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-   -   Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/83859-android-thread-phones-apps-mods-1687.html)

Every bit of software is vulnerable to hacking, and one of the major technical defences against it is continuous security updates.

Android is a major target in the phone ecosystem because it is one of the two major OSes running on smartphones.

What makes Android somewhat more vulnerable than iOS or Windows Mobile is a design decision that Google made - that it will not push out Android updates to phones directly (unlike Apple and Microsoft). Instead, it releases the Android software and subsequent updates to device manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.), who would then pass it on to customers (i.e. us).

Manufacturers are allowed to customize and skin Android (think of Xiaomi phones which have their own MIUI interface), and most of them take advantage of this since it strengthens their brand and differentiates their phones. However, it also means that every update sent by Google should have those customizations applied once again by the manufacturers, retested, and only then issued to users.

Manufacturers don't have much incentive to do this - their profit lies in having customers buy new phones. And one easy - but annoying - way of forcing customers to upgrade is to cut-off Android updates after a particular date (which is usually one major release of Android).

So, that's one reason Android is more vulnerable - the failure of phone manufactures to issue software updates in line with Google.

Another reason offered as a reason for vulnerability is this - apparently, Apple uses technical and human verification of apps in their App Store, which reduces the chances of malicious apps appearing in the store; whereas Google uses only automatic technical verification, increasing the risk of malicious apps.

An update with pictures of the redmi note 4. Got to say the quality of the phone is top notch. I haven't managed to use it too much yesterday.

One thing is out of the 3GB RAM 1.5 to 1.8GB RAM is always used up. Also out of the 32GB ROM 10GB is already used up but I am sure you can delete a few apps and free up the space.

There are numerous video reviews on YouTube so there is not much to write. Some pictures for viewing pleasure. Please pardon the quality.

Go for moto e3 power. Although it's not a 4 inch device but has a great battery and stock Android to boot. Lenovo K6 power is another option. I don't know of any Android phones in the mid or high range with 4 inch screens. E3 power may be more user friendly but am afraid that the size will be similar to the OnePlus x.

So does it follow that the Nexus and now Pixel devices are less prone to these threats since here the updates are sent directly to your device by Google itself?

Guys any idea how I transfer my contacts from iOS device to Android? Need some help please.

Use a contacts backup app from the App store, which allows you to export contacts, like:

Contacts Backup - IS Contacts Kit Free by INTSIG Information Co.,Ltd
https://appsto.re/in/618vE.i

Email this file to the android device. And open the file on the Android device. Steps for this may vary depending on manufacturer.


Another option is to sync your contacts with gmail on both devices. This has not been very reliable with the iphone for some reason.

Thanks toyotaFan,
My priority is compact size and reliability. OneplusX feels too big, iphone 6s too.

Battery isn't an issue as hardly use anything other than whatsapp and make just couple of calls a day.

Good point. Yes, since those run stock Android ROMs, they are safeguarded from this specific avenue of attack (namely, vulnerabilities in the Android OS itself), for the period that Google issues those updates for those devices (e.g. the Nexus 5 has not been updated beyond Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow). So issues like the Heartbleed vulnerability will have been patched on Nexus devices once Google issued the relevant software updates.

However, running a stock Android ROM does not safeguard the phone from the other avenue of attack - that is malicious apps that claim to perform one function, but end up doing something else malicious (e.g. stealing data).

Nougat updates are out for the Samsung galaxy S 7 edge and S7. It's a huge 1.2Gb download.

Yup, seeing your post, I checked and it is being downloaded as I type.

Thanks for the heads-up :thumbs up

Yes, downloading A7 for the S7E 😊🍻. It will be coming with Samsung Pay for India.

Me too downloading, will update the experience soon!

My S7 has suddenly seen a huge dip in the battery life. How's the latest update in terms of battery life on the latest update? Running the UK Nougat edition and wondering if it's worth switching to the India Nougat update.

Phone is much more snappy. It is to early to comment on the battery performance but it seems to have improved seeing from the first few hours of use.

Got it..!! Lot of simplification...whether it is the notifications or the UI design. Color saturation is less. If you are used to AMOLED bling, you may get a little disappointed. Overall I am not greatly impressed.