Which abandoned Android phone features do you miss the most?

[Rothman]

I'm finding Android Auto screws up more complicated Google Maps routings, where the route on my phone may have the proper destination points, but because Google labels them as just a town name or whatnot, Android Auto transforms them to the center of that town.

[vdeane]

And honestly, if I need to have an adapter for something core like that, the problem is the device for not having the port in the first place.

Oh?

Bluetooth integration in vehicles began in 1999, although the various vehicle manufacturers didn't introduce the feature until the late 2000s. My 2005 Chevy Malibu did not have either Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack as the smart phones didn't exist yet. When I got my first Android phone in 2010, I tried playing music first through a cigarette lighter FM transmitter (extremely bad) before getting a FM retransmitter in my car (somewhat better). 

When I was searching for a new vehicle in 2014, some of the lower-end car models didn't have Bluetooth and only have a 3.5mm jack. Part of the driving force was the iPhone (introduced in late 2007) and Android (introduced in 2008) smartphones and the associated audio application. A forced car purchase in 2006 had me making sure I had a CD player as a feature, a second forced car purchase in 2014 had me wanting Bluetooth as a key feature.

One car feature that I want in my next vehicle is Android Auto integration, and if I was a iPhone user, it would be Carplay. Neither is worth replacing my current vehicle over. While there are aftermarket kits available, again, I don't feel like spending the money or effort.

As stated previously,

I can see the reasons why they eliminated the headphone jacks for environmental concerns (dirt and water entry points), plus the other manufacturers like to play "follow Apple".

The same goes for the replacement battery packs. While I understand the feelings behind losing the 3.5mm jack, there are Bluetooth headphones and earbuds that are not only good replacements but are better in that they have additional functionality. I personally would not pick up a headset unless it includes active noise cancellation... quite handy in noisy environments such as an airport, plane, or public transit. I rarely go out without my earbuds in my pocket in case I'm stuck somewhere and want to listen to something while waiting.

As for that adapter, here is one that I carry with me just in case. It's also rechargable.
 

I would never want the level of data sharing Bluetooth involves to occur between my phone and my car.  Do you want the entire contents of your smartphone available to whoever has your car after you?  Because that's what happens when you connect your phone via Bluetooth.  And why should I have to buy new headphones of unknown quality that will need to be charged?  My Sony earbuds work just fine and I don't have to worry about whether they have power because they take power from whatever they're connected to.  And they sound better than every other pair of earbuds I've found in grocery stores and pharmacies.  And my desktop didn't even have Bluetooth capability, and things didn't sound as good unless I routed the headphones through my speakers (which had their own headphone jack).  At least my laptop's sound output is good enough to not require that.

[Rothman]

And honestly, if I need to have an adapter for something core like that, the problem is the device for not having the port in the first place.

Oh?

Bluetooth integration in vehicles began in 1999, although the various vehicle manufacturers didn't introduce the feature until the late 2000s. My 2005 Chevy Malibu did not have either Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack as the smart phones didn't exist yet. When I got my first Android phone in 2010, I tried playing music first through a cigarette lighter FM transmitter (extremely bad) before getting a FM retransmitter in my car (somewhat better). 

When I was searching for a new vehicle in 2014, some of the lower-end car models didn't have Bluetooth and only have a 3.5mm jack. Part of the driving force was the iPhone (introduced in late 2007) and Android (introduced in 2008) smartphones and the associated audio application. A forced car purchase in 2006 had me making sure I had a CD player as a feature, a second forced car purchase in 2014 had me wanting Bluetooth as a key feature.

One car feature that I want in my next vehicle is Android Auto integration, and if I was a iPhone user, it would be Carplay. Neither is worth replacing my current vehicle over. While there are aftermarket kits available, again, I don't feel like spending the money or effort.

As stated previously,

I can see the reasons why they eliminated the headphone jacks for environmental concerns (dirt and water entry points), plus the other manufacturers like to play "follow Apple".

The same goes for the replacement battery packs. While I understand the feelings behind losing the 3.5mm jack, there are Bluetooth headphones and earbuds that are not only good replacements but are better in that they have additional functionality. I personally would not pick up a headset unless it includes active noise cancellation... quite handy in noisy environments such as an airport, plane, or public transit. I rarely go out without my earbuds in my pocket in case I'm stuck somewhere and want to listen to something while waiting.

As for that adapter, here is one that I carry with me just in case. It's also rechargable.
 

I would never want the level of data sharing Bluetooth involves to occur between my phone and my car.  Do you want the entire contents of your smartphone available to whoever has your car after you?  Because that's what happens when you connect your phone via Bluetooth.  And why should I have to buy new headphones of unknown quality that will need to be charged?  My Sony earbuds work just fine and I don't have to worry about whether they have power because they take power from whatever they're connected to.  And they sound better than every other pair of earbuds I've found in grocery stores and pharmacies.  And my desktop didn't even have Bluetooth capability, and things didn't sound as good unless I routed the headphones through my speakers (which had their own headphone jack).  At least my laptop's sound output is good enough to not require that.

I'm not so sure about the entire content of my phone being available when I'm not around.  Contacts and probably some GPS info, sure.

[Scott5114]

I'm not so sure about the entire content of my phone being available when I'm not around.  Contacts and probably some GPS info, sure.

The problem is that without the source code being available to be looked at, you have no way of knowing what the phone is and isn't sharing to the car.

[kphoger]

When I was searching for a new vehicle in 2014 ...

For the record, I've never owned a vehicle that was newer than model year 2009.  Currently, our family's only vehicle is model year 2002.  Maybe you think these bells and whistles in newer vehicles are universal, but they simply aren't.

[Rothman]

I'm not so sure about the entire content of my phone being available when I'm not around.  Contacts and probably some GPS info, sure.

The problem is that without the source code being available to be looked at, you have no way of knowing what the phone is and isn't sharing to the car.

I suppose.  Then again, I rent cars somewhat frequently and haven't had any perceptible problem with people stealing my data, even if they are.

[Scott5114]

I'm not so sure about the entire content of my phone being available when I'm not around.  Contacts and probably some GPS info, sure.

The problem is that without the source code being available to be looked at, you have no way of knowing what the phone is and isn't sharing to the car.

I suppose.  Then again, I rent cars somewhat frequently and haven't had any perceptible problem with people stealing my data, even if they are.

For me, the concern is not so much people stealing data as it is corporations. Or, rather, corporations keeping that data and then it later being subpoenaed by the federal government to construct a flimsy reason to send me to El Salvador.

[ZLoth]

I would never want the level of data sharing Bluetooth involves to occur between my phone and my car.  Do you want the entire contents of your smartphone available to whoever has your car after you?  Because that's what happens when you connect your phone via Bluetooth.

Somehow, whenever I rent a car, I haven't been able to absorb other people's Bluetooth contacts. Of course, before returning the car, I make sure to purge out all of the Bluetooth connections as well.

And why should I have to buy new headphones of unknown quality that will need to be charged?  My Sony earbuds work just fine and I don't have to worry about whether they have power because they take power from whatever they're connected to.  And they sound better than every other pair of earbuds I've found in grocery stores and pharmacies.

"grocery stores and pharmacies"? That explains it. Those are items that are designed to be of low quality and high markup to display at the registers.

For whatever it's worth, this is what I have...

• Soundcore by Anker Life Q20+ Active Noise Cancelling Headphones - My favorite over the ears headset that I picked up in 2022. They are great for flights, and also have a wired connection available.
• soundcore by Anker Space A40 Auto-Adjustable Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds. Picked up earlier this year, these are my go-to earbugs.
• TOZO A1 Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth - This is an older set that now goes for around $20. No ANC, but I keep these as a backup set in my car

And my desktop didn't even have Bluetooth capability, and things didn't sound as good unless I routed the headphones through my speakers (which had their own headphone jack).  At least my laptop's sound output is good enough to not require that.

It depends on what Bluetooth standard is supported. I ended up hooking up a low-cost USB soundbar which got better sound than either through the monitor speakers at work or the laptop speakers.

[ZLoth]

When I was searching for a new vehicle in 2014 ...

For the record, I've never owned a vehicle that was newer than model year 2009.  Currently, our family's only vehicle is model year 2002.  Maybe you think these bells and whistles in newer vehicles are universal, but they simply aren't.

As stated previously... my 2005 Chevy Malibu has neither Bluetooth or a 3.5mm jack. When I was searching for a new vehicle in 2014 and looking at the 2013 models at Hertz car sales, some of the very low-end vehicles had at least a 3.5mm jack but no Bluetooth. It was not common for Bluetooth to be included in vehicles until late 2000s. Typically, new features get introduced in the high-end models and flow downward to the lower-end models.

Depending on the make and model year, things like Bluetooth and Android Auto can be added as after-market additions. Whether or not you want to spend the money is up to you. As it is now, I have to keep my current car running until the end of the decade when my mortgage is paid off.

[Rothman]

I'm not so sure about the entire content of my phone being available when I'm not around.  Contacts and probably some GPS info, sure.

The problem is that without the source code being available to be looked at, you have no way of knowing what the phone is and isn't sharing to the car.

I suppose.  Then again, I rent cars somewhat frequently and haven't had any perceptible problem with people stealing my data, even if they are.

For me, the concern is not so much people stealing data as it is corporations. Or, rather, corporations keeping that data and then it later being subpoenaed by the federal government to construct a flimsy reason to send me to El Salvador.

Hm.  Haven't had that happen to me yet, either.

[kphoger]

I don't know, I'd kind of like to go to El Salvador sometime, and if the government is willing to foot the bill...

Reminds me of the Cheech & Chong scene, I think it was in Up in Smoke, where there's a wedding in Tijuana, so a guy calls INS on the wedding party so they can all get a free ride across the border.

[Scott5114]

I don't know, I'd kind of like to go to El Salvador sometime, and if the government is willing to foot the bill...

My understanding is that the government-sponsored trips to El Salvador are somewhat lacking in tourism opportunities.

[freebrickproductions]

Also, (re:3.5mm headphone jacks) IMHO, wired headphones are better than "wireless"/bluetooth headphones just simply for the fact that they don't have batteries that will need periodic charging in order to keep working.

[kphoger]

My understanding is that the government-sponsored trips to El Salvador are somewhat lacking in tourism opportunities.

Careful.  I remember this line of conversation from when NE2 started one just like it.  The thread got locked.  You don't want to draw the wrath of the moderators.

[Bobby5280]

I voted for the removable battery. It would be nice for the newer phones to still have the analog 3.5mm headphone jack. I'm guessing they ditched that in favor of making the phones thinner. That's probably the same reason why newer Android phones no longer have a removable battery either.

I do not miss the blinking notification light. The feature was annoying. I'd leave my phone covered up at night because of that flashing light. I disable a lot of app notifications because I don't need them pestering me about every damned little thing.

I'm not at all into having entire conversations with people via text message either. If it's more than a quick message or two give me a fucking voice call. I'll be at work busy at the computer and someone will want to text me again and again with some bullshit that could quickly be discussed via actual voice conversation. I don't like having to repeatedly drop what I'm doing to pick up a phone and type a response into the screen. I can speak sentences far faster than I can type them into a phone screen. If I'm driving I'm just not going to answer a text message at all; whoever it is can call my phone if it's urgent. Otherwise they're going to wait until I'm done driving. This cultural thing with texting is pretty damned stupid. What are the kids going to push onto us next? Sending digital messages via Morse Code?

[Mr_Northside]

Also, (re:3.5mm headphone jacks) IMHO, wired headphones are better than "wireless"/bluetooth headphones just simply for the fact that they don't have batteries that will need periodic charging in order to keep working.

Also, a feature I've had in my past phones, and current phone, that I enjoy is a built-in FM tuner - which uses the headphone cord as an antenna.