My Huawei P9 lite, which I liked, seems to give it up. Its from 2016 I think, so that comes a bit early in my thinking (I demand mobile computer devices to last at least 5 years, and stationary PCs 7-8 years). The screen's touch functionality works only with delays and stutterings now, even when removing the protection I added to it (after the original broke all by itself longer time ago, I opened it one morning and the shield was all broken, the display not). The battery counter also seems to work erratic.

I can get a cheap deal on a Samsung M31, for 210 Euros, (Amazon price is 270 Euros). The working speed seems to be comparable or maybe very slightly better (in parts same chips, some other chips are newer), battery is twice as big (6000, wowh), and it has 4x as much default memory and 3.5x higher pixel resolution camera(s). It comes with Android 10. It looks ugly, but I use to carry/hide them in leather wallets anyway.

Is it a good deal, in your opinion? Any known issues? Truckloads of bloatware that cannot be deleted (I have earlier experiences with Samsung devices and were not impressed with them beign drowned in bloatware, but that is 6 years ago or so)? Erratic compass or GPS sensor? Bad camera? These are the things that are priority for me: navigation (OSMAND), and camera, and reliable bluetooth (a weakness of the Huawei, they suck with bluetooth).

If there were no political issues, and dissatisfaction with Chinese traders' behaviour and the uncertainty over Google's Playstore, I would not have minded to go with a Chinese brand again, but as things are today, I decided that I want to turn away from them. I also was annoyed one time too often now by a Chinese traders in disguise at Amazon, they too often practice too bad behaviour, tricks, and even lie. Only Fenix torchlights I would buy again, they are just too good to be ignored.

Ach ja? Tell us all about it!

:o Never thought that old farts were interested in that :D

I don't really want a VR, my cousin told me they give him motion sickness. I get bad motion sickness in the car, and I get terrible motion sickness, so I will probably not get one.

That is the second time you have referred to someone in such a derogatory manner on this forum. First it was the forum senior moderator (myself) and now it is the forum owner.

I'm not going to give you a warning, infraction, or even a brigging having taken into account your young age but I will promise you one thing....the next time will be the last time you post on this forum for some considerable time.

Honestly, mobile phones are something I don't know a lot about, I simply went for one that was CDMA + GSM so I can switch carriers if necessary (never done it)
and 1920 x 1080 HD resolution on a 5.2-inch display. I don't like or want massive phones, but that's a bit unusual, most people like to wag tablet size phones around.

I never buy any phone when it's new, too much $$ for something I can drop and break. I think $240 is the most I've ever spent. The cameras and CPUs on cheap phones are more than fantastic enough for me.


You've seen Star Trek and their Holodeck? Something like that when I am finished. :yep:

Things were so much simplar in the 70's

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=11165

nuf said :D

That alls sounds pretty much like me, including the price limit. :) How some people can spend over thousand coins every two years, is beyond me. I wouldnt do that even if I were a millionaire. - However, I am concerned about bloatware that cannot be deleted blocking major shares of the memory. Samsung preinstalls so much of that stuff. Huawei did that, too, but almost all was removable. Samsung device from four years ago or so did not allow much deletion of bloatware. Samsungs is very aggressive in these things anyway, I think. Good tehcn ology, but not as good custimer polcies, that is my impression.


Anyway, I tend to pick the model I found, the price is too good. I save one quarter of the current shop price.


One word on VR headsets, in case you go with Oculus please note that the two headsets they currently offer, do not fully compare. While the small one is tempting because you do not need a PC to run it, that also hampers its performance: some apps the bigger one can run (since it is the PC delivering the performance power) , will not run with this one. Amongst them THE killer app for VR there is: Google Earth/Streetview. If you go VR, you want Earth/Streetview, and a headset not able to run these, is a complete fail. At least imo.

Traps everywhere! Watch out!

But their imagination was ahead of time!



https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5a/1b...cfe89d6949.jpg


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr..._PLQqj8RaOU4rl


From "Space 1999", a British series, German title was "Mondbasis Alpha 1".


So much optimism in that title's date! :D

Have the M31 in us enow for three days. Its as wide and thivck as the P9lite, but 1cm longer, and heavier (battery has twice the capacity, it is very difficult to ill the batter yin this one). The feel of holding it, is okay for a full plastic body, I use a case anyway. It has a earplug connector, and a 15W charger.



Display is great. GPS sensor and compass are a bit weak, but usable, the GPS in the Huawei worked better. Single loundspeaker does the job, its not bad, but then its also not great.



Plenty of Bloatware preinstalled, as I feared. In the P9lite I could delete most of it, with samsung some things are meant to stay, even stuff like Facebook and Netflix can only be deactivated, but not deleted. Unforgiable, but Samsung since years drives an extremely aggressive anti-.customer policy on these things. I hoped they would have learned over the years, well, they haven'T. Not one bit.


Two SIM slots and 1 SD card slot, plenty of memory that way. The device handles at comparable speed as the P9lite, or slightly slower at times. In practical handling, it does not matter, though. The device is very susceptible to magnetic cas elids, the compass must be recallibrated every ten seconds if this is the case, thats why I need to replace mine.



The four cameras are a mioxed bag. The normal and widescreen lense suffer from prodcuing only image qulity usable on the hand ydisplay, then all the software magic cna be use don it, but zooming in washes out detial quickly. The close-disnatce lense works remarkably well and allows impressive magnifying shots, but you have to work very precise, the depth of field is very shallow. Do it right, an dit works very good. In generla I would reocmmend to unleash the power of the full 64 Mpixel resolution, you must miss out on all the software magic options, but get impressive resolution allowing zooming in to a degree like I have not seen before with any device I ever owned. Impressive. However, with its lower resolution, I oiked the camera in the Huawei better, especially the software interface for handlign the options was better designed.



For the 210 Euros I paid its okay, if I would have paid the current normal shop price, 280 Euros that is, i would have felt uncomfortable. Android 10 and Samsungs User interface work good, but several options I searched for were really deeply hidde, without written notes leading you there: finding by trial and error. The device cannot be automatically shut down int he evening and relaunched int he morning, a Samsung speciality. Others can do that. Motorola. Huawei.



For 210 Euros, I give it a B or B- ("gut minus"). For 280 Euros, a C ("befriedigend"), I would consider that price to be too high for what is being offered. I got it cheap due to some local action, and they have no more pieces available. The normal list price is not 210, but 270-280 currently.



If you need a phone with a good standing time (battery), consider this, its a marathon runner.

Analysis: New Apple 'iPhone 12' to offer 5G speeds U.S. networks can't deliver
 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKBN26X18E

iPhone can certainly deliver ... but I stay with Android....so far.

3+ years and still going strong! :shucks:

Using a Huawei P20 since 2 years. Have to admit it is pretty good, and the camera is first-class.
But.. Huawei. Supporting dictator Mr. Xi Jinping is not on my list in the future.
B.t.w. same reason why i will not by anything from Apple anymore. Apple produces its hardware in China and pays the workers 0,45 dollars per hour. The iphone, by pure numbers thus costs Apple about a hundred dollars in all, including shipping. Or even less now.
Thanks but no thanks.

Over the years I have dropped my phone a few times but today was not my lucky day, the screen has spider webs all over it and I actually got a glass splinter. I ordered a screen replacement kit but this phone uses adhesive to glue the back to the phone so it's gonna be tricky.

Happened to me several times, but this time i had an insurance.

Reluctantly looking for a new mobile, since the US's "revenge" made GooglePlay unaccessible on my Huawei (not that I do not understand the motivation, but there should more be done). But really no idea which.. Apple is spoilt as well. Something South Korea? Never had a Samsung, and they pre-install facebook w/o chance to delete it.
Or maybe (gasp!) no. smart. phone. :hmmm:

You could consider to not have a SIM card. No online connectivity and telephone that is. All software you want could be loaded via WLAN. Camera, navigation (offline map database preinstalled, non-Google Maps), chess, music: all available still. Just no mobile internet outside your home, no monile telephone.

In fact I am seriously considering this for myself. I have my old phone, kind of broken phone in this mode - and have that with me more often than my new, active one :hmmm:. I find mobile telephoning annoying, especially when being called. And I do not need mobile internet connectivity. Both imo get hopelessly overestimated - and of course hyped by political and business circles.

When I am not at home, i am unavailable, full stop. The telephone answering machine is on, use it to leave a request for calling back, or leave me alone, period.

Serious. I think it pleases some narcissistic needs of people to think they must, everywhere, all the time, be available to all the world, around the clock, no matter where. "I'm very important, the show cannot run without me", that means.