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Why I will never buy another Samsung device

lehtimaeki.medium.com

251–260 of 664 posts

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#251
IMO foldable phones are a throwback to planned obsolescence. The mechanical wear of the folding and unfolding is going to win and you are going to find yourself with a new phone in a relatively short time.

Every iPhone I’ve had has succumbed to either the home button failing (which requires a completely new main board to fix) or the lithium battery swelling to the point the case bursts open. My current model has no home button and has lasted the longest, and is a few months away from its third battery - I have no intention of replacing it until Apple brings back Touch ID or eliminates the notch.

My wife has had the same Samsung phone for almost fifteen years, but it fails consistently every year and she has it replaced under warranty (how many of those things did they make that there is a two decade supply of replacements?) She gets a fresh unit with a fresh battery every year and runs it until it fails, then she spends about four hours on the phone with clueless support techs from Samsung and Tmobile, they point fingers at each other for a while, then finally agree to replace the unit. Usually it is the screen that fails but once she lost a bunch of irreplaceable photos when the encryption key corrupted, leaving her with nothing but a memory card full of encrypted blobs. Otherwise she has become really good at migrating to new phones when they arrive.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#252
post #168

I avoid all things Samsung for a much more important reason: They spy on you mercilessly, up to about the same level as Facebook. For example, they take screenshots of what you watch on your Samsung Televisions! Don't believe me? Take it from them: https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/resources/tv-... and https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/insights/ You're not their customer, you're the product.…

Any alternatives? What would you recommend instead? I'm under the suspicion that every single Smart TV vendor has the same problems.

Sony TVs use Google software, and while Google spies on you too, at least they're honest about it (!), and allow you to turn it off.

I also trust Google to have fewer glaring security issues than Samsung.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#253
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any alternatives? What would you recommend instead? I'm under the suspicion that every single Smart TV vendor has the same problems.

set up a raspberry pi or an old laptop with Kodi and use that. Don't plug your TV in to ethernet or give it wifi.

Unfortunately, many current TVs ship with advertised-but-missing features, which are added later via a software update. In the current gen, variable framerate input is a good example of this.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

set up a raspberry pi or an old laptop with Kodi and use that. Don't plug your TV in to ethernet or give it wifi.

That only works if there are no open wifis around. And I would not be suprised if Samsung use Verizon's (?) spy mesh of wifi routers.

I've always heard people claim that TVs will do this, I've never seen one actually do it. I don't believe any TV will speculatively join open wifi without asking.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#256

This is why I always go with Apple. I've always just walked in, yeeted my phone at them and gotten a new one. I've had four warranty issues since my original 3GS and every time the experience has been pleasant. I've also had an AirPod replaced when it no longer kept charge and was within the warranty period. The same has also applied to other family members who have had failing devices and Apple always replaces them…

Here's something I noticed: the fans of Apple hardware know they can do this, because they... have to do this. I've had 9 or so different laptops in my life over the last 2 decades, from bargain bin models to latest high-spec Lenovo. The only times I've had to fix a laptop was twice in the last 3 years on work-assigned MBP (once the motherboard failed, another time the keyboard fell apart), then had to replace a fail…

I mean, I have a mid-2015 MBP at home that only required a battery replacement, but otherwise works well. My iPhone 7 served me 5 years and was abandoned due to failing battery. We all have anecdotes.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#257

I avoid all things Samsung for a much more important reason: They spy on you mercilessly, up to about the same level as Facebook. For example, they take screenshots of what you watch on your Samsung Televisions! Don't believe me? Take it from them: https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/resources/tv-... and https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/insights/ You're not their customer, you're the product.…

An acquaintance who worked as a security consultant for Samsung can corroborate. They said Samsung's security practices were terrible to say the least.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#258

IMO foldable phones are a throwback to planned obsolescence. The mechanical wear of the folding and unfolding is going to win and you are going to find yourself with a new phone in a relatively short time. Every iPhone I’ve had has succumbed to either the home button failing (which requires a completely new main board to fix) or the lithium battery swelling to the point the case bursts open. My current model has no h…

Ironic that you find that the frequently actuated button is the prime source of failure but refuse to adopt the newer models that require no button actuation, no?

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buy a dumb screen. For example a big computer monitor. I know it's not the same but this is the only solution I know.

Or just don't connect your TV to the internet and buy an external streamer.

Can you set up your router or PiHole to block the tracking domains? There has to be list of those.

Re: Why I will never buy another Samsung device

#260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it should be longer, too. But you are given the option to purchase a 3 year warranty instead of a 1 year. There's also plenty of ways to damage a device. You could plug it into a damaged, cheap USB charger.

I don't understand why you'd charge extra money for a 1k device to last 3 years. That should be table stakes! Also, a bad USB charger should not kill a device.

> I don't understand why you'd charge extra money for a 1k device to last 3 years

A question to the lawmakers.

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