Database Users

Nexus 9 Alternatives - Your Opinion Matters!

Hi everyone.
I'm very excited for getting a Nexus 9 this year, at this could be my first 4:3 Android device, and I'm generallyinterested in how this device would get incorporated into my everyday life.
However I'm kinda in a struggle to justify the 550$ for the 32GB LTE version (well, that's probably a common thing now) AND considering I'm planning to get the LTE version - I'm kinda worried that this model may not be the quickest one to receive the updates, as is seen with the N7 LTE, which by the way STILL hasn't gotten a 5.0 official ROM, and there's already 5.0.1 out, plus the fact that T-Mobile announced today that it's getting delayed, so basically I might not even be lucky enough to get one before Christmas (as I live outside the US).
All of this has me thinking - are there really good alternatives to Nexus 9 today?
I know there are great tablets such as Tab Pro 10.1 and Tab Pro 12.2, as well as Xperia Tablet Z2 and I think Asus has one or two good 10-inchers out there - all of the listed have failry great specs, have KitKat on board, and pack LTE inside them.
But the Nexus has me in because of the pure AOSP I'n getting with it, along with guaranteed 2 years of updates ahead
So, if you can give - please give me a list of 9-10" tablets that apply to the following requirements:
- Priced about the same as N9 LTE
- Have a 32GB or an SD-card expansion option
- Have the latest version of Android
- Have LTE support
- Have a moderately good development community, at least so the device would have an AOSP build available (such as CyanogenMod, for example)
Thanks in advance!

You have basically described the nvidia Shield except for the screen being 8 inches instead of 9.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app

Nvidia shield tablet is perfect
Hit Thanks if I Helped
-_-NAMELESS ROM 1+1-_-

I forgot to mention that I am currently rocking Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 LTE, and I am looking for a replacement of both of these tablets with one device, that's why I also looked at Nexus 9, and ideally the device should have a big display
Shield Tablet just doesn't cut it for me as the screen is too small + it's not really convenient for productivity usage such as Evernote

Fatal1ty_93_RUS said:
I forgot to mention that I am currently rocking Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 LTE, and I am looking for a replacement of both of these tablets with one device, that's why I also looked at Nexus 9, and ideally the device should have a big display
Shield Tablet just doesn't cut it for me as the screen is too small + it's not really convenient for productivity usage such as Evernote
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If big display is primary concern get the Nexus 9, but make sure you get it from somewhere you can get a replacement easily.

Do note that WiFi version already have unimpressive battery life, wonder how much poorer LTE version will be.

I'd consider an iPad Mini Retina, they're cheap right now, or an iPad Air.

Stresa said:
You have basically described the nvidia Shield except for the screen being 8 inches instead of 9.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The shield community still seems a bit early/immature. Not really much development going on.

LG G Tab 8.3 Google Play Edition

Deltadroid said:
LG G Tab 8.3 Google Play Edition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How well did the SD 600 behave its a bit old SoC!!im also looking for a tablet....im pretty consern about the battery life..as a nexus user i don't want to look over and over again about my battery stats..

The SD 600 seems to play very nicely with CM12. I actually bought the locked (but hackable) v500 model and the Google Play Edition is the v510. Both models are good, but the v500 might have a little more international support.

http://www.androidauthority.com/rumor-htc-release-new-tablet-based-nexus-9-573555/
Here's an interesting future option.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app

Imho, there isn't another tablet that will rival the n9 when all things are considered. I didn't want to cough up the money as I honestly feel that the n9 is overpriced because of its limited storage, mind you I have the 32gb version. 32gb is really low for a media consumption device so 16gb is simply unacceptable and should be done away with all together. I value my timely updates and I know Google will push out updates for at least the next 2 years, how much is that worth to you? There are only 2 companies I trust with updates, Apple and Google.
Fwiw, I was leaning towards an iPad mini 2 32gb as it cost much less and is a well built product but I don't like how constrictive iOS is, weird because I've loved every Mac I've owned. Apples to oranges I suppose, no pun intended.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app

Would about the Galaxy Tab S ?

flyoffacliff said:
Would about the Galaxy Tab S ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slow SoC and capacitive buttons are activated accidentally. Battery life is pretty low for everything except watching videos. Nice screen though.

Great
Great Info. Thanks

Go with a N9 WiFi-only
My 2 cents: what I've always done is have a WiFi-only tablet, because it's cheaper, and use tethering on my phone whenever I need to connect that tablet to the internet while on the move. Another advantage is that with a WiFi only tablet, your battery life will be much larger (granted, the fact you have to keep your phone in tethering mode drains a bit of battery on the phone, but it's tolerable). Right now I have a Nexus 7 WiFi only and a Nexus 5 LTE, and soon I'm thinking about upgrading to a Nexus 9 WiFi only. That way it won't be terribly expensive (the N9 WiFi 32GB is $479). Oh, and an extra advantage of a WiFi-only tablet: there is no carrier to control if you get or don't get Android system updates

bblzd said:
Slow SoC and capacitive buttons are activated accidentally. Battery life is pretty low for everything except watching videos. Nice screen though.
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Nexus capacitive buttons are activated more easily, especially when they're a millimeter or two away from the Plex console buttons.
Also, when lollipop lags they go down with the ship.
Also, they take extra effort to retrieve when in full screen mode.
Also, they always cut into screen real estate (e.g. Hangouts now has 4 total toolbars on its main window, counting buttons, notification shade, tabs, and user slide out menu and call tab shortcut). This isn't a huge deal in portrait mode but it can certainly become one in landscape. When you're trying to play a game or... See first point.
I think the best competitor is the iPad Mini.
They're both running allegedly laggy 64 bit dual core processors. Either way, seems about even.
They're both touted as top of the line by their respective ecosystem owning companies.
They have identical aspect ratios and screen resolutions.
They both underwent a significant visual overhaul.
The iPad will actually net you 64gb for $500, where Google makes only a 32gb version of the Nexus 9 for a relatively outrageous $480.
Apple has famous customer service and kiosks. Google might call you if they feel like it.
iOS has App Ops built in. It lets you control your privacy with things like location. Android has Google Play Services. It never stops checking your location.
Both let you turn off background data.
Both support external storage if it's inconveniently attached with a cable or something.
Both support third party keyboards.
Both have silly slider-button combination quick toggles. Android's has more options and iOS' only needs a single swipe with a single finger to appear.
Both have an app switching screen that now shows you very few apps* unless you start sliding around.
Neither let you access your apps' Settings pages from the notification bar* .
* these features were removed in Lollipop to make comparisons to iOS devices more fitting.

primetechv2 said:
Nexus capacitive buttons are activated more easily, especially when they're a millimeter or two away from the Plex console buttons.
Also, when lollipop lags they go down with the ship.
Also, they take extra effort to retrieve when in full screen mode.
Also, they always cut into screen real estate (e.g. Hangouts now has 4 total toolbars on its main window, counting buttons, notification shade, tabs, and user slide out menu and call tab shortcut). This isn't a huge deal in portrait mode but it can certainly become one in landscape. When you're trying to play a game or... See first point.
I think the best competitor is the iPad Mini.
They're both running allegedly laggy 64 bit dual core processors. Either way, seems about even.
They're both touted as top of the line by their respective ecosystem owning companies.
They have identical aspect ratios and screen resolutions.
They both underwent a significant visual overhaul.
The iPad will actually net you 64gb for $500, where Google makes only a 32gb version of the Nexus 9 for a relatively outrageous $480.
Apple has famous customer service and kiosks. Google might call you if they feel like it.
iOS has App Ops built in. It lets you control your privacy with things like location. Android has Google Play Services. It never stops checking your location.
Both let you turn off background data.
Both support external storage if it's inconveniently attached with a cable or something.
Both support third party keyboards.
Both have silly slider-button combination quick toggles. Android's has more options and iOS' only needs a single swipe with a single finger to appear.
Both have an app switching screen that now shows you very few apps* unless you start sliding around.
Neither let you access your apps' Settings pages from the notification bar* .
* these features were removed in Lollipop to make comparisons to iOS devices more fitting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One requires you to be locked to the ball and chain called iTunes. I'd rather stick a pencil in my eye then be choked to death by iTunes.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

Semantics said:
One requires you to be locked to the ball and chain called iTunes. I'd rather stick a pencil in my eye then be choked to death by iTunes.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the Nexus is also locked down out of the box. I've found myself tethered to the Google Play Services app in ways that can only be described as unhealthy, even as yesterday that app needed a complete deletion to stop searching for my location via GPS. and
And I'm not a huge Google's fan to begin with. It'd be an interesting experiment to test ecosystem reliance.
As for $20 limited movie licenses on both ecosystems, I'm thrilled about neither, but in my experience each company is trying somewhat desperately to imitate the other despite still being very different. That alone I think makes looking at the iPad worth a moment.

Pixel, Google Home and The Google Eco-System

If someone (mod's) feel this thread is out of place or does not belong, please feel free to close or relocate as it is more so going to focus on the how the Pixel fit's into this new Eco-System as compared to a stand alone device topic. In this case I think it's important however due to Google's substantial shift away from the Nexus device with the Pixel in particular. It seems to have created quite a "rift" amongst Google folks, but there hasn't been much discussion on why the shift, as well as why I, among others, are excited to finally see Google take such a big step in what I think is the right direction. I'ts not so much about specs, price etc It's about how your new Pixel XL is going to be used as an invaluable tool in Google's Eco-System...
The point of this thread is to discuss the Pixel (XL specifically since it's the one I pre-ordered) and it's impact on what I perceive is Google's push towards their own "Eco-System". I picked up the Pixel after much thought, considering it's price point it wasn't an easy decision based on past Nexus devices I've owned and loved, there's nothing like that "Pure" Android experience. I finally decided to pull the trigger after watching the launch event. If I had just went to the Google Store and looked at the device, it could very well still be sitting in my shopping cart.
After watching the launch I couldn't help but think about all the possibilities the Pixel is going to have when used in conjunction with other devices such as the Google Home and Chromecast Ultra unveiled at the event. Granted this is partly due to the fact I already have a few dollars invested in home automation such as Philips Hue, Amazon Echo, various switches and outlets, not to mention the ridiculous amount of money I've dumped into "smart bulbs".
These three devices alone are going to make things in "MY" life much more fluent considering most of my entertainment content is through Google services i.e Google Play Music, Movies, YouTube.. as well as future compatibility with Netflix and devices from various other manufacturers.The ability to add tasks, reminders, alarms, lists and all around functionality directly from Google Home to the Pixel without being forced to use various apps is going to be incredible and something everyone should look into doing.
I surely can't be the only one that thinks about the Pixel being more than just another flagship phone, but an invaluable piece in this new Eco-System Google is creating... What are you excited about??:highfive:

I'm excited. I still think price is waaay to high. But I do think this phone will be a dream. And I do like how I will get a free daydream. SK I can scratch $80 off the price. I agree with you about most of the article. The pixel will be legendary. To an extent.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app

I agree, the phone is a part of a system that can do much more than phones did previously. It could be the hub of a system in your home, in your car or wherever you are. That's already been the case to some extent but it is progressing in some pretty cool ways. The Google assistant and all that may go with it looks awesome. If you have no use for it or aren't interested, the phone and its accessories probably aren't for you. In that case you probably shouldn't buy the phone. It's not a Nexus with barebones Android at a bargain price. I think people will appreciate it for what it is and those who are upset at what it isn't will get over it. This may be the 1st phone I don't root and hack on, it will be hard to improve on this beast. Please refrain from commenting on the bezel size or the price. We got that. And I probably will root and hack it, who am I kidding?

Just placed my order

Well, after a lot of consideration I decided to "take the risk" and just placed an order for a 64GB Pixel C and keyboard. Google Canada had a promo going with a $150 discount so I took it. Years ago I used to be a fervent Android phone and tablet user and I said I would never go to Apple. I had Nexus this and that for many years and a Moto 360 and an Android settop box. Eventually I got sucked into the whole Apple ecosystem, first with my Macbook for work, and now I have two Macbooks at work, plus an iPhone, iPad (Pro), Apple Watch, iMac, and Apple TV and I must admit I love them all especially the way things (mostly) handoff across any device such as phone calls.
Despite all this I am still curious about the latest in the Android world and love the idea of the Pixel C hardware and am glad I can get access to the latest OS without waiting on some OEM like Samsung. I use my iPad Pro (12.9) with the Smart Keyboard a lot (and yes the Apple Pencil for annotating music and docs) and love the versatility it provides and yeah I use split screen and video in a pop-out window a lot so it will be interesting to compare Nougat on the Pixel C.

I bought a Nexus 10 as soon as they released, just over 4 years ago. I used it extensively for the 1st year, and then afterwards, only a bit here and there. I actually currently have it running a Nougat ROM, but it is quite sluggish nowadays... but for being 4 years old, I can't complain. It was a great device and I certainly got my money's worth, as it's probably the device I have kept and used the longest out of all my electronics.
I just bought a Pixel C on Swappa today as it seemed like the only suitable replacement in terms of build quality, software, and updates. I decided I wouldn't be picking up the keyboard as I didn't see much use for it since I bought the expensive Logitech K810 bluetooth keyboard a long time ago for the Nexus 10. I'm hopeful it's as fast as my Pixel XL in terms of usability, and lasts me another 4 years.

Mine just came today! Loving it.
The power button was frozen and hardly worked. I was initially bummed after having a N9 with horrible unraised buttons. But the PCs power button loosened up and now works fine.
The screen is incredible. I work in Hi Res imagery all day and have a Moto X Pure with it's 5.7" quad HD display and 520 ppi pixel density, I was initially worried I would not like the Pixel C's screen. Especially going back and forth at a glance between screens. But the screen is amazing. All the power and speed I need and being an easy rootable Google devices, that has gotten quick updates and I was sold.
Very happy with my choice. Unlocking and rooting it as we speak.
I can't wait to use DSLR Controller app with my Canon 5DS and use the pixel C as a live view camera screen. My N10 and N9 were nice but this Pixel C is incredible.

So I just got my Pixel C and keyboard today and got it all updated and setup. Initial thoughts:
Hardware, specifically the the combination of the tablet and the keyboard, sure is nice.
Sucks not having a fingerprint reader.
Tried the multiwindow thing using Taskbar. A bit klugey but definitely promising. Unfortunately mostly unusable for me as a number of the critical apps I use (including Google Inbox) refuse to do multiwindow even with the "force resizing" developer setting enabled. I'd really like to see this working for real. At least the split screen is pretty usable although a pity no popout video windows like on iOS.
It's pretty snappy but still no match for my iPad Pro in general response. Feels a bit sluggish by comparison.
I expect the main use case for me will be as smaller alternative to my iPad Pro 12.9 and for carrying around the office for Google Docs, Slack, e-mail, and Hangouts, where we use Google apps for most things.
Since this is a Google device I look forward to some reasonable life out of with many more OS updates to come.

Just wanted to add that I was wrong about some apps not working on forced floating window mode using Taskbar. I clearly had launched some of these full-screen previously and that's why they continued to launch full-screen. I've been using Nova but will try just using Taskbar for a while. In general though I'm finding the split-screen mode pretty usable and especially handy with the keyboard shortcuts to get to things I often use like the browser, calendar, etc. I I only wish these shortcuts were customizable. For example, I don't use Gmail for my work e-mail but use Inbox instead but the keyboard shortcut will only launch Gmail.
Update: Floating windows using Taskbar is still a bit unpredictable so it's back to Nova and split-screen when needed. Remix doesn't really look like it's worth trying. It would be great if Google could really get floating windows (including video) baked into a future release.
One of the few things I can't do with my Pixel C around the office, compared to my Macbook, is screenshare in a Hangout. Unfortunately Hangouts on Android doesn't support any kind of screenshare even from Google Docs which is a shame.

Omniswitch recents on Dirty Unicorn's 7.1.1 01-06-17 build for the Pixel C, really adds another dimension for multitasking. DU runs well and is definitely a daily driver.

It's finny to come across this thread today. I too had a Nexus 10 that just died. The ribbons that connected on the back of the battery broke.
I decided to pick up a Pixel C but in the process I was told of another alternative. The Lenovo Yoga Book.
I've had my Pixel C for about a week now and it is a great device. An excellent replacement for the Nexus 10. However, I'm hearing greater things about the Lenovo, so much so that I may end up returning the Pixel in favor of keeping the Yoga Book.
Yes, the Yoga Book doesn't have the same powerful CPU/GPU as the Pixel C nor does it have the brand behind it. But the keyboard/drawing/writing board that comes with it is fantastic apparently. It also has a microSD slot, Dolby Digital audio, a miniHDMI port (shame on you Google for not including this in the Pixel), considerably better Wifi, and a SIM card option. The Pixel C has none of these things.
It's supposed to be in the mail tomorrow so I'll have a rare opportunity to compare both tablets while in my possession. Perhaps I'll make a video about it. The least I can do is post back here about my findings.

Skullpuck said:
It's finny to come across this thread today. I too had a Nexus 10 that just died. The ribbons that connected on the back of the battery broke.
I decided to pick up a Pixel C but in the process I was told of another alternative. The Lenovo Yoga Book.
I've had my Pixel C for about a week now and it is a great device. An excellent replacement for the Nexus 10. However, I'm hearing greater things about the Lenovo, so much so that I may end up returning the Pixel in favor of keeping the Yoga Book.
Yes, the Yoga Book doesn't have the same powerful CPU/GPU as the Pixel C nor does it have the brand behind it. But the keyboard/drawing/writing board that comes with it is fantastic apparently. It also has a microSD slot, Dolby Digital audio, a miniHDMI port (shame on you Google for not including this in the Pixel), considerably better Wifi, and a SIM card option. The Pixel C has none of these things.
It's supposed to be in the mail tomorrow so I'll have a rare opportunity to compare both tablets while in my possession. Perhaps I'll make a video about it. The least I can do is post back here about my findings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also very curious about the yoga book. Please post your comparisons.

So I've had the Yoga Book for about a day and have come to some conclusions about both devices. Generally speaking, the Pixel C is a much more hardware oriented device. It has a much better CPU, GPU. But that's where the pros stop for me. Out of curiosity I ran the AnTuTu 3DBench on both devices. Where the Pixel C came back with something like 30-45 FPS the Book only received between 10-15 FPS. The Yoga Book is not a hardcore gaming machine. The thing is, I don't use these devices primarily for gaming. If that's what you want to do then the Pixel C is what you want. If that isn't what you want to do and productivity is more important to you then please read on.
Here is what the Pixel C has that the Yoga Book does not have: CPU power, GPU power, durability, brand power,
Here is what the Yoga Book has that the Pixel C does not: A light up LED touch sensitive keyboard that quickly turns into a note taking drawing tablet (this includes the special pen that comes with it and the paper), microHDMI slot, SIM card slot, 4GB ram, lightweight, easily folds in half to hold itself up for Netflix/YouTube viewing sessions, multiple apps running at the same time, "windows" for each app so you can work with 2 or 3 apps on the screen at the same time, Dolby Digital sound (I never thought I would hear this quality of sound come out of a tablet, it's very good and I'm an audiophile. It doesn't beat out my 7.1 surround theater but in a pinch it does deliver 5.1 surround audio in a very unique way), speaking of sound the Pixel C is terrible in this capacity; either I got a bad device or the Pixel C has worse sound than the Nexus 10, your purchase comes with a free "sleeve" to carry your book in if you purchase from lenovo.
Needless to say I'm keeping the Yoga Book and sending back the Pixel C. Probably not going to win me any friends here but I wanted to be truthful. Don't get me wrong, the Pixel C is a great device... if I were to purchase it 6 to 12 months ago. With the new devices on their way up and nothing in the way of innovation going on I cannot recommend one. It's basically just an updated Nexus 10 with newer CPU/GPU and fewer ports.
The Yoga Book is innovative and useful. I am currently using it at work to administer 122 computers in 3 locations. I then take it into a meeting and write notes onto it which then transcribe to text. Saving everything I wrote into journals. Then bring it back to my desk, flip it up and watch Netflix.
If you want me to take pictures or if you have any questions let me know I'll respond for the next 24 hours or so.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Essential Bi-Weekly Reddit AMA TL:DR edition [Updated]

You can go to Essential Bi-Weekly Reddit AMA from 10/4/2017 and read the comments.
I think the highlights were (not in any order and if there is spelling or grammer errors sorry):
10/04/2017
Today's OTA NMI81C fixes some of the freezing issues that people were having
Fingerprint reader gestures are in progress and should be coming soon, possibly the next OTA
Night mode (blue light filter) will come probably around the Android O release for the phone, probably be out with Android O
Double tap to wake is not being worked on "right now"
360 Camera and skins don't like each other, see the Reddit link for further information
Lag/screen stuttering is an identified issue with Qualcomm and will be patched within one of the next OTA's
Essential Services app is an app that collect high-level statistics to improve the user experience
White is ready to be shipped but China is on holiday so shipping will be a little later, maybe a few days? Depends on the Chinese holiday/shipping.
Android O is in the early stages of testing at Essential, the hope is to have an Open Beta ready in a few weeks.
Samsung Gear issue, still not able to get it working because Essential cannot pinpoint the issue on Android N, however the early tests with Android O appear to fix the issue.
Kernal Source/System Image is still not available however Essential is working to get this to us ASAP...whatever that is worth...lol
All RMA's should be out by now so you should see something coming soon if you RMA'd
SnapChat issue is being worked on with the Devs
360 Camera live streaming is being worked on and is expected to be part of the Fall OTA, starting with testing going on right now with FB and Periscope
360 Camera doesn't support external audio input for recording
Android Auto issues with 2016 VW Jetta has been added to the list of reports of Android Auto issues
Working on adding compression level changing for the 360 Camera
Essential is planning on releasing the SDK for the rear connectors (the one for the 360 camera, dock, etc.) but no word on dates yet.
You can go toEssential Bi-Weekly Reddit AMA from 10/8/2017 and read the comments.
I think the highlights were (not in any order and if there is spelling or grammer errors sorry):
10/18/2017
New/RMA hardware variances are due to allowable tolerances, there is only one source for the Display. Essential is working on tightening tolerances for these sort of things.
Samsung Gear S3 will be coming with Oreo Release
Android O integration is going well and the team is still validating
October Security update, wifi patch (for KRACK), Scroll patch, and overall stability/performance improvements to the camera in the next OTA
Portrait mode is being worked on for a future OTA
While Essential is trying to improve video stabilization there is no solid “commitment” yet
USB C audio dongle support – Any Digital audio accessory should work. Some adaptors route analog audio over the side band USB pins.
No ETA on factory images but Essential is in the final stages of getting to release them. Keep an eye on social media/reddit
Oreo easter eggs will remain
No dev work for Calling Plus on Sprint or Sprint Visual Voicemail
Essential White phones from Amazon delivery logistics should be the same as if purchased from Essential
Battery Percentage is only accessible through UI tuner at the current time
Essential has been reaching out to larger developers to get their apps Whitelisted. Also Essential is in the “ending stages” of “working out an elegant solution for this that is scalable for all apps based on how 3rd party developers handle full screen. We will be sure to announce as soon as we have this finalized.” Microsoft’s Launcher was identified as one and has been added to Essential’s “list”
Sprint RMA issues, have been identified as a who is going to provide support. This has been figured out and Essential has configured logistics and they are working on getting Sprint RMA’s working better.
Verizon Visual Voicemail is not a feature supported by the Essential phone
Version 81C has the same bandwidth fixes [for India] as 81D, “D” denotes the “dogfood” version for internal testing
OK Google Detection issues, is now on the radar for Essential
No update on STELLAR GREY color but here’s a photo https://imgur.com/a/kJAs8
Update on phone dock/accessories – “Team members in Taiwan working on it now. Will post a photo as soon as I can. -Joe” and “The dock will take some time to complete. Team is in Taiwan now working on the Dock. -Joe”
Casting to display off center report … Essential was unaware of the issue but a user has brought it up with some information
Why some users have not received the 81C update, “…carrier approvals to release OTAs can vary depending on their own internal processes to insure best experience for their customers. This sometimes causes rollouts to take a little longer to certain network providers. – Marcus”
UK release timeframe – No updates or firm dates
You can go toEssential Bi-Weekly Reddit AMA from 11/1/2017 and read the comments.
NOTE: This AMA was with the Design team at Essential and sorry to get a little quotee with this one, it was really hard to follow this one. Cheers!
I think the highlights were (not in any order and if there is spelling or grammar errors sorry):
11/1/2017
The Dock is being worked on to get it ready for production, keep an eye on social networks for updates.
What about the magnetic connection strength of the dock for vertical mounting?
"...we're taking a different approach here: easy in, easy out. We've made the magnetic connection for the dock quite light and designed custom power pins that glide easily into place. The dock has a gentle slope to it that guides the phone into place and easily ramps out when you want to grab & go. The magnet it just strong enough to keep it secure and make it feel intentional, reliable, and engaged. It's super graceful and intuitive, but it's definitely not a wall / car / helmet mount. -- Dave"
Design wise the idea was to keep things “pure” and to enhance the tech inside the device would shine not fancy decorations.
The question was, “From a material perspective how do you make the finish matte while still keeping it sealed so it doesn't absorb skin oils or other substances?”
This was Essential’s response, “The engineering team worked closely with our manufacturing partners and the industrial designers to get just the right feel and look for a micro texture on the ceramic. In the end we use a custom polishing process with a ultra-fine media blast to get the depth and uniformity of the texture just right, all while keeping the part insanely flat. The final process in ceramic manufacturing is to deposit an anti-fingerprint coating onto the part. This nanometer thick coating helps to seal the surface from skin oils and other contaminants.”
(Shortened) If the phone uses Ceramic why are there signal issues? The ceramic wasn’t done to help with signal rather to keep the back of the device one solid piece lie the flagship phones using glass backs. The phone meets the RF (radio frequency) capabilities of the carrier’
ETA for next color? Stellar Grey is the next to come out, Ocean Depths still has some issues that do not meet Essential’s standards but they aren’t quitting on it.
Why is the back of the phone so easy to scratch with the 360 Camera? Ceramic isn’t perfect but more than likely it’s the coating over the ceramic that is scratching not the ceramic itself.
IP-67 difficulties during design/production – The borders of the phone would have been much larger
"To achieve IP67 or IP68 on this device unfortunately would have required some significant design trade-offs that were unpalatable for our first device: larger display borders, a thicker product, much larger receiver opening, to name a few... . To make a phone more waterproof + repairable takes space for sealing solutions. IP67 has been a resounding request from our customers. The good thing is, this give me more fuel to push on Linda for the next phone. -Will"
The chin on the device is where the LED touch drivers are.
The status bar being a little below the front camera was so that it would seem like it was a part of the status bar instead of cutting it in two
Why two black devices? “We wanted one polished black model that feels like a monolithic gem, and another matte & sand-blasted model that feels more muted and textural. This way we can balance the spectrum of personalities out there. -Linda”
Why no first party cases (for things like the 360 Camera)? The Essential team decided to focus on the device itself and allow the 3rd parties create accessories.
Why is the PH-1 so difficult to fix, as shown on iFixit? “The phone was designed to be assembled and disassembled with a different process than what iFixit attempted. We use a fairly standard hot-melt glue to bond the display glass to the chassis of the phone. By heating up the perimeter of the display to ~85C the glue softens and the display can easily be pulled off (using a suction cup) and the glue removed, ready for a new display to be installed. It's important to only heat up the perimeter and not the center of the display to prevent damage to the LCD panel. The battery is also pretty easy to remove and replace if done properly. After disconnecting the battery from the circuit board there are two pull-tabs for the standard stretch-release adhesive. Just like the stretch-release adhesive hangars you can use to hold stuff on your wall, you just grab the pull tab and pull straight up. Working with modern Li batteries is dangerous, however, so make sure you have the right safety equipment on-hand in case a mistake is made. We currently don't sell parts to consumers but do offer a competitive extended warranty plan. My team and I are always hoping to make our devices as easily repairable as possible while trading off the sleek and elegant design aesthetic. -Will”
Side bar to the last item… “…we mostly want you all to be super happy with your devices and all the attendant realities of real-world use. If telling 3rd parties how to properly repair our device leads to happier users then we're all about it. (Also, get a little whiskey into Will and then ask him about iFixit. You'll get an ear full...) – Dave”
Question, “-portrait mode. Any idea when the release is? Let's start taking advantage of the dual camera!” Answer, “…Portrait mode, as the competition expresses it, is not really something we set out to do. There are two categories of dual-camera designs: wide+tele & RGB+BW. We implemented the latter.
In very broad strokes, Wide+Tele lenses allow for "zooming" and more distinction between near and far objects, and thus are better suited for portrait modes. RGB+BW sensors are designed to optimize sharpness and performance in mixed lighting, but do not give any depth data.
So mostly we set out to create the world's thinnest dual-camera setup while retaining image clarity and quality, hence RGB+BW. So we're not really setup to do portrait modes excepting through purely computation methods. Which is all to say "I don't know, I still make the stuff not the software" …”
Ceramic was used, “…because it's a beautiful, premium material that is also is RF transparent.”
Will Wide angle Lens or telephot be used instead of B/W sensors in future designs? It’s possible.
What is the material around the display that isn’t titanium? “…that is a glass fiber reinforced plastic around the display. It serves two jobs:
a. to create a non-metal gap between the perimeter enclosure antennae and the display panel, and
b. to help protect the edge of the display glass during impacts like drops.
Thanks for the tactile feedback on the plastic frame. Linda and I will take that into consideration with our next phone.
-Will”
3.5 mm audio attachment update (this one is for you and me @flakko86…lol): “We got test boards in this week and it sounds super good. Crazy loud for high-impedance headphones, crystalline sound quality even through low-impedance earphones, impressive soundscape. I mean, it's really good.
What that means for progress is that the core architecture is locking this week, enclosure design can be tightened up, and we can start moving towards form-factor prototypes and then EVT...
Not that I'm putting hard timelines on any of this, but the hard part (sound!) is basically done. :: Dave”
PH-2 and other color updates?
“We are definitely already plugging away at PH-2. No time to waste. 1. PH-1 will actually be available in "Stellar Grey" very soon. This color-way will feature a blasted Titanium frame and matte finish ceramic. 2. It was discussed...then dismissed due to the thickness and optical clarity disadvantages that come with shatter-proof displays. We are working on improving our display/glass durability as much as possible in next gen. -Linda”
“Ocean Depths is more blue than green, the website render is definitely greener than it really is. How about this, the color of a recent batch is CIELAB 35.3 -15.7 -11. – Dave”
Was OLED planned?
"We actually planned on using LCD from day one because we had exclusivity to a new LCD display technology. This is what allowed us to get the smallest borders and actually cut into the display for the front facing camera.
Andy loves and appreciates great industrial design. He was involved in every part of the process linda"
You can go toEssential Bi-Weekly Reddit AMA from 11/15/2017 and read the comments.
This AMA was focused on the OREO Beta release, this AMA was particularly fun as it seems that the crew at Essential aren’t all “business” ?
I think the highlights were (not in any order and if there is spelling or grammar errors sorry):
11/15/2017
Oreo Public build is planned for release by end of year
The Kernel Source was not released due to trying to get the OREO BETA out, while not guaranteed it is an action item for Essential.
Full release history is a goal but nothing is promised yet
Testing of lower compression for photos is currently being done internally, which will increase file size of photos. Release 83 of camera app will be “releasing very soon”
Portrait mode is in dev right now but the goal is to release this feature before the holidays.
No new information, but Essential is still on the case, for the micro stuttering issue
AptX support is being worked on but it’s a “business and paperwork problem rather than a technical one”
Essential is only planning on BETA build but it might be looked at again as the BETA goes on
Future BETA builds will need to be sideloaded, however future incarnations of the sideloaded BETA thereafter will be OTA (not sure if I understood this correctly though, so take it with a grain of salt)
Google’s Camera will not be coming to Essentials phone but Essential is still working to improve camera performance
Silent call issue where the callers cannot hear eachother after phone app is not used for a while – Essential is aware and looking into the issue right now.
SPRINT texting delay – Essential is working with Sprint right now to find out the who/what/where and when of the issue & “Support has notified us that you are not alone. We are working very closely with Sprint to troubleshoot but it is not clear to us yet if the issue is Network related or SW related. The issue does appear to be isolated to Sprint customers under specific circumstances. We are however engaged with Sprint daily on this issue and partnering to create a consistent repo environment so we can resolve. Please know this is a top priority for the Software team. – Marcus”
Scrolling issue is still being looked at to be improved
LED not working issue – Essential is aware and tracking this bug
Easter Egg removal – Essential stated Oversight but are “confident it’ll reappear eventually”
Some HALs will still be passthrough because getting to full binderized HALs will take a while for Essential
When using wifi the cell radio is turned off, after leaving wifi the cell radio doesn’t come back on. Only fix is to power cycle and airplane mode toggling doesn’t work. – Essential answered, “What carrier? We are working on issues related to handover between wifi and mobile data so hopefully we'll have some improvements. As a workaround there's a setting in developer options called "Mobile data always active" you can try on Oreo. -Rebecca”
Is portrait mode going to come with OREO Production release? No, it will be done via an update to the app in the Play store so while they won’t happen around the same time it is hoped they are.
Android Auto issue specifically with 2017 Hyundai (updates) – “Yes, we have a handful of bugs with Android auto we are looking into in a fix in Oreo. We even have bugs filed and device logs specificially against the 2017 Hyundai. If it can be fixed in our software, we will do it.
-Marcus”
Is Android 8.1 planned - YES
Swiping issues especially with calls – “We're working on this particular issue with swipes but fyi if you start the swipe in the middle of the screen instead of right on the phone icon it works way better.
This issue is caused by the fact that our in-cell touch panel only reports data during the display blanking period. This is something we're tuning for specifically but it's especially challenging for short swipes like the one to dismiss a call. With fewer data points the system has a hard time detecting it as a swipe. We can overfit for that, but issues pop up elsewhere. This is something we will continue to improve in SW so stay tuned. -Rebecca”
OREO Bluetooth issues – “As we mentioned in our release notes for the Oreo beta we have a handful of Bluetooth issues we are trying to address that beta users will encounter. The bulk of our remaining Oreo opens for public release are in BT stability, connectivity and audio. We will check everyones submitted feedback to make sure all reported issues are prioritized accordingly.
-Marcus” & “Yes we are aware of the BT issues. Bulk of our opens to resolve before we release official Oreo build are in this area
-Marcus”
General issues with overlays and in specific Pokemon GO, “Per Adithya, he is one of our Software Engineers here working on the Android Framework.
"To be compliant with compatibility requirements for Android O, we need to letterbox apps that haven't declared support for tall aspect ratio screens. Pokemon Go doesn't support tall screens. You will see taller navigation bar when running Pokemon Go on Pixel 2 XL for the same reason. Developer can fix it by following guidelines at https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html#MaxAspectRatio."
Hope that helps, and yeah, I kind of miss that too “
General connectivity for cellular reception – “…I'm going to do the best I can to give you an answer. This is super complex and depends on not only the network you are on, but the specific bands, distance to towers and even the specific network equipment your carrier uses in your geography. Also on exactly what features are enabled on your account, exactly how your carrier handles open market devices etc. We're doing the best we can to continue to improve RF/service issues. The data we've collected so far shows a lot of issues coming from having advanced network features enabled on accounts that don't support them, so we are working on switching around how we handle that. We have done a bunch of work verifying our settings match what the operators expect for your device. We are working on issues related to handover between wifi and mobile data. We are working on some improvements to the time it takes to camp on your network coming in and out of service. Our oreo build has lot and lots of modem fixes and more will be coming when we do a full rollout to improve overall modem stability. We are continuously growing our modem engineering and test teams to get better and better at this over time. We're also getting better and better at using both lab and field tests to find and fix issues. I wish there was low hanging fruit I could promise you we were going to pluck but instead it's going to be lots of small continuous improvements.
-Rebecca”
Wifi Aware? – Essential will check and get back to the user who asked.
Dynamic Calendar icon – “You and me both . We'll have to do some custom work here but I'll add it to our feature backlog for future consideration.
-Marcus”
NOTE: I don't think I saw anything abour signal strength issues, if someone else did please let me know and I'll add it to the listing for this week.
Note to the MODS if this is in the wrong place please move if needed. Thank you!

For another quick listing of highlights for the AMA check out oct_4_2017_ama_highlights which I assume was posted by XDA's own flakko86. lol

Thanks for this. I returned my Essential phone in week two because the camera is the top priority on my daily driver phone . However, this level of support and engagement is exactly what I expected from Andy's company. It completely puts Google to shame where tens of thousands of Pixel XL owners have been suffering 25-30 daily spontaneous freezes and reboots for 3 weeks now without a peep from the Pixel or Android teams. In fact even the second iteration of the Oct 2017 OTA which was suppose to be a fix fails to even install.
It is highly likely that Essential 2 will be my next phone and I will be closely monitoring its XDA forums.

I'm with you on the support level, especially coming from a Pixel with autofocus problems (and on my wife's Pixel too). I can only hope major manufacturers and OEM's actually follow suit. Essential isn't the best phone but I am really enjoying it. Especially after seeing the ugly screen configuration on the Pixel 2...lol

@Ghost_1,
Thanks for the 10/18 update.

Oh wow thanks for keeping up with this one ghost I'm on vacation right ow with now laptop so I couldn't put one together for Reddit haha. IMO this AMA was one of the more informative ones.
---------- Post added at 11:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 AM ----------
Oh and here's some info about the reception:
...As for signal issues, we have met all our carrier's requirements but we're also hiring RF engineers to continue tuning. There are always new corner cases to discover and as a small team we are coving them as fast as we can!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Brand New Pixel C, had some general questions

Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a brand new sealed 64GB Pixel C for $275. I have ALWAYS wanted one but never really needed a tablet until recently. My kindle crapped out, and I have been listening to some audiobooks and I wanted a way to combine the 2. I also plan on maybe watching some movies from my Plex server, some Netflix, and that's probably it...oh and some comics as well....
I had some general questions for those of you who have had a Pixel C for some time.
1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
Thanks everyone in advance!
Hank

Hank_Rearden said:
Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a brand new sealed 64GB Pixel C for $275. I have ALWAYS wanted one but never really needed a tablet until recently. My kindle crapped out, and I have been listening to some audiobooks and I wanted a way to combine the 2. I also plan on maybe watching some movies from my Plex server, some Netflix, and that's probably it...oh and some comics as well....
I had some general questions for those of you who have had a Pixel C for some time.
1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not aware of better or worse serial numbers. I assume later is better? Mine has image retention / ghosting & a purple shift in white balance but I never got the half screen failure or other issues.
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend either Pixel Experience 10 or LineageOS 17 if you are at all comfortable with flashing. ROMs are little more work. But they offer the latest patches, some new features, some specific fixes for our aging hardware, and because you have to install TWRP first you have that safety net for when things go wrong. I also happen to really like Android 10 for what that's worth. You might have to use Magisk Hide to get some apps working, and you probably have to sideload Netflix from APKmirror but it should work just fine.
If you don't mind how it works out of the box, and you don't care for fiddling with it, and you aren't concerned with the screen lock bug, then stock is perfectly fine. Some people say 7 was better than 8 because of some video driver bug that broke a few Unity based games. I have zero idea if this was fixed in any of the ROMs.
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am considering selling my Galaxy Tab S6, even though it is nicer in so many ways, because I just disagree with so many Samsung UX decisions. So I continue to use the Pixel C and I hope you like yours. I am a little envious you found a good condition 64GB one! There are countless little touches where the Pixel C does what I expect and my Samsung devices do not. Using an USB audio device? Pixel C can use it for music and also to make VoIP calls. Believe it or not many Samsungs cannot route 'phone' type audio over USB. Music only! Using a mouse? Open Chrome, right-click on a link. Notice that beautiful options menu that pops up? Try the same thing on a Samsung and notice it is just Android back function. Back to the Pixel C, try to middle-click on a link and notice it opens in a new tab in the background. Just like on desktop Chrome! Then, try with a Samsung and notice middle-click is the same as Android home function. Samsung just decided to break mousing and I hate it. Even things like display scaling work well on the Pixel C and badly on Samsung devices. Want everything to be very small? That's easy to do, and basically everything scales (except the nav bar, but there is a fix for that). On my Samsungs some parts of the UI scale and other parts don't. You end with comically unmatched icons and other elements like the notification shade. I really thought DeX could fix these issues for me and it didn't, but that is a different story. I like Samsung features but by golly they suck at the basics IMO.
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not everything in Google-land is good. The Pixel C was never trouble free and still isn't with even the best ROMs. 3GB of RAM was too little for a 'productivity device' in 2015 and obviously still isn't enough (your use-case should be fine however). The storage speed is slow, it is prone to occassional jank (probably combination slow storage & low RAM), and if the battery isn't perfectly healthy you will experience bad CPU throttling (this is fixed in ROMs and in my case was a night and day difference). You are already aware of the screen problems. The headphone jack quality is not good, and the bluetooth range for headsets is about 5 ft (I am not joking, it's astonishingly bad!). There used to be many WiFi reception complaints but I think it was fixed long ago. Reception is on the weak end however. The touch screen is sensitive to interference and you can get ghost touches when using a low quality charger (YMMV on that one, my hardware might be faulty). Last thing that comes to mind is that occassionally, and seemingly randomly, your lock screen PIN will just... stop working. If you are on stock software with a locked bootloader then all you can do is factory reset!! This alone is a great reason to go with ROMs.
Thanks everyone in advance!
Hank
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck and welcome to the community!

locuturus said:
I am not aware of better or worse serial numbers. I assume later is better? Mine has image retention / ghosting & a purple shift in white balance but I never got the half screen failure or other issues.
I recommend either Pixel Experience 10 or LineageOS 17 if you are at all comfortable with flashing. ROMs are little more work. But they offer the latest patches, some new features, some specific fixes for our aging hardware, and because you have to install TWRP first you have that safety net for when things go wrong. I also happen to really like Android 10 for what that's worth. You might have to use Magisk Hide to get some apps working, and you probably have to sideload Netflix from APKmirror but it should work just fine.
If you don't mind how it works out of the box, and you don't care for fiddling with it, and you aren't concerned with the screen lock bug, then stock is perfectly fine. Some people say 7 was better than 8 because of some video driver bug that broke a few Unity based games. I have zero idea if this was fixed in any of the ROMs.
I am considering selling my Galaxy Tab S6, even though it is nicer in so many ways, because I just disagree with so many Samsung UX decisions. So I continue to use the Pixel C and I hope you like yours. I am a little envious you found a good condition 64GB one! There are countless little touches where the Pixel C does what I expect and my Samsung devices do not. Using an USB audio device? Pixel C can use it for music and also to make VoIP calls. Believe it or not many Samsungs cannot route 'phone' type audio over USB. Music only! Using a mouse? Open Chrome, right-click on a link. Notice that beautiful options menu that pops up? Try the same thing on a Samsung and notice it is just Android back function. Back to the Pixel C, try to middle-click on a link and notice it opens in a new tab in the background. Just like on desktop Chrome! Then, try with a Samsung and notice middle-click is the same as Android home function. Samsung just decided to break mousing and I hate it. Even things like display scaling work well on the Pixel C and badly on Samsung devices. Want everything to be very small? That's easy to do, and basically everything scales (except the nav bar, but there is a fix for that). On my Samsungs some parts of the UI scale and other parts don't. You end with comically unmatched icons and other elements like the notification shade. I really thought DeX could fix these issues for me and it didn't, but that is a different story. I like Samsung features but by golly they suck at the basics IMO.
Not everything in Google-land is good. The Pixel C was never trouble free and still isn't with even the best ROMs. 3GB of RAM was too little for a 'productivity device' in 2015 and obviously still isn't enough (your use-case should be fine however). The storage speed is slow, it is prone to occassional jank (probably combination slow storage & low RAM), and if the battery isn't perfectly healthy you will experience bad CPU throttling (this is fixed in ROMs and in my case was a night and day difference). You are already aware of the screen problems. The headphone jack quality is not good, and the bluetooth range for headsets is about 5 ft (I am not joking, it's astonishingly bad!). There used to be many WiFi reception complaints but I think it was fixed long ago. Reception is on the weak end however. The touch screen is sensitive to interference and you can get ghost touches when using a low quality charger (YMMV on that one, my hardware might be faulty). Last thing that comes to mind is that occassionally, and seemingly randomly, your lock screen PIN will just... stop working. If you are on stock software with a locked bootloader then all you can do is factory reset!! This alone is a great reason to go with ROMs.
Good luck and welcome to the community!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the detailed response. I am glad I am not the only one who feels that way about the Samsung tablets. I ALMOST bought an S4, then I ALMOST bought an S5E, but just don't like the way they do Android. I checked my tracking and the tablet comes today! So I think what I will do is just upgrade to the most recent official, leave the device lock off for now as I don't plan on going anywhere with the C, and see how it goes. I have dabbled in ROMS in the past for a lot of phones I have had through the years, so I assume this is not too far different as far as the process. The Lineage ROM seems to be a little better for the C from reading some of the known issues, but I will take a look at them after I assess the performance of the C. I really don't want to have the unit hit 70% then completely crap the bed on the performance side....
The Bluetooth range is sad to hear considering i JUST ordered the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. They will be here either Friday or Saturday. If i need to hear something beyond the range of it sitting close to me I'll just use my phone.
I'll report how things are going once I receive it, and thanks again for the detailed response. It has put me at ease!
Cheers
Hank

It came and was exactly as described. Did the update and now it's charging. Updated some apps and it's moving pretty well. We shall see what happens when I get more stuff loaded on there, but I will say it's better than I expected. Such beautiful hardware.....

1. I know there are some screen issues, and I believe based on the serial (i'll confirm when it arrives in two days) mine seems to be made in 2016 sometime, and even though I am in the US, it's a EU version.... Do the problems seem to be on all C's or just a specific run of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought an used Pixel C with its keyboard and a pouch and its screen seems still fine. A Youtube video pointed the issue for its cable in the middle behind the screen panel being pressed so I thought keyboard&pouch may have prevented it.
2. If you were me, and only wanted a tablet for ebooks/audio books and of course some media, but no apps that are super intensive, would you just upgrade from the 6.0 to the 8.0 that's official (or 7.0 if it's good?) , or install a custom rom. If the latter, any recommendations from personal experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was on stock 8..1 and now is LineageOS 17 based on Android 10. Stock 8.1 seemed to work fine. I preferred some Android 10's swiping features such as swiping from left or right to go back and swiping up to go to homescreen or other running apps to buttons and black bottom bar previous versions. Netflix HD still works.
On the other hand, unlocking bootloader caused additional 30 seconds to boot with caution message and weird beep noise in boot sequence. As you might know, even when locked in setting, in recovery mode, someone could physically connect your device to another and steal files in the device. Some error messages with security warning pops up in notification so the rom might not fully support Android security features. (I have little knowledge on this.)
When its brightness set close to lowest level, screen seemed to be turned off or brightness seems a bit unstable. (Being able to set close to the mininum is still good.) BTW some of gamepad buttons mapped incorrectly (not sure it was due to LineageOS).
3. Since it's 2020 and this tablet is coming up on almost 5 years....do you feel I overpaid? This is a completely irrelevant question, I just REALLY REALLY wanted one, I hate Samsung and wanted something with as close to a pure google experience like my Pixel phone. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have seen them selling used in good shape in the upper 100's range, and most are 32GB.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's display ratio is better than 16:10 from other android tablets for e-books, pdf files, comics. Someone wrote its ratio fits for two pages side by side. Among Android tablets as far as I know, there are not many with 3:2 or 4:3. Nexus 9's screen could be great but it has only 2GB ram and other flaws. Xiaomi MiPad doesn't support Netflix HD. iPads would match the need but it seems you didn't want one. What I looked for was an Android tablet which is not Samsung or Huawei and supports Netflix HD. Of course, newer APs have advantages in power consumption, better game support, weight etc. Galaxy Tab S6 lite supports S-pen which is good for pdf notetaking. I tried to write in pdf files with Xodo PDF app and Bamboo Tip stylus and it wasn't so successful. Still, I like mine.
4. Anything else I should know that I don't see jumping out at me in the forums that you would pass along to a new C owner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its PCB is on the left side so it gets hot when running intensive apps or charging. (The bottom of the display turned a bit yellowish. Because of keyboard attached?)
USB PD laptop chargers works but the left side feels hotter compared to charging with 5V 3A chargers.
With its keyboard is good to use on lap or as a stand but it would be pricey to buy a new one.