From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

" I bought this device after calling Medical Guardian looking for a
device that would work well in a place with lots of 5G and little 4G
cell coverage. This device needs good 4G. But that’s not the most
troubling issue."

Huh. There are 100's of millions of 4g only phones. How can they cut
back on coverage. They don't expect us to buy phones like buying
gasoline, do they? Besides the money I don't need to lear anyhting when
I buy more gas.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/19/25 11:52 AM, micky wrote:

I bought this device after calling Medical Guardian looking for a
device that would work well in a place with lots of 5G and little 4G
cell coverage. This device needs good 4G. But thatÂ’s not the most
troubling issue."

Huh. There are 100's of millions of 4g only phones. How can they cut
back on coverage. They don't expect us to buy phones like buying
gasoline, do they? Besides the money I don't need to hear anything when
I buy more gas.

Probably depends on your provider and its service specs in your area. I
don't have any problems in my area with my 5 year old Samsung S10+ 4G
phone. Apparently two choices for you: new phone or new carrier.

BTW I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse to
spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on working...
:-/

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/19/25 12:45 PM, AJL wrote:

On 10/19/25 11:52 AM, micky wrote:

I bought this device after calling Medical Guardian looking for a
device that would work well in a place with lots of 5G and little 4G
cell coverage. This device needs good 4G. But thatÂ’s not the most >>troubling issue."

Huh. There are 100's of millions of 4g only phones. How can they cut
back on coverage. They don't expect us to buy phones like buying
gasoline, do they? Besides the money I don't need to hear anything when
I buy more gas.

Probably depends on your provider and its service specs in your area. I
don't have any problems in my area with my 5 year old Samsung S10+ 4G
phone. Apparently two choices for you: new phone or new carrier.

BTW I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse to
spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on working... :-/

Correction. As of last month my phone is now 6 years old... 8-O


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

AJL wrote:

BTW I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse to
spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on working...

I have no problem with reception, where my 2021 phone is both 5G & 5G.
The 5 amp hour battery on my Galaxy A32-5G is similarly strong as a horse.

If the OP is in the USA, there are essentially only three main carriers.
AT&T: Shut down its 3G network in February 2022
Verizon: Completed its 3G shutdown by December 2022
T-Mobile: Phased out its 3G services throughout 2022

All three offer 4G and 5G coverage in the USA.

The OP can install a graphical signal debugger which will tell him how many decibels of signal are in his area. He can compare with other carriers.

Also, there are mathematically calculated signal coverage maps for all
three carriers from the FCC (I haven't looked at them in a while though).
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/19/2025 7:28 PM, Marion wrote:

AJL wrote:

I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse
to spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on
working...

I have no problem with reception, where my 2021 phone is both 5G &
5G. The 5 amp hour battery on my Galaxy A32-5G is similarly strong
as a horse.

The only possible problem with my S10+ being old is that there's no
more updates. The last one was 1.5 years ago. Dunno how much of a
security problem that is but I don't keep anything sensitive on it
anymore just to be safe...

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

AJL wrote:

I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse
to spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on
working...

I have no problem with reception, where my 2021 phone is both 5G &
5G. The 5 amp hour battery on my Galaxy A32-5G is similarly strong
as a horse.

The only possible problem with my S10+ being old is that there's no
more updates. The last one was 1.5 years ago. Dunno how much of a
security problem that is but I don't keep anything sensitive on it
anymore just to be safe...

I don't fully disagree with you as I'm in the same boat on my Galaxy.
It's an A32-5G that I got free (for the sales tax) in April of 2021.

It's on Android 13, where I don't know of anything in 16 that I need.
In Settings, my Android Security Patch Level is February 1st. 2025.

As I recall, it was born with Android 11 so that's 3 Android versions.
And we can infer that it got 4 years of full hotfix security updates.

Where I slightly disagree with what you said is that a lot of people are unaware that the core modules are updated forever (as far as we know).

That means every single Android 10 and up phone (which is billions) is
updated every month forever (as far as we're aware) on the Internet.

So we're still getting security updates but only to the core modules.
Of course, the apps are still getting security updates if set to auto.

Since the Apple trolls aren't on this group, I can safely say without a
flame war happening that this is an immense advantage over iOS updates.

When an iOS device reaches the end of support, it becomes toxic fast.
The only regular updates are those of the apps but not of the system.

It's ironic actually, that Android support is now better than Apple.
But back to the OP's initial question (which I'm not sure I understood).

As far as I know, any "modern" phone can handle 4G and many handle 5G.
All major US carriers offer both 4G and 5G service around the USA.

If the OP needs to know the signal strength, plenty of wi-fi debugging apps will show him his signal strength for his carrier (in dBm units).

IMHO, the OP should look for decibels above -120 (i.e., minus 100 is OK).
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 19 Oct 2025 19:45:09 -0000 (UTC), AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

On 10/19/25 11:52 AM, micky wrote:

I bought this device after calling Medical Guardian looking for a
device that would work well in a place with lots of 5G and little 4G
cell coverage. This device needs good 4G. But that?s not the most
troubling issue."

Huh. There are 100's of millions of 4g only phones. How can they cut
back on coverage. They don't expect us to buy phones like buying
gasoline, do they? Besides the money I don't need to hear anything when
I buy more gas.

Probably depends on your provider and its service specs in your area. I
don't have any problems in my area with my 5 year old Samsung S10+ 4G
phone. Apparently two choices for you: new phone or new carrier.

BTW I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse to
spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on working... :-/

I feel bad for your battery. It's doing its best in an unwanted home.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/20/2025 10:03 AM, Marion wrote:

AJL wrote:

The only possible problem with my S10+ being old is that there's no
more updates. The last one was 1.5 years ago. Dunno how much of a
security problem that is but I don't keep anything sensitive on it
anymore just to be safe...

I don't fully disagree with you as I'm in the same boat on my Galaxy.
It's an A32-5G that I got free (for the sales tax) in April of 2021.

My Galaxy S10+ was $699 US after the Verizon discount (list was $999) in September 2019. They had a 2 year no interest payment plan. There was no
lock but if I quit Verizon during that period I of course had to pay it off.

It's on Android 13, where I don't know of anything in 16 that I need.
In Settings, my Android Security Patch Level is February 1st. 2025.

My S10+ is now on Android 12.

As I recall, it was born with Android 11 so that's 3 Android
versions. And we can infer that it got 4 years of full hotfix
security updates.

I don't remember what OS version mine came with.

Where I slightly disagree with what you said is that a lot of people
are unaware that the core modules are updated forever (as far as we
know). That means every single Android 10 and up phone (which is
billions) is updated every month forever (as far as we're aware) on
the Internet. So we're still getting security updates but only to
the core modules.

So if you were me would you feel safe keeping your banking and
investment apps on my OS update abandoned phone?

Of course, the apps are still getting security updates if set to
auto.

Of course most all of my individual Android apps (Google, Kindle,
Facebook, and banking, etc.) are still getting their individual updates.

I've never heard of an Android banking or investment app being broken
into because the OS was out of date so perhaps I'm being overly
paranoid. On the other hand I don't really NEED to use those sensitive
apps on my phone when I'm out and since there's (safer?) up to date
devices to use at home that seems a better choice to me...

Speaking of paranoia all my "safe" devices were make in China, Korea,
Japan, etc. I've often wondered in the back of my mind if there were any
OS back doors... 8-O

As far as I know, any "modern" phone can handle 4G and many handle
5G. All major US carriers offer both 4G and 5G service around the
USA.

Probably depends on the area. My metro area (5th largest USA city) has
good 4G coverage everywhere I've needed it. But then again I can travel
for just an hour up into the mountains and lose the signal...

If the OP needs to know the signal strength, plenty of wi-fi
debugging apps will show him his signal strength for his carrier (in
dBm units). IMHO, the OP should look for decibels above -120 (i.e.,
minus 100 is OK).

Hopefully micky will check back with his results...


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/20/2025 11:58 AM, micky wrote:

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse
to spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on
working... :-/

I feel bad for your battery. It's doing its best in an unwanted
home.

Yup. I've often wished the battery would just catch a TERMINAL disease.
But if it didn't I could just outright SHOCK it until it was DEAD. But
then I would be arrested and charged with assault and BATTERY and they
would put me in a CELL. And my picture would be put in the paper the
next day under CURRENT affairs...


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:23:08 -0700, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

On 10/20/2025 11:58 AM, micky wrote:

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

I'm just waiting for my battery to go bad so that I have an excuse
to spend the bucks for a new phone but the damn thing just keeps on
working... :-/

I feel bad for your battery. It's doing its best in an unwanted
home.

Yup. I've often wished the battery would just catch a TERMINAL disease.
But if it didn't I could just outright SHOCK it until it was DEAD. But
then I would be arrested and charged with assault and BATTERY and they
would put me in a CELL. And my picture would be put in the paper the
next day under CURRENT affairs...

And you'd deserve it to. Fratricide, matricide, battricide are terrible crimes.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:02:39 -0700, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

Of course most all of my individual Android apps (Google, Kindle,
Facebook, and banking, etc.) are still getting their individual updates.

I've never heard of an Android banking or investment app being broken
into because the OS was out of date so perhaps I'm being overly
paranoid. On the other hand I don't really NEED to use those sensitive
apps on my phone when I'm out and since there's (safer?) up to date
devices to use at home that seems a better choice to me...

I can only quote Katrina, and she's talking about Windows, not Android,
but she says she's never heard of a malware breach because the operating
system was old. Because they didn't keep their antivirus updated, for
that, Yes, but the OS, no. She works full time in the business, and has
the best debugging skills I"ve seen.

But what if you loose your phone. The finder can't break in?

Speaking of paranoia all my "safe" devices were make in China, Korea,
Japan, etc. I've often wondered in the back of my mind if there were any
OS back doors... 8-O

As far as I know, any "modern" phone can handle 4G and many handle
5G. All major US carriers offer both 4G and 5G service around the
USA.

Probably depends on the area. My metro area (5th largest USA city) has
good 4G coverage everywhere I've needed it. But then again I can travel
for just an hour up into the mountains and lose the signal...

If the OP needs to know the signal strength, plenty of wi-fi
debugging apps will show him his signal strength for his carrier (in
dBm units). IMHO, the OP should look for decibels above -120 (i.e.,
minus 100 is OK).

Hopefully micky will check back with his results...

In this case it wasn't a friend, just a comment I read somewhere. So
there can be no more data in the future.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/20/2025 12:55 PM, micky wrote:

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

I've never heard of an Android banking or investment app being
broken into because the OS was out of date so perhaps I'm being
overly paranoid.

I can only quote Katrina, and she's talking about Windows, not
Android, but she says she's never heard of a malware breach because
the operating system was old. Because they didn't keep their
antivirus updated, for that, Yes, but the OS, no. She works full
time in the business, and has the best debugging skills I've seen.

This Windows 11 laptop I'm posting with seems to get several updates
every week. But my Galaxy S10+ phone says it hasn't had an update in
over a year. So I think even Katrina might be worried about my phone...

But what if you lose your phone. The finder can't break in?

It would take a 7 digit pin to enter my phone and if I had my bank and investment apps on the phone, another 11 character password to enter
each of them. I doubt the finder/thief could solve that. But I would
still change all the passwords when I got home.

Likewise I would change my Google password and remove the phone from my
Google device list which would remove my account from the no password
needed Google apps on the phone...


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

AJL wrote:

Where I slightly disagree with what you said is that a lot of people
are unaware that the core modules are updated forever (as far as we
know). That means every single Android 10 and up phone (which is
billions) is updated every month forever (as far as we're aware) on
the Internet. So we're still getting security updates but only to
the core modules.

So if you were me would you feel safe keeping your banking and
investment apps on my OS update abandoned phone?

That's hard to answer "for you" but if you asked "me" what I would do with
my phone, I have no worries whatsoever on the update status of mine.

My phone is reasonably well protected from malware & attacks already.
So I "feel safe" (for a wide variety of prospective threats).

Remember, not only do you get monthly updates forever, but Google runs a malware scan every day on your phone and upon every app installation.

Of course, the apps are still getting security updates if set to
auto.

Of course most all of my individual Android apps (Google, Kindle,
Facebook, and banking, etc.) are still getting their individual updates.

I've never heard of an Android banking or investment app being broken
into because the OS was out of date so perhaps I'm being overly
paranoid. On the other hand I don't really NEED to use those sensitive
apps on my phone when I'm out and since there's (safer?) up to date
devices to use at home that seems a better choice to me...

Speaking of paranoia all my "safe" devices were make in China, Korea,
Japan, etc. I've often wondered in the back of my mind if there were any
OS back doors... 8-O

Nobody whispers in my ear anymore (my TSI/SCI security clearance has long
ago expired) but I assume there are plenty of inadvertent back doors.

As far as I know, any "modern" phone can handle 4G and many handle
5G. All major US carriers offer both 4G and 5G service around the
USA.

Probably depends on the area. My metro area (5th largest USA city) has
good 4G coverage everywhere I've needed it. But then again I can travel
for just an hour up into the mountains and lose the signal...

Yup. Here we have FCC (calculated) coverage maps which are a bit optimistic (as they're based on data supplied by the carriers) but they're useful.

If the OP needs to know the signal strength, plenty of wi-fi
debugging apps will show him his signal strength for his carrier (in
dBm units). IMHO, the OP should look for decibels above -120 (i.e.,
minus 100 is OK).

Hopefully micky will check back with his results...

He did respond, but I don't understand a word he said. Do you?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/20/2025 3:55 PM, Marion wrote:

AJL wrote:

So if you were me would you feel safe keeping your banking and
investment apps on my OS update abandoned phone?

That's hard to answer "for you" but if you asked "me" what I would do with
my phone, I have no worries whatsoever on the update status of mine.

My phone is reasonably well protected from malware & attacks already.
So I "feel safe" (for a wide variety of prospective threats).

Remember, not only do you get monthly updates forever, but Google runs a malware scan every day on your phone and upon every app installation.

Here is what the Google AI thinks:

The Galaxy S10 is not considered safe to use as a primary phone because Samsung officially ended its software and security updates in 2023. This leaves it vulnerable to new security threats and means it won't receive crucial patches, and some newer apps may not be compatible.

Risks and reasons why it's not recommended:
Security vulnerabilities: Without regular security updates, the S10 is susceptible to new malware and hacking threats that are discovered over
time.

Outdated software:
The last official Android version for the S10 is Android 12. Newer
operating system features and improvements are unavailable, and some
modern apps may not function correctly or at all.

No manufacturer support:
Samsung has fulfilled its software update commitments for the S10 series
and no longer provides security patches for these devices.

If you must use it:
For low-risk use only: It may still be functional for basic tasks that
don't involve sensitive data, but this is not recommended for critical use.

Use a mobile antivirus app:
Some users suggest installing an antivirus app to mitigate risks, but
this is not a replacement for official security updates.

Consider a custom ROM:
While installing a custom ROM can provide newer Android versions, this
comes with its own security risks as these builds are not officially vetted.

Upgrade to a newer phone:
The safest and most practical option is to upgrade to a phone that still receives regular security and software updates.

Hopefully micky will check back with his results...

He did respond, but I don't understand a word he said. Do you?

Nope...

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

AJL wrote:

The safest and most practical option is to upgrade to a phone that still receives regular security and software updates.

Well, if that were the case, I wouldn't still be on Windows 10. :)
It's easy to say to buy the latest phone but harder to actually do it.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry. But that's me.
I've done what I could for safety, and my 2021 phone is working just fine.

Besides, I have severe health issues so I have much worse things to worry
about (as I'm in an HBOT chamber for 40 times in a row for example).
<https://i.postimg.cc/Lsjs3tj8/hyperbaric01.jpg> hyperbaric oxygen chamber

The good news is the "flagship" Samsung & Google phones are supported for 7 years now, which is two years more than that "other" brand supports them.

At least in writing it is.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 10/20/2025 6:51 PM, Marion wrote:

AJL wrote:

The safest and most practical option is to upgrade to a phone that
still receives regular security and software updates.

Well, if that were the case, I wouldn't still be on Windows 10. :)
It's easy to say to buy the latest phone but harder to actually do
it.

I just don't like taking chances with apps that possibly could be fooled
into transferring out thousands of bucks to the other side of the world.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry. But that's me.

I don't worry cause my sensitive apps now stay on my safe devices.

I've done what I could for safety, and my 2021 phone is working just
fine.

My 2019 phone still works fine also, damn it. Just kidding. I actually
kinda still like it since I can work it. The new ones are way
more (scary) complicated...

Besides, I have severe health issues so I have much worse things to
worry about (as I'm in an HBOT chamber for 40 times in a row for
example). <https://i.postimg.cc/Lsjs3tj8/hyperbaric01.jpg>
hyperbaric oxygen chamber

Sorry to hear that. That's quite a machine. I've been through a few
radioactive tests in bug tubes but nothing like that (yet, crosses fingers).

The good news is the "flagship" Samsung & Google phones are
supported for 7 years now, which is two years more than that "other"
brand supports them.

When finally required I'll likely get a new phone from my local Verizon
store again since it's so easy (just walk in and walk out 30 minutes
later with the new toy, all apps transferred and set up). I'm fortunate
in that I'm fixed well enough that I don't have to worry about price. I
just point at the one I want... ;)

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2