18 Million subscribers, Billions of views, has had Kobe Bryant and the US president as guests on his channel. If that's "semi-succesful", what on earth is your yard-stick for successful?
I don't always agree with his takes, but I honestly can't think of a better or better-known tech reviewer.
I have a Pixel 4a, and while not getting any more updates can be a dealbreaker, I think it's theoretically still fine for me. It does everything I need. Write text messages to friends, surf the web, connect to online services, take pictures at events. It has a nice screen and I have access to custom roms for privacy. What would be a reason for me to spend $1200 and upgrade except for 'it has better specs'? I think I'd rather use the $1200 to upgrade my computer and there's still enough money left to buy a VR headset or other random stuff. I think that's a valid reason to just spend $400 for a new phone or not get a new phone at all until the old one breaks.
Idk. You mean effectly getting them on a credit that is tied into the contract? Most electronics stores around here also offer expensive products like computers and laptops on a loan. There sometimes is a price tag 1200€ or 60€ a month (with their partner company that hands out loans.) You can even rent a Roomba, pay monthly and get the newer model after 2 years.
Yeah, but with a Roomba, it's not tied to a utility. You're never going to NEED it, whereas with a phone, you need it to live these days, for better or worse.
Well, I'd argue you need some means to clean your house, or it'll be very gross after a few months. And while you don't need a $1200 vacuum robot for that, you also don't need a $1200 phone. It's kind if a similar situation.
And neither do I. Currently running a (horror!) 2018 flagship on DivestOS. It's faster than anyone's phone that I know. Everyone is surprised at how fast my phone is.
Not the user you responded to but in my case nothing. My Xperia 10 III is still working well after three years so there no reason to buy a new one.
Okay, I might be out of the OS support window so I might want to do see how AOSP does on my phone. But hardware-wise there's really no reason to upgrade (and much less to a comically expensive device like in the video).
The next couple years will be interesting. They can't just throw more processor speed at us and call it a day, so will be intriguing to see how they overcome that.
I am enjoying it. Though it doesnt work on VoLTE when on LineageOS so i will not be able to call/text excrpt via wifi after April when 2G is shut down.
That may be the case for you, but it's still widely used for mobile card payment terminals, gps trackers, alarm systems and likely other applications that don't require a lot of data but do require strong signal and reliability
Nothing. My current average phone life-time is 7 years, and the majority were second-hand already.
I've spent under $400 a year on all my tech combined, including phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, accessories, toys, and anything else with a battery.
If you get good tools, you don't need to replace them.
I hammer on a phone. Run an FTP server at home to copy files sometimes, have multiple sync tools running, always manually copying files to/from network devices, run RDP/SSH sessions often. The screen is rarely off.
I do fine with phones that cost $100 used. 2 year old flagships are a great value. If they work for me, the average user would have no trouble with one.
Switch to Graphene/Lineage/Divest, and people think it's a new flagship.
There are so many reasons, but the main one is that they keep pushing their shitty Exynos cpus in Europe! My next phone is certainly not a Samsung just for this reason.
It is, and it's the reason Pixel 6 and 7 series had so many issues with poor battery life and weak modem. Although it appears that the third generation Tensor CPUs in Pixel 8 have major improvements on both of these pain points.
Still, that probably brings Pixel 8 only to the cheap-ish midrange standard when it comes to cell signal, as the Pixel 7 phones were atrocious and 6s were apparently even worse.
Unlocked, brand new direct from the Google Store. They emailed me a coupon code for being on the Google Assistant mailing list that gave me an extra $150 off, and it stacked with a $100 discount they were already running (so $250 off total). I'm a self-admitted headphone jack enthusiast, but the price was just too good to pass up.
Just out of curiosity, if you could recommend a phone to a relative. Let's say young enough to be on all the socials, but old enough to not need the newest flagship, what would you recommend? I'm guessing the 7 or 7a?
I’m still on my iPhone 7 and still haven’t found a good enough reason to upgrade. All my productivity work is done on my PC since I work from home. And I have a camera for photos. I’d rather use that money to buy Apple shares.
Found the phone interesting, but my S22 is working just too perfectly the last 2 years to buy a new one now. Maybe I'll get the S26, if it's time to change
Stateside here, and I agree that price is insane. Also, I like to root my phones , and Samsung makes that hard. that said, I am writing this on my tab s8 with a stylus. people forget that Saving for real needs takes priority! retirement is not free, after all.
67 Comments
Mr_Blott@lemmy.world · 57 pts · 2y
Things I will never do -
Pay that much for a phone
Click on a YT link that's clearly an ad
Hyperreality@kbin.social · 5 pts · 2y
In this case, it's a semi-successful youtuber who does phone reviews.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marques_Brownlee
But I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you.
Nath@aussie.zone · 25 pts · 2y
18 Million subscribers, Billions of views, has had Kobe Bryant and the US president as guests on his channel. If that's "semi-succesful", what on earth is your yard-stick for successful?
I don't always agree with his takes, but I honestly can't think of a better or better-known tech reviewer.
atrielienz@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
I mean, Linus Tech Tips exist. So do Jay-Z 2 cents. There are plenty of other successful tech YouTubers.
Hyperreality@kbin.social · -12 pts · 2y
I dunno. My local doctor has saved plenty of lives.
Consider him more of a success than someone who reviews overpriced phones on youtube.
Suppose how you define success depends on what you think's important in life.
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 2y
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 5 pts · 2y
Mr Blott was suggesting that the review is ultimately just an advertisement. I disagree with it, but each to their own.
phillaholic@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
lemmyvore@feddit.nl · 28 pts · 2y
Well, that extra $1000 added to the price would be a reason... 😄
eager_eagle@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 2y
That's $1000 more than I'm willing to pay on a smartphone.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 2 pts · 2y
What phone are you currently using? Do you find there's anything you can't do at such a price point?
falsem@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y
I have a Pixel 6a, and no.
rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 2y
I have a Pixel 4a, and while not getting any more updates can be a dealbreaker, I think it's theoretically still fine for me. It does everything I need. Write text messages to friends, surf the web, connect to online services, take pictures at events. It has a nice screen and I have access to custom roms for privacy. What would be a reason for me to spend $1200 and upgrade except for 'it has better specs'? I think I'd rather use the $1200 to upgrade my computer and there's still enough money left to buy a VR headset or other random stuff. I think that's a valid reason to just spend $400 for a new phone or not get a new phone at all until the old one breaks.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
I think the finance model for phones kinda makes them such an easy purchase in a way in which you can't do on PC.
rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 2y
Idk. You mean effectly getting them on a credit that is tied into the contract? Most electronics stores around here also offer expensive products like computers and laptops on a loan. There sometimes is a price tag 1200€ or 60€ a month (with their partner company that hands out loans.) You can even rent a Roomba, pay monthly and get the newer model after 2 years.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
Yeah, but with a Roomba, it's not tied to a utility. You're never going to NEED it, whereas with a phone, you need it to live these days, for better or worse.
rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 4 pts · 2y
Well, I'd argue you need some means to clean your house, or it'll be very gross after a few months. And while you don't need a $1200 vacuum robot for that, you also don't need a $1200 phone. It's kind if a similar situation.
JustSomePerson@kbin.social · 23 pts · 2y
It seems to be the size of an air craft carrier.
r00ty@kbin.life · 6 pts · 2y
So, also usable as a weapon if required. Another feature.
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip · 21 pts · 2y
maybe because I don't need a new phone and don't see the need to upgrade every single damn year?
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 3 pts · 2y
What did you get last year?
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 2y
"don't need to upgrade my phone every year".
And neither do I. Currently running a (horror!) 2018 flagship on DivestOS. It's faster than anyone's phone that I know. Everyone is surprised at how fast my phone is.
Paid $80 for it 3 years ago.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
How is it so snappy?
Jesus_666@feddit.de · 6 pts · 2y
Not the user you responded to but in my case nothing. My Xperia 10 III is still working well after three years so there no reason to buy a new one.
Okay, I might be out of the OS support window so I might want to do see how AOSP does on my phone. But hardware-wise there's really no reason to upgrade (and much less to a comically expensive device like in the video).
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 3 pts · 2y
The next couple years will be interesting. They can't just throw more processor speed at us and call it a day, so will be intriguing to see how they overcome that.
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 2y
onePlus Nord N200
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 2 pts · 2y
That's a good purchase
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 2y
I am enjoying it. Though it doesnt work on VoLTE when on LineageOS so i will not be able to call/text excrpt via wifi after April when 2G is shut down.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 2 pts · 2y
I just read about them shutting down 2G here (the UK), it feels like the end of an era.
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 2y
2G is something i rarely think of.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
That's fair!
fatalError@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y
That may be the case for you, but it's still widely used for mobile card payment terminals, gps trackers, alarm systems and likely other applications that don't require a lot of data but do require strong signal and reliability
Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y
Nothing. My current average phone life-time is 7 years, and the majority were second-hand already.
I've spent under $400 a year on all my tech combined, including phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, accessories, toys, and anything else with a battery.
If you get good tools, you don't need to replace them.
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 2y
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
He's answering the question that's been posed. Reading isn't your strong suit...
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 2y
small44@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y
Becuase a mid-range phone is good enough for most people
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y
I hammer on a phone. Run an FTP server at home to copy files sometimes, have multiple sync tools running, always manually copying files to/from network devices, run RDP/SSH sessions often. The screen is rarely off.
I do fine with phones that cost $100 used. 2 year old flagships are a great value. If they work for me, the average user would have no trouble with one.
Switch to Graphene/Lineage/Divest, and people think it's a new flagship.
BobGnarley@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
For sure on switching to a custom OS like you said. It makes them run so much smoother and faster than stock at least on Graphene for sure
clmbmb@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 18 pts · 2y
There are so many reasons, but the main one is that they keep pushing their shitty Exynos cpus in Europe! My next phone is certainly not a Samsung just for this reason.
woelkchen@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
Funny how Exynos is shitty but when it's rebranded as Google Tensor, it's the strong heart of the best Android phones.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 8 pts · 2y
To be fair, I've only ever seen negative opinions about the Tensor chips and the majority of it stems from it being an Exynos derivative.
Exec@pawb.social · -2 pts · 2y
Afaik tensor isn't the main cpu in pixels
Markaos@lemmy.one · 10 pts · 2y
It is, and it's the reason Pixel 6 and 7 series had so many issues with poor battery life and weak modem. Although it appears that the third generation Tensor CPUs in Pixel 8 have major improvements on both of these pain points.
Still, that probably brings Pixel 8 only to the cheap-ish midrange standard when it comes to cell signal, as the Pixel 7 phones were atrocious and 6s were apparently even worse.
Kidplayer_666@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
I mean, we are yet to see the performance of the latest generation
captainsiscold@kbin.social · 12 pts · 2y
Just got a Pixel 8 (256 GB) for $510 a few weeks ago. I'm good with that, thanks.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
Love my Pixel. Great purchase. Especially with the now extended software support.
BobGnarley@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
Holy shit how'd you get it so cheap? Is it carrier locked or refurbished?
captainsiscold@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
Unlocked, brand new direct from the Google Store. They emailed me a coupon code for being on the Google Assistant mailing list that gave me an extra $150 off, and it stacked with a $100 discount they were already running (so $250 off total). I'm a self-admitted headphone jack enthusiast, but the price was just too good to pass up.
BobGnarley@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
Dude you lucked out that's awesome!
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 11 pts · 2y
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 4 pts · 2y
Just out of curiosity, if you could recommend a phone to a relative. Let's say young enough to be on all the socials, but old enough to not need the newest flagship, what would you recommend? I'm guessing the 7 or 7a?
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 2y
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
Thank you for sharing.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee · 10 pts · 2y
$1300
TEN TIMES the most I've ever paid for a phone.
omgitsaheadcrab@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 2y
I got a pixel 7 pro for €700, happy with that given the current nutty prices of phones
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 2 pts · 2y
Other than the battery life, the Pixels are great long term phone investments.
IWantToFuckSpez@kbin.social · 6 pts · 2y
I’m still on my iPhone 7 and still haven’t found a good enough reason to upgrade. All my productivity work is done on my PC since I work from home. And I have a camera for photos. I’d rather use that money to buy Apple shares.
helenslunch@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 2y
IWantToFuckSpez@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y
Cool.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 1 pts · 2y
I thought the people still using 12s were mind-blowing.
cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 2y
once i got my a54 i honestly don't know why i ever went with the s series
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 2 pts · 2y
Is it that good?
cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2y
for me it's basically as decent as my old s series but half the price; the camera is slightly worse but for what i use it for it's not bad.
Welp_im_damned@lemdro.id · 4 pts · 2y
What the fuck is he smoking??
Capitao_Duarte@lemmy.eco.br · 3 pts · 2y
Found the phone interesting, but my S22 is working just too perfectly the last 2 years to buy a new one now. Maybe I'll get the S26, if it's time to change
r00ty@kbin.life · 4 pts · 2y
I generally change every 4 years anyway. It's around the time battery performance starts to become noticeable I find.
I suppose if there was nothing worth upgrading to I'd just change the battery. But after 4 years there usually is.
sabreW4K3@lemmy.tf · 3 pts · 2y
Samsung have for the large part, done really well with their phones in recent years. I'm glad people are getting more and more usage out of them.
macrocarpa@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
in answer to your question Marcus, because I paid attention in economics class and understand the concept of opportunity cost.
To paint the full picture, it's $2,399 to pre order it in the country I live in (Australia).
The average wage in australia is 90k pretax, approx 70k post tax
2399 is mortgage payments, food or transportation.
MasterBlaster@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Stateside here, and I agree that price is insane. Also, I like to root my phones , and Samsung makes that hard. that said, I am writing this on my tab s8 with a stylus. people forget that Saving for real needs takes priority! retirement is not free, after all.
henfredemars@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 2y
I enjoy reading about the S24 Ultra for showing what could be possible in a smartphone. Buying one for personal use is another matter entirely.
Pulptastic@midwest.social · 1 pts · 2y
Maybe if I can remove Samsung's software.