A few questions about the Z3

[MamaBear2014]

Well I never expected to come into a Z3. I was fine with my LG G5 until the apparently-planned-bricking that happened with the September 21st Android update. ( YES, I investigated this and found articles that it happens - after experiencing phone deaths regularly - about every 2 years! ) The phone started shutting down spontaneously all the time!

I take good care of my phones, and then there's this apparent collusion between the manufacturers and Android.

I was so furious that I went back to Verizon, and the guy as much as admitted this. Well, new operating systems come out, and they don't always work on the “old” phones. 2 years is “old” now. ( I didn't tell him MY age. ) And coincidentally, Verizon called me a few weeks before that update and told me that I needed to get a newer phone, that mine was out of date. I replied that it was fine. Heh...

So I brought it back and they said they'd use my insurance, to get me a new LG G5 that WOULD work. Great. It arrived, I shipped my old one back, spent the afternoon re-populating the newer one, and started using it. Bam, spontaneous shut-downs.

So back to the store again, and I was determined that I wouldn't be buying an expensive new phone because of it – just on principle. So I got a Samsung J7 V for $240. Populated and started using it, but it soon became apparent that it was a huge downgrade. After putting in a 32GB SD card, I couldn't even access it, and the camera was junk IMO.

So I had to go back to Verizon and eat some crow, and swallow the bitter pill and get this Z3. I'm a senior, with a part time home business, so I can pay my bills and not have to eat dog food, so I don't need to get milked for this stuff. Really.

But now that I have the phone, for $20 a month for 2 years, or until Android bricks it, I suppose, I am liking it. The OLED screen is very nice. Will have to study some, to figure out all the camera options and how to use it.

But if it's ok, I'd like to ask a few questions here, as they arise, because some of this stuff isn't easy to figure out.

First: I figured out how to get it to link with my Windows PC so I can transfer photos and videos to it. But is there a free dual pane file manager for the Windows PC, that can make this easier, AND see the phone as a drive?

Then, I apparently had some old photos that were backed up somewhere off the phone, and I don't want them popping up on the phone now, instead of JUST the photos I want to be on it. So how can I shut that off, please?

Thanks!

 

[Rukbat]

First - Verizon has an industry reputation for associates saying things to the customer that just aren't ... I won't say true, they aren't even false yet. I've had phones that went from initial release to last update and never had a hiccup. I just sent someone one of my Note 3s - got it with early Jelly Bean if I recall - mid 2013?, updated in steps to Lollypop, and banged on that thing like you wouldn't believe - tried just about every ROM that came out, had Towel Root and SafeStrap, things I probably can't remember - and the big problem was that after 5 years one of my 2 needed a new battery. The second one is still on its original battery - and still works fine (although I kept it on 4.4.2 for easier access to SafeStrap).

Google regularly releases 3 version updates for their phones. (And if you really want to pull the firmware apart and add the hardware interface to AOSP, you can keep updating longer.)

The manufacturers (I won't name names) evidently get tired of updating older phones, so bugs slip in and, with something like Linux with Dalvik with apps one atop the other, and half a dozen unrelated partitions, a little bug can cause a brick, and the manufacturers aren't too interested in pulling a team off a new version to debug an old phone. (I've been in the hair removal business - otherwise known as debugging software - for over 4 decades, so I know how it works. "Oh, something new to play with." 3 years later, "What? You want me to work on that old thing again?") But you know what? I've bricked my Pixel 2 a few rimes. Oops. Flash the ROM again, darn it. So I lost 3 minutes.

Android isn't bricking anything - I know people still running Nexus 7s (2013) with no problem. Old OS, but no problem, no bricking. You can't run some newer apps, but how many programs can you run on 16 bit Windows 95. (And I still have a laptop with Windows 3.11 and 5MB - count them, five megabytes - of RAM. Can't run much on that thing, but it's still usable for some work.

Dual-pane Windows Explorer equivalent? Did you even look at something like this site? Google has tons of links.

If the pictures are backed up to the Google cloud, they'll show up on the phone. So back them up to your PC, back them up to another cloud (I use Mega because I have a lot of space there), delete them from the phone and turn off picture sync in your Google account on the phone.

 

[MamaBear2014]

First - Verizon has an industry reputation for associates saying things to the customer that just aren't ... I won't say true, they aren't even false yet. I've had phones that went from initial release to last update and never had a hiccup. I just sent someone one of my Note 3s - got it with early Jelly Bean if I recall - mid 2013?, updated in steps to Lollypop, and banged on that thing like you wouldn't believe - tried just about every ROM that came out, had Towel Root and SafeStrap, things I probably can't remember - and the big problem was that after 5 years one of my 2 needed a new battery. The second one is still on its original battery - and still works fine (although I kept it on 4.4.2 for easier access to SafeStrap).

Google regularly releases 3 version updates for their phones. (And if you really want to pull the firmware apart and add the hardware interface to AOSP, you can keep updating longer.)

The manufacturers (I won't name names) evidently get tired of updating older phones, so bugs slip in and, with something like Linux with Dalvik with apps one atop the other, and half a dozen unrelated partitions, a little bug can cause a brick, and the manufacturers aren't too interested in pulling a team off a new version to debug an old phone. (I've been in the hair removal business - otherwise known as debugging software - for over 4 decades, so I know how it works. "Oh, something new to play with." 3 years later, "What? You want me to work on that old thing again?") But you know what? I've bricked my Pixel 2 a few rimes. Oops. Flash the ROM again, darn it. So I lost 3 minutes.

Android isn't bricking anything - I know people still running Nexus 7s (2013) with no problem. Old OS, but no problem, no bricking. You can't run some newer apps, but how many programs can you run on 16 bit Windows 95. (And I still have a laptop with Windows 3.11 and 5MB - count them, five megabytes - of RAM. Can't run much on that thing, but it's still usable for some work.

Ok, well bottom line, can I still sell the LG G5 to someone who can bring it back and use it?

Dual-pane Windows Explorer equivalent?

Yeah, I've been using Altap Salamander ( registered - replaced the defunct Norton Commander with it ) for years, but cant seem to get it to recognize the phone, plugged into the USB. ( Says I don't have ActiveSync installed, but I cant figure that out. )

Did you even look at something like this site? Google has tons of links.

Thanks, will take a look. I found something about Microsoft having a Metro Commander, but when I tried to get it for my Windows PC, it said I didn't have any registered devices, even though I was logged into my Microsoft account. But it looks crummy anyway. I LIKE Altap Salamander ( done by nice people in Czech Republic ) but just cant get it to see the phone on the USB cable.

If the pictures are backed up to the Google cloud, they'll show up on the phone. So back them up to your PC, back them up to another cloud (I use Mega because I have a lot of space there), delete them from the phone and turn off picture sync in your Google account on the phone.

I need to figure out how to turn off cloud access completely. I don't care. ALL my photos and videos are on my PC too, so... How can I turn off all cloud access?

Oh, with this Z3, I'm also trying to figure out how to use the Moto Voice to say "Answer" when I'm driving and the phone rings, so as not to have to fumble with that freakin' swipe thing, while driving. ( never works and makes me crazy )