Stupid Phones

Samsung Galaxy Smartphone

I have a Samsung Galaxy I got from Tracfone a couple of months ago and it has been pretty reliable, but now it has developed some problems.

Problem #1: Right around Christmas I needed to make a run to the airport, so I asked Google Maps to give me a route. Always before it responded almost immediately. This time I got bupkis. I waited for several minutes, and then tried again. Never got any response. I just tried it and this time I got a response in seconds.

Problem #2: Voice to text doesn't work any more. Used to work very well and I used it for everything, well anyplace it was available. But then I tried to turn off the verbal announcements ("Here's what I found") and now the voice to text doesn't work anymore. I've been in settings and have tried turning several things on and off, but it hasn't helped. Voice to text still doesn't work.

Problem #3: Can't upload my photos to Google Photos anymore. Actually, they do get uploaded, it just takes days.

Problem #4: Can't send or receive photos using the messaging App.

Are Android phones junk and can't be trusted to do their job? Are Google and Tracfone having some kind of tiff? Are Apple phones any better? Or are all smart phones like this? Is the reason people spend so much time staring at their phones that they are trying to get the stupid things to work properly?

P.S. I might have an answer to #4. Dennis tells me that Apple uses their own messaging system. It apparently works very well inside the Apple universe but not outside. Messages from his family, who all use Apple phones, sometimes take a day to reach him. Apparently, if you are not drinking Apple flavored Kool-Aid, Apple just doesn't care.

Update February 2020 figured out what the problem was.