Xiaomi Smartphone, Saga, Update, Customer Report

Less than two months ago, I bought myself a Xiaomi Mi A2 without very extensive research about it. I knew that I didn't want to spend an awful lot, and I was totally disgusted with Samsung, because my J7 hadn't even lasted two years before dying suddenly. Instead of buying a low price phone from a good (expensive) company I bought a top of the line from an inexpensive one.

So far the big pros of the phone are

• the two year warranty versus one year for my Samsung phones
• and the camera
• the size, very similar to the J7, so no adjustment

They are both superior to the Samsung J7 and the previous Samsung I had which was a Samsung Galaxy II Plus, a not too bright but hardy workhorse.

Now for the cons.

• An annoying disadvantage was/is that I couldn't find a selection of cases, just clear ones which showed off the boring black phone. First I decorated the free case which came with the phone with red and white sparkly stick-ons. 
• The serious problem is that many people say they can't hear me clearly when we're trying to have a conversation. Others have no problems talking to me on the phone. And I discovered that some of them are convinced that I talk when washing dishes or some similar noisy pursuit. But I must admit that some of my kids complained that towards the end, they hadn't heard me clearly on the J7.
• It doesn't come with a choice of ringtones. I'm pretty good at figuring out various devices, and although the phone wake-up alarm has choices there are no choices when someone calls. I asked on facebook, and someone suggested Zedge, which gave me a Beatles tune. Yay!

Last week I did find a better/stronger and more "attractive" case, which gave me two choices of  "decoration." They are actually pieces of paper shaped to fit inside the clear protective case. I can live with the sparkly silver one. 

I haven't had a major problem getting used to the different system and figuring things out. Yesterday I did panic a bit when it stopped ringing, but after searching a variety of set-up options, I succeeded in solving that problem.

An annoying thing is that it doesn't use the same plug for charging, but I bought an inexpensive piece to add to one of my old chargers. Of course, it comes with one free charger.

Now for the sixty four thousand dollar $64,000 question...

Do I recommend the Xiaomi Mi A2? Is it a good/great smartphone for the price?

Honestly, I'm still not sure. I don't know any other users. If you have the phone, what do you think?

New Phone, Xiaomi Mi A2, Hope It Lasts

Well, I had no choice. I really can't manage without a smartphone. I bought a new one, a Chinese one, since I was awfully disappointed with my Samsung J7 which didn't even survive two years. I got a Xiaomi Mi A2, and I'm trying to adjust it to my needs.

OK, first where and how did I choose it?

As I had blogged yesterday, my J7 had dropped dead. No, I hadn't dropped it. It never awoke after restart; it was just lying peacefully on my computer desk Sunday evening.

The young man who helped me in Ariel recommended that I don't buy immediately. I should research and then come back. Besides asking around, I emailed the chain and got some suggestions.

Instead of returning to the Ariel phone store, I went to the same AM Phone chain in Sha'ar Binyamin. I knew that buying a phone and getting the service I'd need to transfer data would take ages. Also, even though it would be possible to find the same phone for less money in Jerusalem, I preferred the convenience and trust I have in this one.

It could be that the J7 didn't suit my needs, so I decided not to skimp this time. Davka, surprisingly, my new Xiaomi Mi A2 cost less than the J7 did less than two years ago. One of the factors besides the 64 memory that sold me on the phone was that the camera is supposed to be good. That's one of the things I haven't gotten to know well, though I'm pleased so far. Priorities are the rings and notifications, so it won't wake me up for a Whatsapp message. I also had to download an app for a choice of ringtones. It doesn't have a choice builtin.

Another plus for the Xiaomi phone is the two year service warranty. That beats the one year that Samsung gives.

I'm definitely making progress in learning how to use my Xiaomi Mi A2, and don't forget at the same time there's a new kitchen to set-up and get used to. At my age, I'm always glad to challenge my mind.

I'm not showing a picture of the phone, since it's ugly black. The model is so new that the store didn't have any nice cases for it, but the company gives a free case, also dark and boring.

My Phone Died

For the past few days I'd get messages on my phone that google wasn't working. Then tonight, just after charging the phone, I tried to see how much walking I'd done. And then it said that Pedometer was crashing, too. So I did "restart." A few minutes after that I checked the phone and discovered it dead.

I've tried the "take the battery out" trick, but it didn't work.

A neighbor offered to take me to a "phone mavin" in Ariel, since she was going there anyhow. That's the plan. Gd willing he'll fix the phone, and if it's not worth fixing, I'll buy a chinese one for a few hundred shekels. Why invest when they don't last long?

Kapora, it's just a phone. Right?

Not exactly. All my appointments are on the phone. And the phone is the contact number for all sorts of things that I need tomorrow afternoon for the kitchen.

I will stay calm, sort of. I think tonight is a good one for a sleeping pill. Right?

Fun Phone Photos

Last night on the Jerusalem lightrail I took this picture. I'm not quite sure what the app is, but it seems to be connected to facebook, photo "story." Everytime I use it it gives me different options. This is a sort of kaleidoscope view of the cabin in the train where the driver/engineer sits. IMHO, it's great. I was "focusing" on the trilingual plus icons sign asking passengers in the front seats to be quiet, since noise/talking disturbs the driver.

This morning I had taken too many pictures of the morning sky for my #morningcoffeehaiku. So, I decided to take the least interesting one and use one of the "effects" of that "story" app.

When I clicked it, I hadn't the vaguest idea what would happen. This is it!  I just couldn't resist adding the "Good morning, בוקר טוב" to it.

What do you think?

Why Doesn't The Sun Look Orange?

Yesterday morning, the sunrise was stupendous and the sun a very bright orange. I took a whole bunch of pictures at all sorts of "settings," and none of the photos show a bright orange sun!  I use my phone, the Samsung J7.

I hope you believe that the sun was orange and not white...

Amazing Results With Photo-editing, Snapseed

For the longest time, I totally avoided and looked down on "extreme" photo-editing. I was raised in the film photography world and was always warned by my parents that it was a waste of money to develop and print bad shots. I had one chance, and one chance only, to click and produce a perfect photo.

So, as you can imagine, it's rather traumatic to accept the digital photography reality in which people may take dozens or more shots of the same scene. Trying to choose the best, after three or four, my eyes go foggy and I just can't see what's better or worse. I'm not a visual perfectionist. The truth is that I'm just not a perfectionist at all!

Now I must admit that even though I highly doubt that I'll be taking more than a handful of photos of the same scene, I have not only discovered the fun and art of photo-editing, but sometimes I fear that I'm addicted.

This week's 52Frames challenge was to use our phone as a camera. To be honest, I've been using my phone pretty much every week for months. Its pictures are far superior to what my cheap camera can produce. That created a bit of a dilemma. I needed to submit a photograph that would be a superior one, davka, because of my phone.

Here is the photo I submitted:

"Flower"
I used two new techniques here. Negative color and a new application recommended by a framer. Thanks

This is the story:
I decided to use a photography option that my Samsung J7 offers. I photographed this pretty flower in the negative. It looked pretty unusual, but just not special enough.

I'm also in a small 52Frames group which is to help each other out with ideas. One of the members of that group suggested that I use Snapseed, a free photo-editing application. So, that's what I did. It lightened the photograph just enough to give more detail and contrast between the flower and the leaves. What do you think?

Night Scenes

Now that I've finally learned more about the camera on my smartphone, I'm enjoying what it can do. On Automatic mode, nothing looked good when photographed at night. But now I set it on Night mode, and the photos are amazing.

Did you know that we have a basketball court in the neighborhood very close to the pool?

Amazed by Camera on the Samsung J7

I may be a bit slow about these things, because although I've had my new smartphone, the Samsung J7 for half  a year, only very recently have I discovered that its camera offers some amazing "modes." My actual camera may do some of those things, but I find it almost impossible to control/program, while the phone is very easy.

I must admit that I only began playing with it after trying to show a friend how to use her new phone camera. I feel pretty stupid admitting such a thing at this stage.  Now before shooting, I check how the scenes/subjects look in the various modes and sometimes shoot a variety.

Now I understand how/why many people don't bother buying cameras anymore, and the chances are that my little red Canon IXUS 145 won't be replaced.

Do you still use both or just a phone? Why? And which brand and model?

Which Camera is Takes Better Photos?

This morning I took pretty much the same pictures with my phone and with my camera. And they were taken seconds apart, so there wasn't any change in the lighting or sun or angle. I stood in the same place and first used my Canon IXUS 145, which is a small, lightweight low-end Canon I've had for a few years. And then I used my Samsung J7, which is the best of the "bargain" Samsung's J version. At least it was about half a year ago, when we bought "his and hers." Yes, my husband also has one.

None of the photos were edited in any way, not even cropped. Here are the photos:

a-

b-

Vote which pair you like better and why in the comments. Thanks.

Daily and Weekly Photos, 365 and 52

As if I have nothing else to do, I've been participating in two photography groups, a daily one, 365Project, and a weekly one, 52Frames.

They have one thing in common and that's the time restriction. The photo for 365project must be taken the day it's uploaded, and only one per day, while 52Frames gives us a week to photograph for that weekly deadline.

The big difference is that there are "strict" weekly challenges we're supposed to attempt. The challenges are basic, and sometimes more advanced photographic techniques, styles, etc. And for the 365project we can photograph anything we want. There are those who join members taking on a specific challenge, but for most members it's more of loosely themed photographic diary.

For this week, deadline was early Monday morning Israel time, 52Frames asked for a black and white photo:

"Follow..."
As rushed and freezing cold as I was, I just had to stop, take off my gloves and shoot this scene. I could just see it in black and white, especially the stone sidewalk. My eyes blurred from shooting into the sun, but we photographers are always taking risks for our art..

And here are a few of my recent 365project photographs:

Peeking in the Schoolyard

When my children studied here the school was so very bare-bones basic. We were grateful that the small prefab structures that were used as classrooms for many didn't leak. And there certainly wasn't a fence around it.
Now besides the landscaping, there is outdoor musical equipment like this xylophone.

Traffic Jam

Suddenly, as we rode south on the Alon Road to Kochav Hashachar, we were forced to stop.

Golden Morning

Winter

I photograph with both my Samsung J7 smartphone and my small Canon IXUS 145 camera.

Both groups are now very international, though 52Frames started in Israel, if I'm not mistaken. Sometimes I explain Jewish customs on 365project, like here:

Last Whiff of the Sabbath

A new week has begun. According to Jewish Tradition, one part of the "Havdalah," Separation ceremony is smelling "spices."
May this be a good week for all.

Although both groups do have an optional paid membership, I don't pay, and I can still participate.

An Advantage of "Pedometer" as my Smartphone Step Counter

Soon after I got my new Samsung J7 smartphone, I began looking to install a better pedometer than I had been using. I'm sure I'm not the only person who sometimes paces at home to reach a "step goal," and since part of the "system" that many of the pedometers use are attuned to distances, they get "confused" when we pace.

With the "app" I had been using, walklogger, I'd find it losing steps when I paced. I'd have to keep stopping to try to trick it. That was a big problem when the weather was bad and I'd want to reach a specific goal at home. It really hated a friend's apartment. It would outright refuse to count the steps I walked there. It also took ages/many steps to start counting, even when I adjusted the sensitivity. I could spend hours walking around the Israel Museum and I'd be lucky if it credited me for 150 steps. Once I was with a friend who had an iphone, and we discovered that although I'd been walking a lot that day, and she had hardly walked at all, our phone apps gave us the same count. Then we walked around together for about twenty minutes. My app added about 300 steps and hers added over a thousand!

Now I use one that simply calls itself "Pedometer," and it counts steps, even if I'm pacing or walking up and down stairs. It doesn't beep me when I've achieved any goals, but I can survive without a pat on the back. It's easy to check my progress over the day, and it doesn't claim I'm riding a bicycle when I walk downhill quickly, which a different app did. And like the others I've tried, it's free, of course.

I hope this helps.

I just wish it could keep me from eating too much...

Rule of Thirds, Sun

The Rule of Thirds can be explained that sometimes when things are off center, they are more visually interesting. Here's my photo for this week's 52Frames challenge, Rule of Thirds.

"Third Sun"
Sunrise
Camera: Samsung J7
Location: Israel

Hope you like it. Some people, especially if you also follow my 365Project photos, you'll see that the location keeps turning up. Taking pictures is great when waiting for a ride.

365Project, A Diary-Like Daily Photo Group

I've been having fun with a daily challenge photo group, 365Project. I manage to send a photo in almost everyday, very much like a photo diary. When I'm on the go I use my smartphone, the Samsung J7 I got a few weeks ago.

Members are from all over the world, and the photographs are pretty mixed. If you're a member, then look for me. And if you're not, maybe you'd like to join up.

Here are a few of my recent ones:

Keeping Up With Our Son's Football Game

Our son is the Head Coach of the Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions IFL tackle football team. And since we're not at the game, too far, my husband and I are keeping up with it by twitter and whatsapp. Let's hope for a safe victorious game and also safe traveling for the team and fans

Could There Ever be Too Many Vegetables? #6

Cooking for our Jewish Sabbath, and we do eat a lot of vegetables. This is now baking in the oven.

Last Pomegranate

Over a month ago, when pomegranates were plentiful and finishing their season, I bought a box of them. They stayed fresh in my cold refrigerator. This morning I took the very last one out, and I'm slowly savoring it. It is so delicious.

Morning Coffee

I'm enjoying my new gigantic 1.5 liter French Press. As you can see, I drink my coffee with sugar and milk. That French Press was my Chanukah present to me!

Pop Me, Self-Portrait for 52Frames, 2017

Every year 52Frames begins with a Self-Portrait. My first attempt was so overwhelming and traumatic, I can't picture it in my head. The second year I held my high school graduation photo to show how much I've changed. Last year I fooled around using mirrors and reflections in the New York hotel bathroom where we were staying at the time, (the hotel, not the bathroom.) And since we weren't home, it was taken with my phone.

This year, a new phone and another vacation. This time we were in Jerusalem and I overcame a fear -giving me the Extra Credit- and propped up my phone on a shelf in a store, the Moriah in the Old City, set up the timer, posed myself and shot.

Even after some color tweaking, I realized that I looked rather ridiculous. My glasses were still black from the sun, and I just wasn't wearing the right clothes for a portrait of any sort, south of the Arctic or north of Antarctica. So I began searching and experimenting with all of the various effects, kitschy and otherwise that my new Samsung J7, the top of the cheap line of Samsung smartphones. Finally, I hit pay dirt!

"Pop Me"
My generation. Like this I feel young again.

I love it!

What do you think?

Would You Believe a New Phone? J7

Well, I took the plunge. I bought a new phone. Actually two, since my husband got the same model, Samsung J7. The J series is more affordable Samsung line. So, we have the most advanced of the less expensive phone they put out.

We aren't wealthy and don't need the most expensive and advanced phone on the market. To be honest, I'm almost more excited by the hot pink case I found for it in the Golan agent's store in Sha'ar Binyamin. I never liked the blue one I had on my old phone, though it did its job for three years.

I got the phone from a store in the Golan Heights, Zip Tech. I asked my gazillion questions on the phone and placed the order, that way, too. He sent the phones by registered mail and charges less than I had seen for them in Jerusalem.

I had gone to the Sha'ar Binyamin place, which is now in the new "mini-mall" across from the optician and furniture store, to have my sim-card cut to the right size for the new phone and get a new case and holder. It ended up that the Golan sim-card came pre-cut and didn't need cutting. But  I'm so glad I went there, because the young man working there did all of the complicated copying things from one phone the other. He really was a sweetheart and also answered my questions.

The most complicated thing to get for this was a new case to hook/loop onto my pouch "belt." The guy in Sha'ar Binyamin had a really nice one, but it I couldn't get the latch/buckle of the pouch through the loop. I finally found one in Jerusalem on King George Street, near Jaffa Street in a store that specialized in "cases." It also had great prices, and the guy was very helpful.

The phone takes great pictures. I used a couple of the photos for the new internet photography group I just joined, 365 Project.

Today in Jerusalem, 365

Raining! Day 4

Yes, I have a new "toy" to play with.