The Official Android Thread

[El Barto]

So on a whim yesterday I headed to ATT to talk upgrades. I only owed a smidgen on my S10e, and was itching for something new. Turns out they had a deal in the works which involved a 700 credit on my phone, so I dumped that sucker and picked up a shiny new S21+ for basically the tax, and probably cut off 15 dollars from my monthly bill.

Nice I got the s21+ a little bit ago and I love it. It's a fantastic phone.

I watched a 20 minute 'tips and tricks' video on YT yesterday, goddamn this thing is loaded.

Wow. Fourteen months later I'm looking to buy the phone you traded in.    Newer phones are too damn big. The S10e is the last of the pocket sized phones. Personally, I wouldn't bother, but the reception on my S7 fell off a cliff and it's basically unusable unless I'm standing outside out in the open. Funny thing is that I swore I'd never waste money on another Galaxy S, but it really does seem to be the best deal for what I need.

[King Postwhore]

If I remember correctly the Galaxys have 3 versions with different sizes. I got the big boy S21 from work because they were out of the middle version. 

[El Barto]

If I remember correctly the Galaxys have 3 versions with different sizes. I got the big boy S21 from work because they were out of the middle version.

The smallest one is still a half inch bigger than what I want. Also, no 3.5 jack. I need that for my car, and even in rentals I prefer it over BT which is usually poorly implemented. I have weird needs for cell phones.

[King Postwhore]

Totally get it. When I bought my truck in 2020, it changed how I used my technology/phone, I-Pod.

[MetalJunkie]

I used to be the biggest Android supporter. I was the Samsung SME (subject matter expert) at the AT&T store I worked in. I was a die-hard fan.

Then I changed jobs to the Apple store, got a little hands-on experience. and switched to iPhone. Couldn't be happier. I have fewer problems, it's smoother, and I have the watch as well, so I can check blood oxygen and ECG. Going to get airpods soon.

[cramx3]

If I remember correctly the Galaxys have 3 versions with different sizes. I got the big boy S21 from work because they were out of the middle version.

The smallest one is still a half inch bigger than what I want. Also, no 3.5 jack. I need that for my car, and even in rentals I prefer it over BT which is usually poorly implemented. I have weird needs for cell phones.

The headphone jack is still clutch for me as well.  I use my work phone, a Galaxy S9, as my main music player because it has the jack. 

I have the watch as well, so I can check blood oxygen and ECG. Going to get airpods soon.

I have a galaxy watch that does all that as well.  I don't really have any issues with my samsung phones.  My work S9 is over 2 years old and works great and my personal S21 has been a great phone for the last 2 years.  What's great is that it's one of the first 2 year phone cycles where I haven't felt any need or want to upgrade.  I just wish I could get that headphone jack in my S21.  I really hate how they took those out.  I use bluetooth headphones most of the time so I get it that we've migrated to that, but I still use my cabled headphones a good amount too. 

[faizoff]

If I remember correctly the Galaxys have 3 versions with different sizes. I got the big boy S21 from work because they were out of the middle version.

The smallest one is still a half inch bigger than what I want. Also, no 3.5 jack. I need that for my car, and even in rentals I prefer it over BT which is usually poorly implemented. I have weird needs for cell phones.

The BlueTooth connection is a conundrum between Samsung phones and non Samsung gear. My Galaxy Buds+ work excellent with my Note8 but anytime I connect anything BT related to my Note things sounds just awful. Whether it's my PC, soundbar or Car player it flat out sucks. There's either constant drops or some hissing noise or the audio sounds like you're in a cave. It's really bizarre. Not sure if it's the proprietary audio BT codecs Samsung are using or a BT version mismatch.

[Lonk]

What's great is that it's one of the first 2 year phone cycles where I haven't felt any need or want to upgrade.

That's the main reason why I stop using iPhone, It felt like if you did not upgrade your phone every 1.5-2 years, the phone started crapping out on you. I switched to a Google Pixel almost 2 years ago. It's been great and I plan on keeping it until the phone no longer works. I barely use my phone anyways so no need to upgrade any time soon.

My work phone is an Iphone (I think the iPhone 12).

[cramx3]

What's great is that it's one of the first 2 year phone cycles where I haven't felt any need or want to upgrade.

That's the main reason why I stop using iPhone, It felt like if you did not upgrade your phone every 1.5-2 years, the phone started crapping out on you. I switched to a Google Pixel almost 2 years ago. It's been great and I plan on keeping it until the phone no longer works. I barely use my phone anyways so no need to upgrade any time soon.

My work phone is an Iphone (I think the iPhone 12).

My older Samsung phones would start to crap out too by year 2.  I haven't noticed it yet with my phones. But also the want is important too.  I just don't see any new features worthy of upgrading from a perfectly fine and working phone.  In the past I may have wanted the new features even if I didn't need to upgrade.

[El Barto]

If I remember correctly the Galaxys have 3 versions with different sizes. I got the big boy S21 from work because they were out of the middle version.

The smallest one is still a half inch bigger than what I want. Also, no 3.5 jack. I need that for my car, and even in rentals I prefer it over BT which is usually poorly implemented. I have weird needs for cell phones.

The BlueTooth connection is a conundrum between Samsung phones and non Samsung gear. My Galaxy Buds+ work excellent with my Note8 but anytime I connect anything BT related to my Note things sounds just awful. Whether it's my PC, soundbar or Car player it flat out sucks. There's either constant drops or some hissing noise or the audio sounds like you're in a cave. It's really bizarre. Not sure if it's the proprietary audio BT codecs Samsung are using or a BT version mismatch.

Headphones work fine for me. My car predates BT, hence the 3.5.  Rental cars are my problem. Every time I start the car music would start playing 4 seconds later, exactly where it left off, often times quite loud. Any reconnect triggers a play. Perhaps it's just Android's implementation, but it infuriates me for being so stupid. I've reverted back to 3.5 for rentals now.

What's great is that it's one of the first 2 year phone cycles where I haven't felt any need or want to upgrade.

That's the main reason why I stop using iPhone, It felt like if you did not upgrade your phone every 1.5-2 years, the phone started crapping out on you. I switched to a Google Pixel almost 2 years ago. It's been great and I plan on keeping it until the phone no longer works. I barely use my phone anyways so no need to upgrade any time soon.

My work phone is an Iphone (I think the iPhone 12).

My older Samsung phones would start to crap out too by year 2.  I haven't noticed it yet with my phones. But also the want is important too.  I just don't see any new features worthy of upgrading from a perfectly fine and working phone.  In the past I may have wanted the new features even if I didn't need to upgrade.

I'll get 3 or 4 years out of a phone before something breaks that I really need. And usually I'll still keep it way too long after that. In both of my Galaxy S phones it seems to be an antenna or sensor. In the first one GPS crapped out. On this one the compass crapped out, followed by the antenna shortly thereafter, resulting in miserable signal quality. And navigation is really what I care most about from my phones. The compass on my S7 freaked out when I was in your neck of the woods last Autumn, and it resulted in me getting lost in a really spooky part of Pennsylvania.

[faizoff]

Since getting my first smartphone in 2010, I've had exactly 3 phones. iPhone 4, then iphone 6 plus and now currently on Note 8 which will be 4 full years of use next month. I can see me using another year of the Note8 as only the battery is the issue and everything else seems fine. Time will tell. Haven't spent more than ~$200 all said and done on each phone, that includes trade-ins. Bought them all new too.

[El Barto]

Question about rooting, for anybody who's done it. I got my Galaxy S10, and physically I love it. But holy fuck does it annoy me. There's so much bloatware on there that it just won't quit bothering me. I realize I can turn notifications off, but that just pisses me off worse. I don't want this stuff running on my phone at all. So, as I understand it rooting is simply installing a very stripped down version of the OS on the phone. This about right? Will it come with basic android apps? How about syncing? Will I still be able to restore a previous backup of my personal stuff?

Not looking for a step by step here. Just want to gain a better understanding if this is something I want to bother with. I can figure it out from there.

[faizoff]

I've never rooted my android phones. It seems like such a pain. I did use some popular software to disable a bunch of apps. It was called ADB or something along those lines. I can't remember if it disabled or deleted apps, I believe you have the option to do both. Been a while since I did it. I remember also Samsung phone being very picky with regards to rooting, it breaks Fort Knox and once you break that it can never be undone.

[El Barto]

I've never rooted my android phones. It seems like such a pain. I did use some popular software to disable a bunch of apps. It was called ADB or something along those lines. I can't remember if it disabled or deleted apps, I believe you have the option to do both. Been a while since I did it. I remember also Samsung phone being very picky with regards to rooting, it breaks Fort Knox and once you break that it can never be undone.

Android Debug Bridge. I saw that was an option, but honestly it looked more complicated than just rooting the damn thing. My recollection is that it was a command line interface with no GUI. That sound about right?

[faizoff]

I could've sworn I used the GUI version. It was a simple download and run the exe and then on the phone enable dev debugging. I don't remember it being that hard, it was trial and error on what apps to disable/delete because sometimes the name of app is different from the package name.

[El Barto]

I could've sworn I used the GUI version. It was a simple download and run the exe and then on the phone enable dev debugging. I don't remember it being that hard, it was trial and error on what apps to disable/delete because sometimes the name of app is different from the package name.

Good to know. Thanks a bunch.

[faizoff]

The XDA forum keeps up with all things related to rooting, they list all sorts of ROMs and rooting options. Personally it was way too much for me.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/c/samsung-galaxy-s10.8507/

[El Barto]

The XDA forum keeps up with all things related to rooting, they list all sorts of ROMs and rooting options. Personally it was way too much for me.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/c/samsung-galaxy-s10.8507/

Can you elaborate on that?

[faizoff]

I meant I found the process of rooting too tedious. I dunno maybe I'm beyond constantly tweaking, if you look at this particular one

https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html#samsung-system-as-root

It looks like a lot of work. Plus I didn't want to lose KNOX, I like the ease of paying with the phone.

[faizoff]

Since getting my first smartphone in 2010, I've had exactly 3 phones. iPhone 4, then iphone 6 plus and now currently on Note 8 which will be 4 full years of use next month. I can see me using another year of the Note8 as only the battery is the issue and everything else seems fine. Time will tell. Haven't spent more than ~$200 all said and done on each phone, that includes trade-ins. Bought them all new too.

Couldn't pass up a deal on the Note 20 Ultra on amazon a few days ago. They were selling it for $400 as "renewed premium". That apparently means Samsung put in a new battery, made the phone look entirely new and back to its original state. It came in the original box and everything, apart from a small sticker with the label 'Samsung certified re-newed' everything was new, sealed and had the protective covers and all. This one in particular is sold by Amazon themselves and not a 3rd party so it has a one year return policy along with Samsung's one year warranty.


Samsung's last phone to be called a Note and the last one to be sold with a microSD card slot. For a phone that's more than 2 years old, it's plenty fast and up to date. Massive screen too 6.9"! Almost a mini tablet. Getting a new phone after more than 4 years and this one should continue that tradition. I love the 120 Hz refresh screen, it's pushing me to upgrade my monitor to a high refresh one.


Camera's are insane as has already been mentioned. One of the 3 is 108 MP and the rumor is the new S23 will come out with a 200 MP one. Going to sell my old Note 8 which looks like I can get about $100 -150 for it. All in all an excellent upgrade. lesser bloatware than I remember too. Also using 'smart switch' made it super easy to transfer everything from my old phone to the new.


Under the screen fingerprint scanner is dope.

[ReaperKK]

That's a solid deal, the 120hz screens are so nice. I think I'm going to make the jump the new fold that comes out later this year. As much as I like the ultra and the note models they are just too big for me.

[Chino]

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

[King Postwhore]

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

Brian, do you mean the S22 Ultra?

[lonestar]

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

That or the 23 ultra will be my next phone, already figured I can do a trade in and lower my bill 5 bucks, just waiting for the 23 to come out to see what the comparative deals are. My 21 plus is fine, just wanna strike while the iron is hot.

[Chino]

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

Brian, do you mean the S22 Ultra?

  Yep!

Brain wasn't in gear yet. That's funny.

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

That or the 23 ultra will be my next phone, already figured I can do a trade in and lower my bill 5 bucks, just waiting for the 23 to come out to see what the comparative deals are. My 21 plus is fine, just wanna strike while the iron is hot.

I'm surprised by how much I use and enjoy the stylus. I thought I'd never touch the thing, but I use it quite often. Being able to remotely control the camera with it is sweet.

[King Postwhore]

LOL.  I have the S21 Ultra which I love.  It just took a little used to because it was a heavier phone. 

[faizoff]

I have a Samsung 2SS Ultra and the images it can take boggles my mind.

That or the 23 ultra will be my next phone, already figured I can do a trade in and lower my bill 5 bucks, just waiting for the 23 to come out to see what the comparative deals are. My 21 plus is fine, just wanna strike while the iron is hot.

I'm surprised by how much I use and enjoy the stylus. I thought I'd never touch the thing, but I use it quite often. Being able to remotely control the camera with it is sweet.

The S-Pen is fantastic and I love how the latency has been lowered so much that it feels so much closer to writing with an actual pen or pencil. The remote stuff is super helpful, I even use the gestures at time though they are super gimmicky. The MicroSD card is the main reason I went with the Note 20 Ultra as I have a 512 GB one and just plop it in with all my music on it. They removed the headphone jack but I've made my peace with that for now. As the Buds+ are great and I have this little mini DAC that plugs into my wired headphones.

[cramx3]

I have a S21+ that I still enjoy and mostly still runs well after 2 years.  My work phone, a S9 has had it's service disconnected.  Since our company was bought last year, they decided to end our company phones at the end of 2022 but let us keep the phone since they were all paid for already.   My S9 has the old school expandable memory so I have a microsd card that holds all my music and it still has a headphone jack.  My issue is the S9 is starting to die a bit.  If it dies, I basically lose my "mp3 player" per say as that's all it is now, but I use it constantly.  I'm thinking at some point later this year I'll end up wanting to get a new personal phone, one that has enough built in storage to hold most of my music library and then I can just carry one phone around, but I'll also need to migrate to using only blu tooth and no more old school headphones.

[lonestar]

Just upgraded to the S23 Ultra...goddamn this thing is a beast of a phone. Now to log into all my apps again...

[ReaperKK]

How do you like the size of it? I have a s21+ and I'm thinking of jumping to the new fold when it gets released this year. I mainly want to get it because it's more narrow of a phone.

[lonestar]

How do you like the size of it? I have a s21+ and I'm thinking of jumping to the new fold when it gets released this year. I mainly want to get it because it's more narrow of a phone.

So far, so good. It's barely bigger than the 21+, that's what I turned in for it, and I made sure to compare the sizes beforehand, although I haven't put a case on it yet (it arrives tomorrow) but I usually go minimal for cases anyways. And honestly, I think it's a lighter phone too. Screen is fucking amazing of course.

The S-Pen is already proving to be a handy device, it has a function where you can point it at any text on screen, whether it's proper text or a picture and it will translate it. I've been using it on all sorts of media shared on Twitter by the Japanese bands I follow, you can even pull out language from Magazine covers they share, it's quite a trip, and I'm barely scratching the surface of what it can do. Anxious to get it into the kitchen and see how handy it is for on the spot note taking and such.

[ReaperKK]

That's awesome, now I gotta go play with one at the store and see if I need an upgrade lol

[lonestar]

That's awesome, now I gotta go play with one at the store and see if I need an upgrade lol

Time is now to get the good deals, especially if you own your phone outright. I still owed a bit on mine, but managed to do the deal with only raising my bill a few bucks

[ReaperKK]

Yea I own my phone outright, I was able to get it half price when they still did the samsung insight deal. I will be stopping by the store

[lonestar]

Awesomesauce!! Definitely enjoying it so far!!