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I few weeks ago, after a long history of purchasing Samsung phones (S4, S6, s7 edge plus) because of the good hardware, I got an S8+ after my S7e+ abandoned me.

I few weeks ago, after a long history of purchasing Samsung phones (S4, S6, s7 edge plus) because of the good hardware, I got an S8+ after my S7e+ abandoned me. This was the turning point where I decided I could no longer accept such awful software experience. Now there is even a physical button for their garbage assistant. The Android notifications are broken in favor of small things that do not allow you to read the message from Whatsapp or Telegram or whatever, and so forth. I returned the S8+ and switched to a Google Pixel 2 XL and it is the best phone I've ever had. Samsung needs to get its shit together and understand that even if in their fantasy world where the management live they want to compete on services, it is totally impossible and actually they are just destroying the Android experience. If it was not for the software approach Samsung takes, I bet we could have far less Apple iPhone users.

joncrane 9y ago
PREACH! Went from an S4 (amazing phone) to an S7 (mediocre at best) to a Pixel and it's going to be Google all the way for me until they find a way to muck it up, too.
jondiggsit 9y ago
Think the Pixel 2 XL is good... just wait until you upgrade to an iPhone!
- Someone1234 9y ago
  The iPhone's hardware is great and it has good bones in the OS but Apple has placed too many artificial restrictions on the experience. To name one current example, both Android and iOS have the concept of a global password manager for third party apps (and the web-browser). Both Google and Apple offer a password manager that hooks into it. But on Android third party password managers can also utilize the system APIs, whereas on iOS they cannot. Meaning password managers on iOS are stuck with copy/switch/paste/switch/copy/switch/paste for username and password respectively. On Android you get a popup next to the input box, press it, and it is populated. This is just one current example but if you look at the history of iOS Apple has been doing this forever. NFC locked to Apple Pay was a previous good example.
  - alphabettsy 9y ago
    That’s incorrect. Password managers on iOS are able to use extensions and thus auto-fill. I use 1Password and auto-fill works with many apps, only on the ones that don’t are you stuck with copy & paste.
    - Someone1234 9y ago
      What I said is absolutely accurate and you seem to know enough to know that. Before Apple added the current global autofill APIs on iOS, third party password managers could register a Safari extension. Ignoring how poor the user experience of doing it this way was, it also limited autofill to third party apps based around a Safari webview who chose not to opt out of third party extensions (namely only these apps[0] worked). Very few of the top 250 apps were supported and that remains the case to this day. Apple added global autofill APIs, but as of today those APIs are only available to Apple. This allows Apple to create a password manager which works across Safari, Safari webview (with or without extensions enabled), and even fully native apps. If an app isn't listed in [0] it will only work with Apple's password manager or copy/paste. Some apps missing include: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Google's app suite (gmail, google maps, etc), Netflix, Spotify, et al. Calling my post "incorrect" while understanding the difference between the global autofill APIs and Safari extensions is disingenuous and inaccurate. [0] https://lastpass.com/support.php?cmd=showfaq&id=8606 https://lastpass.com/support.php?cmd=showfaq&id=8606
      - alphabettsy 9y ago
        You said iOS password managers are stuck with copy/paste. That’s inaccurate, proved by your own follow-up with an example from LastPass.
      - sbuk 9y ago
        > What I said is absolutely accurate and you seem to know enough to know that. Well, no. What you said was; "But on Android third party password managers can also utilize the system APIs, whereas on iOS they cannot.", which isn't 'absolutely accurate' at all. The share sheet uses a system API to inject the username/password combination. Your statement is demonstrably inaccurate. It's not as fluid as Android's approach, granted. To make you statement more accurate, you should add '...the same system APIs.", although, I'm not sure that is actually the case. > If an app isn't listed in [0] it will only work with Apple's password manager or copy/paste. Some apps missing include: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Google's app suite (gmail, google maps, etc), Netflix, Spotify, et al. Ironically, that list totally disproves what you are suggesting, and arguably, the bad actors here are Facebook and Google who own most of the titles listed.
- Numberwang 9y ago
  I have experience of both, having to use IPhone for work. Android phones are infinitely better. I was actually surprised to find so many stupid bugs in IPhone. I'n my imagination they were solid phones for MAC users. Turns out, as they are the only option, they don't exactly focus on quality.
  - stcredzero 9y ago
    I've been an iPhone user since the 1st generation 8GB model. (Very 1st was 4GB.) The overall quality of software has gone down. I remember the first time an iOS update caused issues in some fairly foundational code. (Involving UIImage.) Before that, I thought Apple's iOS team infallible. Today, I have moments when I'm just disgusted with Apple, as well as with 3rd party apps on iOS from well funded companies who should be doing better. Though to be fair, most of the time, things do work. It's just that I run into the odd place where...WAT!?
    - Numberwang 9y ago
      For me is just annoying small issues like when I listen to music and get a notification from another app suddenly the volume doesn't go up as high anymore and stays low until you reboot the phone. Or that when I'm on Bluetooth it will mess with the wifi and you need to disconnect and reconnect to make it work. I also really dislike (maybe this is just me) that I can't deal with files as files on an iPhone. I can't just move an mp3 or an ebook to the memory, find it via an app and open it. It feels so locked it.
  - threeseed 9y ago
    Not sure what you are talking about. You can use iPhones with PCs and Android phones with Macs.
  - scarface74 9y ago
    And that comes down to trust. Apple usually and correctly doesn’t trust third party apps with sensitive information. Anytime you enter a password in, you get switched back to the native keyboard.
- chomp 9y ago
  I bought an iPhone 8 Plus after using mostly Android phones due to a lot of really good praise from my friends. I'm finding that while the iPhone's hardware beats most of what Android has to offer, a lot of iOS has weird user design choices (hidden search fields, strange menu placement in apps, random antagonistic design choices), that just seem mildly inconvenient at best. Also iOS 11 had way more bugs than any Android release I've ever used.
  - jonathanyc 9y ago
    The last straw that made me switch to iOS 10 was how much less buggy iOS was than Android at the time. And then I upgraded to iOS 11 and now enjoy the most buggy OS I have ever experienced on any platform, period. Insane UI glitches in the parts of the UI I use the most often (in the Notification Center?really?), frequent random total crashing (which I haven’t seen in any OS—including on the desktop—since the 2000s)... I actually do not understand how Apple dropped the ball so badly. Someone should not be getting a bonus.
    - simonh 9y ago
      The buggyness hasn’t honestly affected me, but I am disappointed with the performance of iOS 11 on my 6+, specifically in the phone app and calculator. I get that people have always complained about older phones being slower on later OS releases, but actually the overal, performance of the phone is fine. For some reason there’s a ton of UI lag on loading screens in the phone app and calculator that’s really frustrating. The phone is only a few years old, but feels like my old 3GS. It’s really annoying to have to pause and wait for the UI to become active in two apps I use extensively, and often want to use in a hurry. This is supposed to be a 64bit desktop class CPU. Games load fast and are snappy as hell. How come loading a dial screen is such a massive undertaking? It’s inexplicable.
      - 0x0 9y ago
        Maybe the battery slowdown scandal patch, aka iOS 11.3, and/or a battery replacement will help with that. I used to have a 6+ as well and it felt super laggy since iOS 11. Will be interesting to check with the person who was handed my 6+ when iOS 11.3 and the battery switch program become available.
- product50 9y ago
  It is pure ignorance to claim that iPhone is better than Pixel 2 XL. Both phones are great and it comes down to your personal preference --> look & feel of the device, camera, better Google Apps experiences, Android Auto vs. Carplay, tied up with Google or Apple ecosystems etc. Please stop making such inflammatory statements with no substance.
- chrismcb 9y ago
  I'm curious, what do you think is better in iOS? I use both, and for the most part one really isn't better than the other. But there are a few things I prefer Android over iOS.
- antirez 9y ago
  Before the S8+ I had an iPhone X, after 5 years without iPhones, and I sold it in less than a month because of the software, in a totally different way than Samsung. The iPhone software is very polished, but it has fundamental design flaws, it's like a shiny bike with wonderful colors but the wheels are actually squared.
- T-N-T 9y ago
  I downgraded from an iPhone 5s to an Honor 8. Best decision I could have done. My Honor 8 is still as fast and snappy as it was on day 1. It doesn't take that long for iPhones to become sluggish. Been there, experienced that with the 3g and 5s.
apozem 9y ago
I agree. Samsung makes great cameras and good hardware (Bixby button notwithstanding), but their software is unacceptable. I get that Samsung still dreams of gradually replacing Google services with its own, thus providing a reason to buy Samsung instead of Pixel/whatever, but they're so bad at it.
- zanny 9y ago
  They have a reason to buy theier stuff over Pixel phones, its called their hardware. The Pixel 2 compared to an S8 / Note 8 hardware wise is a nonstarter - the Pixel is a larger, clumsier, slower phone with a worse camera and more wasted bezel space. They actually sabotage their own hardware with their awful software. More Pixel 2s are sold than would otherwise be because people hate Touchwiz and all their bloat crap that much.
  - ac29 9y ago
    Any sources to back up your claim that the Pixel 2 is slower than the S8? They have the exact same SoC, so performance differences should be negligible.
  - paulie_a 9y ago
    The pixel had the advantage of being pure, personally that is a massive advantage over slightly irrelevant hardware differences. If Samsung would fire a bunch of people and stop throwing garbage add-ons and poor replacements for existing software they would dominate the market
  - bberrry 9y ago
    You blasting the Pixel 2 for having a worse camera seems to indicate that you have no idea what you're talking about (likely on the other points as well). The Pixel 2 has the highest rated camera of all smartphones (https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-2-reviewed-sets-new-record-smartphone-camera-quality/ https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-2-reviewed-sets-new-rec...)
    - philliphaydon 9y ago
Someone1234 9y ago
Only thing I miss is the Samsung volume control. On the Pixel it has a singular context aware volume control that doesn't work very well. I've loaded YouTube, pressed volume up/down, and had my ringer volume change more times than I can count. Even on iOS which has a similar context aware volume control the experience is superior since you can also change the volume from the dock and disable the setting titled "[Ringer] Change with buttons" so it doesn't do anything until media is in focus. I rarely need to change my ringer volume, I just need a quickly accessible way of going into "Do Not Disturb"/Silence mode for the cinema and meetings. Samsung even offers that from the power menu which is super convenient.
- zanny 9y ago
  Specifically the youtube experience you describe is a problem in the youtube app itself, not in base Android. Youtube for some contrived reason decided to make it so that Youtube doesn't advertise itself as an audio player until its playing audio. Whenever you aren't playing a video it doesn't show up as a media controller so the system won't have the volume keys change the media volume. It used to always advertise being a media player so any time the app was active the volume buttons default changed the media volume. They just broke it intentionally.
  - gsich 9y ago
    The Youtube app is broken because of that reason. Can't even play when screen is off. Absolutely braindead...
    - nanodeath 9y ago
      Well, that's just part of their YouTube Red service they're trying to sell.
    - wlesieutre 9y ago
      YouTube used to be able to play with the screen off, but Google has locked this behind a YouTube Red subscription at $10/month. Can't watch ads if you screen is off!
holydude 9y ago
My current phone is iphone 7+ and ios feels like getting slower and worse every update. I am really keen on trying out galaxy s9
staunch 9y ago
"If you look at the reason that the iPod exists, it's because these really great Japanese consumer electronics companies who kind of own the portable music market, invented it and owned it, couldn't do the appropriate software, couldn't conceive of and implement the appropriate software. Because an iPod's really just software. It's software in the iPod itself, it's software on the PC or the Mac, and it's software in the cloud for the store. And it's in a beautiful box, but it's software. If you look at what a Mac is, it's OS X, right? It's in a beautiful box, but it's OS X. And if you look at what an iPhone will hopefully be, it's software." - Steve Jobs (2007) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEeyaAUCyZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEeyaAUCyZs
- willtim 9y ago
  IMHO, 80's and 90's Japanese hardware gave me a much better experience than anything from a software company. For example, everytime I go to use my Sonos box, it wants to update the app, the firmware, or both. The constant software updates fix bugs and security holes, but they also bring unwanted features, frequently interface changes and attempts to upsell more of the same. I still have a Rotel poweramp from 1985 in my front room which the Sonos is plugged into, working flawlessly. There's no chance my Sonos box will still be working past 2050.
  - staunch 9y ago
    Then why not use your 1985 Rotel poweramp instead of the Sonos? If you added the functionality of the Sonos to the Rotel poweramp, it would have the same complexity-based problems.
    - willtim 9y ago
      Obviously I wanted the convenience of streaming an MP3 to the amp versus using a CD player. I disagree that all solutions to this problem need the same complexity inherent in the Sonos and that the user experience could not be improved.
      - 9y ago
paulie_a 9y ago
You can apparently disable the bixby garbage. But I agree otherwise
- antirez 9y ago
  There is an app that captures the moment the Bixby app is launched and replaces it with an action... So totally an hack because Samsung refused to provide a sane way to repurpose the button. Sometimes you can see Bixby launching and then being closed immediately.
willtim 9y ago
Personally I prefer Samsung's OS to stock Google. Most bad behaviour and bloat comes from third party Android apps and Samsung includes better tools to detect battery drain and deny apps background processing. They also provide other features not found on Google phones, such as Knox Secure Folder (and Google were late to the party with split-screen and a file manager).
- sundvor 9y ago
  Thanks, I'm with you on this. I have the S8+ and I greatly prefer their UX to the stock Android; iirc, certain things like screen brightness controls and volume control have been ahead of stock also. Battery life is awesome also. S9 looks awesome, a notable refinement over the S8. Stereo speakers and that camera! Let's not forget Samsung retaining the headphone jack either, a major win for those who prefer quality non wireless headphones. Having said that, I wonder if APTX-HD is supported by the S9 now.
  - wtvanhest 9y ago
    Off topic, but do you (or anyone else) have a great recomendation for non wireless headphones?
    - thewizardofaus 9y ago
      Audio technica ath-m50x
      - sundvor 9y ago
        We just sold ours; they are good, although somewhat bass heavy. Overall a great package for the price. I find headphones a very personal thing... Being an Audio Technica fanboy I have ANC9 for work (relatively fantastic audio quality/office sound cancelling, with Soundblaster E5), ADG1X for gaming + MSR7NC for music at home (on Soundblaster ZXR) - the latter being an indulgence so that I could have a pair of closed sets whilst working if noisy in the house, with a tiny amount of noise cancelling. Different qualities for different uses. For the go I have the IM02s, but tips aren't the best so I'm currently using the AKGs that came with the S8+ (with Comply foam tips) - they work quite well.
blfr 9y ago
Exactly. Just like I'm not buying a computer on which I cannot run Linux, I'm not buying a smartphone which isn't supported by LineageOS.
- samplatt 9y ago
  >It is the successor to the highly popular custom ROM CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016 when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development Oh. My. God. Thank you. Around about the S5/S7 era I stoppped flashing my phone every 5 minutes, but now with my S7 drinking battery fluid every minute of the day I've been wondering where CM had gone.
  - mehrdadn 9y ago
    It's not quite Cyanogenmod though, don't get your hopes up too high. It doesn't have the most critical stuff I liked, like blacklisting non-contacts.
    - blfr 9y ago
      That seems like a dialer feature, not an OS one.
      - mehrdadn 9y ago
        I'm not sure how that affects my point? Which was that you'll be missing the feature when you use LOS. (Not to mention I don't know how true it is either... the blacklist page was very much in my OS settings.)
        blfr 9y ago
        If it's a dialer feature then you can just install any dialer which provides it.
        mehrdadn 9y ago
tamrix 9y ago
I would not doubt that Google has paid to manipulate social media to promote its phones. I wouldn't doubt Samsung does either. But just remember that as you read that comments.
- rfrey 9y ago
  I’m not sure if you intended to, but this sounds like you’re accusing antirez of being a paid shill.
limeblack 9y ago
The lack of notification numbers/icons on Andoid still bugs me though and Samsung does add those. Windows Phones even have/had numbers on their tiles. iOS has them also. The third party versions don't work on Andoid Oreo currently. Edit: Oreo notifications dots clear all notifications when you open the application which is rather useless imo. Also still doesn't display a number. https://android.stackexchange.com/q/191401 https://android.stackexchange.com/q/191401
- on_and_off 9y ago
  on the home launcher ? Oreo has added those Sounds like it is a matter of preferences though, they could disappear and I would not even notice : I read most of my notifications from the locker screen or notification shade anyway
  - limeblack 9y ago
    No. I am running Oreo. They do not work like iOS and Windows Phones. It dismisses all notification for that application when you open that app. Not to even mention there is no number.
victornomad 9y ago
I quite like Samsung UX or even Huawei UX... more than Google default UX... it gives solutions for most of the things that Android barebones lacks... I thought about getting a Pixel, but luckily I had the opportunity to try it out and didnt convince me. The camera was nice, but for half the price you could get a Huawei which are pretty awesome hardware wise...
PinkMilkshake 9y ago
I went into a Samsung store to look for a new phone for my partner and I was really surprised how sluggish all their phones felt, even the flagship models. I couldn't tell why it felt that way. Maybe it's the animations, or software bloat. The glass used on them seems to have a high friction, which contributed to the poor feeling. My partner currently uses an ASUS Zenfone 3 which is one of the snappiest phones I've ever used and it's a lower mid-range phone. I ended up buying her another one. ASUS are making some solid phones at the moment. Their ultra-books are nice as well.
- kayoone 9y ago
  sound interesting, how is the Android Update situation on Asus ? Android 8 anytime soon ?
  - PinkMilkshake 9y ago
    The Oreo update was released one month ago for Zenfone 3, which is not bad given the Zenfone 5 is coming out soon.
dec0dedab0de 9y ago
...actually they are just destroying the Android experience. Maybe that is the end game. Make andoid look bad, then turn around with their own OS that you can optionally install on all of their phones. Maybe even other devices. I mean they cant possibly be trying to make people like using their phones.
darklajid 9y ago
Yes! I stopped after an S6 Edge and the software was shit even then. Ironically I met some Samsung people in London during that time and they casually said "We're good at hardware, we suck at software and support" in a meeting. Thas was from people working on printers/scanners, but I feel that this very much defines their mobile business as well.
totalZero 9y ago
Good luck getting support when your Pixel 2 XL has issues. Google replaced my Nexus 6P with a faulty refurbished device under warranty, and then cold-shouldered me when the refurbished device bricked itself a few weeks later due to an issue that Google Support knew about when they sent me the replacement. I have a friend who had the exact same experience with his own Google device. Personally, I would rather rip out my own entrails than buy another Google hardware device and expose myself to their garbage customer service.
lbenes 9y ago
> The Android notifications are broken in favor of small things that do not allow you to read the message Strange. When I switched from a Samsung S5 to a Pixel, the feature I missed the most was Samsung's notification badges. Since my work and personal messages came in on difference apps, I could prioritize with just a glance at my home screen. Now I have a long list of notifications to manage. Other than that, I do love my Pixel. Google updates are the best.
webignition 9y ago
The difference between your technically-grounded assessment of the phones produced by Samsung and the assessment of more regular folks is staggering. It'll take a lot more than a few vendor-specific OS tweaks to put non-tech people off. To be clear, I agree that the OS modifications implemented by Samsung feel like they result in a less performant experience. Warning: anecdata below! My girlfriend's family regularly use various tech devices (laptops, phones, tablets) and are technically literate in the use of such devices for consumptive purposes and I'd rate them as relatively technically illiterate in the use of tech for creating anything beyond simple MS Office-type documents. As a generalisation, they pay zero attention to the tech media (I'd say they are largely unaware of tech media sources), obtain all tech news via mainstream media and are influenced by both mainstream and Facebook advertising which they don't see as advertising but as useful information. They have strong brand loyalty or, more specifically, they have a definite preference towards brands they believe have served them well in the past. They all generally opt for Samsung phones. This seems rooted in prior positive experience with earlier-generation Galaxy devices. They appear not to differentiate between Samsung's Galaxy line and Samsung's other lines of lower-priced smartphone ranges, suggesting a bias for the brand over the hardware/software combo itself. Their choice of phone contract seems based on Samsung and price almost exclusively. I have seen them switch from technically better to technically worse hardware and still be pleased with their new phone. A new phone is often perceived as better than an old phone purely due to it being newer. My girlfriend's mother used Sony phones for years predominantly based on her positive experiences with the Sony brand in non-related lines such as TVs. She switched recently to a Galaxy S8 when her contract was up for renewal. Her decision was based mostly on the preference for Samsung phones in her immediate family. Her only issue with it was the dedicated Bixby button and her issue was not with Bixby itself but with her unsteady hands pressing the button unwantedly. My girlfriend disabled the button and her mother now perceives the phone as the best thing to have ever existed. She bought a wireless charger, again due to her shaky hands being unable to cope with plugging in a charging cable. The positive association with the wireless charger further reinforces her positive opinion of the S8 regardless of the fact that wireless charging exists across many phone brands and ranges. The bloat of vendor-specific OS modifications is a non-issue. If the bloat factor is consistent, a phone today is faster and better than a phone of two years ago. They see smartphones grouped into three families: iPhones, Android phones and Samsung phones. That the OS on a Samsung phone is based on Android is not considered. That a phone may not get OS upgrades in a timely manner, or at all, is a complete non-issue for people that don't know that such updates exist, don't generally care about the OS and who replace their phone every two years. Similar to how many get a Windows upgrade only by buying a new computer (although less-so now with Windows 10 but more so historically), many get an Android OS upgrade only when getting a new phone. That a phone should get, or needs to have, OS upgrades is also a complete non-issue. In short, for those not close to the tech industry, there is nothing wrong with Samsung phones. The common gripes we in the tech field often mention (slow/lacking updates, under-performant UI tweaks aka lack of purity) are so much of a non-issue for the majority of Samsung phone users to make effectively zero difference to Samsung. [Editted for typos]
acjohnson55 9y ago
I definitely have felt that way, but I have the Note 8 now, and for the first time, I feel like Samsung has mostly tried to stay out of my way, software-wise. I do wish I could repurpose the Bixby key to do something else, but other than that, I love it. Waterproof, SD card slot, beautiful display. I'm impressed by the S9, but the new features aren't compelling enough to me to upgrade, so maybe next year.
contingencies 9y ago
I have had the S8+ for awhile, mostly because I wanted a non Chinese phone (because preinstalled China apps are a nightmare) that works in (read: not 'everything on Google') and out of China (I travel a lot) with a good camera (because I have a kid). It has done the job. The S9/S9+ seem mostly "meh, more of the same". Slightly better camera, some seeping-out-to-the-masses ML novelties, but basically standard incremental upgrade stuff. At this point I have had S1 (which I helped launch in the US, even went to Samsung HQ in Korea), S3, S6 and S8+ and they're all fine, if expensive, though the Bixby button is definitely annoying on the S8+. I am open to change I just can't find another brand I trust, HTC is dying and the Chinese ones are all full of shitty spyware and popups.
- distances 9y ago
  Nokia/HMD perhaps? They have pure Android.
voltagex_ 9y ago
Unfortuntely I really need an SD card (30+GB of music cached). I really don't know what to get - I'm stuck with my S8+ for now.
- lmnt 9y ago
  I can really recommend getting a Sony Xperia, especially the XZ1 which I just recently bought for myself. It has an SD card slot, a 3.5mm jack, it runs Android Oreo with very little bloat and feels like stock Android. The camera is great and can do the exact same super slow mo as samsung is advertising with the S9. The fingerprint sensor and lock button are the same and perfectly placed at the side of the phone. The battery life is also really great, now when my phone is new it lasts me almost 2 days with normal use. And relatively cheap for being a flagship. It's hard to understand why Sony phones get constantly overlooked.
  - voltagex_ 9y ago
    Goddamnit, the XZ2 loses the headphone jack.
nobrains 9y ago
There is no phone named s7 edge plus / s7e+
tomw2005 9y ago
I agree. I was a longtime Nexus user and switched for the S8 as Pixels were in short supply (UK, not sure if that was the same in the US). We still don't have Oreo on EE over here and I am constantly trying to disable the annoying Samsung software. I will be going for a Pixel 3 next time I expect.

joncrane 9y ago

PREACH! Went from an S4 (amazing phone) to an S7 (mediocre at best) to a Pixel and it's going to be Google all the way for me until they find a way to muck it up, too.

jondiggsit 9y ago

Think the Pixel 2 XL is good... just wait until you upgrade to an iPhone!

Someone1234 9y ago
The iPhone's hardware is great and it has good bones in the OS but Apple has placed too many artificial restrictions on the experience. To name one current example, both Android and iOS have the concept of a global password manager for third party apps (and the web-browser). Both Google and Apple offer a password manager that hooks into it. But on Android third party password managers can also utilize the system APIs, whereas on iOS they cannot. Meaning password managers on iOS are stuck with copy/switch/paste/switch/copy/switch/paste for username and password respectively. On Android you get a popup next to the input box, press it, and it is populated. This is just one current example but if you look at the history of iOS Apple has been doing this forever. NFC locked to Apple Pay was a previous good example.
- alphabettsy 9y ago
  That’s incorrect. Password managers on iOS are able to use extensions and thus auto-fill. I use 1Password and auto-fill works with many apps, only on the ones that don’t are you stuck with copy & paste.
  - Someone1234 9y ago
    What I said is absolutely accurate and you seem to know enough to know that. Before Apple added the current global autofill APIs on iOS, third party password managers could register a Safari extension. Ignoring how poor the user experience of doing it this way was, it also limited autofill to third party apps based around a Safari webview who chose not to opt out of third party extensions (namely only these apps[0] worked). Very few of the top 250 apps were supported and that remains the case to this day. Apple added global autofill APIs, but as of today those APIs are only available to Apple. This allows Apple to create a password manager which works across Safari, Safari webview (with or without extensions enabled), and even fully native apps. If an app isn't listed in [0] it will only work with Apple's password manager or copy/paste. Some apps missing include: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Google's app suite (gmail, google maps, etc), Netflix, Spotify, et al. Calling my post "incorrect" while understanding the difference between the global autofill APIs and Safari extensions is disingenuous and inaccurate. [0] https://lastpass.com/support.php?cmd=showfaq&id=8606 https://lastpass.com/support.php?cmd=showfaq&id=8606
    - alphabettsy 9y ago
      You said iOS password managers are stuck with copy/paste. That’s inaccurate, proved by your own follow-up with an example from LastPass.
    - sbuk 9y ago
      > What I said is absolutely accurate and you seem to know enough to know that. Well, no. What you said was; "But on Android third party password managers can also utilize the system APIs, whereas on iOS they cannot.", which isn't 'absolutely accurate' at all. The share sheet uses a system API to inject the username/password combination. Your statement is demonstrably inaccurate. It's not as fluid as Android's approach, granted. To make you statement more accurate, you should add '...the same system APIs.", although, I'm not sure that is actually the case. > If an app isn't listed in [0] it will only work with Apple's password manager or copy/paste. Some apps missing include: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Google's app suite (gmail, google maps, etc), Netflix, Spotify, et al. Ironically, that list totally disproves what you are suggesting, and arguably, the bad actors here are Facebook and Google who own most of the titles listed.
Numberwang 9y ago
I have experience of both, having to use IPhone for work. Android phones are infinitely better. I was actually surprised to find so many stupid bugs in IPhone. I'n my imagination they were solid phones for MAC users. Turns out, as they are the only option, they don't exactly focus on quality.
- stcredzero 9y ago
  I've been an iPhone user since the 1st generation 8GB model. (Very 1st was 4GB.) The overall quality of software has gone down. I remember the first time an iOS update caused issues in some fairly foundational code. (Involving UIImage.) Before that, I thought Apple's iOS team infallible. Today, I have moments when I'm just disgusted with Apple, as well as with 3rd party apps on iOS from well funded companies who should be doing better. Though to be fair, most of the time, things do work. It's just that I run into the odd place where...WAT!?
  - Numberwang 9y ago
    For me is just annoying small issues like when I listen to music and get a notification from another app suddenly the volume doesn't go up as high anymore and stays low until you reboot the phone. Or that when I'm on Bluetooth it will mess with the wifi and you need to disconnect and reconnect to make it work. I also really dislike (maybe this is just me) that I can't deal with files as files on an iPhone. I can't just move an mp3 or an ebook to the memory, find it via an app and open it. It feels so locked it.
- threeseed 9y ago
  Not sure what you are talking about. You can use iPhones with PCs and Android phones with Macs.
- scarface74 9y ago
  And that comes down to trust. Apple usually and correctly doesn’t trust third party apps with sensitive information. Anytime you enter a password in, you get switched back to the native keyboard.
chomp 9y ago
I bought an iPhone 8 Plus after using mostly Android phones due to a lot of really good praise from my friends. I'm finding that while the iPhone's hardware beats most of what Android has to offer, a lot of iOS has weird user design choices (hidden search fields, strange menu placement in apps, random antagonistic design choices), that just seem mildly inconvenient at best. Also iOS 11 had way more bugs than any Android release I've ever used.
- jonathanyc 9y ago
  The last straw that made me switch to iOS 10 was how much less buggy iOS was than Android at the time. And then I upgraded to iOS 11 and now enjoy the most buggy OS I have ever experienced on any platform, period. Insane UI glitches in the parts of the UI I use the most often (in the Notification Center?really?), frequent random total crashing (which I haven’t seen in any OS—including on the desktop—since the 2000s)... I actually do not understand how Apple dropped the ball so badly. Someone should not be getting a bonus.
  - simonh 9y ago
    The buggyness hasn’t honestly affected me, but I am disappointed with the performance of iOS 11 on my 6+, specifically in the phone app and calculator. I get that people have always complained about older phones being slower on later OS releases, but actually the overal, performance of the phone is fine. For some reason there’s a ton of UI lag on loading screens in the phone app and calculator that’s really frustrating. The phone is only a few years old, but feels like my old 3GS. It’s really annoying to have to pause and wait for the UI to become active in two apps I use extensively, and often want to use in a hurry. This is supposed to be a 64bit desktop class CPU. Games load fast and are snappy as hell. How come loading a dial screen is such a massive undertaking? It’s inexplicable.
    - 0x0 9y ago
      Maybe the battery slowdown scandal patch, aka iOS 11.3, and/or a battery replacement will help with that. I used to have a 6+ as well and it felt super laggy since iOS 11. Will be interesting to check with the person who was handed my 6+ when iOS 11.3 and the battery switch program become available.
product50 9y ago
It is pure ignorance to claim that iPhone is better than Pixel 2 XL. Both phones are great and it comes down to your personal preference --> look & feel of the device, camera, better Google Apps experiences, Android Auto vs. Carplay, tied up with Google or Apple ecosystems etc. Please stop making such inflammatory statements with no substance.
chrismcb 9y ago
I'm curious, what do you think is better in iOS? I use both, and for the most part one really isn't better than the other. But there are a few things I prefer Android over iOS.
antirez 9y ago
Before the S8+ I had an iPhone X, after 5 years without iPhones, and I sold it in less than a month because of the software, in a totally different way than Samsung. The iPhone software is very polished, but it has fundamental design flaws, it's like a shiny bike with wonderful colors but the wheels are actually squared.
T-N-T 9y ago
I downgraded from an iPhone 5s to an Honor 8. Best decision I could have done. My Honor 8 is still as fast and snappy as it was on day 1. It doesn't take that long for iPhones to become sluggish. Been there, experienced that with the 3g and 5s.

apozem 9y ago

I agree. Samsung makes great cameras and good hardware (Bixby button notwithstanding), but their software is unacceptable. I get that Samsung still dreams of gradually replacing Google services with its own, thus providing a reason to buy Samsung instead of Pixel/whatever, but they're so bad at it.

zanny 9y ago
They have a reason to buy theier stuff over Pixel phones, its called their hardware. The Pixel 2 compared to an S8 / Note 8 hardware wise is a nonstarter - the Pixel is a larger, clumsier, slower phone with a worse camera and more wasted bezel space. They actually sabotage their own hardware with their awful software. More Pixel 2s are sold than would otherwise be because people hate Touchwiz and all their bloat crap that much.
- ac29 9y ago
  Any sources to back up your claim that the Pixel 2 is slower than the S8? They have the exact same SoC, so performance differences should be negligible.
- paulie_a 9y ago
  The pixel had the advantage of being pure, personally that is a massive advantage over slightly irrelevant hardware differences. If Samsung would fire a bunch of people and stop throwing garbage add-ons and poor replacements for existing software they would dominate the market
- bberrry 9y ago
  You blasting the Pixel 2 for having a worse camera seems to indicate that you have no idea what you're talking about (likely on the other points as well). The Pixel 2 has the highest rated camera of all smartphones (https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-2-reviewed-sets-new-record-smartphone-camera-quality/ https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-2-reviewed-sets-new-rec...)
  - philliphaydon 9y ago

Someone1234 9y ago

Only thing I miss is the Samsung volume control. On the Pixel it has a singular context aware volume control that doesn't work very well. I've loaded YouTube, pressed volume up/down, and had my ringer volume change more times than I can count. Even on iOS which has a similar context aware volume control the experience is superior since you can also change the volume from the dock and disable the setting titled "[Ringer] Change with buttons" so it doesn't do anything until media is in focus. I rarely need to change my ringer volume, I just need a quickly accessible way of going into "Do Not Disturb"/Silence mode for the cinema and meetings. Samsung even offers that from the power menu which is super convenient.

zanny 9y ago
Specifically the youtube experience you describe is a problem in the youtube app itself, not in base Android. Youtube for some contrived reason decided to make it so that Youtube doesn't advertise itself as an audio player until its playing audio. Whenever you aren't playing a video it doesn't show up as a media controller so the system won't have the volume keys change the media volume. It used to always advertise being a media player so any time the app was active the volume buttons default changed the media volume. They just broke it intentionally.
- gsich 9y ago
  The Youtube app is broken because of that reason. Can't even play when screen is off. Absolutely braindead...
  - nanodeath 9y ago
    Well, that's just part of their YouTube Red service they're trying to sell.
  - wlesieutre 9y ago
    YouTube used to be able to play with the screen off, but Google has locked this behind a YouTube Red subscription at $10/month. Can't watch ads if you screen is off!

holydude 9y ago

My current phone is iphone 7+ and ios feels like getting slower and worse every update. I am really keen on trying out galaxy s9

staunch 9y ago

"If you look at the reason that the iPod exists, it's because these really great Japanese consumer electronics companies who kind of own the portable music market, invented it and owned it, couldn't do the appropriate software, couldn't conceive of and implement the appropriate software. Because an iPod's really just software. It's software in the iPod itself, it's software on the PC or the Mac, and it's software in the cloud for the store. And it's in a beautiful box, but it's software. If you look at what a Mac is, it's OS X, right? It's in a beautiful box, but it's OS X. And if you look at what an iPhone will hopefully be, it's software." - Steve Jobs (2007) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEeyaAUCyZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEeyaAUCyZs

willtim 9y ago
IMHO, 80's and 90's Japanese hardware gave me a much better experience than anything from a software company. For example, everytime I go to use my Sonos box, it wants to update the app, the firmware, or both. The constant software updates fix bugs and security holes, but they also bring unwanted features, frequently interface changes and attempts to upsell more of the same. I still have a Rotel poweramp from 1985 in my front room which the Sonos is plugged into, working flawlessly. There's no chance my Sonos box will still be working past 2050.
- staunch 9y ago
  Then why not use your 1985 Rotel poweramp instead of the Sonos? If you added the functionality of the Sonos to the Rotel poweramp, it would have the same complexity-based problems.
  - willtim 9y ago
    Obviously I wanted the convenience of streaming an MP3 to the amp versus using a CD player. I disagree that all solutions to this problem need the same complexity inherent in the Sonos and that the user experience could not be improved.
    - 9y ago

paulie_a 9y ago

You can apparently disable the bixby garbage. But I agree otherwise

antirez 9y ago
There is an app that captures the moment the Bixby app is launched and replaces it with an action... So totally an hack because Samsung refused to provide a sane way to repurpose the button. Sometimes you can see Bixby launching and then being closed immediately.

willtim 9y ago

Personally I prefer Samsung's OS to stock Google. Most bad behaviour and bloat comes from third party Android apps and Samsung includes better tools to detect battery drain and deny apps background processing. They also provide other features not found on Google phones, such as Knox Secure Folder (and Google were late to the party with split-screen and a file manager).

sundvor 9y ago
Thanks, I'm with you on this. I have the S8+ and I greatly prefer their UX to the stock Android; iirc, certain things like screen brightness controls and volume control have been ahead of stock also. Battery life is awesome also. S9 looks awesome, a notable refinement over the S8. Stereo speakers and that camera! Let's not forget Samsung retaining the headphone jack either, a major win for those who prefer quality non wireless headphones. Having said that, I wonder if APTX-HD is supported by the S9 now.
- wtvanhest 9y ago
  Off topic, but do you (or anyone else) have a great recomendation for non wireless headphones?
  - thewizardofaus 9y ago
    Audio technica ath-m50x
    - sundvor 9y ago
      We just sold ours; they are good, although somewhat bass heavy. Overall a great package for the price. I find headphones a very personal thing... Being an Audio Technica fanboy I have ANC9 for work (relatively fantastic audio quality/office sound cancelling, with Soundblaster E5), ADG1X for gaming + MSR7NC for music at home (on Soundblaster ZXR) - the latter being an indulgence so that I could have a pair of closed sets whilst working if noisy in the house, with a tiny amount of noise cancelling. Different qualities for different uses. For the go I have the IM02s, but tips aren't the best so I'm currently using the AKGs that came with the S8+ (with Comply foam tips) - they work quite well.

blfr 9y ago

Exactly. Just like I'm not buying a computer on which I cannot run Linux, I'm not buying a smartphone which isn't supported by LineageOS.

samplatt 9y ago
>It is the successor to the highly popular custom ROM CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016 when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development Oh. My. God. Thank you. Around about the S5/S7 era I stoppped flashing my phone every 5 minutes, but now with my S7 drinking battery fluid every minute of the day I've been wondering where CM had gone.
- mehrdadn 9y ago
  It's not quite Cyanogenmod though, don't get your hopes up too high. It doesn't have the most critical stuff I liked, like blacklisting non-contacts.
  - blfr 9y ago
    That seems like a dialer feature, not an OS one.
    - mehrdadn 9y ago
      I'm not sure how that affects my point? Which was that you'll be missing the feature when you use LOS. (Not to mention I don't know how true it is either... the blacklist page was very much in my OS settings.)
      - blfr 9y ago
        If it's a dialer feature then you can just install any dialer which provides it.
        mehrdadn 9y ago

tamrix 9y ago

I would not doubt that Google has paid to manipulate social media to promote its phones. I wouldn't doubt Samsung does either. But just remember that as you read that comments.

rfrey 9y ago
I’m not sure if you intended to, but this sounds like you’re accusing antirez of being a paid shill.

limeblack 9y ago

The lack of notification numbers/icons on Andoid still bugs me though and Samsung does add those. Windows Phones even have/had numbers on their tiles. iOS has them also. The third party versions don't work on Andoid Oreo currently. Edit: Oreo notifications dots clear all notifications when you open the application which is rather useless imo. Also still doesn't display a number. https://android.stackexchange.com/q/191401 https://android.stackexchange.com/q/191401

on_and_off 9y ago
on the home launcher ? Oreo has added those Sounds like it is a matter of preferences though, they could disappear and I would not even notice : I read most of my notifications from the locker screen or notification shade anyway
- limeblack 9y ago
  No. I am running Oreo. They do not work like iOS and Windows Phones. It dismisses all notification for that application when you open that app. Not to even mention there is no number.

victornomad 9y ago

I quite like Samsung UX or even Huawei UX... more than Google default UX... it gives solutions for most of the things that Android barebones lacks... I thought about getting a Pixel, but luckily I had the opportunity to try it out and didnt convince me. The camera was nice, but for half the price you could get a Huawei which are pretty awesome hardware wise...

PinkMilkshake 9y ago

I went into a Samsung store to look for a new phone for my partner and I was really surprised how sluggish all their phones felt, even the flagship models. I couldn't tell why it felt that way. Maybe it's the animations, or software bloat. The glass used on them seems to have a high friction, which contributed to the poor feeling. My partner currently uses an ASUS Zenfone 3 which is one of the snappiest phones I've ever used and it's a lower mid-range phone. I ended up buying her another one. ASUS are making some solid phones at the moment. Their ultra-books are nice as well.

kayoone 9y ago
sound interesting, how is the Android Update situation on Asus ? Android 8 anytime soon ?
- PinkMilkshake 9y ago
  The Oreo update was released one month ago for Zenfone 3, which is not bad given the Zenfone 5 is coming out soon.

dec0dedab0de 9y ago

...actually they are just destroying the Android experience. Maybe that is the end game. Make andoid look bad, then turn around with their own OS that you can optionally install on all of their phones. Maybe even other devices. I mean they cant possibly be trying to make people like using their phones.

darklajid 9y ago

Yes! I stopped after an S6 Edge and the software was shit even then. Ironically I met some Samsung people in London during that time and they casually said "We're good at hardware, we suck at software and support" in a meeting. Thas was from people working on printers/scanners, but I feel that this very much defines their mobile business as well.

totalZero 9y ago

Good luck getting support when your Pixel 2 XL has issues. Google replaced my Nexus 6P with a faulty refurbished device under warranty, and then cold-shouldered me when the refurbished device bricked itself a few weeks later due to an issue that Google Support knew about when they sent me the replacement. I have a friend who had the exact same experience with his own Google device. Personally, I would rather rip out my own entrails than buy another Google hardware device and expose myself to their garbage customer service.

lbenes 9y ago

> The Android notifications are broken in favor of small things that do not allow you to read the message Strange. When I switched from a Samsung S5 to a Pixel, the feature I missed the most was Samsung's notification badges. Since my work and personal messages came in on difference apps, I could prioritize with just a glance at my home screen. Now I have a long list of notifications to manage. Other than that, I do love my Pixel. Google updates are the best.

webignition 9y ago

The difference between your technically-grounded assessment of the phones produced by Samsung and the assessment of more regular folks is staggering. It'll take a lot more than a few vendor-specific OS tweaks to put non-tech people off. To be clear, I agree that the OS modifications implemented by Samsung feel like they result in a less performant experience. Warning: anecdata below! My girlfriend's family regularly use various tech devices (laptops, phones, tablets) and are technically literate in the use of such devices for consumptive purposes and I'd rate them as relatively technically illiterate in the use of tech for creating anything beyond simple MS Office-type documents. As a generalisation, they pay zero attention to the tech media (I'd say they are largely unaware of tech media sources), obtain all tech news via mainstream media and are influenced by both mainstream and Facebook advertising which they don't see as advertising but as useful information. They have strong brand loyalty or, more specifically, they have a definite preference towards brands they believe have served them well in the past. They all generally opt for Samsung phones. This seems rooted in prior positive experience with earlier-generation Galaxy devices. They appear not to differentiate between Samsung's Galaxy line and Samsung's other lines of lower-priced smartphone ranges, suggesting a bias for the brand over the hardware/software combo itself. Their choice of phone contract seems based on Samsung and price almost exclusively. I have seen them switch from technically better to technically worse hardware and still be pleased with their new phone. A new phone is often perceived as better than an old phone purely due to it being newer. My girlfriend's mother used Sony phones for years predominantly based on her positive experiences with the Sony brand in non-related lines such as TVs. She switched recently to a Galaxy S8 when her contract was up for renewal. Her decision was based mostly on the preference for Samsung phones in her immediate family. Her only issue with it was the dedicated Bixby button and her issue was not with Bixby itself but with her unsteady hands pressing the button unwantedly. My girlfriend disabled the button and her mother now perceives the phone as the best thing to have ever existed. She bought a wireless charger, again due to her shaky hands being unable to cope with plugging in a charging cable. The positive association with the wireless charger further reinforces her positive opinion of the S8 regardless of the fact that wireless charging exists across many phone brands and ranges. The bloat of vendor-specific OS modifications is a non-issue. If the bloat factor is consistent, a phone today is faster and better than a phone of two years ago. They see smartphones grouped into three families: iPhones, Android phones and Samsung phones. That the OS on a Samsung phone is based on Android is not considered. That a phone may not get OS upgrades in a timely manner, or at all, is a complete non-issue for people that don't know that such updates exist, don't generally care about the OS and who replace their phone every two years. Similar to how many get a Windows upgrade only by buying a new computer (although less-so now with Windows 10 but more so historically), many get an Android OS upgrade only when getting a new phone. That a phone should get, or needs to have, OS upgrades is also a complete non-issue. In short, for those not close to the tech industry, there is nothing wrong with Samsung phones. The common gripes we in the tech field often mention (slow/lacking updates, under-performant UI tweaks aka lack of purity) are so much of a non-issue for the majority of Samsung phone users to make effectively zero difference to Samsung. [Editted for typos]

acjohnson55 9y ago

I definitely have felt that way, but I have the Note 8 now, and for the first time, I feel like Samsung has mostly tried to stay out of my way, software-wise. I do wish I could repurpose the Bixby key to do something else, but other than that, I love it. Waterproof, SD card slot, beautiful display. I'm impressed by the S9, but the new features aren't compelling enough to me to upgrade, so maybe next year.

contingencies 9y ago

I have had the S8+ for awhile, mostly because I wanted a non Chinese phone (because preinstalled China apps are a nightmare) that works in (read: not 'everything on Google') and out of China (I travel a lot) with a good camera (because I have a kid). It has done the job. The S9/S9+ seem mostly "meh, more of the same". Slightly better camera, some seeping-out-to-the-masses ML novelties, but basically standard incremental upgrade stuff. At this point I have had S1 (which I helped launch in the US, even went to Samsung HQ in Korea), S3, S6 and S8+ and they're all fine, if expensive, though the Bixby button is definitely annoying on the S8+. I am open to change I just can't find another brand I trust, HTC is dying and the Chinese ones are all full of shitty spyware and popups.

distances 9y ago
Nokia/HMD perhaps? They have pure Android.

voltagex_ 9y ago

Unfortuntely I really need an SD card (30+GB of music cached). I really don't know what to get - I'm stuck with my S8+ for now.

lmnt 9y ago
I can really recommend getting a Sony Xperia, especially the XZ1 which I just recently bought for myself. It has an SD card slot, a 3.5mm jack, it runs Android Oreo with very little bloat and feels like stock Android. The camera is great and can do the exact same super slow mo as samsung is advertising with the S9. The fingerprint sensor and lock button are the same and perfectly placed at the side of the phone. The battery life is also really great, now when my phone is new it lasts me almost 2 days with normal use. And relatively cheap for being a flagship. It's hard to understand why Sony phones get constantly overlooked.
- voltagex_ 9y ago
  Goddamnit, the XZ2 loses the headphone jack.

nobrains 9y ago

There is no phone named s7 edge plus / s7e+

tomw2005 9y ago

I agree. I was a longtime Nexus user and switched for the S8 as Pixels were in short supply (UK, not sure if that was the same in the US). We still don't have Oreo on EE over here and I am constantly trying to disable the annoying Samsung software. I will be going for a Pixel 3 next time I expect.