They were a good indicator for notifications that are missed when you were away from phone.

  • @vestigial@vlemmy.net
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    1651 year ago

    Their absence encourages you to check your phone more often, which means you’ll unlock it and look at some content more often, which means as revenue for someone.

    • @orion2145@lemmy.world
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      511 year ago

      Being honest I think the opposite of this is more likely true. Seeing a flashing indicator for all the notifications my phone “thinks” are important is going to make me more likely to constantly check my phone. Barring that I check when I want to. And with the new passive display modes I can glance and decide whether to even unlock or not.

      • @why_rob_y@lemmy.world
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        111 year ago

        passive display

        This is the real answer for OP. Those lights were replaced. Maybe OP (and maybe me as well, I haven’t really thought about it) would prefer to still have the notification LED, but to the hardware manufacturers they replaced those with something “cooler”.

    • HeartyBeast
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      241 year ago

      It’s a nice conspiracy theory. But unlikely. Who gets the additional review?

    • @CanadaPlus
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      161 year ago

      For some random hardware producer I don’t see how that would be favourable.

    • Onii-Chan
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      1 year ago

      Genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if this was the truth. The tactics these companies employ are both putridly-covert, yet brilliantly executed - especially so if it also saves a few cents.

    • masterspace
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      51 year ago

      In Apple’s case it’s a subtle encouragement to buy their watch.

  • @vaargk@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Higher end Smartphones have anyway always on displays. And the led needs screenspace - which should be maximized. That’s why the notch on phones etc. was introduced.

  • @tibi@lemmy.world
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    731 year ago

    I also love notification LEDs.

    I’m pretty sure the main reason for them disappearing is the displays extending all the way to to edge. There isn’t any room left where to place it.

    Also, on phones with always-on display, you can use the display to show notifications, the led is redundant.

    But still, I find them really useful and am sad to see them being phased out.

  • @JohnOnABuffalo@sh.itjust.works
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    541 year ago

    Sony Xperia user here, I recommend your Next phone should be a Sony. Not only does it still have notification LEDs, it also has an SD card slot and a headphone jack…and a 5500mah battery. Will never go back to Samsung again

    • @sharpfork@lemmy.world
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      161 year ago

      How long does Sony support their hardware with OS updates? Do they lock down the ability to run custom roms?

      I left Samsung because their flagship phones lost support after a couple of years and they made it harder and harder to load custom ROMs.

      I move to apple mostly because it is the easiest to support my kids on and they support the phones for what seems like forever, making my hand me down phones much more valuable for much longer. I’d consider jumping back to android if I could expect a phone to be useful and up to date for 4ish years.

      • Rhynoplaz
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        71 year ago

        I’m still rocking my Pixel 3 with no complaints! I dumped Samsung once the Pixels came out. So much less bullshit preloaded into it.

      • @Rin@lemm.ee
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        21 year ago

        My 1 Xperia IV has an unlocked bootloader, headphone jack and is water proof. Don’t know how long they will support this phone but I still get updates.

        • kamen
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          21 year ago

          Have you had an instance where you have to relock the bootloader and return the phone to factory state for an RMA? If yes, how did it go?

    • @crazycanadianloon@lemmy.world
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      11 year ago

      Oh gawd, this takes me back to the cute little X10 Mini Pro I had. Such a handy little device for the time, had a slide out keyboard. I miss those.

  • @michikade@lemm.ee
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    501 year ago

    I gotta say, sometimes I miss my fully customized LED on my blackberry back in the day. It could be in the bottom of a gym bag and I’d still know if I missed a Google Talk message (green) or a Facebook alert (dark blue) or an email (light blue), etc etc etc.

      • @caut_R@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Did it go through multiple colors when you had notifications from different apps at the same time?

      • @theo@lemmy.world
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        31 year ago

        I had a cool LED on my old Sony which pulsed to the beat of music playing. It also covered the whole of the bottom of the phone and also showed when the phone was upside down. It was well cool.

    • DuckGuy
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      61 year ago

      I don’t understand how Blackberry managed to drive itself into the ground like it did. I need a modern BB 9900 ASAP.

  • @PlushySD@lemmy.world
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    321 year ago

    Off topic a little but I stop most of my messaging app to notify me. And my life is so much more peaceful. I told everyone when they connect with me on any messaging app that it’ll take time for me to answer. I’ll read it when I remember to read it, which I do like once or twice a day. They adapt to that and if it’s really important they’ll call.

    • @Rocinante@lemmy.one
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      31 year ago

      It doesn’t illuminate the same though ☹️ . Have a new phone with no LED and an old OnePlus phone I use as a back up with a dedicated LED.

  • @jim@lemmus.org
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    171 year ago

    iPhone = Settings / Accessibility / Audio Visual “LED Flash for Alerts” (at the bottom)

  • @irkli@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Packaging design, cost, manufacturing complexity, reliability. LEDs require a breach on the case for the lens. This requires a couple components plus sealing plus testing. Affects IP seal rating.

    Every physical breach of the case is a reliability, sealing, dust, water, etc issue. Those are the things they fail on phones, after screens and batteries.

    The PCB now has LEDs on the edge thdr need special assembly care like the three buttons do.

    Most people put protective cases on phones so edges aren’t available.

    The top is all screen. The bottom sees the desk/table.

    Haptics, screen, vibration do so much the loss of the LEDs is pretty minimal.

    Don’t be surprised if the power and up/down buttons go away sometime soon.

    Headphone jacks are a huge problem as is USB and speakers.

    • @RagingNerdoholic@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      I hate that everything useful is being thrown out the window for “water proofing.” Fuck that, people need to quit being so lazy and careless with their shit.

      And I’m calling bullshit on the dust thing. I’m not saying it’s a negligible consideration, but it’s not something they need to start gelding features for. That’s just a horseshit excuse to effectuate planned obsolescence and sell you overpriced accessories.

      I still use an 8 year old phone with a tool-free replaceable battery, headphone jack, and microSD slot. I live in the country, there’s dust everywhere and it would be dead by now if dust was such a problem.

      • @Ozymati@lemmy.nz
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        81 year ago

        Look I live in a place where we get sideways torrential rain. Often. I need my phone to be waterproof enough to survive my commute to work on a bad day

      • @irkli@lemmy.world
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        51 year ago

        I’m not necessarily agreeing with all what I wrote. It’s just that I’m familiar with product dev and manufacturing issues.

        I like physical controls. I’m not so happy with everything on the screen even recognizing the advantages.

    • @paultimate14@lemmy.world
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      91 year ago

      This defense of feature removal always conveniently ignores the phones that manage to accomplish fantastic ingress ratings even with headphone jacks, SD cards, etc.

      It’s not because of water/dust. It’s purely cost cutting.

      • @irkli@lemmy.world
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        11 year ago

        Yup cost is probably the single highest priority. But it is also true those are the things that fail most often. It is certainly true that they could be made reliable but it would cost more. And most people most of the time buy things that are “cheaper”. So basically we’re fucked.

    • @PastaGorgonzola@lemmy.world
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      21 year ago

      I’m not convinced by this argument: at the back of the phone is a built-in LED (used as the flash). Which could be used for notifications too.
      Phones with OLED screens could use part of the screen as a notification as well. Both of these can be accomplished in software. Currently you have to notice that something happens as it happens, otherwise you need to at leas activate the screen. The notification LED was useful in that you could glance at your phone and see if you missed something.

      • @Schart@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I use an app on my Pixel 7 that uses a small portion of the OLED around the front facing camera cutout to generate custom colored notifications. This is similar to how dynamic island on IOS works and since I do not use the always on display it mimics an LED light for my notification needs.

      • BarqsHasBite
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        1 year ago

        On the front though?

        *Huh mine does, I never use the selfie camera. Anyone else seeing spots?

        • Rouxibeau
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          111 year ago

          One of my old LGs would flash an LED based on conditions and I could include the camera flash as an option. I assume he is implying that since every phone with a camera has a flash, that it could be strobed.

          • @ZERO16LIVES@vlemmy.net
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            41 year ago

            My phone (galaxy z fold 4) has this feature built in, it’s under accessibility. I believe iphones can do it too.

            • jBlight
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              11 year ago

              For the fold 4, do you know if there is there a way to customize a color for each specific app?

  • Jannis
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    91 year ago

    The whole front of modern phone is a display, there’s simply no space for a notification LED.

  • Ja'Crispy
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    81 year ago

    I forgot all about notification LEDs when I got a smartwatch

    • @SkyerixBOI@lemmy.world
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      21 year ago

      This. I was surprised when I moved to using a fitbit (got one for super cheap) and even that was able to show me my notifications from my phone. I also recently changed my phone to a z flip 4 which has a screen when its closed that shows me my notifs.

      Gotta admit, I spend a lot less time on my phone when I can tell what notifications are important without opening or looking at my phone.