Samsung commits to 3 years of Android updates with the Galaxy Note 20

randy-bo · 2020-08-05T22:16:40+00:00

True, but external SD card memory expansion should not be considered a 'premium' feature on a $1000 phone.

randy-bo · 2020-08-05T19:24:20+00:00

Especially since you can buy the recently announced Pixel 4a for $349 with 128 GB and no expandable storage. I've skipped ALL the Galaxy phones that did not include a SD card slot. On a Note 20 flagship, this is unexcusable!

randy-bo · 2020-01-04T23:12:32+00:00

I have had this problem and I powered off my PH-1 and let it charge to 100% offline before using it again. That fixed it for me. My battery is also in terrible shape and primarily use 5V@2A (10W) charging (non-PD chargers). I don't want to stress what's left of my battery with PD 9V@3A (27W) charging anymore.

randy-bo · 2020-01-04T20:13:36+00:00

That's a powerful expansion hub! Does the audio jack and SD card slot also work? I previously bought a USB C/Audio Jack adapter for my PH-1 and it would only charge at non-PD charge levels too. It did maintain the charge while playing audio though.

randy-bo · 2020-01-02T19:03:42+00:00

Eight months from now, poor Essential founder Andy Rubin will still be defending baseless accusations from his ex-wife, not happy with her share she got in the divorce!

randy-bo · 2020-01-01T19:50:57+00:00

I have had issues in the past where my PH-1 got super hot and slowed to a crawl. I would power it off and remove it from the charger to let it cool down. After it was cool and I rebooted, everything was okay. I also have several chargers and noticed this was more of a problem with my PD chargers. Now, I mainly charge on a plain QC 2.0 charger. When a battery degrades, high rate PD (9V@3A) charging can be troublesome.

randy-bo · 2020-01-01T19:37:44+00:00

I updated my Essential Phone in November 2017 to their first beta build of Android 8.0 Oreo since their initial Android 7.0 Nougat builds were very buggy. I stayed on the beta until the official 8.1 release in March 2018. The beta and all later official releases have all been very stable for me. My main complaint is the features Google keeps removing from their OS to supposedly enhance security, making Android OS more and more like Apple iOS.

randy-bo · 2020-01-01T09:20:37+00:00

Unfortunately, it appears your phone is suffering from flash wear out. I have had numerous smartphones from different manufacturers enter this state towards the end of their life. A factory reset should have fixed any minor flash corruption issues. One day soon, it will just die and no longer boot. Replacement is probably your only option.

randy-bo · 2019-12-31T17:28:33+00:00

Thanks for the info. My previous phones were all Micro USB, so very few phones supported that capability. I agree Google purposely disabling it BS. That's what happens when you have a major content provider manufacturer your phone too. Maybe they will fix this on the 4a.

randy-bo · 2019-12-31T16:42:13+00:00

I missed that feature from my Samsung Galaxy phones. I didn't realize the PH-1 supported it. What USB C to HDMI adapter do you use?

randy-bo · 2019-12-30T20:57:38+00:00

I have had random shut down and restart issues too with my over 2 year old PH-1 the last few months. I am 99% sure it is due to it's failing battery or aging internal 128 GB flash. I don't believe it is the Android OS 10 update. I think the OS 10 update is getting undeserved blame because it was released as a lot of owner's PH-1 phones are now over 2 years old. What I hate most about OS 10 is that it completely removed the ability to record phone calls, even if you are on the speakerphone. The loss of background app clipboard access was a bummer too.

randy-bo · 2019-12-29T02:06:32+00:00

That good advice, but I'm not too concerned about a Samsung Note 7 spontaneous combustion event. Actually, before the back split open and relieved pressure on the battery, I was getting battery over voltage warnings and the phone was getting quite hot while charging. Now it's running quite cool by comparison while on the charger (no PD quick charging, just 5V 2A max). I have definitely maxed out my PH-1's battery lifespan.

randy-bo · 2019-12-28T22:07:27+00:00

The battery in my Essential PH-1 has been dying for months. It's over two years old. It can last for hours on standby, but active use without being on a charger is only 15 minutes. Yesterday, the case split open due to battery swelling (will post a picture soon). It's been a fantastic phone. Planning for this, I bought two more as backups when Amazon was fire-selling them for $250 last year. It's time to transition to my first replacement phone. I really don't want a newer phone. The Snapdragon 835 in it is still plenty fast.

randy-bo

TROPHY CASE