After purchasing and trying out a ZFold 3 through AT&T that they kept on my account for almost a year (and charged the payments for), I no longer purchase phones through mobile companies. Things work great if you end up keeping things but if you or family member doesn’t like the phone, it is much easier to return to Samsung, Apple, etc. Had a ZFold 3-like experience when my wife decided the iPhone mini was too small, but didn’t learn.
Enidigm
3977
I went with my sister to help her get the same Verizon deal, though she was switching from AT&T. At least the Verizon guys in that particular shop didn’t waste our time like the AT&T store generally does, which now exists on some kind of plane of retail purgatory.
She doesn’t like the 14 Pro though - the always on screen kills her battery.
I keep trying to find a way to get back into a Pixel phone, but ended up with a 14 vanilla this year as well (as the person i bought it for refused to use it and just gave it back to me). I might try trading in the iPhone SE for a Pixel 7 or 6a.
More or less same. The days of retail mobile carriers with brick and mortar stores is all but over, and carriers like AT&T seem like they’re actively trying to discourage the use of B&M stores as much as possible. But even places like Best Buy won’t let you - or the hardware companies like Apple won’t let them - simply sell you a phone outright. It has to be financed / bundled with a cell service contract.
FWIW, I’ve ordered phones at full price from Best Buy online without hassle.
We have used Best Buy with good success in the past, too. The Verizon store simply happened to be more convenient this time, and really, (knock on wood) so far we’ve had little to complain about with them. In the small market we live in, there isn’t nearly as much weirdness with a lot of these companies (we make up for it with our bat-shit insane world of home contracting work).
A question for any Android (or Samsung Android maybe) savants. My wife likes to use her Samsung tablet for, well, everything, all day. It’s a workhorse for her, and one of the things she does is use it for texts. As it does not have a cellular connection, she pairs it with the Samsung phone; the PC is tied in as well. She can send and receive texts with any of the three devices. So far, so good. What happens, though, is that the phone goes to sleep and, poof, no texting. She wants to stop the phone from doing that, either by not having it go to sleep at all (power drain here we come I imagine) or somehow having the messaging app always able to operate even if the phone itself goes to sleep.
Is there a way to do this? All she wants to do is use her tablet for texting (and her texting is like Russian novels, which is the tradeoff for having over-educated friends I think). The old S7 didn’t do this apparently, but the new Fold does.
I can do it but I have project fi. I’ve had texts on the PC for years but no guarantees it will work next year when google decides to release another messaging app
messages.google.web
“Enjoy texts, calls + voicemail on the web, even when your phone is off”
- log into Messages for web
- Sign into google fi (you can skip the QR code)
mono
3982
I haven’t had a recent Android that goes to sleep. Maybe the screen shuts off, or if the battery is super low it goes to power save mode, but it never just sleeps.
I also use the Google messages site @wisefool linked to msg from tablets or PC. It doesn’t require Project-fi at all.
If I’m on my typical Windows desktop, I’ll also use the MS Phone Link app which shows me all notifications as well as letting me text.
Silent
3983
A possible alternative, use Google Voice. Can send texts from the browser.
I’ve used it to send texts, though I mostly use my google voice number as a throwaway number whenever a company asks for a number and I don’t want them to bother me.
Cool. I’ll pass these tips along, thanks all!
Aleck
3985
If you enable developer mode on the phone, you may be able to enable the “Stay Awake” option on the phone. This apparently differs from phone to phone.
Qmanol
3986
I’m guessing there is a service or app that you need to completely exempt from battery saving. Not sure which one it would be, though.
Verizon should have brought out the Z Fold4. I’d be pissed if they gave my significant other last year’s model, especially with the durability improvements with the newer one.
Speaking of, I am still loving mine, even if the level of software polish and refinement cannot hold a candle to Apple’s. I like the hardware so much it just doesn’t matter. My 14 Pro Max sits unused.
Probably, but we wouldn’t have gotten it. The cost differential was too much and the improvements too little for what the use case was. But in principle, I agree. Usually I am up on all the models etc. but I had not anticipated that the normal format S22 would be unappealing to her. Oops.
I imagine the S22’s downfall was in having to sit next to a Fold. It’s a tough act to follow for any mere phone :-)
I think so, yeah. The Fold is sexy, for sure. If you’re into that. Me, I just want a phone that won’t slip out of my hand. Of course, I always just slap an Otter case on it anyhow.
Enidigm
3991
Anyone have links to guides to Android for iOS users? I picked up a Pixel 6a with a new number as i have had my local cell service more or less fail out and i’m on the phone with clients and dropping calls and being only 1/4 audible during a conversation. Apparently it’s a widespread problem here. I got a Pixel as the issue is the network and Google Fi doesn’t offer 5G on iPhones. On the surface (as is, just turning it on, getting on the web, making a call) i prefer the iPhone. There’s this huge blank part of the home screen with no icons - what’s that about? Seems like a big waste. I don’t remember all that wasted space the last time i tried Android.
Best way I can explain that is that to Android users like me, the home screen is like a desktop in Windows, I like it to be free of clutter. I like only the messaging apps and other apps that are essential on that home screen so it looks clean and free of clutter. And then on other screens I can keep more shortcuts. Remember, the equivalent of the Start button and all the programs is a separate screen, this space is just your shortcuts. Now, there’s some people who like their desktop completely full of shortcuts too, and you can do that if you wish. The empty space that surrounds the time and weather or whatever you setup on the home screen can be filled with shortcuts if you like. Heck, even the time and weather and stuff is something you can get rid of and replace it with shortcuts if you wish.
It’s your space. Organize it however you like. Usually by long pressing for more options, or hold and then drag the icons to other places.
Cormac
3993
Yeah, the android screen & “desktop” area is pretty customizable. Can’t say I have much wasted space on mine (also a 6a).
If you are curious to play around a bit more, I’m using the Nova Launcher for some extra options.
Put icons on it then?
FWIW, my (main) home screen has almost no actual empty space, but equally it’s a lot less cluttered than an iPhone home screen. At the top is a large time and date widget (I used to have one that incorporated weather but now I prefer to just have a dedicated weather widget on my second home screen). Below that is a calendar widget showing my upcoming events. Below that is the app tray with my most used apps and a couple of folders, and then below that is the Google bar for searching.
ledshok
3995
Also check out Niagara Launcher if you want a different spin on arranging a home screen.
