2015, what a disappointing year

[syspry]

iOS has been having a lot of issues lately. Many of their new OS releases completely crashed games that had been working for years.

And were patched (to end users not to carriers) within days. Carrier android phones will be waiting for around 7+ months for a mostly stable version of lollipop (meaning 5.1.1)

 

[thatguy97]

Where have you gone Joe dimagio

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Tsepz_GP]

We are well into the plateau phase. Smartphones has we know them started back around 2007 and we kind of got used to huge and dramatic increases in features, functionality and performance each and every year... sometimes even shorter. Every new generation, people picked up the new units and though "WOW!" But that rapid improvement wasn't bound to hold up. I think the turning point was around the Galaxy S3 generation. Once that gen of phones got dropped, the perceived pace of advancement slowed fairly substaintally.... CPUs can only get so much faster, screens can only get so much better, etc.

So while some might be disappointed with the current crop of phones, I look at the lineup and I'm impressed. I mean, we are up to our eyeballs with great devices.... even the 'cheap' phones today are infinitely more capable than the top of the line units we had a few years ago.

Great points.

I totally agree WRT how everything slowed down after the Galaxy S3 generation, those phones leaped from predecessors with 4-4.3inch 800x480 displays with Single and Dual-core CPUs to huge +4.7inch HD displays and Quad core CPUs, 2GB RAM etc... After that we saw phones like the GS4 come with many gimmicks trying to differentiate themselves, Htc One M7 with gimmicky UltraPixel camera etc... It has become very difficult

The Chinese OEMs are certainly fast catching up, its quite scary, look at the Huawei Mate 7, Xiaomi MiNotePro (4GB RAM!!!), the new ZTE Z9 Nubia with 4GB RAM, borderless design etc..., the new MediaTek Deci Core CPU with 4 A57 Cores, 4 A53 Cores and 2 A72 Cores, it's madness and they are selling these beasts at far lower prices than our Samsungs, LGs, Sonys and HTCs. Incredible stuff.

We are at a point where the manufacturers have to differentiate through not just hardware but software, and after sales services.

 

[prouty1974]

Don't get a note 4. Just downloaded lollipop and can't go 4 hours without charging. Used to go all day

 

[stackberry369]

I wouldn't call it a disappointing year. The M9 is still a great phone, S6 could very well be in the running for phone of the year (I know it's very early for that), and I'm still a huge fan of my iPhone 6 Plus. I have both the DROID Turbo and a 6 Plus and the iPhone has been getting more time than my Turbo.

Google will get things taken care of, look how bad iOS 8 was. That rollout was a complete disaster. They will probably seem like disappointing years because I think we are starting to plateau a bit on these devices.

Posted via the Android Central App

the Galaxy Note 5 will be the poy phone of the year

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[syspry]

Don't get a note 4. Just downloaded lollipop and can't go 4 hours without charging. Used to go all day

Factory reset immediately after the update, reboot, install your apps and reboot again. Give it a couple charge cycles to normalize

 

[Gunny94]

Factory reset immediately after the update, reboot, install your apps and reboot again. Give it a couple charge cycles to normalize

This Same with all devices after an upgrade.

Either how... 2015 is indeed a disappointing year, I just upgraded to a Note 4 and thinking of having it around till Note 5 (if anything special) or wait for Note 6 or just buy other phones in 2016 for a normal weekend/holiday use.

 

[Bi Studio]

I can tell you that the first update of Android lollipop has lowered significantly the performance of my nexus 5. With the 5.1 things have improved

 

[KoNd2i0]

For me it seems that every year will be worse. Only race for better specification, any game dont full use it

 

[Zoostation]

Not disappointed in the S6 or S6 Edge and I tend to use a lot of phones each year, in 2014 it was 8 phones. Not because they sucked or I didnt like them, I just like new tech. But IMO the S6 Edge 128GB will work for my needs for the year. Plus my wife is going back to school and I have to cut the costs somewhere, so let it be my phone hobby

You're in a very small minority of people who go through devices that fast. Most people keep a phone for much longer.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Tsepz_GP]

You're in a very small minority of people who go through devices that fast. Most people keep a phone for much longer.

Posted via the Android Central App

Yep. I usually change once a year and even that is not common, most change every 2years, some even longer.

I find it hard to switch phones often, I like to settle with 1 for a while and enjoy it until I get bored of it, then I through a phase where I try customise it, then realise I like it the way it came then use it stock until I get the next one, but I haven't been bored with my Note 4 yet even 7months after getting it. Have yet to root it or try a custom ROM.

 

[Zoostation]

For me if I want a flagship level phone I need to try and keep it for 2 years. I can't justify the expense otherwise.

 

[syspry]

I edited the OP to remove lollipop bugginess from the list. I'm satisfied with the latest updates. (Play Services battery drain continues to be an issue on some devices)
I'll also scratch my comments about the S6 of the list once those fixes arrive OTA