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I got an iPhone 5 ... I think.. I’ve had it a looong time. I hate it. I went to get away from apple, I’m sick of them sending me news I can’t read. My screen is a cobweb of cracks from when I missed at easy putt on golf clash. Now my phone is telling me I need a new phone iOS 13.0 or above to play some games. I hate phones and when they beep, I even get irritated when other peoples phones beep, it sparks of some anxiety in me of people wanting things.



I got an iPhone 5 ... I think.. I’ve had it a looong time. I hate it. I went to get away from apple, I’m sick of them sending me news I can’t read. My screen is a cobweb of cracks from when I missed at easy putt on golf clash. Now my phone is telling me I need a new phone iOS 13.0 or above to play some games. I hate phones and when they beep, I even get irritated when other peoples phones beep, it sparks of some anxiety in me of people wanting things.
I'm no fan of iPhones or Apple products, not after they initially announced that they were going to include an onboard scanner that would look through images stored on Apple devices to find child abuse material. Android and others do this BUT on their servers, not on your devices. To date Apple hasn't launched their onboard CSAM scanner but they haven't given up on the idea either.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/15/...-removal-delay



I'm no fan of iPhones or Apple products, not after they initially announced that they were going to include an onboard scanner that would look through images stored on Apple devices to find child abuse material. Android and others do this BUT on their servers, not on your devices. To date Apple hasn't launched their onboard CSAM scanner but they haven't given up on the idea either.
It's stunning to me that people put up with this Big Brother stuff. Scanning for allegedly only CSAM material will gradually increase until they're scanning your phone for "offensive material" judged by ...... them.



It's stunning to me that people put up with this Big Brother stuff. Scanning for allegedly only CSAM material will gradually increase until they're scanning your phone for "offensive material" judged by ...... them.
That was one of the specific reasons the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other organizations so vehemently fought this CSAM scanner on Apple devices....Once the scanner is in place on Apple phones/tablets/computers governments that don't respect freedom of speech like China and India would have the means to easily change a flag setting in the search for child abuse photos and then they could search for anything they want, including anti government dissident images and messages. The same could be done in the U.S. by law enforcement agencies.

Apple's decision to have a CSAM scanner might be the result of their refusal to give the FBI in 2016 the code to unlock a phone tied to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attack. At the time Apple refused the FBI's request claiming they were protecting civil liberties and ensuring their users information remained encrypted. Also Apple has been promising end to end encryption to their iCloud servers....So the CSAM scanner under the guise of 'protect the children' allows Apple to be two-faced, they can claim they offer full encryption on their devices but build a back door for any government agency to scan their devices.

I read about this initially at Mac Rumors



You ready? You look ready.
The big problem with VoLTE is that it is rendering a whole slew of phones as obsolete in the name of progress. Not every 4G phone can do VoLTE, so a phone from a couple years ago that was marketed as 4G is rendered useless because there was zero standards or plans about how cellular services were going to progress. And the 5G roll out has muddied the water even more. What’s even worse is that the “free market” is not free because there are only 3 choices: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Smaller carriers rent their coverage from those 3, so they set policy and if you don’t like it too bad (i.e. @Sedai’s experience). And none offer a solution that doesn’t involve buying a new phone/upgrading to a more expensive plan.

Re CSAM: Really not interested in getting into that can of worms, but I hate to be the one to tell y’all the top is already off it. It’s gonna happen sooner than later.

Once end users started freely giving their biometric data to companies it was all over. The dystopian societies we fear from fiction WILL be a reality one day.



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The big problem with VoLTE is that it is rendering a whole slew of phones as obsolete in the name of progress. Not every 4G phone can do VoLTE, so a phone from a couple years ago that was marketed as 4G is rendered useless because there was zero standards or plans about how cellular services were going to progress. And the 5G roll out has muddied the water even more. What’s even worse is that the “free market” is not free because there are only 3 choices: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Smaller carriers rent their coverage from those 3, so they set policy and if you don’t like it too bad (i.e. @Sedai’s experience). And none offer a solution that doesn’t involve buying a new phone/upgrading to a more expensive plan.

Re CSAM: Really not interested in getting into that can of worms, but I hate to be the one to tell y’all the top is already off it. It’s gonna happen sooner than later.

Once end users started freely giving their biometric data to companies it was all over. The dystopian societies we fear from fiction WILL be a reality one day.

Apparently 5G is great...if you live in a metropolitan area. People talk about how fast it is but the transmission technology is only a small part of what makes internet speeds fast.



That was one of the specific reasons the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other organizations so vehemently fought this CSAM scanner on Apple devices....Once the scanner is in place on Apple phones/tablets/computers governments that don't respect freedom of speech like China and India would have the means to easily change a flag setting in the search for child abuse photos and then they could search for anything they want, including anti government dissident images and messages. The same could be done in the U.S. by law enforcement agencies.

Apple's decision to have a CSAM scanner might be the result of their refusal to give the FBI in 2016 the code to unlock a phone tied to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attack. At the time Apple refused the FBI's request claiming they were protecting civil liberties and ensuring their users information remained encrypted. Also Apple has been promising end to end encryption to their iCloud servers....So the CSAM scanner under the guise of 'protect the children' allows Apple to be two-faced, they can claim they offer full encryption on their devices but build a back door for any government agency to scan their devices.

I read about this initially at Mac Rumors
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) does great work. Too bad they don't have more clout.

Apple's touted refusal to give code to the Fed IMO was an early example of liberty virtue signalling. Big tech doesn't bother with any of that these days. Big Corp. and Big Tech obviously collude with the federal government to the detriment of the public. We're pretty much living now in a corporatist oligarchy.



I still have the phone I mentioned on page 1, it's starting to cut out on phone calls downstairs but fine upstairs and the camera doesn't work on it now but calls and texts still working...

Someone offered to buy me a new smartphone last week but I politely refused.




You ready? You look ready.
I’ve also considered getting one of those Mennonite cell phones:*Sunbeam

But it’s a little steep for something that may not get long term support. I got my eye out on eBay for a used one, though.

One thing I really wish was still around is Google’s text to search feature. That was easily my favorite service in college when I rocked this POS:




CringeFest's Avatar
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I’ve also considered getting one of those Mennonite cell phones:*Sunbeam

But it’s a little steep for something that may not get long term support. I got my eye out on eBay for a used one, though.

One thing I really wish was still around is Google’s text to search feature. That was easily my favorite service in college when I rocked this POS:


lol...mennonites...


i was having similar thoughts, thinking about getting a coolpad snap and going for the $15 a month plan...but...the internet.



CringeFest's Avatar
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I got a samsung galaxy s20 FE 5G the other day because I needed to switch providers in order to satisfy my movie desires. Unfortunately, nobody supports the S7 anymore which still works just fine. I use chromecast to stream stuff and so far have watched The Contract and the beginning of Good Burger (may be bad/stupid but it is pretty funny and is part of you tubes free movies!).


I was under the impression that the hotspot i got with the new plan was going to be a problem, as a phone cannot connect to its hotspot, i was using the S7 to stream because I thought the chromecast and phone had to share the wifi network. However, I found that I can just broadcast to chromecast from the newphone, glad that works!


I really find the idea of spending $799 for an S21 to be revolting and i wouldn't have switched, but the guy said he could sell me the S20 for about $350 so which is less than payed for the S7 about 6 years ago now.


Ebay sucks for buying phones, don't do it unless your looking to get something used and ultra cheap.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
I swear I had replied to this! So weird.

Anyway. I currently have a OnePlus 8T and I kinda hate it. I've had it mmmmmaybe half a year now? I can't remember. I got this because it was the wider of the phones I could get access to and I really hate these narrowing designs. I think anamorphic widescreen view is about as narrow the bodies need to be. These current taller, but thinner screens kind of irritate me. I struggle enough handling my phone with one hand. Those 1/4"+ inch higher screens are too far for my thumb to reach. If standards go to these half-assed folded screen phones then I think I'm done.

So yeah. That and I liked the interface. The specs seems great, and the screen looked crisp but it was the wider format that pushed me over.

Soon after purchase, I realized there was no 1/8" headphone jack. That's not a big deal as I use a BT headset, but I like to have the wired option for when I'm doing mucky things outdoors and don't want to filth up or destroy the BT earbud headset. I felt I had already compromised enough having no option for a user-removeable battery! I was coming from the LG line G-something, so I could replace those myself. No longer. Oh, and this phone isn't water proof. I'm not sure it's even water resistant!

After a few weeks from purchase I began to really not like it. The power and volume buttons are sharp and clunky. Other phones have a rounded bevel feel or are shallow, if not somewhat recessed from the side of the phone. Yout finger's edge can smoothly glide from one to another. However you want to describe them, they are gentle and smooth. This OnePlus has buttons that protrude out into space, have no bevel of any kind actually hurting my delicate side fingers, and the volume control has a dedicated physical 3-way sliding switch for 1) no sound/vibration, 2) no sound/with vibration, and 3) full sound and vibration. That thing feels like it was designed in 1980's Soviet Union. As an additional inconvenience, the actual volume controls only turn the volume to zero. At that point you still get full volume vibrations and audible notifications. It's as if the volume only affects music/streaming/media. Not notifications though. My older LG would have one extra bump down on the volume slider that would place the phone completely into silent mode. If I need to completely silence my phone now, I have to push up that prickly side toggle, which is darn near impossible one-handed as it is such a stiff switch. On top of that, it's so stiff that applying the pressure needed to just move the thing can sometimes force it to skip position 2 and leap right into 1 or 3, depending on what direction you're move it. All the while carving up your fingers like a newb guitar player desperately trying to learn scales on a tightly wound acoustic.

Music sounds fine. I did pick up on audible details that I could not with my older LG, so that was nice; however, if I'm listening to music via my BT headset and someone calls? There is a half second glitch of static as the phone switches from Spotify to the ring tone. The static is full volume every time regardless of whatever volume the phone or headset is set to. For those of you that don't follow Chyp's month music countdowns, then you should know I listen to Bowie. At lot. Like near 8 hours a day. And I get a lot of spam telemarketers calling up to tell me my car warranty is about to expire. I'm going deaf.

The physical screen seems weak too. Granted that's going to be a chance encounter, but this isn't my first phone. It is, however, my first cracked screen. While reading this for basic edits, I am reminded that I discovered a deadzone on the touch screen soon in! The top edge from nearly one half of an inch is just nonresponsive. I had forgotten about that because I discovered it while playing a game that happened to have menu options there. I would have to flip the phone so that I could click whatever, then flip it back just so that I could tap the "X" button to close whatever menu screen I had just opened. Google showed that there were several users with the same problem. I thought to return it, but knew I would only get a refurbished model for the price I paid for a fully functional new one. Yeah, don't get me started on that. I don't play games now on the phone, so I haven't really noticed this since. I can still swipe down for app window access, so maybe it was fixed on an update. Or the deadzone was closer to the corner. It's been a while.

The camera is nothing to write home about. It's not bad and does what it needs but good luck if the light is low at all.

Oh, and I did mention liking the interface. After a bit of use, I find the text too difficult to read at times. Especially on the default alarm app. The text and nav buttons are just so small. They look great! As a designer, I can respect the concept but, as far as practicality goes, they're kind of hard to use unless you're 32 or younger. Swiping toggles on or off often open context screens because my finger tips are just too larger to contact those tiny buttons. And I think I have relatively small hands.

The first month gave me constant time sync issues where texts that I sent before another text came in were constantly rearranged out of order, so it was a trial trying to track back a conversation that wasn't in real time. Even real time conversations were difficult as both incoming and outgoing texts continually jumped over and around each other. Two updates later that was resolved.

I also had early issues with connections. If my signal showed four bars of 4G, the moment I dialed a number and connected to a network, it would consistently drop to two bars of 2G. I constantly had to call people back as the audio quality was randomly horrible. That seems to be better now, months later, but it was such a frustration and disappointment for months. I still have issues when switching from wifi to mobile carrier networks. The phone take 2-3 seconds to switch over. If I try to make a call after swiping off wifi, I always get that "You must connect to a mobile carrier network to complete your call" or whatever the default is. That's still happening.

I don't like the keyboard. I'm not sure if it's me or what, but I never had this issue with past phones. It's almost as if the hotspot for each keyboard key is 1/8" offset. I am constantly tapping "C" or "V" when reaching for the spacebar. Autocorrect doesn't help because it seems to only look for words that start with "C" or "V" when this happens, so I'm manually having to backspace to nix the one letter error. There are adjustments that can be made to change the row height and total keyboard height, but nothing seems to fix this. My guess, I'm used to a keyboard where the gaps between rows are less than what this provides. With the added space, now, my muscle memory keeps tapping where my spacebar used to be. I don't know, but I hate it. The keyboard. I guess the phone too.

So wider screen? Yes, please. Everything else? I'd burn their home office down if I had the time to. The phone was not worth the price. Half of that that would have been reasonable. I would have probably picked it up anyway at such a price, knowing what I know now. But for what I paid I am terribly disappointing and will never buy another OnePlus.


yn = anger issues.
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“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
Never heard of OnePlus until that, had to do a little research. As a fan of non-fiction, that post was one of the better reads I’ve had in a while.

I’m guessing you need a phone for more than text machine and aminal videos? Then again, reading those stats on the website, I don’t know how it compares.

I only had one note for you. Next time, try and be a little more specific. Felt like you left out some detail 😏



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Ha. Smart ass. Yeah, after posting I was like holy monkey butts, batman! That was a friggin novel. That you actually read it earns you galactic level respect...



You ready? You look ready.
OnePlus runs custom mods that are bleeding edge at times. They can be nothing but nightmares. Then again, Apple ain’t much different so what are ya to do?



This is why I miss dumb phones. I just want the thing to always work. Not make me a raging button smasher.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
Now that I’m getting their ads on everything, I might be in the market.



You ready? You look ready.


Tracfone finally gave me a phone choice I can live with till the new Nokia devices hit the market.

It’s the Orbic Journey V. Runs off Verizon’s network, so I should get excellent coverage. I hope. At least it was free.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.


Tracfone finally gave me a phone choice I can live with till the new Nokia devices hit the market.

It’s the Orbic Journey V. Runs off Verizon’s network, so I should get excellent coverage. I hope. At least it was free.

We tried getting my in-laws a simple flip phone like that, but Verizon only had two options.

One was some off-brand that we had never heard of, but it was cheap, so we tried it, but it was so bad that we returned it within a few days.

The other one is a Samsung, but it was about $100 more than the first one. We bought them the Samsung, and it's not great, but at least they're able to use it. (They're both elderly and not good with technology, plus my father-in-law loves randomly pushing buttons and playing with settings that he knows nothing about, so it's hard to find a phone that they can use without causing problems.)
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matt72582's Avatar
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I have the same 14-yr old flip phone. When someone sends me a smiley face, it can't process, and I get a black and white square. Pretty soon, I'll have to teach it to drive.. Like a swimmer, I'll just throw the phone out of the car and see if it can survive.


I only pay $9.95/month.. No internet, no camera, just a phone. I don't like to spend money on anything except an experience, and COVID has limited my work, although yesterday by accident, I was chatting in a public place, and after hearing some of my music, the fella bought 4 of my CDs, and 2 of my books. I paid my utility bill immediately.