Mobile Phone Thread

[Bellend Sebastian]

There are a lot of people who are a bit weird about tech aren't there? It must be this or it must be that.

 

I was asked recently if I was "Samsung or iPhone" and when I said my phone wasn't either they seemed genuinely intrigued that other firms make devices.

 

It's like certain brands of cars, isn't it? If you're not seen with a premium brand it seems like you're dead, socially, in some circles. I'm sure I've told the story on here about my colleague who's husband had queued up at the Apple shop to get the new iPhone years ago. It was one of the 'S' ones, so not even a new phone, just a bit better 'under the bonnet' and not really a big deal and when I said 'wow, he must have really wanted it', she said no, he didn't want it at all but felt that he had to have it because if he didn't, he'd get friends and family taking the piss out of him. This is a grown man we're talking about here.

 

It's an amazing world of consumerist bullshit that people have allowed themselves to be sucked into and I think it's very hard for folk to escape from it - people do, but it's rare

 

 

[nnfox]

Apple are the greatest marketing firm in the world, ever.

[Zear0]

12 minutes ago, nnfox said:

Apple are the greatest marketing firm in the world, ever.

Brendan's agent gives them a run for their money. 

[Andy11111]

41 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

There are a lot of people who are a bit weird about tech aren't there? It must be this or it must be that.

 

I was asked recently if I was "Samsung or iPhone" and when I said my phone wasn't either they seemed genuinely intrigued that other firms make devices.

 

It's like certain brands of cars, isn't it? If you're not seen with a premium brand it seems like you're dead, socially, in some circles. I'm sure I've told the story on here about my colleague who's husband had queued up at the Apple shop to get the new iPhone years ago. It was one of the 'S' ones, so not even a new phone, just a bit better 'under the bonnet' and not really a big deal and when I said 'wow, he must have really wanted it', she said no, he didn't want it at all but felt that he had to have it because if he didn't, he'd get friends and family taking the piss out of him. This is a grown man we're talking about here.

 

It's an amazing world of consumerist bullshit that people have allowed themselves to be sucked into and I think it's very hard for folk to escape from it - people do, but it's rare

 

 

I've got a £9 a month Motorola, I can call people, txt, go on eBay, use WhatsApp and take pictures + more, similar to what the £45 a month phones do 😀

[Bellend Sebastian]

55 minutes ago, Andy11111 said:

I've got a £9 a month Motorola, I can call people, txt, go on eBay, use WhatsApp and take pictures + more, similar to what the £45 a month phones do 😀

And your needs are being met! Unless you have a need for the device you look at Foxestalk to project your wealth and status, but I suspect like me you're lucky enough to not have that one.

 

Someone was telling me the other day that their phone contract costs them 80 quid a month. I'm out of touch (been SIM only for over a decade), but even with insurance built in I'm not sure how that would be possible - there must be add-ons like TV subscriptions, earbuds included or something 

[Raj]

Most iphone users will be pretty insecure and have issues hence the need to project themselves as superior to others.

Abit like Audi or bmw drivers.

I think I've insulted enough people there.

👍🏾

[Steve_Walsh5]

39 minutes ago, Raj said:

Most iphone users will be pretty insecure and have issues hence the need to project themselves as superior to others.

Abit like Audi or bmw drivers.

I think I've insulted enough people there.

👍🏾

Just say you can’t afford an iPhone and a bmw or Audi. You’ll feel a lot better 

[Steve_Walsh5]

10 hours ago, The Bear said:

Or you're too much of a simpleton to use a proper customisable operating system and not Fisher Price's My First OS? 

Or you like something that holds its value more than any other phone brand 

[Raj]

Just now, Steve_Walsh5 said:

Just say you can’t afford an iPhone and a bmw or Audi. You’ll feel a lot better 

Thing is I CAN afford all them but like I said earlier I'm not insecure or a glutton for badges.

Have a good one👍🏾

[Andy11111]

1 hour ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

And your needs are being met! Unless you have a need for the device you look at Foxestalk to project your wealth and status, but I suspect like me you're lucky enough to not have that one.

 

Someone was telling me the other day that their phone contract costs them 80 quid a month. I'm out of touch (been SIM only for over a decade), but even with insurance built in I'm not sure how that would be possible - there must be add-ons like TV subscriptions, earbuds included or something 

Then they complain they're skint all the time 😁😁

[Countryfox]

20 hours ago, Raj said:

Daughter wants an iphone 11 pro.

Normally get reconditioned ones, any thoughts/advice?

 

Great phone ! ..  I had one for ages then finally decided to upgrade it cus the new 15 was so much better and ..  lighter !!   The camera was a proper upgrade and when we go away next year to Africa i thought it would be good enough that I didn't need to take a separate camera.  Then things went tits up ...   (and the reason I'm posting this in case it happens to anyone else) ..  I had no mobile data ...  well it engaged for a few minute then just went.  When out and about no access to emails, no whatsapp messages, some normal messages going missing, some missed calls, and no apple pay, a real ball ache. I rang and rang O2 who said (after trying all the obvious things) it was a technical fault and the operator would pass it on to the technical department..  After a week or so I rang again and was asked "Isn't it working yet?" No i said .. "OK we'll let technical know".   And repeat.     I even went to the Apple shop in Leicester just to confirm it wasn't the phone (in case O2 said it was)  ...  after going in and being told I needed an appointment with the tech guru ... I came in 3 days later at 10.30 and left town just after 3 !! ..  apparently it WAS the phone and it needed half it's guts taking out and it would be fine (wouldn't give me a new phone).  When I said I'd put the new sim in my old phone and it still didn't work the guy just shrugged his shoulders.   Who was I to argue. Anyway ..  when i got it back everything had been wiped and I had to spend quite a bit of time getting it back as it was (icloud gets most back but not everything ..  codes on banking etc etc) ..   guess what ...  half way home I checked and the data had gone again.   I was losing the will to live.

 

Final call to O2 ...  if you can't fix it just say so and I'll move to someone else.  The very pleasant young lady who sounded about 12 years old said don't worry I'll get technical to sort it out ... trust me!    Well an hour later a another pleasant young lady rang (this one sounded about 7 years old) ..  and said oh yes this is a common problem give me an hour and I'll sort it.  My phone went on and off a couple of times and the mobile data popped up and touch wood has stayed on ever since !!    She rang back to check all was well and gave me £50 for the inconvenience.   From when the problem arose to when it was sorted was 5 weeks.  Why so fvckin long !!!

 

 

[tom27111]

I hate apple phones, usually quite inferior to alternative android products, but people HAVE to have them. I can't fathom it out.

 

Every 2 or 3 years, I get a top of the range Samsung, they're brilliant. 

 

I used to have HTC's, they were arguably better.

 

I've got a Samsung smartwatch too, which I love and don't know how I lived without, but to be fair, Apple probably edges the smartwatch market.

 

The kids always slate Samsung, then look at, or use mine for something and openly admit if it had an Apple badge on it, they'd want it 

 

My phone is absolutely vital for me, from using it to get golf yardages, as a satnav, writing notes, watching SkyGo...

 

I don't really have any other tech, not interested in it, so I don't mind spending a bit on what's important to me. Although it isn't even that much, even with the watch included.

 

To use the car analogy that @Bellend Sebastian used, I drive A LOT of different cars and the newest Kia Sportage is probably the best allround car that I've ever driven.

 

I say this to people and they reply "But it's a Kia?"

 

 

[UniFox21]

5 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

There are a lot of people who are a bit weird about tech aren't there? It must be this or it must be that.

Never understood it.

You get apple snobbery, same with Sony or Microsoft or PC gaming, beats were another one 

[The Bear]

1 hour ago, tom27111 said:

I hate apple phones, usually quite inferior to alternative android products, but people HAVE to have them. I can't fathom it out.

 

Every 2 or 3 years, I get a top of the range Samsung, they're brilliant. 

 

I used to have HTC's, they were arguably better.

 

I've got a Samsung smartwatch too, which I love and don't know how I lived without, but to be fair, Apple probably edges the smartwatch market.

 

The kids always slate Samsung, then look at, or use mine for something and openly admit if it had an Apple badge on it, they'd want it 

 

My phone is absolutely vital for me, from using it to get golf yardages, as a satnav, writing notes, watching SkyGo...

 

I don't really have any other tech, not interested in it, so I don't mind spending a bit on what's important to me. Although it isn't even that much, even with the watch included.

 

To use the car analogy that @Bellend Sebastian used, I drive A LOT of different cars and the newest Kia Sportage is probably the best allround car that I've ever driven.

 

I say this to people and they reply "But it's a Kia?"

 

 

Even Samsung are overpriced for the spec they have nowadays. 

 

You can get phones for nearly half the price that have the same spec other than maybe a slightly better camera software or spec. 

 

I once had someone tell me their £850 phone had an awesome macro camera and mine didn't. Errrr great, how often do you use it? The answer, almost never. 

[tom27111]

10 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Even Samsung are overpriced for the spec they have nowadays. 

 

You can get phones for nearly half the price that have the same spec other than maybe a slightly better camera software or spec. 

 

I once had someone tell me their £850 phone had an awesome macro camera and mine didn't. Errrr great, how often do you use it? The answer, almost never. 

 

Yeah, don't disagree with that completely. 

 

Like I said, I'd rather an HTC, the HD2, about 15 years ago, was the best phone I'd ever had.

 

My Mrs sticks to OnePlus phones, absolutely swears by them.

 

I've just got the z fold 5, it's immense. Not as a gimmick, but because of what I need it for.

 

They retail at about £1800, which is nuts, but as a long term customer, I've got it for under £50 a month, including a watch.

 

I got a cash contribution off the network too.

 

I'd never just go out and get the latest thing without an offer being there.

 

It's like golf clubs. Great, your new model is the shit, but I can get last year's for half the price now? That was the best thing in the world 12 months ago, so it still ain't bad? 

[nnfox]

26 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Even Samsung are overpriced for the spec they have nowadays. 

 

You can get phones for nearly half the price that have the same spec other than maybe a slightly better camera software or spec. 

 

I once had someone tell me their £850 phone had an awesome macro camera and mine didn't. Errrr great, how often do you use it? The answer, almost never. 

This is such a valid point.  Most people don't use half of a phone's capability.  A decent spec mid range phone does everything the vast majority of people actually use a phone for, and more.

[jgtuk]

I’m not sure there’s any debate tbh, surely it’s what an individual wants or requires? 
I never owned or wanted an iPhone until 2021 when my Samsung S10 died prematurely. I went for an iPhone 13 Pro after trying several high end phones. I already use a Mac for my photography and have an iPad Pro which I can use as a monitor and for using Adobe Lightroom mobile so the iPhone was a no brainer as it integrates perfectly using iCloud. The thing that swung it for me overall was the quality of the camera, something I use every day, several times a day. iOS doesn’t worry me as almost identical to the iPad. 
It was actually cheaper than the then equivalent Samsung too. 
I loved android for its hackability but the iPhone does everything I need and I haven’t found any reason to jailbreak it (although was mightily pleased to find a Spotify hack without jailbreaking). 
Horses for courses 👍

[Jattdogg]

9 hours ago, Countryfox said:

 

Great phone ! ..  I had one for ages then finally decided to upgrade it cus the new 15 was so much better and ..  lighter !!   The camera was a proper upgrade and when we go away next year to Africa i thought it would be good enough that I didn't need to take a separate camera.  Then things went tits up ...   (and the reason I'm posting this in case it happens to anyone else) ..  I had no mobile data ...  well it engaged for a few minute then just went.  When out and about no access to emails, no whatsapp messages, some normal messages going missing, some missed calls, and no apple pay, a real ball ache. I rang and rang O2 who said (after trying all the obvious things) it was a technical fault and the operator would pass it on to the technical department..  After a week or so I rang again and was asked "Isn't it working yet?" No i said .. "OK we'll let technical know".   And repeat.     I even went to the Apple shop in Leicester just to confirm it wasn't the phone (in case O2 said it was)  ...  after going in and being told I needed an appointment with the tech guru ... I came in 3 days later at 10.30 and left town just after 3 !! ..  apparently it WAS the phone and it needed half it's guts taking out and it would be fine (wouldn't give me a new phone).  When I said I'd put the new sim in my old phone and it still didn't work the guy just shrugged his shoulders.   Who was I to argue. Anyway ..  when i got it back everything had been wiped and I had to spend quite a bit of time getting it back as it was (icloud gets most back but not everything ..  codes on banking etc etc) ..   guess what ...  half way home I checked and the data had gone again.   I was losing the will to live.

 

Final call to O2 ...  if you can't fix it just say so and I'll move to someone else.  The very pleasant young lady who sounded about 12 years old said don't worry I'll get technical to sort it out ... trust me!    Well an hour later a another pleasant young lady rang (this one sounded about 7 years old) ..  and said oh yes this is a common problem give me an hour and I'll sort it.  My phone went on and off a couple of times and the mobile data popped up and touch wood has stayed on ever since !!    She rang back to check all was well and gave me £50 for the inconvenience.   From when the problem arose to when it was sorted was 5 weeks.  Why so fvckin long !!!

 

 

....And people complain about child labour ffs... cant win....

[Jattdogg]

I bought an s23 this year after my s9+ had seen better days. I probably could have kept it for another 1 to 2 years but there was a good deal on hand so made the switch. My 10 year old uses it on wifi mode now and loves it haha.

 

I keep all my phones for about 5 years or longer. Before the s9+ i had an s5 i think. Before that a blackberry curve lol.

 

I prefer samsung/android and have always come down to samsung vs pixel. Dont care for LG but the oneplus has always looked good to me As well. I wanted a phone that had some water protection and back then they didnt (not sure of they do now).

 

We have a family ipad air that i bought last year to replace our 10 year old ipad mini which to this day still works (with a cracked screen).  Both kids dropped that bastard down the stairs but the otterbox case is amazing. I will say, the ipads are tough barstards although i don't care for  the OS lol. Kids love it.

 

And Tom, kia's are great looking, priced but long term have engine issues and fire recalls every week it seems lol. At least over here.

 

My bosses husband works at hyundai as a mechanic and said not him nor any of his colleagues would ever buy one haha. Same goes for kia.

 

Honda/Toyota any day for quality but they arent flash or sexy.

 

 

 

 

[The Blur]

17 hours ago, nnfox said:

Apple are the greatest marketing firm in the world, ever.

 

Spot on. 

 

 

All of their marketing was done in Steve Jobs era.    Apple has been dining off it since then.   No other company can claim that majority if not all of their enduring pedigree is down to the success of a dead man from ten plus years ago.  

 

I despise Apple much as any smug capitalist hating Android owners on here but I have to confess I really admire Steve Jobs' ingenuity in understanding the consumer's needs and market demands.  

Edited 4 December 2023 by The Blur

[FoyleFox]

I'll admit 10 to 15 years ago I was definitely in the having the latest model of Samsung camp. I looked forward to my upgrade every 2 years to get the latest technology. In the last 5 the upgrade costs have rocketed, it's £50 not £10 a month and the big problem is that there aren't any massive differences in models. The new stuff they advertise is stuff you're really not going to be using every day. There were a good 10 years where tech moved forward massively and you noticed big changes but there's limited movement now. 

 

My last contact expired during lockdown so I couldn't change,  when I finally got to upgrade, I'd missed various phone releases. I decided that the previous years model for £50+ a month less was just a good as the current version and costs me £20 a month. And to be honest the S22+ doesn't really do anymore than my S9+ did, except it actully costs less. 

 

I'm very intrigued by the Z fold though. All the previous flip phones were so awful and rarely worked properly, if they've rectified that I'll be having a look next year. 

 

I'm definitely over needing the latest model but will stick with the premium branding of Samsung, I need some standards, otherwise I might was well give up on life and buy a Kia 😉

Edited 6 December 2023 by FoyleFox

[Bellend Sebastian]

Anyone on here in the Leicester area with EE?

 

I'm on my second 5G capable phone and do I get 5G data? Do I bollocks. Got a 5G signal for a couple of hours when I first got my previous phone and nothing since.

 

EE said a new SIM card would sort it; reader, it has not done so.

 

According to the coverage chart, there should be strong 5G coverage both indoors and out where I live, but I don't think it's anything to do with that - two phones in succession have never picked up 5G anywhere I've been

 

 

[nnfox]

3 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Anyone on here in the Leicester area with EE?

 

I'm on my second 5G capable phone and do I get 5G data? Do I bollocks. Got a 5G signal for a couple of hours when I first got my previous phone and nothing since.

 

EE said a new SIM card would sort it; reader, it has not done so.

 

According to the coverage chart, there should be strong 5G coverage both indoors and out where I live, but I don't think it's anything to do with that - two phones in succession have never picked up 5G anywhere I've been

 

 

Lots of confusion and creative marketing going on around 5G.  'Proper' 5G requires a whole new network infrastructure and has only started to be rolled out from this summer, so coverage is very patchy.  Fast forward 12 months and most people will see much more coverage as the roll out picks up pace.

 

Existing '5G' networks are technically more like 4G+.

 

Google "5G Standalone".  It feels like the public have been conned a bit.

 

Also, proper 5G will be expected to be worse indoors as the signal struggles to go through walls.  Existing 4G and 2G signals will continue.  3G will be turned off over the next two or three years.

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 hour ago, nnfox said:

Lots of confusion and creative marketing going on around 5G.  'Proper' 5G requires a whole new network infrastructure and has only started to be rolled out from this summer, so coverage is very patchy.  Fast forward 12 months and most people will see much more coverage as the roll out picks up pace.

 

Existing '5G' networks are technically more like 4G+.

 

Google "5G Standalone".  It feels like the public have been conned a bit.

 

Also, proper 5G will be expected to be worse indoors as the signal struggles to go through walls.  Existing 4G and 2G signals will continue.  3G will be turned off over the next two or three years.

It does all seem a bit weird. Days after I got my previous phone, I noticed it was picking up 5G, in Martinshaw Wood near the M1, of all places, and that's the first and only time this has happened. I've been as far south as London and Devon in the time since, and up to the Lake District and there's not been so much as a flicker of 5G anywhere ever since.

 

I'm not expecting complete coverage but it's like it doesn't exist, and the coverage map suggests that the signal where I live is as good as it could get

[Grebfromgrebland]

5 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Anyone on here in the Leicester area with EE?

 

I'm on my second 5G capable phone and do I get 5G data? Do I bollocks. Got a 5G signal for a couple of hours when I first got my previous phone and nothing since.

 

EE said a new SIM card would sort it; reader, it has not done so.

 

According to the coverage chart, there should be strong 5G coverage both indoors and out where I live, but I don't think it's anything to do with that - two phones in succession have never picked up 5G anywhere I've been

 

 

EE coverage had actually got a lot worse over the last 18 months