New to Android Central coming over from 10years at Crackberry

[qphone]

Well...

Finally took the plunge as I could no longer wait for Onward Mobility's BlackBerry 5G offering for next year. Being not sure if it'll ever come to fruition and researching the many Android Devices to choose from...

I decided to go pure Android via Pixel (4a 5G) because of monthly security updates pretty much released on the dot every month let alone OS upgrades that all Pixel's have come to enjoy over Samsung and other OEMs. Right out of the box...Android 11 with November 5,2020 security patch and now December 5, 2020 security patch downloaded and installed a few days ago.

Being a Blackberry user going all the way back to the BlackBerry OS (Pearl/Storm 1/Storm 2/Torch/Bold), BlackBerry 10 (Z10/Z30/Passport/Classic), Blackberry Android (DTEK 50/DTEK 60/Leap/KEYone)... I loved the fact that the Blackberry Android Devices used the purest form of Android with BlackBerry 10'ish look (DTEK and KEY series) via BlackBerry Hub stuff on top.

Now roughly 3 years later... as much as I could have purchased KEY2s, the device like the KEYone would still be on Android 8.1. The last security patch on our KEYones was June, 2019.

Now...with the purchase of our new 4a 5Gs, such a sigh of relief being up to date on security patches let alone being on the latest OS (Android 11). Android 11's gestures totally remind me of the Blackberry 10 days when everyone was saying Gestures wont last as buttons (Back/Home/Overview) are the way to go. Now I'm back with Gestures.

Seeing that the latest Android is pretty much Gesture based... it was very, very easy to adapt.

After unboxing, I immediately updated to see that I'm on the latest Security Update. From there I updated to make sure all the OEM Google apps are up to date. After doing all that... I then installed BlackBerry Hub+ Services (Hub+ Inbox/Calendar/Notes/Tasks/Contacts/Password Keeper/Device Search/Launcher/Privacy Shade) and enabled Blackberry Launcher as default.

Wow...we now all have our versions of Blackberry 5G!!

Blackberry software carried over from Blackberry 10 to Blackberry Android over to Pixel 4a 5G. Will Onward Mobility's Android Blackberry 5G pull through in '21? Who knows... but at least I can rest and relax knowing that I'm up to date on security patches.

Pic of our 4 Blackberry KEYones and 1 DTEK60 getting ready to retire to my phone drawer/retirement home and my home screen looking exactly like my DTEK60 and KEYone with the big difference...that it's a 5G device on the latest OS and security patch.

A big Thank You to Google Pixel Line!!!!

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, welcome to AC!

 

[qphone]

Hi, welcome to AC!

Thanks!! Looking forward to reading anything and everything AC

Only thing I came across the other night was this new tab placed on dining tables at restaurants where you place a phone near it and the restaurant's menu pops up.

Tried what the server was showing me what to do but couldn't get it to work so...

Opened up my QR/Bar code scanner app that I've used back on my Black Droid devices for the website / menu to open up.

Talked to a few friends the next day and they said just open up the default Android camera app (which it is even though I'm using Blackberry Launcher and Blackberry Hub+ apps) and it should automatically read a QR/Bar Code.

Is this correct? I'm so used to using an app downloaded from Play Store after all these years and didn't realize that the OEM Android Camera App reads them automatically.

If this is the case...then there's no need for the app and I'll uninstall since the camera app does all.

Please confirm.

Thanks!!!

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks!! Looking forward to reading anything and everything AC

Only thing I came across the other night was this new tab placed on dining tables at restaurants where you place a phone near it and the restaurant's menu pops up.

Tried what the server was showing me what to do but couldn't get it to work so...

Opened up my QR/Bar code scanner app that I've used back on my Black Droid devices for the website / menu to open up.

Talked to a few friends the next day and they said just open up the default Android camera app (which it is even though I'm using Blackberry Launcher and Blackberry Hub+ apps) and it should automatically read a QR/Bar Code.

Is this correct? I'm so used to using an app downloaded from Play Store after all these years and didn't realize that the OEM Android Camera App reads them automatically.

If this is the case...then there's no need for the app and I'll uninstall since the camera app does all.

Please confirm.

Thanks!!!

It should automatically read or take you to google lens which the camera app has

 

[qphone]

It should automatically read or take you to google lens which the camera app has

Awesome! Thanks, good to know

After checking...Google lens wasn't on my camera or installed so I downloaded from GPS.

Pretty impressive OEM app.

 

[Smokeaire01]

Awesome! Thanks, good to know

After checking...Google lens wasn't on my camera or installed so I downloaded from GPS.

Pretty impressive OEM app.

When you opened your camera did you click on Modes at the bottom? It's to the right Video. Google Lens should there. I don't have the physical Lens app installed on my Pixel 4a but it is there in Modes.

 

[mustang7757]

When you opened your camera did you click on Modes at the bottom? It's to the right Video. Google Lens should there. I don't have the physical Lens app installed on my Pixel 4a but it is there in Modes.

Not their on pixel 4a ? On the pixel 5 it's there

 

[Smokeaire01]

Not their on pixel 4a ? On the pixel 5 it's there

What are you referring to?

 

[qphone]

When you opened your camera did you click on Modes at the bottom? It's to the right Video. Google Lens should there. I don't have the physical Lens app installed on my Pixel 4a but it is there in Modes.

Thanks...went to Modes and it's there.

Kinda weird as when I searched in app tray, couldn't find it. Then when searching GPS, it says install so I did.

Now after you said it's in Camera Modes I uninstalled the Google Lens app.

Kinda weird that by searching the app tray that it wasn't listed. Safe to assume then that since it's embedded with the camera app, it's technically not a standalone app.

Oh well...still awesome nevertheless

 

[Smokeaire01]

Thanks...went to Modes and it's there.

Kinda weird as when I searched in app tray, couldn't find it. Then when searching GPS, it says install so I did.

Now after you said it's in Camera Modes I uninstalled the Google Lens app.

Kinda weird that by searching the app tray that it wasn't listed. Safe to assume then that since it's embedded with the camera app, it's technically not a standalone app.

Oh well...still awesome nevertheless

Glad you found it.
When I saw it already part of the camera features I uninstalled the standalone app that I had installed earlier.
I think the standalone Lens app is for non-Pixel phones.

 

[mustang7757]

What are you referring to?

Google lens ?

 

[qphone]

Glad you found it.
When I saw it already part of the camera features I uninstalled the standalone app that I had installed earlier.
I think the standalone Lens app is for non-Pixel phones.

Thanks again

 

[gebco]

I could have written this post. I also came to the Pixel line when I went from my Priv to the Pixel 2XL and now the 4a 5G. Part of being a BlackBerry user to me was the appreciation of regular security updates and that is why, when BlackBerry ended updates for the Priv I moved to the Pixel.

Well...

Finally took the plunge as I could no longer wait for Onward Mobility's BlackBerry 5G offering for next year. Being not sure if it'll ever come to fruition and researching the many Android Devices to choose from...

I decided to go pure Android via Pixel (4a 5G) because of monthly security updates pretty much released on the dot every month let alone OS upgrades that all Pixel's have come to enjoy over Samsung and other OEMs. Right out of the box...Android 11 with November 5,2020 security patch and now December 5, 2020 security patch downloaded and installed a few days ago.

Being a Blackberry user going all the way back to the BlackBerry OS (Pearl/Storm 1/Storm 2/Torch/Bold), BlackBerry 10 (Z10/Z30/Passport/Classic), Blackberry Android (DTEK 50/DTEK 60/Leap/KEYone)... I loved the fact that the Blackberry Android Devices used the purest form of Android with BlackBerry 10'ish look (DTEK and KEY series) via BlackBerry Hub stuff on top.

Now roughly 3 years later... as much as I could have purchased KEY2s, the device like the KEYone would still be on Android 8.1. The last security patch on our KEYones was June, 2019.

Now...with the purchase of our new 4a 5Gs, such a sigh of relief being up to date on security patches let alone being on the latest OS (Android 11). Android 11's gestures totally remind me of the Blackberry 10 days when everyone was saying Gestures wont last as buttons (Back/Home/Overview) are the way to go. Now I'm back with Gestures.

Seeing that the latest Android is pretty much Gesture based... it was very, very easy to adapt.

After unboxing, I immediately updated to see that I'm on the latest Security Update. From there I updated to make sure all the OEM Google apps are up to date. After doing all that... I then installed BlackBerry Hub+ Services (Hub+ Inbox/Calendar/Notes/Tasks/Contacts/Password Keeper/Device Search/Launcher/Privacy Shade) and enabled Blackberry Launcher as default.

Wow...we now all have our versions of Blackberry 5G!!

Blackberry software carried over from Blackberry 10 to Blackberry Android over to Pixel 4a 5G. Will Onward Mobility's Android Blackberry 5G pull through in '21? Who knows... but at least I can rest and relax knowing that I'm up to date on security patches.

Pic of our 4 Blackberry KEYones and 1 DTEK60 getting ready to retire to my phone drawer/retirement home and my home screen looking exactly like my DTEK60 and KEYone with the big difference...that it's a 5G device on the latest OS and security patch.

A big Thank You to Google Pixel Line!!!!

View attachment 329825
View attachment 329826

 

[qphone]

I could have written this post. I also came to the Pixel line when I went from my Priv to the Pixel 2XL and now the 4a 5G. Part of being a BlackBerry user to me was the appreciation of regular security updates and that is why, when BlackBerry ended updates for the Priv I moved to the Pixel.

Agreed! Yeah when Blackberry released their first Android device... They've always mentioned that their devices had "Hardened" kernels in addition to monthly security updates.

In addition to those, I at least got one upgrade from Nougat 7 to Oreo 8 and that was it with the last patch being June 2019.

"Hardened" kernel without having up to date security patches for over 17 months was too much for me to keep waiting and waiting...

So Pixel Line it was. Took the 5G route since it's pretty much the new and fully accepted standard and where we live in Vancouver...Telus 5G is strong all over the GVA (Greater Vancouver Area) and having Pixels, we'll never have to worry about getting patches first and foremost including OS upgrades.

Safe to assume OS upgrades just goes when ready instead of Carrier OTA timelines as our 4a 5Gs are all factory unlocked and NOT purchased through Telus.