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I have always been an advocate of smartphone purist software for Android; all other things being equal, I very much prefer stock Android to the numerous custom Android skins cooked by different smartphone brands. And I have embraced iOS too, which means iPhones, as Apple is the only brand that uses iOS. That means that my top preferences when it comes to smartphones are Apple iPhones and Google Pixels. HMD Global’s Android-powered Nokia phones run pure Android too, and so qualify. But for reasons I will state, they are not so attractive right now, especially the higher you go.
I have used Samsung Galaxy phones and their One UI interface, Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI, Huawei with EMUI, TECNO with HiOS, Infinix with XOS, OnePlus with OxygenOS, among others. Some of these custom user interfaces are good, and some annoy the heck out of me. But none of them matches the simplicity and beauty of stock Android, in my opinion. Android 12 is especially groundbreaking and beautiful to use.
By definition, I use the phrase smartphone purist software to refer to stock or pure mobile operating systems without a second layer of customisation imposed and without bloatware. Stock Android belongs in this group, and iOS belongs as well. Because there is no second layer of customisations for the device to push, cellphones with purist software tend to be able to squeeze out good performance without requiring cutting edge specs.
This is partly why an iPhone 13 Pro Max, for example, has only 6 GB of RAM, yet delivers better performance than a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with twice that amount of RAM. Of course, the processor is a factor in this too, as are the operating systems in use, too. But you get the picture. As a rule, iOS requires less system resources to run smoothly than Android OS does. But back to the subject of smartphone purist software, the lack of bloatware and of a custom layer are the key attractions for me. Speedy software updates is another. I am an advocate of timely software updates.
iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pixel 6 Pro run smartphone purist software
Smartphone purist software and Nokia
I did say that Pixels and iPhones are the most attractive smartphones for me right now. Nokia smartphones used to be too. They run stock Android software, after all. That’s purist software. But certain developments from HMD’s product team has left someone like me out in the cold. First, software updates to Nokia smartphones have not been as fast as it should be, and a brand like Samsung is doing it much faster, despite their One UI custom interface. As a matter of fact, Samsung has been impressive in that area. Not only have the updates been fast, the Korean company is rolling them out for more years than any other Android brand is.
Second, HMD Global has been rolling out mid-range Nokia smartphones with chipsets and processors that are not competitive when you look at other brands. Google has been guilty of this too with a few models, but Nokia has taken it to new heights. An underpowered smartphone is just not attractive. Sadly, but understandably, HMD Global has said they are not interested in producing a premium flagship till further notice. I’m cool with that. TECNO, Infinix, and itel phones are selling like hot cakes without premium flagships (yes; TECNO is exploring the premium flagship territory now with the Phantom brand).
But HMD Global is missing that without a premium flagship on offer, they need to offer a compelling model in the upper mid-range. Not a smartphone with a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset. Put in at least a 750G chip and provide at least 33W fast charging instead of the uninspiring 18W charging we see. Come on, guys! Give us exciting phones .
Anyway, the above disappointments with Nokia’s upper mid-range smartphones is why the brand is no longer on my list of go-to brands for smartphone purist software. Till further notice, all other things being equal (and sometimes they are not), I will choose an Apple iPhone or a Google Pixel over any other smartphone out there. Google needs to work on that overheating issue that plagues many of their Pixel models though.
Nokia moves away from purist software to Pure UI
In March 2023, HMD Global announced a new custom user interface for Nokia products (including their smartphones). Called Pure UI , it was a shift away from pure Android for the Finnish brand. As it is, the only big brands left standing with purist software are Apple iPhone and Google Pixel.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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Ting Wireless launched in 2012 and it has grown so much throughout the years. Ting cell phone service offers pay-as-you-go, month by month rate service with no contract or start-up fees, prepaid plans, or strings attached. Ting also extends some of these offers to businesses, Customers also get to choose between its CDMA and GSM networks based on the best network coverage in their area.
Ting is a US-based Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). In simple English, they resell the services of one or more major carriers. What network does Ting Cell Phone Service use? The company resells services from both T-Mobile (GSM) and Verizon (CDMA).
Ting Cell Phone Service Reviews on Best Company Website
The Best Company site had an overall star review rating of 3.6 out of five stars. Let’s begin with the good reviews, a lot of customers gushed over the affordable prices and flexible data plans from Ting Cell Phone Service. Customers were also happy with the Company’s customer agents. Some described the customer service as ‘ extremely polite and knowledgeable’, ‘efficient’. I would like to mention that a lot of the good reviews are from years back. Here’s some of reviews:
•Ting is fantastic for anyone who talks, texts and occasionally uses some data. Even better for multiple lines for people like that. Their pricing is the simplest I’ve ever seen, and usage across all lines goes into common bins. Customer service is located in the midwest and has always been prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable . Been a customer for four years, four lines, a bunch of phone switches and never a bad experience. Runs on Sprint and Tmobile, so check their coverage for an idea of how well it will work for you.
•I really like their flexible plans you can set up from online. They also will text me to let me know if I have gone over any of my limits, and then just charge me for the next bracket up. They give coverage through Sprints network. It works great in the Mountain West, but I don’t get any coverage in Alaska.
Now onto the bad reviews, some customers complained about frequent dropped calls and the broadcast service reach being low. There were also complaints about the coverage in some areas and their services being poor. A customer wrote about how he/she bought an iPhone 11 from Ting but he never received the package and when he called, the customer service agents kept giving excuses and did not properly investigate the matter. There were also a few complaints about some call forwarding issues, poor signal and delayed text message. Here’s a review:
•I financed an iPhone 11 through Ting using Affirm and the package never arrived. It was supposed to come through Fedex and I’m guessing it was stolen. $750 value and ting nor fedex did a good job at investigating the situation. I received mixed answers that the package was signed for (fake signature) and that it was left at the front door with a door tag. I would not recommend this company to ANYONE.
•Awful coverage. Don’t even waste your time. I’ve had Ting for 6 months. Things were fine until the last two months when I could not send pictures via mms. Now I’m trying to Port out my number and ting is saying I can’t because they are having technical errors. So even though I want a new service I’m still stuck with them until they fix the issue! Very very aggravated. Have had lots of “technical issues” with them.
(Source)
Ting Cell Phone Service reviews on Trustpilot website
The Trustpilot site had an overall star review rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. A lot of customers praised Ting’s good coverage and their good services. A lot of customers were also happy about how affordable Ting is and claimed that Ting came through with their promotions. Their customer service was also a major topic in the reviews. A lot of customers described their customer service as friendly and courteous. A customer also spoke about the Company’s phone selection and how fairly priced they are. Here are a few of the reviews:
•I have been a Ting customer for more than seven years and I have no complaints so far. The pricing is excellent, customer service is friendly and courteous and the phone selection is good and fairly priced. Perhaps a bit more coverage on some areas while I travel but at home works as expected.
•I have had Ting service for almost 4 years now. The service is reliable and I never have any trouble with it. But the best thing about Ting is the customer service. Ting’s customer service workers have been some of the most patient, most helpful people. I never have to wait on hold long to speak to someone and my issue is always resolved.
Moving onto the bad reviews, there were a lot of complaints about poor service and poor signals. Some customers weren’t too happy because they couldn’t hear people’s voices on calls and some billing issues . Customers also complained about voicemail, some of them could not connect to voicemail and their WI-FI takes time to activate. A customer also complained that the SIM card he bought from Ting didn’t work on his daughter’s phone. Here’s some of the reviews.
•My phone only works for scammers and telemarketers. Whenever family members call me, they can’t connect. When I try to call them, I can’t connect either. It doesn’t matter what state they’re in. I have a signal, I have wifi calling, and I’ve tried all of the normal fixes. I’ve had this same problem in the past while I was on call for work and missed calls. I hate paying for services that mostly benefit people trying to rip me off.
•Their SIM Card never worked right in my daughter’s phone despite several attempts to resolve the issue. I cancelled the service, and confirmed with them I wouldn’t be billed further, but they continued billing me after the service was cancelled, and refused to refund the difference.For the record,it was YOUR customer service that refused to refund me, and it was YOUR customer service that insisted the phone was compatible.
(Source)
Last Words
After reading through a lot of reviews on different sites, it seems like Ting Cell Phone Service has potential and would be so much better if they fixed a few issues and made some improvements.
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Author:Dun
Dun enjoys reading and writing, and is always on her smartphone. She currently uses a Google Pixel 3.
