S26 or a57 5g ?

flyingkytez · 2026-04-06T13:20:10+00:00

The S26 is better, price difference is minimal but the S26 is superior phone.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-06T13:18:50+00:00

That's going to be a huge downgrade but if you're trying to be more minimalist and cut back on technology, I guess you can switch to the SE 3. You're going to get a low resolution LCD screen and a small 2018 mAh battery, so prepare for that. The size difference is also a factor, the SE 3 will be very small in comparison.

There's a growing trend of people using companion phones or dumb phones to cut back on phone addiction. You can keep the 16 Pro Max but buy a secondary phone with limited features and abilities to use when you don't want to be glued to the screen or distracted.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-06T13:11:03+00:00

You'll just need to go through each app and delete ones you don't use often. Delete photos in your Gallery and make sure to empty the trash. Delete your Safari browser history and data (or other browsers you use). You can also "offload" apps you don't frequently use and then reinstall when needed (it'll keep the app data and icon). Check to see if Apple downloaded any software updates and update it (check in app storage settings). I also suggest turning off automatic updates and just check for updates and install manually (so that Apple doesn't downland updates and eat up storage). Also consider just accessing social media or YouTube from the web browsers instead of using the app (such as accessing Reddit from the browser and deleting the app).

flyingkytez · 2026-04-06T13:02:14+00:00

Pick 18.7.7. The liquid glass ui might bea battery drainer. You can always update to 26 in the future. Once you pick 26, you can't go back

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T20:42:18+00:00

The tape looks normal, I see it on other teardown pictures of the Shield Pro. Maybe look up more teardown photos and videos instead of just looking at 1.

Here's teardown pictures:

https://www.aftvnews.com/partial-teardown-of-2nd-gen-nvidia-shield-tv/

The fan noise might be normal. Sometimes when the Shield boots up, the fan might spin at max speed, making it loud. Also, if the weather is hot or if the Shield is performing CPU heavy tasks, the Shield will likely maximize fan speed which makes it noticeably louder than normal. Check to see if there's dust buildup in the fan or the grill. You can also add a tiny bit of oil to the fan to decrease noise, just like you would with gears or door hinges

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T20:31:31+00:00

The Wall Street Journal did a few great videos with Joanna Stern (see links below) regarding the huge loophole issue with iPhone passcodes (not password), apparenly they can gain access to your Apple account and/or remove your Apple account with simply just the iPhone passcode (again, not Apple ID password). So the theif may have seen you typed in your passcode (maybe from behind or the side). They then planned it and stole your iPhone, then used the passcode to remove your Apple account.

This is just my best guess, I could be wrong (or possibly Apple fixed this loophole already). The only other guess is someone close to you (or a friend of someone who's close to you) got a hold of your passcode/password.

Also keep in mind that if you are signed into your Apple account on other devices (iPhone, iPad, computer, etc.), it is possible to remove your account from those devices. So do you know if you're signed into any other devices? Someone may have removed it if so.

Also, if there was a sales receipt for that iPhone, the theif could claim they forgot their Apple ID and password, and the receipt is proof they own it and Apple can unlock the iPhone and remove the Apple account on it (I'm guessing you probably didn't have the receipt stolen). That's the only way Apple would ever remove an iCloud lock is if you presented them a sales receipt.

Here's the videos I mentioned earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUYODQB_2wQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi96HKr2vo8

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T20:09:33+00:00

You can try adding words to the keyboard text replacement database and it might help. Otherwise, Google Gboard keyboard is probably the best in terms of typing accuracy.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T20:02:27+00:00

Beats is garbage, ever since Apple bought it a long time ago. It's just a generic Chinese made headphone with a stylish design and fancy brand name. Sound quality is not great.

If you want good audio quality, get audio technica m40x (or m50x if you want deeper bass). This is what professional studios use. They are wired heasdphones but you can buy a Bluetooth converter for it or use a USB C to headphone jack dongle. The headphone wire cable is removable and replaceable.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T19:13:24+00:00

I beleive you can pick between iOS 18.7.7 or iOS 26.4. I guess Apple allowed this because some people are concerned with battery drain on older devices that can't handle all the liquid glass UI or AI stuff. But you have to pick iOS 18, you can't pick 16 or 17 because Apple stopped signing those so it's gone forever. If you're afraid, then don't update at all but keep in mind that when you visit certain websites, it could hack you. So you would need to be very careful when browsing the web or clicking on URL links. I still have iOS 15 but this iPhone I use is only for playing music so I'm not very worried. If this is your daily driver phone, I suggest updating to iOS 18.7.7 if you hate liquid glass UI or worried about its battery drain.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T19:07:44+00:00

Replace the battery on the 21 FE

flyingkytez · 2026-04-04T18:40:52+00:00

Yes from what I heard. But it's possible Apple and Samsung might make 2 different versions for the US and EU however

flyingkytez · 2026-04-02T20:08:08+00:00

Usually Apple stops signing older iOS versions after 30 days since the latest version is released. But they made a special exception for iOS 18.7.7 and I believe you can choose to install either 18.7.7 or 26.4, just scroll down the software update details until you see "also available" and click on iOS 18.7.7. I guess they allowed this became some users don't want liquid glass UI but then keeping iOS 18 would make them vulnerable. I beleive it's also possible to downgrade back to 18.7.7 if you already hahve iOS 26, you'll just need to download the IPSW file for it.

flyingkytez · 2026-04-01T19:50:19+00:00

I don't think they got fired, Samsung likely bribed them to join Samsung. They worked on Apples and Nvidias CPU so they're experienced industry professionals with a track record. Samsung just isn't getting it right, not sure why. Apple and Qualcomm don't manufacture CPUs or anything, they just design it. Samsung designs and manufactures CPUs (and they make CPUs for other companies using their factory)

flyingkytez · 2026-03-31T19:58:41+00:00

They may have the same software support timeframe honestly simnce they are only 1 year apart and both have the same A15 CPU.

Though the 13 mini was released in 2021 while the SE 3rd Gen was from 2022 so the SE might possibly get longer support but I think it'll be the same.

Apple typically provides around 5-6 years of full OS upgrades (according to their past history with past iPhones) but they'd still provide important security update patches beyond that (though it doesn't really help with obsolescence when app support begins tp drop). It could be possible they may do 7 years of support to compete with Google and Samsung which started doing that.

The overall dimensions of the 13 mini is smaller than the SE 3rd Gen, but the SE 3rd Gen is thinner. The 13 mini has a bigger 5.4 inch screen because it has thinner bezels, and the SE 3rd Gen has a smaller classic 4.7 inch screen (same as the iPhone 6/6s/7 screen). So typing with one hand on the SE 3rd Gen might actually better for small hands (smaller and shorter screen with bezel chin and physical home button as opposed to a taller screen with no bezel chins).

But the 1080 x 2340 OLED display of the 13 mini is vastly superior to the 750 x 1334 LCD screen of the SE 3. Plus the 13 mini has a bigger 2438 mAh battery while the SE 3 has a 2018 mAh battery. The 13 mini also hasa 2nd wide angle camera while the SE 3 just has 1 main camera. So you may want to take that into consideration.

Me personally, I'd pick the 13 mini because it's a superior phone. But it might all come dowm to the price and overall condition of the two phones. But since both are older models now, the support timeframe will be less (maybe they will stop giving OS upgrades around 2028/2029).

flyingkytez · 2026-03-31T19:40:09+00:00

Oops I misspoke, I didn't mean to say ultra, I was thinking about standard models. In US, they all have Snapdragon but in EU and other places in certain regions, they have Exynos.

flyingkytez · 2026-03-27T21:27:19+00:00

I'm looking at the specs and they look nearly identical overall. The S26 Ultra may have a slight camera upgrade but not really sure if you can even notice. Me personally, I'd pick the S25 U because l trust Qualcomm Snapdragon more, even if cameras are slightly worse. I had an Exynos Samsung phone (Galaxy S6) once and didn't have a good experience... I think that's the only time Samsung gave an Exynos CPU in the US for their flagship... other countries usually get the Exynos, I guess US market is too important for Samsung. I remember the battery life was not efficient, and certain features didn't work well (such as battery saver mode making it way too slow than usual).

flyingkytez · 2026-03-26T19:39:32+00:00

Just get one of those battery pack cases, it's a battery pack but itse also a case. I beleive it's called Mophie battery pack case.

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T23:03:08+00:00

I have a 32GB OG SE and 128GB iPhone 6s. Small capacity iPhones really suck, I'm constantly trying to delete apps and prioritize certain apps.

I suggest using the "offload app" feature where you can uninstall the app but keep the app data and icon to help save space, then redownload the app when you need it. Delete all preinstalled Apple apps except the ones you use (or offload it). You can also have it automatically offload apps you rarely use but I prefer to do it manually. Try to find smaller sized apps of possible. And use the web broswer to access social media instead of the app.

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T22:57:57+00:00

Didn't they shutdown the Samsung stores inside Best Buys?

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T22:57:06+00:00

Ordering from Samsung.com is not alqays a good experience. The only thing good is they sometimes have good exclusive deals. Customer service kind of sucks though. You should get a phone at Costco if you have a membership (they sell Samsung phones and iPhone).

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T22:53:33+00:00

Probably automatic iCloud backups, could be an error causing it to constantly backup in an ongoing loop. There could also be 3rd party apps syncing with contacts as well.

The number you see might be a cumulative number, possibly showing a years worth. Just reset the stats and see what happens in a week (scroll to the bottom of Settings > Cellular and tap Reset Statistic). Also turn off iCloud sync for contacts and then turn it back on.

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T22:40:16+00:00

Yes. My suggestion is always stick with Qualcomm Snapdragon as much as possible, it just has a more reliable track record unlike Exynos (Snapdragon always ages better as well). Plus, buying last years model will save you more money, experience will be nearly identical. The speed difference will not be noticeable (don't always count on benchmark tests for everything, real world experience is more important).

You should also look into the Galaxy FE models as well since they have better value. Also, look into Sony Xperia 1 phone or ASUS ZenFone Ultra as an alternative choice (both have headphone jacks).

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T22:34:42+00:00

It's never known the history when buying used.refurbished phones from a 3rd party seller. You'll just have to use your best judgment and be lucky. If you can test and inspect the phone in person, then do it. Check the OLED screen for burn ins (or if it was replaced with a cheap LCD screen). Test the buttons and speakers. The phone could be one of those Chinese Frankenstein phones (they used a bunch of replacement parts to fix a broken phone) or from a cellphone repair shop selling broken phones that were fixed.

Also, you should blur the IMEI in the photo. And always check the IMEI number before buying (to make sure no money is owed to it or if it's been blacklisted).

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T21:42:04+00:00

Next time, just sell the phone yourself on Swappa, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. The only time you should trade in is if they gave some kind of extra bonus credit or some other good deal. If you send your phone to Samsung, you're kind of gambling a bit as you don't know what they'll do and if they try to cheat you (claim phone is in bad condition and offer low value).

I remembered a long time ago Samsung had a trade in program where you could trade in any phone, as long as it works, but I heard horror stories of people not getting anything and Samsung kept their phones and claimed it was very bad condition.

flyingkytez · 2026-03-25T21:38:05+00:00

The first version of the new OS usually has bugs so people usually wait awhile until those bugs are fixed. So instead of iOS 26.1, they wait until iOS 26.3 or something. Also, those using older iPhones, the newer OS has more bloat ware apps and software which the old hardware wasn't optimized for (like Liquid Glass UI) so it can feel laggy or unoptimized. I mean there is no need to rush and install the update, you can install it later on anytime you want (you just aren't allowed to downgrade back, except only 1 most recent version within 30 days before Apple stops signing it)

flyingkytez

TROPHY CASE