The Angry Systems Administrator’s newest toy

Good day all, this is the Angry Systems Administrator. My last post was in regards to upgrading the internet connection to Fiber from the old cable system. I can report we are all very satisfied with the new connection. Now I have spent way to much money on a new “toy” for myself. I’ve replaced my old LG mobile phone with a new Samsung model.

The reason I replaced my old LG G8 phone was due to LG getting out of the phone business, and no longer supporting my phone. It was also several years old and getting a bit out of date. Otherwise it was an excellent smartphone. Since LG was out of the business, I started shopping around. I looked at the Goolag Pixel 6 and a few others, and ended up going with the Samsung S21 Ultra. Since Samsung no longer supports SD cards, (a stupid decision as far as I’m concerned), I had to get the model with 256GB of ram. My old LG had 128GB with a 128GB SD card so I know what I needed.

I spent some time looking at reviews, and made a trip to Bestbuy. They didn’t have any that were unlocked, so I checked Amazon, (They flat out didn’t have any), and then Samsung. Samsung had what I was looking for and after much soul searching, I took the plunge and dropped the $1400 for the new phone. They promised delivery by January 25^th, however, it arrived on Friday the 14^th. I’ve spent the last few days learning how it works and configuring it for my preferences. It picked up my Mint Mobile SIM card, and it’s now my new phone.

I also ordered a case and holster for it. What I didn’t quite figure on was the actual size. I knew it was going to be bigger, I just didn’t realize how much. This makes wearing it on my belt a bit of a problem, but I’ll work it all out eventually. The case is very solid and should provide decent protection. It did include a screen protector, but, frankly, it’s a piece of crap.

The phone is also set up to connect to a windows PC, and basically act’s like an RDP connection. I set it up and I find it very useful. I did have some issues connecting with the computer’s bluetooth, but a few minutes searching on the web and I found a workaround. There is still a lot I need to learn about this feature, such as how to make calls from my computer. I suspect it will require using my headset.

I’m not going to bother going into all the little technical goodies, such as the 256GB of storage, the 12GB of ram and the latest processor. Oh wait, I just did. Sorry. I will say that Samsung made it very easy to copy my files and apps from the old phone to the new one. I still had to go through and log into a lot of them, but that also provided me a good way to make sure my password manager is working correctly.

As for power usage, well, it’s going to take a few weeks to figure all that out of course. I recharged the phone yesterday, (Saturday), while I was getting things configured. As of this post, it’s down to about 45%. Considering everything I’ve been doing, even with the battery saver turned on, that’s not to bad. I was getting up to 4 days using the battery saver on my old LG, but I also wasn’t banging away on the phone all that much.

The Samsung S21 Ultra is their current “Flagship” phone. From what I’ve read, it’s comparable to the latest Apple Iphone. Since I despise Apple with every fiber of my freedom loving body, I can’t really say. However, SWMBO loves Iphones, (It’s a Chinese thing she claims), and she’s due for a replacement. I’m thinking the Angry Webmaster might do something for her next birthday)

I haven’t played around with the camera much, other then to take a few test pics. They seem fine. The audio is excellent. The speakers are pretty good considering it’s a phone. There is no phone jack which means if you want the full effect, you will need to get earbuds or a bluetooth head set. I don’t have bluetooth in my car. I’ll test when SWMBO give me a lift when the old Model T I drive around in won’t start. (Those cranks starts are a great way to warm yourself up and build muscle)

Speaking of the Angry Webmaster, he hasn’t found out yet that I bought this. He’s still using his LG G8. I expect he will demand one, and soon. I paid for mine out of my pocket, but the Angry Idiot will probably just expense his. (I foresee a nice fight between him and the between him and the Angry Accountant) I’m keeping the LG G8 around since I may need it as a backup. It’s only been a few days, but I’m fairly happy with my purchase. If you’re looking for a new phone, I would recommend Samsung’s S21 series.

Thank you

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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~The Angry Systems Administrator~