Master wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 2:49 pm
Yeah, I think Nokia really shot themselves in the foot relying on Symbian and then going exclusive with Windows Phone that ended up with them getting bought out. I think they could've made some really good Android phones, but I think they got arrogant and didn't really see the change that was coming after the iPhone took off. Pity that these days Nokia is just a brand now amongst many others, but I suppose that's just how things go.
To be fair though, I don't think the WIndows Phones were that bad. The UI deffo operated on different fundamentals compared to the styles used by Android and iOS, but it looked rather functional and seemed to work well. I think the fact that they were late to the party and didn't really get enough headway once smartphones took off kinda doomed the whole thing though.
They weren't bad at all, and the UI was very similar to Windows 8, but most of the applications were focused on Android and iOS, which basically left Windows Phone with no applications at all, and the few they had weren't updated because app developers stopped working on Windows Phone. Lumia had very interesting specs and I'm very sure it would have been different if they used Android. But as you said, it is what it is...
I remember HTC had nice phones 10 years ago. What happened to them?
HTC still exist, I think I actually came across a video on one of their new releases earlier in the week. But yeah they've definitely been sidelined, a lot of companies have actually. I still remember my surprise when I learned LG were pulling out of making Smartphones, and I'm kinda surprised Sony haven't bailed at this point either considering how little of their phones I see around.
I know HTC still do VR hardware, but again, I think they've bailed out of the consumer space for the most part, Meta seems to rule the roost there these days.
I thought Sony stopped producing smartphones many years ago, only to find out they're releasing their final Xperia this year! I guess in the end it will be all about iPhone and the Chinese brands. Maybe Samsung is the exception here.
DaveRattlehead wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:00 pm
I thought Sony stopped producing smartphones many years ago, only to find out they're releasing their final Xperia this year! I guess in the end it will be all about iPhone and the Chinese brands. Maybe Samsung is the exception here.
Wait are they finally stopping!? Damn, like I haven't owned a Sony phone in well over a decade, but that definitely feels like an end of an era. And yeah, I think Huawei, Oppo and Motorola (owned by Lenovo) seem to be the common brands for Android phones these days. Samsung seems to be the only mainline premium brand I can think of now.
Mind you, I think I'd like to get a Fairphone some day, I think we need to have more repairable devices and I like how they're working out. I'm in a similar mind when it comes to laptops, I think I'd like to give a Framework laptop a try someday.
Master wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:11 pm
Wait are they finally stopping!? Damn, like I haven't owned a Sony phone in well over a decade, but that definitely feels like an end of an era. And yeah, I think Huawei, Oppo and Motorola (owned by Lenovo) seem to be the common brands for Android phones these days. Samsung seems to be the only mainline premium brand I can think of now.
Mind you, I think I'd like to get a Fairphone some day, I think we need to have more repairable devices and I like how they're working out. I'm in a similar mind when it comes to laptops, I think I'd like to give a Framework laptop a try someday.
I thought they stopped by the time they stopped producing the Sony Vaio. I wonder if that laptop was good.
I didn't know about Fairphone... I've seen their specs and it's pretty nice! How did you know about them?
Oh no, they carried long after they spun off the Vaio group. I have seen some videos on old Vaio laptops by retro tech YouTubers, and it looks like older Vaois had some very unique design choices. Kinda miss when devices had unique differentiating quirks compared to the homogenous designs we seem to have now.
As for Fairphone, I've been aware of them for a long time, I think I first heard of them back when Modular Phones were starting become a trend (ha, how that idea fizzled out). I've since been following trends regarding the "right to repair" movement, and Fairphone's bene fairly prominent there as trying to make phone designs that are repair friendly.
I also like reading and watching teardowns done by ifixit, and they rank designs based on their repairability, so seeing Fairphone there is kinda a given since they try to be repair friendly.
Master wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:11 pm
Mind you, I think I'd like to get a Fairphone some day, I think we need to have more repairable devices and I like how they're working out. I'm in a similar mind when it comes to laptops, I think I'd like to give a Framework laptop a try someday.
DaveRattlehead wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 3:24 pm
I didn't know about Fairphone... I've seen their specs and it's pretty nice! How did you know about them?
I don't see any reason not to get a Fairphone tbh. I've been using a Fairphone3 since 2021 and it's worked perfectly well for me. (Granted, I had a Fairphone2 for three years before that, and it was pretty flaky, but obviously things are moving in the right direction with this story, eh? )
It's true that the tendency is to make devices difficult to repair, and I really hate that... How useful it was sometimes to remove and put the battery!
I guess the only way to get these phones are buying them on the Internet, right?
I remember back when phones were designed to have replicable batteries and maintained water proofing too... Samsung did it, made fun of others for not having replicable batteries, only to... do the same thing as everyone else. Sadness.
Samsung loves to make fun of folks for getting rid of things...then proceeds to do it. Gotta love that attitude.
PluMGMK wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:35 pm
I don't see any reason not to get a Fairphone tbh. I've been using a Fairphone3 since 2021 and it's worked perfectly well for me. (Granted, I had a Fairphone2 for three years before that, and it was pretty flaky, but obviously things are moving in the right direction with this story, eh? )
Friend of mine got a Fair phone 5 recently and it's working well for them. I'm already convinced but I'm not going to change until the time's right for me to get a new phone. Needless to say though that both Fair phone & Framework are on my radar.
DaveRattlehead wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:40 pm
I guess the only way to get these phones are buying them on the Internet, right?
Yep, but they're delivered from the Netherlands IIRC so it should be straightforward enough in Europe
Master wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:47 pm
Friend of mine got a Fair phone 5 recently and it's working well for them. I'm already convinced but I'm not going to change until the time's right for me to get a new phone. Needless to say though that both Fair phone & Framework are on my radar.
Master wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:47 pm
Samsung loves to make fun of folks for getting rid of things...then proceeds to do it. Gotta love that attitude.
Fifo wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:50 pm
Oh the hypocrisy.
I guess it's a bit like Intel, whose first "dual-core" chips had two single-core silicon die in one package (while AMD already had single-die chips); fast-forward about ten years, and they're spreading FUD about how AMD are "cheating" by using multiple silicon die in one package to make large core counts!
PluMGMK wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 10:54 pm
I guess it's a bit like Intel, whose first "dual-core" chips had two single-core silicon die in one package (while AMD already had single-die chips); fast-forward about ten years, and they're spreading FUD about how AMD are "cheating" by using multiple silicon die in one package to make large core counts!
Oh yeah, they did give AMD grief for the chiplet design of the Ryzen series didn't they?
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