Android text app uses tons of battery, anyone else notice?

[Red Squirrel]

Is Windows phone still a thing? Ironically I can't stand windows on desktop but it might be ok on a phone as it's not like I'll be doing anything serious on it. I just want something I'm not forced to replace every couple years. It feels like I just bought this phone.

Or what about phones that can take custom firmwares I imagine the makers of those firmwares tend to keep updates going for longer? I think it's mostly just flagship phones though that take custom firmwares as they probably won't bother writting one for an oddball $300 phone.

 

[MrSquished]

In the US the pixel 4a is $349 direct from Google.

Windows phone as an OS is no more. It's too bad, I thought it looked promising if it had a chance to evolve a bit more.

App updates are different from security updates which are different than OS updates

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wait so there is 3 types of updates? OS, app and security? Why do they make it so complicated and not just make it all the same and come from same server/system? Do I need to do anything manual to get the other types of updates? I just assumed that when I get a notification from Play store that it's updating everything. I can see why everyone just goes with iphone, it just works. I just can't justify that price tag though, almost 2 grand for a phone.

And yeah we are not as fortunate as the US when it comes to buying things, stuff is like double the price here for the same things.

Not having any luck trying to reload OS on this one so I think on Tuesday I will bring it to an electronics store to see if they can help me, and while I'm there I'll see if they can recommend me a phone in the $300-$400 range to replace it, if they can't get it reloaded.

 

[MrSquished]

Wait so there is 3 types of updates? OS, app and security? Why do they make it so complicated and not just make it all the same and come from same server/system? Do I need to do anything manual to get the other types of updates? I just assumed that when I get a notification from Play store that it's updating everything. I can see why everyone just goes with iphone, it just works. I just can't justify that price tag though, almost 2 grand for a phone.

And yeah we are not as fortunate as the US when it comes to buying things, stuff is like double the price here for the same things.

Not having any luck trying to reload OS on this one so I think on Tuesday I will bring it to an electronics store to see if they can help me, and while I'm there I'll see if they can recommend me a phone in the $300-$400 range to replace it, if they can't get it reloaded.

Seems the 4a is $479 Canadian.

App updates come through the app store from the app developers. Totally separate from OS and security updates. Security updates fix bugs and security issues and these are provided by Google and Apple. OS updates upgrade the OS, once a year these days. Pixel phones get the security and OS updates straight from Google. I think all iPhones get their security and OS updates straight from Apple. Other Android phones that are running a tweaked Android OS by the manufacturer need the manufacturer to push updates to the phones if they are unlocked, or through the carriers if they are carrier locked. That's how I understand it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Kind of odd why do they make it so complicated? How does it work when an app is still being updated, do they purposely skip the security fixes unless you have a certain model phone? It sounds like a nightmare to manage that honestly. May as well just send the same updates to everyone regardless of what hardware they run and cut out the manufacturer as being a middle man. Like you don't have Dell and HP managing Windows update, it still comes from Microsoft.

Anyway so I managed to reload the OS, got some help on the Blackberry forums, they pointed me to the right place to download the rom as the one on the BB site did not work for me.

Would I be able to get around this security update limitation if I was to do a custom rom? I imagine the custom roms only work on specific phones so I would need to be sure to get a phone that is compatible I assume?

Just read this and it seems to indicate a custom rom might be the way to go to get security updates:

5 Best Custom ROMs for Android (November, 2020) - Androidical

Want to take Android customization to a whole new world? Here is the list of 5 best custom ROMs for Android devices in 2020

www.androidical.com

So maybe I need to look at a new phone but make sure whatever I get is compatible with whatever custom rom I decide to go with, would that be a good route to go?

 

[MrSquished]

Kind of odd why do they make it so complicated? How does it work when an app is still being updated, do they purposely skip the security fixes unless you have a certain model phone? It sounds like a nightmare to manage that honestly. May as well just send the same updates to everyone regardless of what hardware they run and cut out the manufacturer as being a middle man. Like you don't have Dell and HP managing Windows update, it still comes from Microsoft.

Anyway so I managed to reload the OS, got some help on the Blackberry forums, they pointed me to the right place to download the rom as the one on the BB site did not work for me.

Would I be able to get around this security update limitation if I was to do a custom rom? I imagine the custom roms only work on specific phones so I would need to be sure to get a phone that is compatible I assume?

Just read this and it seems to indicate a custom rom might be the way to go to get security updates:

5 Best Custom ROMs for Android (November, 2020) - Androidical

Want to take Android customization to a whole new world? Here is the list of 5 best custom ROMs for Android devices in 2020

www.androidical.com

So maybe I need to look at a new phone but make sure whatever I get is compatible with whatever custom rom I decide to go with, would that be a good route to go?

The reason different model Android phones get different support on the security/bug and OS updates is because different manufacturers tweak the OS with their own stamp to try to separate themselves from the pack even further than just the hardware. Usually it's with skinning and unique apps. Since Android is not as locked down to Google as iOS is to apple, such is life, these manufacturers can do that. Google can update their stock Android software as often as they like, but now manufacturers have to take that update and adjust it to their own OS tweaks and then push it out. And they often slack in that department.

If fast security updates and more OS updates are your thing and you like Android, you gotta get a pixel phone.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah that's what I've been reading. You would think they could still get the updates from the same source though. It's like changing the skin on Debian and shipping it as a new distro, you can still get updates from Debian.

Does the Pixel guarantee updates forever (or at least until the hardware literally can't run it anymore) or is it still like a 3 year thing? I am less hard pressed to find a new phone now, but I will probably go towards something like that, or a phone with a custom rom, which from my understanding will allow updates basically forever. Or at least until the hardware is actually unsuitable spec wise to run the new version.

 

[MrSquished]

Google promises at least 3 years but so far that's where they've stopped. The pixel 2 just got its last update and it came out 3 years ago. Only time will tell if later models will get more.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah could not justify the higher price then if it's only 3 years. May as well just get a $300 phone at that point. Though if the pixel takes a custom rom which I presume it does, I could probably extend that way too.

I just hate spending in the upper $100 range on anything knowing it will become obsolete in only a few years. The years go by so fast these days.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I just hate spending in the upper $100 range on anything knowing it will become obsolete in only a few years. The years go by so fast these days.

I hear ya. I've just resigned myself to buying an entry-level ($100-150) Android phone, with the newest OS out (*or available via system upgrade), and riding that out for 2-3 years, or until I step on my phone (whoops!), and then just buy another one at that time.

My current phone is a Samsung A01 (very entry-level Samsung), with an Octo-core (performance is fine, although I don't do much with it), battery life is decent, charges pretty quickly (this one still has micro-USB, not USB-C, and does NOT have a removable battery, this is my first phone WITHOUT a removable battery, which means, when the battery starts to fail, you toss the phone). Unfortunately, T-Mobile still hasn't been able to get my 2GB of data every month to work on the phone. I see the "LTE" symbol, I can use VoLTE and HD Voice, I can go to Google and do a search, but I can't get to any web site, and the Weather app doesn't work unless I'm on wifi. Very weird. When I go to look at my account usage, all of the data usage shows "whitelisted". So that seems to indicate, all of my own attempts at data usage are "blacklisted"? Or otherwise, not whitelisted? T-Mobile told me to try the SIM in another phone, which I have yet to do, but if I buy another phone, and data STILL doesn't work, I think that it's time to ditch T-Mobile, and maybe file an FCC complaint besides.

 

[MrSquished]

Yeah could not justify the higher price then if it's only 3 years. May as well just get a $300 phone at that point. Though if the pixel takes a custom rom which I presume it does, I could probably extend that way too.

I just hate spending in the upper $100 range on anything knowing it will become obsolete in only a few years. The years go by so fast these days.

If you buy an unlocked pixel from google my guess is the bootloader is unlocked.

I guess it all depends how much and how you use your phone if it's worth it to you.

The photos the pixels take are excellent, only useful if you value that feature though.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah honestly the camera is probably the biggest thing I do value, as well as ability to add a SD card. Though it's not the major decision factor either. Ex: I probably would not spend an extra $200 just for a better camera if I'm comparing two phones. Sadly most phones don't have a removable battery now days but I imagine most are still somewhat replaceable. So far it has not been an issue for me though. If it did, I would probably try to retro fit a battery from a newer model, as if I get one for that model, how long has it been sitting on a shelf somewhere. My DTEK50 has acted up a couple times though, where the battery just completely dropped out of nowhere. Like I was out for a walk once and it was at like 80% or something. I go to pull it out to take a picture and it's at 5% and then just dies. So the writing kinda is on the wall for this phone anyway. But other than that the battery is fine. I was far from cell service that time and it was cold enough out, like maybe -20 so maybe that played a factor as it was working hard trying to get a tower.

I may actually splurge on a pixel with the knowledge that I can just put a custom firmware and get support for longer. Going to wait it out as I'm not hard pressed anymore, so I have more time to decide the route I want to go.