Several general questions

[travelinhobo]

Hi there. I would like to confirm what the guy in the phone store told me as I get a different story every time I go into one of these places. I'm not tech savvy, so bear with me. I have attempted to replace my LG Neon Plus phone which I bought over 2.5 years ago. Now that I have bought 3 stupid phones in the past few months, I have learned just how much I love my LG phone and will ultimately buy a replacement battery for it online and find someone to install it for me. In the meantime, Here are my questions:

1. My LG phone had a memo pad called QuickMemo +. I have tried downloading this onto my new AT&T phone, but it gives me the message, " app not installed as package conflicts with an existing package". Guy in the store said it's a "stock app" meaning it came with the LG phone and can not be loaded onto any other companies' phones. Is this true?? I love this app. The new version did download, but I didn't like it and want the old version (9.10.27).

2. Along with Q1, the guy in the store also explained that you can't download an app meant for an older Android version (10, in this case). My new phone is Android 12. Is this true? Does this mean I'll never be able to use older Android versions of any apps? I also want to install an older version of Google Maps (10.18.2), but it didn't work.

3. The Gmaps loaded on my AT&T phone (it's a Motivate 3) has a serious lag time. I don't think I've noticed this with opening other windows on wifi. What does this indicate? Also, once it opens, it can take (not always) a couple of seconds for the map to actually appear and then it does so in sections. Have never had this occurance on other phones.

4. I use my phone solely on wifi - no phone service. Why is it that on this phone, when I open the wifi at a location that has it, sometimes it'll pop the user rules screen up but sometimes I have to click on it to get to that screen? Just wondering.


Thank you for your input.

 

[Mooncatt]

Q1. Correct, Quickmemo+ is an LG stock app and not useable on other brands.

Q2. You can typically can install older app versions if you have a trustworthy source. One problem you may run in to is if you are wanting to replace a stock app that can't be installed in the normal ways. In this case the phone will detect the existing install and not allow the older one in. There may be ways around this, but it's not something I've personally dealt with.

Q3. It looks like the Motivate 3 is a low end phone. Unfortunately lag and general low performance is to be expected.

Q4. I can't offer any help here other than to say I've had this happen to me as well and never figured out any rhyme or reason to it.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you're going to download and install APK files, I would stick with APKMirror.com, which is run by the folks at Android Police, and therefore much less risk for malware.

In addition to your phone being quite underpowered (CPU is a Mediatek Helio A20, and it only has 3 GB of RAM), the performance of apps like Google Maps can also be dependent on your wi-fi speeds. What are they like?

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

The wifi modem in that phone is probably low end as well. The problem with low end phones is that they are barely usable. They are underpowered and prone to severe lag and poor app performance. Although they are technically smart phones they are really only suitable for talk and text apps. The hardware will be low quality and more compromised.

 

[unique9876]

1. The guy in the store is correct. QuickMemo+ is a stock app specific to LG phones and may not be compatible with other phone brands. Unfortunately, you may not be able to install the old version on your new AT&T phone.

2. It is generally true that apps designed for older Android versions may not be fully compatible with newer versions. However, not all apps have this limitation. It depends on the specific app and its developer's support for different Android versions.

3. The lag time and slow loading of Google Maps on your Motivate 3 could be due to various factors, such as hardware limitations or network issues. It's recommended to ensure you have a stable internet connection and consider optimizing your phone's performance through regular updates and maintenance.

4. The behavior you described when connecting to Wi-Fi networks can vary based on the settings and configurations of the network you're connecting to. Some networks may require you to accept user rules, while others may automatically redirect you to the agreement screen.

 

[travelinhobo]

Thanks for the responses. As for the low "quality" of the phone... I've had 2 stupid phones before this, both LG's just by coincidence, and they never gave me the problems I've been encountering since then. In fact, the phone I'm trying to replace (the LG Neon) was also considered "low end" (worth $70, but I got it on clearance for less than $20 at Wallyworld) and it never had problems with the battery charge in the beginning, nor any of these other problems I'm encountering (even if you don't consider them as problems). As for me... I'm old school and I don't require a high quality gizmo. Just something that works for wifi, memo pad and Gmaps without giving me stress would be nice. I don't text, so that's not an issue.

 

[B. Diddy]

It's worth testing the phone in Safe Mode to see if the sluggishness persists. Safe Mode temporarily disables any 3rd party app you installed, so that means you can only use preinstalled apps -- but Google Maps would be one of them. If the sluggishness goes away in Safe Mode, then something you installed is causing the system to slow down. It can be tricky to pinpoint which app is the culprit, though -- sometimes you just have to uninstall apps one by one until the problem goes away.

In your PM to me, you asked about whether Android phones can get viruses. They most definitely can, but they can be easily avoided by following some basic guidelines, some of which are common sense -- read more here:

[GUIDE] How To Avoid Malware - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com
“I’ve been hacked” - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com