Best Phablet Companion for the Surface

Yes, the carriers are awful middlepeople, who make something good and take it down a notch.

 

Not to quibble, but it doesn't matter whether it is the carriers, or Samsung - either way the end users loses out on upgrades. No one, not even Apple, has the guts to buck the carriers and issue a truly unlocked device for all carriers...it's just that Apple has so much more clout that they control upgrades, not some one-inch thick glasses nerd in the Verizon software inspection group...

 

With Windows phone I was very impatient for WP8.1 update (it never came), but that was mostly because I found the phone so limited that I wanted more features.

With my GN4 I don't even pay attention to what's on the horizon with Android. I'm satisfied as is. It already does everything I need or want it to do. If anything, it feels like Android is closing things off with further updates rather than allowing more in terms of app capabilities, and I probably won't use most of the integrated OS features they add.

 

That is true but, at this point, I would be more inclined to blame Samsung. I switched launchers on my Note Edge from TouchWiz to Google Now (though I lose out on having my app shortcuts permanently displayed on the Edge panel) and the difference in operation is truly night and day. Bluetooth stuttering has stopped, it is fast again, the standby battery life is closer to normal (though it still drains way too quickly when actually using the phone), etc. I'm still going to switch platforms next month but the performance differences between the two launchers lead me to put more blame on Samsung.

I didn't want to "upgrade" either. The single biggest issue with ignoring an update is that you can only do it up to three times. After that, the update is downloaded and forced upon you. I ignored the update notification to Android 5.0.1 three times. Then I woke up to find that it had downloaded the update and was ready to install. I ignored that three times and then again, I woke up to find that the update was installed.

 

I was responding to Dale's comment about them being to slow to push updates. I haven't had the problems you had with the update (after I remedied the standby drain with a factory reset). I just accepted it the same day it was available, so I haven't experienced the problem with delaying it. With regard to Android 4.4 vs 5.0, I like the lock screen notifications, but it is a minor convenience increase. Really I don't notice a whole lot of difference with the update in my use.

I don't think iOS is better in regard to forcing things on you though. Their entire company philosophy, "Don't worry about it, we know what's best for you." (IMO) But that is coming from someone who just doesn't like anything Apple =P The iPhone 3G ruined Apple for me. It did "just work" though... unless I wanted to do anything outside their box.

 

Another entrant in the wings? - a "Surface phone" accoding to Bad Linder over at Liliputing:

"The phone is reportedly code-named “Project Juggernaut Alpha,” and other features are said to include a 5.5 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4, an Intel Atom x3 SoFIA processor, up to 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, a microSDXC card slot, a USB Type-C connector, wireless charging supports, a 21MP PureView Zeiss 6-lens camera, and an 8MP Zeiss wide-angle front-facing camera.

http://liliputing.com/2015/08/rumor-microsoft-building-a-surface-mobile-smartphone.html

Sounds a bit like the Lumia 950xl, but with a "Surface" style?

 

Ugh, I wish sites wouldn't keep reporting that same information sourced from WMPU, which almost definitely is wrong.

The Intel x3 SoFIA is a low end SoC and wouldn't be paired with 4GB RAM. The x3 is Intel's plan to compete with entry-level devices; at launch they said the plan was for it to be in devices costing $75. On top of that, it doesn't support the majority of what those rumors suggest the device is going to have... it doesn't support USB 3.0 let alone USB 3.1, has a maximum camera resolution of 13MP, and supports a maximum display resolution of 1080p.

An x86 phone is possible, but it's not going to have those specifications.

 

Nuts! So much hoping for this:


https://www.behance.net/gallery/24129169/Surface-Phone-Windows-10-concept



THIS WOULD CONVERT EVEN AN AVOWED iPHONE USER!

 

Well to be a little more hopeful, Daniel Rubino from Windows Central does think an x86 phone is in the works, it's just those specifications seem highly likely to be completely made up.

That being said, Microsoft's hardware and developer guidelines also say that any device under 7" has to be running Windows 10 Mobile (whether x86 or not), and as 10 Mobile doesn't have a true 'desktop' (Continuum appears to give a UI similar to a desktop, but not true desktop functionality; so far it seems to have many of the limitations of Windows 8's WinRT stuff - fullscreen only for example) it can't run Win32 apps anyway.

Obviously Microsoft can change their guidelines at will, but as it's written now, there would be no end-user advantage to an x86 phone over an ARM one (assuming similar performance).

 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....I still want the phone in the Behance concept photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!