Android phones, apps and tablets

Pixel 7a users: how do you find the battery life?

Pretty much set I'm going for a budget phone & flashier Garmin watch. It's currently between the Pixel (possibly with Graphene) and that CMF phone, 4385 mAh Vs 5000. I'm not often away from the house for long periods these days but it'll happen occasionally. No social media apps.

New phone whatsapp saves all media received to phone gallery. my last phone didn't. I'd prefer this wasn't default. Nothing dodgy, just volume of memes/pictures/vids on group chats that fill up gallery view.

How do I stop this? I've tried all the settings except clearly the one I need.

If it can't be done my upgrade is a downgrade and whatsapp will get a zero star review on google play.

If theyre showing up in Photos then switch off Google Photos backup of your Whatsapp images folder, I think.

Samsung gallery, they don't get pushed to google photos thankfully.

Settings > Chat Settings > Media Visibility 'Off'

This! Thanks!

Got another Fire for one of the kids. But it's been so long since I did the Fire toolbox install (and I've only done it once to the other two) that I didn't think to read the guide online and I've already linked the tablet to my account.

Has anyone used the Fire Toolbox recently?

What I'm after is;

1. Confirmation of a safe place to download the most upto date version (mine is v32.2)
   
2. Whether it is that critical that I do the set up on a clean tablet
   
3. If yes to 2. How best to wipe it and start again?
   
4. What is the significance of OTA Updates and do I care?
   
   

Cheers

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Got Google Play to work by downloading and setting up Nova Launcher, then retrying Google Play.

Don't have the patience this time around to strip everything off the way I did with my eldest's. Which tbh was a bit of a faff. However, I think that one had the ads on the lock screen so I wanted it clear.

Annoyingly when you swipe up from the recent apps you can still see all the amazon shit they put on the home screen.
Irl it's so fucking jarring! I guess that's why they're so cheap. But fuck me using one with the default setup would be awful.

Contrary to all expectations,
my 2 1/2 year old Pixel 6a has just told me that Android 15 is available for download.

So what's good in Android 15?

Yeah, I installed that the other day. Why did you think it wouldn't be available? I've no idea what their support terms are these days but if a device runs it, makes sense to push it.

I'm used to the regular security updates, but assumed that a 6a would be ignored/purposefully excluded to encourage owners to upgrade to a more recent mobile, where Google have committed to x years of security and y years of operating system updates.

Cheap 7A finally arrived from Giffgaff. Screen protectors are annoying aren't they. Do people really put these on themselves without flaws are you all just taking it to a shop to do? Probably user error but also I think the quad lock branded one I bought is a bit shit to apply.

I haven't used screen protectors in years, I takes my chances.

A case that is slightly proud of the screen is all I use.

No noticeable scratches on any of my last few phones.

Do it in the bathroom after running a hot shower for a couple of minutes, the steam will pull a lot of the dust out of the air

Pro tip. I haven't used one either but my screen was pretty mashed by the end, some of that wouldn't have been helped by a protector but I figure I should at least try and keep this phone nice for a while.

Same. They're shit.

At one point so were phone screens so it was worth it to whack a 2 quid bit of plastic over it to not end up with a fucked screen. I'm currently on a 4 y at old phone and the screen is fine and no scratches so yeah i don't see the point and don't like the lessened screen response

I have a card wallet case (Snakehive) where the cards rub against the screen and it definitely causes slight damage. Just cosmetic though and I cba with a protector.

Very basic question but what main reasons do people have for choosing the higher spec pixel phones?

I need a new phone but the choice is fairly bewildering - is it purely a case of "faster chip, more memory / better camera" with the higher grade ones? Obviously there is a bit of difference in screen size too....

It's rare that a phone has a 'killer feature' these days, it mainly comes down to the specs you mentioned plus whether you like the screen size/form factor. I chose my 4a cos it had a very good camera for the time and was a more or less cost price phone with pure android and good specs. The price seems to be more in line with market these days so bar pure android I'm not exactly sure of the advantages these days

Yeah that's kind of what I thought was the case, I guess it just feels like I am therefore guessing what will feel like a good level of performance - and anything will be an upgrade on my very tired OnePlus.

As phones have converged in physical characteristics, processor speed, RAM, camera, screen, wifi, bluetooth, NFC, fingerprint sensor, cahrging speed, wireless charging, etc, and deleted useful functions like memory card storage, user replaceable battery, the differentiator is now the 'service'.
My 'old' Moto G5G will never get an Android update and will, no doubt soon, stop receiving Android security updates. I suspect other Chinese manufacturers will be similarly slapdash about updates for their budget priced phones.
My Pixel 6a, to my surprise did receive the Android 15 in early December 2024, but there will come a day when it too no longer receives updates.

The advantage of the current Pixel phones is the guarantee of X years of operating system updates and Y years of security updates.

I am tempted by a Pixel 8Pro for the demonstrably better camera, but despair at the additional cost of opting for 256 rather than 128GB of on board storage.

Yeah makes sense - so (unless I want to pay a tonne for the "pro" camera) then just go for a pixel and don't worry too much?