Jenuall wrote:Do people tend to stick with the launcher that comes with their handset then? I can't remember the last time I used an Android phone and didn't replace the Launcher with an alternative - currently using the Pixel Launcher on my S9.
I'm in the minority for sure, but I use the Pixel Launcher, and used the Google Now Launcher before it. Most people I know use Nova, though.
Rocsteady wrote:I've just kept my Samsung on the stock one, am i doing it wrong?
Same. I feel like I'm slowly slipping into old person mode with technology in that I have things that I know how to use and just stick with them. My phone desktop is a mishmash of various apps and widgets.
Ive installed a few launchers here and there in the past but I don’t get the point of them. Are some developers installations of android really that bad? I just use my phone however it comes set up. All I’m doing is clicking on apps, how does a launcher improve the experience?
Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Ive installed a few launchers here and there in the past but I don’t get the point of them. Are some developers installations of android really that bad? I just use my phone however it comes set up. All I’m doing is clicking on apps, how does a launcher improve the experience?
As far as I can see it's about customising the user experience and adding a bit of flair to the desktop.
The things I use Nova for are reasonably small to be fair. Customising the size of the icons in the app drawer (i.e. how many icons per row, this goes for desktop/home screen too) and increasing transparency. Stuff like that.
Check out my YouTube channel! One man should not have this much power in this game. Luckily I'm not an ordinary man.
A while back I mentioned that I had ordered an Amazfit Bip to replace my Pebble Time Steel. I've had it about 3 weeks now and have included my thoughts on how it compares to the PTS, which may be useful for anyone looking for something similar or just interested in a cheap "smart" watch.
This and the PTS are kind of different sides of the same coin. The PTS is a smart watch with some fitness features where as the Bip is more of a fitness watch with some smart features. The Bip has no microphone so you cannot use it to reply to texts. It has no way to respond to texts either, it is display only. There are no apps you can download for it and you cannot control music (although there is something on the app store that provides some functionality in this area). There are a large number of watch faces available for the Bip but unlike the PTS they are not configurable (i.e. you can’t change colours and you can’t determine whereabouts the various information shows on the watch face). With the negatives out of the way, I’ll move the topic onto the positives. Firstly, it has the same always on display as the PTS and where as the PTS can last 10 days between charges, depending on how you use the BIP, 30-40 days between charges is a reality. The screen is a slightly higher resolution than the PTS and rather than relying on 4 buttons, the Bip has one crown with a touch screen. All notifications (e-mail, texts, WhatsApp + pretty much anything that pops up on your phone) can be shown on the Bip and like the PTS, you can decide if there are any you don’t want the watch to show. The only slightly annoying thing about the Bip notifications is that they only show for about 5-10 seconds. You can use the Bip to recall old notifications, but hopefully a future update will allow the display time to be configurable. If you are more into fitness tracking than smart features, the Bip also gives you GPS and a Heart Rate monitor. The GPS is activated when you select an activity (such as cycling, running or walking) and turns off only when you end the activity. The GPS is the biggest drain of the battery so if you use this regularly you are only likely to end up with 10-15 days use between charging. The HR doesn’t seem to use too much power, I have it on 24 hours with apparently little battery impact. The Bip is all plastic with a silicon type strap, very comfortable and light to wear. In my opinion, looks a little nicer than the PTS.
For the money (I paid around £40) it is excellent value and if you are looking for a watch that offers notifications and fitness options, a very worth replacement for the PTS.
My P20 Pro order feel through as apparently I failed their credit check (first credit check I've ever failed and there is no record of a search on my file) so my initial skepticism about these cheap mobile phone websites is warranted.
I now can't decide what phone I fancy, I keep going back and forth between getting a cheaper Android, the P20 Pro or the S9 plus. Those headphones are mighty tempting for the Huewei but I can see it being a first come, first served deal and the website will get bombarded. There are some incredible deals on the S9 at the moment so that seems the all round most sensible option.
The home screen and the thing that shows all the stuff you have installed.
Ah ok I see now. Maybe I should try some of this stuff out.
Regarding my battery woes, I turned off location services and the battery lasted 2 days instead of half a day
Haha sounds like you need to take a look at apps not optimised under battery usage and advanced could be some stuff using location is allowed to just run and isn't being closed off by the systemm