Samsung has packed their phone with as much features as possible as usual. Cool things 1) Wireless charging to other devices 2) 1TB and 4500mah battery?? (unnecessary but some will want it 3) HDR recording in the camera 4) I like the ultra wide camera. Sadly the punchout on the screen will definitely keep me from buying it. I ALMOST jumped on board with the Note 9. I was thinking they came up with a new mobile screen tech where the area by the camera was overlayed with the screen and would turn to a punchout when the camera is needed. That would have been slick!
I would wait for the s10 5G variant if you want a more future proof phone that you plan to use in the years to come.
S10 Camera AI effects looked cool. I think we'll see more of that in the future. I don't think pricing will ever go down on flagships, now that the market has shown it's sustainable at $999 Also the Samsung Fold is THICCCCCC
The foldable smartphone is the future. In 3 years I can see us having devices like the ones they have on Westworld
I have yet to see a non Galaxy, Pixel, or OnePlus android in the wild. No Nokias, LGs, Motorola, or Sony. Or any of the dozens of other android phone makers. I have never even seen an S9 and they are already on to S10. Does anyone here own the Sony XZ3? Is it any good? I am fixed in the iOS ecosystem, and there is no compelling reason to upgrade from my fully working current iPhone to the XS/XR (or any other phone). But, I like to imagine what it would be like to own a completely different phone. If only Google were more privacy conscious like Apple.
I wouldn't agree on the privacy stuff, I think all of these companies are building massive databases with all the data they're collecting (phone use/biometrics/always on mics). Don't get me wrong I've owned both Apple and Google products, and while Apple might be less (? I honestly even question this now since they have a true copy of your text messages if you use their imesseger features etc. I mean it passes through an Apple server in addition to your phone provider). I also think it's slowly starting to change when Apple started allowing 3rd parties in for customizing features. Especially with Apple opening up more of their system finally (custom keyboards/more similar Android features, they're both slowly bleeding the lines), and I think ultimately this opens up more holes for more apps to collect data (since they have keyboard level access). Also, as mentioned, siri/google/Alexa are always listening, and sure you can disable it, but hell that was a pretty big screw up a few weeks ago with FaceTime starting ahead of time (so you could hear the other party's ahead of time). Anyway, regardless of choice the data collection is happening and while you can control some of it, just having a device creates a profile. Or on the privacy thing are you talking about not unlocking a criminal's phone, because I'm pretty sure that's changing too, once they realized hackers could do it: https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/8/16626452/apple-fbi-texas-shooter-iphone-unlock-encryption-debate obviously this is an older article, and doesn't clearly state apple's willingness, but privacy is fleeting. Anyway, how have you not seen an S9 in public? It's definitely around, I do agree with you on some of the other brands becoming less likely on your list though. Most likely Apple/Samsung/Google in the states, with a few LGs or OnePlus sometimes, Motorola is there too. I mean Google's Android system owns crazy market share but it's so fragmented with all the brands around the world (with an insane mix of old and new phones). And earlier not trying to sound tinfoil like, I'm not into conspiracy theories but the data is definitely being collected, so, I guess you could pick a lesser evil or go burner phone, haha On a side note I flipped from Apple to Samsung, around the iPhone 4s/5, and started with an S3 and moved up multiple times since then with even some Google phones too. Anyway Samsung's new Android os launcher is basically an Apple ios (so much smoother than their early efforts where you were basically forced to customize it so the phone would be nice to use, unlike how an iPhone is great out of the box etc.). I also didn't really care about the ecosystem since the apps I had could be repurchased, and music I only buy the best version for audio (so lp as of late and convert), unless it's only stream worthy. So, no iTunes library for audio or even video that had to be converted. I can definitely understand if you have tons of apps/library on their system. Anyway, I'm hoping all these companies continue to be competitive, and hopefully this $2k phone isn't the norm soon, because I'm definitely not going back to some old flip phone.
https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/286114-report-consumers-are-getting-tired-of-expensive-phones I think if/when sales start to slip because people aren't upgrading, the price might remain static at whatever it currently is. It's pretty hard to justify spending more than 1k on a phone, since there isn't that much of a jump in specs, past the 1k barrier. No one needs 1TB storage or 12gb RAM. I don't think people will notice the difference between that and, say, 512gb storage and 6/8gb RAM.
Android is open source so the code is transparent. We have no idea what Apple is doing, but you be assured they are profiting off your data. And for those who believe Apple is looking out for your best interest, remember everyone on Android is giving every app under the sun permission to grab their contacts. Whatever personal information your friend has stored on their phone, every app that is given permission to this data has it. On that note, if anyone is considering upgrade to the S10 or S10+, Samsclub is giving a $200 gift card for preorders....except for the T-Mobile customers.
The s10 family look fantastic. I am seriously considering taking advantage of the trade in offers at Best Buy. I can trade in my LG G7 (that i bought used for $220 two weeks ago) for $550 and my LG G6 (worth $100-120) for $300 and get a s10 (to keep) and s10e (resell). I am pretty happy with the G7 thus far, but a chance to get better cameras, bigger battery, more RAM, more storage and an updated processor is pretty enticing.
Right, I haven't looked at ios in years, does it have something similar for 3rd party apps? To see what permissions apps are using (similar to Android)? I definitely agree though, all these companies love data, and it's definitely in their best interest to get as much as they can unfortunately.
Google Play is not open source. Google exists to sell advertisements and Apple exists to sell hardware. Apple’s stated privacy policy is very reassuring. https://www.apple.com/privacy/approach-to-privacy/ It’s not Google knowing my info that bothers me. It’s groups like Facebook and shady third parties trying to suck up every piece of info about me and to monetize it without me knowing.
I dont use iOS however I have heard Apple is loosing these restrictions. Apple wants to control the whole user experience. From Apples perspective, why allow 3rd party apps sell all that valuable information Apple is collecting when they can use and/or sell it themselves. Apples privacy policy is mostly about preventing 3rd parties from collecting the data. I find it hard to believe Apple would let all of this useful information go to waste. “...strategic partners that work with Apple to provide products and services, or that help Apple market to customers” is a very very broad statement.
Many years to come. There is 5G but not for phones, only some homes if you are even chosen by your internet provider, and there won't be for at least another year. There is no way I'd buy a beta 5G phone. I help engineer the fiber networks so trust me, wait until sub-6GHz spectrum is rolled out and on all phones when the networks finally figure out a way to clear congestion. The current millimeter spectrum that will be rolled out is trash. I love the S10+ but am sticking with my S8+ as it still runs strong and I feel no need to upgrade until real 5G is rolling and perfected on the flagship phones.
I just bought the Sony XZ2 compact which is basically the same phone but in a smaller version. I absolutely love it. I have always been a fan of Sony phones. I have purchased a few throughout the years. My last phone was a Motorola Z2 Force. It was a decent phone as well. I got a projector with it for free and whenever I wanted to watch the Rockets games I just attached the projector mod and i was good to go. No more dealing with connecting my laptop to the TV via HDMI. I have also owned some cheap android phones such as LeEco S2 which was really only good for less than 6 months of usage. I also had the Blackberry KeyOne which was a fantastic device. Lots of neat features on there, but the price tag was high around $649 on launch. My last two phones, Sony XZ2 compact and Moto Z2 Force have each been less than $300. Although I did buy them 9 months to a year after their respective launches. Since buying these two phones I have come to a conclusion that I personally will never pay more than $300-$400 for an Android phone. All the same features which are in a $800 + phone will be found in a cheaper one as well. Unless you are holding on to your phones for 2 years then it could be justified to spend that much. But if you are like me who switches their phone every year then do not spend more that about $400. Also if you choose to try an Android phone don't be scared to try an OEM which is not big in the USA. Huawei, Xiaomi, Nokia just to name a few. And if you want to play a safe bet look into a phone running Android One. It is basically the same Android running on Pixel phones. An absolute pure experience of Android. And in regards to your data being safe lol man these tech know more about us than we know about ourselves. And let's be real you cannot download an app, from the Google Play Store, without giving access to to basically everything on your phone. Your contacts, mic, location etc. Unfortunately that is the new norm, and we have accepted it for the most part. That's just part of owning a smartphone in this present age.
How long until you estimate a decent rollout of 5g? Not necessarily for phones but more for homes? Like the speed and latency claims look really impressive, I'd just like to see how well it all holds up with bigger trials/actual congestion etc.
5G is provably going to cause birth defects to cancer given how powerful it has to be to carry the signal.
I love my LG G7, but the battery on it is trash after just 11 months of wear. Gonna get an S10E to replace it.
I can't deicde on the S10E or the S10. The price difference really isn't really that much once you factor in the free galaxy buds if you pre-order the s10. The s10 should have better battery life, telephoto lens, and more RAM. But I prefer the smaller footprint of the S10e and the flat display. I used an S7 edge for a while and I really really disliked the rounded edge display. It's a tough choice for sure.
