My Sixth Android Phone in 15 Years

When growing up in the 60s and 70s, my family had the same, white, rotary-dial phone on the kitchen wall.  Contrast that to the fact during the last fifteen years, I've had six different Android phones.

I find it interesting that most people do not bother to keep track of very basic information in their own lives.  I guess it really doesn't matter when and what mobile phones I've used.  However, I find myself quite interesting; hence, this blog exists.

So, here's a grand review of the smart-era phones I've owned and the month each was purchased:

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: September 2025

Google Pixel 7 Pro: May 2023

Google Pixel 5: April 2021  

One Plus 6: May 2018  

Google Nexus 5: January 2014  

Google Nexus One: June 2010

Machu Picchu Killed Jay's Phone

 

Jay's cell phone wasn't happy in Cusco, Peru at the end of November. His cell phone battery puffed up as soon as we arrived. I assume it happened because of the city's elevation of 11,152 feet. We had a bit of altitude sickness as well.  The phone looked pretty scary and I wondered if it'd leak. Once we got back down to sea level, the phone's girth became less obvious. It never stopped working and he used the OnePlus 6 until last weekend. That is when I ordered and received a new phone for myself.  

My old Google Pixel 5 was adequate but I knew it'd make a great phone for Jay.  So, I sort of created an excuse to get a Google Pixel 7 Pro. Generally, my cell phones last three to five years. It seemed a little premature to get a new device after just two years! However, it was for a worthy cause, I reckoned.

   

Switching wasn't too much of a hassle. All data and apps ported just fine. I was up and running in a few hours.  I really believe Hazel is a good upgrade.  That's the colour of the phone, but it will also be my name for it. 

My Fourth Android in 11 Years

Pixel 5 - April 2021  

One Plus 6 - May 2018  

Nexus 5 - January 2014  

Nexus One - June 2010

A Two-Foot Screen?

Day 103 - Today, I went out to see the electronic malls that were close to the Masjid Jemak area. Most have switched from full-on computers and electronics to selling mostly mobile phone related accessories. I do need to change the battery in my OnePlus 6 as it's getting on in years. I wasn't too serious about having it changed today. So, it looks as if I'm going to have to go over to the famous Low Yat Plaza, if I'm serious about shopping for equipment here.



When we left Vancouver at the beginning of November, I'd already decided it would be time to pick up a new home laptop when returning. The little travel Asus I'm typing on is fine and fast because of its SSD, but the screen is small so it'll easily fit in a backpack. Now, 17.3-inch laptops seem a bit rare. Most new PCs are apparently getting smaller and smaller. At home, I might as well buck industry trends and get one with more pixel real estate.

Malaysia is a good place to buy equipment. I was almost set to buy a gaming laptop this week and then it dawned on me that perhaps an all-in-one would be a better choice. There's not much to move even if it'll primarily sit on our dining table. At least they come in larger screen sizes. Now, I'm wondering if 24" is too big. It's hard to picture one in the intended location in New Westminster.

ec·lec·ti·cism

I follow hundreds of photographers on the Flickr website. I notice that a majority fall into a unique style or genre and that most all their offerings appear very, very similar. I guess consistency might be admirable, but I'm not convinced.

I do not like falling into routines that cannot be broken. This describes my photos but also my whole outlook on life in general. Why people put themselves into such tiny boxes is beyond me.

Today, Flickr received just five images from me. They were all taken today, some by my mobile phone and others with my regular zoom camera. They prove I like 'shaking it up'.











These are things from my day. What can you show me from yours?

Got to Experiment More with 360°

Day 59 - I hadn't tried taking a 360° image for a long time. In fact, I wondered if I had the necessary camera app on my current phone. Then, I remembered that the Google Street View app, itself, allows one to take VR-ready photos. That company wants so badly for us to upload our images to Google Maps! In fact, the way it is designed, it's hard *not* to press the upload button.

Taking a shot is dizzying as one has to line up the dots to ensure the phone has all the data needed for the complete picture. After, I downloaded the raw image and wondered what would happen if I uploaded it to Flickr. It took a second to load but I was able to mouse the image around. So next, I've embedded it here. It seems to work in Firefox on our Win10 travel machine. Other results may vary.

The image was just a test shot without perfect stitching. It's damned hard to line up objects, especially when they're relatively close to the lens. However, I guess I'll keep it. As we'll be leaving our studio apartment in Bali on Monday, keeping this photo, although it's not perfect, seems a no-brainer. I've swum in this pool for nearly two months now.

My 'Sort of Secret' Little Park

Some folks here had the day off because the statutory holiday of Canada Day fell on a Sunday. For example, there was no mailman today. But hey, they've all been free days for me since October 2014 and my early retirement!





I was quite surprised when I took a short walk up to Tipperary Park, next to the New Westminster City Hall. I thought for sure I'd see more families and visitors enjoying the green space. That used to be my favourite sanctuary but over the last half dozen years, I have started to frequent another park near the Fraser River more often. Sadly, I've been neglecting my old favourite.

Let's see, I started writing this blog in September of 2003 and my first entry mentioning this park was on January 24, 2004. Oh, and this entry makes the fourtith entry on the subject.





Walking up Fourth Street is quite a hike but it is healthy to sweat a little.
Today, I passed the community garden plots on the land near the City Hall. How lovely some of the vegetables were! When ducking under the trees, I was surprised more folks weren't enjoying the nice sunshine. I thought as a day off, it would be more crowded. The effect was certainly all right as the place seemed to be all mine!







I do like the pictures I can take with my new phone. Actually, what I like might be the camera app's DRO setting. Dynamic Range Optimization seems to bring more life to foliage and works well for the light conditions in wooded areas. When I don't want to lug my weighty lens on the Nikon, it's nice knowing I have something useful in my pocket.

Not 16:9? Then It's No Longer 'Normal'

I don't mind carrying around with my Nikon with the huge lens. It's heavy but I'm fairly butch. I like to snap things around me although I wouldn't classify myself as a serious photographer. I did find a phone cannot 'cut the mustard' when it comes capturing those far away objects.

However, the baby pinecone was the first time I tried the close-up setting in Open Camera. I like the app much better than the native app which shipped with my OnePlus 6.

I shoot almost exclusively in 16x9 and have for a few years now. It seems the normal way for me to frame a photo now. This is not an option in my new phone's native camera app. I know, as others are quick to point out, that I am wasting pixels on the top and bottom of my photos. However, my images are never printed, ever!

When viewed casually, they are seen on the screen of a computer or phone, and when shown publicly, they show up via Flickr on my living room television. If I were to include those 'extra pixels' in an image, I'm left with the traditional black bars like the type seen on pre-HDTV shows and movies. I'll take filling up the screens that matter, thank you.

Don't try to tell me that a 19:9 aspect ratio is a better option, Oneplus engineers; it's most definitely not!

My First AMOLED Screen

It's been long enough for me to have become totally enamoured with my new OnePlus 6. It arrived last Friday, so it's been a full week already.

I have loaded all my former apps and plenty of new ones. I have a little selection of music on the phone for 'data-free' walking time. Amazingly, 92% of my 128GB of storage is still free. Coming from a Nexus 5 with just 16GB, I feel like a kid in a candy store, except that the candies are actually apps. Look at all the little screen folders with many, many more hidden icons!


I totally enjoy the time spent organizing my screens.

The New Westminster Quay

Walking to the quay never seems to get old.

The Fraser River is high due to the rapid snowpack melt up north. Lately, we have seen fewer trees and debris floating down towards the ocean.

I walked inside through Donald's Market, really just wanting to add extra steps to my Mi band. My 'hoofing-it' distances haven't been very consistent this month. Some days, I walk a lot but little on others.

For instance, so far today, I've only completed 4903 steps. That equals a measily 3.3 kilometers. That's not enough, but at least I didn't sit around all day. I'm glad I didn't or I wouldn't have had the chance to take the following images with my OnePlus 6 phone:

Just Living Another Day

It seems like a full day, although there's not a whole lot of proof I can point to. We did make a run to the Langley Farm Market in the morning. When coming back, we popped into the uptown mall. When one's doing as one wants, a day is always pleasurable.



I shot this photo today. I took it as we walked down Fourth Street on our way to Pier Park. This is where our apartment is. We live in the far building on the tenth floor. If you look closely, you might see some painters who haven't got to our building yet. We are getting a fresh coat of paint this summer. Our balcony probably won't be ready for normal use for another month, at least.

We went to the park as it was a windy but pleasant day. We walked under the "W" just to add a few kilometers to our daily routine. It is a public art installation of four full-sized containers. The "W" can be seen from above on the nearby Pattullo and SkyTrain bridges.



I am absolutely pleased with my new phone. I can't believe it took me so long to buy a new one. I have spent a lot of time adding and organizing apps both old and new.

Hello, World!

Every time I get a new device which takes images, I step onto the balcony. Over the last 20 years, there have been a lot of shots. This is the first in 19x9 though. I did upload from Snapseed after a wee bit of editing and reduction.



Today, my OnePlus 6 arrived. It only took about 24 hours to get here from Los Angeles. Thanks, DHL. I think I'm going to be happy with it.

Phones, Phones, Phones

I just looked at DHL tracking and my new phone, although bought from the Canadian online store, is being shipped from Los Angeles. It was just about this time of year, eight whole years ago that I was waiting on DHL for the arrival of my first smartphone.

Only eight years? Doesn't it seem as though we have always been carrying around the Internet in our collective pockets? Actually, it doesn't. We viewed the movie, Dazed and Confused, for the very first time last week. It was refreshingly familiar to remember being a kid in 1976 dealing with life in high school without phones!


My first phone with a screen was a Google Nexus One. I held onto it for four years and replaced with a Nexus 5. Now it appears as though many generations have come and gone. There are no more Nexuses and I find Google Pixel devices may still set a standard, but they are no longer value priced. So, this will be my first foray away from stock Android.

I have ordered a OnePlus 6.

When I bought my former phones it was not easy to get an unlocked one. Doing so meant I could swap out a SIM when travelling. (In fact, during an extended stay in Sri Lanka in 2012, my phone's hotspot provided our primary access to the Internet via 3G.) Fortunately, legislation in Canada mandates that all carriers unlock phones now for free. When DHL finally hands me my package, I will pop the SIM out of my present phone. The OnePlus site says I might have to wait until May 30th, but DHL is optimistically forecasting an arrival date of tomorrow!