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Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:02 am
by MWmetalhead
So far, Android 13 has brought me superficial GUI upgrades and noticeably shorter battery life.
I hear that on Google's current flagship phone, the Google Pixel 6, the battery life differential is disastrous.
Do their asshole software programmers do ANY quality assurance testing before rolling operating system updates into production?
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2022 8:43 am
by Deleted User 15783
MWmetalhead wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:02 am
... Do their asshole software programmers do ANY quality assurance testing before rolling operating system updates into production?
I'm nowhere near an expert on these sort of things. But I would surmise the
battery issues may be due to so many different processes running. The engineers upgraded (bloated) every default app that just has to run in the background. All in the name of Mother Google knowing even more of what you are doing on your phone.
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2022 1:55 pm
by TC Talks
Reading the android site, 12 is only available for Pixel. There is no mention of 13.
So I take it, you have a pixel?
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:23 am
by MWmetalhead
Yes, I have a Pixel 5a. Was getting intermittent notifications for close to a week to download the "stable release" of Android 13.
Other Android users (Samsung, for example) should start receiving prompts to install soon if using a supported device (i.e. generally phones released within the past few years).
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:00 pm
by TC Talks
So they're going to just skip right over 12? Samsung only has Android 11 currently.
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2022 8:55 pm
by MWmetalhead
I was on 12 until "upgrading" to 13.
I turned off adaptive network connectivity late last night, and battery life seems to be back to normal now.
If your phone is more than a couple years old, it might not receive further updates.
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 7:03 am
by MWmetalhead
The other thing that bugs the shit out of me regarding the 5a 5G Pixel is that it was marketed as unlocked phone that is compatible with all major cellular networks in the United States.
Guess what? Can't use it with Verizon or any of Verizon's MVNOs. The IMEI number is not recognized. Supposedly, Google forgot to send batches of IMEI numbers to Verizon when the devices were manufactured.
I would LOVE to try U.S. Mobile's "Warp Speed" 5G service or Twigby's 4G/5G service, but cannot do so because of the above issue. I did find a complicated set of instructions on U.S. Mobile's web site, which requires manually adding not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 (!!!) different APNs, among other changes to Android settings.
I might give those a try in the coming days just to see if it fixes the issue.
While I like Mint Mobile's prices and user friendly app, the de-prioritization of Mint-related traffic by T-Mobile has become noticeably worse lately. What used to be ~15 mbps to 20 mbps average download speeds on 4G LTE has become ~6 mbps, even during non-peak periods. I noticed similar de-prioritization on Ting this past spring.
I might give Tello or Connect by T-Mobile a try next, assuming I cannot get my Verizon SIM card from U.S. Mobile to work properly. Connect by T-Mobile, despite being a prepaid plan, offers some domestic roaming capability, which is a big plus compared to most of the MVNOs that run on T-Mobile's network.
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 1:12 pm
by syntheticexctasy
MWmetalhead wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 7:03 am
The other thing that bugs the shit out of me regarding the 5a 5G Pixel is that it was marketed as unlocked phone that is compatible with all major cellular networks in the United States.
Guess what? Can't use it with Verizon or any of Verizon's MVNOs. The IMEI number is not recognized. Supposedly, Google forgot to send batches of IMEI numbers to Verizon when the devices were manufactured.
I would LOVE to try U.S. Mobile's "Warp Speed" 5G service or Twigby's 4G/5G service, but cannot do so because of the above issue. I did find a complicated set of instructions on U.S. Mobile's web site, which requires manually adding not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 (!!!) different APNs, among other changes to Android settings.
I might give those a try in the coming days just to see if it fixes the issue.
While I like Mint Mobile's prices and user friendly app, the de-prioritization of Mint-related traffic by T-Mobile has become noticeably worse lately. What used to be ~15 mbps to 20 mbps average download speeds on 4G LTE has become ~6 mbps, even during non-peak periods. I noticed similar de-prioritization on Ting this past spring.
I might give Tello or Connect by T-Mobile a try next, assuming I cannot get my Verizon SIM card from U.S. Mobile to work properly. Connect by T-Mobile, despite being a prepaid plan, offers some domestic roaming capability, which is a big plus compared to most of the MVNOs that run on T-Mobile's network.
To this end, I've recently been a lot of places in michigan where (and I never thought I'd say this) VZ coverage is inferior to that of T-Mobile. I think it has something to do with TMo having taken over sprint cellsites. For instance, where I live there's a Tmo tower a mile away - provides perfect 5g service here. With VZ, the tower is 3x the distance away, and I get a barely usable 4g connection. I've recently been looking into Tmo myself (but not their MVNOs because they throttle too much)
I also recently learned, that no matter what kind of signal you have on VZ, the only place in michigan you'll actually roam to another network is in the tip of the thumb region. IE; if you're in Roscommon County and can't get a VZ signal, you're SOL
Re: Don't download Android 13!
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 10:33 am
by MWmetalhead
On my phone, if I go into network settings and deactivate "automatically select network," I can see the signal strengths of all major carriers. TMO is the only carrier where I'm able to receive any 5G signal (albeit mediocre to poor) indoors. All of 'em deliver equal or nearly equal 4G strength (fair to good).
Near me, I think they all have equipment on the nearest towers. They all seem to concentrate their signal penetration along the major commercial corridors, too, to the detriment of residential areas. A few blocks east or west can make a major impact on signal strength & download speed.