Bamba wrote:
No one needs this stuff of course, but like pretty much anything else having higher specs will (should!) contribute to an overall faster, smoother and (arguably) more satisfying experience. Like you could browse the internet on a ten year old netbook, but you'd have a shitter experience than you would on a new spec PC. And if you'd only ever used the netbook you'd probably be relatively pleased with the experience, but you'd certainly notice the difference after spending some time on the newer machine.
You're right. I was (am?) perfectly happy with my Pixel 2 but I got to play with a brand new OnePlus 6T a few months back and it was glorious in comparison. Maybe it was just that I've had my Pixel for well over a year and it's just... familiar but the fancy new phone felt space aged in comparison, in a way that MrsPaz's Samsung S9 didn't when it was brand new.
The 7 Pro has me twitching. I adore my 5, to the point where the thing most preventing me upgrading is just how well it's held up
Cras wrote:
The 7 Pro has me twitching.
If I was buying an Android phone, I'd buy that one. 
Me too, if it wasn't for the curved screen, I hate them.
DavPaz wrote:
Bamba wrote:
No one needs this stuff of course, but like pretty much anything else having higher specs will (should!) contribute to an overall faster, smoother and (arguably) more satisfying experience. Like you could browse the internet on a ten year old netbook, but you'd have a shitter experience than you would on a new spec PC. And if you'd only ever used the netbook you'd probably be relatively pleased with the experience, but you'd certainly notice the difference after spending some time on the newer machine.
You're right. I was (am?) perfectly happy with my Pixel 2 but I got to play with a brand new OnePlus 6T a few months back and it was glorious in comparison. Maybe it was just that I've had my Pixel for well over a year and it's just... familiar but the fancy new phone felt space aged in comparison, in a way that MrsPaz's Samsung S9 didn't when it was brand new.
Speed-wise, I was happy enough with the Moto G6, but after getting fed up with the inconsistent Wi-Fi performance, I decided to get something better, so yesterday I had a Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro delivered. Just the overall performance of it makes the G6 look painfully slow in comparison. Not that the Mi 8 is perfect - the MUIU OS on there is pretty hateful in places.
Handy that Amazon allow you spread the payments on certain phones though - that certainly swayed me towards the Mi 8
Main thing I'd want an upgraded processor for is that Dolphin runs pretty well on phones with a snapdragon 845 or 855.
Oneplus 7 looks real nice, but I'd want a headphone jack.
I'm keeping an eye out for the Moto Z4 Force.
Oneplus 7 looks real nice, but I'd want a headphone jack.
I'm keeping an eye out for the Moto Z4 Force.
I've resigned myself to losing the headphone jack
Cras wrote:
I've resigned myself to losing the headphone jack
The Mi 8 comes with a USB-C to headphone adaptor at least, but I'm pretty certain that when I need it, I'll have forgotten where it is.
LewieP wrote:
Main thing I'd want an upgraded processor for is that Dolphin runs pretty well on phones with a snapdragon 845 or 855.
Do you play it with the touch screen?
devilman wrote:
Cras wrote:
I've resigned myself to losing the headphone jack
The Mi 8 comes with a USB-C to headphone adaptor at least
This will probably be my solution when the time comes to upgrade. It's incredibly rare that I want to charge and listen to music at the same time so that use case isn't a problem, and the adaptor will just remain permanently attached to my earphones so I can't see me losing it either. In all practicality it won't make much difference to me, but I'm still annoyed in principle.
I lost the adapter that came with my pixel in about 3 days of getting the phone.
Nah, I'll shell out for wireless, then lose one of them, then just stop using headphones.
I don't want to minimise the loss of the headphone jack, because it still catches me out occasionally even though I haven't had a jack on any of my daily carry phones in two years.
But: I wouldn't give up my wireless headphones (Bose QC35) and go back to wired, and I will probably buckle at some point and get a second pair of more portable ones, possibly the OnePlus Bullets. And on the other side of the coin, I am continually annoyed that the Switch does not support wireless audio.
(Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time." I have a wireless charging stand on my desk. My phones get rotated through it during the day. Obv not all headphoneless phones have wireless charging support, however.)
But: I wouldn't give up my wireless headphones (Bose QC35) and go back to wired, and I will probably buckle at some point and get a second pair of more portable ones, possibly the OnePlus Bullets. And on the other side of the coin, I am continually annoyed that the Switch does not support wireless audio.
(Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time." I have a wireless charging stand on my desk. My phones get rotated through it during the day. Obv not all headphoneless phones have wireless charging support, however.)
I have the awfully named Aftershokz Trekz Air bone conductor wireless earphones for daily use. Designed for runners, cyclists and other people who need to hear their surroundings, they don’t block the ear canal so I can still hear traffic, dogs, customers and other potential dangers. Obviously the sound quality suffers from having zero isolation, but they’re still really good. Pricey at £130 though.
Then I have some cheapish Jabra Move on-ear jobbies which were £60 and sound surprisingly good for the price. The build quality not amazing though.
I won’t get any expensive over ear wireless cans because I’d be scared of taking them out with me. I’ll stick to wired in the house and I’ve been eyeing up a set of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0s for a while, but they’re not cheap enough to be an impulse buy.
I would never go back to wired earphones on the move. They used to always come unplugged or get tangled or snagged somehow. I won’t miss them. Even the mild inconvenience of having to keep them charged is worth it, imo.
Then I have some cheapish Jabra Move on-ear jobbies which were £60 and sound surprisingly good for the price. The build quality not amazing though.
I won’t get any expensive over ear wireless cans because I’d be scared of taking them out with me. I’ll stick to wired in the house and I’ve been eyeing up a set of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0s for a while, but they’re not cheap enough to be an impulse buy.
I would never go back to wired earphones on the move. They used to always come unplugged or get tangled or snagged somehow. I won’t miss them. Even the mild inconvenience of having to keep them charged is worth it, imo.
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
I don't want to minimise the loss of the headphone jack, because it still catches me out occasionally even though I haven't had a jack on any of my daily carry phones in two years.
But: I wouldn't give up my wireless headphones (Bose QC35) and go back to wired, and I will probably buckle at some point and get a second pair of more portable ones, possibly the OnePlus Bullets. And on the other side of the coin, I am continually annoyed that the Switch does not support wireless audio.
(Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time." I have a wireless charging stand on my desk. My phones get rotated through it during the day. Obv not all headphoneless phones have wireless charging support, however.)
But: I wouldn't give up my wireless headphones (Bose QC35) and go back to wired, and I will probably buckle at some point and get a second pair of more portable ones, possibly the OnePlus Bullets. And on the other side of the coin, I am continually annoyed that the Switch does not support wireless audio.
(Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time." I have a wireless charging stand on my desk. My phones get rotated through it during the day. Obv not all headphoneless phones have wireless charging support, however.)
Remember that I don't carry a bag. That profoundly changes the use case.
I carry around a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to connect my Jabra Move to my Switch, most annoying.
If the New Switch has extra processing grunt and supports wireless headphones I’ll find it hard to resist.
If the New Switch has extra processing grunt and supports wireless headphones I’ll find it hard to resist.
Cras wrote:
Remember that I don't carry a bag. That profoundly changes the use case.
Airpods are a lot smaller than the eBook reader you used to inexplicably carry everywhere in your pockets.
I like that the case is also a charger!
Cras wrote:
Remember that I don't carry a bag. That profoundly changes the use case.
You could also just carry a bag, like a normal person. 
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time."
How are wired headphones and a headphone socket not also the answer to this?
Can you not buy a charge cable that has a headphone jack on it?
Just had a quick look. It seems like you can indeed buy them only they don't work.
I've never had any luck with USB-C > headphone cables. I think the USB socket on my phone might be broken, though.
markg wrote:
Just had a quick look. It seems like you can indeed buy them only they don't work.
They work fine on iOS. USB-C is a shit show of incompatible standards though.
Grim... wrote:
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Also: wireless charging is my answer to "charge and listen at the same time."
How are wired headphones and a headphone socket not also the answer to this?
I mean, you deleted the context where I said I haven't had a headphone jack in two years, so I don't know what to say to this. It's not even wrong.
Okay, how is the answer to "charge and listen at the same time" not just "charge with a cable and listen with my wireless headphones"?
I'm not sure what question you're answering.
I'm not sure what question you're answering.
Grim... wrote:
I'm not sure what question you're answering.
Wait what the fuck am I talking about
What have I done here
Gaywood has Gaywooded himself
Mr Chonks wrote:
Gaywood has Gaywooded himself
OPEN THE PORTAL THE TIME IS NOW
Oneplus 7 has a tiny little camera that pops out the top. Therefore I want one.
Plus 7.
Plus 7.
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Cras wrote:
Remember that I don't carry a bag. That profoundly changes the use case.
Airpods are a lot smaller than the eBook reader you used to inexplicably carry everywhere in your pockets.
Sure, but not than your big ass cans. And the cans are large enough that I would remember them. Wireless 'phones are not.
This is a thread about phones, do you should probably call them "headphones".
Cras wrote:
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Cras wrote:
Remember that I don't carry a bag. That profoundly changes the use case.
Airpods are a lot smaller than the eBook reader you used to inexplicably carry everywhere in your pockets.
Sure, but not than your big ass cans. And the cans are large enough that I would remember them. Wireless 'phones are not.
Can't you just tie a length of yarn between the two small earphones and then thread it through your clothing, much like our mums did with mittens when we were younger. Then you'll never forget them.
I think wireless headphones are cool, but they work with phones that have a 3.5mm jack, and I want both options.
Do you play it with the touch screen?
I imagine some games would work fine like that (mostly thinking of Wii games that mainly used the pointer), but no I'd be using a bluetooth controller.
TheVision wrote:
LewieP wrote:
Main thing I'd want an upgraded processor for is that Dolphin runs pretty well on phones with a snapdragon 845 or 855.
Do you play it with the touch screen?
I imagine some games would work fine like that (mostly thinking of Wii games that mainly used the pointer), but no I'd be using a bluetooth controller.
Mr Chonks wrote:
I have the awfully named Aftershokz Trekz Air bone conductor wireless earphones for daily use. Designed for runners, cyclists and other people who need to hear their surroundings, they don’t block the ear canal so I can still hear traffic, dogs, customers and other potential dangers. Obviously the sound quality suffers from having zero isolation, but they’re still really good. Pricey at £130 though.
I also recently bought some of these (£149
) and they're great, but no better than my mate's cheap knock-offs for less than half the price. 
I did quite a bit of research and most reviews said other than their own Titanium ones most others had terrible sound quality. 
I probably have lower standards than you 
Jem wrote:
I probably have lower standards than you
*looks at you*
*looks at Gaz*
*looks back at you*
*apologetic shrug*
Giphy "cries":
https://media3.giphy.com/media/fQDSaJdspGDGkbk0DT/giphy-loop.mp4
https://media3.giphy.com/media/fQDSaJdspGDGkbk0DT/giphy-loop.mp4
As a Huawei owner a few months into a two year contract, this feels less than ideal
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/may/19/google-huawei-trump-blacklist-report?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/may/19/google-huawei-trump-blacklist-report?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard
Good way to kill a company's international sales, right?
Looks like support is continuing for existing devices though.
I don't really understand this, since everything is made in China anyway.
I don't really understand this, since everything is made in China anyway.
Hearthly wrote:
Looks like support is continuing for existing devices though.
I don't really understand this, since everything is made in China anyway.
I don't really understand this, since everything is made in China anyway.
A lot of things are physically manufactured in China without being Chinese-owned technologies/companies, which I think accounts for much of the difference.
It’s to stop the Chinese government infiltrating the west!
Or something.
Or something.
Have ordered a new phone. It was that or a tablet, but I wanted something I could make phone calls with also and didn't fancy the prices of the tablets that have a sim card slot.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a phone from a mate of mine (Razer phone) that he had dropped in sand which resulted in a tiny portion of the touch screen not working. I paid £37.50 for it and made some new end covers (they are mesh and sacrificial) and it is amazing for the reason I bought it (headphone play for streaming music from my NAS). It really is so great sounding I don't even need my amp. It has a THX DAC dongle with it.. However, that made me want a phone with a larger screen given that I spend all of my time now just on my phone. I CBA sitting at the PC much now unless I'm co op gaming with my buddy.
Ended up getting this, Xiaomi Black Shark.
It's faster than the Razer phone 1, has a better GPU than the Razer phone 2 (so beats it in gaming tests) and is also faster than another phone I was considering (the ROG phone, customer return).
The nice thing was it cost half of what the Razer phone 2 does. I also don't get very excited holding and using my Razer phone. I mean sure, it's fast and the screen is amazing (but irreplaceable) but it feels very light and flimsy and the metal is very thin. It's also anodised black, which chips and marks very easily.
I am hoping the phone comes with this...
Early pre release reviews claimed that it was sold separately. However, every other review I have read or watched says it is included. It's not a deal breaker, but would be fantastic for some emulation fun. I will also still keep my Blackberry as my comms device due to the superb keyboard thing but the rest of the phone is starting to annoy me a little bit. Screen is very small meaning my eyes are having trouble switching from looking at it (the phone) to the TV unless I have the phone about 2ft away from my eyes and it's lagging badly on forums and etc due to the lame CPU it has. I mainly got the BB because I knew I would be without a PC or any other means of comms for a long while (six months all told). So it was awesome for pinging emails around and changing my address etc. It's seen an awful lot of use...
A couple of weeks ago I bought a phone from a mate of mine (Razer phone) that he had dropped in sand which resulted in a tiny portion of the touch screen not working. I paid £37.50 for it and made some new end covers (they are mesh and sacrificial) and it is amazing for the reason I bought it (headphone play for streaming music from my NAS). It really is so great sounding I don't even need my amp. It has a THX DAC dongle with it.. However, that made me want a phone with a larger screen given that I spend all of my time now just on my phone. I CBA sitting at the PC much now unless I'm co op gaming with my buddy.
Ended up getting this, Xiaomi Black Shark.
It's faster than the Razer phone 1, has a better GPU than the Razer phone 2 (so beats it in gaming tests) and is also faster than another phone I was considering (the ROG phone, customer return).
The nice thing was it cost half of what the Razer phone 2 does. I also don't get very excited holding and using my Razer phone. I mean sure, it's fast and the screen is amazing (but irreplaceable) but it feels very light and flimsy and the metal is very thin. It's also anodised black, which chips and marks very easily.
I am hoping the phone comes with this...
Early pre release reviews claimed that it was sold separately. However, every other review I have read or watched says it is included. It's not a deal breaker, but would be fantastic for some emulation fun. I will also still keep my Blackberry as my comms device due to the superb keyboard thing but the rest of the phone is starting to annoy me a little bit. Screen is very small meaning my eyes are having trouble switching from looking at it (the phone) to the TV unless I have the phone about 2ft away from my eyes and it's lagging badly on forums and etc due to the lame CPU it has. I mainly got the BB because I knew I would be without a PC or any other means of comms for a long while (six months all told). So it was awesome for pinging emails around and changing my address etc. It's seen an awful lot of use...
I didn't even know gaming mobiles was a thing!
Trooper wrote:
I didn't even know gaming mobiles was a thing!
It isn't, really. They use the same screens, SoCs, RAM, and software as any other phone. They might have slightly uprated cooling, which might make a small difference to thermal throttling, but don't bet on it. They might have fractionally bigger batteries. But other than that they're just normal phones in a garish chassis.
Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Trooper wrote:
I didn't even know gaming mobiles was a thing!
It isn't, really. They use the same screens, SoCs, RAM, and software as any other phone. They might have slightly uprated cooling, which might make a small difference to thermal throttling, but don't bet on it. They might have fractionally bigger batteries. But other than that they're just normal phones in a garish chassis.
And game developers all target last year's mid range phones, because the way to make money from mobile games is to go for the mainstream audience.
LewieP wrote:
And game developers all target last year's mid range phones, because the way to make money from mobile games is to go for the mainstream audience.
Mmmm. That's an oversimplification.