Nokia 8 - The Underrated Flagship

I have been using the Nokia 8 for more than three months (it is November 2018 at the time of writing) and I would like to share some of my thoughts and experience with this smartphone, as I truly feel it is underrated in many ways.


Background
HMD Global started selling Nokia branded phones in 2017. In September of that year they launched their first flagship, the Nokia 8. It had the latest internals, Ziess branded cameras, a premium metal body, innovative internal cooling system, QHD screen, 4k selfie video, Ozo surround audio recording and pure Android. The initial asking price was reasonable too, around the GBP 500 mark in the UK for example.

Here is a link listing the specs in full:
https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_8-8522.php


Reviews
Despite the solid specs the reviews I saw on YouTube were mostly subdued. My impression in general was that the Nokia 8 was seen as moderate, not exciting. Perhaps because at the time 18:9 screens were all the rage and the Nokia 8 has the more traditional 16:9 screen with large top and bottom bezels. The bezels were criticised by reviewers but it interesting to note that at the same time Apple released the iPhone 8 with similar bezels and few complained about those.

Also many reviewers were not happy with the Nokia 8's camera performance. The camera software at launch was basic and uninspired.

At that time there was one review I watched, from Dmir Frank, that was more positive in general, here is a link:
https://youtu.be/O1Pl_J7dydU
That particular reviewer tends to look at the overall package and perhaps that's why he saw potential where others did not.


Bargain
In the summer of 2018 I bought the Nokia 8 for CHF 333 (approx. USD 330, EUR 300, GBP 250). That is a big discount on the original asking price. Basically I got a flagship for the cost of a midrange phone.


Handling
After three months I can sum up the Nokia 8 as, excellent. Of course it might not be for you, smartphones are very personal but here is my experience based on my subjective needs.

When you pick up the Nokia 8 it feels right. It is not a big phone but it isn't small either. The edges of the phone are curved and the phone body is thin, made of a premium metal. These factors definitely contribute to the feel of the in-hand feel. It is well built, the metal back rather than the currently more popular glass, gives the phone a more reliable, 'Nokia' quality.


Case
I prefer to protect my smartphone so I bought a Dux Ducis leather flip case. It looked great and had a nice feel. However, there were two problems with this case:

1) there was plastic covering the power and volume buttons, making it difficult to use. You had to really push hard to use the buttons.

2) the case allows for you to stand your phone to watch movies in landscape but it kept slipping. For these two reasons I do not recommend the Dux Ducis flip case.

Next I bought a simple back case, the Mattes Plastik Softcase. It has cut-outs for the buttons and fits the Nokia 8 perfectly. What's more, it does not add much to the size and feel of the phone. The texture is nice too, it is silky but still grippy. I am really happy with this case.

Nokia 8 with Mattes Plastik Softcase and neoprene pouch

The Nokia 8 power and volume buttons in the Mattes Plastik Softcase

It is just a back case though, I don't like screen protectors so I decided for some added protection to get a neoprene pouch. I bought a cheap one off eBay, I asked for the one to fit the Samsung Note 4. It's big enough to fit my Nokia 8 and plastic case. In total this solution was a little cheaper than the Dux Ducis case so it just goes to show that the best solutions don't have to cost extra. Well, in my case I did waste my money on the Dux Ducis case though :-(


Screen
The screen is beautiful. The picture is crisp and bright under nearly all conditions. The auto-brightness works well. At 5.3" it is a good size and with the classic 16:9 ratio YouTube videos fill the screen.


Navigation
The bottom bezel has the navigation keys and home button that doubles as the fingerprint reader. I like this, the buttons do not take any space on the screen. The fingerprint reader is a bit of a narrow shape, it takes a bit of getting used to but it is fast. Having it on the front means you can unlock the phone without having to pick it up.


Battery
The battery lasts me all day. I often have 30 or even 40% left at the end of the day. Of course this varies, if I use YouTube a lot, it will drain faster. The Nokia 8 will fast charge with the supplied charger. I have been impressed with how fast it charges, after just a few minutes you are up from 20 to a more usable 40% for example.


Software
The software is plain Android, no extras apart from the camera app. There are no bells or whistles, the software just works. I thought I might miss some advanced features but I don't, it feels fresh. Security updates come every month, this gives some peace of mind when we hear about so many exploits. 

It is not part of the Android One programme. However, HMD have been good with updates so far, at least another year of updates should hit my Nokia 8.


Cameras
I don't take many photos with my smartphone but when I have, I have no complaints. The Nokia 8 does a good job. The live bokeh mode works surprisingly well for example.

Nokia 8 Live Bokeh photo example

The Bothie mode, called Dual-sight is fun to use. You can take photos using front and back cameras at once. The selfie front facing camera is 13 mega-pixels and has auto-focus. The video is where I feel the Nokia 8 shines because it has 4k back and front. The back camera has OIS which does a pretty good job of smoothing out the action. The audio is exceptional due to the surround sound recording from three mics. You can even choose the mic you want to use, for selfies use only the front facing mic, for example.

In the reviews from 2017 often the Nokia 8 camera app was criticized. Thankfully it has since been updated and is way better. Manual control is now included. I have also used OpenCamera, it works well with the Nokia 8.


Down-points
The bezels are large. There is no notification light, meaning you must turn the phone on to check for notifications. This doesn't bother me too much as I have a Gear S3 smart watch so I see notifications there. But still, it would've been better if there was a notification light.


Conclusion
I really enjoy using the Nokia 8. It is a solid phone. It has a headphone jack, expandable memory, an excellent screen, smooth performance, clean software that is updated regularly and it feels great to hold it. All these factors plus the price I paid mean that I feel it was the best choice. I highly recommend the Nokia 8. In more general terms I would recommend when looking for a new smartphone, take a look at last year's flagships, there may be a bargain to be had.


Disclaimer
These are all my own views. No one paid me and I am just writing this article in case it helps others. If you don't agree or had a different experience, that's OK. Feel free to write in the comments below.



Update December 2019

After one and a half years of constant use my Nokia 8 refused to recognise when the USB power was plugged in. The battery went dead, I couldn't charge. The phone was within the two year warranty, I sent it back to the company I bought it from, hoping to have it repaired. Instead they refunded me. I have mixed feelings about my Nokia 8. I stand by all I said here in this article, I really think HMD did a great job. But I am disappointed I had a fault with mine. My new phone is a Xiaomi model. I wanted another Nokia but there just wasn't a comparable model that took my fancy. It is a cutthroat market with so many great value handsets out there. In any case I wish Nokia the best for the future, I really did like that Nokia 8 so very much.

Buying a new smartphone? Why not try something different this year?

Be different!

It is September 2018, that time of year when Apple releases new iPhones. Are you excited? You can't wait to get the latest shiny phone? It will be easy to renew that one or two year contract, just sign...

Or maybe stop, think about doing something different this year. You could save a lot because smartphones from the likes of Apple are coming with USD 1000+ price tags these days! Even if you buy on a contract, you still pay this high price (actually you probably pay more).

There are options, you can make savings and have more functionality. I know that sounds crazy but it is true!


Options!
I have been following the reviews and changes in smartphones closely for more than two years. I have witnessed an increase in prices for top end flagship phones from the major players like Samsung, Apple and Hauwei. But all is not lost because at the same time there's been an increase in what are known as "budget flagships" or "midrangers". These are smartphones that rival top of the range flagships for features and yet are cheaper! Yes it's true, even many of these cheaper phones have more functionality than the most expensive phones. Yes you didn't misread that, I really said that you get more for less!

For example, take new iPhone XR, that's the cheapest one from the 2018 line-up. Here in Switzerland the cost will be about CHF 879 (approx. USD 909) and that's just for the base model with 64GB of storage (not expandable) and not even a FullHD screen. There are many alternatives that will give you more for your money. The Nokia 7 Plus is just CHF 379 with 64GB storage (expandable), fingerprint reader, 4GB RAM, dual hybrid SIM support, FullHD+ screen, headphone jack and more! Yes in benchmarks it will not be as fast as flagships or the XR but if you read any review of the Nokia 7 Plus they'll tell you it can handle anything you throw at it, even games. This isn't the only option, there are many from Hauwei, Xiaomi, Motorola, OnePlus and Samsung. Even LG's currently flagship, the G7 is around CHF 600. That's got full waterproofing, fingerprint reader, headphone jack, 64GB storage (expandable) and a QHD+ screen (the highest resolution). Compare this to all the phones in the iPhone X range, none have fingerprint reader, expandable storage nor headphone jacks. In fact I read that the 2018 iPhone X models don't even come with a dongle in the box, something else to buy (and lose).

Apple concerns
For Apple iPhone users I do recognise there is one obstacle to switching to a more affordable option. That's the software. Outside of the world of Apple all other manufacturers are using Google Android. But don't be scared, it works in a similar way. Maybe a bigger worry is how to leave the Apple eco-system. Firstly please know that there are alternatives to iCloud, FaceTime and all the other Apple software services. It is also likely you'll save money as you will have more choices. Google provide many free services such as storing your photos. If you have your contacts in Gmail, you have nothing to worry about on a Android phone, contacts synchronise automatically. My advice is to make the effort to switch because once you've made the switch a whole world of choice and lower prices will open up to you. The following article explains the process in detail: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-switch-from-iphone-to-android/


Conclusion
Value for money is important to me and perhaps that makes me different than others? I don't think I am so special, most would welcome a bargain, right? Have a look at what's available, you'll be surprised. If you are in Switzerland I recommend Digitec.ch as they have a wide range from all brands.

A year ago I wrote another article where I went into more detail on this subject and also on mobile phone contracts. I recommend you take a look at that too: https://mgxp.blogspot.com/2017/06/smart-thinking-about-your-next.html

Disclaimer
I hope this article can help you but at the end of the day it's your choice, I cannot be held responsible for any trouble you get yourself into. My article is just my opinion, maybe I am wrong! Please just take this as a guide only. All links on this page were valid at the time of writing. My article is purely my own work, I don't work in the smartphone industry, I have no affiliation to any smartphone company.

Give your Honor 7 a Pixel makeover!

My Honor 7 is running Android 6 with the Huawei EMUI 4 skin. I never really liked the skin, the borders around the icons looks very ugly. I didn't want to install a launcher so I looked for a theme that could give my Honor 7 a more Google Pixel look and feel. I once tried Roundexicons but I didn't like that one. I was giving up hope and then I found Pixel EMi...


Pixel EMi theme by Vobiscum on XDA
I've been using Pixel EMi for a few weeks now and I really like it. It's easy to install, just a theme, but it changes the icons completely into round ones. Here's my home screen with Pixel EMi installed:

Notice the icons and folders are round. In the above the text of the clock and icons in the notification bar are white. This colour changes depending on the wallpaper you use. The following is with a different wallpaper:

In the above screen shot, with a different wallpaper the colour of the notification bar and text changed to black. This happens automatically, this picture is a little lighter than the previous one.

It isn't just the icons that change, the look of the Settings menu also changes significantly:

 

I really like this, I find it much clearer than the original from Huawei. It's subjective of course :-)

Download

Here's where you can download it: https://forum.xda-developers.com/honor-7/themes-apps/theme-pixel-emi-t3476351

Look for 'Download Theme', click the link, it'll download a file called Pixel EMi_20.hwt. Save this in your theme folder (HWThemes) on your phone. Then from the Themes app select Mine and the Pixel EMi theme (it'll be the last one in the list). 

Conclusion

If you have an Honor 7 and you'd like to give it a fresh look without installing a launcher, this is an easy option. As the phone was released in 2015, giving it any sort of makeover is a good thing. The best thing is that this is quick and easy to install. I've been using it for a while and I recommend it. Thanks to the creator of this theme; vobiscum

I have an Honor 7 and on the XDA website this theme says it is specifically for the Honor 7. However, it may work on other EMUI 4 phones. I do not know but it is likely. Maybe search on XDA for more information.

https://forum.xda-developers.com

Disclaimer

In my opinion it's harmless and I've not experienced any bugs with this theme and that's why I recommend it. But I take no responsibility for anything that might happen when you download and install this theme or anything else. Install it at your own risk!

Use floppy disks to expand your smartphone storage (just for fun!)

We never have enough storage on our smartphones. We are taking too many photos, creating too many videos and we want to carry our entire music collections with us. I have a great solution, floppy disks! Probably you've got an old box of them down in your basement or in your loft. Why not make use of them?

In the above photo you can see it actually works. Here's what you need:

• A smartphone that supports OTG (On-The-Go)
• I tested this with an Android phone only, I don't know if the iPhone ca, if you know please write in the comments below.
• An OTG dongle (in my case it's that green thing in the above photo, you can easily buy these, they are not expensive, just search on Amazon or eBay for OTG and you'll find one)
• External USB floppy disk drive
• At least one floppy disk (more than one recommended!)

As each 3.5" floppy disk has just 1.44MB of storage space you will need a lot of floppies! ;-)


Just for fun!
Obviously (I hope!) this isn't practical. It was experimenting and I was happy to discover that it works! I was able to copy files to/from the floppy disk. It was funny listening the drive making that iconic zrhk zhrk noise. I think it's rather fast too, relatively speaking.


Seriously speaking
Instead of floppies disks, use OTG and plug in a USB flash drive. That will give you lots of expandable storage that is usable and practical. If you are interested in learning more you can find many demos on Youtube, just search for OTG.

Another real-world application of OTG is to make backups of photos. The following is an article I wrote about this:
https://mgxp.blogspot.ch/2015/06/backup-your-photos-on-go.html


Conclusion
OTG is very useful. It's also fun to dig out some old tech and get it to work with modern day kit. Enjoy technology!

Smart thinking about your next smartphone

These days (2017) there are so many smartphones and contracts to choose from that deciding on your next mobile can be a confusing and even a stressful experience. I am sure this is why so many just buy the latest Samsung or Apple flagship phone and extend their existing contracts. It`s easier, you get a great phone and you don't have to think. But is it the right choice? Probably not if you`d like to save some money! In this article I am going to explore some alternatives.

My experience
In the past I always signed a 24 month mobile phone contract and paid a small (or not!) fee up front for a new mobile. I started doing that with my first Nokia back in the 90s and I just continued like that up until 2016. I often used my phone on the existing contract for longer than the contract duration, I effectively gave away money to my service provider! I wasn't too smart, was I!?!

Last year I found a monthly contract that didn't require me to buy a new mobile and was half the cost of the contract I had been tied to for the past two years. I bought a new smarphone (mid-range) too but full price and not on contract. I saved and I feel free now I am no longer tied to a contract as if it were a ball and chain.

Sums
Start off by doing some calculations. If you are on a 12 or 24 month contract including a phone, divide the cost of a new phone by 12 or 24. Minus that figure from the monthly fee you pay and that's what the service is costing you. This is approximate but it is a good way to compare.

For example, say a new top of the range smartphone will cost CHF 700 (about USD 730), over 24 months that is about 29 every month. If you pay 89 a month as your contract for phone and service, the service is costing 60 a month. 

Comparison
Check what other contracts can offer. Do those contracts include the same service you are getting now? If not, do you need everything in the package?

The best is if you find a contract just for the service and it provides a similar package of features to what you are used to. Most importantly the cost should be lower than what you are paying for just the service part of your existing contract. Look for contracts that do not tie you down. For example, I changed to a monthly contract, it means that if I wanted I could switch again later. If coverage is an issue then this is the best idea because at least there's a option to move to a better service provider if that cheap price turns out to be a cheap service!


Smartphone choice
You should make a saving on the service contract but where there is a real possibility of saving a lot, is on the new smartphone you buy. If you buy off-contract you pay upfront for your new smartphone. If you can afford to do this, you save in the long run. Which phone? Here are some options:


Flagship?
The latest and greatest smartphones such as the Samsung S8 or iPhone 7 will cost you maybe 700 (or more!), that's a lot. If you are an avid gamer who needs lots of performance or you buy a phone as others buy jewelry, maybe a flagship is a good idea, for the rest of us, there are cheaper alternatives.


Last year's flagship?
Something to consider, often last year's model can be a bargain. The downside might be having older software, something to consider. When the latest S8 came out all the shops immediately discounted the Samsung Galaxy S7, a very capable phone.


Mid-range smartphones?
What about a brand new phone, latest software and hardware but at almost half the price of a flagship? Yes it is possible! You will have to pay around the 250-450 mark. Mid-range phones don't have the fastest processor but these days very few of us will notice unless you are a serious gamer perhaps. For the average user a mid-range phone will be more than fast enough. In addition, often mid-range phones can surprise you with their features.

Many mid-range phones have features you don't find on higher end models. Most have a microSD card slot for more storage. Some models allow two SIM cards, great for those who travel abroad a lot. Even a headphone port! There are often also the features you would expect these days such as a fingerprint reader, large battery, sometimes dual cameras and look carefully for models with quick charging technology, that's a real boon.

The build quality of most phones in this category can be just as good as any flagship, often metal or glass designs. For example, Samsung's mid-range Galaxy A models have a similar build quality to their flagship S models.

The other good thing about mid-range phones is that there are so many manufacturers making great models. Samsung of course, their Galaxy A range. The Huawei Honor range, the Moto G range, Sony's XA models, Blackberry DTEK, OnePlus, Wileyfox or even the new Nokia Android phones - yes Nokia lives! All are worth considering as the phones they make are just as good as any other manufacturer. 

I've heard some people implying Chinese made phones are somehow inferior, this is nonsense, after all, all Apple iPhones are made in China! I'd also like to add that I feel the newer Chinese companies like Huawei try extra hard as they know they are up against the giants like Apple and Samsung. There are some great benefits to competition for us consumers.

To give you a real-world idea, I have the Honor 7, a model that dates from 2015. I bought it in 2016 for about CHF 300. It has 32GB storage, an octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, fingerprint scanner, quick charge, full metal body, 5.2 inch screen, etc, etc. After one year of use it is still going strong, I am happy with it. My previous smartphone cost more than twice the price and had a much lower specification.

Entry level?
Models that are priced below 200 are typically known as entry-level. The Moto E  and Samsung Galaxy J3 are good examples. Don't get one of the really cheap models with just 8GB of storage because you will soon fill that. Even if it has a microSD card slot, you will still need at least 16GB of main storage otherwise it is likely you will face frustration. The processors used in these phones will be of the slower variety so don't expect too much. If you only use your phone for messaging then perhaps an entry-level phone might be a good idea. Otherwise, I feel the mid-range phones are a better balance of features and price.


Shopping

To choose your new phone, look at the reviews and information online. There is so much! Youtube videos are the best, I recommend Mr Mobile and Android Authority. 

A good site to compare specifications is GSM Arena 

If you'd like to visually compare different phone sizes, there's a great site here:

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size

For anyone living in Switzerland, the shops here often do not provide all the latest makes and models. Amazon isn't based in Switzerland for example, so the shipping and import duties can be a barrier. I recommend Digitec as they are based in Switzerland and they have a wide range of makes and models you don't typically see in, say Interdiscount or Fnac.

Next
Imagine you have your new contract that is separate from the phone. You have purchased a new phone outright. You can spend the next one or two years with that phone and whenever you feel like it, change the phone! You can always sell the phone second-hand even. You are free!


Conclusion
Please do not blindly buy your next smartphone. Check what is available, be smart about your next smartphone. You could save a lot and end up with something that stands out from the crowd.

Disclaimer

I hope this article can help you but at the end of the day it's your choice, I cannot be held responsible for any trouble you get yourself into. My article is just my opinion, maybe I am wrong! Please just take this as a guide only. All links on this page were valid at the time of writing. My article is purely my own work, I don't work in the smartphone industry, I have no affiliation to any smartphone company.

Huawei Honor software to transfer files between your smartphone and Windows PC

Huawei and Honor phones can be connected to a Windows PC to charge and for you to transfer files. The Windows software is called HiSuite and it's available here:
http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/HiSuite_en/index.html  [last accessed 23/07/2017]

You can also use this software to backup your phone, edit contacts, or even to view the phone on your computer screen.

Samsung Gear S3 Frontier watch face sunrise/sunset widget showing No Info

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and Classic smartwatches both have a watch face called 'Frontier' included as standard. I have the S3 Classic watch and I liked the Frontier watch face, I selected it but then I noticed the sunrise/sunset dial said "No info" - as in the image below:

Issue

It says "No info" in the sunrise/sunset dial, bottom middle.

I pressed where it says "No info" and it told me to add a location on my smartphone. The screenshot below is from my smartphone at this point:

I added my location but it told me I had previously done that! I tried many times but no luck. It was still saying "No info" on my S3.

Solution

On the smartphone, open the Samsung Gear app:

Press Settings | Apps

On the Apps page press the Weather cog/gear icon (as shown above)

Press Use current location

Make sure it is set to On (as shown in the example above)

NOTE: Before setting it to On do read the message on the 'Use current location' screen (shown above). Make sure you understand what it will do, if you are worried about your location information being used by others then do not use this feature.

After setting 'Use current location' to On, check your Gear S3:

You can see in the images here that the sunrise and sunset is shown in the dial on the watch face.

I hope that was helpful :-)

Samsung Gear S3 and Honor 7, compatibility and my experience so far

The Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch (Classic and Frontier) is probably the best one the market at the time of writing, January 2017. But before you buy one, is it compatible with your smartphone? The following is a link to Samsung's official compatible phones list:
http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/gear-s3/device-compatibility/

The Huawei Honor 7 is not listed (January 2017) in the above Samsung compatibility list but don't worry, it does work*. I have the Honor 7 and I am using it with the Gear S3 for a couple of weeks without any serious issue. You must install the Samsung Gear app and pair it with your S3. Two other background apps are installed during this process; SamsungAccessoryService and Gear S Plugin. Optionally you can install S Health too.

I haven't explored all the features of the S3 yet but so far so good. For example, I have Viber and other notifications on my S3. I have installed many new watch faces, the calculator and timer apps. I'm happy, the S3 is great!


One minor issue
On the odd occasion I've found that the Bluetooth disconnects from the phone to the watch. I believe this is because of the power management software on the Honor 7 closing the SamsungAccessoryService app or at least prompting me to close it and because I don't pay enough attention, I just press Close.

To fix this I have changed the following settings:
Honor Phone Manager 
- Battery manager (press the battery icon) 
-- Consumption Level 
--- Background

You should see the SamsungAccessoryService app in the list. It's possible to close it, if you do you'll see your S3 is disconnected. Instead, press the SamsungAccessoryService, you'll see the following screen:

As shown above, I disabled Power-intensive prompt and I enabled Keep running after screen off.
This will keep it running and it will stop bothering me with messages saying it is using power. I think this will do the trick. I'll update this article in a few days with news.

Update 13/01/2017
It works, the above was the solution. Since making that change and allowing the SamsungAccessoryService to keep on running, my bluetooth connection has not dropped at all.

There was one occasion when my Honor 7 informed me that the Gear S Plugin was using a lot of battery power:

It is the same issue as I had seen before with the SamsungAccessoryService app previously. In this case I pressed Don't remind me again, it has the same effect as going into the Phone Manager Battery Manager and disabling the Power-intensive prompt.


*DISCLAIMER
I make no guarantees about anything. The S3 works with my Honor 7, I do not guarantee yours will. My views are unofficial and purely my own. I'm just writing my experience in case it can be useful to others.

Google Keep reminder notifications stopped working

I use Google Keep on my Android phone. The reminder notifications didn't pop up anymore. I checked all the settings on the Notifications Manager on my phone, all was well, notifications were switched on for Keep.

As a test I opened Keep in my browser on a desktop PC (browse to https://keep.google.com). I set a reminder. At the time it was due it popped up on my PC and also on my phone! Since this time the reminders have been working on my phone.

I do not understand why and I am keeping my eye on this. It's September 2016 at the time of writing, perhaps there will be a fix in the future, let's hope so. If you have had this issue and you've solved it a different way, please comment here.

Rubbish battery life after updating to Lollipop

I have a Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, it had Android Kitkat. I have a Sony Smartband and Lifelog installed but the Xperia always gave me good battery life, at least one day of use (surfing, texts, calls, etc). April 2015 Sony distributed the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update. After installation I was happy, all my apps and data were safe, everything was working well. However, I found that my previously good battery life was halved! My phone needed a charge in the afternoon every day, errk!


What to do?
How could I fix this battery life problem? I searched the Web and many sites suggested the usual things like using Stamina mode, switching off WiFi, ohhhh, not very helpful. Then I read on some sites that resetting the phone should solve the problem. I was reluctant to do this of course but after trying all kinds of things, uninstalling apps, clearing cache, etc, I decided to bite the bullet and reset. Before you do the same, read on...

What I did

Google backs up my phone's apps to the cloud all the time. Great but it doesn't backup app data. I wanted to keep my Lifelog data for example. Therefore, before I reset my phone I decided to use the Backup & Restore app that Sony had pre-installed on the phone. 

Apps button
Search for Backup & Restore

In my case I backed up everything to my SD card. I removed my SD card just to be sure. You don't have to but I am a cautious kind of person ;-)

Reset Android using Settings | Backup and Reset

Once Google had finished restoring most of my apps from the cloud I decided to run the restore from 'Backup & restore'. When I did this it restored all my apps and data.

IMPORTANT: 'Backup & restore' does not allow you to select what you restore, it will restore everything.

But for me, this was no problem. In fact I am very happy now. All my data is back and my phone's battery usage is back to normal.

Other things to check

Here's something to try, just as a general tip for squeezing a bit more life out of your battery:

Settings | WiFi | three dot menu button | Advanced

Disable (turn off) Scanning always available

That should save you a little power. Of course there are many more tips for power saving but I'm sure you've already read those, just do a Google search and you'll find millions. 

Conclusion

Resetting Android Lollipop does give you 'normal' battery life again, like you had with KitKat - at least in my case it did with my Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

I hope by explaining my experience I've been able to help you. Resetting your phone is a bit of a pain but it isn't the end of the world. You can save your data, you can restore and you can have a phone that lasts at least a day.

However, there is one thing that still niggles me. Stamina mode doesn't like Lifelog. Therefore I have to force Lifelog to stop in order that Stamina mode works. Even if I exclude Lifelog from Stamina, it still complains. Hopefully Sony will fix this soon or if I find a solution I'll write an article of course :-)

Google Keep - read text from an image

On my smartphone I often write notes. I want to record snippets of information especially when shopping but also to keep little reminders of things to do. I was using Microsoft OneNote for a long time (on Windows Phone and Android), it did and still does an excellent job. In fact I'd say it's one of the best note apps out there. However, OneNote is fully featured, it has folders for example and other fancy features. What about something simple? I looked at a few alternatives and then I came across Google Keep. It's really simple but I like the way it displays notes, like post-its but not post-its that are stuck all over, they are contained in the app. Keep is nice for the seamless integration with the desktop too, you can have a Chrome app for it and it means keeping notes and sharing them between devices is easy. Also, and this is why I'm writing this article, I came across an excellent feature...


Read text from an image
Suppose you are shopping and you want to research a product later. You take a photo and make some notes perhaps. Maybe the photo of the product has some words on the packaging? If so, it is possible to 'read' (scan!) these words into your Google Keep note. Here's how:

In Google Keep touch the Camera button, take a photo and it will insert the photo into your note. In the following screen shot you can see I took a photo of a light bulb:

On the box you can see there is some text, we can scan this into our note! 

Press the [...] button (as shown in the screen shot above)

Press Grab image text

The text will appear in the note body - see below:

It's pretty quick too and so far every time I've used it it's been accurate. The only problem seems to be when there's multiple columns of text, it can get the text mixed up. Otherwise, in most cases like the above, it works well. It's a useful time saver because, as text, you could copy/paste a model number or other information. OK, I know there are barcodes to read, but the above can still be a good way to get information and store it quickly. 

Conclusion

Google Keep is one of my favourite apps now. Just this morning (18th November 2014) I saw it was updated with the ability to share notes with others. This makes it even more useful. But I hope by adding functionality they will not take away the simplicity of this app, I like this about it more than anything. Scanning text from an image isn't anything new but doing it as part of note-taking is very useful. Again it's simplicity that's appealing. 'Keep' up the good work Google ;-)

Android to Windows Phone and back again

In April 2012 I bought a Nokia Lumia 800. It was the first smartphone from Nokia with Windows Phone. Previous to the Lumia I had an HTC Hero with Android 2.1 which I really liked. Moving to Windows Phone was a radical move but I felt it was a very interesting new operating system and I loved the Lumia 800's look and feel. After six months using Windows Phone I wrote an article about my experiences:
http://mgxp.blogspot.ch/2012/10/living-with-windows-phone_16.html

Two years on and although I was very happy with my Lumia 800, I've made the switch back to Android. I have a Sony Xperia Z1 Compact with Android 4.4.2 (April 2014). Why did I change back and what's missing from Microsoft and Nokia's phones? In this article I will explain some of my motivations and discuss where things may go from here.

Firstly I'd like to make it plain that I have no axe to grind and I don't work for any IT company. Everything here is just my opinion, take it or leave it.

After two years I wanted to change my phone and my subscription allowed me to do so. There are two main elements to consider, the phone (hardware) and the software.


Phone
I did not want a big phone, "big" for me is a 5 inch screen. Most of the current flagship models have these huge screens that make it hard to fit the phone in your trouser pocket. I know many people don't mind this but for me I wanted a smaller size. My Lumia 800 has a 3.7 inch screen. It also has a sleek design, it feels good in the hand and it is really tough - Nokia quality! How could I find the same now? I looked at the current Nokia phones and I did like the design of some, especially the smaller ones. But the problem I found was that the smaller phones have less powerful processors, less memory and storage. One area where my Lumia 800 was lacking was it's battery life, I wanted an improvement in this but smaller means a smaller battery, oh dear, I was getting stuck finding my ideal phone.

I was thinking to move back to Android - I'll explain later - this meant I was looking at other phones. Samsung make the Galaxy 4S Mini but it doesn't have a very high specification, the screen isn't especially great and the build quality of Samsung isn't inspiring. I would've loved to go for an HTC One Mini, but although the build quality is great (and beautiful!) the guts of it are so lacking umph that I was again disappointed. Having owned one of the first HTC Android phones in the past (the HTC Hero!) it was with regret that I had to look elsewhere...

In April 2014 Sony is the only company (to my knowledge) making a phone with a 4 inch screen and plenty of horse power. The battery life is also excellent - in practice I can get two days out of it and plenty of use browsing the web, making calls, text messages, etc. It's also a very well made phone, water-proof and sleek in it's design. A little bigger than the Lumia 800 and not quite so handy but nevertheless, Sony have made a great phone in the Z1 Compact.


Software
I lived with Windows Phone 7.5 and 7.8 for two years. I really love what they've done with this operating system, version 8 is of course even more mature. The problem I had is that when a third party provides an app for their gizmo, they only have iOS or Android apps, no Windows Phone. Of course it is a better situation than two years ago but still, after two years not being able to use some apps, I wanted a change. For example, I have a Panasonic camera, it has WiFi for controlling it remotely, there's no Windows Phone app, now with Android I can finally use this feature.

A lot of people have a go at Microsoft for not having so many apps on Windows Phone. It's not entirely Microsoft's fault. They are trying to build a eco system and they need more people to buy their (Nokia's) phones so that companies like Panasonic think to make an app. I can understand the third parties in some ways, they just think why should I bother if there are only a few million users? But also I feel this is lame. For example, the BBC, for years they've had a really nice news app on iOS. Then finally a couple of years ago they released the Android version. But they refuse to make a Windows Phone news app! I asked them using their feedback pages. But their loss is other's gain. Sky News and CNN have very good apps on Windows Phone. So sometimes companies like the BBC just don't make apps until the critical mass gets so huge, as it did when Android became so big. For such big companies it seems like a poor excuse. When you are a Windows Phone user in that circumstance you really feel victimised. Mind you, Weave is a great free newsreader app... That's how things work, you make do with what you have.

I think Microsoft may need to provide some more porting tools or other help to get third parties to make Android apps. I hope they do because Windows Phone is a great system. I especially miss the straightforward email app that is included, it connects to an Exchange server without fuss. On Android I had to go looking for something in the Play Store. Also I like Windows Phones Facebook integration with my contacts, it seems a little more robust than Android's. The simplicity of those Windows Phone tiles too, now I have little icons with works below which seems so 1990's now!


Conclusion
I switched to a Sony from Nokia for these reasons:

• Sony had a model with the physical size plus high specification that I wanted. Nokia did not have a model in the same league hardware-wise. 

• Android is more flexible and better supported. But I still must insist that Windows Phone is a more elegant operating system, I do miss it! 

If you are looking for a mobile phone at present then I hope my experience and thoughts here have helped you. I really like Android and Windows Phone equally. They both have their merits. Which you will choose depends on what's important to you!

HTC Sense Facebook profile photos do not sync!

I have an HTC Hero with Android 2.1 but I think this affects just about any HTC Sense phone. The Facebook details from my contacts such as birthday and their status synchronised normally. However, the profile photos from Facebook refused to sync! It was very annoying, I tried a million different things until I was reading through the following page:

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=498988820191&topic=15422&post=93451#topic_top

...and a very helpful bloke called Hardeep Singh suggest something! I tried it and it worked!

Solution

Login to Facebook on your PC

Click Account | Account Settings

Next to Account Security click Change

If Secure Browsing (https) is enabled then that's your problem... disable it (turn it off).

Click the Save button

Power off/on your phone

Force it to sync - Menu | Settings | Accounts & Sync | Sync All

Go into your contacts list (People) and you should see the profile photos come in (slowly).

Many thanks to Hardeep Singh!


Security?
The only problem with this solution is that you reduce your security while using Facebook. Instead of connecting with HTTPS you are only connecting with HTTP. Well, what is the risk that someone would hack your connection to Facebook? Maybe some Facebook apps would do worse to you? Of course there is a work around, after updating your phone, turn the secure browsing (https) in Facebook back on. Then periodically switch it off and re-sync from your phone. It's a pain though... let's hope that one day HTC will update their Facebook for HTC Sense app.

ROM Upgrade for the HTC Hero

For ages I was trying to upgrade my HTC Hero to the next ROM version of Android. I ran the RUU:
_HTC Hero_RUU_Hero_HTC_WWE_2.73.405.5_WWE_release_signed_NoDriver.exe
Each time I ran it I got an ERROR 170 or 171 USB connection error. On the Hero the screen would go white with the boot loader for the RUU and then the Hero would turn off and restart. I'd hear the USB beep as if it was disconnected.

It was driving me mad until I read some forum messages about having the Hero in that boot loader mode (white screen with the three androids at the bottom) before running the RUU. Here's what to do:

Turn off the Hero.
Remove the SD card.
Press the volume down button, keep it pressed, and press the Power button.
Run the RUU installation.

When you've finished, turn off, put the SD card back in. That's it! Good luck!

Save SMS texts to Gmail from your Android phone

I had a lot of very important SMS messages and I wanted to save them - but how? I have an HTC Hero with Android, I went to the Market and downloaded SMS Backup by Christoph Studer. It uploads your SMS messages 100 at a time (you can change this if you want). They appear in your Gmail with the label SMS. It works very well. The other nice feature is that it can automatically upload your SMS texts to Gmail as you go!

HTC Hero mobile data settings (Swisscom)

If you switch on Mobile Data but your HTC Hero doesn't connect to the G3, Edge nor GPRS networks, you should check 'Access Point Names' settings. In Switzerland, if you are using an HTC Hero phone with a Swisscom contract, here's what you should do:

Settings | Wireless & Networks | Mobile networks | Access Point Names

Press the Menu button and add a new APN as follows:

Name : Swisscom

APN : event.swisscom.ch

Proxy :
Port :
Username :
Password :
Server :
MMSC : http://mms.natel.ch:8079
MMS proxy : 192.168.210.002
MMS port : 8080
MCC : 228
MNC : 01
APN type :

Reference

http://www.swisscom.ch/res/hilfe/mobile/android/mms/index.htm?languageId=en (last accessed 17/10/2011)