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Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

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Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#831

Post by problems »

kogepathic wrote: post #514
x0x0 wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you aren't aware (I wasn't), xiaomi phones run miui which is somewhat different than stock android. Google miui before you buy. Or you have to be comfortable installing an android distribution.

Yes, the original firmware sucks massively and I wouldn't wish it even on my worst enemies. That being said, it takes about 5 minutes to flash a custom recovery and the latest CM, so in the end it's a non-issue.

Really? That's sad to hear, back in the Android 2.4 days I used to love MIUI and would flash it on my devices intentionally as it had so many features that weren't yet in Android. Quick settings, dial by letters, just generally nicer look and feel. I guess a lot of this has been integrated now, but damn, it used to be nice.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#832

Post by Yhippa »

Steko wrote: post #638
atourgates wrote: post #493

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> WebOS was pretty tacky though an interesting OS design - actually implemented better by LG on their SmartTVs. I've got to stop you there. WebOS was far ahead of its time, and especially considered in the context of a small startup going against established players, was brilliant. It offered in some ways better and more intuitive usability than iOS, along with a great app development ecosystem and philosophy. Palm's…

> WebOS was far ahead of its time I see this any time WebOS is mentioned but this makes WebOS sound a lot more innovative than it was. WebOS is widely lauded for two things: (1) the card application interface and (2) the accompanying physics/gestures, especially swipe from edge. Now these are great and appropriately lauded but that is a short list that really pales compared to a similar list of things the iPhone OS h…

> a short list that really pales compared to a similar list of things the iPhone OS had introduced at that time

Like what?

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#833

Post by BoorishBears »

Veratyr wrote: post #423
technofiend wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always the most compelling thing about the phone is Google's support - fast releases and minimal carrier bloat. You have a nice list of positives and I'm not disputing them. But the feature list for what is now Googles top phone is underwhelming. 4 GB of RAM is barely adequate - it should be 6 GB like the other Snapdragon 821 flagship. No water proofing? That's the new black. Bottom-facing speakers? Complete regre…

> 4 GB of RAM is barely adequate I'm not disagreeing with you but what makes you say this? I've never owned a phone with more than 2GB of RAM and I'm not sure what I'm missing out on. > no optical image stabilization I trust a software company like Google with EIS, particularly given their work with HDR+. I owned an iPhone 7 for about a week and loved the stabilisation Google's app did on my Motion Stills. > Google n…

Are your recent 2GB phones iDevices?

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#834

Post by cholantesh »

kefka_p wrote: post #281
cholantesh wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, and I personally like Cyanogenmod and OxygenOS a lot, too. In fact, I think Touchwiz is the only (major) Android iteration that I haven't enjoyed using. Frankly, I don't get all the hype about iOS' user experience - every time I've had to use an Apple device, I've found just about every task much more cumbersome.

Frankly a lot of people don't get the hype about having to install custom ROMs to make their phones behave in a tolerable way. People are always going to find computing on devices they don't normally use to be more difficult than computing on devices they normally use, yet to you this is proof Android is better?

Well, given that most Android users don't do that, and that iOS users do their share of custom ROM installation, 'a lot of people' seem to be 'setting up straw men' as opposed to 'getting the hype'.

>People are always going to find computing on devices they don't normally use to be more difficult than computing on devices they normally use, yet to you this is proof Android is better?

I use an iPhone 6S daily at work, so I'm not one of those people and I don't deign to speak for them or anyone else. As far as my experience is concerned, yes, Android is better.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#835

Post by davidf18 »

Google's business model is based on gathering data from users and hence by definition will not be as secure to use as Apple which derives their income from the high margins on the phones they sell instead of gathering data on us to monetize. Hence, no matter what you say, Google software based phones will not be as secure as Apple ones nor will they protect your privacy as well as Apple does.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#836

Post by panglott »

ceejayoz wrote: post #812
Larrikin wrote: post #447

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly I notice more Android on my iPad than I notice iOS on my phone. iOS finally got custom keyboards so I can use a proper mobile keyboard like Swype, the notification panel isn't as useless as it was and is a lot richer like on Android. Its really only a matter of time until iOS introduces widgets on the home screen. I've convinced more than a couple people to switch to Android for their phone simply because yo…

> Were hamburger buttons an Android thing? I noticed them everywhere, including on the web. More of a Twitter Bootstrap thing, I think.

I had also thought that it was more of an Android thing. But apparently it's been the rat in the walls of computer UI since the 1980s on the Xerox Star and DOS, now blown up by Twitter and Facebook. https://blog.placeit.net/history-of-the-hamburger-icon/

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#837

Post by bagacrap »

neals wrote: post #208

I don't like Google because they're gonna use my data against me. I don't like Apple because it's a walled garden and millions other reasons. I don't like Samsung because they bloat Android. I don't like Huawei because I don't trust the Chinese government to not do stuff to it. I don't like LG and HTC because the smartphone market is slipping away from them. Am I just getting old?

Use your data against you how? Like frame you for a crime? Figure out when you're on vacation and burglarize your home? This doesn't seem a likely business model. They generally attempt to use your data to assist you. I mean maybe the NSA hacks them and reads your emails but that's hardly Google maliciously trying to make your life worse.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#838

Post by panglott »

simonh wrote: post #753
nvarsj wrote: post #741

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google will drop support for after 2 years I agree with this as an Android user. The lack of device support from Google is appalling. And all my nexus devices (4, 7) have had major hardware flaws that never get fixed - once you're past the warranty, you're SOL. The 7 had many touch screen problems, and a very flimsy charger port (which broke under warranty, then broke again after - so I can't charge it anymore :|).…

I match your 1st gen iPad and raise you an iPhone 3GS. My youngest just upgraded to a hand-me-down iPhone 4 a few weeks ago, but my old 3GS is still working fine and even still works with the App Store. I can still download apps on to it that I bought back in 2009 and don't even show up in the store on modern devices, but they're still there for the 3GS. She used it for Whatsapp a lot. Gobsmacked.

I use a 1st-generation iPad day to day to read eBooks and PDFs, and for light web browsing, and it's going strong.

But it is limited to iOS 5, and can't run anything but really ancient apps.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#839

Post by 1_2__3 »

yathern wrote: post #420
joshstrange wrote: post #392

The graphic showing rating of camera's is super disingenuous [0] The gap from 88-92 is actually shorter than the gap between 86-89. [0] https://www.dropbox.com/s/ehp0sn8w04fpf2q/Screenshot%202016-...

I really think this is grasping at straws. So you think they placed the 'Pixel' data point a little too far to the right? I didn't really get the impression that this was supposed to be super accurate and quantitative chart of their comparative performances - just a little graphic showing which phones it scored ahead of.

That is by any measure a misleading chart, and absolutely should be derided for such.
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