[akhil_007]

Any review on redmi note 3? I m planning to get in next sale. Specs wise, its almost a flagship model.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm sure the redmi note 3 will be very desirable. I don't like MIUI, but what does that matter, when launchers and styles and stuff can be installed without even rooting. The actual look of a phone's screen, and whether it has an "app drawer" or not, are the last things to worry about.

My latest play with the phone's appearance toy is Layers Manager. It is superb, and it is possible that the Spectrum theme might be the only layers theme a person needs, as it is equivalent to dozens of individual themes

[ramzsys]

What differentiates the sound quality between these android phones? Am i right in believing that Snapdragon SoC phones will be better than mediatek ones?

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I don't like MIUI

My OPO has had MI Home as it slauncher for quite some time now. True, the app-tray-less design is a bit intimidating for some but once you get used to it, you'll find that it is much more intuitive.

It is a shame that, after all tehse years, neither Google nor Sammy nor LG nor any of the leading OEMs out there could not make something as slick and beautiful s MIUI.

[JonSnow]

Originally Posted by akhil_007

Any review on redmi note 3? I m planning to get in next sale. Specs wise, its almost a flagship model.

There are quite a few reviews on youtube, and seem very positive on almost all aspects. The camera seems to be average, which is okay for me as I don't take much pictures from my phone.

I am tempted to buy this phone as my next phone. Just holding back because it seems a bit too big for me. Also, I have been using Motorola phones for some years now and like their ergonomics and performance. So I will wait for this year's Moto lineup to be released before making a decision.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

My latest play with the phone's appearance toy is Layers Manager. It is superb, and it is possible that the Spectrum theme might be the only layers theme a person needs, as it is equivalent to dozens of individual themes

I have never tried to alter the phone's appearance much. Does it have any noticeable impact on performance?

Originally Posted by civic-sense

My OPO has had MI Home as it slauncher for quite some time now. True, the app-tray-less design is a bit intimidating for some but once you get used to it, you'll find that it is much more intuitive.

It is a shame that, after all tehse years, neither Google nor Sammy nor LG nor any of the leading OEMs out there could not make something as slick and beautiful s MIUI.

I guess it's subjective but I am not convinced by the app-tray-less design. My dad uses a Redmi Note and I found it quite difficult to use. He had ended up with 7 home screens with apps spread randomly all across making it very difficult to locate a specific app and he could not figure out how to reduce them. I installed the Nova launcher to make it easier.

But I agree that MIUI looks beautiful, and it performs well too. No issues of slowness/lag like Samsung's Touchwiz.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

It is a shame that, after all tehse years, neither Google nor Sammy nor LG nor any of the leading OEMs out there could not make something as slick and beautiful s MIUI.

Icons on a page: how is that any more slick or beautiful than any other "icons on a page" android? However, I do recall liking some of the stock apps (which some would call bloatware, but one man's useful is another man's bloat) that came with MIUI. But I didn't spend long with the MIUI rom I tried on my Defy+ a couple of years back before shifting to CM, and, although I didn't install a different rom on the mi4i (only had it a few months before the phone-killing flood) I did change the launcher.

No App Drawer is the anithesis of my way of using the phone. You won't find app icons, apart from the dock on my home page, which has only two screens (plus one more dedicated to displaying my calendar. You will find just a few folder icons. and those folders, between them, contain over 40 apps. There is no folder called unwanted-stuff or the-rest: that is for the app drawer, and, in the app drawer, apps that are in those folders are, mostly hidden, so it is, literally, the rest. Each of my home-screen folders has a default app that is launched by swiping it: most of my most-used apps are just a single touch away.

No app drawer is, apparently, on Google's wish list. Never mind, I'm sure some of the launcher designers will remember that many of us insist on having one.

Ultimately, it seems to me that the only bad android is one that the buyer cannot make look anyway they want.

The only people for whom the out-of-the-box interface look is the biggest deal maker or breaker are those who are afraid to even try a new launcher. Well, OK, yes... I was one of those not so very long ago, and there must be millions more, but anyone in a serious android thread is probably not such an one.

Originally Posted by JonSnow

I have never tried to alter the phone's appearance much. Does it have any noticeable impact on performance?

Not that I have noticed as yet, but, let me admit that it is something of an end in itself for me: a way of whiling away some idle moments. It takes up more than idle moments when I have a new phone, but less once I have it looking to my taste. So, you should probably ask me, does customising your phone get slower after customising your phone? . Well, no, I haven't noticed that it does, even though one might think that stuff like Layers and Xposed might do so. I'm guessing there is point beyond which it does.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by JonSnow

I guess it's subjective but I am not convinced by the app-tray-less design. My dad uses a Redmi Note and I found it quite difficult to use. He had ended up with 7 home screens with apps spread randomly all across making it very difficult to locate a specific app and he could not figure out how to reduce them. I installed the Nova launcher to make it easier.

But I agree that MIUI looks beautiful, and it performs well too. No issues of slowness/lag like Samsung's Touchwiz.

I recently bought a Moto E for my Dad who is a first time smartphone user, and I am having a tough time explaining to him the various jargons like homescreens, apps, app-tray, app-shortcuts, widgets etc. Now, if had given him an iPhone, I just had to teach him about homescreens and apps. Actually there is no need to complicate a phone with all these concepts. The concept of "homescreens" and "shortcuts" are borrowed from computers, and sound intuitive to only people who has used computers, not the lay persons.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Icons on a page: how is that any more slick or beautiful than any other "icons on a page" android?

Well, the launcher forms only a part of the OS, and even at that, the icons of MIUI are better designed than the ones in stock android not to mention the touchwiz icons. The white/green settings screens of Lollipop/Marshmallow look equally bad as the black blue ones in ICS/JB/KK. They should hire a creative team and stop letting engineers design.

No app drawer is, apparently, on Google's wish list.

Well, that is news to me but am happy to hear that. If you look at history, Google went back on quite a few things since their original G1. It was Google's reply to iPhone and they included all the "features" that iPhone wilfully left out. Physical keyboard, phone buttons, SD cards, removable battery. But look at the nexus now. So google has been correcting their device over time while apple got it right with their very first device. And now the app drawer is going...

[mukul32]

For those who haven't heard of it yet, Google has released a developer preview (alpha) of Android N (which I personally very strongly believe is going to be called 'Nutella') a couple of days ago, and it looks extremely promising. First and foremost, multi window is officially in, that too for BOTH smartphones and tablets!! Doze has been improved even further. The notification screen, recent apps switcher, etc have gotten overhauls. And it is quite practical too, with neat small touches throughout the UI. Most of the criticism about Lollipop being buggy and Marshmallow being, well, not very innovative should be put to rest with this one.
Here's MKBHD's take: (a must watch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bMbcNUM68U

PS: It is just a very early developer preview yet, not meant for regular users, even though it does look more stable than just that.

[bluevolt]

Guys, What are your views on Samsung Galaxy S7? Worth spending 50k? They are giving the Vgear for free if booked till 17th march.

This will be for my sister, needs to replace her 3 year old Galaxy Grand.

I am still content with my HTC

[digitalnirvana]

@bluevolt depends on the usage. At that price I would go for stock nexus 6p. At a lower price point the oneplus 2 is excellent vfm at 22k and lower still the redmi note 3 at 12k. Galaxy grand is quite old and all will be substantial upgrades. I would suggest a mid range Samsung like the j7 if she is used to Touchwiz. Look for phones supporting VoLTE when buying

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

I recently bought a Moto E for my Dad who is a first time smartphone user, and I am having a tough time explaining to him the various jargons like homescreens, apps, app-tray, app-shortcuts, widgets etc. Now, if had given him an iPhone, I just had to teach him about homescreens and apps. Actually there is no need to complicate a phone with all these concepts. The concept of "homescreens" and "shortcuts" are borrowed from computers, and sound intuitive to only people who has used computers, not the lay persons.

I have some sympathy with wondering why another round of jargon has to be invented for every new thing, which isn't new really, it is just the same thing in a different shape or size, but as for homescreens, apps, app-tray, app-shortcuts, widgets etc being overly complex, oh, come on! Sure, shouldn't there be one screen that is the home screen, and why not just call apps programs, and so on, but really, once we get used to these "wrong" (and I still call folders directories) names. we are. as the Americans say, good to go!

By the way, I am 63. At least as old as your dad? I admit that I have a technical background in work, but even that didn't start until I was thirty-something. Intuitive is what you are used to. For most of my life it was a pen, a book, a manual typewriter, etc.

This is hardly the stuff of a young generation The people who laid down the basics and made our computer=oriented world and its coding are ancient, even dead, now. I was talking to a friend who knew Mr Cray: my friend is 82!

An "app drawer," stupid name that it is, is not the difference between simple and obstructively complicated. For me, personally, it is the difference between easy to see what I want, and where-the-hell-am-I.

I'm warming to my theme here, but I have to stop. as migrane is coming on, and the symptoms with me are mostly visual. I can't see what I'm typing --- so sorry to cut this short, and for the inevitable typos ...

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by akhil_007

Any review on redmi note 3? I m planning to get in next sale. Specs wise, its almost a flagship model.

I have jumped the gun and have ordered it, but the shipping is unbelievably slow from the mi website. My phone just got shipped yesterday night and I am waiting for the delivery.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm sure the redmi note 3 will be very desirable. I don't like MIUI, but what does that matter, when launchers and styles and stuff can be installed without even rooting. The actual look of a phone's screen, and whether it has an "app drawer" or not, are the last things to worry about.

My latest play with the phone's appearance toy is Layers Manager. It is superb, and it is possible that the Spectrum theme might be the only layers theme a person needs, as it is equivalent to dozens of individual themes

I don't like the no app drawer design - I like my home page to be devoid of icons and the only stuff on my home page now is the dock and it have just two apps in it.



But I like the community support and the encouragement they give you to tweak your phone and I hope I can customize the display to my liking one I get the phone.

--Anoop

[bluevolt]

Ordered Samsung Galaxy S7. Expected Delivery 21 March!

VR gear to be received after activating the phone.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

I have jumped the gun and have ordered it, but the shipping is unbelievably slow from the mi website. My phone just got shipped yesterday night and I am waiting for the delivery.

I am still missing mi!

I don't like the no app drawer design - I like my home page to be devoid of icons and the only stuff on my home page now is the dock and it have just two apps in it.

Wow, you make me feel that my phone is cluttered!




(I wanted that on one line, but I didn't make the images small enough)

The home home screen is the first one, with the more prominent clock and weather info, and the least icons. The two home screens with folder icons actually contain over forty apps. As the folders have a default action to launch an app on swipe, I don't have to open them that often. I choose to devote a whole screen to a calendar widget* so it is only ever a swipe away.

I choose to limit myself to three home screens, so I am never more than two swipes away from what I want, even in the wrong direction. That, for me, was a new idea on this phone: previously I have had numerous screens.

The launcher is Nova with Marshmallow stock icons, the clock is Chronus. The calendar widget., to get something that fits my look and feel, is DigiCal

But I like the community support and the encouragement they give you to tweak your phone and I hope I can customize the display to my liking one I get the phone.

Indeed you can! You can keep the rom and change the launcher.

The Mi encouragement to tweek (warranty is not voided by rooting or custom roms) is exemplary. The community is great, although the mi forums are about 99% noise to signal, with the vital info being in there somewhere with all the many pages of "love this phone," "great post," "me too," and "+1" nonsense. They seem to have even designed it that way, with some content being unavailable until one posts to a thread.


*Mylapore Temple Festival... it's there because I'm more interested in traffic than religion . The other entries are carnatic concerts. Nothing personal enough to blur.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I am still missing mi!

Wow, you make me feel that my phone is cluttered!

This is one habit I carried forward from my PC - even in my Desktop and laptop, you will not see any icons on the home page - the only thing on my home screen is the task bar.

One of the apps I can't live without is Zedge - I get truck loads of good quality wallpapers and I use Zedge to keep them changing every hour

I choose to limit myself to three home screens, so I am never more than two swipes away from what I want, even in the wrong direction. That, for me, was a new idea on this phone: previously I have had numerous screens.

The launcher is Nova with Marshmallow stock icons, the clock is Chronus. The calendar widget., to get something that fits my look and feel, is DigiCal

That is an interesting approach, but some how, I do not like the look of Folders on Android.

Now, if I can customize the icons of folders and choose a simple one instead of a fruit salad of the icons of all the individual programs inside it, then it is worth considering. I hope it will not surprise you the fact that I love the bauhaus school of design and like things clutter free

The Mi encouragement to tweak (warranty is not voided by rooting or custom roms) is exemplary. The community is great, although the mi forums are about 99% noise to signal, with the vital info being in there somewhere

Yes - this is something I liked very much, and they offer official downloads and you can do a ROM update easily like you install an APK, instead of doing it via fastboot. The forums like Mi makes me realize what an effort the mods put to keep Team-BHP clean. It is a Herculean task to go through the threads to get any information, and unless the information is on the first page, it is next to impossible to find among all the '+1,thanks for sharing,awesome,Me too' kind of posts.

*Mylapore Temple Festival... it's there because I'm more interested in traffic than religion . The other entries are carnatic concerts. Nothing personal enough to blur.

Ah, reminds me that it's been ages since I have attended a carnatic concert.

--Anoop