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There's a reason that Samsung still leads the pack in sales, and it's not solely due to marketing: they keep the stuff people want. People want a headphone jack

There's a reason that Samsung still leads the pack in sales, and it's not solely due to marketing: they keep the stuff people want. People want a headphone jack, they held onto the headphone jack. People want SD card slots, they keep SD card slots. I held off on getting a GS8 about two months ago when Amazon had a great deal on them going because I was in the process of moving, and I wanted to wait to see what else was coming out. Even though the S8 is lagging behind on updates, it still seems to be the best option. The HTC 11, Pixel 2, and Essential phone have all disappointed. Waiting on the reviews for how the Sony Xperia XZ1 compact fares, because I wouldn't mind a smaller phone.

pier25 9y ago
I like Samsung's hardware, but I still can't stand their TouchWiz UI. I don't understand why manufacturers simply don't offer a stock Android variant.
- AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
  They did, they were called "Google Play Editions".[0] No one bought them, because they were released at a time when people still paid subsidized phone prices and upgraded their phones every two years for $200. So when they were asked to pay $600 upfront, the vast majority had sticker shock. [0]https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/review-the-samsung-galaxy-s-4-google-play-edition-is-great-for-now/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/review-the-samsung-g...
- willtim 9y ago
  TouchWiz is better than stock android now. It has lots of additional useful features, especially in the areas of split screen and power saving.
  - fernandotakai 9y ago
    agreed 100%. it was not good before, but now? i prefer it.
  - pier25 9y ago
    Can you mention a few of those additional features?
    - willtim 9y ago
      Off the top of my head: Knox secure folder, better split screen options (app pairs), app suspension, power saving modes, file manager, better camera app, many more configuration options.
  - rtpg 9y ago
    As someone with an S7 , while many improvements are nice, they are cobbled by being buggy as hell. If I just turn on power saving then turn it back off , I have to hard reset my phone because the resolution gets all messed up.
    - willtim 9y ago
      My android experience has been tarnished more by Google bugs than Samsung ones. Android 5 was a very buggy release, so much infrastructural change with little user benefit. IMHO Samsung should have skipped it entirely. I guess they bowed down to user and media pressure to always ship the latest android (although the media criticised them anyway for poor battery life, caused by Android 5).
      - pier25 9y ago
        I had a Moto G at the time with almost stock and Android 5 worked perfectly for me.
        willtim 9y ago
        There were many many bugs, but this one had a significant effect on battery life: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/37038331 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/37038331 For end users, it was a big regression from android 4, even if you personally found it "perfect".
- twblalock 9y ago
  > I don't understand why manufacturers simply don't offer a stock Android variant. When the hardware is commoditized, manufacturers need to distinguish themselves by offering a unique software experience. That's what they are all trying to do. Unfortunately, most of them aren't any good at it, and the UIs they come up with are usually worse than stock Android. But if they offered stock Android, they would have to compete on hardware alone, and they are just slapping commodity parts together like everyone else except Apple.
lurker- 9y ago
I won't defend ditching the headphone jack, especially after Google ridiculed Apple for doing so. But as a very happy owner of the Pixel phone, I'd say the free, unlimited storage of photos and videos in original quality is a million times better than having a SD card slot. Just today I transferred about 25GB of video and photos, and I probably wouldn't have bothered to record these videos if I had to transfer using SD card or cable. One might argue that's a sign that these videos aren't worth storing, but I'd say it shows the value of unlimited storage. In fact, if I had to choose between two near identical phones, with the only thing separating them being the unlimited Google Photos storage, then I'd gladly add an additional $250 to obtain that. I think many of us experienced what it's like to make the jump from HD to FHD, or especially FHD to UHD on a similar sized screen. Once you make the jump, then you begin to wonder how you ever lived without it. For me, and I think for most Pixel owners, unlimited storage of high quality photos and 4k videos gives the exact same feeling. Having stock Android, best camera, slick design and great build quality just makes it that much sweeter, and I honestly do believe that marketing, brand loyalty and availability is the only reason the Pixel phone wasn't more successful than [insert any phone here] (I'd estimate 19 out of 20 who have asked about my phone never heard of Google Pixel, and had no idea Google even made any hardware products).
- AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
  Your unlimited original-quality photos will be cut off after 2020: http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/10/04/pixel-2s-free-original-quality-google-photos-uploads-available-end-2020/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/10/04/pixel-2s-free-origin...
  - lurker- 9y ago
    I'm aware, if it lasted forever then I'd gladly pay an additional $1000+. But as you also know, after 2020 then they'll still offer unlimited high-quality photo/video storage, and I think those who don't abuse the offering by storing RAW files and such won't mind the minor quality difference, and those who do will likely want to upgrade their phone.
  - calin2k 9y ago
teacpde 9y ago
I have been looking for a replacement for my iphone 6s for a while. I find LG V30 is appealing in terms of both aesthetic and specs.
Jach 9y ago
I want a removable battery, not an exploding one. (Still on my Note 3, with its battery swapped out after the stock one started giving me bad battery life, a friend is still on his Note 4.) And I make use of the IR Blaster just enough that I'd be annoyed not to have it anymore. Samsung doesn't keep stuff people want, they just follow trends like everyone else. I am looking forward to seeing how the "flexible phones/tablets" end up though since I've wanted that concept for a while, even if I have to give up some features for it...
dabernathy89 9y ago
I have an S8 (plus) and I'd love to upgrade to the Pixel 2. I am so tired of Samsung trying to replace every piece of functionality with their own. I had to go find Google's "Android messaging" app in the Play store - just their standard SMS app - to replace the Samsung stock one because it kept opening URLs in "Samsung Internet", their version of the browser. The Samsung keyboard is awful, and I can't seem to find a decent replacement. And don't get me started on f'ing Bixby.
- jonlucc 9y ago
  Have you tried and disliked the Google keyboard? That's what I used when I was on a GS6, and it was pretty good.
  - dabernathy89 9y ago
    I did - I really like it, except that every once in a while, for reasons I can't pinpoint but I assume are random, it will only let me type by hitting letters individually (no swiping). I re-enabled it today, so hopefully if that was a bug in the app it's been fixed, but we'll see.
    - hooskers 9y ago
      It's not fixed, unfortunately. It still happens to me every now and then. But, when that happens, just keep swiping. It'll kick back in. It even registers all the letters you swipe, but it's so off-putting that I usually mess up the word and delete the gibberish I typed.
      - dabernathy89 9y ago
        Ugh, glad it's not just me though. Incredible that at a place like Google something as crucial as a keyboard can suffer from such a severe bug, unpatched for who knows how long.
      - junnan 9y ago
        Til I'm not alone!
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
bdcravens 9y ago
> People want SD card slots, they keep SD card slots. Wasn't really a fan of moving it to the SIM tray. Too easy to lose your SIM card that way. Then again, they did make it tougher to remove the SD card, since you need the tool/paperclip handy (as opposed to the easy-access removable battery cover)
ragazzina 9y ago
>Waiting on the reviews for how the Sony Xperia XZ1 compact fares, because I wouldn't mind a smaller phone. Wow, this looks nice. I have wanted a small android phone like this for YEARS, before finally buying an iPhone SE a couple of months ago.

pier25 9y ago

I like Samsung's hardware, but I still can't stand their TouchWiz UI. I don't understand why manufacturers simply don't offer a stock Android variant.

AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
They did, they were called "Google Play Editions".[0] No one bought them, because they were released at a time when people still paid subsidized phone prices and upgraded their phones every two years for $200. So when they were asked to pay $600 upfront, the vast majority had sticker shock. [0]https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/review-the-samsung-galaxy-s-4-google-play-edition-is-great-for-now/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/07/review-the-samsung-g...
willtim 9y ago
TouchWiz is better than stock android now. It has lots of additional useful features, especially in the areas of split screen and power saving.
- fernandotakai 9y ago
  agreed 100%. it was not good before, but now? i prefer it.
- pier25 9y ago
  Can you mention a few of those additional features?
  - willtim 9y ago
    Off the top of my head: Knox secure folder, better split screen options (app pairs), app suspension, power saving modes, file manager, better camera app, many more configuration options.
- rtpg 9y ago
  As someone with an S7 , while many improvements are nice, they are cobbled by being buggy as hell. If I just turn on power saving then turn it back off , I have to hard reset my phone because the resolution gets all messed up.
  - willtim 9y ago
    My android experience has been tarnished more by Google bugs than Samsung ones. Android 5 was a very buggy release, so much infrastructural change with little user benefit. IMHO Samsung should have skipped it entirely. I guess they bowed down to user and media pressure to always ship the latest android (although the media criticised them anyway for poor battery life, caused by Android 5).
    - pier25 9y ago
      I had a Moto G at the time with almost stock and Android 5 worked perfectly for me.
      - willtim 9y ago
        There were many many bugs, but this one had a significant effect on battery life: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/37038331 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/37038331 For end users, it was a big regression from android 4, even if you personally found it "perfect".
twblalock 9y ago
> I don't understand why manufacturers simply don't offer a stock Android variant. When the hardware is commoditized, manufacturers need to distinguish themselves by offering a unique software experience. That's what they are all trying to do. Unfortunately, most of them aren't any good at it, and the UIs they come up with are usually worse than stock Android. But if they offered stock Android, they would have to compete on hardware alone, and they are just slapping commodity parts together like everyone else except Apple.

lurker- 9y ago

I won't defend ditching the headphone jack, especially after Google ridiculed Apple for doing so. But as a very happy owner of the Pixel phone, I'd say the free, unlimited storage of photos and videos in original quality is a million times better than having a SD card slot. Just today I transferred about 25GB of video and photos, and I probably wouldn't have bothered to record these videos if I had to transfer using SD card or cable. One might argue that's a sign that these videos aren't worth storing, but I'd say it shows the value of unlimited storage. In fact, if I had to choose between two near identical phones, with the only thing separating them being the unlimited Google Photos storage, then I'd gladly add an additional $250 to obtain that. I think many of us experienced what it's like to make the jump from HD to FHD, or especially FHD to UHD on a similar sized screen. Once you make the jump, then you begin to wonder how you ever lived without it. For me, and I think for most Pixel owners, unlimited storage of high quality photos and 4k videos gives the exact same feeling. Having stock Android, best camera, slick design and great build quality just makes it that much sweeter, and I honestly do believe that marketing, brand loyalty and availability is the only reason the Pixel phone wasn't more successful than [insert any phone here] (I'd estimate 19 out of 20 who have asked about my phone never heard of Google Pixel, and had no idea Google even made any hardware products).

AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
Your unlimited original-quality photos will be cut off after 2020: http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/10/04/pixel-2s-free-original-quality-google-photos-uploads-available-end-2020/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/10/04/pixel-2s-free-origin...
- lurker- 9y ago
  I'm aware, if it lasted forever then I'd gladly pay an additional $1000+. But as you also know, after 2020 then they'll still offer unlimited high-quality photo/video storage, and I think those who don't abuse the offering by storing RAW files and such won't mind the minor quality difference, and those who do will likely want to upgrade their phone.
- calin2k 9y ago

teacpde 9y ago

I have been looking for a replacement for my iphone 6s for a while. I find LG V30 is appealing in terms of both aesthetic and specs.

Jach 9y ago

I want a removable battery, not an exploding one. (Still on my Note 3, with its battery swapped out after the stock one started giving me bad battery life, a friend is still on his Note 4.) And I make use of the IR Blaster just enough that I'd be annoyed not to have it anymore. Samsung doesn't keep stuff people want, they just follow trends like everyone else. I am looking forward to seeing how the "flexible phones/tablets" end up though since I've wanted that concept for a while, even if I have to give up some features for it...

dabernathy89 9y ago

I have an S8 (plus) and I'd love to upgrade to the Pixel 2. I am so tired of Samsung trying to replace every piece of functionality with their own. I had to go find Google's "Android messaging" app in the Play store - just their standard SMS app - to replace the Samsung stock one because it kept opening URLs in "Samsung Internet", their version of the browser. The Samsung keyboard is awful, and I can't seem to find a decent replacement. And don't get me started on f'ing Bixby.

jonlucc 9y ago
Have you tried and disliked the Google keyboard? That's what I used when I was on a GS6, and it was pretty good.
- dabernathy89 9y ago
  I did - I really like it, except that every once in a while, for reasons I can't pinpoint but I assume are random, it will only let me type by hitting letters individually (no swiping). I re-enabled it today, so hopefully if that was a bug in the app it's been fixed, but we'll see.
  - hooskers 9y ago
    It's not fixed, unfortunately. It still happens to me every now and then. But, when that happens, just keep swiping. It'll kick back in. It even registers all the letters you swipe, but it's so off-putting that I usually mess up the word and delete the gibberish I typed.
    - dabernathy89 9y ago
      Ugh, glad it's not just me though. Incredible that at a place like Google something as crucial as a keyboard can suffer from such a severe bug, unpatched for who knows how long.
    - junnan 9y ago
      Til I'm not alone!

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

bdcravens 9y ago

> People want SD card slots, they keep SD card slots. Wasn't really a fan of moving it to the SIM tray. Too easy to lose your SIM card that way. Then again, they did make it tougher to remove the SD card, since you need the tool/paperclip handy (as opposed to the easy-access removable battery cover)

ragazzina 9y ago

>Waiting on the reviews for how the Sony Xperia XZ1 compact fares, because I wouldn't mind a smaller phone. Wow, this looks nice. I have wanted a small android phone like this for YEARS, before finally buying an iPhone SE a couple of months ago.