phone posts

Finally got the One UI 7 / Android 15 update on my phone (Samsung S24) today. 15’s been out on Pixel devices for six months, but it took Samsung a long time with this one. I had bought this phone in part because Samsung is supposed to be quick with releases. Hopefully, this doesn’t become the norm.

Not a lot has changed noticeably. My most liked change is that I can have most app icons match my chosen accent color (green) which makes my home screen and quick app drawer look much nicer. There’s also a feature which separates the notification drawer and quick settings slide down, where swiping down from the left shows one and from the right, the other. I’m still getting used to that but may find it results in less swipes. There are a few other aesthetic tweaks. I think there’s a bunch of AI stuff, but I’m not that interested in that.


New phone: Samsung S24

Yesterday, I got a new phone, a Samsung Galaxy S24. Jade green, ordered from samsung.com because that was the only place to get green. I never got my Pixel 3a running again and my Moto X was just a little too broken, slow, poor network connecting, and unable to handle some apps. The S24 was my first Samsung and notably more expensive than any phone I’ve gotten before. But I justified it by its:

  • likely longevity with 7 years of updates, strong build, waterproofing
  • reasonable size
  • full features
  • 5G data
  • Dex desktop mode and USB video out

I’m still getting set up and getting used to it, but I think I’m happy with it.

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My Moto X phone, a stand-in for my non-functioning Pixel 3a, scared me by force shutting down and then getting stuck in a reboot loop for a bit. That’s too similar to the behavior of the Pixel. Luckily, plugging it into a different USB charger and giving it time, the problem resolved itself and it has been running fine for almost a full day. Hopefully, that keeps up, as I still haven’t gotten the Pixel going or figured out what I want for a new phone.


I’ve got home internet again

After three and a half years tethering for my home internet, I’ve given in and switched to “real” home internet: T-mobile Home Internet. Yes, it is cellular just like tethering, but it should allow for a lot more monthly transfer and may have bigger and better antennas and different handling at the tower. I finally gave in because the cost made sense and I feel it will give me more freedom and ease of doing things that require data.

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