Smartphone doldrums
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@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.
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@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.Google now has nothing to do with the play store. It's the default launcher of android.
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@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.Google now has nothing to do with the play store. It's the default launcher of android.
So when Amazon downloads the latest version of Android to build their Fire devices, it comes with Google Now? That seems odd.
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@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.Google now has nothing to do with the play store. It's the default launcher of android.
So when Amazon downloads the latest version of Android to build their Fire devices, it comes with Google Now? That seems odd.
So that's a good point. I see what you meant with the play store comment now, I thought you were saying they were tied together.
I don't know what launcher it comes with, maybe it doesn't even have one. However the Kindle has more customizing than I've seen on anything else.
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@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.Google now has nothing to do with the play store. It's the default launcher of android.
So when Amazon downloads the latest version of Android to build their Fire devices, it comes with Google Now? That seems odd.
So that's a good point. I see what you meant with the play store comment now, I thought you were saying they were tied together.
I don't know what launcher it comes with, maybe it doesn't even have one. However the Kindle has more customizing than I've seen on anything else.
I've only heard that the Nexus was a close as you could get to stock Android, but it's not stock. It comes with the Google Play store, and all of Google's services tied in.
You mention that Amazon's devices have more customizing than on anything else - really? Have you installed stock Android and see what Amazon did compared to Google on the Nexus line? I haven't - oh and I'm not saying you're wrong either, in fact I'm guessing you're probably right. But all the non Nexus devices I've used have had significant differences between them so I wouldn't be calling out Amazon here. Another thing to remember, the Kindles aren't phones, they're tablets, so the general use case will be different too.
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@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
All of the Google Now features are part of stock android. Just because companies remove the launcher and add their own, doesn't mean it's not part of the stock package.
This is true if you're paying Google for access to the Google Play Store, but is it really a requirement of Android OS?
of course the next thing you might say is, well who cares if it is or isn't... who would want a phone that doesn't have the Google Play Store? and to that I'd say you do have a good point.Google now has nothing to do with the play store. It's the default launcher of android.
So when Amazon downloads the latest version of Android to build their Fire devices, it comes with Google Now? That seems odd.
So that's a good point. I see what you meant with the play store comment now, I thought you were saying they were tied together.
I don't know what launcher it comes with, maybe it doesn't even have one. However the Kindle has more customizing than I've seen on anything else.
I've only heard that the Nexus was a close as you could get to stock Android, but it's not stock. It comes with the Google Play store, and all of Google's services tied in.
You mention that Amazon's devices have more customizing than on anything else - really? Have you installed stock Android and see what Amazon did compared to Google on the Nexus line? I haven't - oh and I'm not saying you're wrong either, in fact I'm guessing you're probably right. But all the non Nexus devices I've used have had significant differences between them so I wouldn't be calling out Amazon here. Another thing to remember, the Kindles aren't phones, they're tablets, so the general use case will be different too.
I've had android tablets from honeycomb up and the launchers all work the same. Kindle fire doesn't have an app drawer like everyone else. It's different panes of types of applications and media. There's a pane (don't know the proper term) for books, video, music, apps, etc.
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@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
I've only heard that the Nexus was a close as you could get to stock Android, but it's not stock. It comes with the Google Play store, and all of Google's services tied in.
So I think the app drawer is built in stock, but the cards from Google Now might be an add on. From everything I can find, the app drawer is material design with search at the top.
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@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
I've only heard that the Nexus was a close as you could get to stock Android, but it's not stock. It comes with the Google Play store, and all of Google's services tied in.
So I think the app drawer is built in stock, but the cards from Google Now might be an add on. From everything I can find, the app drawer is material design with search at the top.
Now that I know what the App Drawer is, yeah - i tend to agree that it's probably part of the base Android project, and that Amazon removed it.
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@scottalanmiller said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
2 cameras - though new dual camera on iphone isn't for 3d, it's two different focal lengths
Which, I think, makes it innovative. First of its kind.
Amazon fire phone has multi camera and its been there for a while
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/18/5821294/amazons-fire-phone-uses-four-cameras-to-offer-3d-perspective -
@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
@scottalanmiller said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Dashrender said in Smartphone doldrums:
2 cameras - though new dual camera on iphone isn't for 3d, it's two different focal lengths
Which, I think, makes it innovative. First of its kind.
Amazon fire phone has multi camera and its been there for a while
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/18/5821294/amazons-fire-phone-uses-four-cameras-to-offer-3d-perspectiveI didn't look at the article, but the title says - 3d perspective That's not what the iPhone is doing. The two cameras in the iPhone have different lenses on them. One for short range shots, one for zoomed shots.
So sure, it's not the first to put two plus cameras in a phone, but it's the first to put more than one focal lens on a phone.
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I was an iPhone user till 4 and switched to Android. Was on S5 which was horrible, then to HTCM7 which was OK, then to M8. I really liked that, but gave it to my mom. Now as part of my corporate mobile plan now on S7. I am pretty happy with S7 mainly for the dual sim, no battery drains (at least for me), even though i have tons of apps and files on it and even have Samsung Knox which i really like. I have installed same apps both on the base android and inside knox so can use, for eg: whatsapp; 1 number on base and another on Knox, Dropbox (personal and official) and so on.
One thing i don't understand is why Apple never created a dual sim phone! And i guess the lack of headset jack on the new phone is a bad move, i personally know lot of people who are apple fans but frustrated that they need to buy an additional adaptor to use their expensive headset or buy separate air pods which has a high chance of losing,
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@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
Samsung Knox which i really like
That's a big feature they have. I don't know why more companies haven't jumped on that.
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https://mangolassi.it/topic/10725/moto-z-force-review
Love it personally. -
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
Samsung Knox which i really like
That's a big feature they have. I don't know why more companies haven't jumped on that.
I have a Samsung phone... I always thought that Knox was the bootloader lock or something. Is it something else now?
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@dafyre said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
Samsung Knox which i really like
That's a big feature they have. I don't know why more companies haven't jumped on that.
I have a Samsung phone... I always thought that Knox was the bootloader lock or something. Is it something else now?
It's containerization for apps.
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@dafyre said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
Samsung Knox which i really like
That's a big feature they have. I don't know why more companies haven't jumped on that.
I have a Samsung phone... I always thought that Knox was the bootloader lock or something. Is it something else now?
Its like a container, so you literally get 2 phone spaces separate from each other, as i said i have most apps both on the outside and inside knox. Very useful to keep both personal and official spaces seperate
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@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@dafyre said in Smartphone doldrums:
@stacksofplates said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Ambarishrh said in Smartphone doldrums:
Samsung Knox which i really like
That's a big feature they have. I don't know why more companies haven't jumped on that.
I have a Samsung phone... I always thought that Knox was the bootloader lock or something. Is it something else now?
It's containerization for apps.
Wait, aren't mobile apps suppose to be containerized already? (i say this in jest because while sure they are, we know they aren't)
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This thread is getting some serious attention today, I noticed.
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@scottalanmiller said in Smartphone doldrums:
This thread is getting some serious attention today, I noticed.
What? This is only the second post in the past month.
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@scottalanmiller said in Smartphone doldrums:
@Kelly said in Smartphone doldrums:
Maybe there needs to be a third party store...
I like not having the third party store for my phone, actually. That's one of the things that I meant by "not intentionally left out", because I see the local down and vertical integrations as key features.
I concur...on my Pixel Phone, I don't like the idea that I have to download the Amazon App store just to get Amazon Video. Amazon Video is in the iOS App Store.
@MattSpeller said in Smartphone doldrums:
They've very quickly become an appliance. Choose your ecosystem and away you go.
And mine is heavy on Amazon, with Google and Microsoft in the mix on my Pixel Phone.
@scottalanmiller said in Smartphone doldrums:
@ChrisL said in Smartphone doldrums:
I think we've hit the ceiling in terms of smartphone "innovation". Eventually all hardware catches up, and with software, it just comes down to UI at the end.
I loved the freedom of Android, but there became a point where it was too free (if that makes sense?) and I was spending more time trying to get my phone to be set up exactly the way I wanted it rather than using it.
As a current Apple user, my only gripe is setting default apps--but a long press usually brings up more options at this point so I can choose Google Maps rather than Apple.
Yes, while I love that Android exists and love that it is wide open, I don't want that on my phone. I want less freedom, not more. BUT I want the freedom to chose to not have that freedom, hence why I like that Android is there for other people.
There is a lot to be said about a locked down device like iOS. Much easier for me to maintain at work, which is why the majority of the staff is on iOS.
