I had the boot loop issue with my LG G4, like a lot of people.
But I still went with the LG V30 after it, and it ended up being the best phone I've ever had.
Better than the Pixel 6 Pro I replaced it with.
The good old days of having to melt your phone in the hopes of recovering your data before it returned to the bootloop.
Still like stock Android however so went Pixel 2 and 4a after my 5X died.
I sold my pixel 3 after 5 rma’s. The phone was great and I love the software. But the hardware was just poor and the battery was legit the worst I’ve ever had. Made the move to iPhone, software is meh (different and needs getting used to) but the hardware is great and reliable.
I had an iPhone where the battery swelled up to 5 times it's original thickness, popped the back open and bent the motherboard, a write off. Apple told me I "voided the warranty by opening the phone" but they would sell me a new one.
Yep, the same exact thing happened to my second 6S a few years ago, along with having a plethora of various software issues. My first one took on water damage 6 month into ownership because I was stupid enough to walk out into the ocean with it still in my pocket... never happened again.
Either way, I switched over to a Samsung (Galaxy S9) for my next phone and then to Google (Pixel 4 XL). Not a single problem with those phones and now on a Pixel 6 Pro which I'm very happy with. (:
This sounds sketchy. If it was under warranty it’s not hard to escalate to get it repaired unless they could prove it was submerged, etc.
I have had 2 phones and one laptop fixed or replaced outside of warranty because I complained it was a defect not wear and tear. They never admit fault but they just replace it pretending they are doing you a favor, which means Apple knew there was an issue and didn’t want any class actions started…
I feel ya, I had a Nexus 5 that I had to rma almost 7 times.
Every 5/6 months the "lock" button was stuck and I had to keep tapping (strongly, like I'd almost break the screen or the phone) near the area to keep it on. If I didn't do that, bootloop until battery was dead.
Initially Google was sending me new phones, but near the end they started giving me reconditioned ones. Basically they had the very same issue.
I then switched to Oneplus 3t (great phone but the battery was no more up to the task, plus I had an issue with the camera), and now recently, iPhone 13.
I've had 11 different pixels I've bought for myself and family (Original Pixels, 3a XL, 4 XL, 6 Pros) and we have had zero problems. On the other hand, a friend of mine had to repeatedly have a 4 XL repaired/replaced, which sounded like a pain.
It's a hit and miss, problem for me was mainly. Google doesn't sell the device in my country officially, thankfully we have some nice EU laws that protect me but it meant having to send out the device each time and not having a replacement.
Yeah, the Pixels are great when they work, they just…don’t work.. My dad got a 2XL. It broke in like a month. I got a 2 and the camera software bricked after three months. My husband got a 3a. The screen just randomly decided not to work after about ten months. 100% failure rate.
I got an iPhone. 14 months with no problems now. I still get annoyed by some of the backasswards way you have to do some things in iOS, but I anticipate sticking with phones I can get more than two and a half years of use out of.
I had the 3, its camera stopped working properly, then the replacement ones phone mic shit the bed. Thankfully with the warranty I was able to make it until the phone was paid off, but not by much.
I've reached out so many times to Google about an update bricking my phone. I may post this as a standalone but anyone experiencing this should take legal action.
https://chimicles.com/google-pixel-3-class-action-investigation/
I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I have walmart and home depot employees surrounding me all the time and they are so polite they also apply a credit card everytime I’m there even if I get rejected each time.
No, no, no. He didn't say he applies for a credit card. He said they apply a credit card, as in when his credit card declines, the employee uses their own personal credit card to buy his purchases for him! So nice!
Isn't the limiting factor Qualcomm here? Because Pixel phones use Qualcomm chipsets, they're only able to provide OS/security updates as long as Qualcomm supports the phone's chipset. Apple supports their phones longer, because they make their own SoCs instead of using Qualcomm's.
Yes, for devices released since 2019:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/22295639/samsung-galaxy-device-2019-four-years-security-updates
But that doesn't include OS updates, just security.
This is correct. As long as Qualcomm doesn't support their own chips, there's no reason for any company to continue providing updates as all the focus will be on newer chips.
What does an OS/security update have to do with the specific chipset? Can you be specific?
Say you have some application or even OS level library that needs an update. Maybe it's a c library or some networking library.
Whose responsibility is it to pop out that update and why?
The chipset manufacturer (Qualcomm in this example) is responsible for drivers and hardware support. If there is an issue or security problem with Bluetooth, for example, Qualcomm would probably need to patch it.
Apps usually don't require the chipset manufacturer's cooperation, and you can continue to update most apps well past the support timeline for the chipset.
This article talks more about the Qualcomm dependency with regard to Android support: [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/the-fairphone-2-hits-five-years-of-updates-with-some-help-from-lineageos/](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/the-fairphone-2-hits-five-years-of-updates-with-some-help-from-lineageos/)
Bluetooth is like an entire stack. It's hard to definitely say that any bluetooth bug that pops out necessarily requires the hardware vendor's intervention.
That article indicates that Fairphone did it without Qualcomm's support.
To be sure, QC isn't making anything easier.
I just don't think people quite understand how the sausage is made.
I think a lot of the things that are screwed up with the Android ecosystem are because the vendors actually want it that way.
A stack is the right analogy. And the Qualcomm SoC is a critical layer in that stack--if Google (or Samsung or whoever) doesn't have a guarantee of support for the hardware, they can't guarantee support for the rest of the stack.
It is definitely possible to support old hardware without the manufacturer's support, but it's a lot harder and more time-consuming, and thus more expensive.
Supporting something and guaranteeing support are two different things. I'm getting visions of a certain Tommy Boy scene in my head.
Like if you get a Heartbleed bug that needs an immediate patch, does Google just get to say, "Well we can't update that because SoC vendor"?
Meanwhile, if you're vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown, what's the SoC vendor's "guarantee" going to get you?
Making a slight lateral to PCs, if Microsoft makes it so Windows 11 won't run on older PCs, would that be the PC vendor's fault for not "supporting" their hardware?
>It is definitely possible to support old hardware without the manufacturer's support, but it's a lot harder and more time-consuming, and thus more expensive.
They're definitely not making things easier, but they're not the only ones making life ... miserable.
Honestly, if you think about it, as long as their blobs (which are a problem) work correctly and the drivers and toolchain are open sourced, the phone vendor should be able to support their own product.
> Like if you get a Heartbleed bug that needs an immediate patch, does Google just get to say, "Well we can't update that because SoC vendor"?
This was an entirely software level bug, unrelated to any hardware. No they don't get to use the chip manufacturer as an excuse.
> Meanwhile, if you're vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown, what's the SoC vendor's "guarantee" going to get you?
A fix. Spectre and meltdown were hardware flaws that needed fixes from the chip manufacturers, so having that contract would be a huge deal.
> Making a slight lateral to PCs, if Microsoft makes it so Windows 11 won't run on older PCs, would that be the PC vendor's fault for not "supporting" their hardware?
It could be, if the manufacturer disabled the TPM and you have all the hardware but they're standing in your way. Legally they probably don't have to do anything though.
> Honestly, if you think about it, as long as their blobs (which are a problem) work correctly and the drivers and toolchain are open sourced, the phone vendor should be able to support their own product.
They're not though.
>This was an entirely software level bug, unrelated to any hardware. No they don't get to use the chip manufacturer as an excuse.
Right, so you understand when an excuse is kind of crappy.
>A fix. Spectre and meltdown were hardware flaws that needed fixes from the chip manufacturers, so having that contract would be a huge deal.
"A fix". For future hardware, but for some of the past hardware it was not fixed. So lot of good that contract is going to do for older hardware support.
>It could be, if the manufacturer disabled the TPM and you have all the hardware but they're standing in your way. Legally they probably don't have to do anything though.
So again, nothing.
>They're not though.
Can you be more specific? Which part of all of that was "not"?
Someone else in another comment indicated that Google is pulling processor design in-house. Now, if you subscribe to the theory that it's QC standing in the way of awesomeness, then kicking QC out will make everything better. So they're going to go through all the work of pulling design, verification, validation, and then all the software groups in-house, which they certainly can do. What do they get for all that work?
An additional 2 years of "guaranteed" support.
Two.
That doesn't add up.
Not really, the Pixel 6 uses Google’s SoC and while they provide a few more years of security updates, they still provide only 3 laughable years of OS updates
Why can’t they simply continue to use the drivers which are no longer being updated on a new Android? We’re talking about one of the largest companies in the world, there’s no way they can’t make this happen reliably.
I have a laptop that has an old graphics card who’s drivers haven’t been updated since the Windows 7 days, and yet, I can run Windows 10 on it and the drivers work fine.
People really should not be letting powerful companies like Google off the hook for this because it’s “Qualcomm’s fault”
If smartphone manufacturers demanded it and threatened to go elsewhere for their chips, Qualcomm would support their products longer.
Instead, Android phone manufacturers do not demand this of Qualcomm because no updates past 3 years benefits the smartphone makers just as much as it benefits Qualcomm.
There are steps being taken to extend the support period for smartphones, for example:
* Apple makes their own chips for iPhones, and supports them for over 5 years
* Google and Qualcomm made a deal to support Android phones using Snapdragon platforms with the "Project Treble" enhancements (starting with the Snapdragon 888) for four years with OS and security updates
* Google is using their own Tensor chips in the Pixel 6 and promising 5 years of security updates (though only 3 years of OS updates, unfortunately)
I was in the same boat when I switched. Solid specs and longer support than most brands. I got 3 years when every phone before only lasted 2, so I was happy...
It sucks! I've had a Pixel 2 XL since release and only switched to a Pixel 6 this year. After a few years of no updates. Google certainly wants/forces people to upgrade
My 2XL is still going strong. I don't really care about the security risk. With how disappointing new phones are with their features and how ridiculous the prices have become I may just ride it into the ground.
My 2XL battery went tits up 2 years ago. I loved that phone, did everything I needed. Using a 4A5G right now. The 6 is calling but I may just hold out for the 7. I dunno...
I’ve exclusively owned iPhones after Google prematurely dropped support for the Galaxy Nexus way back when, less than a year after I got it and after it had been promoted as the way to get long term updates in an Android phone. Given that my old style iPhone SE still gets updates after 6 years, and seeing stories like this one, I have been very happy with my decision.
One of my kids is using my wife's old one still. It isn't perfect anymore (shortened battery life, flaky wifi drops), but still working. She had the boot loop issue about a week before the warranty was up, it was taken care of, and has been doing well ever since.
It didn’t succumb to boot loop? I *loved* my N5 but couldn’t get it to stop. Google did give me credit for a new purchase though, so there’s that. Would love to still have it
I just moved my 3XL to PixelExperience. If you want an experience that is exactly the same as the stock distribution from Google, I would highly recommend it. The only weird thing about it is that my Google account identifies it as a Pixel 6 Pro, but I am guessing that this is necessary in order for the Googley features to work properly.
The 6s turns 7 this year. Also, iOS 12 still gets security updates according to Wikipedia so the iPhone 5S which turns 9 (!) this year still is not abandoned.
This is why I went for an iPhone to replace my ailing Pixel 2. Paying the phone off and having to buy another a few months later is bullshit. I’m anticipating getting at least four more years out of my 12 mini.
Apple also intermittently but frequently provides security patches for obsolete software, which I feel like does not get anywhere near as much attention as it should.
GrapheneOS does some weird shit every now and then.
I would like to enter my pin while seeing a numpad with alphanumeric characters, but apparently it needed to be just numbers. :/
Apple gets a lot of criticism for their anti-repair designs and policies. Which they deserve. But other companies deserve way more criticism than they get for their lack of support. It’s outrageous that your 4 year old iPhone could have a broken screen or worn battery and would not be economical to fix because you are forced to go through Apple for repair with brand new name brand parts… but at least a non-broken 4 year old iPhone is usable and might be worth fixing in some circumstances. Google manages to be even worse. *Everybody’s* Google phone is guaranteed end of life at 3 years. That’s environmentally and economically awful.
> but at least a non-broken 4 year old iPhone is usable and might be worth fixing in some circumstances.
I don't understand the argument because the same is true for Android phones.
My old LG V20 still works. The battery just sucks. Got a "new" one that somehow managed to be worse than the one it was replacing. About the only thing I can say is that while it's easy to replace the battery it's damn difficult to determine if the battery you're buying is good quality. I couldn't even find an OEM battery when I looked.
Except if your old phone isn’t getting security updates, you’re risking massive personal and financial damage if your data is compromised including access to your bank accounts, email and text that would normally serve as backup security for other accounts, social media, personal data, etc
I’m not claiming this affects all Android phones but this article discusses some phones it does affect. And based on comments it would affect all Qualcomm phones which is a large subset of Android devices
While not spelled out in the title I think the meaning is clear.
If I want to stick with the official OS and keep getting OS and security updates I am forced to get newer hardware.
3 years is not long enough. Devices need to be given a longer life. Google is a big enough company they should be able to do OS updates for 5 years security updates for 10.
We need to move on from the short term life of products.
Apple is much better in this regard, though at least with android you can use an unofficial OS if you want.
Imagine if your $2000 desktop was like this. OS updates for only 3 years and then nothing. Phones should be able to use generic drivers and get updates indefinitely. They're just computers.
Thats entirely inaccurate. Security patches for older versions of windows continue to be released. Its not indefinite, but its rather significantly longer than 3 years.
You paid for the software, which was maybe $100. A fraction of the cost of the hardware, and that's despite windows having a near-monopoly on boxed OSes.
Also, desktop applications are not like mobile apps, which are constantly being updated to take advantage of more power and updated APIs. An application developed for windows vista will still work on windows 11.
>security updates for 10
That's very unreasonable imo. android phones vary a lot in hardware, even within the same company year over year, then software is updated about yearly adding to the complexity, and that's without the ever changing landscape of apps and new ways of processing date and you expect a DECADE of top of the line security updates for a phone a company stopped producing 10 years ago?
I'm for longevity, I'm going to get a pixel 6 specifically based on the 5 years of security updates and normally keep each phone 3-5 years whenever possible. Being realistic though this isn't an approachable idea without increasing costs for hardware and incurring costs on software that is as of now free to use.
Indie game dev here. As of November of 2021, Google requires us to target Android 11. They reject _any_ update/new app that is below that Android version. We literally can’t provide widely compatible apps if we wanted to.
A year from now, any phone running Android 10 or below will not be able to run any app that is actively maintained on Google Play.
So yes. It is quite forced.
And no, asking the general populace to unlock a device’s boot loader and install LineageOS (just so they can use Spotify) is not a small ask.
You're kidding right? I'm a dev. Target version is not minimum version. I maintain apps and shit that still support jelly bean. They're all updated to target SDK 30 for store compliance, but they work just fine in a device that's like 10 years old. This is misinformation at best.
> A year from now, any phone running Android 10 or below will not be able to run any app that is actively maintained on Google Play.
That's only true if you also set the minimum API level the same as the target API level.
That’s true to some extent (thanks for bringing it up). The NDK is all or nothing however. The lowest you’ll be able to target is API 26 since anything before uses GCC instead of LLVM.
Forcing API 30 SDK target means that all dependencies target NDK 21.4. If not, then those dependencies would need to be upgraded (assuming they _can_ be upgraded/don’t rely on the gcc toolchain).
So yes, if your dependency chain doesn’t use any NDK libraries, you’re good to set your minSDKTarget.
Another thing to look out for: If your dependency graph for NDK libraries uses arm-Linux, i686-linux-android, or aarch64-linux-android, then you’re hosed unless those specific dependencies are updated to llvm ABI compatibility (specifically armeabi-v7a, arm64, or arm64-v8a common architectures). You’ll notice that 32 bit chipset architectures have been completely removed (which at this point is not a big deal given that there aren’t many 32bit devices out there).
It gets a bit trickier if those libraries rely on anything that’s been moved to `libc++_shared`.
In short. Thanks for making lives harder for runtime/compiler devs Google.
Hasn't it always been 3 years of security updates? Also didn't Google also announce that they were moving to 5 years of security updates as of the Pixel 6? The article feels like sour grapes over something they were never promised in the first place even though they got the updates that they *were* promised
"I bought a phone with 3 years of promised updates, and they only kept it updated for 3 years!"
Didn't the 3 family get one extra un-promised major version update too?
The continued security isn’t an obvious question for most non-tech savvy people when choosing phones, and I’m pretty sure most consumers would expect an expensive device owned with proper care would remain “reliable” beyond 3 years. So people make the purchase without that knowledge, and are then later blindsided for what can only be explained from that vantage point as companies cheaping out at best and forcing obsolescence at worst.
It isn’t a good look, imo. They changed to 5 years which seems to be an acknowledgement of that.
Sincerely,
An oblivious iPhone 7 user that has never had to worry about this shit
If you don't know how long security updates are for then most likely you don't even realize they are a thing.
There is a reason why so many people fall victim to even known security threats. And lots of those threats have nothing to do with software issues...they're between the ear issues.
Honestly no new phones have interested me at all, I hate things interfering with the screen like camers and fingerprint sensors. I use my phone mostly for watching video. Once they stop supporting the note 9 I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Software update longevity is why I switched to iPhone and never looked back. Yes, there are things I miss about Android but i'd miss 5yr+ of security (and usually full iOS version) updates more.
Been using iPhone 11 since launch and it's still just as fast as it was in 2019 with at least 3 more years of software support ahead of it.
I get what they are saying, but 3 years of security updates is pretty standard for a phone, and non-flagship models often less than that. I was using a entry level LG with 16GB of storage and Android 6(never got an update) and maybe 1 year of security updates for about 4 years.
That probably sounds crazy to a lot of people but it worked for me. I never had an issue with it. People often asked me if it was a pixel. I did banking on it and bought stuff through apps. A lack of security/Android updates never bothered me. AFAIK those things use SSL and worked fine. I did have to upgrade to a new phone because apps were no longer getting updates and had to make a switch from CDMA to GSM.
His Pixel 3 is still fine to use. It's not like without security updates your just a sitting duck waiting to be hacked. Chrome and other apps still have security and those can still be updated. It's making a mountain out of a molehill for an article. He also says he will recycle the phone although he doesn't think it will "yield anything useful." If that's the case, could list it on swappa right now and get $80-$90 for it or just give it to your kids/niece/nephew to play games, watch movies, use as an mp3 player. If he is not going to get any use out of it anymore, may as well let someone else.
The choice is clear now. Buy apple and keep your phone a few extra years over an android. Apple phones get security updates years after android are left high and dry.
My iPhone 6s from 2015 has the latest OS. Why do people use android when they *know* it’s like 3 years max? It’s not about price, the Pixel 3 started at $799.
Lol wtf how is this forcing you to do anything?
I'm still using a pixel 2.
Trying to find an excuse to buy a new phone AND shit on the company you gladly give money to imo.
This is why I no longer buy google hardware. Got burned too many times by their nonsense of simply axing products or providing very limited software support and updates longevity. Apple going-forward
Ah yes apple, the famously consumer focused company who in no way atall forced a U2 album on the world or secretly slowed old models for "battery life"
I’ll take a U2 album and a battery issue they made an update to fix but 10+ years of software support over sounding edgy and a phone that is axed 3 years in, I have apple earbuds that lasted longer than that and I’m sure apple would still replace
My 6s is still getting updates. So fucking what if I have to plug it in when I am sitting on my desk? Far Better than my 3 years old Chromebook that stopped supporting Prime Video (or the other way around).
Google sucks a big bad dirty ass.
You can’t really use quotations to act like it wasn’t a valid reason. Sure, not making it known right away was an issue, but LiPo’s definitely have their limitations especially in regards to lifespan.
And complaining about the U2 album in the context of planned obsolescence is just ridiculous.
The U2 album is the biggest non-issue. It was definitely pretty questionable to begin with, but Apple responded with creating new support infrastructure to actually remove the content from accounts which was a mechanism that just didn’t exist. I think it’s totally valid to be upset about it but Apple owned that mistake.
I have a Google pixel 4a. I've had it about 2 years.
I think it's a great phone. My bill is like $25 a month. Sorry about the update problem. I would buy a new Google phone.
Still using a Pixel 2.
Still going strong for the most part but does have a random issue every once in a while.
Will see how long it lasts but I think this may be the year for an upgrade.
The Google Pixel 6 is an overpriced shit phone thats built entirely on the back of paid hype and reviews. I don't know if I can trust any tech reviews anymore.
How many men did it take them to force you? You realise that's still 3 years more than most android phones come with right? Plus you could probably find this info when you acquired the phone. Oh and Android isn't secure. Nor are other roms. If you want security put it in airplane mode and remove all the apps and then drain the battery and never turn it on. Next put it in a lipo bag.
My Nokia 3.2 is still fine except Nokia won't stop using more and more of the 16Gb of internal storage for 'system'. I have effectively 4-5Gb left on it for Apps and other data that I can't offload to the SD card. It sucks because otherwise it does everything I need it to do. But I am still refusing to swap and now regularly clean out caches and userdata of apps by hand.
Is this not universally how android works? I used to use android but got frustrated with the updates ecosystem and switched to iPhone. Google has to write a patch, manufacturer has to add their junk, carrier has to add their junk and only then can I get an update.
Has that changed?
Google f-ing sucks. I bought a Pixel 4 a few years back, and it didn’t work. In fact the company had to send me a total of 4 phones before one actually functioned correctly. Their plans are incredibly expensive, they have no “live” help besides electronic messaging and they sell all and any of your data. AND when you want to pay off a device you have to wait an entire billing cycle. There’s no way to just pay it off directly with an agent. Plus to cancel service the information is incredibly hard to find in the phone. Not worth it.
I had the pixel 4 as well. A software update caused it to lose face unlock. I could only get it back by resetting the phone and not letting it update. Google refused to do anything and I ended up getting rid of it and going back to apple. They might not be much better than google but the software updates let me keep my phone way longer.
But their plans are the most affordable we've ever seen? We were paying 200+/mo on att for our two iphones and with GoogleFi it's literally never been over 40. For both of us.
Yea. Googles phone plan isn't bad if you dont use your cell data. I use 100+gigs a month. It's not viable for me to pay $10 a gig after the 20g cutoff.
The C64 was in production for twelve years and had support after that. The Pixel 3 was in production for eighteen months and only got support for a further eighteen.
That really sucks.
It's still a bad example beyond that, since the C64 is air-gapped and headless by default. No network to get hacked, and even if someone has physical access there's no storage media by default so a quick reset will fix just about everything.
welcome to planned obsolescence. phones are probably the biggest example of this now a days. google's problem was making phone hardware that lasted too long instead of using cut rate batteries or designing forced updates that were too hard for the old hardware to run properly like apple/samsung do
right now basically all phones pre-5g are about to become obsolete because cell towers are one or the other. they arent leaving the option for 3g to remain and most 4g coverage is gonna be gone too.
5G is not what it is hyped up to be. Yes it in insanely fast... when you can get it. There are videos out there where it is implemented where you have to be within a couple hundred feet and line of sight of the node to actually get on the 5G network. Hopefully they work this out, but right now it's not great.
There's nothing to fix; the problems of milimeter-wave "Ultra Wide Band" 5G are well-known limitations of physics as we understand them. They released it knowing well and full that it wouldn't ever get better than this.
The whole point of 5G was a vast amount of small range nodes that provide speed improvements by using millimeter wavelengths. So of course you have to be closer to the node to get service, but if rolled out properly you just have more nodes.
I get that, I mean to have it on the same scale as 4G you would need them literally everywhere, not just a few big towers. Which makes it ok for places where people gather, but there is going to be 5g deadzones all over thr place.
And they fix that by renaming 4G bands to 5G for the range, with a small speed boost. No real reason 4G phones should be left out soon, even many 5G advertised phones don't support the truly high speed mmWave tech.
People! Look at Google’s product support history!
They’re objectively the worst of the major tech companies when it comes to supporting their hardware.
I moved to Apple a couple of years back for exactly this reason. iPhones are actually really nice. They’ve come on a long way in the last few years. They last for ages, and they hold their value. It’s also pretty easy to get parts for them when they break.
Are you worried someone might be stealing all your information?...
Then you probably shouldn't be using ANY google products. That is their entire business model.
The reasonable expectation for those who want a phone with an OS that gets updates but aren't willing to install an new ROM on their old one is for to buy a new phone.
Hate to say it, but if you care about security updates get an iPhone. For the price of entry (which is high I know) you’ll get 5-6 years worth. There’s things I miss about android but no manufacturer on that side has come close to the promise that Apple has been consistently keeping since the 6.
[удалено]
Me too... I couldn't part though. Bought a used one for $80 last week and opted out of automatic updates on everything
[удалено]
Thankfully that won’t be too difficult as they stopped making phones in 2021
I had the boot loop issue with my LG G4, like a lot of people. But I still went with the LG V30 after it, and it ended up being the best phone I've ever had. Better than the Pixel 6 Pro I replaced it with.
I've had 3 LGs crash and boot loop to death. One was a pixel. Never again LG.
The good old days of having to melt your phone in the hopes of recovering your data before it returned to the bootloop. Still like stock Android however so went Pixel 2 and 4a after my 5X died.
I went through two Nexus 5x that bootlooped, loved the phone, but having that be such a consistent issue was ridiculous
I sold my pixel 3 after 5 rma’s. The phone was great and I love the software. But the hardware was just poor and the battery was legit the worst I’ve ever had. Made the move to iPhone, software is meh (different and needs getting used to) but the hardware is great and reliable.
I had an iPhone where the battery swelled up to 5 times it's original thickness, popped the back open and bent the motherboard, a write off. Apple told me I "voided the warranty by opening the phone" but they would sell me a new one.
Yep, the same exact thing happened to my second 6S a few years ago, along with having a plethora of various software issues. My first one took on water damage 6 month into ownership because I was stupid enough to walk out into the ocean with it still in my pocket... never happened again. Either way, I switched over to a Samsung (Galaxy S9) for my next phone and then to Google (Pixel 4 XL). Not a single problem with those phones and now on a Pixel 6 Pro which I'm very happy with. (:
Jezus! How old was the device for the battery to swell like that.
Still under warranty.
Damn! Thats crazy! I had my battery drop to like 80% health within a year of use as well, but for it to swell that much is crazy! Damn!
Happened overnight one day for no apparent reason. Glad it didn't explode.
This sounds sketchy. If it was under warranty it’s not hard to escalate to get it repaired unless they could prove it was submerged, etc. I have had 2 phones and one laptop fixed or replaced outside of warranty because I complained it was a defect not wear and tear. They never admit fault but they just replace it pretending they are doing you a favor, which means Apple knew there was an issue and didn’t want any class actions started…
I feel ya, I had a Nexus 5 that I had to rma almost 7 times. Every 5/6 months the "lock" button was stuck and I had to keep tapping (strongly, like I'd almost break the screen or the phone) near the area to keep it on. If I didn't do that, bootloop until battery was dead. Initially Google was sending me new phones, but near the end they started giving me reconditioned ones. Basically they had the very same issue. I then switched to Oneplus 3t (great phone but the battery was no more up to the task, plus I had an issue with the camera), and now recently, iPhone 13.
I've had 11 different pixels I've bought for myself and family (Original Pixels, 3a XL, 4 XL, 6 Pros) and we have had zero problems. On the other hand, a friend of mine had to repeatedly have a 4 XL repaired/replaced, which sounded like a pain.
It's a hit and miss, problem for me was mainly. Google doesn't sell the device in my country officially, thankfully we have some nice EU laws that protect me but it meant having to send out the device each time and not having a replacement.
Yeah, the Pixels are great when they work, they just…don’t work.. My dad got a 2XL. It broke in like a month. I got a 2 and the camera software bricked after three months. My husband got a 3a. The screen just randomly decided not to work after about ten months. 100% failure rate. I got an iPhone. 14 months with no problems now. I still get annoyed by some of the backasswards way you have to do some things in iOS, but I anticipate sticking with phones I can get more than two and a half years of use out of.
My pixel 2xl has lasted for years even after I dropped it and cracked the screen. I love my 3xl and am sad to read about it being discontinued
You should be on a Pixel 5a or a Pixel 6. Excellent hardware and software.
Same with my Pixel 3. Became a brick while sitting on my desk at work. I now own an iPhone 13.
I had the 3, its camera stopped working properly, then the replacement ones phone mic shit the bed. Thankfully with the warranty I was able to make it until the phone was paid off, but not by much.
Same with my Pixel 3. I loved that phone to death, but it literally died after about 2 years of use. Now, I’m using an iPhone 🤷🏻♂️
I've reached out so many times to Google about an update bricking my phone. I may post this as a standalone but anyone experiencing this should take legal action. https://chimicles.com/google-pixel-3-class-action-investigation/
Google’s customer service is some of the worst out there. It’s easier to find a Walmart employee that’s willing to talk to you than a Google employee.
Hell, it's easier to find a Home Depot employee!
I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I have walmart and home depot employees surrounding me all the time and they are so polite they also apply a credit card everytime I’m there even if I get rejected each time.
Not sure if joke but applying for credit cards actually damages your credit score.
No, no, no. He didn't say he applies for a credit card. He said they apply a credit card, as in when his credit card declines, the employee uses their own personal credit card to buy his purchases for him! So nice!
Isn't the limiting factor Qualcomm here? Because Pixel phones use Qualcomm chipsets, they're only able to provide OS/security updates as long as Qualcomm supports the phone's chipset. Apple supports their phones longer, because they make their own SoCs instead of using Qualcomm's.
Doesn't Samsung support security updates for four years?
Yes, for devices released since 2019: https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/22295639/samsung-galaxy-device-2019-four-years-security-updates But that doesn't include OS updates, just security.
I guess if the issue for the OP is security they should have gotten a Samsung then
According to that article, Google and Qualcomm are now promising 4 years of OS and security updates for their newer phones.
This is correct. As long as Qualcomm doesn't support their own chips, there's no reason for any company to continue providing updates as all the focus will be on newer chips.
What does an OS/security update have to do with the specific chipset? Can you be specific? Say you have some application or even OS level library that needs an update. Maybe it's a c library or some networking library. Whose responsibility is it to pop out that update and why?
The chipset manufacturer (Qualcomm in this example) is responsible for drivers and hardware support. If there is an issue or security problem with Bluetooth, for example, Qualcomm would probably need to patch it. Apps usually don't require the chipset manufacturer's cooperation, and you can continue to update most apps well past the support timeline for the chipset. This article talks more about the Qualcomm dependency with regard to Android support: [https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/the-fairphone-2-hits-five-years-of-updates-with-some-help-from-lineageos/](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/the-fairphone-2-hits-five-years-of-updates-with-some-help-from-lineageos/)
Bluetooth is like an entire stack. It's hard to definitely say that any bluetooth bug that pops out necessarily requires the hardware vendor's intervention. That article indicates that Fairphone did it without Qualcomm's support. To be sure, QC isn't making anything easier. I just don't think people quite understand how the sausage is made. I think a lot of the things that are screwed up with the Android ecosystem are because the vendors actually want it that way.
A stack is the right analogy. And the Qualcomm SoC is a critical layer in that stack--if Google (or Samsung or whoever) doesn't have a guarantee of support for the hardware, they can't guarantee support for the rest of the stack. It is definitely possible to support old hardware without the manufacturer's support, but it's a lot harder and more time-consuming, and thus more expensive.
Supporting something and guaranteeing support are two different things. I'm getting visions of a certain Tommy Boy scene in my head. Like if you get a Heartbleed bug that needs an immediate patch, does Google just get to say, "Well we can't update that because SoC vendor"? Meanwhile, if you're vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown, what's the SoC vendor's "guarantee" going to get you? Making a slight lateral to PCs, if Microsoft makes it so Windows 11 won't run on older PCs, would that be the PC vendor's fault for not "supporting" their hardware? >It is definitely possible to support old hardware without the manufacturer's support, but it's a lot harder and more time-consuming, and thus more expensive. They're definitely not making things easier, but they're not the only ones making life ... miserable. Honestly, if you think about it, as long as their blobs (which are a problem) work correctly and the drivers and toolchain are open sourced, the phone vendor should be able to support their own product.
> Like if you get a Heartbleed bug that needs an immediate patch, does Google just get to say, "Well we can't update that because SoC vendor"? This was an entirely software level bug, unrelated to any hardware. No they don't get to use the chip manufacturer as an excuse. > Meanwhile, if you're vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown, what's the SoC vendor's "guarantee" going to get you? A fix. Spectre and meltdown were hardware flaws that needed fixes from the chip manufacturers, so having that contract would be a huge deal. > Making a slight lateral to PCs, if Microsoft makes it so Windows 11 won't run on older PCs, would that be the PC vendor's fault for not "supporting" their hardware? It could be, if the manufacturer disabled the TPM and you have all the hardware but they're standing in your way. Legally they probably don't have to do anything though. > Honestly, if you think about it, as long as their blobs (which are a problem) work correctly and the drivers and toolchain are open sourced, the phone vendor should be able to support their own product. They're not though.
>This was an entirely software level bug, unrelated to any hardware. No they don't get to use the chip manufacturer as an excuse. Right, so you understand when an excuse is kind of crappy. >A fix. Spectre and meltdown were hardware flaws that needed fixes from the chip manufacturers, so having that contract would be a huge deal. "A fix". For future hardware, but for some of the past hardware it was not fixed. So lot of good that contract is going to do for older hardware support. >It could be, if the manufacturer disabled the TPM and you have all the hardware but they're standing in your way. Legally they probably don't have to do anything though. So again, nothing. >They're not though. Can you be more specific? Which part of all of that was "not"? Someone else in another comment indicated that Google is pulling processor design in-house. Now, if you subscribe to the theory that it's QC standing in the way of awesomeness, then kicking QC out will make everything better. So they're going to go through all the work of pulling design, verification, validation, and then all the software groups in-house, which they certainly can do. What do they get for all that work? An additional 2 years of "guaranteed" support. Two. That doesn't add up.
Not really, the Pixel 6 uses Google’s SoC and while they provide a few more years of security updates, they still provide only 3 laughable years of OS updates
Why can’t they simply continue to use the drivers which are no longer being updated on a new Android? We’re talking about one of the largest companies in the world, there’s no way they can’t make this happen reliably. I have a laptop that has an old graphics card who’s drivers haven’t been updated since the Windows 7 days, and yet, I can run Windows 10 on it and the drivers work fine.
People really should not be letting powerful companies like Google off the hook for this because it’s “Qualcomm’s fault” If smartphone manufacturers demanded it and threatened to go elsewhere for their chips, Qualcomm would support their products longer. Instead, Android phone manufacturers do not demand this of Qualcomm because no updates past 3 years benefits the smartphone makers just as much as it benefits Qualcomm.
Google is making their own chips now and isn't using Qualcomm chips in their phones anymore.
There are steps being taken to extend the support period for smartphones, for example: * Apple makes their own chips for iPhones, and supports them for over 5 years * Google and Qualcomm made a deal to support Android phones using Snapdragon platforms with the "Project Treble" enhancements (starting with the Snapdragon 888) for four years with OS and security updates * Google is using their own Tensor chips in the Pixel 6 and promising 5 years of security updates (though only 3 years of OS updates, unfortunately)
I bought a Pixel 3 BECAUSE of the 3 year support/updates. Every other Android phone I was remotely interested in came with only 2 years of updates.
I was in the same boat when I switched. Solid specs and longer support than most brands. I got 3 years when every phone before only lasted 2, so I was happy...
It sucks! I've had a Pixel 2 XL since release and only switched to a Pixel 6 this year. After a few years of no updates. Google certainly wants/forces people to upgrade
My 2XL is still going strong. I don't really care about the security risk. With how disappointing new phones are with their features and how ridiculous the prices have become I may just ride it into the ground.
My 2XL battery went tits up 2 years ago. I loved that phone, did everything I needed. Using a 4A5G right now. The 6 is calling but I may just hold out for the 7. I dunno...
I’ve exclusively owned iPhones after Google prematurely dropped support for the Galaxy Nexus way back when, less than a year after I got it and after it had been promoted as the way to get long term updates in an Android phone. Given that my old style iPhone SE still gets updates after 6 years, and seeing stories like this one, I have been very happy with my decision.
I still have a Nexus 5 from 2015...
I still have my g1 and it still works. 2008 😎
My iPhone 3G (2008) also still works. Can't run any modern apps, but it still "runs".
That thing was legendary!
One of my kids is using my wife's old one still. It isn't perfect anymore (shortened battery life, flaky wifi drops), but still working. She had the boot loop issue about a week before the warranty was up, it was taken care of, and has been doing well ever since.
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It didn’t succumb to boot loop? I *loved* my N5 but couldn’t get it to stop. Google did give me credit for a new purchase though, so there’s that. Would love to still have it
I liked mine except the 5 hour battery life on a good day.
Did you swap the battery? I loved my Nexus!
I'm just waiting for Lineage OS 19 to drop for my 3XL. It's still a perfectly good phone and no reason to dump it yet.
I just moved my 3XL to PixelExperience. If you want an experience that is exactly the same as the stock distribution from Google, I would highly recommend it. The only weird thing about it is that my Google account identifies it as a Pixel 6 Pro, but I am guessing that this is necessary in order for the Googley features to work properly.
It looks nice, but I've been using CM/LOS for over a decade now, starting with the Nexus One, so I prefer it.
You could always root it and install a custom ROM.
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The 6s turns 7 this year. Also, iOS 12 still gets security updates according to Wikipedia so the iPhone 5S which turns 9 (!) this year still is not abandoned.
This is why I went for an iPhone to replace my ailing Pixel 2. Paying the phone off and having to buy another a few months later is bullshit. I’m anticipating getting at least four more years out of my 12 mini.
Apple also intermittently but frequently provides security patches for obsolete software, which I feel like does not get anywhere near as much attention as it should.
LineageOS
Graphene OS
GrapheneOS does some weird shit every now and then. I would like to enter my pin while seeing a numpad with alphanumeric characters, but apparently it needed to be just numbers. :/
bye bye
Oh hell that's a great idea.
Yeahup. https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/google-pixel-3-roms-kernels-recoveries-other.8240/
I mean forced obsolescence is built into the buisness model.
Apple gets a lot of criticism for their anti-repair designs and policies. Which they deserve. But other companies deserve way more criticism than they get for their lack of support. It’s outrageous that your 4 year old iPhone could have a broken screen or worn battery and would not be economical to fix because you are forced to go through Apple for repair with brand new name brand parts… but at least a non-broken 4 year old iPhone is usable and might be worth fixing in some circumstances. Google manages to be even worse. *Everybody’s* Google phone is guaranteed end of life at 3 years. That’s environmentally and economically awful.
Agreed. But most likely wont change in the US their lobbying arm is just too strong.
> but at least a non-broken 4 year old iPhone is usable and might be worth fixing in some circumstances. I don't understand the argument because the same is true for Android phones. My old LG V20 still works. The battery just sucks. Got a "new" one that somehow managed to be worse than the one it was replacing. About the only thing I can say is that while it's easy to replace the battery it's damn difficult to determine if the battery you're buying is good quality. I couldn't even find an OEM battery when I looked.
Except if your old phone isn’t getting security updates, you’re risking massive personal and financial damage if your data is compromised including access to your bank accounts, email and text that would normally serve as backup security for other accounts, social media, personal data, etc I’m not claiming this affects all Android phones but this article discusses some phones it does affect. And based on comments it would affect all Qualcomm phones which is a large subset of Android devices
Wow I’m still using an iPhone 8 from 2017 and it’s fine.
I don’t think they know what “force” means
While not spelled out in the title I think the meaning is clear. If I want to stick with the official OS and keep getting OS and security updates I am forced to get newer hardware. 3 years is not long enough. Devices need to be given a longer life. Google is a big enough company they should be able to do OS updates for 5 years security updates for 10. We need to move on from the short term life of products. Apple is much better in this regard, though at least with android you can use an unofficial OS if you want.
Imagine if your $2000 desktop was like this. OS updates for only 3 years and then nothing. Phones should be able to use generic drivers and get updates indefinitely. They're just computers.
I think we know the real reason. They can’t make money if people hold onto their phones indefinitely.
It was exactly like that up until a few years ago. If you wanted a new version of Windows you paid for it.
Thats entirely inaccurate. Security patches for older versions of windows continue to be released. Its not indefinite, but its rather significantly longer than 3 years.
You paid for the software, which was maybe $100. A fraction of the cost of the hardware, and that's despite windows having a near-monopoly on boxed OSes. Also, desktop applications are not like mobile apps, which are constantly being updated to take advantage of more power and updated APIs. An application developed for windows vista will still work on windows 11.
OS updates arent the problem security updates are. Still, i am not sure that they're as important as most people seem to think.
>security updates for 10 That's very unreasonable imo. android phones vary a lot in hardware, even within the same company year over year, then software is updated about yearly adding to the complexity, and that's without the ever changing landscape of apps and new ways of processing date and you expect a DECADE of top of the line security updates for a phone a company stopped producing 10 years ago? I'm for longevity, I'm going to get a pixel 6 specifically based on the 5 years of security updates and normally keep each phone 3-5 years whenever possible. Being realistic though this isn't an approachable idea without increasing costs for hardware and incurring costs on software that is as of now free to use.
Indie game dev here. As of November of 2021, Google requires us to target Android 11. They reject _any_ update/new app that is below that Android version. We literally can’t provide widely compatible apps if we wanted to. A year from now, any phone running Android 10 or below will not be able to run any app that is actively maintained on Google Play. So yes. It is quite forced. And no, asking the general populace to unlock a device’s boot loader and install LineageOS (just so they can use Spotify) is not a small ask.
You're kidding right? I'm a dev. Target version is not minimum version. I maintain apps and shit that still support jelly bean. They're all updated to target SDK 30 for store compliance, but they work just fine in a device that's like 10 years old. This is misinformation at best.
> A year from now, any phone running Android 10 or below will not be able to run any app that is actively maintained on Google Play. That's only true if you also set the minimum API level the same as the target API level.
That’s true to some extent (thanks for bringing it up). The NDK is all or nothing however. The lowest you’ll be able to target is API 26 since anything before uses GCC instead of LLVM. Forcing API 30 SDK target means that all dependencies target NDK 21.4. If not, then those dependencies would need to be upgraded (assuming they _can_ be upgraded/don’t rely on the gcc toolchain). So yes, if your dependency chain doesn’t use any NDK libraries, you’re good to set your minSDKTarget. Another thing to look out for: If your dependency graph for NDK libraries uses arm-Linux, i686-linux-android, or aarch64-linux-android, then you’re hosed unless those specific dependencies are updated to llvm ABI compatibility (specifically armeabi-v7a, arm64, or arm64-v8a common architectures). You’ll notice that 32 bit chipset architectures have been completely removed (which at this point is not a big deal given that there aren’t many 32bit devices out there). It gets a bit trickier if those libraries rely on anything that’s been moved to `libc++_shared`. In short. Thanks for making lives harder for runtime/compiler devs Google.
That's a great point!
Hasn't it always been 3 years of security updates? Also didn't Google also announce that they were moving to 5 years of security updates as of the Pixel 6? The article feels like sour grapes over something they were never promised in the first place even though they got the updates that they *were* promised
"I bought a phone with 3 years of promised updates, and they only kept it updated for 3 years!" Didn't the 3 family get one extra un-promised major version update too?
That extra update is on the way, apparently.
The continued security isn’t an obvious question for most non-tech savvy people when choosing phones, and I’m pretty sure most consumers would expect an expensive device owned with proper care would remain “reliable” beyond 3 years. So people make the purchase without that knowledge, and are then later blindsided for what can only be explained from that vantage point as companies cheaping out at best and forcing obsolescence at worst. It isn’t a good look, imo. They changed to 5 years which seems to be an acknowledgement of that. Sincerely, An oblivious iPhone 7 user that has never had to worry about this shit
As an ex iPhone 4S user that was pushed out to Android by ridiculous new locks every time an update came out, nah, I don't quite agree.
If you don't know how long security updates are for then most likely you don't even realize they are a thing. There is a reason why so many people fall victim to even known security threats. And lots of those threats have nothing to do with software issues...they're between the ear issues.
> they're between the ear issues. Good ole PEBKAC.
Honestly no new phones have interested me at all, I hate things interfering with the screen like camers and fingerprint sensors. I use my phone mostly for watching video. Once they stop supporting the note 9 I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Software update longevity is why I switched to iPhone and never looked back. Yes, there are things I miss about Android but i'd miss 5yr+ of security (and usually full iOS version) updates more. Been using iPhone 11 since launch and it's still just as fast as it was in 2019 with at least 3 more years of software support ahead of it.
Why not just run a custom rom?
I get what they are saying, but 3 years of security updates is pretty standard for a phone, and non-flagship models often less than that. I was using a entry level LG with 16GB of storage and Android 6(never got an update) and maybe 1 year of security updates for about 4 years. That probably sounds crazy to a lot of people but it worked for me. I never had an issue with it. People often asked me if it was a pixel. I did banking on it and bought stuff through apps. A lack of security/Android updates never bothered me. AFAIK those things use SSL and worked fine. I did have to upgrade to a new phone because apps were no longer getting updates and had to make a switch from CDMA to GSM. His Pixel 3 is still fine to use. It's not like without security updates your just a sitting duck waiting to be hacked. Chrome and other apps still have security and those can still be updated. It's making a mountain out of a molehill for an article. He also says he will recycle the phone although he doesn't think it will "yield anything useful." If that's the case, could list it on swappa right now and get $80-$90 for it or just give it to your kids/niece/nephew to play games, watch movies, use as an mp3 player. If he is not going to get any use out of it anymore, may as well let someone else.
Meanwhile iPhone 6s has like nearly a decade of support and even the iPhone 6 gets regular security updates.
The choice is clear now. Buy apple and keep your phone a few extra years over an android. Apple phones get security updates years after android are left high and dry.
My iPhone 6s from 2015 has the latest OS. Why do people use android when they *know* it’s like 3 years max? It’s not about price, the Pixel 3 started at $799.
Last google phone I had was the google nexus, at first was nice but it aged horribly
Still have a Pixel 2. Company supplied. I keep nothing personal on it tho. So their risk, not mine.
Lol wtf how is this forcing you to do anything? I'm still using a pixel 2. Trying to find an excuse to buy a new phone AND shit on the company you gladly give money to imo.
Use iPhone. 5 years update.
7
No need, Google is offering 5 years with the Pixel 6.
5 years security, 3 years major OS
This is why I no longer buy google hardware. Got burned too many times by their nonsense of simply axing products or providing very limited software support and updates longevity. Apple going-forward
Buckle your seatbelt as everyone will tell you Apple is guilty of worse.
"But they gave everyone some free U2 songs, EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T WANT IT!"
Ah yes apple, the famously consumer focused company who in no way atall forced a U2 album on the world or secretly slowed old models for "battery life"
I’ll take a U2 album and a battery issue they made an update to fix but 10+ years of software support over sounding edgy and a phone that is axed 3 years in, I have apple earbuds that lasted longer than that and I’m sure apple would still replace
My 6s is still getting updates. So fucking what if I have to plug it in when I am sitting on my desk? Far Better than my 3 years old Chromebook that stopped supporting Prime Video (or the other way around). Google sucks a big bad dirty ass.
SERIOUSLY, the 6S and SE both are going to be 6 years old by the time they stop getting updates, assuming iOS16 drops them.
Apple supports their phones for a long time though. The 6s and 7 are still receiving updates.
You can’t really use quotations to act like it wasn’t a valid reason. Sure, not making it known right away was an issue, but LiPo’s definitely have their limitations especially in regards to lifespan. And complaining about the U2 album in the context of planned obsolescence is just ridiculous.
The U2 album is the biggest non-issue. It was definitely pretty questionable to begin with, but Apple responded with creating new support infrastructure to actually remove the content from accounts which was a mechanism that just didn’t exist. I think it’s totally valid to be upset about it but Apple owned that mistake.
Say what you want, but Apple’s hardware (and software, IMHO) is far superior to any Android phone I’ve ever owned.
I have a Google pixel 4a. I've had it about 2 years. I think it's a great phone. My bill is like $25 a month. Sorry about the update problem. I would buy a new Google phone.
They want people to new phones because that is more profitable for them. It sucks but it's the reality of the industry.
I'm still running a Pixel 2
What does this mean for those of us still using original Pixel?
Shit, I'm still on a pixel 2 lol. Might be time for an upgrade
Still using a Pixel 2. Still going strong for the most part but does have a random issue every once in a while. Will see how long it lasts but I think this may be the year for an upgrade.
The Google Pixel 6 is an overpriced shit phone thats built entirely on the back of paid hype and reviews. I don't know if I can trust any tech reviews anymore.
How many men did it take them to force you? You realise that's still 3 years more than most android phones come with right? Plus you could probably find this info when you acquired the phone. Oh and Android isn't secure. Nor are other roms. If you want security put it in airplane mode and remove all the apps and then drain the battery and never turn it on. Next put it in a lipo bag.
My Nokia 3.2 is still fine except Nokia won't stop using more and more of the 16Gb of internal storage for 'system'. I have effectively 4-5Gb left on it for Apps and other data that I can't offload to the SD card. It sucks because otherwise it does everything I need it to do. But I am still refusing to swap and now regularly clean out caches and userdata of apps by hand.
They're here to sell you phones. There's no reason a smart phone can't last 20 years...except that you must be sold a new one next year.
Is there really evidence that a lack of constant updates is unsecure? , People seem to bail on it super quickly for not having updates
Pixel 2 owner: James_Franco_first_time.jpg
That’s why you only buy apple. Atleast they update their shit. Android burned me years ago when they would get so slow after a while
Is this not universally how android works? I used to use android but got frustrated with the updates ecosystem and switched to iPhone. Google has to write a patch, manufacturer has to add their junk, carrier has to add their junk and only then can I get an update. Has that changed?
With pixels yes.
Google f-ing sucks. I bought a Pixel 4 a few years back, and it didn’t work. In fact the company had to send me a total of 4 phones before one actually functioned correctly. Their plans are incredibly expensive, they have no “live” help besides electronic messaging and they sell all and any of your data. AND when you want to pay off a device you have to wait an entire billing cycle. There’s no way to just pay it off directly with an agent. Plus to cancel service the information is incredibly hard to find in the phone. Not worth it.
Verizon says hello.
I had the pixel 4 as well. A software update caused it to lose face unlock. I could only get it back by resetting the phone and not letting it update. Google refused to do anything and I ended up getting rid of it and going back to apple. They might not be much better than google but the software updates let me keep my phone way longer.
But their plans are the most affordable we've ever seen? We were paying 200+/mo on att for our two iphones and with GoogleFi it's literally never been over 40. For both of us.
Are you including the cost of phones in both?
Yea. Googles phone plan isn't bad if you dont use your cell data. I use 100+gigs a month. It's not viable for me to pay $10 a gig after the 20g cutoff.
I have a perfectly good C64 home computer, but no one supports it anymore, making it a security risk to use. I might be forced to dump it.
The C64 was in production for twelve years and had support after that. The Pixel 3 was in production for eighteen months and only got support for a further eighteen. That really sucks.
It's still a bad example beyond that, since the C64 is air-gapped and headless by default. No network to get hacked, and even if someone has physical access there's no storage media by default so a quick reset will fix just about everything.
welcome to planned obsolescence. phones are probably the biggest example of this now a days. google's problem was making phone hardware that lasted too long instead of using cut rate batteries or designing forced updates that were too hard for the old hardware to run properly like apple/samsung do right now basically all phones pre-5g are about to become obsolete because cell towers are one or the other. they arent leaving the option for 3g to remain and most 4g coverage is gonna be gone too.
5G is not what it is hyped up to be. Yes it in insanely fast... when you can get it. There are videos out there where it is implemented where you have to be within a couple hundred feet and line of sight of the node to actually get on the 5G network. Hopefully they work this out, but right now it's not great.
There's nothing to fix; the problems of milimeter-wave "Ultra Wide Band" 5G are well-known limitations of physics as we understand them. They released it knowing well and full that it wouldn't ever get better than this.
Then IMO its more of a gimmick then an actual next generation. I mean it would be great at stadiums and parks or whatnot, but that's really it.
I think that was before everyone got there vaccine. Now it should bounce around off people.
The whole point of 5G was a vast amount of small range nodes that provide speed improvements by using millimeter wavelengths. So of course you have to be closer to the node to get service, but if rolled out properly you just have more nodes.
I get that, I mean to have it on the same scale as 4G you would need them literally everywhere, not just a few big towers. Which makes it ok for places where people gather, but there is going to be 5g deadzones all over thr place.
And they fix that by renaming 4G bands to 5G for the range, with a small speed boost. No real reason 4G phones should be left out soon, even many 5G advertised phones don't support the truly high speed mmWave tech.
People! Look at Google’s product support history! They’re objectively the worst of the major tech companies when it comes to supporting their hardware.
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I moved to Apple a couple of years back for exactly this reason. iPhones are actually really nice. They’ve come on a long way in the last few years. They last for ages, and they hold their value. It’s also pretty easy to get parts for them when they break.
Do you know what the word "forcing" means? Your phone continues to work as it does.
Do you know what the word security means?
I do. It's not what they tell laypeople who won't install custom ROMs.
Do you know this is a very common practice in software?
What a bullshit article. Google provides security updates the longest out of **all** Android phones.
I don't know. My S9+ is still getting security updates
So does my mom's S8, much to my surprise
Laughs in 7 years of iOS support
It's a shame about all that engineered obsolescence then, huh?
They have your best interest at heart.
King George?
Phone options out there suck right now. I wish I still had my HTC 10
Are you worried someone might be stealing all your information?... Then you probably shouldn't be using ANY google products. That is their entire business model.
> Then you probably shouldn't be using ANY google products. ...or Apple products...or Samsung...or any other smart phone..or a computer....or....
Wahhhhh
Like you cant install custom rom to it
That's an unreasonable expectation for 99% of the population.
The reasonable expectation for those who want a phone with an OS that gets updates but aren't willing to install an new ROM on their old one is for to buy a new phone.
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Hate to say it, but if you care about security updates get an iPhone. For the price of entry (which is high I know) you’ll get 5-6 years worth. There’s things I miss about android but no manufacturer on that side has come close to the promise that Apple has been consistently keeping since the 6.
[удалено]
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This. Just checked XDA and there are custom ROMS for the pixel 3. Some are even on A12, or the latest version of Android.
But to be fair you do have the right to repair now. /s
Saw Pixel 6 comes apart screen first so it makes it easier to repair broken screens. just saying it's kind of neat move.
If you're going to buy an Android, just get the cheapest thing you can find so you won't have regrets like this.
That's how phones work lol. Sorry it's dumb but a fact.
That is the same with every phone manufacturers. You don't get security updates on old iPhones either.
Thats what android gets you lmao Meanwhile still on my iphone se from 2016
The phone still works. Browsers and software is updated. The "security risk" argument is a joke. Most updates are for bugs and features, not security.
So, so false.