The great Android experiment

[Steve Adams]

Yeah, I tried a load on my two devices and constant freeze ups, locks etc are all I get. I have been doing some reading, and what not. I am going to dive back into the googlesphere for a bit I think, A new chormebook, zenfone2 and zenpad to try out. I am very intrigued by the chormebook os. I am going to try one of the 13" chormebooks maybe the Toshiba with HD screen.

 

[etad putta]

There are some good ROMs out there, such as Cyanogen. The real problem with custom ROM's is the same problem with the stock ROMs; the developer stops working on it the minute a new version of Android becomes available. So there are never any bug fixes made past a certain point.

Good read....Cyanogen now has more users than Windows Mobile and BlackBerry combined | Android Central

 

[Steve Adams]

I have used some cyanogenmod baked roms. Still not stable.

 

[pavvento]

I bought an S6 Edge today after 3 years with windows phone. There are a lot of things I love, but enough things that drive me crazy and I will return it tomorrow.

A few highlights:

Love:

Email or username is remembered for selection through different apps.

Apps are plentiful and work better (uber driver icon was accurate and offered spotify tie in)

Select text is a lot easier to use.

Office programs blew away the ones on Windows phone. I know that is changing with windows 10, but it is absurd how much better it is.

Hardware: Maybe the M8 is near, but no Windows phone feels as good in the hand as this one.

Ugly:

Keyboard is awful, even when using swype.

Notifications: Maybe it is a problem with my band but I get notifications for EVERYTHING. When the phone is charging my band alerts me every 1% increase.

No live tiles: self explanatory

Text messaging: no deliniation between read and unread messages.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Euell Gibbons]

I agree with most of your sentiments, I really miss the WP keyboard. And every freaking app sends notifications. Did you install a fart app? Well then, you can expect the fart app to send notifications of breaking wind-related news.

The whole experience reaks of constant spam.

Another huge annoyance; with WP you get complete control over the ringtone and content of all notifications. You can choose which apps can display in the status bar, and which will just vibrate. You can assign a certain ringtone to an app or group of apps. With Android, the notification sound you get is whatever sound the app would make if it were open. Some of those sounds are awful.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I agree with most of your sentiments, I really miss the WP keyboard. And every freaking app sends notifications. Did you install a fart app? Well then, you can expect the fart app to send notifications of breaking wind-related news.

The whole experience reaks of constant spam.

Another huge annoyance; with WP you get complete control over the ringtone and content of all notifications. You can choose which apps can display in the status bar, and which will just vibrate. You can assign a certain ringtone to an app or group of apps. With Android, the notification sound you get is whatever sound the app would make if it were open. Some of those sounds are awful.

It is possible to disable notifications for Android apps.

It is also possible to change notification sounds from the default to whatever sound one wants.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[Euell Gibbons]

Good luck finding those settings, since every version of Android is different, and every flavor of Android has different settings layouts.

 

[davidofmidnight]

Good luck finding those settings, since every version of Android is different, and every flavor of Android has different settings layouts.

On my ZenFone 2 (running Android 5.0) I went to Setting / Sound & Notifications / App notifications.

Google's actually made this easier to find.

 

[Laura Knotek]

On my ZenFone 2 (running Android 5.0) I went to Setting / Sound & Notifications / App notifications.

Google's actually made this easier to find.

That's exactly the same on my Nexus 7 and Moto X which run stock Android.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[davidofmidnight]

That's exactly the same on my Nexus 7 and Moto X which run stock Android.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

I just pulled out an old 4.4 phone and I would agree that it's hard to find how to disable/enable notifications easily. That may be on an app by app basis. But newer phones do make it pretty easy.

 

[pavvento]

It is possible to disable notifications for Android apps.
//images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/14/097fdf7c58947a9aec7f56ba475fd282.jpg

It is also possible to change notification sounds from the default to whatever sound one wants.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

Is it possible to do this with built in services? Every time I use a keyboard I get an alert that I've selected a keyboard. I also get the same alerts when gps is activated or when my phone is charging.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Visa Declined]

Good luck finding those settings, since every version of Android is different, and every flavor of Android has different settings layouts.

If you can't find the settings app on your phone, you should return it and buy a flip phone. Although I know you're being purposefully obtuse.

 

[Euell Gibbons]

If you can't find the settings app on your phone, you should return it and buy a flip phone. Although I know you're being purposefully obtuse.

That's a seriously ******* comment, I can understand why your Visa was declined.

 

[Euell Gibbons]

On my ZenFone 2 (running Android 5.0) I went to Setting / Sound & Notifications / App notifications.

Google's actually made this easier to find.

Expect that it's not there. Those settings only allow you turn off the notifications, not alter the notification sound.

 

[heickelrrx]

Anyone know why this Zenfone 4C has Too much bloatware?

Got 3 web browser out of the box. 8GB internal but only 4GB accessible.

Any idea about custom rom?

 

[DavidinCT]

I've been a Microsoft guy forever, Started on a HPC 1.0 (Microsoft first portable windows device besides a laptop) and moved up step by step, PocketPC, Windows Mobile (still loved that HP HX4700) and till I got my very first HTC Trophy WIndows Phone 7 device...

I have had to support iOS devices over the years, I know them very well, but, Android, so so,, a little here and there...

So, I just picked up a MINTY non-booting, white LG G3 for $45 and it's under Warranty so it's out to service. When it gets back, I will be swapping SIMs back and forth with this phone.

The LG G3 is a very nice phone, slick, as fast as my ICON spec wise, bigger and beautiful screen, I guess I am going to see what it's like to live with this device for a while, and I will be able to swap back and forth.

After the promise if Apps, Apps, Apps from Microsoft over the years, and 4-6 years later, Still waiting, I need to play on the other side to see how bad it actually is.

I love Windows Phone but, the endless waiting for stuff that at this point I don't see happening, at least any time in the next few years... It's old, really old...

 

[Steve Adams]

I hear ya davidinCT. I am just going to pick up the acer liquid Jade s for an android phone.

 

[Euell Gibbons]

Just an update on my continued experiences with return to Android:

The Lg G2 continues to impress me. It's just a fantastic piece of H/W. Why, oh why, can't I get a W10 phone with this quality H/W?

2. The AT&T/LG bloated S/W is just complete and utter ****e! My God, what a complete and utter mess this is. Trying to customize the phone to work in a highly productive manner is like trying to herd cats. And to top it all off, there isn't a trustworthy AOSP ROM for it. Flashing ROMs to Android phones is necessary (unless you are using a Nexus device) to get a decent experience, but the Carriers and phone mfgs make it harder to do that every day. And there just aren't as many good ROMs around anymore.

Android phones are so damn high-maintenance. Nothing ever "just works".

I now have enough data to say that I really want to come back to WP, but ********* MS, you're REALLY making that hard too. The 950 is FINALLY a phone worthy of buying, but not at $500. I may look at the Jade Primo when it comes out.

So I found a refurb ATIV SE for about $90 online, I'm going to try running W10 on that until I can get a reasonably-priced and spec'ed W10 phone.

 

[Steve Adams]

I would look for a 640xl instead of the ativ. At least there is some support, or even an 830 or 930.

 

[Euell Gibbons]

I would look for a 640xl instead of the ativ. At least there is some support, or even an 830 or 930.

I understand, but I want something with flagship specs; 1080, snapdragon 8XX, etc

The Ativ SE is only 90 bucks, and so it's really just an experiment at this point.