Debating on leaving Android for good

[zuben el genub]

I buy unlocked phones and would pay the same, but I'll be damned if I use Hangouts.
I prefer text messaging and bought Chomp. I bought the phone and I'm not giving in to fanboys of any kind. I prefer freedom of choice so I'd fight like hell against a closed system. I might not care for Apple or MS, but I can't and won't deny their right to exist and make mobile devices and choose what apps users can install.

That means you use what you want, I use what I want. I do know the limitations of what I'm using and will put up with it.

There's other OS besides Android which might not want or use Hangouts. You can't force them or the developers to add Hangouts. If Ubuntu phones do like on the computer, you'd have to wait for a tarball or a repository to get it.

The first thing that gets removed totally from a rooted phone is Facebook!

 

[mikedt]

I buy unlocked phones and would pay the same, but I'll be damned if I use Hangouts.
I prefer text messaging and bought Chomp. I bought the phone and I'm not giving in to fanboys of any kind. I prefer freedom of choice so I'd fight like hell against a closed system. I might not care for Apple or MS, but I can't and won't deny their right to exist and make mobile devices and choose what apps users can install.

That means you use what you want, I use what I want. I do know the limitations of what I'm using and will put up with it.

There's other OS besides Android which might not want or use Hangouts. You can't force them or the developers to add Hangouts. If Ubuntu phones do like on the computer, you'd have to wait for a tarball or a repository to get it.

The first thing that gets removed totally from a rooted phone is Facebook!

iOS has Facebook and Twitter built right into it, can't get rid of them even by jailbreaking. Although if they're not signed in, they should be inactive and not trying to phone home.

Even the one's sold in China, where they're blocked and unavailable.

 

[AnonGuy]

That's just integration for SSO and some of the built in apps that can share to or interface with the services. TouchWiz has the same thing for S Voice and other apps/integrations (Gallery, Calendar, etc.). I think HTC Sense may have something similar.

It's been quite a while since I've seen a phone ship with the Facebook app pre-installed, though.

 

[AnonGuy]

I buy unlocked phones and would pay the same, but I'll be damned if I use Hangouts.
I prefer text messaging and bought Chomp. I bought the phone and I'm not giving in to fanboys of any kind. I prefer freedom of choice so I'd fight like hell against a closed system. I might not care for Apple or MS, but I can't and won't deny their right to exist and make mobile devices and choose what apps users can install.

That means you use what you want, I use what I want. I do know the limitations of what I'm using and will put up with it.

There's other OS besides Android which might not want or use Hangouts. You can't force them or the developers to add Hangouts. If Ubuntu phones do like on the computer, you'd have to wait for a tarball or a repository to get it.

The first thing that gets removed totally from a rooted phone is Facebook!

The issue with Hangouts is that the service is limited and kinda bad, for messaging, compared to the majority of competing apps. It's only useful if you need the video chat, namely the group video chat. Otherwise you find yourself juggling more services or apps to make up for its shortcomings.

I personally haven't noticed it eating large amounts if data. I just need something a little more capable.

Umm... Verizon is launching VoLTE here in weeks with integrated video chat. You'll be able to swap between audio and video in real time, Lol.

I am looking forward to that, since they'll likely try to push it cross platform. Hopefully they do the same for messaging.

EDIT: Apparently Verizon Messages already supports doing SMS/MMS over Wi-Fi and from a PC with real time Sync. I may try it after I do some reading to make sure it's easy to get rid of if I choose not to stick with it.

 

[Hadron]

It's been quite a while since I've seen a phone ship with the Facebook app pre-installed, though.

I think HTC handsets still do that. Not certain though as anything with Facebook, Twitter, G+ etc I remove immediately after rooting, and I remove such stuff from custom ROMs before installation.

 

[bjacks12]

I've managed to convert one of my iOS friends to Hangouts. He has a grandfathered AT&T Unlimited plan, but no texting plan, so I got him to use Hangouts. He's probably the biggest Apple fanboy I've ever met too.

Can you send GIFS in iMessage? That's my favorite feature of Hangouts.

 

[zuben el genub]

I had a problem with Doubletwist after a TMO update. I never signed up for it, but the stupid app kept turning itself on and searching anyway. Didn't have disable on GB (I think) so you had to root.

FB has done the same - even if it is only the link to sign up. It will search. Uses battery.

 

[AnonGuy]

I've managed to convert one of my iOS friends to Hangouts. He has a grandfathered AT&T Unlimited plan, but no texting plan, so I got him to use Hangouts. He's probably the biggest Apple fanboy I've ever met too.

Can you send GIFS in iMessage? That's my favorite feature of Hangouts.

You can send practically anything in iMessage. Word Documents, PDF, Images, Videos, Location, Audio Files, etc.

 

[AnonGuy]

"Preloads" that are only a link on the device don't use battery. They aren't apps, just links. Not sure what you mean by "it's only a link to sign-up" though. There are a number of "links" preloaded on my Note 3. I just ignore some of them, just in case I decide to use them later on.

 

[zuben el genub]

You need to register to use the service. I ignore those also, but this thing kept turning itself on and searching for a data network connection anyway. I think it searched to find if you had a connection, then opened at the sign up page or you would get a notice "no connection available" It had some kind of bug, since I wasn't the only one complaining. While it might not use data, it did use the battery.

 

[mikedt]

You need to register to use the service. I ignore those also, but this thing kept turning itself on and searching for a data network connection anyway. I think it searched to find if you had a connection, then opened at the sign up page or you would get a notice "no connection available" It had some kind of bug, since I wasn't the only one complaining. While it might not use data, it did use the battery.

About three years ago I brought a phone back from Hong Kong for someone that was doing that sort of thing and it was causing some lag, a Samsung for PCCW that had Facebook pre-loaded. Had to root it because they didn't want to and couldn't use FB anyway. In fact I seem to remember posting about it here on AF.

 

[zuben el genub]

This was also a Samsung. A Samsung Galaxy S 4G. Since then, except for the Vulcan's flip phone, I haven't bought one from TMobile.

 

[AnonGuy]

I had the Vibrant from T-Mobile and it didn't have that issue. Don't think it came with Facebook preloaded, though it's been so long that I can't honestly recall at 100% sureness.

 

[nickdalzell]

About 90% of active iOS devices here in Kentucky happen to be iPhone 3GS or more rare, the first iPhone 4. Android handsets in the wild are 99% Samsung, but like iOS, are three generations behind. You will see more prepaid budget phones running 2.3 gingerbread and the few HTC Desires and Galaxy S2s but never a more current phone unless the owner is very well off financially. Usually you might spot a Galaxy Note on someone who is a higher-up from Menards than the common working man.

I liked iOS during the earlier days of Android which were not so great. But after iOS 7 got graphically feminine I wanted a better device I could stand to look at. By then, Android 4.3 had come out and was very different from 2.3, and I got Samsung phones and tablets. I've never had any issues with a Samsung. As such I tend to buy from a name that hasn't let me down. Maybe it's brand loyalty I don't know. But they work well and I'll keep buying them given the satisfying experience.

 

[zuben el genub]

I had the Vibrant from T-Mobile and it didn't have that issue. Don't think it came with Facebook preloaded, though it's been so long that I can't honestly recall at 100% sureness.

Facebook wasn't preloaded, it was Doubletwist.
There is still a built in link to FB all over. On a new phone, browser, you name it. You have to sign up or sign in to get the full app, but the link is there.

Doubletwist came with the update to Gingerbread. It could have been the whole app, I don't know. It searched for a connection and then pestered you to sign and set up. You would go to use the phone and there would be a big blurb in the middle of the page about the service just like a push ad. Searching for a connection used the battery. Those of us that resented it, didn't want the service and there were other complaints. I could probably get free music (no data charge) now and I still don't want it.

 

[Slug]

This thread has derailed to the point of falling off a cliff, so let's see if we can get back on track.

Nope, it carried on over the edge like a lemming and is now lying at the bottom mangled beyond recognition.