Smart Phones - 2023+ edition

[Edward64]

Independence Day! (Jan 29). Finally moved all 4 of us off T-Mobile Essentials plan 4 x $160. Now, at GoogleFi for approx 4 x $80 + tax. A small hiccup with my wife but the transition was relatively painless.

There was no compelling reason to stay with T-Mobile. I would need to move up the tier plans to get any nice benefits like trade-in. So, for the basics stuff (and international), GoogleFi will suffice.

Just a PSA. We are now paying the monthly cell service with a credit card that has cell phone protection. A nice freebie that I don't think everyone thinks about, may be worthwhile to check your credit card benefits.

Cell phone protection

Protect your cell phone every time you pay your bill with your Venture X card. If it’s stolen or damaged, you’ll get reimbursed up to $800.

[Edward64]

What Jay gives (3 rate decreases still planned this year), the Justice takes away.

The massive lawsuit against one of the world’s largest companies claims Apple is breaking the law by carefully curating its app store and customer experience, designed to lure customers in and keep them buying Apple products and services – to the exclusion of competitors.

I sure hope Apple wins this one. I think there is plenty of healthy competition for all Apple equivalent products. I've been replacing my Apple standalone stock for NVidia, I sold some more today. It's going to be a long torturous fight.

But Apple Pay is the only way iPhone owners can pay for stuff using that technology on an iPhone. Apple, citing security reasons, doesn’t allow third-party apps to access the chip that allows for iPhones to make mobile payments. It also could entice some customers to stick with iPhones when they’d otherwise switch to a competitor, the lawsuit alleges.

I'm not convinced ApplePay is the reason that digital wallets have not taken off. In some countries in Asia G-Pay (not same as Google Pay) have taken off. China has their equivalents.

Unless they can show ApplePay has unfairly restricted Google Pay (and others), I'm calling BS on this.

When those messages get sent to people with Android phones, they appear grainy, they can be slow to load, and they can miss out on key features like emoji responses, editing functionality and end-to-end encryption. The dreaded “green bubbles” that mark Android users within iMessage – and particularly the lower-quality performance – are illegal, the Justice Department alleges.

iMessage? Use WhatsApp. Banks 2FA still sends things to iMessage, maybe there needs to be some additional standards to have vendors send 2FA & stuff to iMessage, WhatsApp etc.

The only way to get apps on an iPhone is through Apple’s proprietary app store. Apple has long claimed that its approach to maintaining what apps can and cannot be used on an iPhone helps customers. It prevents spam and harmful apps, Apple says.

It forces apps into Apple’s onerous limitations and expensive 30% commissions, the Justice Department argues. And it limits competition.

I can see reducing some fees like for 3rd party apps, but yeah I want the Apple oversight over potential junk apps.

[sovereignstar v2]

Lol, yeah Apple people love to be asked to use apps like Signal and WhatsApp so you can actually see the pictures they send you from their iPhones

[Edward64]

Plenty of viable, robust & secure alternatives.

[Ksyrup]

I hate Apple products generally because they force you to stay in their ecosystem, and I think it sucks that they purposely make the videos the rest of my family sends me look shitty (and basically, unwatchable) to try to get me to buy an iPhone. So, I don't really have an opinion on the legal merits of this case, but I hope Apple loses on general principle.

[Edward64]

Why don't you move to WhatsApp or equivalent?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I hate Apple products generally because they force you to stay in their ecosystem, and I think it sucks that they purposely make the videos the rest of my family sends me look shitty (and basically, unwatchable) to try to get me to buy an iPhone. So, I don't really have an opinion on the legal merits of this case, but I hope Apple loses on general principle.

Ditto. I have said this before, but I would love to throw the Iphone I have to use for work in the river. I hear people being so loyal to that piece of junk and feel like they have been brainwashed somehow.

[Ksyrup]

I have WhatsApp, only because a hotel I was staying at required it for notification of when our room was ready. Outside of that single use, I've never even looked at it. I use Textra, which I like.

I'm assuming WhatsApp would require everyone, not just me, to be on it? That's a no go.

[sovereignstar v2]

Yes, they'd all need it which is the problem. I use Signal to send photos and videos back and forth between family members (who have fucking iPhones) and my sister will never check her Signal messages. This basically means we barely communicate. Otherwise, people will forget to send their photos with Signal, which is super annoying because the quality is terrible and it means I either have to remind them for the 29th time to use Signal or bite my tongue

[Edward64]

FWIW.

WhatApp is #1.

Most popular messaging apps 2024 | Statista

Access Denied

FWIW #2

Get with the revolution!

At the time the IBM PC was the standard in offices and in many homes as well. The idea was to “break” from the thinking that a PC was the only way to do work, and the Apple Macintosh would allow people to do more while not being locked into standard thinking

They don't need to remake it but it would be great if they enhanced it to 1080p so it's less blocky.

[Schmidty]

I’m just comfortable with iOS. Believe it or not, I never even had a smartphone until 2020. I had lived so far from cellphone range in both Washington and California that there was no point. So iPhones and iPads are all I’ve ever had. Maybe if I could transfer the apps that I’ve purchased over to Galaxy, I would at least try it out. But I can’t, so I won’t.

[Ksyrup]

I'm just the opposite. Not only do I appreciate the freedom of the Android world, but I'm too deep into it to want to learn the Apple system even if I didn't already hate it. I'm coming from a place of ignorance, but all I've seen over the years is my family have major problems transferring information to and from their phones.

You can't just hook up an iPhone to a PC and use File Explorer to easily drag and drop any kind of file (although I suppose they make it possible if you have Apple devices!). It's just stupid and unnecessary. I still recall that smug fuck from Apple answering a guy's question about why he can't share videos with friends on non-iPhones without them being grainy, and his answer was, "They should buy an iPhone." I would have told him to go fuck himself.

As far as WhatsApp, it requires buy-in from everybody in my family/friend circle, not just me. Not happening.

[Edward64]

When I think of monopoly, I think of AT&T back in the 80s. That sucker owned (seemingly) telco and the equipment also. There weren't many/viable alternatives.

(I remember thinking don't break it up, there'll be less efficient research, innovation etc. Little did I understand competition and the innovation that brings).

Speaking as a layman, it seems there is plenty of competition nowadays for all the big Apple products. If Apple owned 80% of the world market, sure. If Apple owned 80% of the US market, sure. But its approx 60-40 right now, and that seems pretty healthy to me.

https://backlinko.com/iphone-vs-android-statistics


Google search/ads seems to be the real monopoly. I know that's in the process, hope something happens there.

[Ksyrup]

Like I said, I don't really care much about the legal argument. Just at first blush, it definitely seems to be a stretch. I just want to see them taken down a notch because they've purposely made my life a little more inconvenient simply because I refuse to buy their products.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Like I said, I don't really care much about the legal argument. Just at first blush, it definitely seems to be a stretch. I just want to see them taken down a notch because they've purposely made my life a little more inconvenient simply because I refuse to buy their products.

I don't know if this is just a BS concern but I don't think I can trust any non-AAA apps on Android. I'd be worried about using the Fidelity, eTrade, Charles Schwab apps on Android because of malware lurking around in the backgammon or chess game I downloaded.

I know malware, virus hits Apple too. But it seems ways too common on the Android platform. Am I wrong here?

[Ksyrup]

I don't know. I've used nothing but Android since I gave up my firm-issued Blackberry so many years ago I don't remember and never had an issue.

[Edward64]

Changed my Apple password this morning. Apple warned me about someone in China trying to access my Apple account. I hope karma catches up with them.

[Ksyrup]

Here's a perfect example of why I could never use an iPhone. I'm seeing multiple articles touting a "feature" that is likely coming to iOS 18 - home screen customization including such amazing innovations as blank spaces, columns and even - gasp! - rows between icons! WTF?

[Edward64]

Yeah, I concede that point.

I roll my eyes when I see an article about new iOS features that I think should be a given or nothing to brag about.

Thinking back about my IT implementations. After initial implementation, we would generally do a 2nd phase of stuff like 4-6 months after. We didn't tout the small things.

[Edward64]

I'll be happy if Apple gets its mojo back with these "intelliphones" but just reading the article, I'm not convinced. It may well be fantastic but I figure it's got a low barrier of entry for competitors.

Now the Apple Vision Pro on the other hand ... I know it seems to be losing momentum but if they can get the price (and killer software apps) down from $3,500 to $950, they may have something big e.g. instead of stock buybacks, spend the cash hoard and lower the price to $950 and make it a loss leader until there's critical mass/acceptance.

Apple is getting a once-in-a-decade secret weapon in AI-enabled ‘intelliphones.’ Bank of America sees its stock surging 20%

Apple is about to get a new secret weapon that could lead to some juicy returns for investors: AI-focused phones. Bank of America analysts call them “IntelliPhones,” and in a Wednesday note, they argued that these high-powered devices will be an entirely new breed compared to the current raft of smartphones.

Senior equity research analyst Wamsi Mohan and his team described a future where phones will need far more computing power in order to handle the daily use of “AI agents” that will help with everything from booking travel and real-time translation to scheduling and tutoring. For Apple and its installed base of over 2.2 billion active smartphones, that means a massive opportunity to sell customers on the latest and greatest AI tech.

IntelliPhones are set to offer a new experience for consumers that smartphones won’t be able to compete with, including augmented and virtual reality experiences, health monitoring, and more, according to BofA’s analysts. “As AI technology evolves the gap between IntelliPhones and traditional smartphones is likely to widen further by offering even more sophisticated and personalized functions driving the desire to upgrade,” they wrote.

Currently in Asia. I see the Chinese smartphone stores everywhere, tempted to get a budget model just to see how it works but unsure if it'll work back in the US.

[Ksyrup]

So Samsung had their "unpacked" today and announced the new Fold6 and Flip6. I really want to get a foldable, but I can't pull the trigger. They apparently widened the Fold6 a bit from predecessors, but it still looks way too much like a candy bar that will make the use of the outside screen less than functional. I want a foldable that functions like a normal phone that I can unfold for watching videos, TV and doing some stuff that's hard to do on a small screen and that eliminates the need for a tablet or using my computer.

Anyway... Samsung is all about the AI stuff. Now, personally, I can't even bring myself to use Alexa/Echo or any kind of speaking app on my phone, let alone AI. It just doesn't interest me. But what I did find interesting in the fine print of the email I got from Samsung about the Fold6 is this:

Galaxy AI features by Samsung will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.

Am I reading too much into this? Is this a statement about support, or is this about getting everyone hooked on AI and then charging for it starting in 2026? Maybe because I don't pay attention to AI, I wasn't aware of the plan to yank this feature from being free and charging for it. Is that where this is headed?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Am I reading too much into this? Is this a statement about support, or is this about getting everyone hooked on AI and then charging for it starting in 2026? Maybe because I don't pay attention to AI, I wasn't aware of the plan to yank this feature from being free and charging for it. Is that where this is headed?

That is absolutely the plan. It may not happen in 2026, but it is going to happen. Companies are always looking for a new subscription service to constantly charge you for something, and that is exactly what companies hope AI will become. That is why they are spending crazy money on developing it.

[Edward64]

I agree that companies will try monetize AI with subscriptions. Having worked in the SaaS software world, I’ve seen real benefits over the old traditional on-premise model.

However, I do see healthy competition in generative AI so I’m good with paying a monthly fee if it is worthwhile to me. Come up with some smart, nice looking eyewear that gives me google maps and I’d pay for it.

[Ksyrup]

Well, I finally broke down and bought the Fold 6. Two reasons:

1. I sat next to a lady on a flight last weekend who had the Fold 5 and she raved about it. Gave me a 10 minute presentation on how great it was, showed me a bunch of stuff, etc.

2. I got a $100 pre-order credit which brings it back down to last year's price to start, $120 off for something or other, and a storage upgrade to 512GB for free, PLUS an offer on one of my AmEx cards for 10K points for orders over $1000 on Samsung.com PLUS Rakuten has 15% cash back on mobile phones purchased at Samsung.com.

I get my cash back coverted to AmEx points on Rakuten because I can get more than a 1:1 value for them. So combined, that's going to end up somewhere around 42,500 AmEx points which is $425 minimally, or probably closer to $750+ value using AmEx points transferred to travel partners.

So, all in all, it was too good a deal to pass up.

[Edward64]

Congrats, let us s know how you like it.

I’ve got my 15PM and a Pixel as a traveling, nothing but maps & pics phone. I know others love Android but going to wait for the Apple version.

Been reading some on the 16. I won’t prob won’t upgrade but wife & daughter still have their 12 mini, so it’s time for them.

[Ksyrup]

Just came last night. With all my travel troubles, all I did was open it to make sure it was an actual phone. Plan on messing with it tonight.

[Ksyrup]

So I've now had the Fold 6 for 2 weeks, and I have to say, I love it. Yes, the smaller main screen took several days to get used to, but when I finally got around to putting away my old Galaxy 21 Ultra, I couldn't believe how big it was in comparison. Kinda took me back to the older, smaller phones which I don't mind - since the phone folds out into a small tablet.

It's a bit bulky in certain shorts or pants, but the extra weight isn't all that much of an issue, and it being slimmer counter-acts the bulkiness. It fits better in a pocket, it's just thicker. It also fits perfectly in a car cup holder.

The woman I spoke to about her Fold 5 experience had shown me how some apps weren't optimized for the front screen. I'm finding that they pretty much fixed that issue on the F6. I've basically recreated my 21U phone experience on the outer screen of the F6, it's just smaller. Some people have complained about typing on the front screen, but I'm not finding I'm making any more mistakes now than I did on the bigger phone.

The inside screen is great. The crease is somewhat visible due to how glossy it is, but once you pull up any app, you don't really see the crease at all. Reading and watching videos/shows is perfect and exactly what I was looking for.

The battery could - and should - be better. It's the same battery as the F5. That's ridiculous. Even if I don't really use the inside screen, I have to charge up by the evening, sometime late afternoon if I've put in some heavy use. But unless I'm planning to be out for 12-15 hours without a charging source, it's not that big a deal because I can juice up at night at my leisure.

Camera - seems fine. I don't use my camera for anything other than taking pictures of things at the store to send to my wife to confirm I'm buying the right thing. I don't take selfies. I take a few pictures on vacation, but for every 1 pic I take, my wife takes 10. So the camera could be Paul Simon Kodachrome quality and I wouldn't really care much.

Haven't touched the AI stuff. Just not that interested. When we eventually head out for an international vacation, I might learn how to set up the AI interpreter app, but all the rest of the stuff seems unnecessarily gimmicky to me, like Alexa/Echo/Siri - this generation's version of the Clapper.

All in all, I'm very pleased. Samsung definitely is not pushing boundaries given that other foldables seem to have much better specs or are thinner/lighter/better charging capabilities, etc., but for someone like me who moved from a 3-generation old Galaxy, for a first foldable, it's damn near perfect (although probably about $500 more than it should be).

[Atocep]

I've had the fold 4 since release and it's the only phone I've owned that I haven't had the itch to upgrade or replace within a year.

[Edward64]

There is rumored to be an iPhone 17 "slim".

No idea if this is a legit pic of the width difference, but if accurate, I want it.

x.com

[Fidatelo]

These things are already hard to hold onto from being so slim. Without the camera bump I would probably be unable to even pick that 5mm one up off a table without sliding it to the edge first.

[Edward64]

Trifold smartphone.

Huawei has now confirmed that the Mate XT will debut as the world's first tri-folding smartphone in September 2024.

[Ksyrup]

I saw that. I don't know if I'd want to count on 2 hinges working properly when 1 is a gamble right now. When I bought my ZFold 6, I bought a protection plan because it made all sorts of sense to protect against several possible issues (inside screen issues, hinge, etc.).

Is it going to be available in the US? There are a lot of decent foldable competitors out there right now, but Samsung really isn't being pushed to innovate (or come down on proice) on the Fold much because most of them are not available here.The thinnest, fastest charging, lightest, etc., are all unavailable here. And even when they are, like the OnePlus Open, there are no phone carrier tie-ins and limited availability, so you're taking a big gamble buying a phone with limited US support and that you have to buy outright rather than pay monthly (to make it more affordable) through your carrier.

[Edward64]

Seems somewhat overdesigned to me. But I have definitely been wrong in the smartphone arena before.

I can't rationalize buying one but even if I could, I'd worry about support (software and network) because its Huawei and want to wait for v2 or v3 to iron out any kinks.

I'm interested in reading the reviews though. Weight, thickness, camera, drop test etc.

[Edward64]

Some more info.

No way in heck I'm going to spend $2,800 on a device with a 2-3 year planned obsolescence. But then again, there is something like 3.7M pre-orders.

The so-called trifold phone from Huawei, dubbed the Mate XT and starting at 19,999 yuan ($2,800), took over five years of development and promises to fit a 10-inch tablet in a pocket.

The Mate XT measures just 3.6mm in thickness when open — camera bump excluded — and was designed to allow three modes of operation. One is like a regular smartphone, another is an almost square foldable device, and the third is the full 10.2-inch tablet experience. The device runs Huawei’s in-house Harmony OS.

[RainMaker]

I would get one at normal smartphone pricing but no chance I'd dump $2800 into any phone. It does look incredibly cool.

I wouldn't worry too much about the hinges and screens. Huawei is the best in the industry at it and they already have a hinge phone that is really damn good.

[Edward64]

I'll toss this in here because it's Apple. Below is fantastic news.

I've got slight hearing loss on my right ear (busted ear drum a while ago) and have tinnitus. Below won't help me much right now but I hope this encourages more innovations along the way.

Apple, you do need to make your airpods last longer than 4-5 hours.

FDA approves some Apple AirPods to be used as hearing aids : NPR

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Apple's new "Hearing Aid Feature" which will amplify sounds for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment. The Apple feature, coming this fall via a free software update, will only work with AirPods Pro 2 ear buds and iOS 18-compatible iPhones or iPads. It is intended for adults 18 or older.

More than 30 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss. But only 1 in 6 Americans with hearing impairments between the ages of 20 and 69 actually use hearing aids due to high cost, lack of accessibility, poor customer satisfaction and stigma, according to the National Council on Aging.

[Edward64]

Wife place order for white iPhone 16 pro so that’ll be her big Christmas present.

She still wishes for a 16 mini.

[RainMaker]

Is anyone else being hit with the Verizon outage? Phones been unusable all day.

[stevew]

Is the pro max 16 just not available in any ATT stores? I’d even get the 1 gig if I can find it in store. I do not like having a device shipped. UPS etc comes on a pretty random schedule here. I don’t wanna wait all day for a phone to arrive.