I have a Sony Xperia XZ1 and the aluminium finish on that is so good. Definitely my nicest feeling phone, though it is still slippery of course. In terms of modern phones I like the textured backs Motorola has been using. Not sure about their long-term durability but they are very grippy and comfortable.
Part of it (at least historically) was also related to wireless charging and reception.
I just gave up and bought a new (secondhand) phone at the beginning of this year. I returned one of my older phones (Galaxy Note 9) to stock as a backup but I’m not even sure if that will work now because it’s a grey import (even though it has working VoLTE currently and supports all Australian network bands). It’s a bit sad that I have this little collection of otherwise great older phones that still receive updates to their custom ROMs but will now be useless as phones.
In fairness it is a poorly written and confusing article (the guy is not a writer by profession, just a telecommunications expert trying to draw attention to the 3G shutdown). I shared the video just in case people had a hard time understanding the main takeaways, since Hugh Jeffreys did a good job summarising them.
It sounds like they are over-complying in response to recent legislation:
This is due to an update to the ‘Emergency Call Service Determination’ (ECSD), in the explanatory statement it says:
“Subsection 6(2) directs ACMA to include requirements for providers to identify mobile phones unable to access Triple Zero, notify the user, provide assistance if necessary to access an alternative mobile phone, and cease providing service to the affected device. Providers will also be required to not provide service to a prospective customer seeking service with an affected mobile phone. This requirement makes clear the responsibility providers have to ensure mobile networks provide access to the emergency call service.” […] “The amendments to the Determination to be made under section 6(2) are to be determined and commence in full by 1 November 2024.”
The author of the article claims AMTA is not a reliable indicator of VoLTE compatibility:
Additionally Tools like the ‘AMTA 3G Lookup Service’ are not accurate or reliable. AMTA knows this, hence why you need to agree to a long list of terms & conditions before using it.
This new ACMA policy is deeply disturbing because many consumers, including myself, own fully functional devices that can make VoLTE calls and emergency calls, yet are deemed “incompatible” by the telcos.
These are devices with the exact same hardware and software as ‘officially supported’ devices, the only difference is the telcos didn’t sell them.
Vodafone’s 3G network has been switched off for 9 months at this point, I don’t know if customers would still be getting messaging about it. Though there was a section in the article about issues with roaming for international visitors in January:
As a result of the Vodafone 3G switch-off in January, inbound Roaming customers have been receiving text messages advising they will no longer have access to voice, text or data and emergency calling whilst roaming in Australia.
Even customers with 5G iPhones have received such text messages.
He published another article recently about exactly that. It sounds like the telcos are putting in less than the bare minimum of effort and the government has been too clueless to hold them to account. And when it does try to legislate it has done so in a nonsensical way that risks hurting more than helping.
The third panel turns it into a proper 16:9 display, like you would find on many tablets and laptops. The pointless part is the second panel, which has a weird aspect ratio that is not natively supported by media (letterboxing in basically all videos) and many apps.
If you prefer video/audio, Hugh Jeffreys covered this here.
The FE series doesn’t make much sense to me at that price. The A55 is already a really good phone and it’s much cheaper with some extra features like an SD card slot. How many people are there in the world who cannot afford an S24+ but for whom the A55 is not good enough? I feel like the FE series cons people into thinking they’re getting value for money (because it has an S in the name) when they’re actually overpaying for a phone that isn’t much better in day to day use than the top A series model at half the price.
It’s quite funny that updates, in theory, are about making something better yet Windows updates are one of the most consistently cited reasons for people abandoning the OS.
As in, you regularly see the same art? Or you just find the style repetitive?
I use Muzei, so it’s a different work of art every day.
As much as anyone, I get wrapped up in an enthusiast’s mindset, falling prey to aggressive update cycles and phones offering “new” features.
Too many users upgrade who don’t need to, and more extended software support will eliminate people feeling pressured into spending money they don’t have to.
Okay, so it matters…just not to you. But you’ll still write an entire article about how the rest of us should be using our phones for longer. Rules for thee, but not for me?
People have little fears about lots of unlikely scenarios, it’s not that deep.
I have been waiting for a story like this, it was always a little fear in the back of my mind while using wireless earbuds.
The article is about using your phone as JD…why would you turn it off if you’re trying to show a police officer your ID?
Some apps can be updated through the Play Store, others only through the Galaxy Store. Last I heard Good Lock had been introduced to the Play Store but had limited functionality.
I was thinking more in terms of durability relating to general wear and age rather than short-term drops, scratches, etc. I’ve seen some images of people claiming their Motorola back wore out within months (could be a problem on their end, mine is fine after a year) and we all remember those older plastic devices with the soft touch finish that “melts” after a few years.