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I just had to buy a new cellphone this week, and after going thru some hellish days getting it working found it was absolutely wonderful despite a few lukewarm reviews.

I thought about posting about it here as an honest review then decided a whole topc of honest product reviews seemed like it had potential.

Ground rules:

No politics. Please don't say that "Product x is made by corporation y which supports a radical agenda!" or "If you buy that product you're supporting something bad!"

You have to either own or use the product, i.e. have personal experience with it.

You can't hawk something you have a profit interest in.

Now....

I bought a samsumg galaxy A10e smartphone on the walmart family mobile plan. Hey, I don't have my phone glues to my cheek like some people seem to, but when i need one i need one. the 25 a month plan is pretty perfect for me, unlimited talk and text plse unlimited data, the first 2gb a month at high speed the rest at 2gb is fine for me. It is a tracfone, basically, in disguise which means horrible customer service.

As to the phone itself, I read multiple reviews and concluded the tepid ones were likely written b the kind of people who never spend less than 500 on a phone and are probably looking foward to their first thousand dollar one. The camera was supposed to be bad, the cpu sometimes took as much as nearly 2 whole seconds to open an app (Oh lord, how can anyone survive such horror?), the screen res was a mere 720x1560 (on a fairly small 5.83" screen it gives a high pixel density and great images), its not actually OLED tech so the blacks aren't pure black....waah waah waah.

I laid out 100 little green dollars on this, the most i ever spent on a phone and i think it's Faaaan-tastic! The screen is sharp enough to read fine text or watch HD video quite nicely, the 'mere" 8mp camera takes great pix in room lighting, the speaker is pretty loud and handles most sound ranges well, the speed is fine, the cpu and gaphix won't run cyberpunk but are fine for low -mid level gaming on if you must and the voice system works fairly well so far. It lacks an onboard magnetic compass which my earlier cheaper phone had.

Honestly, i think this phone and it's 25 a month basic plan is enough for people who don't live on their phones 8 hours a day. It doesn't have a fingerprint scanner. So what? I wouldn't use one over a password anyway. the battery is a little light and not replaceable, but you can carry an external one to recharge or run it if you can't access a charger It recharges pretty fast with the USB0-C charger. 'd have no problems recommending this phone to a friend as a fully functional smartphone that won't do a GW on your finances. Just be sure to get a good case, like a generic otterbox, for it, it's worth protecting. (Some negative reviews come from the feel of the phone's case, since any good phone owner keeps his in a protective case these are largely irrelevant.)

Another major criticism is it lacks the NFC ability. While nice in some cases this is hardly a necessity and can open your phone to hackers. I do not see it's absence as a liability.

Here's review that's fairly level, but i think he's comparing the 8mp camera to the 12-15+ mp ones on far more expensive cameras.

https://itechblog.co/samsung-galaxy-a10e-review-this-180-phone-is-still-a-good-buy/

The point about smartphones is that they're mostly a status symbol. About 99,9% of the stuff that an average user needs to do with the smartphone there's no real difference between a product like yours and the most advanced/expensive product available.

25 a months sounds quite expensive though but of course I'm not familiar with other countries' plans. Here we can get unlimited texts and phone calls plus 50-60 GB (sometimes even 100) for less than 10 $ a month. If you don't watch movies or lots of youtube videos 2 GB is already enough for everyone needs though.

I agree, it gets tiresome when the latest tech ads spout nonsense like "Includes a 4.4ghz processor, providing an extra 0.4 flops compared to the 4.1 processor". Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand or really care about.

Things like fingerprint scanners, animated emojis and wireless charging are just gimmicks. I have an S20 which I upgraded to as the "unlimited everything deal" was actually cheaper than what I was paying for my S10, but overall I still would have been happy with the S10. The crowds that flock to stores on day one hoping to get the new iPhone, Galaxy, Mac, etc, are a bit over-devoted IMO.

 Valkyrie wrote:
The crowds that flock to stores on day one hoping to get the new iPhone, Galaxy, Mac, etc, are a bit over-devoted IMO.

They're addicts with a problem actually.

I'm one of those weirdos that abuses the fact that I have access to a full machine shop with electrical workstation to just repair the phone I've got. I'm sharing a plan with my siblings for efficiency's sake, and I'm usually perfectly happy just picking up a hand-me-down if one of them wants to get a new phone when an upgrade discount comes along.

Current one is a Galaxy S5, it's my favorite so far. It's got a pretty open circuit layout, doesn't seem to overheat the battery too often, and is fairly good processing most apps. Only problems are Spotify and Google Maps cause it to lag like crazy.

 Valkyrie wrote:
I agree, it gets tiresome when the latest tech ads spout nonsense like "Includes a 4.4ghz processor, providing an extra 0.4 flops compared to the 4.1 processor". Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand or really care about.

Things like fingerprint scanners, animated emojis and wireless charging are just gimmicks. I have an S20 which I upgraded to as the "unlimited everything deal" was actually cheaper than what I was paying for my S10, but overall I still would have been happy with the S10. The crowds that flock to stores on day one hoping to get the new iPhone, Galaxy, Mac, etc, are a bit over-devoted IMO.

Well the gimmick of fingerprint scanner means i have phone　ready to use even before it's in front of my face rather than after typing in 6+ letter code. Seeing　i can need phone frequently saves not that insignificant time .

Not fan of repeative tasks myself

For me #1 priority with phone is camera though. Rest works just fine but bad camera and need to carry separate camera with me. Prefer less load to carry around

tneva82 wrote:

 Valkyrie wrote:
I agree, it gets tiresome when the latest tech ads spout nonsense like "Includes a 4.4ghz processor, providing an extra 0.4 flops compared to the 4.1 processor". Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand or really care about.

Things like fingerprint scanners, animated emojis and wireless charging are just gimmicks. I have an S20 which I upgraded to as the "unlimited everything deal" was actually cheaper than what I was paying for my S10, but overall I still would have been happy with the S10. The crowds that flock to stores on day one hoping to get the new iPhone, Galaxy, Mac, etc, are a bit over-devoted IMO.

Well the gimmick of fingerprint scanner means i have phone　ready to use even before it's in front of my face rather than after typing in 6+ letter code. Seeing　i can need phone frequently saves not that insignificant time .

Not fan of repeative tasks myself

For me #1 priority with phone is camera though. Rest works just fine but bad camera and need to carry separate camera with me. Prefer less load to carry around

You know what I'll give you that, the fingerprint scanner is a very good feature. Not only for convenience but also for security.

A good camera is useful on a phone, but again there're some features which are totally unnecessary/useless. One of the big selling points on the S20 is its 100x zoom. Yes it zooms in that much, but it's so shaky it's damn near impossible to get a decent shot unless you've braced both elbows and both wrists on a surface. Even then the quality at that level is nowhere near as good as the ads make it out to be.

Yeah for zoom i prefer indeed walk zoom

Microsoft Teams.

We use this at work, and it’s wonderful. We previously used Zoom and Webex, and I’m afraid they just don’t compare.

If I need to chat with someone about a case, we can do it. If there’s an ongoing meeting, you can create a separate “room” for a side discussion.

Wonderful stuff for collaborative working.

I wouldn't use a fingerprint scanner for security. Courts in 'murca have ruled police can physically force your finger onto a scanner to access your phone. They can't force you to enter a password.

 Valkyrie wrote:
Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand

"What are commercials?" For 500

 Matt Swain wrote:
I wouldn't use a fingerprint scanner for security. Courts in 'murca have ruled police can physically force your finger onto a scanner to access your phone. They can't force you to enter a password.

Sometimes i'm so glad i live where i dont have to worry about that

 Blackie wrote:
The point about smartphones is that they're mostly a status symbol. About 99,9% of the stuff that an average user needs to do with the smartphone there's no real difference between a product like yours and the most advanced/expensive product available.

Camera is a big one that has driven me to buy more expensive phones in years gone by. I haven't used a stand alone camera outside of work in many years, so having the best possible quality camera in my phone for snaps of the family or holiday snaps is important to me.


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tneva82 wrote:

 Matt Swain wrote:
I wouldn't use a fingerprint scanner for security. Courts in 'murca have ruled police can physically force your finger onto a scanner to access your phone. They can't force you to enter a password.

Sometimes i'm so glad i live where i dont have to worry about that

Finland? The coppers in Finland are also allowed to force you to open your phone with the fingerprint scanner. There was a case a couple of years ago in Finland where someone held in custody under suspicion of theft was forced to unlock his phone with a fingerprint.

My fingerprint scanner broke a little while back and I don't miss it (other than it occasionally bugging out the phone when I reset it and it forgets that the scanner doesn't work).

 NinthMusketeer wrote:

 Valkyrie wrote:
Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand

"What are commercials?" For 500

If that's a reference to something, you've lost me.

 Valkyrie wrote:

 NinthMusketeer wrote:

 Valkyrie wrote:
Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand

"What are commercials?" For 500

If that's a reference to something, you've lost me.

it's a reference to the long running american game show "jeopardy".

 Matt Swain wrote:

 Valkyrie wrote:

 NinthMusketeer wrote:

 Valkyrie wrote:
Meaningless jargon that the average consumer doesn't understand

"What are commercials?" For 500

If that's a reference to something, you've lost me.

it's a reference to the long running american game show "jeopardy".

Ah. Never watched it, don't even know anything about it besides that the host died recently.

I was just pointing out that the base standard of advertising is nonsense appealing to people on an emotional level because they can't generally be bothered to apply a sprinkle of logic to anything (though the reasons for that second bit are many and complicated).


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Anyways, the Citadel Mold Line Remover. Actually a very useful little tool, particularly for long mold lines and ones on convex surfaces. It scrapes off that bit of extra plastic without a danger of actually cutting into the model like a hobby knife can do (unless you put some serious pressure on it). It does not work for fine detail and cannot get into small recesses, so this is a tool to get in addition to a hobby knife, not instead of. But for anyone who does a lot of assembly, particularly of older miniatures where the mold lines are generally more significant and less hidden, I would highly reccomend it. I have had mine for years and it has not worn out, so the GW-pricing does pay off over time.

As someone who's owned and used a Galaxy Note 3 since it came out in Canada (late 2013), I will sing the praises of a replaceable battery. I'm on my 4th battery and generally change it when I can't get 2 days of modest use out of the phone. I don't have to plug my phone in every time I sit down or lug a power bank along with me wherever I go. I don't have to replace my phone every other year because the battery won't hold a charge for a couple hours of use.

That said, VERY few phones these days have them, probably because it does extend the useful life of a phone. When I bought my Note my plan was to get 5 years out of it (because it was expensive!), and I'm well past that point and it's still going strong. I won't even consider a new phone until we get some decent 5G coverage in my area.

So yeah, 7+ years on my phone because it has a replaceable battery, I am a fan of that feature.

Batteries for the most part are still replaceable, just not "user" replaceable, but repair places will swap them out for you for a few bucks (depending on model) on top of the price of the battery. Often by that point people are thinking about upgrading anyway though. I actually had an iphone 3GS for 6 or so years on the original battery and I still got a solid day's usage out of it when I got rid of it. I upgraded primarily for a better camera and it was getting sluggish on simple things like GPS. I'll likely upgrade my 3 yo iPhone SE soon, again primarily to get a better camera.

It would be great if phone technology stabilised somewhat and there was a push for phones to once again actually last more than 1 to 2 years.

I've gotten 4+ out of all mine, and that is despite me dropping them a bazillion times. But then I also have pretty low standards out of what I want my phone to do.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
It would be great if phone technology stabilised somewhat and there was a push for phones to once again actually last more than 1 to 2 years.

That would ruin their sales performance, the entire industry is predicated on a 2 year turnover.

There IS demand for durable phones, it's just in the business sphere and it's not marketed to the average consumer. Samsung's XCover Pro is targeted solely at business clients (to the point where Bell won't even sell it on the consumer web pages), but it's a ruggedized phone with a replaceable battery, because businesses aren't willing to put up with a 2 year phone life cycle.

Some of the lack of user friendlieness for changing things like batteries might change if the EU gets it way. They are trying to push through laws and rules that makes it harder/illegal for companies to build devices that basically can't be repaired by design or are designed to only allow access with proprietary tools.

Eg those clamshell plastic cases that need a specific tool to put pressure on a specific spot to open; or which are impossible to open without cracking/breaking the plastic. Whilst offering no actual sealing protection (eg they are not water tight); they are simply there to prevent/restrict home and 3rd party repair.

Advances in law like that could see some of the fast cycle electronics have to shift toward longer product cycles as repair becomes more practical/possible.


Ecological advances in understanding might also see consumer pressure pick up on longer more durable and less "short term" products. There's desire for that, but its not yet as loud as the desire for the newest model.

 Overread wrote:
Some of the lack of user friendlieness for changing things like batteries might change if the EU gets it way. They are trying to push through laws and rules that makes it harder/illegal for companies to build devices that basically can't be repaired by design or are designed to only allow access with proprietary tools.

Eg those clamshell plastic cases that need a specific tool to put pressure on a specific spot to open; or which are impossible to open without cracking/breaking the plastic. Whilst offering no actual sealing protection (eg they are not water tight); they are simply there to prevent/restrict home and 3rd party repair.

Advances in law like that could see some of the fast cycle electronics have to shift toward longer product cycles as repair becomes more practical/possible.


Ecological advances in understanding might also see consumer pressure pick up on longer more durable and less "short term" products. There's desire for that, but its not yet as loud as the desire for the newest model.

Didn't the EU already try this with chargers, saying that all companies must use the same tech (in this case Micro-USB) to reduce e-waste, then Apple just ignored them and made the Lightning cable?

Might be, its likely the kind of thing they keep having to revise as big firms find loopholes or ignore it etc... Basically its got the right attitude but big firms are VERY locked into this idea of recycling the same customers with new products.



Apple are bad though, I think they even got caught putting software into their phones/tablets that made them perform worse after a certain date to encourage upgrades to "faster" machines.

Apple is one of those that has hit the level of needing to be broken up via antitrust methods, because they are so big and so powerful they can just ignore laws and get away with it. But not every company is like that, nor can the likes of Apple ignore laws entirely without consequence.

 Overread wrote:
Might be, its likely the kind of thing they keep having to revise as big firms find loopholes or ignore it etc... Basically its got the right attitude but big firms are VERY locked into this idea of recycling the same customers with new products.



Apple are bad though, I think they even got caught putting software into their phones/tablets that made them perform worse after a certain date to encourage upgrades to "faster" machines.

Gosh, didn't you get the memo? Apple did that to help the consumers, not force them to buy new phones.

Yeah, the french didn't buy that line either.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-fined-27-4-million-in-france-for-slowing-down-older-iphones-without-warning/#:~:text=Apple%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20confirmed,by%20ageing%20lithium-ion%20batteries.&text=Dubbed%20"optimized%20battery%20charging"%2C,on%20by%20default%20on%20devices.