Android Seems To Be Getting Worse.

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

I have a Samsung mega. 6.3 inch screen battery lasts all day even using it for this stuff. I can see the screen when using skeye.
It doesn't crash, it does a good hotspot. So my laptop runs on it as well.
It has a great 32 gig second chip which allows me to transfer most of the apps that stuff up the base chip.
I love it.
It also does good data transfer back to back with other samsungs.
I have two sims which I swap out when I'm in uk . Meaning I have the best of both worlds.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by jenchris

I have a Samsung mega. 6.3 inch screen battery lasts all day even using it for this stuff. I can see the screen when using skeye.
It doesn't crash, it does a good hotspot. So my laptop runs on it as well.
It has a great 32 gig second chip which allows me to transfer most of the apps that stuff up the base chip.
I love it.
It also does good data transfer back to back with other samsungs.
I have two sims which I swap out when I'm in uk . Meaning I have the best of both worlds.

Sounds great. My nephews and niece are very happy with their Samsung phones too (though they aren't dual SIM). Some people can't see why one would want a dual SIM phone, but for me they are a must.

The problem with big phones (including my 5.5" Lenovo) is that I find them awkward to carry - as I don't usually carry a bag. In Europe I always carry one of those bags that tie around one's waist, but carry it over my shoulder - and keep my phone in that. I need the bigger screen because last time I was there, I would go bleary-eyed using the internet with my 4" phone.

Back in Australia I carry a dual SIM 3.5" Android ZTE phone that I picked up for $65, mainly because in it's cover, I can securely clip it into my trouser pocket. The ZTE phone works okay providing all I do is use it for phone calls and browsing the internet. It gets annoyed whenever I use Playstore or go into Settings - and it eventually reboots itself for no apparent reason.
Cheers,
Renato

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

So, it appears that if an Android 4 phone is actually moving apps to the SD card, it is something that the manufacturer has done, rather than something inherent in Android.

As you say, a big advantage of Android was that you could put an SD card into it, unlike the Idevices. But the new specs got rid of part of that functionality.

Regards,
Renato

My older HTC Sensation on 4.0.3 can move apps to SD with about the same frequency as my Samsung. It could be a manufacturer specific thing, but 2 mainstream manufacturers with the same function, doesn't sound too manufacturer specific.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

My Lenovo phone has Android 4.4.1 on it, and it just doesn't move anything to SD card, or pretend to do so.

I have 4.4.1 on a Tablet and it's been stable. I can move stuff around no problem. That's what I like about Android device. You can view the file structure directories and move things back and forth to a PC without a third party application such as iTune which is very restrictive.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

There seems to have been a change in 4.4 that restricts non core apps from writing to SD, but the move to SD function is a core android function and shouldn't have been affected.

[Neutronstar (T)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

It will be interesting to see what you think if someone comes to you with the "Insufficient Storage" problem.
Cheers,
Renato

I've seen this from a couple of users, my old Galaxy S2 had the problem and my wife's Galaxy Note had the issue, all of them were fixed by clearing a log file. Have a look at this

http://www.guyrutenberg.com/2013/11/...nrooted-phone/

Not ALL Android devices have this log access and its not always the cause of the insufficient space issue but worth a look.
In the case of my S2 it freed up about 1.2Gb of space.

On the subject of rooting phones. I would be very careful. Many rooting procedures leave your phone open and subject to possible virus or other malware or apps that may send sensitive data.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

I have 4.4.1 on a Tablet and it's been stable. I can move stuff around no problem. That's what I like about Android device. You can view the file structure directories and move things back and forth to a PC without a third party application such as iTune which is very restrictive.

With apps like ESFile Explorer I too can move stuff around my troublesome phones - it has no problem moving between the emulated SD Card 0 on the internal storage and the real SD Card 1.

To amplify the issue, I put nice clean SD cards into the phones. In the "Applications" section of the Settings menu, I click "Preferred Install Location", and click on "Removable SD card" within that menu. I then download and install lots of apps - and none of them are stored on the SD card - because they are instead stored on "SD Card 0" which is internal storage.

Basically, the two phones lie to me about where they are storing apps.
Cheers,
Renato

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Neutronstar

I've seen this from a couple of users, my old Galaxy S2 had the problem and my wife's Galaxy Note had the issue, all of them were fixed by clearing a log file. Have a look at this

http://www.guyrutenberg.com/2013/11/...nrooted-phone/

Not ALL Android devices have this log access and its not always the cause of the insufficient space issue but worth a look.
In the case of my S2 it freed up about 1.2Gb of space.

On the subject of rooting phones. I would be very careful. Many rooting procedures leave your phone open and subject to possible virus or other malware or apps that may send sensitive data.

That chap had his phone nearly full and freed up a Gigabyte using the procedure. In my case, after I installed the two Map apps for Australia and Italy, I still had 4 Gbytes free, and free space in the RAM section.
When I then uninstalled them, the phone was 90% empty, and still there was insufficient storage.

But if it happens again, I'll try that procedure you've given me - can't hurt (I think).

There was one procedure I Googled that I didn't attempt - a guy posted about solving the Insufficient Storage" problem by rooting the phone, downloading modification tools, and doing three steps with them - described rather generally. I wasn't game to try.

Funny thing was, when I did a Factory Reset, my phone came up in Chinese language. It took me a while to find the menu for changing it back to English.
Cheers,
Renato

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by tlgerdes

There seems to have been a change in 4.4 that restricts non core apps from writing to SD, but the move to SD function is a core android function and shouldn't have been affected.

But that was what that link that I can't find said, and complained bitterly about - without telling most everybody, that core function was affected in the Android specification.

Cheers,
Renato

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Android 5 (lollipop) is a pain. Kit Kat was working well, and relatively bug free, so I'm not sure why it was changed. They've blocked one touch data activation (my biggest gripe with it), and some people complain of apps not working with lollipop.
SWMBO's phone is still on Kit Kat, and that's not going to change.
What really irritates me is that the rollout showed up just like any other minor update, and they won't let you roll back the old one.
Very dissapointing Android.
Apple must be loving this.

[pluto (Hugh)]

What is "one touch data activation"?

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

Android 5 (lollipop) is a pain. Kit Kat was working well, and relatively bug free, so I'm not sure why it was changed. They've blocked one touch data activation (my biggest gripe with it), and some people complain of apps not working with lollipop.
SWMBO's phone is still on Kit Kat, and that's not going to change.
What really irritates me is that the rollout showed up just like any other minor update, and they won't let you roll back the old one.
Very dissapointing Android.
Apple must be loving this.

You yearn for Android 4.4, while I yearn for Android 2.3.
That doesn't sound promising.

The other really annoying thing about Android is how certain apps are made for a phone rather than for a system. For example, I can't get Foxtel Go to download on any Android device I own, because it only seems to have been made for certain Samsung devices. One would have thought that Foxtel would want Foxtel Go to work on as many devices as possible, rather than pander to the marketing plans of a select manufacturer.
Cheers,
Renato

[pluto (Hugh)]

I feel like the odd one out!
I've always found each newer version of Android has worked better/smoother than the last.
I've looked forward to, and welcomed, many new features with new versions (recent ones would be camera apps having the ability to write raw files from the camera, plus the new priority notification system in lollipop), and I've never had any feature or app that I've used in a previous version stop working in a newer version. Sure there's been a few things that have changed how they work so have required me to adjust my workflow minimally but nothing that was possible has become impossible, at least for me and that's on the 5 phones and 2 tablets I've had that run Android.
Maybe I've just been lucky, I'm sorry to hear you guys are having a different experience.

Ben when you say "one touch data activation" do you mean the ability to turn on/off mobile data from the notification bar? If so what brand of phone do you have as my Sony Z3, my GFs Samsung, and my old Nexus 5 all have that option on Lollipop.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by pluto

What is "one touch data activation"?

Turning your data on and off. I used to have an app which allowed me to do it with one tap.
Now that's not possible on my phone, and I have to go in through settings and data usage.
Its only about 5 seconds, but the point is that they took something that worked, and broke it, without announcing the change in advance or allowing a rollback.

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

Turning your data on and off. I used to have an app which allowed me to do it with one tap.
Now that's not possible on my phone, and I have to go in through settings and data usage.
Its only about 5 seconds, but the point is that they took something that worked, and broke it, without announcing the change in advance or allowing a rollback.

Ah ok.
What about getting a widget like this one?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...c.data.enabler

EDIT:
Ah I see you're right and they've broken that, weird!
There's one that works on a rooted phone, but who can be bothered doing that...
Have a look and see if you can do it from your notification bar, that's almost one click - one swipe plus one click!

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by pluto

data activation" do you mean the ability to turn on/off mobile data from the notification bar? If so what brand of phone do you have as my Sony Z3, my GFs Samsung, and my old Nexus 5 all have that option on Lollipop.

Yep. I have a Z2 and it's gone. Everything else is still there except data.

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

Yep. I have a Z2 and it's gone. Everything else is still there except data.

If you click the little pencil icon thing on the notification page, next to the cog, can you add "mobile data" from there?

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Just been reading this and laughing. Smart phones, the only thing smart is the people who conned you into paying lotsa $$ for them. My phone cost $20, I can make and receive voice calls, receive and send texts at minimum cost. I have a 10" laptop, cost (S/H) $70 which will do anything your ipad etc. will do and runs programs of my choosing (not apps) and will run continuously for 4+hours on battery. I did buy one of them Android 10" touchpad thingys a while back, it's in the cupboard someplace. As much use a as udders on a bull.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Glenhuon

Just been reading this and laughing. Smart phones, the only thing smart is the people who conned you into paying lotsa $$ for them. My phone cost $20, I can make and receive voice calls, receive and send texts at minimum cost. I have a 10" laptop, cost (S/H) $70 which will do anything your ipad etc. will do and runs programs of my choosing (not apps) and will run continuously for 4+hours on battery. I did buy one of them Android 10" touchpad thingys a while back, it's in the cupboard someplace. As much use a as udders on a bull.

I bought a 10" Android tablet from Aldis for $65. It works very well, except that it doesn't run Foxtel Go. Very handy if one's wife is hogging the computer.

When I go overseas though, I'll be taking my 5.5" Android phone and a 10" Windows Netbook - it's much easier to run programs one knows, like Office and Photoshop Elements.

The saddest thing I see overseas is people using their Ipads, Iphones and Samsung phones to take pictures of their trip. Yes, there are a few smart phones that take good picture. But most such gadgets produce far poorer pictures than what a $100 point-and-shoot camera can do. I once looked at lots of photos taken on an overseas trip by IPhone and Samsung Galaxy 3 - my thoughts were, what a waste of a trip, as only about a third of the photos I would have rated as okay.
Regards,
Renato

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

I bought a 10" Android tablet from Aldis for $65. It works very well, except that it doesn't run Foxtel Go. Very handy if one's wife is hogging the computer.
Well, IMHO ya won't be missing much, after all it's only Ruperts rubbish
When I go overseas though, I'll be taking my 5.5" Android phone and a 10" Windows Netbook - it's much easier to run programs one knows, like Office and Photoshop Elements.
No problem with that one. Stick with what your used to.

The saddest thing I see overseas is people using their Ipads, Iphones and Samsung phones to take pictures of their trip. Yes, there are a few smart phones that take good picture. But most such gadgets produce far poorer pictures than what a $100 point-and-shoot camera can do. I once looked at lots of photos taken on an overseas trip by IPhone and Samsung Galaxy 3 - my thoughts were, what a waste of a trip, as only about a third of the photos I would have rated as okay.

Your right there, if you want good memories, take good pics with a dedicated camera.
Regards,
Renato

Cheers
Bill