Need to vent my frustration here, where is my perfect phone?

D

David-Duc

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
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So last night I went to bed, my Nexus 6 has 44% batt. left and I usually charge the phone at work. Wake up in the morning and it's down to 13%??? WTF:mad::mad:. That's still fine, check for updates and sure enough, still no update available.
schizrade said:
N6 Project Fi users are still on 5.0 as well, so nothing suprising. Just sideload or ADB reflash it, or pull sim and factory reset and when you connect to wifi, the 6.0 update will start.

Yes the carriers are holding it up, they always do. My wifes N6 is still on 5.11 and she just got the nov security update last week, which is more important than 6.0. My 6.0 is still on October security update, which is more annoying to me than the 5.0>6.0 upgrade.
Click to expand...
My next phone is very likely to be an iPhone, what is the point if buying a Nexus anymore? Enough of this shitty android for me. Mind that I went from an LG Optimus One P500 to a Nexus 4 then upgrade to LG G2 then to iPhone 6 Plus and now the Nexus 6 so I've been a long time Android user. iOS while felt very limited to me, has always been a reliable OS with predictable updates and functions, battery life is also very consistent. Android, especially with the Nexus 6, is a major disappoinent. Battery life some times dropped 8% over night, sometimes 20+%, WTF? Always the same apps and settings, after that I'll have to dig through a bunch of running apps to see which one is doing that and then clear it. iPhone has never done that to me. Consistently 1-3% drained overnight. The only shitty thing that I hate most about Apple is it is now 2015 and iPhone still records in MONO, base model comes with 16GB and you still can't download a file to your phone? WTF is wrong with that? So what is the perfect phone for me? Please educate me since I'm really lost here. Another annoying thing is that why can't Google fix the stuttering scrolling in android Chrome whenever there's java on the page? Chrome on Safari doesn't have that problem, Safari is even better.
 
No perfect phone.... just decide what you can live with

For the nexus phones, you can bypass most of the firmware BS by sideloading updates... I root my phone, so auto-updates doesn't work anyways

For the iPhone, you can bypass most of the <insert> limitations by.....?


I'm happy with my nexus 6P...

Used to get 2 hr SOT + 8 hour usage on my nexus 5, getting 5 hour SOT and 8-20 hour usage on my 6P. Doze on marshmallow is working properly (overnight drop is usually under 3%)

no stuttering chrome on me
 
I'm still using a Droid MAXX which is 2+ years old now, on the factory battery, and I still get 2+ days of use between charges more often than not - mind you I'm not a typical cell phone user meaning I do all my calling using VoIP with Google Hangouts. I don't use the actual minutes that come with my service plan (the T-Mobile $30/month unadvertised one which only has 100 mins of talk time) so I use Google Hangouts Dialer to make calls and Hangouts to receive them using my Google Voice number - I don't even give out the actual T-Mobile cell number to anyone unless I consider it really important.

Was thinking about getting a Droid TURBO (the 1st model that came out last year) and now that the Droid TURBO 2 is out I'm considering it but, I'm disappointed in one respect: one would think that two years down the road technology would have improved to the point where with a big battery and most efficient CPUs and displays that Motorola would be able to claim more than 48 hours of battery life - that's the claim they made for this Droid MAXX I own and that was 2+ years ago. The Droid TURBO and the TURBO 2 still have the same battery life estimate: 48 hours.

Seems a bit odd to me they can't improve past that 2 day "hard cap" for some reason.

Regardless, on a typical charge I'll make 4-6 hours of voice calls using Hangouts (that's over the cellular data connection when not on Wi-Fi which I happen to be as often as possible), 15-20 hours of audio streaming from several sources (iHeart Radio, TuneIn Radio, Scanner Radio Pro, and Google Play Music where I have like 17,000 songs uploaded from my CD collection ripped to LAME encoded mp3 files over the years), maybe a video or two (and now that T-Mobile is offering me the Binge On video streaming it looks like I'll have to redo my Netflix subscription at some point since I can watch movies and TV shows over cellular now and not take a hit to my data at all (like I do using the Music Freedom part), and many other various things: web browsing (using Opera mini mostly), eBook reading (using Moon Reader Pro), and various other tasks that come up like most people (maybe an hour or two of reading Flipboard news articles, looking over Google Newsstand, etc).

And it's always on sync for Gmail, weather, etc. I don't use Bluetooth much (after all these years it's still just so slow for most file transfers and I don't own a Bluetooth earpiece or headset), some other tasks overall. My current usage shows 37 hours total, 7.1 hours of screen on time (it's an AMOLED panel in the MAXX so that helps too, not a backlit LCD) and 23% battery left so I'll be plugging in here before I head out for the day (2A charger, takes about 1.5 hours back to 100% - it's not quick charging as this phone came out before that technology really kicked in).

My advice to the OP? Don't believe the hype with Nexus devices, they're nothing special really. While I have some issues with Motorola over the years, they are the only company that actually designs devices where they truly do go after that 48 hour battery life claim they advertise.

Now that the new "shatterproof display" technology is here I just might have to look into that TURBO 2 upgrade soon. I may import the international version of the phone so I don't have to deal with the Verizon crap anymore (the Droid MAXX was released just after Verizon became required to sell all their devices factory unlocked for GSM operation so I use it with T-Mobile without issues). The international version of the TURBO 2 is known as the Moto X Force and would probably cost me a tiny bit more for the phone outright but, I ain't worried about it too much. I still love this demo video - the guy's reaction when the Samsung Galaxy S6 hits the bricks is priceless:

Meet Moto X Force

If you listen closely when that GS6 hits, it makes a very distinct high pitched "TINK" sound which is probably why he reacted that way. :D

Out of the box since day one the MAXX has had better battery life by default than any device I've ever owned and that's like 55 cell phones since the mid-1980s so, I'm very happy with the purchase back in October of 2013. I bought it outright for $649+tax and haven't had one regret since doing so.

OP, there are excellent phones out there with major battery life so if that is your biggest gripe overall - seems like you've got it in for Android but that's just me - consider the Droid TURBO 2 (or even the non-branded Moto X Force but it's not sold directly in the US and has to be imported from somewhere outside the US). Might cost a bit more up front but, if you're still using it 2+ years later and happy with it, isn't that all that really matters?
 
Windows 10 Mobile with as much app development support as android running on the Note 5 would be pretty close to perfect for 2015.

If Apple brings customizable default apps settings, home screen widgets, and a more customizable placements of icons with a searchable app drawer. It'll also be pretty close to perfect.

Maybe Android N will bring battery life improvement by making multitasking more similar to Windows Mobile or iOS. And Android also need to be able to get security updates straight from Google. This would make Android pretty close to perfect.

The sad part is none of this is possible in the foreseeable future. But the only one we can actually do something about is supporting Windows Mobile. So buy into Windows Mobile, everybody!
 
I went back and forth with my iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6P. It's a toss up in most every way and came down to the rest of my family firmly entrenched with iPhones.

iMessage and Face Time are both used extensively and the Android equivalents are just not as polished or seamless between Android and IOS.

I run Google Apps on my iPhone and they run with no hiccups. The last holdout app was Google Keep but is now available on iOS so my 6 Plus is dawn near the perfect phone for me and my use.

Physically they could reduce the size as the top and bottom and side bezels are big. Other than that I have been very satisfied with the 6 Plus.

It was my first iPhone after using Android phones since the Galaxy S2 and dawn near every flagship since.

Even used the OnePlus One and Two as well as every Nexus starting with the 4.

If you don't like to tinker with your phone the 6 Plus is a great user experience, battery life better than any other phone I have owned and a very simple point and shoot camera that just works. Any accessory you could want is available and repairs or service are as close as your local Apple store.

When you have 8 phones on a Family plan like me, 7 iPhones ranging from the 5 to the 6s Plus, with one Android phone in the mix things start to become clear as which direction will be easiest for me. The 6 Plus makes the decision even easier as it has been an excellent phone for my first experience with iOS.
 
CHANG3D said:
Windows 10 Mobile with as much app development support as android running on the Note 5 would be pretty close to perfect for 2015.

If Apple brings customizable default apps settings, home screen widgets, and a more customizable placements of icons with a searchable app drawer. It'll also be pretty close to perfect.

Maybe Android N will bring battery life improvement by making multitasking more similar to Windows Mobile or iOS. And Android also need to be able to get security updates straight from Google. This would make Android pretty close to perfect.

The sad part is none of this is possible in the foreseeable future. But the only one we can actually do something about is supporting Windows Mobile. So buy into Windows Mobile, everybody!
Click to expand...

Just swipe down on a home screen and you can search from there. You can customize what you want searchable and I include apps in mine.
 
As far as battery life goes, my Samsung s4 usually only drops about 13% overnight. 8 hours.

But my previous iphones are unparalleled in battery life with the screen off. Some nights it never even dropped 5%.

I rarely leave it unplugged at night though. Expecting phones to last 24 hours, even more so when using it, is just not going to happen. Running the newest and greatest takes power and theres only so much space for a battery.
 
There is no "perfect phone". There never will be. I thought my Nexus 6 was really great but the camera was good but not great. The AMOLED had burn in. Updates through carriers were still relatively slow even though it was a Nexus.

Look at the 6P. No OIS. The rear screen appears to be having issues with random cracking. Multiple reports of AMOLED burn-in already. At least 6P gets updates directly from Google.

In the end you just need to find a device you like the most and run with it. For me I ditched my Nexus 6 for the LG V10. I don't regret it one damn bit either. Will my updates likely be slower? Yes, but after so many years of crack flashing and worrying about whether I was on the latest or not I simply gave up caring anymore.

Any device can achieve good battery life if you want to really play with it. Right now my V10 gets 4.5 hours SoT on average. I see guys though who are getting 6 hours. They however spend hours tweaking their device with different apps and really trying to hit that 6. Again I simply don't care. I'll just happily wait for my free spare battery to arrive and if I run out of juice I'll just swap it in.
 
yeongil said:
+1,000,000


Does the size not bother you on the LG V10? It's big and heavy compared to my current phone. Also, do you like secondary screen that displays the notifications?
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N6 was technically bigger then V10 so for me it doesn't matter. V10 is heavier by a little bit but that doesn't bother me in the least either.

I do like the secondary screen. I like having quick shortcuts to my most used apps since I multi-task a lot and I like being able to swipe away notifications without turn on the whole screen.
 
David-Duc said:
My next phone is very likely to be an iPhone, what is the point if buying a Nexus anymore? Enough of this shitty android for me. Mind that I went from an LG Optimus One P500 to a Nexus 4 then upgrade to LG G2 then to iPhone 6 Plus and now the Nexus 6 so I've been a long time Android user. iOS while felt very limited to me, has always been a reliable OS with predictable updates and functions, battery life is also very consistent. Android, especially with the Nexus 6, is a major disappoinent. Battery life some times dropped 8% over night, sometimes 20+%, WTF? Always the same apps and settings, after that I'll have to dig through a bunch of running apps to see which one is doing that and then clear it. iPhone has never done that to me. Consistently 1-3% drained overnight.
Click to expand...

Occasionally you'll run into a badly written app that causes battery drain. Fortunately, I've only ran into one within the last year or so. What you can try is dumb Android down to iOS level by going into developer options and set 'limit background processes' to 'no background processes' first and also try toggling 'do not keep activities'. Just keep in mind that it'll likely limit background tasks like iOS.
 
iPhone 6S Plus I would say is already perfect for me. I don't want to spend a bunch of time configuring a phone. I got sick of doing that stuff all day in 2008 (obviously on computers and not phones, but the disdain for doing it carried over). I would say that it does more than I'll ever need it to do, has a great screen, and excellent battery life. It also does 4k video for some silly reason and has a great picture mode. iOS just works and none of the inherent "limitations" which I know get complained about a lot in here affect me or my workflow at all.

The only change I would make to it if I was to nitpick is the lack of a micro SD card slot. It obviously would be easy to gain another 128-200GB with the addition of one. Even if installation was a mess, I'd only have to do it one time and it'd be worth it. Still that's a minor limitation, a 64GB iPhone is plenty, and the only reason to have more space would be to get rid of my 7th gen 160GB iPod Classic, which I still use while working out, traveling, and in the car...

Which I guess is the other problem actually, I can't afford to upgrade to this phone right now. I use MVNOs so I have to buy my phone outright. $800 is a bit much for me right now. I am considering picking up a regular 6 Plus up off of Swappa for around half that, but even $400 is a lot to spend.
 
Lots of nice tips and info, thanks guys. In my opinion, iOS is very nice but there are at least two things that annoy the crap out of me (as I stated above):
1. Why CAN'T I download a file to my phone? I don't really need a full file system with browser like Windows or Android. Just need a place holder where I can download my files to and open it with different apps.

2. This is 2015 and iPhone still records video/audio in MONO? What the ****? The device has at least 3 microphones as far as I know so why can't Apple let us have that setting to switch between mono/stereo?

-I'm still in favor of Android but the two things: mysterious battery drain (I turned on dev. mode and limit background tasks to 2, so we'll see in the next few days) & slow update on NEXUS device are killing it. Don't defend Google guys, the whole point of buying a NEXUS is to get the greatest latest update as soon as it is released. Now, I feel like I was tricked. When I had my Nexus 4, everything was spectacular, updates are fast just as promised. Don't have to wait for stupid T-Mobile to inject bloatware into the build.

-I tried jailbreak with the iPhone 6 Plus and root the LG G2 a while ago, while it unlocks lots of potential, I don't want to risk losing my CC, bank account and private information (I'm one of those millennials who keep everything on their phone). And another thing with jailbreak is every time there's a new update, I'll have to wait for a new tool which is kind of defeat the point of getting update straight from Apple.
 
As long as you avoid the obscure Chinese app store/repos, your info will be safe even on a jailbreak. Personally I always return to stock iOS after a while, mainly because jailbreaking seems to add some instability that just gets annoying after a while. I don't know what it is with Android, but they still manage to lag with 8 cores and 3GB of Ram. Maybe that is a Samsung specific issue, but it's something that happened on my GS3 3 years ago and is still happening now with my GS6 Edge. Looks like I'll be getting an iPhone 7 next year and waiting another 2-3 years before trying Android again.
 
the way android phones are going you might as well all the android phones are looking like iphones htc A9 looks so close you can probably use iphone cases on them...

Samsung was different enough with the note 3 and gs3 and gs4 but now...
 
David-Duc said:
Lots of nice tips and info, thanks guys. In my opinion, iOS is very nice but there are at least two things that annoy the crap out of me (as I stated above):
1. Why CAN'T I download a file to my phone? I don't really need a full file system with browser like Windows or Android. Just need a place holder where I can download my files to and open it with different apps.

2. This is 2015 and iPhone still records video/audio in MONO? What the ****? The device has at least 3 microphones as far as I know so why can't Apple let us have that setting to switch between mono/stereo?

-I'm still in favor of Android but the two things: mysterious battery drain (I turned on dev. mode and limit background tasks to 2, so we'll see in the next few days) & slow update on NEXUS device are killing it. Don't defend Google guys, the whole point of buying a NEXUS is to get the greatest latest update as soon as it is released. Now, I feel like I was tricked. When I had my Nexus 4, everything was spectacular, updates are fast just as promised. Don't have to wait for stupid T-Mobile to inject bloatware into the build.

-I tried jailbreak with the iPhone 6 Plus and root the LG G2 a while ago, while it unlocks lots of potential, I don't want to risk losing my CC, bank account and private information (I'm one of those millennials who keep everything on their phone). And another thing with jailbreak is every time there's a new update, I'll have to wait for a new tool which is kind of defeat the point of getting update straight from Apple.
Click to expand...

In terms of iOS limitations it's because Steve Jobs said so. :p

In terms of Android battery drain. Grab this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gsamlabs.bbm

You can use that to monitor and find out what is going on. I would set the background apps back to the default though.

For Nexus updates the carriers get in the way with Nexus 5 and Nexus 6. When I had my Nexus 6 I simply grabbed the factory image (since those were released before any OTA update) and dirty flashed it all. Took all of 5 minutes and I was updated with no data loss and no issues.

Time will tell with 5X and 6P if Google updates them relatively quickly since the carriers aren't involved this time.
 
iOS kinda sorta has a tool in the form of iCloud Drive (you enable the app with a settings toggle, interestingly enough), and other services like Dropbox or Google Drive will do in a pinch. However, I agree that Apple would ideally have an abstracted local file system that makes it easy to juggle files that aren't obviously attached to a given app. It'd be easier than a raw file system, but would address a lot of the flexibility concerns. iOS 10, maybe?
 
David-Duc said:
mysterious battery drain (I turned on dev. mode and limit background tasks to 2, so we'll see in the next few days)
Click to expand...

Doesn't solve your root issue (misbehaving services causing wakelocks)... and now, your apps will keep trying to launch themselves in background (and eventually getting killed by OS due to this limit), will waste your battery more

slow update on NEXUS device are killing it. Don't defend Google guys, the whole point of buying a NEXUS is to get the greatest latest update as soon as it is released. Now, I feel like I was tricked. When I had my Nexus 4, everything was spectacular, updates are fast just as promised. Don't have to wait for stupid T-Mobile to inject bloatware into the build.
Click to expand...

Once an update is available, it can take up to two weeks for it to reach your device. Based on your carrier, it may take longer than two weeks after release to get an update.
Click to expand...
You'll still (eventually) get your update... the OTAs roll out slower (in case there are problems). for the 6.0 updates, people just get staggered OTA, no specific carrier being blocked

this is a device for developers....As other people said above, if you don't want to wait, just dirty flash the OTA.

it's difficult to soft brick your device, and very very hard to hard brick a nexus phone (as long as bootloader is not corrupted, you can always recover via fastboot... there is almost zero reason to mess with the bootloader)
 
Apple profit$ trump giving you the freedom of a user accessible file system and loading your own content vs forcing you through Apple store and iTunes for a 30% cut of everything. Bought DVDs so you can rip and play on the go from local phone storage? Nope, pay for it again through Apple store and pay the penalty for carrier overage.
 
mi7chy said:
Apple profit$ trump giving you the freedom of a user accessible file system and loading your own content vs forcing you through Apple store and iTunes for a 30% cut of everything. Bought DVDs so you can rip and play on the go from local phone storage? Nope, pay for it again through Apple store and pay the penalty for carrier overage.
Click to expand...

This shows your complete bias as well as being informationally wrong.

You can load any type of media you want up on Apple devices. It may not have a drag and drop file system, but iTunes syncs media files up just fine. (Also, there are iTunes alternatives, but I won't outline that here).

The closed system isn't for the purpose of making cash, at least not as you describe it. It's for ease of use for the greatest amount of users and for overall system stability. Two things which I'm sure you'll attempt to disprove/discredit but I would say that that is par for the course.

You don't have to use any iOS devices or like them (which is your power as the buyer), but can you at least not tell complete fabrications or is that asking too much?
 
UnknownSouljer said:
The closed system isn't for the purpose of making cash, at least not as you describe it. It's for ease of use for the greatest amount of users and for overall system stability. Two things which I'm sure you'll attempt to disprove/discredit but I would say that that is par for the course.
Click to expand...

The cute little disclaimer doesn't make it less BS. No user exposed file system for ease of use and better stability? #1 often asked question is how to move files to/from iOS devices and having to jump through hoops doesn't make it easy vs plugging in directly and drag/drop. You ever hear that asked for OS X, Windows, Linux, BSD, Android, etc. and since they have user exposed file system they're less stable? Funniest apologetic BS I've heard.
 
mi7chy said:
The cute little disclaimer doesn't make it less BS. No user exposed file system for ease of use and better stability? #1 often asked question is how to move files to/from iOS devices and having to jump through hoops doesn't make it easy vs plugging in directly and drag/drop. You ever hear that asked for OS X, Windows, Linux, BSD, Android, etc. and since they have user exposed file system they're less stable? Funniest apologetic BS I've heard.
Click to expand...

You can drag and drop with Airdrop, Dropbox, or iCloud.

To reverse your statements, then you're just a cry baby that complains that something that is simple takes you slightly longer than it would on your open system. Far from being device breaking.

Most people don't have an issue with this and you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. This can be evidenced by the fact that people are... you know still using iOS devices and haven't all migrated away crying about it. And don't tell me about apologetics. Not unless you're ready to review your entire post history. At least I can state I enjoy using devices, whereas all you ever do is spill out misinformation and constant hate. How you ever come to own any cellphone at all is beyond me.
 
You're now suggesting to use internet cloud storage to move files in context to large rips? Don't know if you're trying to be funny or serious.
 
mi7chy said:
You're now suggesting to use internet cloud storage to move files in context to large rips? Don't know if you're trying to be funny or serious.
Click to expand...

*sigh* Seriously? iTunes is still an option. As are third party providers as I said before. Those other methods are just secondary "drag and drop" methods. And Airdrop isn't cloud storage, it's Wi-Fi drag and drop. But explaining anything to you is just pulling teeth. It wouldn't matter what the solution is, you'd cry about it.

And how big are your rips anyway, and what size can they be from a practical perspective anyway? The largest iPhone is limited to 128GB. It's not like it's practical to have 20GB Blu-Ray rips on a mobile device. This is a ridiculous objection.
 
Update: limit background tasks doesn't work for me, disabling Google fit seem to solve it. Overnight drain is now down to 6-8%. If the next iOS has what I need then I'll be all over it next year.
 
At the end of the day, power users and particularly multimedia connoisseurs with large, well-organized local libraries have to jump through a lot more hoops to use their content on iOS devices than Android. It isn't unreasonable for someone with a 128 GB phone (or, in Android's case, a phone with microSD) to want to load in 50-100 GB of music, movies, etc. for travel and other offline use. Unless you happen to already use iTunes on the desktop to manage your local content, it's a pain in the ass on iOS. Even if michy is exaggerating slightly, it's very much a nontrivial point for someone like me who meticulously organizes my 150+ GB local music library and does not use iTunes.
 
brettjrob said:
At the end of the day, power users and particularly multimedia connoisseurs with large, well-organized local libraries have to jump through a lot more hoops to use their content on iOS devices than Android. It isn't unreasonable for someone with a 128 GB phone (or, in Android's case, a phone with microSD) to want to load in 50-100 GB of music, movies, etc. for travel and other offline use. Unless you happen to already use iTunes on the desktop to manage your local content, it's a pain in the ass on iOS. Even if michy is exaggerating slightly, it's very much a nontrivial point for someone like me who meticulously organizes my 150+ GB local music library and does not use iTunes.
Click to expand...

I won't belabor the point, because for the most part I agree with you. As I was with you.

My library still is nearly 100% flac (over 500GB worth since we're comparing libraries... it's also a format that Apple doesn't support). I actually re-encode everything next to it with a 320kb variable mp4. So I know all about management woes. This all had to happen when I got my iPod Classic 160GB 7th Gen in 2009. Prior to that I was 100% Fubar 2000. But to use the iPod (especially at that time) iTunes was the only option.

However, even in this usage case, especially if you are meticulously organized and have all of your files properly tagged, then getting it all on your iDevice isn't that hard. It would basically be 3 steps:
1) Drag all your files in iTunes and wait for iTunes to process it.
2) Select what you want to go on your device.
3) Sync with your device.

You are "forced" to use this method if you want a wired connection, but as I've said, it's really not that big a deal. I get it, a lot of people want to do their thing their way. But unless you constantly want to manage what files are on your device frequently it's not hard (and hell, at least there is a way). And even if you do, I imagine you'll get very adept at the process. Short enough for it to probably take even less time than I do to manage my iPod, which yes, to this day is still in use (mostly for travel and working out).

There is a learning curve. It took me a little while to figure out the logic. You can even complain that it isn't ergonomic if you'd like. But honestly the software isn't that hard to use, it's just like iOS, you simply have to understand Apple's way.
 
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All I need for iOS is to allow me to do one thing: let me download a file using safari/chrome/what-ever-browser to my phone and have that file accessible by more than one app. If I want to download a .rom or .bin or .dll onto my iOS devices and send it to someone, it's simply impossible.
 
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