Android phones, apps and tablets

Was on Oreo out of the box.

Forgot to mention Turbo charging- it is bloody awesome!

ya new gmail is much better

Not really, I've never had a Nexus 7 so not sure which is best.

First step would be to try flashing the latest, official firmware (if it's newer than yours). Second would be something custom, LineageOS is the obvious.

Google for instructions for your specific model/year but something like this https://www.getdroidtips.com/lineage-os-15-1-nexus-7/

I came across my nexus 7 which has a fatal flaw....

...the WiFi won't work.

I had similar with a Nexus 5 - various combinations of vendor images, boot images and system images have problems with the radio firmware.

XDA forum usually has an answer somewhere though.

At some point, you may need to rebuild an img yourself though...

Thanks both. Will investigate further.

I thought I'd asked the question here before and helpfully saved loads of useful Webpages.

Iirc there is actually a good chance the motherboard is fucked. At the time replacements weren't cost effective as mine is 32gb and I thought if I just used it as a plane video player the storage would be useful.

#csb

Cross posted from AQA

Just realised that Canada isn't included in the free data on my mobile so looking to get some kind of international/canadian SIM (phone is dual SIM so it will just be used for data).

Any suggestions on anything I can buy in London today (too late for mail order) or, failing that, in Canada (Toronto).

Googling throws up a whole array of impenetrable stuff.

3 mobile do payg data sims for the states. Go to a shop, double check and buy.

Failing that I'd have thought you can just buy a local sim from a shop.

Will the bands on your phone work in Canada?

3 is fine for the US, not so good for Canada (£6 per MB seems a little steep!).

Countries vary on the ease of buying PAYG sims, it's a real ballache and extortionately expensive in USA for instance.

Phone should work for 3G.

Oh I thought you topped up something like £15 then got unlimited data.

Mobile costs in the US are absolutely nuts. I was paying $55 p/m prepay. I'm now paying £12.

And thats for no phone. And fuck all reception when you leave the city. #freemarkets

#freemarkets

#lowpopulationdensity would be a better explanation. Mobile network infrastructure cost is going to be broadly inversely proportional to population density, and UK has about 8 times the population density of the USA. Market penetration rates are almost exactly the same, so users per cell tower are going to be on average about 8 times higher in the UK.

If you think regulatory burden is a significant factor in the difference between market rates for a given bundle between the two territories, you need to explain which regulations are burdensome and which territory's citizens are over-paying for their mobile contracts as a result. Prima facie, it looks like 'merkins are getting the coverage they deserve based on paying about half as much after correcting for population density.

I dont necessary think its regulations. But I am baselessly suspicious about price fixing over there.

I'm surprised that in the East Coast the population density is that different.

Why shouldn't I buy a Sony XA1 Ultra?

y tho

^^Tester will be along in a bit to tell you w.....oh.

Hi Aggi, I live in Toronto but I've not seen anything like whats available in the UK for this (when I'm back in the UK I use a GiffGaff PAYG sim and it works great). Looking around it seems like the best thing to do is try and pay for a data roaming add on with your provider in the UK if they offer it.

If you need any recommendations for the city, let me know!

Thanks for the heads up. In the end I found a great deal on a Nokia 6.1 on amazon so I ended up going for that. AndroidOne with 4gb/64gb storage that was $320 plus tax. Pretty happy with it so far.

No IP rating? (it's really nice not to worry about sweat/rain if you're riding)
Fingerpring reader? (although I rarely use mine)
AC wireless? (depends what router you have though)
Battery is on the smaller side too.

Seems pretty good though.

No comment on the actual phone, operating system/bloatware but the timing of your purchase, 'Now', may charge you a premium.
Apple seem to follow a set path through the calendar; new models for '(back) to college', which runs into Thanksgiving, then Bl*ck Friday/weekend, that drifts into Xmas. Other mobile phone manufacturers often use the new Apple price bands to maintain the prices of their better/flagship models in the early Autumn, but eventually crack and offer discounts close to Xmas.
(I picked up this LG G4 just before Xmas 2015 for £200 from Vodafone).
But if you have seen the XA1 U at a price you like go for it.

Cheers, it seems Lucky Mobile was the way to go, 4.5GB for $40 which is reasonable.

Only a fleeting work trip so won't get much time to look around unfortunately.

Oh thats good to know. I'd heard of Lucky but thought like all other budget providers you'd have to sign up to it rather than just purchasing it on spec. I'll bear that in mind for friends who are visiting. have a good trip.

No IP rating?

I haz Alcatel Pixi burner for jersey pocket use

Fingerpring reader?

With my tin foil hat on, biometric unlocking is a bad idea. Never had it, so wouldn't miss it even if it was good thing.

AC wireless?

I haz AC

Battery is on the smaller side

Bigger than my Lumia 640, which I seldom get below 50% charge. Unlike modern people, I actually do my day job while I'm at work, so my phone use is minimal 🙂

the timing of your purchase, 'Now', may charge you a premium.

I'm not the kind of person who gets upset by discounts appearing as soon as I buy something, especially the kind of modest discounting schedule that's likely to happen to a mid range phone. If I intend to keep it for 2 years and it drops 20% in the January sales, I'm basically even.

Prolly wrong thread but anyway:

Virgin are trying to persuade me to go with their mobile offering. Currently with giffgaff (4 phones, one per family thing). Saving isn't massive so main consideration will be network coverage.

Any material difference between GiffGaff (O2) and Virgin (EE)?

That mainly depends on what you live, work and visit.

Use their coverage maps to make an informed choice.

That news about Xiaomi phones lacking Widevine L1 support and not supporting HD Netflix/Amazon Prime/iPlayer has put me right off them. You'd think the Mi A2 would have to since it's Android One but no, so I'm glad I didn't spring for one. If I want to replace my ancient Oneplus X (which I hate other than the screen, design and notification toggle switch) with something with a decent-ish camera and a likelihood of at least getting Pie should I grab a Moto G6 Plus, wait until the Pixel 3 is released so I can get a Pixel 2 second hand on the cheap or something else?