Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Gadgets, Computers & Software (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/)

-   -   Android Thread: Phones / Apps / Mods (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/83859-android-thread-phones-apps-mods-2157.html)

The biggest problem with Whatsapp, Signal, etc, for some people, is the lack of essential privacy. That is to say, as soon as you set up it up, someone who has your contact details can find you.

Some time last year, I think I read about a messaging app where this was not the case. Others do not get to know that you have it unless you tell them.

This is the main requirement. Otherwise, I seem to remember that it could communicate phone to phone without those phones being on a general network. I might have dreamt this bit up!

I made a mental note. But my mental notes are a long way from being indelible! I now have no clue what it is called or where I read about it.

Any suggestions?

Dear Thad, if Peer2Peer and privacy are your main needs then the choices are quite limited.

Try https://briarproject.org/

Disclaimer - I've not tried it or researched it. As it routes over Onion/Tor and is Open Source it should be safe. Try first on a burner phone de linked from your primary accounts etc.

Is there a good android app to remove junk /cache files? I see a number of apps on Play Store but I am not sure which is a good and reliable one that does the job without compromising privacy and security!

Picked up a Pixel 8 replacing my ~1.5year old Z Flip 4. Have always been a fan of the Google phones and was a big time Nexus user back in the day.

With all the year end discounts and old phone value got it for 25k. I don't game on my phone so the Pixel with all its SW magic works for me and I like how compact it is.

How was your experience with the Z Flip 4? Did the inner protector come off during your ownership?

Thanks very much! I'll look into that tomorrow (or today, as normal people call it!).

The name seems familiar. This might well be the one I read about.

Tor is a bit of a concern, for performance. I've never needed to use it, but have played with it a couple of times and found it deadly slow. But that's for web: it doesn't matter if messages take a few minutes. In fact, these days, I find SMS to be very poor and unreliable.

Was it Session?

I'm not 100% sure if this next part satisfies all your requirements but there may also be other ways. For instance:

1. Set Telegram up with a burner number (you only need it for initial setup in Telegram)
2. Change Telegram's privacy settings so nobody can see your burner phone number
3. You're ready to message people and they will not be able to see the burner or your regular number.

You need their phone number/Telegram handle to start the conversation and if they learn your Telegram handle, they can find you. This should prevent your existing contacts from knowing you're on Telegram.

There were rumours last May that WhatsApp would introduce a Username feature. Hopefully one need not share the phone number if they introduce this.

Loved the Flip experience, more so because I didn't get the Razr when it was the craze as everyone had one lol:

The flip modes for photography, selfies with the main camera were some standout features I used the most. It was also almost always a conversation starter with most people intrigued by the folding screen.

The stock screen protector started peeling off in 6 months and after a lot of experimentation, found a good replacement from gadgetshieldz which is a wet application, hence easy to apply and seemed to be holding up well too.

Once you get over the flip part, you outgrow the phone pretty fast as most tasks become a 2 step process. The Flip 5 with the bigger front screen should be better here.

Google has their own app for this called 'Files'. In many smartphones, this app will be in the app drawer. If you don't have it, go to playstore and type FILES BY GOOGLE.

I am looking for an Android phone under 25K INR. Main requirements are good battery life, and good camera. 8GB/128GB memory should be good enough. I would like to use the phone for ~ 4 years. An OS without much bloatware is preferred.
Suggestions, please.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo?

If you can flex on the budget just a little bit, I'd suggest either the Moto Edge 40 or the OnePlus Nord CE3.

Both offer quite clean experiences, with Moto having near stock Android and almost nil bloatware. The curved edges of the Edge 40 might be a cause for concern, but it's nothing that a good back cover won't solve.

Or if you don't want to spend that much, get the Moto G84, it's more value for money at 19K, and you're set for the next three years. (I'm thinking hard about getting this one to replace my Moto G82).

If your key is to avoid any bloatware, I'd suggest to avoid all the other -mi's and -o's in the market. That said, if you're ok with just a slight bit of additional software, please check out the latest Redmi Note series. They're also quite value for money.

How is the real world performance of Moto's camera? Moto G84 is cheaper than Edge 40 Neo even though the former has more RAM and Storage. Is it because the build quality of Edge 40 Neo is better?

Also, is there any real world difference in performance between Edge 40 and Edge 40 neo, in terms of camera performance, battery life and over-heating?

There is a little known Indian website called 91mobiles.com. I find their smartphone reviews very comprehensive. Their camera reviews too are excellent, with multiple sample images taken from the phone. The subject matter/location of all photos are the same, so you can compare photo quality of two different phones, side by side.

So Google:

Motorola G84 91mobiles
Motorola Edge 40 Neo 91mobiles
Motorola Edge 40 91mobiles

Example:

Neo specs & sample camera images:
https://www.91mobiles.com/motorola-e...price-in-india
Neo full review:
https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/motoro...40-neo-review/