ZX1 Compact Android Pie flaws

[Dooo]

I'll update as I find them, but initial impressions are this:-

When I'm on the home screen and lower the volume the volume bar is now at the side rather than the top. Unfortunately it insists on adjusting media volume and not alerts and ring volume which is what I want.

Now need to unlock with password or fingerprint, I use an armstrap when running so unlock using PIN which is fine. Putting in a 12 character password with my phone on my arm will not work. Will have to just turn off security.

The top app menu now has bigger icons that make it look like it has been set to a visually impaired high contrast mode. I'd have rather had 8 icons there instaed of 6 massive reskinned ones.

I'm happy with updates improving battery etc, but this is being pushed as improving AI learning of habits to conserve battery and improve useability. But I now need to go to through a menu to turn the ring volume down.
I'm on the home screen, I'm not watching media, why on earht would I want to turn the media volume down?

AI my backside!

Do you remember Blackberry phones running BB OS? They just reliably did the logical thing with no fuss. No drastic redesigns, just function. My favorite feature was that it had a volume button on the side, and it was context aware. It was like someone saw an issue, solved it, but crucially didn't overthink it.
So when I was walking into a quiet environment you could easily silence your phone. Genius.

Current Sony Pie score for me is 4/10

[Dooo]

Have just had another loud call at work. Final straw.

Looking at going down the bootloader unlock and reflash to an earlier version (maybe Android stock OS if possible). Anyone done this on a Sony?

[Tizer]

@Dooo,

Are you saying that there is no longer an option to unlock with a Pin Code in the Security Settings with Pie?

I have no intentions of changing my XZ1C to Pie in its present form, but I'm curious in case Sony bring out a new Compact that is worth upgrading to, which will have Pie installed out of the box.

[Dooo]

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@Tizer wrote:

@Dooo,

Are you saying that there is no longer an option to unlock with a Pin Code in the Security Settings with Pie?

I have no intentions of changing my XZ1C to Pie in its present form, but I'm curious in case Sony bring out a new Compact that is worth upgrading to, which will have Pie installed out of the box.

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Just been rooting around and found that I needed to increase the PIN length from 4 to 6 digits.
I actually would rather have a 4 digit PIN.

This update just feels like I no longer control the phone and it is owned by someone else. It's not up to me how it works anymore, I just have to go along with whatever Sony/Google decide.
I've always been careful to have all permissions locked down, but this update seems to have shifted control away from me.
The same day Google had to apologise for having undeclared microphones in NEST products 🙂

I found a solution in a drawer, it's called a Nokia Lumia. 4 digit PIN all the way 🙂

[Tizer]

@Dooo,

Thanks for confirming. Not allowing a 4 digit PIN would be a downgrade for me too. Most of the time when I need to use a PIN is because my fingers are wet or dirty and I need to unlock in a hurry.

It may seem petty but I don't want to be made to jump through hoops every time I want to do something that should be, and was simple. The strenght of the security on my phone should be my responsibility, I want to have some but I should have the choice about how strong it is.

[NunoSEN2]

@Tizer, @Dooo ;

The minimum length for the PIN in locking screen security option is still 4 digits. 

[Dooo]

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@NunoSEN2 wrote:

@Tizer, @Dooo ;

The minimum length for the PIN in locking screen security option is still 4 digits. 

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Maybe this is a coincidence then as I do have some security software that may have changed it.

I can live with the 6 digits. The volume is another matter. Just found someone raised this with Sony in October 2018 and it was pointed out that it was a feature and would be staying.

Just found a Blackberry Q10 in my laptop bag. Going to get that juiced up and leave the Sony as a spare. Can't be doing with it.

[Tizer]

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@NunoSEN2 wrote:

@Tizer, @Dooo ;

The minimum length for the PIN in locking screen security option is still 4 digits. 

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Thanks for confirming @NunoSEN2, I thought that Google had done another stupid thing for no obvious reason. 

I'm still staying on Oreo unless I get a new phone or need to do a software repair.

[CraigToomey]

One more to add, the 47.2.A.6.30 update rendered NFC useless, it does not work at all, regardless of being switched on, can't read any NFC tags, Google Pay stopped working too. I've tested with several NFC reader and test applications, none of them can read any NFC tags.

It is definitely the result of the Android Pie upgrade, I had no issues with NFC at all before the upgrade, all went fine with Android Oreo.