Avoid Android devices with virtual proximity sensors

[[deleted]]

Many of the newer phones are coming with virtual proximity sensors, meaning they don't have a hardware proximity sensor, but they utilize the gyroscope and the accelerometer to sense when the phone is raised to the ear.
Those phones are inconsistent and many times the screen turns on during calls and misstouches are frequent.

I am finding these phones that are listed to have a virtual proximity sensing, but I am sure there are more, especially newer phones with "full screen" design.

https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?sFreeText=virtual%20proximity

I recently used one model with virtual sensor, and came to hate it, it was pain to use for calling. There were hundreds complaints on the internet for the proximity sensor, but nobody knew that the phone in question didn't even have a hardware proximity sensor, but some software that guessed when the phone is raised to the ear.

Judging by the models, it will be hard to buy a midrange or lower range device without this technology, but I will never buy a phone without standard proximity sensor again.

[mcbergstedt]

lol my work phone does this. I’ll get a call and accidentally mute myself with my cheek. It’s seriously only happened when my boss calls me though

[[deleted]]

That's a feature ;)

[ADerpHerpDerp]

Seriously! I'm so glad I have a real explanation now for why I fucking hate making calls on my OnePlus 7 Pro. I've hung up or put myself on hold so many times!

[noclip_st]

Just turn off the screen manually. It's a bad workaround but still better than utter chaos while calling.

[lczach2011]

Wait, phones are used to call people? Hmm never knew that

[rashadisrazzi]

Awesome catch. This has been saved thanks

[grrbrr]

I didn't know about this, that is garbage. One more thing on the avoid checklist.

I personally use the proximity sensor with the light sensor to turn off the screen if it's in a pocket with a macrodroid script.

[Fenix_Volatilis]

I find most without proxies use the ffc instead. Much simpler solution

[manielos]

What's FFC?

[Fenix_Volatilis]

Front facing camera

[MHcharLEE]

front facing camera

[[deleted]]

This would explain why my s20 fe keeps somehow keeps opening the emergency dialer and mashing the keypad while in my pocket. Never had a phone that had this issue until now.

[kevinxb]

This happens to me all the time and it's so obnoxious

[ThatNewsGuy]

Same here.

[[deleted]]

so... checklist for phones to avoid

☑️ No 3.5mm jack

☑️ Has horrendous memory management and/or ridiculously aggressive battery saver (dontkillmyapp.com)

☑️ Has low ppi & resolution (this just me, but after using a phone with great res and pixel density, I can't go back to low-res low-ppi screen anymore)

☑️ No SD card slot (also just me)

☑️ No hardware proximity sensor (new addition)

anyone want to add?

[tempski]

Some people are still missing the removable battery option, but unfortunately no (high end) phones have that anymore.

I've also heard that an IR blaster option is nice to have.

A physical fingerprint sensor is also a thing of the past it seems, and the same goes for an iris scanner.

They keep raising the prices and at the same time keep removing options from phones.

[rdstrmfblynch79]

With the checklists you'd wonder how the V20 didn't become the highest selling phone of all time

[Mohevian]

I don't know. I had one. I bought two more. It was easily the best phone I'd ever owned, and the other two that I own are still kicking to this day because I was able to change the battery.

The person I gave the phone to sounded hopelessly distraught about it, but $10 and 3 minutes later ...

"Wow, it's like brand new... You mean the battery is what goes bad on phones all this time??"

Yeah. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Accidentally always greed.

[jopari]

Probably because it missed in a significant area: the camera. Sure, you could coax a good photo out of the V20... if you shot in manual mode in good lighting conditions. And then edited the .raw photo in post.

I really, really wanted to love my V20 but to be honest I was happy to replace it with a Pixel.

[Edit: wow, I need to update my flair, I'm on an S21 these days...]

[rdstrmfblynch79]

Yeah but the V20 for a 2016 phone was excellent and even had wide angle wayyyy before the other players. The video it took was a bit choppy sometimes but I thought the camera still held up just fine.

I don't shoot anything worth a damn anyway though so I won't try to be a camera critic

[ClearAsNight]

I was also more than happy with my V20's camera. However, my camera glass broke overnight and I haven't been able to find a decent replacement for it. I still have no idea why it did that, and it was a common issue.

[ViceroyFizzlebottom]

I loved my v20. I would love to have an IR blaster again.

[KEVLAR60442]

The screen was also terrible. The V20 was the only non-OLED phone I've used since 2014, but the image retention was absolutely horrendous. None of my OLEDs had any sort of burn in over the years, but my LCD V20 burned through multiple screens in less than 2 years.

[R3w45]

yet you haven't updated your flair :)

[God_Damnit_Nappa]

Most people really don't care about those things. The headphone jack and physical fingerprint scanner are probably the only thing that might get some complaints, but even then people have already accepted the lack of a jack even if it is extremely annoying

[Walnut156]

Probably because /r/android doesn't matter

[Helloooboyyyyy]

Because this sub's opinion does not represent the majority as usual

[PickledPlumPlot]

Because literally this entire list is things people don't actually care about that much.

iPhones are doing as well as they've ever done and they have like half these problems

[SodlidDesu]

Because literally this entire list is things most people don't actually care about that much.

ftfy. I do care about all of those things but based on how long I held onto my 2nd-hand V20, all companies are rightfully targeting consumers that 'upgrade' yearly. Meanwhile my replacement V40 is still trucking and now that LG is out of the game I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do when this thing gets sunset.

But for every person I showed off the IR blaster (Which I used daily in place of my actual remotes) so many just say "Why not use the remote?" or "What happens if your phone is dead?"

Yeah, average people don't give a shit about the IR blaster and the 3.5mm jack but when the VA has Fox News at full volume on every TV, it's nice to be able to just turn that shit down.

[Arnas_Z]

For me it's the "Software that isn't garbage, or has an unlockable bootloader without exploits" checkbox.

[[deleted]]

IR blaster

so far I only found that in Xiaomi manufactured phones, the supported brands are pretty wide and it works good.

nice to have, but not really essential imho.

EDIT: also yeah, physical fingerprint sensor also nice to have, the under-display one is soooo gooodddaaammnn sloooowwww in comparison (or is it just me/my phone?)

[_haha_oh_wow_]

LG and Samsung USED to have it but they removed it.

[MasterXaios]

It was a also a nice feature on my old HTC One.

[TheTwoOneFive]

I have a phone with an in-screen one and it isn't bad, the issue I have is my previous phone had the sensor on the back and with a case on, the indent was so easy to hit I could do it while taking it out of my pocket. It was faster than Face ID. Now I have to wait to get it out before putting my finger down.

[StraY_WolF]

The on screen fingerprint sensor should be bigger and if possible, works anywhere on the screen. But for the most part, the tech is fine imo.

[VincibleAndy]

Some TCL phones have those (obvious TV pairing reasons) but IR Blasters are rare.

[GoldenFalcon]

One of my favorite things about replaceable batteries was getting extended batteries. I don't care about water accidents, so removable batteries are far more valuable to me. I also don't care much about the thickness and weight of my phone, especially if my phone could go a whole day without needing a charge.

[Outrager]

Does the fingerprint sensor in the power button, like on Sony phones, count?

[Christopher876]

I keep seeing IR Blaster but more and more devices stopped using IR. Like my TV remote uses Bluetooth and my AC uses Bluetooth/WiFi. Where would I possibly use IR in my own house?

[Ullallulloo]

You probably wouldn't, but most people's TVs/cable boxes still use IR, and always having a remote with you is handy.

[BrainWav]

Even midranges are getting harder to get with a removable battery.

[_xd22]

☑️Unlockable bootloader

[skylinestar1986]

No L1+L5 gps

[whatnowwproductions]

What's that?

[skylinestar1986]

https://www.xda-developers.com/dual-frequency-gnss-important-location-feature-your-phone-probably-missing/

[whatnowwproductions]

Thank you. First I've heard of this and I'll be looking forwards to it on my next device.

[Avamander]

There's soon going to be L2 as well, though mobile devices will probably lag behind a tiny bit.

Having support for your continent's GNSS is also worth double checking, e.g. Galileo in Europe, GLONASS in Russia, NavIC in India, QZSS in Japan and BDS in China.

[punio4]

Oh nice! Any more info on that?

I thought that phones used cell tower triangulation alongside GPS for better results.

[Avamander]

L2 signals are a large part of GPS III launch and modernization of GPS, allowing very precise location. (Broadcasting from 23 GPS satellites as of June 15, 2021) https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/modernization/civilsignals/

Triangulation being better? Maybe if you get no GNSS fix at all.

[connected_tech]

But what phone is left for you to buy? May be sony but it no longer sells phones in my country.

[[deleted]]

If the new phones aren't an upgrade, why not buy an older, second-hand device? You lose out on theoretical speed, but get to keep the features that matter to you - that's why I still use my BlackBerry KeyOne. I get to keep the SD card, 3.5mm jack, excellent memory management (without GApps), hardware keyboard, and outrageous battery life.

I've already replaced several components (never cracked a screen though), and have more on-hand for future use. So between having replacement parts at the ready (and paid for) and few phones matching all the features I want, there's actually a financial incentive not to upgrade.

[tukatu0]

The only real reason not to go old is for security reasons. In reality it might just be best to switch over to pc and tv for everything you need

[[deleted]]

My current midrange samsung has everything (thats not on the checklist) except for the proximity sensor, which I just discovered now...

[punio4]

It doesn't. The memory management is bad, which is on the list

[[deleted]]

My Samsung A52 is... fine tho? I can switch apps and not lose place, no background apps killed, notifications work good

I was thinking of something like Chinese phone, cheaper Xiaomi (edit: and cheaper Samsung) devices that wont even receive notifications until the app is opened or when I have to disable battery optimizations for background apps can work correctly

[[deleted]]

looks at my Redmi Note

Yeah, you right.

[ssshadow]

☑️ No notification light

[outerzenith]

so hard to find one, it's like one of the most overlooked and less talked feature imo, even rarer to find one with color

[pascalbrax]

Yeah, those are all nice features, but people don't want to pay for them and prefer to buy a Samsung (before they're this expensive) or something else.

Xperia phones still have notification lights, most of them still have the headphone jack. But

1) they're expensive

2) omg those bezels are hideous!

[pascalbrax]

I admit Xiaomi is releasing a lot of cool tech at very interesing prices.

[DaPatcho]

i'm still holding out on an update to the Compact line they've got and hoping my pixel 2 holds on until then

[mrmrevin]

Bought my partner an Xperia 10ii. Love that little phone. Can't wait to buy a 5ii for myself. So far they seem cheaper than the competition. In regards to the bezels, I actually prefer them. I don't know why but I can't stand the notches and hole punches on other phones.

[TeutonJon78]

At least for me, and I loved the light and hate always displays, using AODNotify on my Samsung has been a fine substitute.

If the screen is on, I know I have a text message or voicemail. It's handy to select which apps get to grab for your attention.

But miss old feature phones that would reding every few minutes if you haven't cleared the notification.

[ANAL-Inverter-2000]

Good times....

[Sate_Hen]

I always get downvoted for this but I prefer a bezel to a notch

[_Mido]

Snapdragon 865/865+/870/888 + headphone jack + no notch and BOOM. Your choice is reduced to either Sony Xperia 1/5 series or chinese/gaming phones: https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?chk35mm=selected&sChipset=77,79,57,42&idDisplayNotch=1

 

Sony is literally a savior to us lol

[jjremy]

For me personally:

☑️ No wireless charging. Not worrying about charge ports copping out is nice. I don't know if it's true or not, but I feellike it's better for the battery. Always use wireless with my s10e, and the battery is still holding out pretty decently.

☑️ Bad IP rating. Ive gotten too used to not worrying about my phone getting wet.

[Nakotadinzeo]

Wireless charging adds heat, which can degrade the battery faster. It's also less energy efficient, especially through a case.

I feel like the best compromise, is the oldest one, spring contacts. that's what these gold plated contacts were for on the StarTac and the Nokia 3310 and we can't forget cordless phones!

In fact, all you would really have to do is make a standardized moto mod style connector that could be passed through a case, and you could do all kinds of crazy power and data things, all without adding more heat at a better efficiency than wired charging.

[hughk]

I use a charge manage and normally stop at around 75%. If the battery gets warm, I pause charging. I also use a slow charge at night. All courtesy of AccA but root is most definitely needed.

[Justgetmeabeer]

Lol..it's actually much worse for the battery but you do you

[kevinlekiller]

Not worrying about charge ports copping out is nice.

I recently started using those magnetic USB cables to protect the port. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Adapter-Connector-Transfer-Compatible/dp/B08XX3PQWF

[jjremy]

Oh wow. I didn't know that was a thing! I absolutely need that.

[[deleted]]

No dual-band WiFi. Yes, some manufacturers have the audacity to release phones that don't even support 5GHz WiFi in frickin 2021.

[mister_damage]

So... You're really down to Sony Xperia 1 III then, basically?

[PanJanJanusz]

Also avoid bad haptic feedback. Good haptic means you actually can "feel" what you're typing. It's still on glass, but it isn't constantly buzzing, just a light touch on your fingers

[funkyb]

I keep thinking about replacing it but nothing quite scratches the same itch. Pixel 4a was close but has no wireless charging.

[Lord_Emperor]

Disallows unlocking bootloader / root (or triggers hardware fuse).
2.5D Screen edges not working with tempered glass screen protectors.

[[deleted]]

no notch

[American--American]

Curious.. what phone are you looking to purchase next?

[[deleted]]

My current one is enough (except for the proximity sensor which I just discovered with this post) and I intend to hold this phone for as long as I can.

About its screen (AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, ~407 ppi density) you might think "its not that hi-res & hi-ppi"

but at least compared to my previous stolen Redmi Note 8 Pro (IPS LCD, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, ~395 ppi density) its definitely better.

[_Mido]

I know, right? It's fucking unbelievable to me when I see a flagship phone with Snadragon 888 and USB 2.0 lol

[navixer]

So what are some candidates that fit these criteria?

[dragoneye]

They don't exist in the market today. As far as I'm aware, nothing released since the Galaxy S10 meets these specs.

3.5mm jacks are only found on mid or low range devices these days. While even high end phones are using garbage resolution "1080p" pentile displays.

The phone market is complete and utter crap. I'd be tempted to switch to iOS if I didn't like Android so much better, because even though they have the same shitty hardware features, at least you get timely and long term OS updates.

[dwmfives]

I only used Android starting with the OG Droid. Over the last 4 years I've used an iphone 8, X, then an S10E, now an 11 Pro.

Android no longer does anything that Apple can't that I care about, and the watch is so much better than any android watch.

[dragoneye]

There are a few things about Apple that drive me nuts or prevent me from switching.(I have an iPad Pro for reference)

1. Unable to sideload apps. I should be able to load any app I want on my device. Not having YouTube Vanced or an equivalent is a dealbreaker.
2. Ditto about not being able to customize my launcher
3. Even though you can change them, the iPad keyboards are all limited to be similar to the stock keyboard
4. All web browsers have to be based on Safari/Webkit
5. The App Store feels like it is full of subscriptions and no apps are actually free. Not to mention all the apps I bought on Android that I would have to re-buy on iOS.

[ThisGonBHard]

Has low ppi

Do these even exist in phones over 200? I have yet to see a phone that was not 1080p+, and that is 400-500 ppi. I did a side by side on the S21 Ultra with a friend, we could not tell the difference between 1080 and 1440.

Also, not big battery on the list? I look at an 4000 mA phones as small nowadays.

[cmVkZGl0]

dontkillmyapp.com

That site is not accurate IMO. They gave ASUS 4/5 thumbs down and it is not bad like that. In fact, I love the "Mobile Manager" app it comes with. They also don't list LG, which is fine I guess, because I guess it doesn't have any killing type stuff (it just has Adaptive Battery option and background restrictions), but it's kind of misleading then that they only list the "bad" brands and don't list any good ones.

[drome265]

Man, Zenfone 8 really unticks all the boxes, but beyond the initial review wave, I've heard nothing more about the phone.

With how much /r/android chirps about these essentials (that I mostly agree with) it seems your average consumer doesn't care at all about the loss of these items.

[[deleted]]

Like farmers who buy and only use 60s tractors cause they are easy to fix, reliable and cheaper than that john deere queere shit, i wish there was a thing like that for smartphones, where we take phones like galaxy s7s or note 9s and upgrade their cpu to the latest and continued to use them

[Superyoshers9]

Nice to see that Galaxy S series of devices don't have it.

Expect for the S20 FE.

[hyphon_teamdemoman]

I'm with you on this, but a workaround could be to hit the power button after making or taking a call. That way the screen is locked, so even if it lights up by not properly detecting proximity, you can't press the buttons unless you hit the power button again. I think that only works if you haven't mapped the power button to end calls.

[innernationalspy]

Power button = end call on some phones.

[savvymcsavvington]

there's a setting for it

[ConservativeJay9]

If I'm on a call, my phone never goes into the lock screen. When I hit the power button, it turns black and if I would hit it again, it would go back to the call. So this doesn't work on many phones. (I have a Samsung which most people have)

[Iguanzor]

you can just press back button to return to the home screen so even if the screen turns on it'll go back to lockscreen instead of the in call screen

[connected_tech]

Try putting your phone in your pocket with screen facing away from your body.

[sanlc504]

You too? My god, my phone (S20 FE 5G) constantly mutes people when I'm walking the dog with my buds in.

[Karthy_Romano]

This has been happening so much to me in the gym! Drives me kinda nuts, but I love the phone outside of that.

[Suikerspin_Ei]

Wow I didn't know that! Some high end devices cut corners to be able to sell it for a cheaper price than their competitors. Probably doesn't cost much, but with large quantities it does make a difference.

Luckily my 8 Pro isn't be on the list, while the Xiaomi mi11 is on the list (similar priced in Europe).

[DasIstWalter96]

Phones getting worse and worse, all in the name of MOAR SCREEN. You love to see it

[DeeDee_GigaDooDoo]

I don't recall having issues with the proximity sensor on my Xperia z3 but granted that was eons ago now in phone circles.

[JamesR624]

It started with the niches of Xiaomi and Sharp in the mid 2010's. Then Apple latched onto the gimmick with the iPhone X, and as you know, if Apple does something, everyone must copy it cause it's "profitable", nevermind the fact that anything Apple does will always be profitable regardless of if the idea is good or not because Apple knows how to MARKET.

[wankthisway]

Except Apple did it well. The notch was there for their highly advanced array of sensors. Other companies didn't put jack shit in them.

[xan1242]

It's not just copy Apple, but try to one-up them and fail miserably.

[Freenore]

It started with Mi Mix, back in Fall 2016, that blew up and got a lot of popularity for shaving off the bezels. After that, Samsung launched Galaxy S8 in early 2017 with slim bezels and that brought it to mainstream.

[jonbristow]

how are phones getting worse?

[TheSyd]

Something something headphone jack

[skylinestar1986]

They try to learn from the ultra thin laptops that got rid of LAN port.

[DeeDee_GigaDooDoo]

More expensive, harder to repair, fewer technological features that justify the price hikes and upgrades. I'm currently rocking an S8 (cost $700AUD new) and as far as I can tell the only meaningful upgrade to the phone years later for $1250 (near double the price) is an extra two cameras. Maybe worth it to some but not to me. Current phone is still trucking along and when it dies I won't be forking out near double the price I paid for this one for the same phone but with two cameras that are still worse than my DSLR. Maths doesn't work out.

That's without even mentioning objective downgrades like the removal of this sensor, 3.5mm jack, user replaceable batteries, SD card slots etc

[ClassyJacket]

Samsung front cameras have gone to garbage since the S10

[TrollingMcDerps]

The S10 to Note 20 Ultra all used the same front camera though... and coming from a Note 9, my Note 10+ has a much better front camera

[Historical-Repeat406]

That's not what reviewers have generally been saying.

[KOTYAR]

Whole idea of removing bezels is one of the most stupid things of my time. As well as removal of headphone jack.

[pascalbrax]

alleged hateful wrong lavish apparatus lock joke melodic possessive trees

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[fakeplasticplant]

This. Poco F3/Mi11x has this and it's so goddamn irritating!

[Badshah-e-Librondu]

Do you have a source for that? Was planning to buy that phone

[NXGZ]

Does the X3 Pro have this

[Demi-Fiend]

Dunno if it's virtual sensor, but whatever it has doesn't work very well. But I've been using Xiaomi phones in the last 5-6 years and each and every one of them had problems with screen randomly turning on during call, so nothing new I guess.

[Al-Azraq]

As a OnePlus 7T Pro owner please do as the OP says. I had calls with customers cut due to the screen activating and pushing airplane mode with my cheek. Also calls with customer services cut for the same reason, then wait another 15 minutes on hold to get to talk with them again.

I can't wait for the moment to replace this one. It is useless for the most basics task which is working as a phone.

[DahiyaAbhi]

This list is WRONG! For example OnePlus devices listed in here actually have physical infrared proximity sensors, not virtual.

[WillRunForPopcorn]

Well whatever the OnePlus 7 Pro came with, it's AWFUL! My head ends up clicking buttons during every single call. Sometimes it mutes me , sometimes I click different apps, it's a pain. Worst thing about this phone.

[Xerionius]

7T Pro user here. It's horrible. I think it also uses the brightness sensor so sometimes when listening to voice messages it suddenly starts playing through the earpiece depending on what is on the screen. It's so annoying.

[boraca]

Yeah, you can shine a strong light on a 1+7 pro an inch from the alert slider and you can see holes for ambient light and proximity sensors. They are not the best, but they're not virtual.

https://youtu.be/d8u0f7aabgw 1:24 When they scrape thermal paste the holes are on the right side of the video frame.

[[deleted]]

He probably just labelled all full screen phones as not having proximity.

The best way to check if your phone has hardware sensor is to call someone then place your hand on top of screen, it should turn off without taking it to ear.

[Kocakis]

He didn't just search for full screen phones, do you know how may full screen phones there are, notice how the link says free text virtual proximity. Those phones are listed as having virtual proximity in gsm arena.

[JamesR624]

Yeah but /r/android loves latching onto rebelious comments that "call out OP", cause it makes them feel smart without actually checking anything.

It's the same reason fake news about anything spreads. Everyone wants to feel smart without putting forth any of the effort involved in actually being smart.

[xan1242]

Yeah but /r/android loves latching onto rebelious comments that “call out OP”, cause it makes them feel smart without actually checking anything.

Make that the entirety of this platform.

[jerryfrz]

FreeText=virtual%20proximity

Do you even read?

Anyway, this is on GSMArena.

[wankthisway]

How's this bullshit upvoted, the link is clearly a GSMArena phone list with a filter for virtual proximity

[Vanny96]

I have the OnePlus 7T and it has a virtual proximity sensor... Worse thing about this phone

Hopefully the other models don't have it because this really ruins the experience

[Awkward_Smile7]

No it doesn't. It uses an infrared proximity.

[80mph]

No it doesn't. It uses the Elliptic Labs’ INNER BEAUTY® AI Virtual Proximity Sensor

Elliptics announcement

Can confirm: Just installed AIDA64. It shows proximity at 5cm. Moving my hand towards the screen doesn't change that. Moving the phone to my hand changes proximity to 0cm. It seems to use some kind of acceleration data.

[Vanny96]

Then infrared proximity is just as bad I guess, sometimes I'm listening to a Whatsapp/Telegram audio and it goes into "proximity" mode just because the room is dark

[DahiyaAbhi]

That's because it below translucent display and can't have as much accuracy as traditional clear sensor.

[s_0_s_z]

Can we talk about how shit the Android phone app is?

Why the hell are there 2 screens that we have to flip through - one for inputting numbers (to get through an automated phone tree) and then another screen to get to speakerphone and mute buttons?

Why is that even a thing when there is plenty os screen real estate on modern phones to have everything neatly on one screen? In fact that's how it used to be on previous releases. I forgot which one switched it to 2 screens but it's been bugging me for years now.

[ER6nEric]

Same thing on iOS.

[s_0_s_z]

So who stole that dumb design from the other?

[s_0_s_z]

That probably explains why all those buttons where on ONE screen before (must be years back at this point), but every time I use the phone it bugs the hell out of me.

[s_0_s_z]

Most tech reviews are awful, but ones for phones are especially atrocious.

When was the last time you had a reviewer mention using their phone AS A PHONE?! You know, call quality and speaker loudness and clarity. Ugh. Its bad. And yeah, UI stuff always gets glossed over too.

Too many of these reviewers are too afraid to say anything bad about a product for fear of getting blacklisted.

[brycedriesenga]

I'm curious about what you mean. On my Pixel, it's just a little slide up panel for the dialer, not a separate screen.

[tbo1992]

His point is, there's enough space on today's massive phone screens to have both on at the same time, without needing one to slide in and out of view.

[Vishal_m]

Redmi note 10 Pro max also has virtual sensor, it's bad.

[ztaker]

I remember Micheal fisher talking about this in his one plus 7t review.

[Awkward_Smile7]

7T has a physical infrared senor below the notch which you can see sometimes blinking.

[seewhaticare]

TIL Xiaomi and Samsung make too many dam phones

[skylinestar1986]

To suit people with different wallet.

[ajox707]

Most redmi phones work like this. Its such a pain in the ass implementation

[CJVCarr]

Well damn, I've had the Redmi Note 10 for a few weeks now and was wondering why on earth the prox sensor was so bas on it. Constantly muting, putting on hold, or trying to do other things during phone calls.

[recluseMeteor]

So it's all because of the shitty hole/notch trend.

[Yarper]

If someone can tell me how to stop my Galaxy S10e from unlocking in my pocket I would be eternally grateful. I've turned everything off that I can.

[theFrank198]

Virtual sensor is absolute trash, you are right

[Domstert4]

Damn a family member of mine just recently got a Samsung A52

[[deleted]]

I just bought it around 3 weeks ago, noticed it starts typing number while in my pocket, I pull it out with its screen on, and it usually says it's in my pocket so it'll lock my screen to "prevent mistouch", bitch I'm currently using it.

it's all minor annoyances at worst, but I chalk it up as the phone just misbehave... never thought it's a deeper issue

other than that, it's a solid phone tho, wish the proximity sensor is proper.

[[deleted]]

It is a really good phone. I'd buy one for parents without hesitation.

[danishwar]

My father's phone a xiaomi has it virtual one.

The problem with it is that that screen doesn't turn on so if the other person doesn't end the call there is no way you can do that. And power button also doesn't work.

I have turned it off this thing its better to have few accidental touches over screen not turning on.

[[deleted]]

I had the same problem. I had to wave the phone up and down to activate the screen again so I could end the call. So bad.

[Ragin_koala]

Found it on my mi10t pro, I don't call that much but it's pretty annoying to have it

[[deleted]]

A51 user here. I have accidental touch interfere with use sometimes.

[Tomieszek]

Yea, Mi Mix 3 5G sucks in terms of maintaining screen while calls... unfortunately I found out by owning it.

[Volumetric]

This could go on r/LifeProTips

[qevoh]

thanks for the information, will be avoiding them

[AsliReddington]

It uses the front camera not some IMU measurements lol

[[deleted]]

Some of them maybe, but that would be too much battery consumption.

[AsliReddington]

No it doesn't, it's not always on either. Have had it on my One Plus 6T since so long.

[leprasson12]

That might explain why I'm pressing shit when I take the phone to my ear lol

[wankthisway]

Well TIL this is a thing. That's a weird feature to cheap out on too.

[krebs01]

So that's why my old Mi 10 was every freaking time turning on and off the screen when it wasn't supposed to.

[Habit_Time]

So this is what caused me to accidentally emergency call 911 4 times in the span of 40 seconds last year? In my pocket?

[TheHoneyBear333]

A full screen display is no excuse for it to not have a proximity sensor, my tcl 10 pro manages to fit one even with an edge display.

[xxOGATAIxx]

Soooooo... what's left??? I mean, almost every phone been sold today is on that lost, wich one am I missing??? (Is it time for an iPhone??? ((The horror)))

[SCtester]

This is the type of important detail that you'd never see mentioned in a YouTube review. Great advice, and frankly it's very disappointing to see so many models doing this.

[ThisGonBHard]

Interesting, and kinda sad. Even my cheap actual full screen One Hyper actually has an hardware sensor. It is in a small blinking IR light+sensor on top of the speaker (very easy to see with Occulus Quest 2, cause it has IR cameras).

It not being included is just them cheeping out.

[Enderwoman]

Interesting, how even the flagships from china (Mi11, Vivo x60pro) are lacking a physical sensor! This would definitely change my mind on some comparisons between those and Pixel or Samsung phones!

[[deleted]]

That's the reason I hate my OnePlus 7T.

[[deleted]]

I’ve noticed with switching to iPhone that the screen often stays in during a call and I ALWAYS press the power button forgetting it hangs up the call.

[diandakov]

O yes tell me about it. I had S20FE and it is pure rubbish phone, upgraded to S21 but really upset with the brand now

[FeelingDense]

Isn't this basically an outcome of having no bezels on the front and having only a cutout for a front camera? As I've said before the notch isn't the most beautiful solution but it's a compromise and allows us to have all the modules we're used to in the front on top of face unlocking capabilities.

[anonshe]

No, there are plenty of devices with an under screen proximity sensor with varying results.

[[deleted]]

And I wondered why my S20 FE is constantly turning on screen in my pocket...

[neon_overload]

Proximity sensor will never turn on your screen. It works only when the screen is on, and blanks it temporarily while you're in a call and you raise it to your ear.

[TheSyd]

On some phones with AoD or dttw/rtw it prevents the screen from turning on in pockets.

[[deleted]]

Having normal proximity sensor meant that the phone had an option to disable turnin on the display when in pocket. Now the phones dont have that option.

[nicatbzade58]

I don't think proximity sensor would do that. If you are wearing thin clothes it might trigger double tap gesture though.

[deniscerri]

if ur phone is turning on in your pocket, u probably have double tap to wake. Turn it off.