I'm already using my tablet for everything now.
The trick was finding a decent replacement for MS Paint . . . well, useful drawing apps in general. (And if anyone cares, I've found Infinite Studio to be very useful, though the vector app doesn't quite fill all my needs - I've been using Touchdraw for dungeon floorplans)
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Seems OK. I know @Dirona isn't as much of a fan, but doesn't seem that different to me. Just a little more colorful.
Just remember to go into the settings and disable the noise for the "ding" whenever you plug it in. I find that annoying, but searching the settings was quick and painless.
AndroidPolice has an extensive write-up on the changes/additions, and they are continuing to update the article over time.
--Patrick
--Patrick
The biggest thing I don't like is that they've inverted the controls for closing apps that are open. Now you scroll left or right through the list, then swipe up to close the app.
Here's a pro-tip that's been true for at LEAST 2 major versions of Android: closing apps COSTS you battery life. It's less battery to keep things hanging around in memory completely inactive, then you just re-focus on them, than to re-start an app from scratch, since all of the "Startup" routines need to run then, whereas from being suspended, they don't. Thus unless you need to clear cache or something, it is better to just "leave it" in the background.
...but my OCD and desire for order and neatness won't let me. Having a dozen apps open in the background feels wrong.
FYI this is (mostly) true in iOS as well. Let the OS manage memory and launches. It knows what’s going on internally more than you do. It’s better that way.
—Patrick
GasBandit
Staff member
Man, I know I said it before, but there is SUCH a difference between regular charging and rapid charging on the pixel. I ran my pixel down to 0% (well, 3%, which was as LOW AS MY HEART COULD STAND) for the first time since the new android "pie" update to test the new power management to see how long it could go without charging (about 2 days 7 hours of normal use). Plugged it back in to charge, first on USB on my computer - took an hour to get back up to 16%, estimated 8 hours to finish charging. Took it to work and put it on the "good" charger (the one it came with), and rapid charging kicked in... estimated time to charge the rest: 25 minutes.
Ain't technology grand.
That said, "Pie" seems to be a little odd on its power management... my power useage was parabolic - to the tune of using only about 30% of its power in the first 24 hours (seeming to indicate it could go at least 3 days), then the remaining 60% being used up faster and faster, even when the phone was idle. I suspect it was calibrating itself. Hopefully future readings will be more accurate.
Ain't technology grand.
That said, "Pie" seems to be a little odd on its power management... my power useage was parabolic - to the tune of using only about 30% of its power in the first 24 hours (seeming to indicate it could go at least 3 days), then the remaining 60% being used up faster and faster, even when the phone was idle. I suspect it was calibrating itself. Hopefully future readings will be more accurate.
I haven't upgraded my phone yet because I never got the notification until yesterday (I don't know how long it was just sitting in my settings waiting to go before that) and I'm not emotionally ready to change the way I swipe my screen, but I can kill my Pixel 2 in 5 or 6 hours right now. It will be interesting to see if Pie can make it last a whole day. 
GasBandit
Staff member
I doubt it can. It seems to be more about standby management... active apps still use just as much battery as they ever did.I haven't upgraded my phone yet because I never got the notification until yesterday (I don't know how long it was just sitting in my settings waiting to go before that) and I'm not emotionally ready to change the way I swipe my screen, but I can kill my Pixel 2 in 5 or 6 hours right now. It will be interesting to see if Pie can make it last a whole day.
So, 6 hours of hearthstone is still 6 hours of hearthstone.
Is there a good phone out there that has an SD card slot and a headphone jack?
I love my OnePlus 6!
I believe the Samsung Galaxy S line still has both
Yeah, but he asked for a good phone.
GasBandit
Staff member
Tuesday: I plug in the phone at 3%: Time to charge? 25 mins.
Today: I plug in the phone to charge at 40%. Time to charge? 57 mins.
I think fastest charging kicks in under 20%. My husband explained to me how it works once but I only half listened.Tuesday: I plug in the phone at 3%: Time to charge? 25 mins.
Today: I plug in the phone to charge at 40%. Time to charge? 57 mins.
OnePlus polls customers about headphone jack, 88 percent say they like it and want to keep it.
...so of course they say, “thank you for your input” and then announce that the upcoming 6T will not have a headphone jack...
—Patrick
...so of course they say, “thank you for your input” and then announce that the upcoming 6T will not have a headphone jack...
—Patrick
Meh. I mean, it was a twitter poll. If they had asked what they should name their model, we all know what name would win, and we all know it wouldn't be a name that anyone actually wanted. They've probably looked at the sales figures from other phones that dropped the jack, and other sorts of useful data.
. . . I'd totally buy a PhoneyMcPhoneface.
Over 400 Android devices were released last year. Here are the good ones.
This article was published Feb 21, 2019, which means it was JUST before the Galaxy S10 (and Galaxy Fold) launch, so I don't believe any of those were "officially" included in the ratings (other than to mention them).
--Patrick
This article was published Feb 21, 2019, which means it was JUST before the Galaxy S10 (and Galaxy Fold) launch, so I don't believe any of those were "officially" included in the ratings (other than to mention them).
--Patrick
Hey, @GasBandit I think I found what might be your next phone.
--Patrick
(standard phones are usually 2000-3000mAh)
--Patrick
I have an 18,000 mAh power bank and it carries a not insignificant heft. How much does that phone weigh?