4G Android phone megathread

bohous

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,418
Framingham
Can anyone speak to how Project Fi service is in Maine? Specifically mid-coast area (Rockland/Owl's Head, Camden). We spend a lot of time up there and have stuck with Verizon because of the coverage but this Fi deal matching value of new phones with travel cards is damn tempting.
 

milfordsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 26, 2006
516
Connecticut
I took the plunge on the Pixel 3 XL yesterday, entirely because of the $999 travel credit. I was absolutely going to drop a grand with Airbnb next year. Instead, I did it today and picked up a new phone.

I figure if I don't like it, I can sell it on eBay after I've fulfilled all the terms of the deal 6 months from now. I'd still probably recoup 50-60%-ish of the value.

I have a bunch of the data-only Fi sim cards, so the old Pixel may become a GPS unit for my car or some sort of around-the-home gadget. Dunno. I haven't found a great use for old phones yet, and now I have quite a few that could still be viable for some purpose or other assuming they are permanently plugged in.
 

Fratboy

Mr. MENsa
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Nov 29, 2003
18,151
McCarver Park
I like the Pixel 3 XL a lot. The migration from Pixel XL was relatively painless, and it's snappy.

I hate the notch, but I disabled it.

There's no notification light, but I'll get used to it.

So far so good.
 

Moosey

Mooseyed Farvin
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
4,214
CT
Got my Pixel 3 yesterday and after about 20 hours with it...I really like this phone. It's snappy, fast, great camera, battery life seems on point so far without me finagling anything. I am trying to learn the tricks and not do what I normally do and strip it down to only what I need to try and preserve every minute of battery life.

Coverage is already better than my last phone as well, and the fingerprint scanning is really intuitive and works great for me.

Also, it's smaller than I thought it would be, actually a bit smaller than my last phone, and that is a great thing. I dislike gigantic phones.

Funny part is, the phone got here before the case I ordered...which seems to be in some FedEx limbo.

Now the trick is letting the wife and kid use it enough that they are comfortable jumping ship when their Next contracts run out.
 

Huntington Avenue Grounds

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2008
1,899
Lunenburg, MA
Any love for the Note 9? Just picked one up on Black Friday at the Verizon store and I'm smitten with it. Have become somewhat of a fanboy of the Samsung platform, had S3, S5 and S7 before picking up the N9. Screen size, display and batter life are all supurb, still tinkering with getting it just right for me. Without a doubt the best phone I've ever owned.
 

saintnick912

GINO!
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Oct 30, 2004
4,967
Somerville, MA
I like the Pixel 3 XL a lot. The migration from Pixel XL was relatively painless, and it's snappy.

I hate the notch, but I disabled it.

There's no notification light, but I'll get used to it.

So far so good.
100% on all of this. Except I kept the notch on and just turned the top bars dark on all the apps I use a lot to hide it. I tried Nacho Notch for a bit but it seemed clunky.

The camera is the first smartphone camera I've had where I wasn't disappointed, including the Pixel XL.
 

milfordsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 26, 2006
516
Connecticut
What headphones are y'all using with the 3 XL?
There are some cheap USB-C earbuds that come with it. I used them for about five minutes yesterday, and they seem on par with all the other cheap earbuds I've use (I've never had a pair of earbuds that cost more than $20, but I'm listening to podcasts, rarely music, so I don't know it makes a difference).

I also have a pair of the Sony WH1000XM3 for the plane. Those things are great, but I can't see using over-the-ear headphones for every day use.
 

saintnick912

GINO!
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Oct 30, 2004
4,967
Somerville, MA
I got some Jabra Elite Active 65t a few weeks ago (with a gift card). They connect really fast, are comfortable, and don't look like cigarettes hanging from my ear canals.

I struggled with the legendarily shitty Pixel XL bluetooth in the meantime, so far it seems less bad on the 3 XL though still a bit skippy in a couple of places it doesn't have the "more cutout than music" that the OG XL had in those spots.
 

Fratboy

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Nov 29, 2003
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Battery life on this thing is beyond ridiculous, and I'm loving this thing. Any Pixel XL user would be thrilled with this phone. Best phone I've ever had, as was the Pixel XL before this.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
I like the Pixel 3 XL a lot. The migration from Pixel XL was relatively painless, and it's snappy.

I hate the notch, but I disabled it.

There's no notification light, but I'll get used to it.

So far so good.
When I got my Pixel 2XL the lack of a notification light threw me for a loop, but in like two days, not only did I not miss it, I actually appreciated not having it. Fuck that blinking light of procrastination!
 

SumnerH

Malt Liquor Picker
Dope
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
31,887
Alexandria, VA
When I got my Pixel 2XL the lack of a notification light threw me for a loop, but in like two days, not only did I not miss it, I actually appreciated not having it. Fuck that blinking light of procrastination!
Figuring out how to turn off those stupid blinkers has been one of the first things I do when I get a new phone, going back to the StarTAC days.
 

bohous

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SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,418
Framingham
I'm seeing reports of issues with Pixel 3 microphone. Any users here having problems, especially those coming from a previous Pixel notice a difference?
 

Reardon's Beard

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Dec 3, 2005
3,795
Had the Pixel 3 for a couple weeks now. Initial thoughts is this is a fantastic phone and best I've ever had for sure. Battery life for the normal version is "eh" but I haven't actually run into issues. If I'm at the desktop it charges and charges at night so do not envision it ever being a problem. SNAPPY processor with great speed and (for me) plenty of space with 64GB.

For 399 and a two year warranty I'd say this was a superb decision thus far and glad I pulled the trigger.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Broke the screen on my 8+ this week, so debating grabbing the 9+ or should I hold out for the 10+? That should be March-ish?

Other option is iPhone Xs max, but I haven't been using iPhone for the last 6 years and I despise that you cannot add more storage with a microSD.
 

Pandemonium67

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
5,575
Lesterland
This blogger writes about a mega-problem she's had with Google Fi (or more precisely, a payment glitch which then shitcanned her whole Google world, including Fi). She claims that there was a substantial change in customer service a few months ago, with service greatly deteriorating as a result. In the comments section, a number of readers chimed in with their own Google horror stories.

https://onemileatatime.com/google-fi-review/

I'm finally ready to dump my Samsung Galaxy 3 (which I bought 4 Boston championships ago, but who's counting) and had pretty much decided to go with a Pixel 3 (or 3 XL, hadn't decided) for its great camera capabilities, plus Google Fi for the easy use overseas. Now I'm very much up in the air.

Can someone hold my hand, please?
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
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Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
I've been in Fi since 2015 and have had 0 issues. I'm not sure that helps, it's a data point. Do we really think there are no Vzw or ATT horror stories out there? I don't know, I don't put a lot of stock in what happened to one person when dealing with support at a giant company.
 

Fratboy

Mr. MENsa
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Nov 29, 2003
18,151
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This blogger writes about a mega-problem she's had with Google Fi (or more precisely, a payment glitch which then shitcanned her whole Google world, including Fi). She claims that there was a substantial change in customer service a few months ago, with service greatly deteriorating as a result. In the comments section, a number of readers chimed in with their own Google horror stories.

https://onemileatatime.com/google-fi-review/

I'm finally ready to dump my Samsung Galaxy 3 (which I bought 4 Boston championships ago, but who's counting) and had pretty much decided to go with a Pixel 3 (or 3 XL, hadn't decided) for its great camera capabilities, plus Google Fi for the easy use overseas. Now I'm very much up in the air.

Can someone hold my hand, please?
Get the PIxel 3 XL. Battery life is a amazing, and you won't regret it for a second.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,535
Boston
My Pixel has lasted slightly longer than two years but the battery has become quite unreliable. I looked the Pixel 3 yesterday morning and it happened to be deeply discounted so I jumped. Picking it up tomorrow.

 
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Pandemonium67

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
5,575
Lesterland
Thanks for the comments on the Pixel 3 XL. The price just dropped and I pulled the trigger on a black 3 XL with 64 GB for $699 + tax -- a nice discount.

I'll get a case and not sure what else. If anyone has recommendations for other should-have accessories, I'm all ears.
 

Fratboy

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Nov 29, 2003
18,151
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Thanks for the comments on the Pixel 3 XL. The price just dropped and I pulled the trigger on a black 3 XL with 64 GB for $699 + tax -- a nice discount.

I'll get a case and not sure what else. If anyone has recommendations for other should-have accessories, I'm all ears.
I like the Pixel case, and I also got a Pixel stand through Verizon with my 25% employee benefits discount. The Pixel stand is really nice for the wireless charging, and it legit charges at full speed, as if it were plugged in. Not a must have, but a nice to have.
 

bohous

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,418
Framingham
My iPhone 7 started having issues in December so I jumped on a Pixel 3 deal and regretted not going for the XL. A couple of weeks ago Target was running a $450 deal for the XL that I couldn't pass up so I went ahead and upgraded. I'll probably post later on my general feelings and questions regarding the change in OS. However in the meantime, I now have a mint condition, black 64gb Pixel 3 if anybody is interested before I post it on eBay. It was purchased as a Verizon phone and is unlocked. I don't know if SoSH has any policy regarding posting For Sale items but if inappropriate let me know. Otherwise feel free to DM for details.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,535
Boston
Okay, what am I doing wrong?

My phone use the last two Tuesday mornings has been fairly identical. Plugged in at night, alarm at 4:30am. Some light web browsing, then podcasts on my BT headphones as I walked to the gym, then more web browsing for a little over an hour straight on the elliptical, then more podcast walking to the subway, then web browsing until I got to work.

By 9am, last week my 2+-year-old Pixel was down to 30% and rapidly falling. But today by 9am my brand new Pixel 3 was at 59% (but feels like an actual 59% at least, it's currently at 50 an hour later). I'm reading reviews where they have the Pixel 3 as having 12 hours of straight web browsing battery life.

I spent most of my setup of the new phone turning stuff off - notifications, etc., so I'm not exactly a power user. I have a static black background. My browser is Firefox - is it that much of a battery killer?
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Nov 8, 2004
4,538
Bernal
I got some Jabra Elite Active 65t a few weeks ago (with a gift card). They connect really fast, are comfortable, and don't look like cigarettes hanging from my ear canals.
Echoing this and adding in excellent sound and call quality.
Tougher for calls outdoors (listening is fine), as the recipient seems to hear amplified background noises. But indoors, top-notch.
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I usually stay one Pixel behind, got the 2 XL last fall. I couldn't pass this up (I have been on Fi since the beginning), although all that was left when I pulled was a pink 128 GB for $499. But they are still giving me $100 for my Pixel XL, and I'll pass the 2 on to my girlfriend. $400 for the most expensive Pixel 3 is a no brainer.
 

Moosey

Mooseyed Farvin
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
4,214
CT
Yup, just got 2 to switch my wife and son off AT&T. Timing worked out just about perfectly, as I wanted to try it out for a few months before bringing them over.
 

PortlandSoxFan

Father of Idontgiveafuckism
Lifetime Member
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Service is very good in CT, and better than it was a couple of years ago. There were some spots in the boonies towards the shore where I would ALWAYS lose service, and that hasn't happened in a while. Could be a combination of the newer phone as well as improved T-Mobile/Sprint service.
 

Reardon's Beard

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Dec 3, 2005
3,795
Anyone used a newer Nokia model? Eying a new phone for the wife and debating between a 6.1 or 7.1 compatible with Google Fi.
 

saintnick912

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Oct 30, 2004
4,967
Somerville, MA
I've used a 7.1 a bit and it's a solid phone, but I think the Pixel 3a pretty much obsoletes it completely especially if you find a $100 off offer and get it for effectively $300.

As for compatibility, the Nokias will only work on T-Mobile on Fi, not Sprint or US Cellular, where the 3a will support switching.
 

Reardon's Beard

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Dec 3, 2005
3,795
I've used a 7.1 a bit and it's a solid phone, but I think the Pixel 3a pretty much obsoletes it completely especially if you find a $100 off offer and get it for effectively $300.

As for compatibility, the Nokias will only work on T-Mobile on Fi, not Sprint or US Cellular, where the 3a will support switching.
Yup. That's where I've been leaning but am doing my due diligence on Nokia and alternative options.

Anyone used the 3a or 3a XL?
 

Marceline

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Sep 9, 2002
6,441
Canton, MA
My wife had an earlier model Nokia phone from a few years back, one of the Lumia phones. The headphone jack stopped working after about 6 months.

We sent it in for service under the warranty and they sent it back unfixed saying physical damage invalidated the warranty because there was a hairline crack in the screen.

I don't know if other companies like Samsung or Apple would have the same approach, but from my perspective Nokia is crap and I would never buy another one of their phones after that.
 

ElUno20

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
6,055
Software update for s9, downloads and installs, everything is good. An hour later, same notification that an update is available and needs to update. So i did it again but an hour later, same notification. I stopped updating but the notification is still there and after a few hours it forces to update.

Anyone experience this before?

Update: the last update did it i guess. Havent gotten a new notification for a download since
 
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Fratboy

Mr. MENsa
Lifetime Member
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Nov 29, 2003
18,151
McCarver Park
The new Android Auto UI is here, and it's amazing!

Do the following to activate it:

* Open Android Auto when not connected to your car
* Tap the hamburger (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner
* Tap Settings
* Turn the switch "on" for "Try the new Android Auto"

That's it! You'll love the new dark theme, the Apple CarPlay-like main interface, and the ability to easily switch to music while navigating and back and forth. It's a really, really nice update, and much needed.

Enjoy!
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
The new Android Auto UI is here, and it's amazing!

Do the following to activate it:

* Open Android Auto when not connected to your car
* Tap the hamburger (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner
* Tap Settings
* Turn the switch "on" for "Try the new Android Auto"

That's it! You'll love the new dark theme, the Apple CarPlay-like main interface, and the ability to easily switch to music while navigating and back and forth. It's a really, really nice update, and much needed.

Enjoy!
Yay! AA is awesome but they made some really curiously stupid decisions in the first iteration. I'm really hoping this version remedies those.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,535
Boston
Anyone with a Pixel 3 upgraded to Android 10 yet? Any issues.

I'm hesitant because my phone is working really well right now. And Windows just had a big update on my tablet which has made it much slower.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
Anyone with a Pixel 3 upgraded to Android 10 yet? Any issues.

I'm hesitant because my phone is working really well right now. And Windows just had a big update on my tablet which has made it much slower.
I'm on a Pixel 2 and did the upgrade. No issues and a few nice new features. It does take a LONG time to reboot during the upgrade, so be warned you'll need about 30-60 minutes to do the upgrade and will be tempted to reboot during it.
 

Red Sox Physicist

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
296
Natick, MA
Anyone with a Pixel 3 upgraded to Android 10 yet? Any issues.

I'm hesitant because my phone is working really well right now. And Windows just had a big update on my tablet which has made it much slower.
I upgraded my Pixel 3 earlier this week. No issues here. The new system-wide dark mode is awesome. The SoSH app crashes, but it's dead anyway as has been mentioned elsewhere.

It's a 1.3 GB download, and sits at the Google screen for a long time on reboot for installation as jercra mentioned for his Pixel 2.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,535
Boston
I upgraded my Pixel 3 earlier this week. No issues here. The new system-wide dark mode is awesome. The SoSH app crashes, but it's dead anyway as has been mentioned elsewhere.

It's a 1.3 GB download, and sits at the Google screen for a long time on reboot for installation as jercra mentioned for his Pixel 2.
Well, it only took four minutes for me once I hit reboot. Losing the app bites... it had been working fine for me.
 

Catcher Block

Member
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Mar 7, 2006
5,825
St. Louis
After reading this thread earlier today, I upgraded my Pixel 2 XL to 10, and it unexpectedly fixed one of my biggest annoyances with android.

I frequently work in the staging and production versions of an app I use at my job, but I could never load them side by side in previous versions of android, and the uninstall/re-install cycle was maddening. Now I can have both of them open and compare fixes/enhancements, etc. This is a great day.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,535
Boston
Is it just me, or is the new Dark Mode a little too dark? I'm having trouble reading notifications now. And I had the notifications dark before.

Also, I don't seem to be able to make or receive telephone calls now. That might be an issue with Google Voice but I love when mobile devices are bad at being the basic thing they're meant to be (the Pixel 3 is a wonderful computer, though).
 

Caspir

Member
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Jul 16, 2005
6,886
I'm having an issue placing calls. It takes about 30-40 seconds for the phone to connect and begin ringing. Everything else has been fine so far.
 

Fratboy

Mr. MENsa
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Nov 29, 2003
18,151
McCarver Park
The problems with placing and receiving phone calls is a known issue, and it's related to the My Verizon app. The app was updated yesterday, so that might resolve the issue, but uninstalling the app entirely will fix it.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
My S7 is slowly becoming worse and worse, is the S9 in a good place still for $499 unlocked (I travel a boatload for work so hotswapping sims is key).