Reasonably priced smartphone for serial iphonist

[LDN]

Slushbox said:

Re: SmileyFox security

Been running some firewall checks on what goes out of phones, both over wifi and mobile data.

WileyFox is pretty neutral as stock, the usual culprits are Google Play Services and location/Cell/Wifi data. App permissions as stock are pretty good, and almost everything you don't want emitted can be blocked with the NetGuard app (PlayStore).

In comparison, a Lenovo phone out of the box is contacting China Telecom, and GMO Internet once a second when the phone is quiet. These are probably legit requests for api-push services, but with China Telecom you never know.

WileyFox seems comparatively 'quiet' until privacy-slurping apps are installed, but y'all know that. The most secure phone we've tested is a used BlackBerry Bold 9900 (Ebay £34). It uses BlackBerry Internet Services and nothing gets out of it unless permissions are first granted. :-)

Lenovo screenshot, 1 minute of logging:

Edited by Slushbox on Saturday 21st January 08:20

Interesting stuff... how does iOS fare?

[Slushbox]

LDN said:

Interesting stuff... how does iOS fare?

I don't have an iOS phone to check. Correspondence with other security bods reveals a growing concern amongst iPhoners for personal security aimed at 'stopping the gubbermint' listening in.

The WileyFox Swift & Swift 2 have PrivacyGuard built-in which does a reasonable job of stopping apps slurping your contacts, SMS and phone-call data, but those apps are still phoning-home. The free NetGuard app stops most of this, but takes a while to configure, and can lock-down the phone completely.

The Swift series are being upgraded to Android Nougat 'soon' we're told, but currently they're quite good at restricting app permissions, though not background data use, other than in the Android 'restrict mobile data' feature.

Nougat has a PrivacyGuard like setting built-in, but there is still the phoning home problem. Whether users consider that a 'security' exploit is down to them, but if nothing else, it can eat PAYG mobile data without the user knowing why.

[silobass]

How are you getting on?

[Berz]

Have you WileyFox chaps had any performance issues with your phones? I'm considering a 2X but the couple of reviews I've seen suggest that performance isn't great. What are they like to use in real life?

[sgrimshaw]

Berz said:

Have you WileyFox chaps had any performance issues with your phones? I'm considering a 2X but the couple of reviews I've seen suggest that performance isn't great. What are they like to use in real life?

I've happy with my Swift, as is the Mrs with hers.

I get two days battery life in "my normal" use. By comparison, the previous phone (a Nexus 4) never got more than a day, even when new.

[slow_poke]

sgrimshaw said:

Berz said:

Have you WileyFox chaps had any performance issues with your phones? I'm considering a 2X but the couple of reviews I've seen suggest that performance isn't great. What are they like to use in real life?

I've happy with my Swift, as is the Mrs with hers.

I get two days battery life in "my normal" use. By comparison, the previous phone (a Nexus 4) never got more than a day, even when new.

No performance issues from me apart from that one instance of it failing to connect to Wi-Fi at work. Just at work, nowhere else. Baffling.

[JB!]

LDN said:

JB! said:

ZesPak said:

In all honesty, what are you doing with your phones? I manage to kill a couple but most still live a healthy life (both mine and my wife's old Galaxy S2 are still in service)... My old iphone was only decommissioned because of serious software issues.

heavy use kills batteries, droppages, workshop fluid spills etc...

Every iPhone I've had has seen me through years of use and the ones I didn't sell are still working perfectly; they've been subject to extensive travel; all conditions; sand, snow, you name it... been dropped, had doors slam on them... never a beat missed. I'm confused how people damage their phones, seemingly, so easily.

My current phone is 18 months old and has chunks taken out of it...

[Berz]

slow_poke said:

sgrimshaw said:

Berz said:

Have you WileyFox chaps had any performance issues with your phones? I'm considering a 2X but the couple of reviews I've seen suggest that performance isn't great. What are they like to use in real life?

I've happy with my Swift, as is the Mrs with hers.

I get two days battery life in "my normal" use. By comparison, the previous phone (a Nexus 4) never got more than a day, even when new.

No performance issues from me apart from that one instance of it failing to connect to Wi-Fi at work. Just at work, nowhere else. Baffling.

Thanks!

[slow_poke]

Berz said:

slow_poke said:

sgrimshaw said:

Berz said:

Have you WileyFox chaps had any performance issues with your phones? I'm considering a 2X but the couple of reviews I've seen suggest that performance isn't great. What are they like to use in real life?

I've happy with my Swift, as is the Mrs with hers.

I get two days battery life in "my normal" use. By comparison, the previous phone (a Nexus 4) never got more than a day, even when new.

No performance issues from me apart from that one instance of it failing to connect to Wi-Fi at work. Just at work, nowhere else. Baffling.

Thanks!

And finally, to put this particular nugget to bed, or to ignite a whole new convo - my WF upgraded itself to Android Nougat flavor last night. Today, the phone connects for the first time ever to the WiFi at work.

Hallelujah!

[andy-xr]

Good bump, I read as I'm in the market for a new phone as my OnePlus1 headphone jack fell apart last week. For me it has to be Android as me and the wife use Duo fairly often when I'm out. Has to have NFC as I use Android PAy quite a bit. Ideally under a few hundred quid.

The only thing that puts me off the Swift 2x is Cyanogen.
There's no plans to port it I take it?

[Berz]

andy-xr said:

The only thing that puts me off the Swift 2x is Cyanogen.
There's no plans to port it I take it?

Yep, they're moving off Cyanogen. http://www.androidcentral.com/wileyfox-begins-move...

The update just appeared on mine so I'll be trying it out later.

[andy-xr]

Cool - can you see if the camera sharpens up at all? I dont necessarily think it's a Cyanogen issue as such, but reviews of the Swift 2x vs the G5Plus...the Moto seems to come out better for photos (though it is an extra £50)

[ZesPak]

andy-xr said:

Cool - can you see if the camera sharpens up at all? I dont necessarily think it's a Cyanogen issue as such, but reviews of the Swift 2x vs the G5Plus...the Moto seems to come out better for photos (though it is an extra £50)

G5 has no NFC iirc?

[Berz]

andy-xr said:

Cool - can you see if the camera sharpens up at all? I dont necessarily think it's a Cyanogen issue as such, but reviews of the Swift 2x vs the G5Plus...the Moto seems to come out better for photos (though it is an extra £50)

Camera's fine. There is an apparent lack of sharpness when reviewing images but probably because it is trying to display a downsized 4608*3456 image on a 1080*1920 screen; when you zoom in far enough it's fine. No issues with colour or contrast. Grain is obvious on high ISO pictures but that's the same for every smartphone camera I've ever had so as long as you aren't expect perfect photos in low light situations it's all good.

WileyFox have a returns policy which should allow you to return the phone if unhappy, distance selling regs I guess.

After the update to Nougat I can no longer get rid of the stupid google bar at the top of the screen, and it now has a pointless additional home screen with news feeds on it. Of the 56 apps installed 15 of them relate to google products I have no intention of using.

[andy-xr]

ZesPak said:

G5 has no NFC iirc?

UK version of G5Plus has NFC (so can use Android Pay), G5/G4 dont have NFC.

I remember a time when it was on every phone and I sat there wondering WTF that was ever going to be useful for on my Bold.

Thanks for the camera info also Berz