• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Android |OT7| Now With a Whole New Messaging System

There's a difference between just turning on a phone and actually using all of the features it provides. I think if I asked a lot of the iPhone users I know questions like "How often do you use Spotlight search?", "What kind of Widgets do you use?", or "Do you use 3D touch often?" they'd look at me stupidly not knowing what that stuff is. It's easy to turn on an iPhone and use it, but the OS itself just isn't simplified anymore because it is bloated with features that aren't easily accessible to the average user.
but they don't have to use it and if they do use it, it won't fuck things up. iphones are still infinitely more simple for the casual person to pick up and use with minimal issues than any and all android phones, despite the existence of more features. Apple isn't forcing people to know those things and use those things. They're there if you need em. Whether or not they ever do use em doesn't make the phone harder or simpler.
 

ty_hot

Member
The only thing I always admired in iPhones was the screen (both the image quality and the touchscreen precision and the "feel"). But after using Androids that cost the same (and recently, even half) I can't say that anymore.

And I never understood how can the iPhone not have a default back button. Every app has its back button placed somewhere different in the screen, which annoys me sooo much (but I know that I could get used to it in a few days). In android you have the physical/capacitive button on the bottom that works anywhere in the system and this is just perfect.

Whenever someone with iPhone would ask me to configure something for them I would go to the settings and get lost in there, while in Android it seems to be better organized, even with all the companies customizing it... But as a "pick up and use" the iOS has always been great - but ai can't say that the Android is not at the same level.

Now I have an OP3T and at first I didn't like the switch for silent/do not disturb/ring, but now I see that it's soooo good. And if I am not mistaken the iPhone has it as well (maybe with just two options?). Can't understand how the other android flagship s don't have it, it helps a lot to change sound profiles.
 
I've never had an issue going back in my life. I don't use 8000 different apps but the ones I do use all utilize the same swipe from the left side to go back, consistent with the OS. otherwise it's almost always in the top left. Not sure what this "different place in every app" you speak of is all about.

I mean everyone has their own experiences and that's cool, but can't say I relate to that at all. My tastes have always been right down the middle. I've used android products just as much as I've used apple products and there are pros and cons for each so I'll always argue hyperbole on either side :p
 

No Love

Banned
I'm sorry but I did smartphone support in a major call centre for over a year. I took thousands upon thousands of calls from the casualest of casuals and it's an absolute fact that iphones were the least complex and easiest for these people. All the iphone calls were extremely simple and usually about the same thing or two whereas the android calls (of which there were shittons despite most people owning iphones) were all complex and varied.

Their customer satisfaction is through the roof for a reason. They're seeing record amount of android to iphone switchers every quarter. They sell way more of a single device than any company on the planet and still continue to grow that number every so often. For a lot of the things people do with their smartphones, the iphone is definitely the easiest to get into and easiest to grasp.

One important factor is that there's very little you can screw up on an iphone, and very little that can go awry. You won't tick off a box in settings that will fuck everything up, you won't have rogue apps, it's a very much what you see is what you get operating system. If you deep dive there is more to it in some places but just the amount of things that can go wrong is very little. Yes now there's more depth in the settings but most of these casuals don't dive into there and even if they did there is very little that will mess things up whereas Android's granular control (Which many love) has the ability to fuck up oh so many things.

I think I wanted to pull my hair out after most android calls that I took whereas Iphone calls were a breeze. Doesn't help that in the android world people jump around OEMs all with different settings and layouts and customizations whereas when you go iphone jumping or upgrading you're generally seeing the same thing. I can't even count how many android calls ended in "my [insert family or friend] has an iphone and never has these issues" or "fuck this im getting an iphone next time". I rarely ever heard it the other way around. I keep in touch with all my buddies there every day at work and they tell me it's the same story and same calls. Literally nothing has changed.

I agree. When I worked in IT one of the many things I was responsible for was 2000+ cell phones we had issued to employees including doctors and billionaire executives.

99% of issues were with Androids, and when we did have iPhones it'd be some stupid issue like a calendar not syncing right with Exchange etc. Android has so much more to go wrong not just because of the options but also the huge variable of OEMs and carriers mucking around and causing bugs, problems, and massive battery drain.

iOS doesn't have the same problems because it's uniform and "one size fits all." And for the average Joe Idiot, that works best.
 

No Love

Banned
I have a few questions.

  1. News widgets are important for me right now. What is the best tool for this on Android?
  2. I use the NYT app alot - does the widget for Android have images, or just headlines for articles?
  3. Is there a way to receive and send SMS messages on my laptop?

#3 Yes. You can use Hangouts on any device which means you can even SMS from your laptop browser.
 
I agree. When I worked in IT one of the many things I was responsible for was 2000+ cell phones we had issued to employees including doctors and billionaire executives.

99% of issues were with Androids, and when we did have iPhones it'd be some stupid issue like a calendar not syncing right with Exchange etc. Android has so much more to go wrong not just because of the options but also the huge variable of OEMs and carriers mucking around and causing bugs, problems, and massive battery drain.

iOS doesn't have the same problems because it's uniform and "one size fits all." And for the average Joe Idiot, that works best.
exactly. Most iphone calls I had were turning on do not disturb by accident :/

Meanwhile for android we're talking random ass java errors, boot loops, crashing, fluctuating battery, running really hot, rampant data usage, etc etc.... the list is basically endless and varied. And each time it was a pain because all the phones had different settings and shit. It has been getting easier to navigate the phones and they LOOK cleaner but the base problems still exist underneath the foundation.

Saw on Slickdeals that the Space Gray Mate 9 is on sale for $500 down from the usual price of $600.
pretty good deal
 

Quasar

Member
I've never had an issue going back in my life. I don't use 8000 different apps but the ones I do use all utilize the same swipe from the left side to go back, consistent with the OS. otherwise it's almost always in the top left. Not sure what this "different place in every app" you speak of is all about.

Certainly as someone who is a iPad and Android phone user I have not real issue using both. But then with few exceptions I have little issue switching between computer operating systems.

If I'm honest the most annoying, but dumbest issue I have is going between OSX and other operating systems and its the whole app menuing system where OSX menus are all on the menu bar of the OS whilst for Windows etc each app has its own menu bar.
 

Jeffrey

Member
Not sure what yall are arguing about lol. I like android better for the most part but would never recommend it to folks without any technical background vs ios.

Way less of a hassle to debug as well!
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
My main gripes with iOS:

  • Notifications. No explanation needed. Biggest gripe and that video depicts my issues incredibly well.
  • Not being able to set default apps. No explanation needed.
  • Settings are confusing. Some settings are in app, some clutter the main settings screen. It's inconsistent. Probably an app development problem. Settings are also super granular. It's surprising how complex settings can be compared to Android.
  • Force touch. Great idea that's confusing in implementation. It's like a hidden menu you never know when to use. Keyboard use of force touch is incredibly good and the main reason I miss using my iPhone 7+ when I usually use my SE.
Nexus vibration motors are trash, too. So was my Sony Smartwatch 3. The Apple stuff is really good. I hope Apple implements some sort of Palm OS gesture system into the UI. It is a clever approach that's been long ignored.
 

Jeffrey

Member
Force touch peak always confused me like as in I get a preview of this web page or picture except not really when my fat finger is blocking 1/3 of it.
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
force touch is like

hey, remember the hardware menu button on Android?

imagine that every touchable element is a menu button on Android...
Yeah that's what's annoying about it. It needs to not be an app thing and instead be an OS thing. That way, you always know what you're getting and whether it'll work. No hunting and guessing. Hard push an app icon, shortcuts. Hard push the keyboard, cursor scroll. Just these limited things are huge benefits. It doesn't need to do everything.
 
Hello.

I recently switched to Blackberry-flavored Android after over 3 amazing years on Blackberry 10. I have an SD card mounted on my DTEK 50 but I can't seem to view the SD card on my Mac's finder (El Capitan) like I used to do on blackberry 10. I've already installed the blackberry android USB drivers and android file transfer. And while I can view my Dtek 50's files using android file transfer (in file transfer mode), I would prefer using finder as android file transfer has limited viewing/preview, and copy/cut/paste options.

Any help?

Thanks.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
MWC needs to hurry the fuck up and get here.

CES was mostly boring with the Honor 6X being the only real new phone of note.

Wtb more 2017 phones plz
 

Laekon

Member
MWC needs to hurry the fuck up and get here.

CES was mostly boring with the Honor 6X being the only real new phone of note.

Wtb more 2017 phones plz
I feel the same. I want the size rumors for the P10 to be wrong but if not, and if there are no other flagshipish <5.5" phones announced, I'll be grabbing an S7.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
So while the Note was a disaster for the Samsung bottom line it appears they've hit the jackpot in that they are gonna be Apple's main screen supplier.

I wonder how that works and who gets priority? Does Samsung get their top panels first or does Apple?
 

Jeffrey

Member
MWC needs to hurry the fuck up and get here.

CES was mostly boring with the Honor 6X being the only real new phone of note.

Wtb more 2017 phones plz

Will any note worthy phone be announced there when samsung got first dibs on 835?

Well I think p10 is scheduled for announcement there. Maybe a new Huawei watch?
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Will any note worthy phone be announced there when samsung got first dibs on 835?

Well I think p10 is scheduled for announcement there. Maybe a new Huawei watch?

Huawei and Moto both have events there.

New Moto phone even if it's not flagship is noteworthy since they tend to be a go to for a cheaper phone.

Plus whatever Huawei has in store could be big. All different kinds of rumors on if it's a Huawei phone or an Honor phone and which phone is it gonna be. This is especially interesting since they have the Mate 9 already out there as well as the 6X.
 

Laekon

Member
So while the Note was a disaster for the Samsung bottom line it appears they've hit the jackpot in that they are gonna be Apple's main screen supplier.

I wonder how that works and who gets priority? Does Samsung get their top panels first or does Apple?
They are a huge Asian conglomerate so most likely each business is run completely separate. I worked for a much smaller Taiwanese company with multiple factories that each seemed to run as their own company. They prioritized who ever was currently their biggest customer and didn't care if it hurt the brand they worked for. So I'd say Apple is first in line if they are buying more or paying more. They screen guys get to report great numbers and won't care what happens to the phone division.
 
Damn I forgot my Gear S3 today. Suffering from withdrawals.

I switched to Textra recently. The Huawei SMS app sucks and Messenger isn't working properly on my Honor 8. Seems good so far.
 

RuGalz

Member
Nougat update has shit my Honor 8's battery. Might do a hard reset.

It completely broke my BT to car and basically takes a minute for it to regain data connection after a long sleep (this is after a complete wipe after the update). I'm reverting it back to marshmallow right now. Probably the last time I'm buying a Huawei skinned device, especially since EMUI 5.0 still fucks with notification (i.e. hitting reply to hangout message opens the app instead of reply inline wtf?), do not disturb mode, etc etc. It's slightly less skinned but functionality hasn't been restored.
 

ty_hot

Member
My OP3T updated today, the update that adds the Amazon store for Indian devices (mine is not, just to be clear about which update I'm talking) and it broke my BT. I can connect to my headphones, but after playing the music for a few seconds it drops the connection... Then it doesn't even connect.

I use the phone mainly to listen to music while commuting with my wireless headphones. GREAT UPDATE.
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Man, the iPhone 2017 train just keeps gaining steam. It seems like a total game changer. We've been hearing about it since before the iPhone 7 launched. Nothing about the Pixel 2, though. Wonder if we'll get any leaks to counter the iPhone hype.
 

Jeffrey

Member
Man, the iPhone 2017 train just keeps gaining steam. It seems like a total game changer. We've been hearing about it since before the iPhone 7 launched. Nothing about the Pixel 2, though. Wonder if we'll get any leaks to counter the iPhone hype.

Google and Huawei needs to make up.
 

Quasar

Member
Man, the iPhone 2017 train just keeps gaining steam. It seems like a total game changer. We've been hearing about it since before the iPhone 7 launched. Nothing about the Pixel 2, though. Wonder if we'll get any leaks to counter the iPhone hype.

Beyond features android already has and a supposed 1000$ price point for a smaller bezel I'm not sure where any hype is coming from.

That said I've heard zero about any new evolution of the phone to get enthused about. But then phones have been as boring as pcs for a while.
 
google must be looking at the s8 and iphone 8 leaks like "fuck..."

The iphone 8 rumours are insane though. I still find it all too good to be true. I know they've already patented a way to get the speaker, front cam, fingerprint, sensors, etc...all beneath the screen but I'll still believe it when I see it.

I don't mind moving things to the back or bottom....bu it's less impressive. The s8 still looks like a big improvement though.
 

Jeffrey

Member
Iphone hardware can be sexy as fuck but it doesn't matter if they don't fix all the bullshit they tweaked like with notifications and control center on iOS 10.
 

Blackhead

Redarse

Iphone hardware can be sexy as fuck but it doesn't matter if they don't fix all the bullshit they tweaked like with notifications and control center on iOS 10.

I agree, iPhone UI is trashy. I much prefer Android but I don't love it (as I did webOS). So I mostly use my phone as a phone. Unfortunately, Pixel is still behind iOS in basic communications features outside the US. There's still no relevant answer to iMessage, Visual Voicemail is still a carrier fuck-up, no voicemail transcriptions (although the iOS 10 version is so shit as to be almost worthless), no WiFi calling. If Google would figure out Hangouts/Allo/Messages app/Google Voice etc and/or offer Google Fi outside the US but alas...

For now I'm working around iOS notifications/control center by moving those interactions to the smartwatch.

Beyond features android already has and a supposed 1000$ price point for a smaller bezel I'm not sure where any hype is coming from.

That said I've heard zero about any new evolution of the phone to get enthused about. But then phones have been as boring as pcs for a while.

amazing to see some poster who were laughing at wireless charging and samoled screens just a few months ago, going gaga over the iPhone 8 rumors
 
I agree, iPhone UI is trashy. I much prefer Android but I don't love it (as I did webOS). So I mostly use my phone as a phone. Unfortunately, Pixel is still behind iOS in basic communications features outside the US. There's still no relevant answer to iMessage, Visual Voicemail is still a carrier fuck-up, no voicemail transcriptions (although the iOS 10 version is so shit as to be almost worthless), no WiFi calling. If Google would figure out Hangouts/Allo/Messages app/Google Voice etc and/or offer Google Fi outside the US but alas...

For now I'm working around iOS notifications/control center by moving those interactions to the smartwatch.

??? No wifi calling? my S6 eDGE HAS WIFI CALLING
 
??? No wifi calling? my S6 eDGE HAS WIFI CALLING
my iphone has wifi calling. Not sure what he's talking about. My iphone also has voicemail transcriptions. Though I find them all to be shitty. Visual voicemail on iphone is amazing though. It's android that fuckin sucks in thisr egard.

These leaks man, i'm due for a upgrade...my S6E has a crack screen and i'm trying to hold off as long as possible ....
you wont have to wait much longer if you want an S8. April 21!
 

Blackhead

Redarse
??? No wifi calling? my S6 eDGE HAS WIFI CALLING

Yes, but I only buy stock Android phones. My last Samsung phone was a Galaxy Note 2 iirc

my iphone has wifi calling. Not sure what he's talking about. My iphone also has voicemail transcriptions. Though I find them all to be shitty. Visual voicemail on iphone is amazing though. It's android that fuckin sucks in thisr egard

Not sure what you're reading.

p.s. Android visual voicemail is great in the US where supported natively like on Google Fi. And free. I guess the issue is carriers still want to charge extra for this basic feature ($5 per month extra on almost all Canadian carriers for iPhone visual voicemail *smh*) and Google isn't working those deals.
 
What's wrong with the control center? The only thing I wish is that it could be customized so I can get rid of the AirDrop/AirPlay. The notification systems sucks, but other than that I do not have a lot of complaints about the OS.
 

Toki767

Member
All these "unlimited" data plans and I'm just stuck with AT&T doing squat.

Urge to jump ship as soon as a new phone I want comes out is certainly rising.
 
What's the new hotness for third-party Twitter apps? Fenix seems to be randomly ignoring random mentions and various activity that pop up elsewhere, and I'm fed up with it.
 
I agree, iPhone UI is trashy. I much prefer Android but I don't love it (as I did webOS). So I mostly use my phone as a phone. Unfortunately, Pixel is still behind iOS in basic communications features outside the US. There's still no relevant answer to iMessage, Visual Voicemail is still a carrier fuck-up, no voicemail transcriptions (although the iOS 10 version is so shit as to be almost worthless), no WiFi calling. If Google would figure out Hangouts/Allo/Messages app/Google Voice etc and/or offer Google Fi outside the US but alas...

For now I'm working around iOS notifications/control center by moving those interactions to the smartwatch.



amazing to see some poster who were laughing at wireless charging and samoled screens just a few months ago, going gaga over the iPhone 8 rumors

you mean inside the US right?

outside the US everyone uses Whatsapp or that other one.
 
Top Bottom