All the other discussions I found on Lemmy dismiss it because they find the idea of a second phone ridiculous. Or because they don't buy into the "dumb phone" concept. But I think it makes a compelling phone on it's own, and you wouldn't need a second. But really look into it. By every indication it appears designed to be a fully featured main phone. It has some compromises made to fit the keyboard first philosophy, but it has everything you'd need and more. Dual SIM (eSIM+physical), a headphone jack, micro SD Card support, a 50mp camera with OIS (I know megapixels don't mean much but I think it shows it's not gonna be the cheapest crap camera), NFC/Google Pay support, Android Auto, Qi2... That doesn't read "second phone" to me. It's just.... phone. They have now said that it will have an unlockable bootloader too. I'm not finding much to dislike here. 8GB of RAM is somewhat low but should be fine. The processor is still a question mark but honesty as long as it's not bottom of the barrel it should be perfectly fine. I have always gone for flagship phones but honestly I've started analyzing what I actually do on my phone and I pretty much never push the hardware. I like knowing I have the top of the line but I basically just web browse, message, read email, scroll Lemmy, and listen to music/podcasts. Very occasionally watch some YouTube but that's usually on my TV or PC. No gaming or anything. I should be able to do all of that on this device, some of it won't be as good on that screen obviously but it should still be doable. I need the camera to at least be decent. Not great just not garbage. Like it's fine if the low light performance is meh and the video isn't the best. But I don't want to look at my photos and regret taking it with that device, so we'll see. I don't want a dumb phone, and I don't think this is one. You should be able to do everything any other phone can. I don't think it's a second phone either. I think they're just leaning into that for marketing reasons, so that when anyone points out the tradeoffs of this form factor they can just wave it away as a secondary device. It appeals to me because it's a small phone. Seriously nobody makes one worth using. Unihertz sure, if you want a bad software experience with no updates ever. But otherwise you just have the non-plus sized iPhone/Galaxy S. Those are considered small. Or maybe the flip-foldables. It also appeals to me because it has major character and (imo) style. I'm bored of glass and metal sandwiches. Give me this! A plastic device with a swappable back that has a (vegan?) leather option? Hell yeah.

Does anyone know this company? I hope it's Nova launchers saving grace.

I remeber **Moto E 1st Gen** with Snapdragon 200, 1GB RAM ,4 GB (2.1 GB usable) Storage. I have played games on it in 2017 it was some COD AW clone. I could install alot of Apps on just 2.1GB storage. No hang and good multi tasking on 1GB RAM. Again I got a SD 625 + 4GB RAM and it is awesome. I remeber thinking 4GB in phone will be max forever as 8GB in PC/Laptop was good enough for gaming and 16GB in PC for browsing ain't enough. Now in 2026 6GB in Android is considered low-end and Apps crash. Again I got a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 + 8GB RAM. Devs please stop making apps big, CPU/RAM heavy. Apps like Facebook/Instagram should be shamed they are 1GB each. Android OS has no limit on cache. Android OS has no native user-frienly option to control which apps can run in background. Phone/SoC reviews are a scam, they say SD 363 is 50% better than SD 625. I don't think it is a very big leak from SD625 to 7s Gen 2. Reviewers are stuck in 2013, "casual games run OK and COD runs at 60 FPS", it always did for every phone! I think I am going to boycott high tier phones.

#android #smarphone

The author 's reference to incremental improvements remind of entry level Samsung Phones (A Series). They often don't change much (though the newer ones get as high as six years of software support, IIRC). This phone lacks wireless charging which the previous version had, an odd choice (though I had personally they had increased the wired charging speeds).

Local Desktop helps you run a desktop Linux environment on your Android device.

What part of an android device is responsible for carrier locking? I understand that custom ROMs can sometimes be used to bypass a carrier lock, but how might I go about making such a ROM from stock? This is complicated somewhat by the fact that the actual device I have, an Orbic Speed RC400L, isn't technically an android device; it runs busybox/linux, but its bootloader, adbd, and cellular systems seem to be android-like. I'm happy to experiment if someone can provide resources for the general android case.

I'm thinking about making a return from Garmin in the near future with Samsung announcing the Galaxy Watch 6 making a return with the ever-so-popular rotating bezel, and Google is now focused on their own Pixel Watch. For people who are currently using a WearOS device, what are your thoughts on the current state of the platform as a smartwatch and fitness tracker as of mid 2023?

Custom rommed using CM11 :D

I work at home mainly and would like to be able to play podcasts from my TV (Fire TV). I tried one or two apps from the regular app store and they were crap. I also tried AntennaPod side-loaded but some functions just don't work right. I'm trying to avoid using YouTube as well, plus fuck their dumb ads. Before anyone says, "Use your phone," I try to keep my phone far away while I work to avoid it distracting me. I could use it to play episodes still but then I don't have a remote to pause or skip or adjust volume. Any suggestions?

One of my favorite aspects of folding phones is the return of the fingerprint sensors built directly into the power button. This is objectively the ideal design, for reasons I assume I don't have to explain. Lately, however, the novelty of folding phones is wearing off and I'm starting to think I'd just like something lighter and sleeker. Are there any recommendations for a phone with a power-button sensor that still has good specs and cameras? Edit: for the purposes of this post, physical sensors on the back of the phone also count, since they can wake the phone and unlock it simultaneously. And to clarify (I thought this was a thing everyone just inherently agreed on), the benefits of physical sensors are: 1) accuracy. A physical sensors will always be more accurate (and thus have fewer issues) because it doesn't have to work THROUGH the screen. This has been improved a lot with newer technologies like ultrasonic readers, but it is literally impossible to be better than the same technology utilized without a screen in the way. 2) wake/unlock in one motion. Since it's also a button, it can wake the phone and unlock it in one motion, rather than 2 separate ones. Again, newer tech has sort of worked around this with things like lift to wake or just having the sensor area ALWAYS scanning so you can unlock it from sleep regardless, but these are clunky software implementations that rely on your phone constantly actively trying to to figure out whether you're doing the thing or not, so it again can't be as efficient as just a normal button. Battery impact for these is also pretty minimal for the most part, but it's still not zero. 3) tactility. You can feel the button, and manufacturers can put it where your hand naturally rests, meaning that you can unlock the phone BEFORE you have even taken it out of your pocket. 4) cost. Physical sensors are hella cheap y'all. The technology to read the ridges on your finger through a sheet of plastic and glass is (turns out) kind of expensive. We're all being forced to pay for this dumb gimmick. 5) durability. Screens get scratched and dinged up, which compromises the sensors ability to read. Physical sensors on the other hand are basically the most durable part of the phone. Again, mostly a non issue on newer phones, but it's yet another thing manufacturers have had to dump money into working around (and thus charging you more for). 6) not impacted by screen protectors, rain on the screen, etc.

I’m still in the saga of trying to switch to android and hit another roadblock lol. I’m looking for a web browser that implements gesture navigation with linear animations like on iOS. The closest browser I’ve found is opera GX, but the PC/MacOS version of opera runs like shit with 30fps animations for all the UI elements.

I'm having trouble with the audio volume in Stardew Valley mobile. With wired headphones, the audio is very loud, but if I'm using Bluetooth (and I've tried multiple pairs), the audio in that game sounds as though it's capped at 50% and it's not a comfortable experience. My physical volume is at 100% and I've checked my Earfun settings to make sure everything is as high as it can go. My old Anker Soundcore earbuds had the same issue, but enabling 3D Audio in their settings seemed to fix it. My Earfun Air Pro 4's don't appear to have that option. What's perplexing to me is that the audio from literally *any other* source is perfectly loud. Spotify, YouTube, other games.. It's fine. But I boot up Stardew and it's like playing with a wax blockage in both ears. Again, this is not an issue at all if I switch to wired earbuds/headphones. Is there any way for me to amplify volume in general, or to apply amplification specifically to that app? I feel like I've tried everything to no avail. Volume booster apps have done nothing, Androids native Sound Amplifier does nothing, and I've enabled dev tools and everything. I'm at a loss.

Hello, world! Is it possible to somehow remove an unlocked bootloader warning on newer Motorola phones? I’ve tried to flash custom logo.bin via fastboot flash logo command. Boot logo has changed but the warning hasn’t been removed. Instead it just became plain text (as well as whole fastboot menu). Would be grateful for any of you suggesting something ;)

Does anyone know of an app that will search all installed icon packs for a term?

I hear then connect through the earphones as always but then every other sound is played by the phone's speaker. I've tried reconnecting and rebooting them a few times without luck. Any suggestions? Edit: rebooting the phone solved it.

> Google's giving Android users an extra tool to keep their phones safe with the mandatory biometric security of Identity Check.

I wonder if there is something subpar about whoever Google is getting the batteries from for the A series phones.

We are writing to inform you about changes to your Google Pay experience. As we continue to provide safe and seamless payments to users around the world, we are also simplifying the app experience in the U.S. For years, Google Wallet has been the primary place to securely store payment cards used for tap and pay in stores, alongside your other digital items like transit cards, driver’s license or state IDs, and more. While in-store and online payments via Google Pay are unchanged, the U.S. version of the standalone Google Pay app will no longer be available for use starting June 4, 2024. Anywhere you normally use Google Pay — from checking out online to tapping and paying in stores — remains the same. If you use your Android phone to shop in stores where Google Pay is accepted, you can continue to tap to pay in stores with the Google Wallet app. Learn more about Google Wallet. Here are the key changes and important dates: • As of today you will no longer be able to view or activate deals in the app. If you previously activated a deal, and are still waiting for cash back, regular reward timelines apply. We know finding the best deal is important when shopping, which is why we launched a new deals destination on Search. • Changes to peer-to-peer payments: As of June 4, 2024, you will no longer be able to send money to, request, or receive money from others through the U.S. version of the Google Pay app. • Manage your Google Pay balance from the Google Pay app until June 4, 2024: You can use the U.S. version of the Google Pay app until June 4, 2024 to view and transfer your Google Pay balance to your bank account. You can continue to view and transfer your funds to your bank account after June 4, 2024 from the Google Pay website. Learn more about transferring money out of Google Pay. Source: email update [Edit: post title and source]

As you may well know, Fairphone is a company that originally arose from a kickstarter campaign and makes phones that are as easily repairable, as sustainable and as fairly sourced as possible. They do have their issues, but compared to other big phone companies they've done a great job with this. Now it appears that Fairphone is [due to announce](https://forum.fairphone.com/t/keep-club-fairphone-web-how-to-enter/99985/3?u=andreaschris) the so called 'Fairphone Keep Club' on the 14th of September - a bonus program as we all know it. You buy stuff, you get points for what you buy, and when you've got enough points you can redeem them to buy more stuff. The [keep club website](https://shop.fairphone.com/loyalty) claims that it's *the only rewards program that gives back to those who keep their Fairphones as long as possible*, but judging by the listed 'challenges' it appears that the most efficient way to gain points is to simply buy new stuff. Personally I'm a bit torn on this, due to the idealistic viewpoints I tend to judge Fairphone under in accordance with their stated sustainability goals. I do realize that is a much higher standard than the big-players in the phone industry achieve. I also get that Fairphone wants to build its brand identity and create incentives to keep customers and sell their products. But at the same time I can't help but think that in the end that program is an incentive to be less sustainable, as it ultimately provides you with those fancy points as a psychological incentive to buy the newest and latest Fairphone product. So I wanted to bring this topic into a wider community that may not currently be as deep in the Fairphone bubble: Do you think such bonus programs will rather help spread the idea of a more repairable, sustainable approach to phones, or will it rather serve as an incentive to artificially shorten a phone's lifecycle by prematurely buying a new one? And more generally speking: Do you think advertising strategies rooted in consumerism and classic capitalistic company goals are compatible with sustainable product lifecycles somehow, despite not exactly having aligned interests?

I'm pretty bad with self control, and I've noticed that I'm spending too much time on Lemmy/Reddit, so I grabbed BlockApp to moderate my usage. So far, it works really well. I appreciate that I can limit usage to x minutes an hour, as well as y minutes daily. It has a block screen, rather than killing the app like Digital Wellbeing. It isn't perfect, but it's a good bandaid for poor impulse control.

> Worried about thieves looking into your stuff? Here's how to enable Theft Protection on Android 10 and up devices.

tl/dr: I would like an Android launcher that has an app search in the app tray, and the ability to see all of the apps in a folder regardless of number. replacing Nova because it's been freezing more and more lately. Hyperion seems to meet most of my needs, but I can't figure out how to do an app search, even with the pro version, and it won't show me all of the apps that I have in a desktop folder if I have more than like five, and I need to be able to see them because I have ADHD.

I've just been through the far-too-many Lemmy apps I have installed, to see whether any support peeking/hold to preview, like Sync does. Is it the only one?

Hello! Share good casual libre android games if you know any

How do yall backup your phone? Trying to de Google as much as I can but that means I wont have the ability to sync everything again if I drop my phone in a lake. Preferably a program that can run on linux or a NAS that auto backs up over wifi. Id be fine with cable backup too if I had to.

It's time for the annual "look how much weight I gained over the holidays 😞", and New Year's resolution to lose weight. Does anyone use a food and exercise tracker app on their Android device? How is your experience with it?

What is it with Android, that it constantly wants me to use Live Wallpapers? I switched to a plain android device from Xiaomi and I really like the calm experience. No ads, no duplicate services etc. But one thing still bothers me: Live Wallpapers. Why is Android so keen on activating live wallpapers? I didn't want them on my old device and always thought it was a Xiaomi thing. But now I still get a screen every once in a while and after each system update. Why? What's in it for Android that it is so obsessed with fucking live wallpapers that I constantly have to reaffirm that I really REALLY don't want them?

I am greatly displeased at the smartphone industry. I think it's time for a heavy handed crackdown about all the spying they're doing. The smartphone industry and in particular the company qualcomm I find an intolerable company in their practice, I believe they should be smashed, their equiment liquidated and their intellectual property destroyed. The smartphone industry is a festering cancer on general computing, a persistent and pernicious assault on human rights. An invasion of our private spaces. A colonization of our lives. I think it is past the point of reform, not that there are any regulator with to intelligence figure out what is wrong let alone the wherewithal to do anything about. For those reasons, I think global thermonuclear war is our only realistic option for setting back the clock on this travesty. I am willing to hear your alternative, I don't believe anything short of that has a snowball's chance in hell to change anything about this.