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Perhaps a better touring phone

Old 11-04-21, 10:54 AM
  #26  
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I still use cameras, the ones that can't be used to talk to anyone or send messages.
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Old 11-04-21, 11:08 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
I still use cameras, the ones that can't be used to talk to anyone or send messages.
So what? Knowing that doesn't really do much for people evaluating using an eink phone.
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Old 11-04-21, 11:29 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
So what? Knowing that doesn't really do much for people evaluating using an eink phone.
When you specifically replied to one of my posts saying: Using an Eink screen to review photographs wouldn't work well at all. .. just letting you know that I was not using a phone for that purpose.
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Old 11-04-21, 11:39 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
When you specifically replied to one of my posts saying: Using an Eink screen to review photographs wouldn't work well at all. .. just letting you know that I was not using a phone for that purpose.
??? It doesn't matter that you don't use a phone as a camera. The properties of eink for photos is irrelevant if you use a separate camera.

What I replied to was you talking about using a phone for a camera.

Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
Some people have ditched their cameras and now use a phone as their camera, they would probably want color. (With the possible exception of Happy Feet and his experiments with black and white photos.)
You aren’t talking about people (like you) who are not using a phone for their camera.

Eink would be a poor choice for this (unless one doesn't care about reviewing photos).

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Old 11-04-21, 08:07 PM
  #30  
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since you've brought up new phones, uncle stinky done bought one
about six months ago.

got me this here blackview BV4900Pro for $100, with free shipping.
https://promo.blackview.hk/bv4900pro/

waterproof, shockproof, big display with gorilla glass.
large storage, camera is better'n my point-n-shoot digital.
yuuuge battery, lasts 8-10 days for me in normal life, but
i don't use it all that much for telephonin'.

usable worldwide, with a long list of compatible systems.
i'm using it here in china, will work in thailand when i return july.
takes dual sims from different networks.
uses gps and glonass and beidu....although i haven't bothered.
i still prefer paper maps.

gots a whole mess of sensors - proximity, accelerometer, compass,
gyroscope, magnatometer............that i haven't bothered with either.

comes with android 10, and google play and chrome already set up.

wanted something specifically for cycling......waterproof and shockproof.
meets the IP68 milspec standard.

only drawback so far is the size and weight. display is much larger than
i expected, won't fit in jeans pocket that well. fine in a handlebar bag.
and the weight. about half a pound, but ya pays for waterproof.
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Old 11-05-21, 07:25 AM
  #31  
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saddlesores Thanks for the link. Looks like a great option. Incredible price point. And you are right - a ruggedized phone makes perfect sense for touring.

You write that you get 8-10 days between charges -- could you expand a bit on that?
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Old 11-05-21, 07:48 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
[utag=9839]You write that you get 8-10 days between charges -- could you expand a bit on that?
just exactly that.....i get 8-10 days between charges.
takes about 3 hours to charge up to 100%,
i let it run down to around 20%.

don't run many apps in the background.
wechat of course, can't survive in china without.
occasionally use wifi in the coffee shops.
don't use for calling much at all.
don't use any of my data plan.
send up to a couple dozen messages per day.
do the daily covid report in the evening.

no idea how much power the gps/mapping would suck up,
or how that would affect length between charges.
battery is a huge non-replaceable brick. 5500 mAmp i think.
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Old 11-05-21, 08:47 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
saddlesores Thanks for the link. Looks like a great option. Incredible price point. And you are right - a ruggedized phone makes perfect sense for touring.

You write that you get 8-10 days between charges -- could you expand a bit on that?
That phone doesn't seem like it would fit your use-case very well.

For "continuous" navigation in sunlight, the EInk screen should work much better.

(Seems like it has one camera on the back with 2 fake lenses.)

BV49000
https://www.devicespecifications.com...amera/eb8a550e

HiSense A5
https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/48b35388

The CPUs appear to be comparable.

https://gadgetversus.com/processor/m...a25-vs-unisoc/

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Old 11-05-21, 09:20 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
That phone doesn't seem like it would fit your use-case very well.

For "continuous" navigation in sunlight, the EInk screen should work much better.

(Seems like it has one camera on the back with 2 fake lenses.)
appears to be two versions. the plain model 4900 has an 8mp rear camera, the pro has a 13mp.
some of the literature specs a rear "quad-camera", not sure what that is 'zackly.
don't know if the other two are fake lenses or some kind of sensor or just decoration.
saw one spec "rear cameras 13.0mp 0.3mp, 0.3mp." danged if i know, but pictures are decent.
one of the little circles is the led flashlight.

it's waterproof, so i don't bother with another waterproof case.
usually just keep it in a ballistic nylon zippered pouch.
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Old 11-05-21, 09:22 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
That phone doesn't seem like it would fit your use-case very well.

For "continuous" navigation in sunlight, the EInk screen should work much better.
Actually, I do not navigate with my phone -- i use a watch (Fenix 5, and now upgraded to Enduro). I go to my phone if something is wrong with routing and I have to improvise an alternative. I remember cursing ambient light a couple of times, but this isn't a major problem. Typically, I process mail and review next day route, in my tent. My objective is to have an efficient energy setup. (an A5 is probably 4 times more efficient than a S10)

For now, my problem is to resist the urge to take advantage of the 11.11 sale. I wish I could settle on a wallet efficient setup
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Old 11-05-21, 09:26 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
I wish I could settle on a wallet efficient setup
thai wife fits the bill! soaks up all the unnecessary free cash flow.
very efficient, exceedingly thorough!
honey, new shoes! honey new earrings!
honey, buy me that house.........NOW!
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Old 11-05-21, 09:28 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
???

I said it would be a problem doing that.

Eink is the wrong tool for that (whether color or monochrome).

If you want to review photos, you can't use Eink,
I replied to this:
Originally Posted by njkayaker
Using an Eink screen to rIt's only a problem reviewing (beyond something very basic) photos (the cameras take pictures in color).
Only implies well ..... Only.
I added for clarity that it also affects the taking of photos.

Originally Posted by njkayaker
??? It doesn't matter that you don't use a phone as a camera. The properties of eink for photos is irrelevant if you use a separate camera.

What I replied to was you talking about using a phone for a camera.


You aren’t talking about people (like you) who are not using a phone for their camera.

Eink would be a poor choice for this (unless one doesn't care about reviewing photos).
Some of us use both. Taking the photos from the camera and putting them on the phone for things like uploading to the cloud, Strava etc
So, the phone can still be important even if not used as a camera.




​​​​​​
​​​​​​
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Old 11-05-21, 09:34 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by saddlesores
some of the literature specs a rear "quad-camera", not sure what that is 'zackly.
There are three "lenses". So "rear quad-camera" makes no sense. Maybe, it's 4 cameras total (including the front camera).

Originally Posted by saddlesores
don't know if the other two are fake lenses or some kind of sensor or just decoration.
Well, if they are fake, they are made to look like lenses (so, they wouldn't be "decoration").

Originally Posted by saddlesores
saw one spec "rear cameras 13.0mp 0.3mp, 0.3mp." danged if i know, but pictures are decent.
one of the little circles is the led flashlight.
You should provide a link to what you find.
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Old 11-05-21, 09:40 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by HobbesOnTour
Only implies well ..... Only.
I added for clarity that it also affects the taking of photos.
​​​​​​
Well, if it's a problem reviewing photos after taking them, it's going to be a problem reviewing images before taking them too. Isn't that obvious?

Originally Posted by HobbesOnTour
Some of us use both. Taking the photos from the camera and putting them on the phone for things like uploading to the cloud, Strava etc
So, the phone can still be important even if not used as a camera.
​​​​​​
It doesn't matter whether you use one or both. Or even if you are talking photos at all.

As I said, the EInk is poor for rendering color or monochrome accurately.

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Old 11-05-21, 09:41 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
There are three "lenses". So "rear quad-camera" makes no sense. Maybe, it's 4 cameras total (including the front camera).


Well, if they are fake, they are made to look like lenses (so, they wouldn't be "decoration").


You should provide a link to what you find.
i'm assuming marketing-speak - "quad" camera. hey, it's a camera with 4 thingies.
if they're fake, then they're for show, so they ARE decoration.

but mr. googles found this:


Cameras

On the front, it has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 13 MP for wide shooting, a 0.3 MP macro, and another 0.3 MP for depth effects. The camera is paired with an LED flash and it has some internal features like HDR, Panorama, and even 1080P video quality. Upfront is a selfies snapper of 5 MP for selfies and video calls.

https://www.naijatechguide.com/2021/...v4900-pro.html

On the camera department, you are getting 13MP main sensors, pegged with two other VGA auxiliary lenses, along with a single LED flash, while a single 5-megapixel selfie camera is used on the front.

https://www.droidafrica.net/zw/gadge...ew-bv4900-pro/

Last edited by saddlesores; 11-05-21 at 09:48 AM.
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Old 11-05-21, 09:56 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by saddlesores
i'm assuming marketing-speak - "quad" camera. hey, it's a camera with 4 thingies.
if they're fake, then they're for show, so they ARE decoration.
No one cares whether they are "decoration", What matters is if they are fake (they might not be!).

Originally Posted by saddlesores
On the front, it has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 13 MP for wide shooting, a 0.3 MP macro, and another 0.3 MP for depth effects. The camera is paired with an LED flash and it has some internal features like HDR, Panorama, and even 1080P video quality. Upfront is a selfies snapper of 5 MP for selfies and video calls.
Thanks. So, not fake. I'm guessing the "quad camera" thing is because it's 4 total (one on the front).
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Old 11-05-21, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Thanks. So, not fake. I'm guessing the "quad camera" thing is because it's 4 total (one on the front).
if you check a photo of the phone, the rear has a square area with
4 thingies - main camera, led light and two decorative falsies
(or perhaps auxiliary lenses?). a quad of whatchamallits!

info on the decorative lenses came from some squirrely
tech/shopping websites, no guarantee they're accurate.
could be outdated pre-delivery promotional info.
the manufacturer didn't bother to include that on their
website, and no mention of a "quad" of anything.
the box is marked "5mp +13mp cameras."
the wee, tiny owners manual has a line drawing of the
rear with lines pointing to one circle marked "camera" and
to another marked "flashlight."

i'd guess they were originally intended to be auxiliary
lenses, but the accountants decided they wouldn't make
the price point if included. still have the space, still have
the round slot, but filled with a plastic plug instead.
looks cool.
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Old 11-05-21, 11:20 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
Actually, I do not navigate with my phone -- i use a watch (Fenix 5, and now upgraded to Enduro). I go to my phone if something is wrong with routing and I have to improvise an alternative. I remember cursing ambient light a couple of times, but this isn't a major problem. Typically, I process mail and review next day route, in my tent. My objective is to have an efficient energy setup. (an A5 is probably 4 times more efficient than a S10)

For now, my problem is to resist the urge to take advantage of the 11.11 sale. I wish I could settle on a wallet efficient setup
It seems that saddlesores isn't actively using the phone much.

Hard to say whether the larger battery or the more efficient EInk screen would be more useful to you.

How well does the EInk screen work with a headlamp?

Keeping it off if you aren't using it might do a lot to extend the life.
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Old 11-05-21, 02:14 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
It seems that saddlesores isn't actively using the phone much.
Question of perspective -- "couple of dozens of messages a day" is a lot for me

Originally Posted by njkayaker
How well does the EInk screen work with a headlamp?
No need for a headlamp -- there is a built screen front light. Similar to the recent Kindle PaperWhite
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Old 11-05-21, 02:36 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
No need for a headlamp -- there is a built screen front light. Similar to the recent Kindle PaperWhite
Yes, I realized that. Works against the efficiency of the EInk screen somewhat.
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Old 11-05-21, 02:49 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Yes, I realized that. Works against the efficiency of the EInk screen somewhat.
well... depends on how you look at it. (AM)OLED does require much more energy than adding a light in front of an e-ink display. Honestly, I do not notice any drain when reading at night (compared to, let say, browsing or running an app). Consumes so little that I no longer bother turning it off during the day.

FWIW -- 5 days in:
. Locus Map 46% (5hrs foreground including 3hrs with GPS on, and and 1hr background downloading several MB of maps)
. Screen 25% (11h30)
. Idle 13%
. System 12%
. Browser 4% (4h30)
. youTube 3% (3h24)

On a typical handset, screen time is by very far the #1 energy draw
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Old 11-12-21, 07:07 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Okaaay....
PWM gives some people headaches
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Old 11-12-21, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Germany_chris
PWM gives some people headaches
What's the "worse"?
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Old 11-12-21, 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
What's the "worse"?
Migraines..
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Old 11-12-21, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Germany_chris
Migraines..
If people are thinking about an specific issue, it makes no sense to be vague about it.

Last edited by njkayaker; 11-12-21 at 10:16 AM.
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