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  • Lex
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Apr 2001
    • 27461

    Phones

    So, with the advent of the technical age of phones, all sorts of phones, I phones, Android phones, how come we never discuss them?

    A friend at work just got a Nexus 2 I think it is, I was intrigued by it's form factor, seemed very nice.

    I hang onto a Epic 4G samsung phone that I love with it's pull out keyboard. But now I see how technologically, it seems to be slipping into the past. But for now I will keep using it.

    What do you guys use?

    I have sprint service, again because I like my phone, resistant to change.

    How about using your phone for Blutooth, do you ever do that? This car I have now has bluetooth built in, but I am still wondering about how all this works, I am technologically inept in some ways now. Crazy, me the geek...
    Doug
    "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer
  • Dmantis
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Jun 2004
    • 1036

    #2
    I personally have been using iPhone since the beginning. I have owned most of the models which I currently have a iPhone 5s.
    I really think the Smart Phone has a huge impact on our industry / Hobby. With control aps, Streaming music, pictures etc, I can't really see a future without one.

    I'm a Apple guy and have been since 2007. I use to own Windows based computers but with a family of 4 with 2 children, spending my weekends repairing loading Windows , cleaning up spam etc was a part time job. When I was introduced to Apple from a good friend, I was sold and have been since. Using a iPhone for me just completes the Apple platform. With Apple TV and Mac computers, it's the logical device to own.

    I have my iPhones on At&T and I'm very happy with my service.

    I checked out the Android phones and thought they where really nice but a little confusing to use. I don't however like the tablet size phones as I think they are just to big for everyday use. My iPhone fits into my pocket and I don't even know it's there until it rings or something.

    Honestly every once in a while I stop myself and feel so fortunate to have the world in my pocket. Think about it especially us older guys (40+) I have a phone in my pocket along with a GPS unit, Alarm clock, Music player, camera, Clock, Internet, etc. Who would ever thought years ago this would be a common item?

    I love my iPhone and I love getting the new one each year. The iPhone 5s is more then anything I need in a smart device. It does everything I want it to do and then some. Hell I use it for my home audio system all the time. Steam music, use the control aps, look up movie and TV info etc.

    What a cool world we live in.

    Comment

    • P-Dub
      Office Moderator
      • Aug 2000
      • 6766

      #3
      I'm thinking he actually got a Nexus 5. That's the latest and a very nice phone. I'd rank it among the top Android phones. The main benefit is that it will always be one of the first to get updates.

      I use an iPhone 4s for work, looking to upgrade this to a 5s either in the next week or go for the 6 in Nov.

      My personal phone is the Motorola Razr, there's a thread in here about it. I like it, but I don't get much use out of it. I'm looking forward to the upgrade to Android 4.4. I hope it gets rolled out by my carrier, Fido, before the summer.

      I use Telus mobility for work and Fido for personal. I'll update this later.

      As for bluetooth. I don't use it much at all. Especially in the car, mainly cause I don't have that feature. IF I did, I don't know how much I would use it.

      I got lots to say about phones so this may be a great thread!
      Last edited by P-Dub; 24 March 2014, 13:32 Monday.
      Paul

      There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

      Comment

      • Kevin P
        Member
        • Aug 2000
        • 10809

        #4
        I have an el cheapo prepay Samsung Gusto flip phone. No frills, no bells or whistles, $100 a year to keep it going, hardly worth discussing. I hate phones with a passion, and I hate paying for them even more.

        It does have Bluetooth, however, and it works well with the Bluetooth in my Mazda 3. After you pair the phone with the car, it automatically connects, and you can make and receive calls hands free using the buttons on the steering wheel. It's pretty nifty, and eliminates the need to fiddle with, or even touch the phone while driving.

        Comment

        • Chris D
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Dec 2000
          • 16877

          #5
          I'm with Kevin on a lot of that--I hate cell phones in general as well. Can't stand the way they intrude into life and society. That being said, I can't be too much of a hypocrite, as I have become hooked on little games I play on my phone.

          For years and years, I was very anti-Apple. Then maybe 4 years ago my phone finally died, and I tried out an iPhone. Liked it, and have stuck with iPhones ever since.
          CHRIS

          Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
          - Pleasantville

          Comment

          • Face
            Senior Member
            • Mar 2007
            • 995

            #6
            Samsung Note 2, it's nice to have a phone that I don't need glasses to see.
            SEOS 12/AE TD10M Front Stage in Progress

            Comment

            • Ovation
              Super Senior Member
              • Sep 2004
              • 2202

              #7
              Originally posted by Dmantis
              I personally have been using iPhone since the beginning. I have owned most of the models which I currently have a iPhone 5s.
              I really think the Smart Phone has a huge impact on our industry / Hobby. With control aps, Streaming music, pictures etc, I can't really see a future without one.

              I'm a Apple guy and have been since 2007. I use to own Windows based computers but with a family of 4 with 2 children, spending my weekends repairing loading Windows , cleaning up spam etc was a part time job. When I was introduced to Apple from a good friend, I was sold and have been since. Using a iPhone for me just completes the Apple platform. With Apple TV and Mac computers, it's the logical device to own.

              I have my iPhones on At&T and I'm very happy with my service.

              I checked out the Android phones and thought they where really nice but a little confusing to use. I don't however like the tablet size phones as I think they are just to big for everyday use. My iPhone fits into my pocket and I don't even know it's there until it rings or something.

              Honestly every once in a while I stop myself and feel so fortunate to have the world in my pocket. Think about it especially us older guys (40+) I have a phone in my pocket along with a GPS unit, Alarm clock, Music player, camera, Clock, Internet, etc. Who would ever thought years ago this would be a common item?

              I love my iPhone and I love getting the new one each year. The iPhone 5s is more then anything I need in a smart device. It does everything I want it to do and then some. Hell I use it for my home audio system all the time. Steam music, use the control aps, look up movie and TV info etc.

              What a cool world we live in.
              I have a similar approach. My first phone predates the smartphone era by quite a bit (I've got the grey hair to prove it) but I didn't hesitate when it came time to pick a smartphone--I chose an iPhone 4 (actually still using it and have no immediate plans to "upgrade"). I was already in the "Apple family" by then, so it made sense.

              When it comes to my audio gear, I'm not loyal to any brand. In my HT I have Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Cambridge Audio, Yamaha, Apple, Toshiba and Boston Acoustics equipment. In the living room I have Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, Integra, Marantz and PSB equipment. Scattered through the house I have RCA, JVC, Sharp and Aiwa as well. However, when it comes to computers and related gear, I made the switch to Apple some time ago and haven't looked back. I know it's less flexible than other solutions and more expensive, but it simply works the first time out and every time thereafter. I'm not overly computer savvy and, at this point in my life, I don't want to put the effort into becoming significantly more so. So I've got a MacBook Pro for work, a Mac Mini for the family desktop, an iPad, an iPhone, Airport Express and Extreme for networking and Apple TV in the HT.

              In the end, what sold me on Apple is that it all works together seamlessly and is easy to work with. I have no illusions that it is necessarily better than other products (I'm sure there are more efficient and/or powerful versions of each item for which I have an Apple product). But, so far, Apple is second to none for ease of use across its devices and that has value to me. If I want a tech challenge, I'd rather fiddle with my A/V gear.

              Comment

              • Chris D
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Dec 2000
                • 16877

                #8
                Originally posted by Dmantis
                Honestly every once in a while I stop myself and feel so fortunate to have the world in my pocket. Think about it especially us older guys (40+) I have a phone in my pocket along with a GPS unit, Alarm clock, Music player, camera, Clock, Internet, etc. Who would ever thought years ago this would be a common item?
                Totally agree there, man. We have today's supercomputer devices in our pockets, while tomorrow's supercomputers are produced for bigger purposes. If I want to know almost ANYTHING, I can just pull out my phone, and ask Siri.

                As for bluetooth, it's pretty slick. I leave it off for battery life, but if I want to make a call, now I can even ask Siri to turn on bluetooth, wait a couple seconds for it to connect to the car, then using my voice tell it to call a contact or dial a number I give it.
                CHRIS

                Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                - Pleasantville

                Comment

                • Ovation
                  Super Senior Member
                  • Sep 2004
                  • 2202

                  #9
                  Forgot to mention bluetooth. I'm a big fan of it in general. Allows me to control my PS3 from a different room (my 1st gen PS3 has a LOUD fan so it's not in the HT room). Also works well with my iPhone and the hands free system in my new Xterra (new from August). And it works well with my Apple wireless keyboard and my iPad Air--turning it into a 9/10th laptop (my MacBook is from 2009 and while it works well, its battery is a lot less autonomous than the iPad, so the iPad serves as a useful backup, as well as a "second screen" for my online courses when I'm marking assignments).

                  Comment

                  • madmac
                    Moderator Emeritus
                    • Aug 2010
                    • 3122

                    #10
                    I'm a big fan of Bluetooth myself. I think that all remotes such use that technology. IR is much more finicky and you have to 'point' the remote at the device you wish to operate. My PS3 remote can be sitting on the sofa pointing anywhere and it operates the unit flawlessly.....EVERY time too. How many times have we pointed an IR remote at a device and had to press a button twice to make the damn thing work!!??.

                    Everybody that is sold on Apple stuff says the same thing......ease of operation, seamless connectivity with other Apple devices etc..ect. I've got no problem with that I suppose. I have fiddled with them and personally do not like the Iphone graphics, screen presentation and overall interface. The fact that you can't put in expandable memory and do something as simple as pop the back to put in a new battery bugs the hell outta' me big time. Plus the operating system and what you can put on it is VERY proprietary. I like Android for it's more open platform.
                    Dan Madden :T

                    Comment

                    • P-Dub
                      Office Moderator
                      • Aug 2000
                      • 6766

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Paul Wu
                      I use an iPhone 4s for work, looking to upgrade this to a 5s either in the next week or go for the 6 in Nov.
                      I decided to upgrade my work phone to a 5s. Eventhough there are rumours of a larger phone and possibly an earlier release date, I figure I like this slightly larger form factor in relation to my 4s. An even larger phone just may not fit how I would like to use this work phone. Plus now I'm on a 2 year renewal period and can look to upgrade in 2 years time knowing that supplies for the new iteration of the iPhone will be in abundant supply. I'll also avoid the mad rush of the new phone introduction in the fall.

                      I've got small hands, so the 5s shape will fit nicely into it and it is still small enough to put in my pockets.

                      Depending on what is released in the next 2 years, this may be the last iPhone upgrade I do. I'm going for the 64 GB version as that is what I have now and I have about 10 GB free. I'm going to see if I can pair down what I have on my phone to see if I could live with a 32 GB size or even smaller.

                      The Nexus 5, which I could have gotten through the Google Play store would have been cheaper. But I don't believe we are technically supporting Android devices, so unfortunately that was out. I hope this will change in the upcoming year.
                      Last edited by P-Dub; 09 September 2014, 10:38 Tuesday.
                      Paul

                      There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                      Comment

                      • Ovation
                        Super Senior Member
                        • Sep 2004
                        • 2202

                        #12
                        Originally posted by madmac
                        I'm a big fan of Bluetooth myself. I think that all remotes such use that technology. IR is much more finicky and you have to 'point' the remote at the device you wish to operate. My PS3 remote can be sitting on the sofa pointing anywhere and it operates the unit flawlessly.....EVERY time too. How many times have we pointed an IR remote at a device and had to press a button twice to make the damn thing work!!??.

                        Everybody that is sold on Apple stuff says the same thing......ease of operation, seamless connectivity with other Apple devices etc..ect. I've got no problem with that I suppose. I have fiddled with them and personally do not like the Iphone graphics, screen presentation and overall interface. The fact that you can't put in expandable memory and do something as simple as pop the back to put in a new battery bugs the hell outta' me big time. Plus the operating system and what you can put on it is VERY proprietary. I like Android for it's more open platform.
                        It's very similar to my work environment. I teach some online classes and for years we worked with a proprietary software interface and while its customizing ability was somewhat limited, it worked predictably and well. We switched to an open source platform--ostensibly to give us more freedom to customize (but really because it's cheaper). Well, the IT dept. loves the new software--they can fiddle with it constantly (and they do). Meanwhile it is far less reliable and has created a ton of extra administrative work for me, precisely because it is no longer as reliable nor as predictable as the old system.

                        I understand the attraction of greater flexibility for those who are prepared to use it--it's why I don't refer to Apple products as "the best" in all situations. But I HIGHLY value (meaning I'm willing to spend the extra money to get) the ease of use Apple brings to the table, even if none of my devices is "the best" at any one thing beyond "ease of use". The beauty of the market, though, is that we're not forced into any one platform.

                        Comment

                        • impala454
                          Ultra Senior Member
                          • Oct 2007
                          • 3814

                          #13
                          I still have my Droid DNA. Great phone. The SIM card went bad in it the other day and I took it to a Verizon store to get a new one. The conversation:

                          sales girl: "What phone is that?"
                          me: "Droid DNA"
                          sales girl: "Oh wow I haven't seen one of those in a while"
                          me: :roll:

                          It's got a 5" 1080p screen (441ppi), quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, and LTE data faster than my home connection, and this silly girl is acting like it's old junk or something.

                          Oh and she also made a very "motherly" tone of voice with me when she saw on my account I had no insurance, and said: "Oh, hmm, no insurance and no case..."

                          Oh well. I can't complain too much as she did find me a $20/mo savings on my exact same plan.

                          If I had to choose a new one today I'd probably go with the Nexus 5. Very similar but a little newer and will always have the latest greatest android.
                          -Chuck

                          Comment

                          • Chris D
                            Moderator Emeritus
                            • Dec 2000
                            • 16877

                            #14
                            CHRIS

                            Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                            - Pleasantville

                            Comment

                            • impala454
                              Ultra Senior Member
                              • Oct 2007
                              • 3814

                              #15
                              Oops sorry, I forgot to put the Lucasfilm trademark after the word Droid :P
                              -Chuck

                              Comment

                              • Hdale85
                                Moderator Emeritus
                                • Jan 2006
                                • 16075

                                #16
                                I originally had an iPhone 3S for my first smart phone, it was nice for a bit but I quickly outgrew what it was able to do for me and the flexibility I wanted from my device. After that I have since used nothing but android. I've had my HTC Sensation since the iPhone 3S and will in the next couple of months be upgrading to a Nexus 5 or possibly a HTC One or MotoX. It's hard to not go with the Nexus 5 since it's so cheap compared to the others.

                                Comment

                                • madmac
                                  Moderator Emeritus
                                  • Aug 2010
                                  • 3122

                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by Hdale85
                                  I originally had an iPhone 3S for my first smart phone, it was nice for a bit but I quickly outgrew what it was able to do for me and the flexibility I wanted from my device. After that I have since used nothing but android. I've had my HTC Sensation since the iPhone 3S and will in the next couple of months be upgrading to a Nexus 5 or possibly a HTC One or MotoX. It's hard to not go with the Nexus 5 since it's so cheap compared to the others.
                                  I strongly suggest you try a Samsung Android next time. As much as I liked my HTC stuff over the years (including the Sensation), I found them to be a little 'buggy' sometimes (requiring hard resets....and we all know the bad things that happen when we do that!). My Galaxy Note has a quad core processor (ridiculously fast!) and has had no issues at all. Actually, the only issue I've had with it recently was after my last operating system firmware update...... resulting in a rather large decrease in volume out of the phones jack (30% or so). I'm hoping they will fix that with the next update.
                                  Dan Madden :T

                                  Comment

                                  • Hdale85
                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                    • Jan 2006
                                    • 16075

                                    #18
                                    Samsung has been riddled with bugs as well, and generally speaking I've had small issues at worst with HTC phones. I don't like the build quality of most of the Samsung phones. The Galaxy S4 was a joke to me, bulky and plastic. I like the design and construction of HTC devices. Speaking of which I may not go the Nexus 5 route and may grab the HTC One M8 instead. I've never been overly impressed with Samsung's industrial design which is why generally I haven't sprung for a purchase of any of their Android phones. I've used them a lot, in fact I had an S2 for a while before I got my HTC one. I tried it for the 2 weeks they allow you to "test" them out and just didn't like it that much. It worked nice, just didn't like the industrial design and the S4 is even worse imo.

                                    Comment

                                    • P-Dub
                                      Office Moderator
                                      • Aug 2000
                                      • 6766

                                      #19
                                      The HTC One and the new M8 looks really nice. I've touched the previous version and I really like the build quality. The new HTC One M8 is a much bigger phone, that doesn't quite suite my hands. The older version I think would work better for me.

                                      The Nexus 5 is really hard to beat price wise, but you must buy from the Google Play store to get the best value. If you go with the carriers, it will cost and extra $150 more.

                                      Got my new iPhone 5s and now comes the long task to determine which apps to download.
                                      Paul

                                      There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                      Comment

                                      • Hdale85
                                        Moderator Emeritus
                                        • Jan 2006
                                        • 16075

                                        #20
                                        Well the HTC One M8 is about the same width as the HTC One, it's just a bit taller.

                                        Comment

                                        • madmac
                                          Moderator Emeritus
                                          • Aug 2010
                                          • 3122

                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by Hdale85
                                          Samsung has been riddled with bugs as well, and generally speaking I've had small issues at worst with HTC phones. I don't like the build quality of most of the Samsung phones. The Galaxy S4 was a joke to me, bulky and plastic. I like the design and construction of HTC devices. Speaking of which I may not go the Nexus 5 route and may grab the HTC One M8 instead. I've never been overly impressed with Samsung's industrial design which is why generally I haven't sprung for a purchase of any of their Android phones. I've used them a lot, in fact I had an S2 for a while before I got my HTC one. I tried it for the 2 weeks they allow you to "test" them out and just didn't like it that much. It worked nice, just didn't like the industrial design and the S4 is even worse imo.
                                          I can only speak for my Note II in regards to having no bugs or issues with it (1yr old now). I will admit that the build quality of the HTC units are better. Of course, this makes the HTC phones somewhat heavier but yes, the HTC's are built like tanks. I understand that the Samsung Note is not for everybody due to it's size (It's bordering on being a small tablet actually) but with my failing eyes, it's been a godsend!!. My daughter has an IPhone 4 and the screen is way too small for me. Tiny actually!.
                                          Dan Madden :T

                                          Comment

                                          • P-Dub
                                            Office Moderator
                                            • Aug 2000
                                            • 6766

                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by Paul Wu
                                            Got my new iPhone 5s and now comes the long task to determine which apps to download.
                                            Just to let people know, Telus mobility is having a promo starting today. $130 off the 2 year contract price for the 5s and 5c models.

                                            Since I just got mine yesterday, I'll be getting a price adjustment.

                                            For sure it is faster, but I'm not sold on iOS 7 and how it works. I'll give it a few weeks and report back.
                                            Paul

                                            There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                            Comment

                                            • P-Dub
                                              Office Moderator
                                              • Aug 2000
                                              • 6766

                                              #23
                                              Looks like the Telus mobility promo is over.

                                              So far I am liking the Touch ID on the 5s.

                                              Battery life is better than my 4s, and this is after replacing the 4s battery. Going to be testing the battery life over the next few days as I am still waiting for more lightning connectors. I've got just the one with the phone and today is the first day I left it at home. Luckily I did a full day test yesterday and I lasted from 8am to 10pm on a full charge. I had about 25% remaining with about 4 1/2 hours of usage. I'd say most of that usage was light usage as a similar test on the weekend had me at around the same 4.5 hours of usage, but my battery went down to 20% in about 8 hours.

                                              I hope over time to build up my personal battery drain level.

                                              On another note on the same weekend day I had my Android phone setup as a hotspot and it ran just as a hot spot for about the same 8 hours and it had about 40% battery left. This is pretty good info for me as I plan on using that phone when I travel abroad. I'm looking to get a local SIM and then just set it up as a hotspot for my iPads.
                                              Paul

                                              There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                              Comment

                                              • Chris D
                                                Moderator Emeritus
                                                • Dec 2000
                                                • 16877

                                                #24
                                                Paul, what company did you use to replace your 4s battery?
                                                CHRIS

                                                Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                                - Pleasantville

                                                Comment

                                                • P-Dub
                                                  Office Moderator
                                                  • Aug 2000
                                                  • 6766

                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by Chris D
                                                  Paul, what company did you use to replace your 4s battery?
                                                  There are a bunch of companies out there that sell the replacement batteries. I used Cellphoneshop.net

                                                  The battery in the 4s is super simple to replace. I did have to buy the tool kit and having replaced the battery the back plate is something I've been thinking of swapping out.

                                                  I broke down and bought a case for my 5s. I feel much better now. Got it on sale for $6. It added a bit of extra weight, but I think it is a good trade off for some additional protection.
                                                  Last edited by P-Dub; 02 April 2014, 23:48 Wednesday.
                                                  Paul

                                                  There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                  Comment

                                                  • Chris D
                                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                                    • Dec 2000
                                                    • 16877

                                                    #26
                                                    Oh, so you did it yourself! That's cool. I knew you could buy tools to open up iPhones and iPads, but I haven't talked to people who have done it. Good to hear it's easy. I wonder if it'd be the same to replace my iPod Classic battery. It's getting older, and if I get it cold, the power cuts out and says the battery's dead even if it's freshly charged.

                                                    As for cases, I got sold on Otterboxes since my first iPhone, and wouldn't go without it. Even though it adds bulk, (not so much weight) it's paid off every time my phone falls off the table onto the floor or concrete and doesn't shatter.
                                                    CHRIS

                                                    Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                                    - Pleasantville

                                                    Comment

                                                    • P-Dub
                                                      Office Moderator
                                                      • Aug 2000
                                                      • 6766

                                                      #27
                                                      I think the 4s is the easiest iPhone to replace the battery. I think I used a guide from ifixit.com, they have a lot of DIY guides as well as rankings of repairability.

                                                      You'll have to check on the iPod Classic guide.

                                                      As for cases, I've had various ones since the 3GS and my biggest worry was with my 'retired' 4s. So far so good with some very basic cases. I've dropped the 4s a couple of times from table height onto hardwood and I've been good. I've even gone without a screen protector on the 4s for about 2 years. There was a time I thought I had one and had to ask a friend to check. Good thing I did as I was going to pull out the razor to try and get the nonexistent screen protector off.
                                                      Paul

                                                      There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                      Comment

                                                      • P-Dub
                                                        Office Moderator
                                                        • Aug 2000
                                                        • 6766

                                                        #28
                                                        The phone saga continues.

                                                        iPhone 5s: Generally please with battery life. For sure lasts longer than old phone. I'm not as nervous at the end of a work day that I won't have life left. It may be an adjustment as I used to charge almost every chance I got.

                                                        I got my order in of cables and also a back case. Well this case was probably the worst purchase. It's a nice aluminum type case that covers the back and a bit of the sides. It is actually nicely constructed and felt pretty good when I got it on. Well shortly after I lost WiFi signal and then on cell it was just 3G vs LTE. At first I thought it was our router and started to freak as other staff rely on it as well. Then I just checked my iPad and sure enough the signal is there. So I quickly got the case off and full WiFi and LTE signal is back.

                                                        I'll have to decide what I want to do for a case. The one I got recently wasn't too bad, but thought the case may be reducing my signal strength.

                                                        On my Moto Razr, the dreaded heat up and battery drain issue just came back. This occurred over the past week, randomly. Would have the phone running normally and then it would heat up and the battery would drain down very quickly. I changed my live wallpaper to a static image and that didn't help at all. It seems okay now, but I don't know when it will happen again. I was going to rely on this phone when I travel since it is unlocked and has a nice battery life. But now I don't really know. I will probably do a warranty swap onto another phone. I got one of those extended warranty deals when I got this phone so this will be an experience. I'm going to wait until the summer to see if KitKat will be available and may solve this issue.
                                                        Paul

                                                        There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                        Comment

                                                        • Chris D
                                                          Moderator Emeritus
                                                          • Dec 2000
                                                          • 16877

                                                          #29
                                                          Paul, I did buy a new iPhone 4s battery and tools from that site. Should be here any day, and I'll see how hard it is to crack open the case and DIY.
                                                          CHRIS

                                                          Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                                          - Pleasantville

                                                          Comment

                                                          • Kevin P
                                                            Member
                                                            • Aug 2000
                                                            • 10809

                                                            #30
                                                            The Samsung Galaxy S5 is out. If I were going to get a smartphone, it would be one of these or the S4.

                                                            But so far I've stuck to my "no smartphones" rule and will stay with my $17 Samsung Gusto.

                                                            Comment

                                                            • Chris D
                                                              Moderator Emeritus
                                                              • Dec 2000
                                                              • 16877

                                                              #31
                                                              It will be a sad day if and when you fall to the darkside, Kev.
                                                              CHRIS

                                                              Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                                              - Pleasantville

                                                              Comment

                                                              • Hdale85
                                                                Moderator Emeritus
                                                                • Jan 2006
                                                                • 16075

                                                                #32
                                                                I'm weighting my options right now....I want to order a phone by tomorrow and I can't decide if I want to drop the coin on the HTC One M8, or grab a Moto X or Nexus 5........I know the HTC One M8 is superior in every way to just about any phone out there.....but it's hard to justify the extra money over a Nexus 5 or Moto X.

                                                                Comment

                                                                • Hdale85
                                                                  Moderator Emeritus
                                                                  • Jan 2006
                                                                  • 16075

                                                                  #33
                                                                  Well Diana really wanted the Moto X, so I ordered that for her. Looking over the return policy for google it seems I can return any device purchased through the play store for any reason within 15 days. So I'm giong to give the Nexus 5 a try and see how I like it. Nexus 5 should be here Tuesday and Diana's phone should be here by the end of the week so hopefully I can compare some and see which I like better. If I do like the Moto X better I can return it and order the Moto X as it costs the same.

                                                                  Diana wanted the Moto X because you can completely customize it's main color, accent color, get your name engraved on it and custom message on boot screen. All neat things considering it's only 350 bucks for the 16gb version out of contract.

                                                                  Comment

                                                                  • Chris D
                                                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                                                    • Dec 2000
                                                                    • 16877

                                                                    #34
                                                                    New phones are always fun. :banana:
                                                                    CHRIS

                                                                    Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                                                                    - Pleasantville

                                                                    Comment

                                                                    • Kevin P
                                                                      Member
                                                                      • Aug 2000
                                                                      • 10809

                                                                      #35
                                                                      Originally posted by Chris D
                                                                      It will be a sad day if and when you fall to the darkside, Kev.
                                                                      No worries, it's still a long way off. I need a new job and MUCH better pay before any smartphone is happening.

                                                                      In fact, this reminds me I need to top-up my prepay for another year. $100 down the drain, but at least it's only once per year.

                                                                      Comment

                                                                      • P-Dub
                                                                        Office Moderator
                                                                        • Aug 2000
                                                                        • 6766

                                                                        #36
                                                                        Cool, will be looking forward to your personal comparison between the Nexus5 and MotoX.

                                                                        I'm going to have to see if there is an issue with the the antenna for my 5s. It just wouldn't seem to lock onto a LTE signal yesterday on my drive down to Bellevue. I can understand when I'm not in a highly populated area, but I expected to get a good LTE signal in that city! I checked AT&T's map and there is supposed to be LTE coverage down the I5. I don't know if it is because my phone is from Canada and will only get 3G, but I think that's a crock.

                                                                        I visited the Apple store and didn't think to ask anybody there if they had LTE on their phones. The demo phone's had no sim chip. We were getting hungry so I really didn't think too much about it. I only started to really wonder when I got home and checked the AT&T coverage map.

                                                                        Here's a neat guide to iOS 7 and battery drain
                                                                        Paul

                                                                        There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                                        Comment

                                                                        • Hdale85
                                                                          Moderator Emeritus
                                                                          • Jan 2006
                                                                          • 16075

                                                                          #37
                                                                          Well, I know that different countries use different frequencies for LTE. I'm not sure if there is a difference between LTE up there and down here though. Most phones now days support all the spectrum for LTE though? ALthough that doesn't mean they all do, and that doesn't mean that the carrier has all of the spectrum unlocked on the device either.

                                                                          I'm not sure how much comparison there really is between the Moto X and the Nexus 5.....They kind of have different design goals? Moto X is designed around battery saving really, while the Nexus 5 is designed to have high end performance at an affordable price. This is why the Nexus 5 has a 4.95" High resolution IPS LCD and the Moto X has a not as high resolution (still same pixel density as Apples Retina phones though) but uses an AMOLED which has the ability to turn of individual pixels and only use part of the screen. So I'm not sure....I honestly don't know which I'd rather have? They both have decent specs although the Moto X isn't near the performance of the Nexus 5. But I know they are both quick enough for normal use, and even have relatively decent GPU's. So we'll have to see.

                                                                          With that said I just saw today that HTC is releasing a plastic cased version of the HTC One M8 which will be 489 dollars out of contract. This makes me almost want to Cancel my order all together and wait. It'll come out next month apparently.

                                                                          Comment

                                                                          • madmac
                                                                            Moderator Emeritus
                                                                            • Aug 2010
                                                                            • 3122

                                                                            #38
                                                                            Here in Montreal, 99 times outta 100 I'm connected via LTE on my Samsung Note II. Sometimes (Rarely), it goes to 4G for whatever reason, even in the same spot. I suppose it's a bandwidth issue that makes that happen on occasion.
                                                                            Dan Madden :T

                                                                            Comment

                                                                            • Hdale85
                                                                              Moderator Emeritus
                                                                              • Jan 2006
                                                                              • 16075

                                                                              #39
                                                                              Well, got the Nexus 5. Had to run to the store for some double sided tape as I forgot I needed to trim my sim to fit micro-sim. Anyways got that done and first impressions, it's very fast and very smooth UI wise. The display definitely looks amazingly nice. It feels really light and cheap though so I don't know. The responsiveness of the touch screen and speed of the UI are greatly improved over my HTC Sensation and feels about perfect to me.

                                                                              Comment

                                                                              • P-Dub
                                                                                Office Moderator
                                                                                • Aug 2000
                                                                                • 6766

                                                                                #40
                                                                                Speaking of LTE, here is a recent pic of Telus vs Fido in my area.



                                                                                So Telus is my work phone and I'm a bit surprised at the slow speed. I did do another test in a different location and got 31.08 Mbps down and 15.64 up with a 73 ms ping, which is more what I was expecting. So there may be some truth to Robers/Fido having the faster network.

                                                                                I've noticed similar in other locations. I'm going to do some more testing around, but that will only happen when I have both my phones with me and it's convenient and probably closer to the end of my cycle as the LTE speedtest really sucks up data. I think it is about 50 MB per test.

                                                                                The 5s should have the same frequency and bands for LTE on AT&T, I'll have to check it out some more when I go down again.

                                                                                Nice first impression on the Nexus 5.
                                                                                Paul

                                                                                There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                                                Comment

                                                                                • Hdale85
                                                                                  Moderator Emeritus
                                                                                  • Jan 2006
                                                                                  • 16075

                                                                                  #41
                                                                                  Yeah it's kind of growing on me. It just feels weird because my HTC Sensation was about the same weight if not a bit more and it has a 4.3" screen and is quite a bit smaller lol. I'm extremely impressed with the responsiveness though. It used to take me probably 30 seconds to a minute sometimes to get through emails from a locked screen. Now I can bring it out of sleep, unlock, and get to emails and switch through them extremely fast.

                                                                                  Comment

                                                                                  • Hdale85
                                                                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                                                                    • Jan 2006
                                                                                    • 16075

                                                                                    #42
                                                                                    Well.....I didn't really like the Moto X....BUT I may be sending my phone back anyways for this



                                                                                    Has the one feature te MotoX has that I wanted which was the ability to use Google Now while the phone is locked, plus it outspecs the Nexus 5 in every other way! And it's cheaper! 16gb model is only 299, and a 64Gb model will be 349! Even the 64gb is 50 dollars cheaper than the 32gb model I ordered.

                                                                                    Comment

                                                                                    • P-Dub
                                                                                      Office Moderator
                                                                                      • Aug 2000
                                                                                      • 6766

                                                                                      #43
                                                                                      The saga continues.

                                                                                      iPhone 5s has this nagging battery drain issue. I've been experiencing an average of 6.25% to 7% average battery drop per hour on standby since early June. I took it in to the genius bar and they did a quick battery test, and the battery was fine. I did a complete reset of my device, infront of them, and installed apps fresh. Though July and August it did not get any better. I have less apps on this phone than my 4s and I get way better standby time. I was planning to go back, but will wait to install iOS8 and use the new battery tracking feature to solidify my case that there is an errant application running. Or it could be my device has some issue.

                                                                                      Well I did find out that Telus does not offer LTE while roaming in the USA. So much for having faster speeds. LTE in the USA really makes a large difference. Up here it is noticable, but not to the same extent.

                                                                                      In Canada, there is a local company called Roam Mobility and we have been using their US Sim card for talk and texting plans on a basic cell phone. They run off of T-Mobile's network and recently they have some LTE access in some cities. So we did the upgrade to the Sim card and tried it out on a recent day trip. So far I'd say pretty decent service. The one test I did resulted in the following:



                                                                                      Roam's pricing is $3.95/day for unlimited talk in US and calls back to Canada, unlimited texting and 300 MB of data. This is probably more that some prepaid plans that are available in the US, but the ability to get everything setup in Canada before you travel down to the US is well worth it. The only downside is being limited to T-Mobile's network, which does not have the best coverage.

                                                                                      This is far better than the 3G speed off AT&T that I did on my iPad2, I only got:



                                                                                      I've noticed that AT&T 3G speeds, or in some cases it comes up as 4G on your phone, but really it's just 3G, is pretty bad in some spots. I've used both my iPad2 and my 4s on AT&T's network in San Francisco and surrounding Bay area, which was pretty decent. Then in around the Los Angeles area, it was poor at times and there were times in New York it was pitiful. Again, on LTE, speeds were much better as well as performance. My wife's iPad on LTE with AT&T would get much better service. So that means a LTE capable tablet is on the the horizon for my own use. The iPad2 will have to be retired.

                                                                                      I recently swapped out my Fido SIM from my Moto Razr and put in a Telus SIM. I wasn't actually expecting the Telus chip to provide LTE connectivity, but it actually did. I was pleasantly surprised with some fast speeds:



                                                                                      When you compare it to my the last test I did on my 5s.

                                                                                      The Moto is much faster.

                                                                                      Just did a test with my 5s and the results are not that good


                                                                                      I'm going to have to test my 5s in the same spot as I did with the Moto and see if the speeds will increase.

                                                                                      Edit...

                                                                                      Did the test this morning and much better results:
                                                                                      Last edited by P-Dub; 09 September 2014, 10:37 Tuesday.
                                                                                      Paul

                                                                                      There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                                                      Comment

                                                                                      • P-Dub
                                                                                        Office Moderator
                                                                                        • Aug 2000
                                                                                        • 6766

                                                                                        #44
                                                                                        PC Mag tested network coverage for Canada and rated Rogers as #1, Bell as #2 and Telus #3.





                                                                                        Some of the max speeds people are getting off Rogers is a bit crazy. Somebody could easily blow through their data cap. I think as a corporate strategy, that can be a bit sneaky. We have the fastest LTE network so go ahead and stream videos and blow past your data cap and get charged the overage.

                                                                                        For comparison purposes, I found the PC Magazine's US network coverage results

                                                                                        Paul

                                                                                        There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

                                                                                        Comment

                                                                                        • madmac
                                                                                          Moderator Emeritus
                                                                                          • Aug 2010
                                                                                          • 3122

                                                                                          #45
                                                                                          Fascinating !! I am with Rogers LTE and I must say that it's damn fast. It takes about 1 second for me to download a song onto my device. So fast that I thought the download failed to start.....but it had started and finished in a second!.
                                                                                          Dan Madden :T

                                                                                          Comment

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