Android phones, apps and tablets

Are the non-Plus/Ultra Samsung Galaxy S phones possibly the nearest thing to a decent 'compact' Android now? Looking like maybe I'd have to go iPhone if I wanted smaller, but the prices sting a bit compared to e.g. a refurbished S20 (other than an SE and I don't think I can go back to a screen quite that small). I do like watching stuff on my phone, but I've started getting hand/thumb pain that seems to be aggravated when stretching to use a big heavy phone (plus my old Note regularly drags itself out of my pocket if I crouch down which has always been annoying).

exclusive app on pixel 6 and 5 I think...

Ah... 😔

Anyone know how you 'unfollow' a place on Maps? A restaurant I once thought about going to in Lisbon is spamming me with updates every day and I can't work out how to stop it ...

Not found a Google specific thread so thought I'd ask here.

I have a Google account that I access via a personal email/domain purchased many years ago.

The bill for the domain and hosting has shot up to about £100 a year for what I now use as essentially an email server.

1- Do I have a gmail address since I have a Google account.
2 - how do I find what it is?

The process of moving every online presence to a new email address is going to be painful.

Not an answer but can't you shift the domain elsewhere.

I use gandi for mine, which is also essentially an email server, and think I pay about a tenner a year.

I moved it from a shit host but can't really remember the process, think I had to pay a one off fee but it wasn't massive.

I want to pick up a tablet as cheap as possible to use purely for streaming music - will need to run Spotify / iPlayer / Volumio / Moode / Google home for Chromecast but not much else.

It’s obviously possible to get a c.4yr old tablet for about £30 which would be ideal, but does anyone have an idea what kind of min specs I’d need to work effectively - at what age do these tablets essentially stop working?

Wait for Amazon Prime day, get a cheap fire tablet and then jailbreak it with Amazon Fire toolbox.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/windows-tool-fire-toolbox-v28-1.3889604/

^ beat me too it.

Fire 8 HD Plus (jailbroken) has been been good for me. Super cheap.

Only downsides have been:

1. Password sometimes doesn't work and requires a restart.
   
2. OEM charger is pensioner slow. So if you need a fast one, factor that cost in.
   
3. Wireless charging doesn't really work unless you've got the dock, or one built into a flat surface - it just can't sit flat on it because it charges from the corner.
   
4. Bit of a faff choosing some of the apps - eg searching for a camera app, and other things like that you forget about.
   
5. Camera is a bit shit.
   
   

But overall given that it was something like £100 cheaper than anything else remotely comparable it's very hard to fault. I also haven't actually bothered to post or ask on the jailbreaking forum about the password thing, so it could be that that is easily resolved.

ooh good shout - next Tues right? Will have a look.

Why bother jailbreaking it? If any of those aren't available in the Amazon store then just sideload another one like aptoide

Because the cheap ones are filled with Amazon spam and the more expensive ones cost more.

My OH's app needs are pretty limited for a tablet, so it really was only about getting rid of all the ad pages. Plus also being cautious about privacy in relation to having an amazon tablet.

Still undecided about Fairphone vs. Google Pixel 6a but then Google dropped the price of Pixel 6 to £50 more than Pixel 6a... £450 instead of £600 and it's available now. It's bigger though which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place. But maybe I should just buy a phablet and be done with the ridiculous search for proper-sized phones

158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm (6.24 x 2.94 x 0.35 in) Pixel 6
152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm (5.99 x 2.83 x 0.35 in) Pixel 6a
146.2 x 73.3 x 9.7 mm (5.76 x 2.89 x 0.38 in) XCover 4S

207 g (7.30 oz) Pixel 6
178 g (6.28 oz) Pixel 6a
172 g (6.07 oz) XCover 4S

with its Garmin case on, my XCover is the same height as the 6a and wider than all of them.

6 is IP68, 6a is IP67

"Nano-SIM and/or eSIM" - does anyone know if that means Pixel 6 can do dual-SIM?

Only if one is an e SIM

I've a 6, it's big

Nano-SIM and/or eSIM" - does anyone know if that means Pixel 6 can do dual-SIM?

Yeah, as long as one of them is eSIM. I've set mine up as such in case I ever get to go on a tour again and want to take the work number with me without the phone.

I have no idea what an eSIM is. I think both of mine are normal SIM cards - can I get the provider to give me an eSIM instead?

Fairphone is actually quite nice. It looks less on the spec sheets, but in the hand it feels right.

I've a 6, it's big

So am I.

Problem is, none of the other phones I would've bought are sub-6" these days. Everyone has pushed up to phablet sizing.

Yeah and I like the ethics behind it but £430 for a Pixel 6 is very very tempting. I want to replace my cracked XCover before it dies for once so I don't have to restore so much stuff. I think Fairphone in a couple of revisions might be more likely for me. It's still quite big and heavy and mounting on handlebars for nav seems like a fools errand.

eSIM is kinda like a software SIM card, you download it without a physical card. EE offer it, although in a convoluted way, dunno about anyone else.

Cheers. It's not a deal breaker. They're £430 on Amazon so I think I might just get one and test it out.

If anyone wants to have new tablet now's the time

Make sure you use amazon fire toolbox and you can disable all the amazon stuff, inc. advertising - effectivly robbing them of revenue.

Pixel 6 users:

When I unlock my screen by putting my fingerprint on it, sometimes it doesn't respond at all. I have to push the power button to get it to ignite and show the lock screen, then it unlocks. This hasn't always been the case. Anyone else have this issue?

If I double tap the screen, it wakes and I can FP unlock. But I am sure in the past I also used to just be able to place my FP on the screen (when locked) and it would unlock.

My pixel 6 has been completely non responsive on occasion. Screen does nothing and even the power button doesn't always do anything.

Google have borked something recently

I'm trying to add a work email account to my moto g. But it says I need a more recent security update.

Is there any way to force it to update to a newer security patch?

Cheers.

Edit: it appears I'd need a custom rom as Motorola only support mobiles for 1.5yrs.

It's over 7yrs since I've done this. Any pointers or recommendations for OS? TBH I'm happy with the Motorola version of Android with its gesture control, etc.