Mobile Tech Talk

[Wjolcz]

So I'm not sure if there's a thread about it, because I haven't seen one, but if there is feel free to merge/lock this one after posting a link to an existing thread.

So I was lately thinking about replacing my old(ish) SONY Xperia L with something newer. What would be best is a phone with Android 5.0 and higher but with the same size of the screen. The problem is that doesn't leave me with much options, so I also thought about buying something like this. The phone cameras are kind of meh/10, but I don't think I'll be using it much anyway.

I'm also considering buying a solar power bank. Because free energy! (not really though).

So what do you think? Is it a good idea to buy a phone from a not-so-well-known company, or rather spend more money on something that is more "reliable". Are solar panels on a power bank worth it? Share your thoughts. And please, keep in mind I'm not an expert.

Also don't turn this thread into iOS vs Android war thing. We're all mature enough not to do that, right?

Edited October 6, 2016 by Veeltch

[DrLicor]

2 years ago, I bought a sony xperia z3, turned out to be the most expensive phone I ever bought. In 2 month it fell on a soft surface, however the screen was broken. Sony doesn't use gorrila screens so my entire touchscreen didn't work too.. When I got it repaired the frame was slight in an angle, so there was always a little pressure on the screen and back, resulting in a really short life..

After using the phone for a year, because I really really like how sony works, I decided to put away the phone and bought a huawei P7.. Just a cheap, at that time not the most populair phones. at the beginning it was all fine, but in a short time you can really experience why those phones are cheaper.. The phone just got slower and slower, and yes I'm know the tricks and tools to keep a phone fast. It was not that the phone was lagging all the time, but it just took som time to open whatsapp or youtube. When streaming a video from youtube on another app, it jsut didn't work how it had to work. 

I don't know what you seek in a phone, but most phone have there quality spread over all there specs. As for the phone you mentioned, I don't expect it will run everything smooth for long when using it much and I think it won't get 2 years old. But that just depends on where you're using your phone for. 

At the moment I pay €32,- p/m (for 2 years) for the Sony Xperia Z5 premium. I know it's a expensive high-end phone with a 4k screen you don't need, but I like the overall specs a lot. I use my phone a lot, for work, emails etc.. To be sure that the screen won't break this time, I've put a hard-class screenprotect on it. And I think after 2 years of use, I can still sell it for atleast €150,-.. 

To make a point: if you've ever used a phones that works almost perfect, other phones, especially low budget, can be big disappointment. I think the most important thing is to search for a phone that can handle your style. You don't need to walk around with the newest high-end phone of the world all the time when you are 14 years old. But I would recommend to look at the 'populair' componies for cheap phones. What you also can do is buy a phone second hand (but please be carefull). For instance: you can get the sony xperia z3 for €200,- now in the my country, but that phone is still one of the phones that runs everything smooth till this day, and much better specs comparising to your suggestion. (same for samsungs, Iphones, etc.)

So keep a look out on ebay or other little markets. Maybe a friend of yours have a phone he used a few years, but he wants the newest one, you can often get it cheap. 

[Camacha]

Buying cheap phones can work out wonderfully. I have used my previous smart phone for 4 years, which is a really long time for a smart phone. It was a phone you could buy for around a 100 dollars. The most important part is having a good community that actively develops new ROMs for it, as that is what enabled me to use the phone for such a long time.

My current phone is fine hardware wise, but the software development has stalled completely. Even the manufacturer stopped supporting it while it was still being sold. That is much more of an issue nowadays, as security issues mean that it has become fairly unsafe to use. Of course, expensive phones do not get wonderful support either. It is sadly rare for any Android phone to be supported much more than a year.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Camacha

[steve_v]

19 minutes ago, Camacha said:

The most important part is having a good community that actively develops new ROMs for it, as that is what enabled me to use the phone for such a long time.

I'll second that (with Android anyway, can't speak for iOS).
For me the most important factors in choosing a device are the avialablilty of open-source ROMs, well-supported (read "common") hardware, and general "hackability" of the device. If it can't be rooted, no buy. If stock bloatware-infested, already outdated OS is the only option, no buy. Also must have an SD card slot or other expandable storage.

 

25 minutes ago, Camacha said:

My current phone is fine hardware wise, but the software development has stalled completely. Even the manufacturer stopped supporting it while it was still being sold.

Ditto, at least as far as official development goes. But good AOSP/community support means I have a much fresher OS than the never updated stock ROM, and the option of hacking on the code myself to at least mitigate the issues I can't update away.
3 years old now and runs better than it did out of the box.

[Camacha]

48 minutes ago, steve_v said:

Ditto, at least as far as official development goes. But good AOSP/community support means I have a much fresher OS than the never updated stock ROM, and the option of hacking on the code myself to at least mitigate the issues I can't update away.
3 years old now and runs better than it did out of the box.

That was true for the previous one, but sadly not for this one. Modders can (at least here) only support the Android version the manufacturer supports with any decency. Beyond that, things work not so well. There even is no 64-bit ROM, while the hardware actually is.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Camacha

[Wjolcz]

What about power banks with solar cells? Anyone has any experience with them?

[Shpaget]

16 hours ago, Veeltch said:

What about power banks with solar cells? Anyone has any experience with them?

I bought one for my friend's son, who used it in his house in the mountains where he has poor access to grid. It was working fine, but got stored away in a dark box for a few months and the battery bloated and destroyed the thing. Apparently, it should not have been stored in the dark, as the solar panel needs the light to keep the battery in good health.

Other than that, it worked as advertised.

As for the phone, I'm using a Chineese Doogee Valenzia. It's almost two years old, and works excellent, appart from the wifi, which has poor signal and can be flaky. Also, after a year of usage I had to replace the battery, which started to inflate. Since it took about a month for the battery to arrive, the inflation caused the back cover to deform slightly, so it doesn't close fully any more.

Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with the phone, and would consider buying another Doogee.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Shpaget

[LordFerret]

9 hours ago, Shpaget said:

Also, after a year of usage I had to replace the battery, which started to inflate. Since it took about a month for the battery to arrive, the inflation caused the back cover to deform slightly, so it doesn't close fully any more.

My friend's phone did the same. It was a BLU Studio 7 (Android). She kept telling me her phone had 'broken', and when I checked it out I saw the battery - quite inflated. I thought maybe because she constantly used the thing while it was plugged in (recharging), baking the battery.

[StrandedonEarth]

On 10/6/2016 at 5:52 AM, Veeltch said:

What about power banks with solar cells? Anyone has any experience with them?

http://techdissected.com/reviews/audio-accessories/on-the-go-with-the-rugged-rukus-solar-powered-speaker/

This unit has worked well for me, and the linked review sums it up pretty well. Not a lot of capacity but lots of solar power. I use it for music in the garage when I'm not camping.

Edit: As for storing Li-ion batteries for long periods, it's best to store them at about half-charge

Edited October 8, 2016 by StrandedonEarth