The Android Thread v2

[jayswin]

Wow, can't believe Fuzz's patience in that back and forth.

[sureLoss]

Big security flaw found on the s10 and note10 fingerprint readers:

https://gizmodo.com/a-bug-lets-any-f...-no-1839162241

After a British couple discovered that their Galaxy S10 could be unlocked by anyone’s fingerprints, Samsung has now provided an official statement explaining the issue and advising late model Galaxy phone owners on what to do.

In short, Samsung advises that anyone who owns a Galaxy S10/S10+/S10+ 5G, or Note 10/Note 10+ and uses a silicone phone cover or screen protector should remove that accessory, delete all existing fingerprint info, and re-register their fingerprints without the use of a silicone cover.

Furthermore, Samsung says Galaxy S10 and Note 10 owners should refrain from using silicone covers or screen protectors until the company can push out an update, which could arrive “as early as next week.” Once the update is available and installed on affected devices, you’ll then want to scan your fingerprint again, making sure to “scan your fingerprint in its entirety.”

According to Samsung’s statement, the source of the problem is an issue with Galaxy S10/Note 10's ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that causes the phone to mistakenly recognize 3-dimensional patterns in certain silicone covers and screens protectors themselves as the user’s fingerprint.

That means anyone who uses their phone without a case or uses a plastic or glass screen protector should be in the clear. That said, some users have posted videos like the one above showing that it’s possible to unlock an S10 by placing a specific kind of gel case on top of the sensor, even on a phone with freshly registered fingerprints, essentially allowing these gel cases to act as a sort of master key.

[Mike F]

Current status -- no official access, but unofficial, risky access...

Huawei is still finding a way to somehow add Android support on the Mate 30 smartphone despite the trade ban hindering them. As Google’s support has been cut off from Huawei, the Chinese tech giant proposes a risky alternative for its users. Additionally, the next Huawei smartphone will have Android support and puts Mate 30 in a bad spot.

Previously, Huawei relied on a Chinese developer, LZPlay, to provide the Android features on the Mate 30. The third-party developers made an app that unofficially allow Mate 30 owners to install Android apps on the smartphone. However, the settings that the LZPlay apps alters to get those apps in puts its users in security risks which has been the supposed reason why Huawei is banned in the U.S.

Since the Mate 30 has an on-off relationship with the Android support, Huawei is currently instructing its owners to revert back to using the LZPlay app and asking newer Mate 30 adopters to do the same too.

Link

Ordered a Oneplus 7T after being a Google Nexus/Pixel guy for years - just wasn't impressed with what the Pixel 4 has to offer for the price. And from early "hands on impressions", it appears Google struck out with Soli which was really one of its big features. Sure you may get one of the best cameras, but the field is gaining on Google and tbh, for a photo amateur like me, I can't tell a huge difference between photos taken with with the top rated Pixel 3 and a lesser camera.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

Ordered a Oneplus 7T after being a Google Nexus/Pixel guy for years - just wasn't impressed with what the Pixel 4 has to offer for the price. And from early "hands on impressions", it appears Google struck out with Soli which was really one of its big features. Sure you may get one of the best cameras, but the field is gaining on Google and tbh, for a photo amateur like me, I can't tell a huge difference between photos taken with with the top rated Pixel 3 and a lesser camera.

Still really love my 6T. Great Phone

[Fuzz]

Huawei has admitted that US sanctions are hurting its mobile phone business as it struggles to find alternatives to Google's software suite.
Company executives told the Financial Times they'd managed to replace most of the hardware required but weren't so fortunate with "Google-managed services".
Joy Tan, vice-president of public affairs at Huawei US, told the pink paper: "After the entity list, we were able to figure out some of the alternative solutions. The most challenging part is Google-managed services. We can continue to use the Android platform, since it is open source, but we cannot use the services that help apps run on it."

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/1...s_are_hurting/


Looks like Huawei is suffering from a non-existant ban.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/1...s_are_hurting/


Looks like Huawei is suffering from a non-existant ban.

Are you done yet? How about we move on to talk about phone specs and different models and what they do and leave the political bs in the past.

[Fuzz]

Lol.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

Ordered a Oneplus 7T after being a Google Nexus/Pixel guy for years - just wasn't impressed with what the Pixel 4 has to offer for the price. And from early "hands on impressions", it appears Google struck out with Soli which was really one of its big features. Sure you may get one of the best cameras, but the field is gaining on Google and tbh, for a photo amateur like me, I can't tell a huge difference between photos taken with with the top rated Pixel 3 and a lesser camera.

You're going to love the OP! Probably the best OS out there and the HW is amazing to go with it. Again one of the few phones I've had that I'm completely content with.



And I though I wandered into another political thread for the last few pages, had to double check I was in the Android thread

Originally Posted by Aleks

You're going to love the OP! Probably the best OS out there and the HW is amazing to go with it. Again one of the few phones I've had that I'm completely content with.



And I though I wandered into another political thread for the last few pages, had to double check I was in the Android thread

So far it's great.

Screen is amazing. Camera is very nice. Oxygen is smooth and easy.

The only glitch has been the clock, both on my home and lockscreen - it switches between 2 different ones on its own and I have no idea why.



Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk

[DoubleK]

I'm loving the Google/Fitbit rumours. Fitbit makes good fitness trackers but crappy smartwatches.

This will be good for Android wearables that aren't made by Samsung.

[gasman]

I have been using a Pixel 2 XL for the past 2 years. I decided to try out the Samsung note 10plus. I ran it for about 5 days and just shipped it back to Samsung as a return. Here were my main complaints.

1. UI - pretty minor but the app drawer only slides left to right. I like the vertical continuous scroll and the only way I could sort how to make that work, was to use a launcher, which I didn't want to do.
2. Bloatware - wtf is samung internet, just keep that garbage off my phone, I'll use chrome thanks.
3. No visual voicemail support - this killed it for me.
4. Poor Google assistant integration - not even sure what bixby is.

Overall it's annokay phone, but for $1850 (with the wireless charger) it's too many compromises.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by gasman

I have been using a Pixel 2 XL for the past 2 years. I decided to try out the Samsung note 10plus. I ran it for about 5 days and just shipped it back to Samsung as a return. Here were my main complaints.

1. UI - pretty minor but the app drawer only slides left to right. I like the vertical continuous scroll and the only way I could sort how to make that work, was to use a launcher, which I didn't want to do.
2. Bloatware - wtf is samung internet, just keep that garbage off my phone, I'll use chrome thanks.
3. No visual voicemail support - this killed it for me.
4. Poor Google assistant integration - not even sure what bixby is.

Overall it's annokay phone, but for $1850 (with the wireless charger) it's too many compromises.

I barely pay attention to hardware specs at all these days, to me it sounds like the early 90's when every game console manufacturer was bragging about how many bits they had.

I paid the Pixel premium for exclusive (or at least early) access to a software experience that is slowly becoming more like the phone from the movie Her. unfortunately it's not yet at the point where my phone is hiring surrogate ladies so that it can be intimate with me, but I'm sure Google's working on that for a future Android release.

[psicodude]

I got a Pixel 4 XL on launch day and love it. Come at me, bro.

It's not perfect by any means, but it's a great phone. It's my relatively uninformed opinion, but many of the complaints are way overblown. The battery, for example, is fantastic for me. I've experienced zero issues with the face unlock or gestures and the speed of the new Assistant is insane. A feature that isn't getting much love is the new live-captioning. Just a game-changer for me as I can now watch videos without turning up the volume or wearing headphones. I can't believe how well it works already.

I just need a case asap and the glass back is freaking me out.

I have to point out how easy it is to upgrade from Pixel to Pixel. The entire process took about 20 minutes and worked flawlessly.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by psicodude

It's not perfect by any means, but it's a great phone. It's my relatively uninformed opinion, but many of the complaints are way overblown.

Most complaints these days seem to be people looking at spec sheets and expecting parity as a starting point. I'm not sure when it came to that but I guess that's where we're at. Of course, the average user isn't going "no wide angle lens? Terrible", they just want a nice phone.

[RW99]

Looking for some help, of any Android users can help me out. I was trying to get my wife to send me some photos by text, and they failed, showing that icon like it's trying to download it. But now something crazy happened, I lost all my text messages immediately after. I'm having issues finding a cause and fix to get then back. Any ideas?

[gasman]

Originally Posted by psicodude

I got a Pixel 4 XL on launch day and love it. Come at me, bro.

It's not perfect by any means, but it's a great phone. It's my relatively uninformed opinion, but many of the complaints are way overblown. The battery, for example, is fantastic for me. I've experienced zero issues with the face unlock or gestures and the speed of the new Assistant is insane. A feature that isn't getting much love is the new live-captioning. Just a game-changer for me as I can now watch videos without turning up the volume or wearing headphones. I can't believe how well it works already.

I just need a case asap and the glass back is freaking me out.

I have to point out how easy it is to upgrade from Pixel to Pixel. The entire process took about 20 minutes and worked flawlessly.

I'm jealous, I actually had one ordered and cancelled in lieu of the note 10 ( thought the pen would be useful)

I'll probably purchase a 4xl as soon as my refund processes.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by RW99

Looking for some help, of any Android users can help me out. I was trying to get my wife to send me some photos by text, and they failed, showing that icon like it's trying to download it. But now something crazy happened, I lost all my text messages immediately after. I'm having issues finding a cause and fix to get then back. Any ideas?

Are you using Google backup? That's the only way I can think of outside of contacting the carrier to restore your text messages.

I get the failed to download image every now and then and usually a reboot fixes it. Normally happens when. Losing signal or roaming.

[RW99]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Are you using Google backup? That's the only way I can think of outside of contacting the carrier to restore your text messages.

I get the failed to download image every now and then and usually a reboot fixes it. Normally happens when. Losing signal or roaming.

Yeah, I was hoping not to reset the entire phone to try and get them back. But I checked this morning and it already backed up while I was sleeping last night


Losing all texts for some random reason is quite annoying!

[Galakanokis]

I just looked into this a 4 or 5 weeks ago as I had the same issue, couldn't download MMS pictures and then mysteriously lost all my texts. So I was googling restoring texts without a wipe. Can't remember what I found but all my texts eventually came back on their own. I'll dig through my history once I get back to the house I just cannot seem to jog my memory on what I did if anything.