Do Nerds Prefer Android Devices?

[AlexB23]

Greetings folks. I have noticed that a lot of people into physics and math tend to use Androids (Samsung, etc), so here is a poll to see if that is true. I like both operating systems, but currently use a lower range Android, but am planning on getting a mid-range Android from Samsung instead of the lower range one.

Thanks for partaking in the poll. If your phone is neither iOS or Android, feel free to state what it is.

 

[jedishrfu]

Its more of a cost issue for many people. I use Mac and linux products and so have iOS.

 

[DennisN]

If your phone is neither iOS or Android, feel free to state what it is.

Seriously, I'm using Android on both my phone and tablet.
I'm quite satisified with Android.

 

[fluidistic]

Real nerds use Graphene OS, or Replicant. Android is for sissies.

Note: I ain't a nerd.

 

[AlexB23]

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Seriously, I'm using Android on both my phone and tablet.
I'm quite satisified with Android.

I remember the failure of Windows Phones, and remember the 2013 Nokia Lumia 1020 commercial on TV and in periodicals. That was pretty cool, but a shame the Windows phone fell out of favor. Also, Android is a type of Linux, so technically you are a Linux user on both your phone and tablet. What model is your phone, if I may ask? Samsung is probably the best Android when it comes to speed and tech advances. But hey, I haven't heard of anyone using a tablet in a hot minute. It seems that tablets had a short moment of fame in the early 2010s, only to be superseded by phones that have large screens during the mid to late 2010s. :)

 

[AlexB23]

Its more of a cost issue for many people. I use Mac and linux products and so have iOS.

However, check out the cost of the Galaxy Fold, which costs nearly two grand. Man, that cost puts even a full PC, or some lower and mid-range Macs to shame. :) I'd rather go with iPhone at the point, if the Fold was the only Android out there. The beauty of Android is that there is a phone at every price point, though a $30 Trac Phone, or even a $200 Motorola (Chinese owned) would suck. That $300-500 range is a sweet spot, and luckily Apple has the iPhone SE (2022 Edition) at that cost. So, if I had to choose between a $400 Android or $400 iPhone SE, I'd be stuck trying to decide. However, the Samsung A54 has more cameras and has an under-screen fingerprint reader, which the SE, and even iPhone Pros lack. Guess the A54 would be my next phone next year, or A55 whenever that releases. :)

 

[BillTre]

I haven't heard of anyone using a tablet in a hot minute. It seems that tablets had a short moment of fame in the early 2010s, only to be superseded by phones that have large screens during the mid to late 2010s.

In particular settings tables are often used.
Some businesses use them, I've seen used by medicals. We used tablets as soon as they were able to fun the software we wanted (I think they all had WiFi from the beginning) in genetic facilities to track which animals with what genetics is in which tank and what their history was.
Their big screens, ability to run databases and portability (with WiFi) make them useful for many of these tasks.

I'm guessing phones could do the same things, but even the biggest phones I have seen would not these tasks as well.

So, well suited to a niche market, where cell phone portablity is not so important.

 

[AlexB23]

In particular settings tables are often used.
Some businesses use them, I've seen used by medicals. We used tablets as soon as they were able to fun the software we wanted (I think they all had WiFi from the beginning) in genetic facilities to track which animals with what genetics is in which tank and what their history was.
Their big screens, ability to run databases and portability (with WiFi) make them useful for many of these tasks.

I'm guessing phones could do the same things, but even the biggest phones I have seen would not these tasks as well.

So, well suited to a niche market, where cell phone portablity is not so important.

Yeah, I have seen Surface tablets being used at a biotech company that I work part time at. :) They are attached to dispenser machines. If only they used a Linux tablet at that biotech company, as Linux is fully customizable. Well, Linux tablets are not really a thing, unless one replaces the Windows system with Ubuntu or Mint or something else. And maybe tablets could hypothetically be used in remote locations by National Park staff to report animal tracks potentially, and interact with data much easier than a tinier phone screen.

 

[BillTre]

And maybe tablets could hypothetically be used in remote locations by National Park staff to report animal tracks potentially, and interact with data much easier than a tinier phone screen.

Interesting thought, my daughter has used camera traps for this task in field research.

Camera traps are relatively cheap and work pretty well. However, you have to physically retrieve CD cards to get the data.
Tablets would require a good data link which is not available in many of these field locations (forests and lots of hills) unless your signal is straight up.
I don't know how they video capture functions compare.

 

[AlexB23]

Interesting thought, my daughter has used camera traps for this task in field research.

Camera traps are relatively cheap and work pretty well. However, you have to physically retrieve CD cards to get the data.
Tablets would require a good data link which is not available in many of these field locations (forests and lots of hills) unless your signal is straight up.
I don't know how they video capture functions compare.

Well, thankfully tablets have built in SD card readers, so the ranger can swap out the full SD card on the trap and replace it with an empty one for another round of recording, and once the ranger brings the tablet back to his office, he could access any necessary databases online when he/she gets back to civilization.

 

[BillTre]

Well, thankfully tablets have built in SD card readers, so the ranger can swap out the full SD card on the trap and replace it with an empty one for another round of recording, and once the ranger brings the tablet back to his office, he could access any necessary databases online when he/she gets back to civilization.

Oh yeah SD cards (that's what I meant), same with the camera traps.

How long they can be left with charging or changing batteries is also an issue.

A big issue is how often they have to be visited: set-up, recovery, plus number of file recoveries and energy boosts need for the period of surveillance. The labor involved can be a big deal.

 

[AlexB23]

Oh yeah SD cards (that's what I meant), same with the camera traps.

How long they can be left with charging or changing batteries is also an issue.

A big issue is how often they have to be visited: set-up, recovery, plus number of file recoveries and energy boosts need for the period of surveillance. The labor involved can be a big deal.

I agree on that. Hopefully if tablets and traps are being used out in the field, that both could use solar energy. Even on a cloudy day, solar panels can generate 1/3 of full power.

 

[hmmm27]

iOS which I purchased just to avoid the temptation of being constantly fiddling with all the settings, followed pretty much immediately by regret at not being able to fiddle with all the settings.

 

[AlexB23]

iOS which I purchased just to avoid the temptation of being constantly fiddling with all the settings, followed pretty much immediately by regret at not being able to fiddle with all the settings.

Someone needs to make an OS that is halfway between iOS and Android in terms of customizability, preferably one under the Linux kernel, and not owned by Google. For me, I fiddle with the settings and sounds for a few weeks, and then all is set. What would be really nice is if all phone brands could allow major settings, old texts and ringtones/alarm sounds to be migrated when one replaces their old phone. Android doesn't do that, and I am not sure if Apple does either, as I haven't had an Apple device since 2018. Another pet peeve is that ringtones and text sounds should be ideally different for other callers or texters from those on our contacts list by default. I set callers not on my contacts to be the Chopin - Grande Valse ringtone (aka. Nokia's theme), while my parents have another ringtone, and my friends list, yet another ringtone. But hey, my rant is over about why all phones should migrate nearly all settings. ;)

 

[hmmm27]

I know nothing about cellphones, but I spent more than a few decades working with, and farting-around on, computers of all sizes and shapes (and OSes). Eventually, when Win7 becomes impossible on my laptop, I'll switch to Linux there, then - if that's not too clunky - try a phone with it. Or, I might just outright switch to Android next time my phone irrevocably dies. The grass is always greener, etc.

I used barnyard noises for ringtones and alerts for awhile, then one day I was out in the middle of some wetlands : every time a duck quacked I'd dig my phone out of my pocket, and every time my phone rang I'd look around for a duck.

 

[AlexB23]

I know nothing about cellphones, but I spent more than a few decades working with, and farting-around on, computers of all sizes and shapes (and OSes). Eventually, when Win7 becomes impossible on my laptop, I'll switch to Linux there, then - if that's not too clunky - try a phone with it. Or, I might just outright switch to Android next time my phone irrevocably dies. The grass is always greener, etc.

I used barnyard noises for ringtones and alerts for awhile, then one day I was out in the middle of some wetlands : every time a duck quacked I'd dig my phone out of my pocket, and every time my phone rang I'd look around for a duck.

That second part about duck noises was funny. For the first part, I am planning on switching to Linux on my {gasp} Microsoft Surface Book 2 that I used for college in 2018-19 of all things when Win10 is depreciated in October 2025. Hopefully Ubuntu or something, but people say Ubuntu's owner (Canonical) is messed up for some reason? Isn't Ubuntu like the most popular Linux distro? Guess I'll have to go with Mint in 2025.

 

[hmmm27]

I (and a few 10's or 100's of millions other people) did some of the eternal alpha/beta-testing for Win10 for awhile : it *is* fast(er than Win7/8), but I 'm too old to get any endorphin rush out of pirating it, and refuse to pay for software that requires hacky gymnastics to circumvent personal-data collection booby traps and forces update scheduling. If I'm going to spread some TMI it's going to be to the suffering souls around me, not robots, AI's and spam-mongers. Win11 is reputedly worse and my next used-laptop purchase probably won't run it, anyways.

iOS fits that category as well : "Hey, if I think the WiFi is a bit spotty, then I'll use cell data to download the OS update, right ?", every friggin' time. Offends the hell out of anybody with miserly sensibilities. Is Android better ? or worse at that sort of thing.

Mint is an Ubuntu offshoot : sorry, no idea what that implies re: Canonical. There's always Arch, almost solely for the smug, but I also tend towards biting off more than I can chew. So, realistically, whatever the easy-to-use distro-du-jour is when the time comes. No worries.

 

[AlexB23]

I (and a few 10's or 100's of millions other people) did some of the eternal alpha/beta-testing for Win10 for awhile : it *is* fast(er than Win7/8), but I 'm too old to get any endorphin rush out of pirating it, and refuse to pay for software that requires hacky gymnastics to circumvent personal-data collection booby traps and forces update scheduling. If I'm going to spread some TMI it's going to be to the suffering souls around me, not robots, AI's and spam-mongers. Win11 is reputedly worse and my next used-laptop purchase probably won't run it, anyways.

iOS fits that category as well : "Hey, if I think the WiFi is a bit spotty, then I'll use cell data to download the OS update, right ?", every friggin' time. Offends the hell out of anybody with miserly sensibilities. Is Android better ? or worse at that sort of thing.

Mint is an Ubuntu offshoot : sorry, no idea what that implies re: Canonical. There's always Arch, almost solely for the smug, but I also tend towards biting off more than I can chew. So, realistically, whatever the easy-to-use distro-du-jour is when the time comes. No worries.

Well, my Android hasn't gotten an OS upgrade since 2021 (the year I got it, as the Moto G7 came out in 2019). Cheap Lenovo junk can only get 2 yrs of updates, including security updates after release date, but I remember my phone used Wi-Fi for the last update in July 2021. The EU will may 5 yrs of updates in 2024. But hey, for what you said about Windows 11, I'll skip 11, as it is spyware. And hey, I spread TMI to my friends and family sometimes, much more than Windows sends. For instance, they don't want to know which actors and actresses I find attractive. :)

Here is what people have been saying about Canonical. I don't see the issues here, as there are opt-out options: https://abh.ai/blog/why-ubuntu-and-canonical-drew-criticism-many-members-foss-community

 

[hmmm27]

I am planning on switching to Linux on my {gasp} Microsoft Surface Book 2 that I used for college in 2018-19 of all things when Win10 is depreciated in October 2025.

Those are some seriously sweet looking (and acting), but definitely uncheap, notebooks, though they do look like they come with a little lint brush with the M$ logo emblazoned on it. Come the time, should be awesome with a custom-fitted Linux OS.

Cheap Lenovo junk can only get 2 yrs of updates, including security updates after release date,

Yup, and the Thinkpad line they bought from IBM eventually followed Apple right into some faddish but impractical design elements. And those weren't cheap, either.

Back to phones, thanks for the heads-up on Lenovo's practices : normally they'd be on my radar. From the article you mentioned it doesn't look like Canonical's malaise has spread into Mint.

Wishlist for iOS & its default apps, or alternatives, wouldn't be complicated :
- more, and more visible useful settings
- ability to easily use an external device for display, keyboard and mouse : bluetooth, USB or magic, don't care
- ability to record telephone conversations (which may or may not be available on any app/OS, due to perception of privacy issues)
- Map with persistent data in case of signal loss/deprecation, and streetnames that are a) present and b) bigger larger fonts ; oh, and doesn't keep switching to useless "3d view" when I'm driving, ffs.
- Photo app that exports outside of the iOS ecosystem right-side up (seriously, come on)
- probably plenty of other gripes on things I don't currently use.

I spread TMI to my friends and family sometimes, much more than Windows sends. For instance, they don't want to know which actors and actresses I find attractive. :)

Who, your friends ? or data-mongers.

Anyways, there's only three actors that I might give some thought to crossing the street for, and I can't remember who the third one is.

 

[DennisN]

What model is your phone, if I may ask?

It's a Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G. I bought it for mainly two reasons: (1) it has low power consumption (particularly when using ultra battery saver) and a very good battery life and (2) it was comparatively cheap.

I got tired of frequently recharging my previous phone (LG G4), so I got the Redmi Note phone which has a battery life of 2 days 21 hours according to this review. But I get a battery life of ca 3-4 days on ultra battery saver mode.

But hey, I haven't heard of anyone using a tablet in a hot minute.

I actually use my tablet more than my phone. I use my phone mainly as a small, portable device, and my tablet is mostly at home where I use it to read news and communicate via mail and social media.

Edit: When it comes to smartphones, tablets and computers (and many other things) I stay away from top-of-the-line/flagship products. I am more of a "bang for the buck" person. Actually I think the prices of many smartphones are outrageous, but that's me .

 

[AlexB23]

It's a Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G. I bought it for mainly two reasons: (1) it has low power consumption (particularly when using ultra battery saver) and a very good battery life and (2) it was comparatively cheap.

I got tired of frequently recharging my previous phone (LG G4), so I got the Redmi Note phone which has a battery life of 2 days 21 hours according to this review. But I get a battery life of ca 3-4 days on ultra battery saver mode.
I actually use my tablet more than my phone. I use my phone mainly as a small, portable device, and my tablet is mostly at home where I use it to read news and communicate via mail and social media.

Edit: When it comes to smartphones, tablets and computers (and many other things) I stay away from top-of-the-line/flagship products. I am more of a "bang for the buck" person. Actually I think the prices of many smartphones are outrageous, but that's me .

I stay away from flagships as well. Your Redmi Note 10 is pretty powerful for a non-flagship. Just a little over two or three years ago, the specs would have been a flagship Galaxy. Moore's law is still holding up so far. For tablets, I have heard Android tablets struggle with formatting with apps, as the apps were mainly developed for tinier phone screens, much more so than Apple. Is the tablet good at dealing with these software issues?

 

[DennisN]

Your Redmi Note 10 is pretty powerful for a non-flagship. Just a little over two or three years ago, the specs would have been a flagship Galaxy.

I've had a Samsung Galaxy before (Samsung Galaxy Grand 2), a non-flagship budget version, and I was pleased with it at that time. It seems Samsung makes good phones in general. My mother has a Samsung phone which is better than my Redmi Note 10 which I think is a bit hilarious since I'm a bit of a tech geek and she is not .

For tablets, I have heard Android tablets struggle with formatting with apps, as the apps were mainly developed for tinier phone screens, much more so than Apple. Is the tablet good at dealing with these software issues?

My tablet is a Huawei MediaPad T5 and it's also a budget-friendly tablet.
I've had no issues whatsoever with app formatting, and I use quite many apps.

 

[AlexB23]

I am glad the tablet is

I've had a Samsung Galaxy before (Samsung Galaxy Grand 2), a non-flagship budget version, and I was pleased with it at that time. It seems Samsung makes good phones in general. My mother has a Samsung phone which is better than my Redmi Note 10 which I think is a bit hilarious since I'm a bit of a tech geek and she is not .My tablet is a Huawei MediaPad T5 and it's also a budget-friendly tablet.
I've had no issues whatsoever with app formatting, and I use quite many apps.

I have never heard of a Galaxy Grand, and it is funny that your mom has a faster phone than you, even though she isn't as geeky. :) For tablets, I am glad your tablet works well. But for me, I would sadly not touch an Android tablet with a 10 meter pole. My rule is that Android for phones, iPad for tablets, unless Ubuntu is on a tablet. Then, I'll go for that. Here is one example of a Ubuntu tablet described by a tech newspaper that can go from tablet mode to desktop mode seamlessly: https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-the-first-ubuntu-linux-tablet

 

[AlexB23]

Update: Switched to Ubuntu Linux on December 13, 2024 when I got a new laptop. It ran Windows 11, so I set it to dual boot Linux as Windows 11 is bloatware and full of advertisements.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I've always objected to Apple for biblical reasons.

Apple computers didn't have the compatibility with third-party software I needed for my work. Probably does now but for a long time that wasn't true. That and the price always kept me out of the Apple stores for phones and computers.

About a year ago I finally bought an Apple product - an iPad. After almost 50 years I gave up the paper notebook.

 

[Rive]

A bit late to the party, but:
- for phones, I found the flexibility of Android quite useful. But since my often second-hand phones are used mostly for basic functions only, I'm quick to switch to a custom ROM to keep it ticking far longer than the usual support period.
- for tablets, I had a run with Android but after a while the lack of available SW was just not up to the 'mobile and emergency PC' role and was replaced with Windows. Which will be replaced with Linux, when the 'tenth' ends.

 

[AlexB23]

I've always objected to Apple for biblical reasons.

Apple computers didn't have the compatibility with third-party software I needed for my work. Probably does now but for a long time that wasn't true. That and the price always kept me out of the Apple stores for phones and computers.

About a year ago I finally bought an Apple product - an iPad. After almost 50 years I gave up the paper notebook.

It is good that you prefer Android. Apple makes great tablets, but Android makes better phones.