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Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

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Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#361

Post by wkat4242 »

jajko wrote: post #199
rjh29 wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All high end Samsung phones can do this as well (DEX).

Can confirm, S22 ultra when plugged into Dell docking box (or whatever its called, not a typical docking station, it just connects with laptop via thick USB-C cable) works out of box, with mouse and keyboard. Firefox with ublock origin works very well for example. The only thing is it doesn't adjust automatically to native screen resolution (1600p in my case). But its still just an Android, even with full filesystem…

Yeah Firefox on DeX also lacks pc style tabs which Chrome does have. It's the only case where I really use chrome a lot.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#362

Post by wkat4242 »

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #318
david-gpu wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Phones perform thermal throttling before getting too hot. The question thus becomes: how does it perform after one hour?

Not great) Tried replacing my laptop with a Samsung phone+monitor combination on a trip, didn't really work out. Phones are not built for continuous load.

The official DeX docks have a fan built in. This helps a lot especially if you take the phone out of the case. I need to do so anyway because the usb doesn't go in deep enough without it.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#363

Post by [deleted] »

gregjor wrote: post #134

I think you haven’t considered the luxury goods aspect of higher-end phones. The majority of people buying new phones every year or two don’t carefully study specs, and don’t need to use a PC or laptop at all, or only need a “real” computer for work or specific tasks. Already smartphones serve as the primary internet access device for a majority of internet users. Sales of new phone models have a lot more to do with…

[deleted]

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#364

Post by physicles »

hannofcart wrote: post #258

The only thing forcing most of us to upgrade every 3 years is the fact that most phones now come with their batteries are either soldered on (in the lower end versions) or come with connectors (most often I think) but replacement requires prying open the case and specialized tools/knowledge. Honestly, today's phones are an overkill for most mobile computing tasks except for a very small niche of users who might run v…

I was on an iPhone X for six years (bought it used one year old), and had the battery replaced three times. No big deal.

The reason I upgraded was that I was wasting literal minutes per day waiting for apps to load. I live in China, and for some reason the apps here are beyond outrageous in the amount of resources they use. Showing a QR payment code in WeChat, or opening a shared bike in Meituan, frequently took on the order of 10 seconds. I assume the phone was just chewing on a terrifying amount of JavaScript.

I could only keep 2 of these monster apps open at a time. Opening a third would OOM kill one of the other two.

iPhone 16 pro and these actions are basically instant.

Fucking nauseating.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#365

Post by fx1994 »

hannofcart wrote: post #277
david-gpu wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is also security updates, as well as the wear and tear on a physical device that is constantly exposed to scratches, dust, and whatnot. I would like to use them for four or five years with a battery replacement at the midpoint.

I immediately put a transparent case around my device as soon as I get it and put a screen guard on it as well. My wife mocks me saying that it totally kills the device's looks but considering how integral having a functioning phone at all times is to... well, existing (and accessing any Govt. service in my country), I take the hit in aesthetics for extra durability. As a result, all my phones end up looking pristine…

I keep it in cover and film on screen since except IT in my free time I like masonry and I drop my phone like 10 times a month and it is still alive after four years :D

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#366

Post by mikhailfranco »

herbst wrote: post #269
hannofcart wrote: post #258

The only thing forcing most of us to upgrade every 3 years is the fact that most phones now come with their batteries are either soldered on (in the lower end versions) or come with connectors (most often I think) but replacement requires prying open the case and specialized tools/knowledge. Honestly, today's phones are an overkill for most mobile computing tasks except for a very small niche of users who might run v…

Battery replacement can be done in specialized shops on almost any phone for a fair price. My bigger issue is usually that the phones get so heavily outdated that banking apps stop working. And it's based on pure luck if the modding community build something great for my phone so I at least could use it as server, cam, or whatever. Also the charging slots breaking / turning unreliable which most wouldn't repair on a…

I also had to upgrade a phone for a banking app and a gov pay-your-taxes app (in a certain non-US jurisdiction).

Very hard to understand why that should be. Even the most scary conspiracy theorists would not claim that banks and govs try to force phone tech refresh... unless ... it is really about spyware bloat :)

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#367

Post by lotsofpulp »

fx1994 wrote: post #329
mihaaly wrote: post #267

Absolutely warranted, but there is no reason to worry, apps will keep up with the performance development and in a blink of an eye you will be forced (security, security security!!) to upgrade to the new versions of phone app or photo app dragging in 'free' and top notch AI assisted VR capabilities or whatnot that require power beyond current levels. Do you need that feature? Absolutely not. Nevertheless, you will ha…

I never understood why one app has to cover everything. Apps are bloatware today. Same goes for Windows. All I wanted worked on 98SE or XP. How did OS get from 1GB to 30GB for listening music, surfing, some office, watching pictures? Ah yes, teams, onedrive, defender, firewall (I have my own hardware why do I need this forced) and other cloud integration no one asked for and if they ever forced only online account, t…

I asked for it. A lot less time spent doing tech support when backing up and restoring a device is as simple as logging into an iCloud account.

Obviously, it shouldn’t be mandatory, but the ease of use surely benefits the majority of the population. Having to reinstall the operating system every now and then was not tenable.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#368

Post by boomskats »

hilbert42 wrote: post #354
boomskats wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking for. Phones that support Bluetooth LE?

Read my other replies, eg the one to david-gpu where I mention Fairphone options.

Typically I wouldn't consider 'read my other replies to understand what I could be talking about' to be a valid or particularly respectful response when it comes to online discussion, but I've read through most of your comments here, and I still can't figure out what the argument you're trying to make is.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#369

Post by gitaarik »

maccard wrote: post #178
lisp2240 wrote: post #169

A smartphone is an appliance like a washing machine or a blender. It should just work. I will gladly pay extra for appliances that perform well. I will gladly pay extra for appliances that require no maintenance and can’t be broken. If I want something unreliable I can program or hack, I will go to a real PC.

Couldn’t agree more. The locked down nature of my iPhone is something I actively desire - the curation on the App Store isn’t perfect, but it’s better than the Wild West that is the play store. I _want_ an ecosystem where developers are forced to upgrade their apps to use the latest APIs to take advantage of the new device features.

I rather have more choice and possibilities and control with the added risk of breaking things and the necessity to take responsibility. And it's not necessarily easy to break things on Android, but yeah you have to be a bit more conscious of what you're doing. I guess for people that are not very tech savvy iOS is maybe easier and safer.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#370

Post by CharlieDigital »

spiffyk wrote: post #353
CharlieDigital wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's practically a limit. JavaScript is a fairly limited as are DOM and CSS. This isn't like 3D graphics.

These limits are not immutable, web standards grow by the day, keeping up with the performance development as much as the apps themselves. There's already WebGPU, so 3D graphics already is a thing on the web. Also, case in point, the built-in CSS filter effects get pretty taxing on not-too-old mobile hardware, as I've lamented yesterday [1]. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42350309

3D has long been a thing, but again, as a matter of practicality, it's use is quite rare for a number of reasons.
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