T4C Fantasyand XP

That too. Meanwhile in the Android world you're lucky you may get maybe one major update and only if your carrier decides to grace your device with the update (which more often than not, that doesn't happen). :shadedshu:

trparkyThat too. Meanwhile in the Android world you're lucky you may get maybe one major update and only if your carrier decides to grace your device with the update (which more often than not, that doesn't happen). :shadedshu:

i dont even think its ever happened except for samsung lol

lexluthermiesterAnother reason to not want MacOS. Apple, why are you trying to be like Microsoft? While "Metal API" is a good concept, it has yet to be proven on par with OGL/OCL and certainly hasn't surpassed it.

Nothing wrong with being like MS... if you're MS.

Apple tried this before and it didn't work out well for them. It was funny to see Steve Jobs come back and actually make them more open over time (he originally touted OpenGL's place on Mac OS.. along with other things he brought from the UNIX or PC world.. eventually even embracing Intel chips).

Oh well...

So until that changes in the Android world I will continue buying iOS devices. Look at it this way, when you pay $800 for a device don't you think you, the user, should get something in return for plunking down that much cash? Yes, YOU SHOULD!!! I mean, where's that money going? Oh silly me, I forgot that Samsung's CEO needs to buy a new yacht this year; it doesn't quite measure up to the one that Jeff Bezos owns. Oh boohoo. My heart bleeds. NOT!

T4C Fantasyi dont even think its ever happened except for samsung lol

My Sony Z3 compact would like to have a word, as it got 2, as it started out on Kitkat and ended up on Marshmallow, it even got timely security patches for most of its life as well

trparkyThat too. Meanwhile in the Android world you're lucky you may get maybe one major update and only if your carrier decides to grace your device with the update (which more often than not, that doesn't happen). :shadedshu:

Or get LineageOS. My LG G3 is running the latest Android fine.

trparkySo until that changes in the Android world I will continue buying iOS devices. Look at it this way, when you pay $800 for a device don't you think you, the user, should get something in return for plunking down that much cash? Yes, YOU SHOULD!!! I mean, where's that money going? Oh silly me, I forgot that Samsung's CEO needs to buy a new yacht this year; it doesn't quite measure up to the one that Jeff Bezos owns. Oh boohoo. My heart bleeds. NOT!

As opposed to the opulence Tim Cook indulges in? Please do look that up. And FYI, the last Android phone I bought was an unlocked BLU for $150. Replaceable battery(of which I have two spares), expandable storage, dual sim card slots and it's rooted(so a proper IPTables firewall and adblocker could be installed). With an UHS3 128GB microSD(admittedly another $80) in it, going strong and nothing slows it down. So for about $240(phone, extra batteries, BLU branded protector case and the sd card), I'm getting WAAY more for my money that anything Apple has to offer, has ever offered or likely will ever offer. iPhones are for non-techies(or trendy morons) who want high end without doing the research/homework on how to get it with Android.

Nuckles56My Sony Z3 compact would like to have a word, as it got 2, as it started out on Kitkat and ended up on Marshmallow, it even got timely security patches for most of its life as well

Cool, but Sony and other Android OEMs are such a bit player in the Android ecosystem that they barely register on the radar. According to AppBrain, Samsung controls nearly 48% of the Android market share with Sony being being around 2%. For a majority of people Samsung is synonymous with Android, meaning Samsung = Android, Android = Samsung.

With Samsung controlling such a huge portion of the Android ecosystem's market share they should be forced to make sure that all of the devices that they sell are upgraded at every step of the way. It shouldn't matter if the device is six years old, it should be upgraded. Unfortunately we all lost that fight when Samsung won the lawsuit in the Netherlands. And before you say that newer versions of Android would make the device slower, wasn't it Google that said that newer versions of Android are actually slimmer and faster than older versions so in reality putting a newer version of Android on an older device should in fact make that device better and faster.

Oh, but we can't have that.

R-T-BOr get LineageOS. My LG G3 is running the latest Android fine.

Love LineageOS(CyanogenMod's replacement for those who don't know)!

But if you have a Samsung then good luck loading anything custom onto the device. The likes of AT&T and Verizon have made sure of that through locked boot loaders, eFuses, and things like Samsung Knox all of which prevent you from doing the things you're talking about. It's almost like a Samsung device is locked down just as badly as an iPhone is except that the iPhone actually gets timely updates and Samsung doesn't.

As for updates I mean that a two or three year old Samsung device should be running Android Oreo. There's no technical reason why it isn't, they just don't want to put the bloody time into making that happen. They would rather you buy a new device instead.

And as for you loading your own ROM onto it, cool. I congratulate you on that but the majority of people don't have the technical expertise to do that, they rely on their OEM and carrier to do it for them. Why should these people be left with outdated software just because they don't have the technical expertise to do it themselves? They shouldn't, the OEMs should be forced to provide updates. You paid, you gave them your money... where's the customer service that you paid for? It would be like you buying a Ford and them telling you that as soon as you drive the car off the lot you no longer are eligible for service, you're on your own; car buyers wouldn't accept that. Why do we accept that in the smart phone market?

trparkyBut if you have a Samsung then good luck loading anything custom onto the device.

What are you taking about? Lineage is supported on most of Samsung's flagship models.

trparkyThe likes of AT&T and Verizon have made sure of that through locked boot loaders, eFuses, and things like Samsung Knox all of which prevent you from doing the things you're talking about.

You need to do a bit more research. ALL bootloaders can be unlocked. Requirement from Google AND federal law. Knox simply stops working if you alter the firmware. That's it. The device keeps working. eFuses have been deemed by several pieces of case law to be unlawful in devices marketed to the general public and no one uses them at this point.

Maybe in Europe you can do what you're talking about but in the United States you can't do any of that stuff. You can't even push an OTA update without the proper signing keys to sign the update package file. You used to be able to do this with a tool called Odin but then even that loophole was closed up by requiring a signed file to be pushed to the device. Check out this XDA Developers thread, the boot loader on the European devices can be unlocked but the United States variants so far hasn't been unlocked.

trparkyMaybe in Europe you can do what you're talking about but in the United States you can't do any of that stuff. You can't even push an OTA update without the proper signing keys to sign the update package file. You used to be able to do this with a tool called Odin but then even that loophole was closed up by requiring a signed file to be pushed to the device. Check out this XDA Developers thread, the boot loader on the European devices can be unlocked but the United States variants so far hasn't been unlocked.

Sorry, you are incorrect. I root phones and install custom roms/firmware professionally in the USA. It is legal, can & is done and easily so. However, Samsung is not the only or even best option for LineageOS.

I have a Samsung, but it's kind of sad that it's synonymous with Android. It's interface and preferred tools are all Samsung. Not that I'm the biggest fan of Google's material design, but it'd be nice if the platform had a uniform look. Something Apple does well (at least for the main apps).

lexluthermiesterI root phones and install custom roms/firmware professionally in the USA.

So you're telling me that if you were to walk into an AT&T store, purchase an AT&T branded Samsung device you would be able to do what you say? Because four years ago you could not do that or at least they made it very damn difficult to do so. I can only imagine that four years later they would have made it next to impossible to do so. Why? Because they just have to be a dick like that.

StrayKATSamsung, but it's kind of sad that it's synonymous with Android.

Why is it sad? When it comes down to it nobody makes a better device than Samsung. They have the best screens and cameras, they're like Intel of the Android world. If you want the best, you buy a Samsung. It's just like if you want the best processor, you buy Intel. The best SSD? Samsung. The best GPU? nVidia. Need I say more?

trparkySo you're telling me that if you were to walk into an AT&T store, purchase an AT&T branded Samsung device you would be able to do what you say? Because four years ago you could not do that or at least they made it very damn difficult to do so. I can only imagine that four years later they would have made it next to impossible to do so. Why? Because they just have to be a dick like that.

Why is it sad? When it comes down to it nobody makes a better device than Samsung. They have the best screens and cameras, they're like Intel of the Android world. If you want the best, you buy a Samsung. It's just like if you want the best processor, you buy Intel. The best SSD? Samsung. The best GPU? nVidia. Need I say more?

I'm talking about software. I don't have a clue about phone hardware tbh.. I'm just annoyed that they have to have a replacement for practically everything that Google already covers.. and doesn't follow Android interface styles at that. Everything, from their mail app to browser to Voice recognition (Bixby vs Google Voice) to lame ass productivity applications ("Hancom" editor? Wtf?). It's only an Android phone under the hood.. and many people won't be interacting with that. What they think is Android is not really Android. It's all Samsung.

StrayKATWhat they think is Android is not really Android. It's all Samsung.

Essentially they want to be the "Apple" of the Android world.

trparkyEssentially they want to be the "Apple" of the Android world.

More power to them, I guess. But I'm not sure why they don't just use Tizen and let Android be Android. Or is that not really feasible? Do you need Android to run it's app store?

StrayKATTizen

Trust me, you don't want that garbage heap of an OS.

Samsung’s Tizen is riddled with security flaws, amateurishly written
Researcher calls it the "worst code [he's] ever seen."
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/04/samsungs-tizen-is-riddled-with-security-flaws-amateurishly-written/

trparkyTrust me, you don't want that garbage heap of an OS.

Samsung’s Tizen is riddled with security flaws, amateurishly written
Researcher calls it the "worst code [he's] ever seen."
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/04/samsungs-tizen-is-riddled-with-security-flaws-amateurishly-written/

lol.. It's in my new TV. Hopefully it doesn't cause problems.

I only mentioned it because Samsung at least controls it.. and it has a Linux kernel like Android.

StrayKATlol.. It's in my new TV. Hopefully it doesn't cause problems.

I only mentioned it because Samsung at least controls it.. and it has a Linux kernel like Android.

Disconnect it from the Internet man!

trparkyDisconnect it from the Internet man!

No can do. I can run HDR movies in Netflix with it's app. For some reason, that feature has never showed up in the Windows version. It apparently exists, but all I ever see is "HD" for the movie formats. Never HDR or UHD/4K.

StrayKATMore power to them, I guess. But I'm not sure why they don't just use Tizen and let Android be Android. Or is that not really feasible? Do you need Android to run it's app store?

Because users want their Android apps. Tizen is basically Samsung's Plan B in case Google decides to cut them off, so they keep it on life support, release a new device every now and then just to keep basic kernel dev up and running.

T4C Fantasyat this point apple is just "using" companies until they can create their own standard...

Which most of the world is never going to play nice with..

trparkySo you're telling me that if you were to walk into an AT&T store, purchase an AT&T branded Samsung device you would be able to do what you say?

That is exactly what I'm saying.

trparkyBecause four years ago you could not do that or at least they made it very damn difficult to do so.

No it wasn't. It was dead simple.

trparkyEssentially they want to be the "Apple" of the Android world.

They have already become that, but a better version.

StrayKATNo can do. I can run HDR movies in Netflix with it's app. For some reason, that feature has never showed up in the Windows version. It apparently exists, but all I ever see is "HD" for the movie formats. Never HDR or UHD/4K.

I have to agree, disconnect it from the internet and change your wifi password. Tizen in not secure. Get yourself a Roku, Nvidia Shield or quality Android TV box.

lexluthermiesterWhich most of the world is never going to play nice with..

That is exactly what I'm saying.

No it wasn't. It was dead simple.

They have already become that, but a better version.

I have to agree, disconnect it from the internet and change your wifi password. Tizen in not secure. Get yourself a Roku, Nvidia Shield or quality Android TV box.

That bad, huh?

I hate to derail, but if anyone can tell me why 4K/HDR is not showing up in the PC version of Netflix, I'd happily do it. I'd rather run Netflix from there anyways. Is it some kind of crap DRM scheme? I have capable 4k hardware at least.