21–30 of 367 posts
* It looks like they've taken away the "apps" homerow button and swapped it for "swipe up from anywhere". So that is one less gesture available to apps, unless you install an alternative desktop. * Wi-Fi RTT sounds pretty neat, I had not heard of that before. * Shutting mic, camera and sensor data off for idle/background apps is neat, though I'm shocked that wasn't an option before.
It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?
* It looks like they've taken away the "apps" homerow button and swapped it for "swipe up from anywhere". So that is one less gesture available to apps, unless you install an alternative desktop. * Wi-Fi RTT sounds pretty neat, I had not heard of that before. * Shutting mic, camera and sensor data off for idle/background apps is neat, though I'm shocked that wasn't an option before.
It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?
I'm no longer surprised that Samsung doesn't feel the need to update to the latest version of Android! Grace UX (their skin) already had all of these features as of last year. I do not see anything worth upgrading for here. Potentially huge for people buying the notched phones. The support for that did improve in this update.
Samsung's modifications to the stock Android experience aren't "features"; these are desperate attempts to differentiate itself from other Android handset OEMs. The resulting need to reconcile two codebases leaves users as the losers: they wait forever for general advancements in the Android ecosystem.
My impression after upgrading to Oreo and getting more Google-designed features and less Samsung-designed features has been pretty disappointing. I lost a bunch of features that were extremely useful.
Unfortunately, as you said, reconciling the two code-bases means that Android updates are slow-to-never. The promise of open source and upstreaming patches for features doesn't happen with Android. Every manufacturer does many of the same enhancements themselves and then Google re-implements it a few years later poorly.
I'm no longer surprised that Samsung doesn't feel the need to update to the latest version of Android! Grace UX (their skin) already had all of these features as of last year. I do not see anything worth upgrading for here. Potentially huge for people buying the notched phones. The support for that did improve in this update.
Curious what others think of samsung hardware on HN. Ive had: >S5 phone whos charging port broke and had terrible battery life. But hey, when I bought the phone the screen was bright and beautiful... I feel like I was tricked >My SSD failed in a year >My grandpa's 1,000 dollar samsung TV he bought in 2018 has an irresponsibly slow smart TV. And I read some horror stories about samsung home appliances when I was looki…
I'm no longer surprised that Samsung doesn't feel the need to update to the latest version of Android! Grace UX (their skin) already had all of these features as of last year. I do not see anything worth upgrading for here. Potentially huge for people buying the notched phones. The support for that did improve in this update.
Samsung's modifications to the stock Android experience aren't "features"; these are desperate attempts to differentiate itself from other Android handset OEMs. The resulting need to reconcile two codebases leaves users as the losers: they wait forever for general advancements in the Android ecosystem.
Samsung really nails the UI of their phones and the experience makes stock Android feel like a buggy unfinished mess.
* It looks like they've taken away the "apps" homerow button and swapped it for "swipe up from anywhere". So that is one less gesture available to apps, unless you install an alternative desktop. * Wi-Fi RTT sounds pretty neat, I had not heard of that before. * Shutting mic, camera and sensor data off for idle/background apps is neat, though I'm shocked that wasn't an option before.
It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?
* It looks like they've taken away the "apps" homerow button and swapped it for "swipe up from anywhere". So that is one less gesture available to apps, unless you install an alternative desktop. * Wi-Fi RTT sounds pretty neat, I had not heard of that before. * Shutting mic, camera and sensor data off for idle/background apps is neat, though I'm shocked that wasn't an option before.
It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Samsung's modifications to the stock Android experience aren't "features"; these are desperate attempts to differentiate itself from other Android handset OEMs. The resulting need to reconcile two codebases leaves users as the losers: they wait forever for general advancements in the Android ecosystem.
The general consensus amount Samsung users from my experience is that that they do these features better than Google. Samsung's multi-window support was better than eventually came to Android. Samsung's handling of app badges was WAY better (message counts!) and that went away with Oreo's terrible implementation (a dot indicating un-dismissed notifications). My impression after upgrading to Oreo and getting more Goog…
Interesting that the Digital Wellbeing features that were teased at IO aren't being launched today, but part of _another_ beta that you have to opt in to. (And Pixel series only?)
By the time Android P actually makes it to non-Pixel devices, the beta will have long since ended, so this doesn't really matter.
* Limited access to sensors in background
* Restricted access to call logs
* Restricted access to phone numbers
* Restricted access to Wi-Fi location and connection information
* Information removed from Wi-Fi service methods
* Telephony information now relies on device location setting