for a simple One S, especially knowing that it was much cheaper just a few months ago, even during the pandemic. My fault for poor timing but I don't think I'd be happy paying $300. $250, maybe, but these were sub-$200 in May.

One other knock on the PS4 was when I heard, and then saw, the videos of the PS4s whose fans run obnoxiously loud in the main menu of games lol. I know the One has had its own share of hardware failures but boy that would be annoying to play a game as if you're near a jet engine. I think it happens with age and people said to clean out the fans, but I am not looking forward to the One since I've heard people suggest cleaning the fans on that as well, although not for fans as loud as those PS4's.

Also came across the global numbers for phone marketshare: https://www.counterpointresearch.com/global-smartphone-share/

Nothing surprising between Samsung and Apple but I was surprised at Huawei/Honor. They're neck and neck with Samsung. I did hear the Chinese brands were dominating the global market but I still only though of the US market and its absence here. But I guess 1.4 billion people being strong-armed into buying Chinese will do wonders for sales. I wish they did a break down by continent or even country since you said these brands were still popular in Europe too.

 

[dilla]

So maybe at the same price as the One S, the Series S might be worth early-adopting?

The leaker said the pricing is subject to change and I do have a feeling that MS intentionally leaked it to get a gauge of how low they could go and what people's reaction would be at a $299 price tag. And the leaker had a tweet a few hours afterwards saying pricing was subject to change but the design was pretty set in stone. Which sounds kind of ominous.

But no way do I pay $299 for a One S now. I probably wasn't going to either, but I was fighting with the possibility. I even took a look at local sellers near me on OfferUp and they were selling One Ss for $250 with 6 games, which still felt like a rip off. I could either use this as leverage or just take a chance at getting one soon after launch. I don't think I'd get it on launch day but maybe even early next year. But we'll see.

The rumored specs still have it as an all-digital device, much like the PS5 version, but also not able to do 4K UHD. With a 4K TV, I'm wonder if I'd be compromising too much but I also don't want to pay the $500 price for the X.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

Back to Android:

The Pixel phones usually had free gifts for UK pre-orders and early bird customers (even for handset-only purchases):

Google Pixel: Google Daydream View
Google Pixel 2: Google Home Mini
Google Pixel 3: Google Pixel Stand
Google Pixel 3a: Google Home Hub or Acer Chromebook
Google Pixel 4: HP Chromebook

Doesn't look like there is anything with the Google Pixel 4a unless you buy it as a contract with one of the networks (in which case you can get £50 Currys-PC World voucher). It would be cool if they still did something for the Pixel 4a, like a Nest Mini or Google Play credit though I am not expecting it given the current situation. The new Android TV Chromecast would be great, and I'd be super happy with that. But I think any freebies will be bundled with the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 since they are all so close together in terms of launch.

 

[dilla]

I thought foldable phones were kind of a gimmick. They still might be but after looking at the Duo and Galaxy Fold 2 videos, they're pretty cool. But also pretty expensive. I think I remember the Duo having a more prominent fold-line down the middle but the Galaxy Fold looked seamless. There's still a question about the durability of the hinge and screen but they still look pretty cool.

But pricey.

Samsung trying to have profit margins like Apple now: https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-note-20-ultra-bill-of-materials-1157163/

I expect these to be sold at-cost during the Holidays, or shortly after. Have these things even been selling? I read that in China it was a 10:1 ratio or Ultra to the regular model but that's China. And the reason given was that the regular Note 20's specs sucked. Which we said as well.