Database Users

"news hot off the press" Samsung holding back on new stocks

According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
ETA for new stocks are between Aug/Sep; which will most likely have a new firmware fix for those issues, which coincidentally it's about the same time they have planned to release Froyo too
Currently Samsung is only delivering to major cellphone carriers, independent cell phone vendors are on back order because of those issues.
Well there you go people, at least it's good to know that Samsung has actually admitted to the problems, and are fixing it before new stocks are released.

I really hope the issue is not with the hardware in the current units!

ed10000 said:
I really hope the issue is not with the hardware in the current units!
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If it is, they are going to get a flood of returns!

It would be nicer if they would say that it is a hardware problem, to exchange our phones with the new ones that don`t have any problems

if what you guys are saying is true, then i don't think Samsung will be selling the phones to AT&T, Bell, T-mobile, Orange and all those big guys carriers.
the only logical reason they continue to deliver it out to the big buys, and not the small ones, is because they know the big cell providers can deliver new firmwares OTA, but small vendors do not have such services, to prevent having a mix of good vs bad phones out in the market.

AllGamer said:
According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
ETA for new stocks are between Aug/Sep; which will most likely have a new firmware fix for those issues, which coincidentally it's about the same time they have planned to release Froyo too
Currently Samsung is only delivering to major cellphone carriers, independent cell phone vendors are on back order because of those issues.
Well there you go people, at least it's good to know that Samsung has actually admitted to the problems, and are fixing it before new stocks are released.
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Click to collapse
Would be worth contacting a vendor like clove to see if this is true or not. I am sceptical, heard too many rumors and never anything directly from samsung about these gps issues etc .
I hope it is just a firmware issue and they aren't making changes to the hardware.. Someone will have to do a teardown and closely examine the chips but then.. how do you know if you have a "new" one or not..

padlad said:
If it is, they are going to get a flood of returns!
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Click to collapse
But that's only if they publicly admit that there's a hardware flaw
azreil24 said:
It would be nicer if they would say that it is a hardware problem, to exchange our phones with the new ones that don`t have any problems
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Click to collapse
I really hope it's just a software issue. I don't wanna spend weeks with no good phone in my hand while my SGS is sent for replacement

Kilack said:
Someone will have to do a teardown and closely examine the chips but then.. how do you know if you have a "new" one or not..
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Click to collapse
firmware release version/date

so if it does turn out to be a hardware issue, then they cant not swap the phone over, that would be like comiting commercal suicide, as how many people in all honesty would want to keep there phone knowing full well ther is an issue that affects it and the main company refuse to do anything about it to existing owners, i for one would send it back to them in pieces in a box with i nice note telling them to go f*** themselves.
i actually did this to nokia once with a 8110 i was having issuse with (nokia had a offices in swindon at the time), and got a new one sent back, ok so it was the jap version they sent me but hell it was way better with its blue leds instead of green.
and no im not saying you all should do this, but im sure if everyone sent there phones back on mass.

i get a upgrade on the 13th and im gonna get a sgs would u guy say to wait a while than? cause i cant wait any long as im sooo excited

ghosty_uk said:
so if it does turn out to be a hardware issue, then they cant not swap the phone over, that would be like comiting commercal suicide, as how many people in all honesty would want to keep there phone knowing full well ther is an issue that affects it and the main company refuse to do anything about it to existing owners, i for one would send it back to them in pieces in a box with i nice note telling them to go f*** themselves.
i actually did this to nokia once with a 8110 i was having issuse with (nokia had a offices in swindon at the time), and got a new one sent back, ok so it was the jap version they sent me but hell it was way better with its blue leds instead of green.
and no im not saying you all should do this, but im sure if everyone sent there phones back on mass.
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You must be under a 1 year warranty at least anyway?

I sent an email to clove asking if they are able to get hold of more units or if samsung are not shipping anymore.

AllGamer said:
According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
ETA for new stocks are between Aug/Sep; which will most likely have a new firmware fix for those issues, which coincidentally it's about the same time they have planned to release Froyo too
Currently Samsung is only delivering to major cellphone carriers, independent cell phone vendors are on back order because of those issues.
Well there you go people, at least it's good to know that Samsung has actually admitted to the problems, and are fixing it before new stocks are released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't sound like Samsung has admitted anything if you can't even provide a source...

This reminds me a post from a Korean website that I saw few days ago.
There was a guy who represented himself as an employee working for
the company that makes system mainboard for Galaxy S, and he claimed
that there was a request from Samsung Electronics to make some change
in their product. I'm not sure if this guy is telling the true story or not, but
it might explain the shortage of new products....?

AllGamer said:
According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
ETA for new stocks are between Aug/Sep
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Click to collapse
From a logistical point of view this makes no sense at all if the issue can be fixed by firmware/sw. If it can, delaying it would be useful but would probably be negative considering the lost sales due to no stock at stores.
Nah. Either this is FUD or - if true - means that the problem lies in the hardware implementation and a new board revision will start shipping soon. That is the only way that delaying production would make sense.
I can see the silver lining in this tho... with all the mess about the GPS and lag I have not bought my SGS so I still have the money. Ah. Take that Korea!

AllGamer said:
According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All without acknowledging whether the source is credible or not. It's possibly a mobile phone salesperson (I've seen salespeople say all sorts of dumb things because they were running out of stock). In fact, when I purchased my digital camera, I was told by the store they were the last store left with any, so wouldn't match prices with other stores. Well, I thought they were jokes, so walked 500 meters to another store and they did. And then the store near them did as well.
Unfortunately, we can only take this with a grain of salt..

AllGamer said:
According to a source of mine, new stocks for SGS i9000 8GB/16GB are in low supply because Samsung has acknowledge the GPS problem and lag issues people have been complaining about.
ETA for new stocks are between Aug/Sep; which will most likely have a new firmware fix for those issues, which coincidentally it's about the same time they have planned to release Froyo too
Currently Samsung is only delivering to major cellphone carriers, independent cell phone vendors are on back order because of those issues.
Well there you go people, at least it's good to know that Samsung has actually admitted to the problems, and are fixing it before new stocks are released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link to the source

Well, i dont want to disappoint you guys, but since there are people out there saying that their GPS is working fine on their devices, myself included, I think that your problem is hardware-wise.
I have "flashed" my SGS GT-i9000 3 times with:
i9000XXJF3
i9000XWJM2
i9000XWJG5
and my GPS (using NAVIGON) was working flawlessly, getting a stable fix after max 2 minutes, while ALL data connections are disabled (wifi, network data, etc).
I even compared it with my brother's HTC Legend. Both phones got stable fix almost at the same time right after a cold start. Test was done using "GPS status" on both phones.
I am guessing that 99.9% it is a hardware problem. I hope (for your own good) not to be the case.

dragunov said:
Well, i dont want to disappoint you guys, but since there are people out there saying that their GPS is working fine on their devices, myself included, I think that your problem is hardware-wise.
I have "flashed" my SGS GT-i9000 3 times with:
i9000XXJF3
i9000XWJM2
i9000XWJG5
and my GPS (using NAVIGON) was working flawlessly, getting a stable fix after max 2 minutes, while ALL data connections are disabled (wifi, network data, etc).
I even compared it with my brother's HTC Legend. Both phones got stable fix almost at the same time right after a cold start. Test was done using "GPS status" on both phones.
I am guessing that 99.9% it is a hardware problem. I hope (for your own good) not to be the case.
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Click to collapse
You should be hoping it isn't also as many people had the gps working fine then weeks later it went sour but anyway isnt that what warranties are for and consumer laws?

it's not always enough to just offer replacement.
I, for example, ordered my device from the UK, but i live far ways from there.
In case of a needed replacement, i will have to send it to the uk, wait for a new one to be sent here, and pay customs again.
That's a LOT of money.

3G upload cap fix to be rolled out this week!

Taken from the official Sprint thread here:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/43883?start=540&tstart=0&reqsorting=dec
"Good news - an update will be released tomorrow 9/30. It will be rolled out over a 4 day period so not everyone will get it on day 1.
I will have the standard MR information (fixes included, rollout schedule, etc) available tomorrow morning and will post it in a new featured thread."
AWESOME!

yea, the day after the 30 days is up for people that bought on the first day, so not really that awesome, lets just pray it fixes the problem. I'm not really optomistic to be honest. Just to convenient to hold off like this.

Second update since release. I do have to admit, it's kind of nice to see Samsung actually supporting a phone for once.

This is great news! And we are getting Cyanogen Mod 6! I couldn't be happier. :-D

robl45 said:
yea, the day after the 30 days is up for people that bought on the first day, so not really that awesome, lets just pray it fixes the problem. I'm not really optomistic to be honest. Just to convenient to hold off like this.
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While I understand where you're coming from, I agree with styckx that it's just good to see them doing something about it. I do wish they'd acted on this more quickly, but better to roll out a fix now than wait months to release one or not release one at all.

It's crazy to hear people complain about updates from Samsung from my perspective. I'm a Touch pro 1 owner that basically received no updates from Sprint/HTC. And previous to that was the Mogul that went months without an advertised feature (Rev A/GPS). I'm way more wary about HTC than Samsung.
Epic ordered finally here. Was waiting for 10/1.

fooo1 said:
It's crazy to hear people complain about updates from Samsung from my perspective. I'm a Touch pro 1 owner that basically received no updates from Sprint/HTC. And previous to that was the Mogul that went months without an advertised feature (Rev A/GPS). I'm way more wary about HTC than Samsung.
Epic ordered finally here. Was waiting for 10/1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It stems from Samsung's history, mainly with the T-Mobile Behold 2. They advertised that it would be getting Android 2.x then never delivered on their promise and stranded users with 1.6. While HTC has probably been the best manufacturer in terms of supporting their Android phones.

I had a launch day Hero, and I don't think support was the fastest for that either. Most everything I did through XDA and androidforums.<---alot faster than waiting for the manufacturer/carrier to roll out and update.
Just my thoughts...
Chris

cswee1932 said:
I had a launch day Hero, and I don't think support was the fastest for that either. Most everything I did through XDA and androidforums.<---alot faster than waiting for the manufacturer/carrier to roll out and update.
Just my thoughts...
Chris
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Click to collapse
I've read a lot about Samsung after purchasing my Samsung Moment. I found they had a nice history of let downs and lack of support. Then the Moment went on and on without a mention of a fix, or patch, or anything. That was a complete lemon of a phone (data lock ups and unfixable GPS) that Samsung all but abandoned less than a year after launch and still to this day the Moment forums are mainly filled with people trying to fix data lock ups and the GPS. It's ashame really.
Epic was going to be my last run with Samsung, and despite some bumps in the road I've been pleased so far as they are at least taking initiative with this phone it seems. I personally think they have no choice. It's one thing to piss off 1 carriers customers, and another to piss off multiple carriers customers by not supporting a phone.
Hope the support continues.

so you guys are excited that they put out an update that fixed nothing and screwed up the phone? thats great, all it meant is I had to go and uninstall the mediahub crap so my battery life didn't suffer, the gps issue remains, the upload issue will likely remain after this update as well. so that really equates to them doing nothing in my eyes.

I've never experienced a upload cap on my phone. Does anyone know if this update includes other fixes other than just the 3g upload cap?

crajee16 said:
I've never experienced a upload cap on my phone. Does anyone know if this update includes other fixes other than just the 3g upload cap?
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Click to collapse
Have you ran the Speed Test app on 3G? I've yet to see anyone get over a stable 150kbps (sure it bounces upwards towards 200 on occasion but then levels out). From working in hosting it shows exact throttling behavior, as it uploads it jumps past the 150 mark to around 170-180 and then down to a stable 150 almost immediately. It's hard to believe this to be some sort of coincidence since it's able to be replicated in many different 3G markets across the country.

punzada said:
Have you ran the Speed Test app on 3G? I've yet to see anyone get over a stable 150kbps (sure it bounces upwards towards 200 on occasion but then levels out). From working in hosting it shows exact throttling behavior, as it uploads it jumps past the 150 mark to around 170-180 and then down to a stable 150 almost immediately. It's hard to believe this to be some sort of coincidence since it's able to be replicated in many different 3G markets across the country.
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Click to collapse
Lol, mine actually goes to like 6000+ for a little while, then dips down to under 50 kbps. Yes, under 50! I have some SpeedTest results that have come in under 20 kbps upload!
Even my 3G speed is horrible. Never over 500 download. I'm looking forward to this. Luckily I am usually either in a WiFi zone or a 4G zone.

punzada said:
From working in hosting it shows exact throttling behavior, as it uploads it jumps past the 150 mark to around 170-180 and then down to a stable 150 almost immediately.
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Click to collapse
It may seem to be throttling behavior. Ultimately though, those of us aware of how a data radio and associated software *actually works* know full well that it's because the dwarf hamsters spinning in their wheels are, in fact, unionized. Because of the upload tragedy of 2009, in which millions of poor hamsters perished on the Touch Pro 2 because of faulty speed governors installed in the cages, strict regulations were put in place for the Epic, dictating that no hamster may run unsupervised in their wheels, and that they must trade off shifts every 128kB with their spotting partners. It's this switching that causes the fluctuations you observe during the speedtest runs. You may have noticed a bit more heft in the Epic vs say, the Captivate. You might mistakenly believe it's the keyboard, when in fact it is the added weight of the supervisory hamsters.
Another shortfall in communications speed arises because Samsung, to save weight from the added hamsters, decided to use smoke signals as a databus between the CPU and the baseband processor. This was chosen over the "flashing mirrors" approach due to cost and weight issues. This compounds the upload cap problem because as the phone rests in your pocket, it accumulates moisture. The soot particles from the smoke then seed rainclouds, which can interrupt the dataflow between baseband and CPU as the receiver operators duck for cover at a nearby tavern.
So, you see, this is clearly a compound problem. Obviously, this week's update will include a staff of more hamsters, more wheels, and dehumidifiers, all so your phone can shuttle data more efficiently. This is a brilliant feat of engineering, I might add. So, expect your phone to weigh more by the end of the week, though how much more, nobody knows. And please, do post the truth about how the phone's internals really work, punzada... anything else would be a blatant disservice to the hard-working bit-crunchers in your phone.

^^ wat
Also from that thread:
Desi,
I'm on the phone right now with tier 2 support to try to find out what's in the update because this is my last day if I'm going to return the phone and I'm being told that they don't see anything about the battery life, GPS, or this data upload issue in this release.
I know you said that you're putting that information up tomorrow, but I have to make a decision today.
The tech is saying there is NO FIX FOR THE CAP ISSUE FROM SAMSUNG yet or anything to improve the battery.
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Desi's (admin) reply:
Joe,
The 3G upload issue is definitely in the release.
I doubt the GPS issue is since I just forwarded input from this forum over to engineering for further analysis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess we will have to see if it actually fixes anything. But it seems like tier 2 is at least finally aware of (or admitting to) the problem with the upload. Doesn't sound like there will be anything for the battery or GPS though.

GlassGorilla said:
I guess we will have to see if it actually fixes anything. But it seems like tier 2 is at least finally aware of (or admitting to) the problem with the upload. Doesn't sound like there will be anything for the battery or GPS though.
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Click to collapse
Battery and GPS are (for me, anyway) easy workarounds. 3G upload cap is what it is; there's no getting around it other than using wi-fi or 4G (which I can also usually do, but not everyone can).
I'll be happy to have that upload cap fixed if for no other reason than people will quit using it as an excuse to post "should I return my Epic for an Evo?" threads here and elsewhere.

My feeling is the amount of pressure on Sprint had an affect on how hard they pushed samsung.
That and the fact that until a few days ago users were being told for weeks running that no one but they were reporting the problem exacerbated the problem.
So it s a cause for celebration that they are pushing out a fix, but I don't think it is at all established that this would have occurred so soon if it where not for all the noise.
As far as GPS, not only are there problems, but the "advice" given by Sprint: use the unrelated "wireless networking" is an absolute laughable and patronizing dodge.
As others have noted, working around with cold starts or manual resets does fix the main issue.
I have been in contact with the moderator of eh Sprint forum privately some time ago, and he put me in with ADP (ADP, not ADS) on this issue. They are diagnosing it, and have not come to any conclusion other than they have seen the issue themselves.

aero1 said:
My feeling is the amount of pressure on Sprint had an affect on how hard they pushed samsung.
So it s a cause for celebration that they are pushing out a fix, but I don't think it is at all established that this would have occurred so soon if it where not for all the noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well. Apparently we have a voice, which is a good thing.
I'm hopeful, but I am not holding my breath. I think it is likely the vast majority of Epics were pre-ordered or bought on launch, 08/31. 30 days would be 09/30. The announcement could be an attempt to get people who bought on launch that were going to return it on the last day to keep their phones, and then when the update doesn't "may increase" or "possibly enhance" or whatever the legal gymnastics statement said, those people can't return the phone any more and Sprint isn't really under any obligation to fix it.
Whether it's an angleshoot or a genuine attempt to fix it, I am anxiously awaiting the first reports tomorrow.

GlassGorilla said:
I think it is likely the vast majority of Epics were pre-ordered or bought on launch, 08/31. 30 days would be 09/30. The announcement could be an attempt to get people who bought on launch that were going to return it on the last day to keep their phones, and then when the update doesn't "may increase" or "possibly enhance" or whatever the legal gymnastics statement said, those people can't return the phone any more and Sprint isn't really under any obligation to fix it. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint is serious exposed to class action liberality, which involves not just awards, but legal costs, and more importantly really bad press.
I have a written note from ecare from last week saying no one has reported this issue. Hundreds of users seem to have been told the same thing. Not that the speeds are normal, but that they were low speeds but unique to the customer. That presents a legal liability for Sprint right here.
I think we will all know in a few days.

You guys should probably take a chill pill on the conspiracy theories already. I'm sure it would cost Sprint much less money and hassle just to fix this software issue rather than go out of their way to "conveniently" tell you that there's a "fix" that doesn't really exist but they used their "legal gymnastics" to trick you into holding onto your phone past the 30 day mark. They are a company that wishes to exist more than 2 more years, why would they go out of their way to screw you and guarantee you leave in two years when a couple of patches could save them and Samsung a ton of customers?
Its not like fixing this issue requires the recall and replacement of every phone, and them fixing this problem is not an incredibly inconvenient issue. You know why they're telling you the day before your 30 days that the update is coming? Because telling you after you return the phone wouldn't do anyone much good. Why didn't they tell you sooner? Because these things, while not impossible or some ludicrous endeavor, do take time.
I'm not even meaning to take their side really. Sure, they should have caught the issue before launch, and they should have addressed the issue in public... but if you're only gonna sign onto networks willing to do either of those things then you're not going to be purchasing a cell phone in America. I mean, Steve Job's stance on Antennagate is still "Shut up whiny babies, this issue doesn't exist, but I'll give you a free case if you shush and go back to fellating me..."

Engadget story about epic problems

Samsung told Engadget again that the epic has no gps issue. I hope Samsung does not leave the epic out of the captivate/vibrant gps fix.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/29/epic-4g-problems-so-far-and-a-few-solutions/

Engadget really don't know what they are talking about 90% of the time.
Then the mass amount of apple trolls that cover the comments are so idiotic that it hurts my brain.

I have sometimes complained about shallow reporting at Engadget. But this piece was pretty good.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

That article would scare me away from buying the phone. Hopefully samsung and sprint take note.

So glad they put this info out in the open. Hopefully Samsung and sprint will do some thing about the mentioned issues

I have to say that they love blowing everything up. They are not scaring me away. The only thing I miss about being an HTC person is that the community was very large

What GPS problem? This phone has no problems navigating me to new stores (I work as a floater) every day. Finds my location quickly and doesn't throw me on some side road like my Hero used to occassionally do. Never had an issue with locking either.

Having been an early adopter of Android with the HTC Dream I have to say this is no different than the GPS issue it had when first released so this isn't something new. Battery drain was also an issue with the HTC Dream when I first got it but it got better as they released updates.
I honestly don't blame Sprint and Samsung for not responding to Engadget, they have a flare for over sensationalizing EVERY issue (I don't have a problem with the battery life). The only major problem I'm running into is the Epic's reception seems to be flaky, either that or Sprint's coverage maps are completely wrong for the area's I travel to. Though it's about on par with T-mobiles coverage and still beats the pants off of AT&T.

my gps has been great on par with the hero

How long before involving Consumer Product Liability Law?

Consumer Product Liability Law quote
"Products that malfunction or cause harm due to design flaws, manufacturing errors or inadequate warnings or directions are considered defective."
How much more time should we, consumers, give Samsung before asking Feds to help us? I personally would like to believe that consumers have rights, a concept that Samsung is not willing to accept.
For the curious ones, this post has to do with Samsung recalling the broken phones for the purpose of fixing them. For the ignorant ones, pat yourself on the back for accomplishing nothing again.

I suppose the other thread with people whining was not adequate?
You didnt even address what you are upset about? I assume GPS.... which is funny since the VAST MAJORITY on here have absolutely no issues.

Lawsuits and such
Krzysiek_CK said:
Consumer Product Liability Law quote "Products that malfunction or cause harm due to design flaws, manufacturing errors or inadequate warnings or directions are considered defective." How much more time should we, consumers, give Samsung before asking Feds to help us? I personally would like to believe that consumers have rights, a concept that Samsung is not willing to accept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm assuming based on your other postings that this relates to GPS issues. I'll try to address your questions with as little drama as possible:
How much more time should we, consumers, give Samsung...
- After you have exhausted all other remedies. In some cases, never. Were you aware of the issue in the time window when the product could still be returned or exchanged?
...before asking Feds to help us?
- There is no "Asking Feds" to help. You can file complaints with the FTC or maybe another federal organization, or with your state attorney general. As you probably know, your likely success in this area will be close to zero.
I personally would like to believe that consumers have rights, a concept that Samsung is not willing to accept
- you do have rights, but from a civil law perspective, what are your damages? Do you think a reasonable person on a jury would find Samsung liable for anything, when 98% of the phone functionality works just fine, and as for GPS, it works fine for some significant percentage of the consumers? You should be asking yourself what is your personal responsibility in this... did you keep the phone past the initial return period in hopes of a fix coming out? Did Samsung do due diligence and provide a fix eventually, that appears to have work for the vast majority of users? (Yes).
I know it frustrating, my device is the second one I had, the first one was crap, and this one the GPS works but is occasionally flaky. I'll get over it, and I have not relied on any assertions of Samsungs that caused irreparable harm. Generally, you cannot sue for grief (and while we as a country seem to have drifted that way, thank god that's still basically true). You will have this phone 1 to 3 years of what is hopefully a 80+ year life. You will make better buying decisions in the future, and do more due diligence when buying a phone. And this assumes you just don't sell this one on e-bay and buy another one.
So my long ramble is summarized, and aiming at all the other class action ninnies, into this one short sentence: "Get a life".
Mike (Who obviously has to much time on his hands today)

I'm confused by all of the people who complain about the GPS. Mine has always worked fine from stock through the latest ROM I am on. It seems like there are dozens of ways to fix the issue that have worked for many people. Are there still people out there who have exhausted every lead and STILL cannot get it to work? Whenever I read a complaint about GPS, people don't specify what they have tried and what has failed.

s15274n said:
I suppose the other thread with people whining was not adequate?
You didnt even address what you are upset about? I assume GPS.... which is funny since the VAST MAJORITY on here have absolutely no issues.
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I am seriously tired of seeing this response to people who are suffering with GPS issues to no avail. I don't really care about how the"vast majority" isn't having issues. I care about my phones issues. Obviously there are phones out there with a non functioning GPS. I am one of them, so is my wife. Even if 70%-80% of the phones had a functioning GPS that still leaves 20%-30% SOL.
Did I notice the GPS issue when I bought the device? Yes. Did I notice that a good number of others had the same problems? Yes. We were advised by tmobile to wait for a patch. The patch came well past the return date.
tl;dl
If your GPS is working that's great, that doesn't mean that everyone's is working. There are people that still have major GPS issues. If you don't like the complaints don't click on the thread.
I have tried all of the fixes btw. My wife and I still have extremely inconsistent performance and locking issues.

velocd said:
I am seriously tired of seeing this response to people who are suffering with GPS issues to no avail. I don't really care about how the"vast majority" isn't having issues. I care about my phones issues. Obviously there are phones out there with a non functioning GPS. I am one of them, so is my wife. Even if 70%-80% of the phones had a functioning GPS that still leaves 20%-30% SOL.
Did I notice the GPS issue when I bought the device? Yes. Did I notice that a good number of others had the same problems? Yes. We were advised by tmobile to wait for a patch. The patch came well past the return date.
tl;dl
If your GPS is working that's great, that doesn't mean that everyone's is working. There are people that still have major GPS issues. If you don't like the complaints don't click on the thread.
I have tried all of the fixes btw. My wife and I still have extremely inconsistent performance and locking issues.
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Click to collapse
you should try AXURA if you havent, my GPS never worked until then, its a few feet off, but i dont mind that.
@OP, why is the only reason that you people think vibrants suck is the GPS?
WOOPTIDOO! a gps doesn't work.
Think of it this way, would you take a IPhone from which your calls would drop, and wouldn't be able to call anyone half the time? or not be able to use your dang brain to read the street names and figure out where your going.

...................

So basically the op didn't do his research before buying a product and now wants to cry foul. I bought my Vibrant in August, bought two, after researching it for a good two weeks. I compared it to most of the other offerings from all carriers with the exception of iPhone. I was fully aware of the gps issue before hand, very well documented. I even went so far as to have the work around sitting on my computer when I brought the thing home. One of the first things I did was apply the work around.
All that said maybe you should take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself who really needs to be blamed for you owning a product that doesn't work to the abilities that you think it should.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

And I'm REALLY tired of people coming to a development forum making posts about class action lawsuits.... Heaven forbid they use an existing thread (there was one on the very same page when the op created this thread).
There is nothing wrong with the vast majority, this can't be denied. There are a ton of ways to try and correct the problem.
H,eck send me your phone and I'll create a video of YOUR phone navigating me to the local bar so I can celebrate one less annoying "let's sue... For something" thread.

bigragu said:
I'm confused by all of the people who complain about the GPS. Mine has always worked fine from stock through the latest ROM I am on. It seems like there are dozens of ways to fix the issue that have worked for many people. Are there still people out there who have exhausted every lead and STILL cannot get it to work? Whenever I read a complaint about GPS, people don't specify what they have tried and what has failed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While the OP is kind of a tool (yeah, the Feds are going to leap in and fix your phone...), these "My GPS works great!" posts are almost as ridiculous.
It isn't as if a bunch of us got together and pretended to have insurmountable GPS problems.
In my case, the GPS has become usable after the second Eclair update. My wife's still doesn't work but she doesn't use it, so she doesn't care. The other two in the house now work normally. So just in my house, we pretty much cover the range.
Just because it isn't affecting you doesn't mean the rest of us are merely delusional.
And since you asked, yeah, I have tried pretty much eveything that was suggested here on XDA, short of some of the more recent ROMS (which I don't want for a variety of other reasons).

xriderx66 said:
you should try AXURA if you havent, my GPS never worked until then, its a few feet off, but i dont mind that.
@OP, why is the only reason that you people think vibrants suck is the GPS?
WOOPTIDOO! a gps doesn't work.
Think of it this way, would you take a IPhone from which your calls would drop, and wouldn't be able to call anyone half the time? or not be able to use your dang brain to read the street names and figure out where your going.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you recommend medication for a person with hardware problems. That says more about your condition than that of the person you're replying to.
Maybe people are upset because the Vibrant was advertised as having a GPS, and a GPS is a huge part of Android's functionality? Just because your GPS works, or because you don't use it, doesn't excuse you coming in here and acting like a jerk.

Col.Kernel said:
So you recommend medication for a person with hardware problems. That says more about your condition than that of the person you're replying to.
Maybe people are upset because the Vibrant was advertised as having a GPS, and a GPS is a huge part of Android's functionality? Just because your GPS works, or because you don't use it, doesn't excuse you coming in here and acting like a jerk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. My GPS never worked until I found the Axura rom it worked on all 3 of my vibrants.
Try the rom if you want the GPS so dang much. Is all I'm saying.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

This is not legal advice, but:
As far as a lawsuit goes, the best argument would be that product was "not fit for the particular purpose for which it was sold." Most jurisdictions have some form of breach of warranty laws that could provide the basis for a suit if the product was advertised or represented as having working gps. However, Samsung/T-Mobile would have the defense that when you purchased the phone, the gps didn't work but you kept it anyways (past the 14 or 30 day buyer's remorse period). In other words, by not returning it, you accepted the non-conforming goods.
As for the "Feds" stepping in, I wouldn't count on it. Your best bet would be to find an attorney that would take on a class action suit in hopes of a big fee award. Usually if there is any merit to a claim like this, attorneys are jumping at the chance to sue, b/c at the end of the day the settlement is usually something like pennies for the consumer, a promise by the company to play fair in the future and a big award of attorneys fees.
All that being said, I would think that if you sent Samsung/T-Mobile a well drafted demand letter under your jurisdiction's consumer protection laws, they would make an offer of a return or exchange of the phone to avoid the hassle. Better yet if you had an attorney friend that would do it for you.

Well, as someone with GPS issues, I'll say that something like a class action is largely useless.
I also think that "oh, just try another ROM", while valid in some cases, is also completely ridiculous. One shouldn't have to modify their phone and void a warranty in order to have functional hardware (note I've done both ).
I know it's frustrating. For me, no update or work around worked. I had to crack open my phone and bend up the contact on my GPS Antenna (which plenty of us are trying here) and now it works great. Is my SNR the strongest? No, it doesn't really go above 40. But I get 10-14 satellites to lock and it holds a signal even inside the house.
Yeah, it's insane to have a problem with something so basic on a smart phone these days. But the reality is that the vast majority of smart phone users never even turn on GPS. Out of the ones that do, a small percentage have issues. That means that there's only a small fraction of SGS users experiencing GPS issues and the people that tend to be the loudest are the ones that have problems. Samsung doesn't care. Neither would HTC or Motorola.
They also know that the average length of time the average user keeps a phone is 20 months. That number decreases with smart phones AND with people that are tinkerers. I'd imagine it would be a rarity for a lot of people here to keep a phone longer than 16-18 months. All of these manufacturers know that you'll move on to the next device long before you get a class action lawsuit going.
I may be an exception, but my time is worth more money than a class action over a device that is 97% functional.

"Plaintiff asserts that Defendant's product is 'laggy', as such term is commonly understood within the North American phone nerd community; and even the use of third-party measures such as 'Ryan's OCLF' did not transform the product into the 'buttery-smooth beast' that Plaintiff had intended to purchase..."

If you have tried the workarounds and have got all the current updates and your GPS is not working, walk into a T-Mobile store or call customer service and complain. Every day people are getting replacement phones and if they tell you that you are out of your return window, explain that you kept getting told to wait by your local rep.
This is a basic customer service issue, no need to get all bent out of shape. If yours doesn't work, ***** up a storm with T-Mobile for a replacement.

xriderx66 said:
No. My GPS never worked until I found the Axura rom it worked on all 3 of my vibrants.
Try the rom if you want the GPS so dang much. Is all I'm saying.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree more and that was the point of my earlier post. I understand there are people who have issues that others don't. (I had the hardware lock issue). It just seems that there ARE ROMs out there that have fixed the problem. If you need GPS that bad (and I do), try them until you find one that works.

I jusy don't get peaple...Just call Tmobile and tell them your issue like some other user and they will replace your phone...

Froyogate page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Froyogate/112615255487997
Just started this page, like it if you do. I will update tomorrow. I know it wont do much, but it makes me feel better. If anyone wants to help, PM me here or on Facebook.

Why worry about this when you see things progressing? You're wasting your time, watch development and you will be happier than you would be with stock froyo anyway.

I see things progressing because off our devs, not because of verizon or samsung. I'm tired of big business getting away with anything they want. I get your point, but I'm still trying to get answers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

Quite frankly, no one will care about a Facebook page. Even if everyone on XDA with a Fascinate liked it, it still wouldn't be anywhere near an impressive number.
And Verizon/Samsung haven't really 'lied' to us (not counting their lower level reps, but no one should be trusting them anyways), they've never officially promised any sort of release date AFAIK... meaning long as they eventually release it, they'll have kept their promise (things like 'soon' are totally subjective, which is why they say them).
Verizon/Samsung have, simply put, just given us terrible support. We're low priority for them- we're basically an offbrand (i.e. not a Droid) phone, with a relatively small userbase. We're small fish in a big sea. Taken on top of Verizon & Samsungs already poor support, it really shouldn't be a surprise to us that we're still waiting for Froyo (unfortunately that's a lot easier to realize in retrospect... if I'd realized it back then, I'd have likely gone with the Incredible).

It is so sad that we are considered "not a droid". The one thing that attracted me to my Fascinate was the nice hardware, sweet screen, and the Android OS. I don't know what I would do without the devs around here. It's a shame that we have been swept under the rug by Samsung and VZW.
Sent from my ComaVolted Fascinate running SC 2.9.2

KitsuneKnight said:
Quite frankly, no one will care about a Facebook page. Even if everyone on XDA with a Fascinate liked it, it still wouldn't be anywhere near an impressive number.
And Verizon/Samsung haven't really 'lied' to us (not counting their lower level reps, but no one should be trusting them anyways), they've never officially promised any sort of release date AFAIK... meaning long as they eventually release it, they'll have kept their promise (things like 'soon' are totally subjective, which is why they say them).
Verizon/Samsung have, simply put, just given us terrible support. We're low priority for them- we're basically an offbrand (i.e. not a Droid) phone, with a relatively small userbase. We're small fish in a big sea. Taken on top of Verizon & Samsungs already poor support, it really shouldn't be a surprise to us that we're still waiting for Froyo (unfortunately that's a lot easier to realize in retrospect... if I'd realized it back then, I'd have likely gone with the Incredible).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, but if we never take any action, the corportations will continue as usual and we will get even less actions. Corporations already run this country. Its not we the people anymore, its whatever corporate america buys in our congress.

Just like it! Is that a lot to ask?

Just vote with your wallet and don't buy samsung phones anymore.
Also, always make it a habite to tell anyone shopping for a phone about how bad samsung is and why they shouldn't buy a samsung phone.
It's amazing how many people are complaining about froyo, yet they get really excited when they hear about the Galaxy S 2 that's coming out soon!!!!

modus81 said:
Just vote with your wallet and don't buy samsung phones anymore.
Also, always make it a habite to tell anyone shopping for a phone about how bad samsung is and why they shouldn't buy a samsung phone.
It's amazing how many people are complaining about froyo, yet they get really excited when they hear about the Galaxy S 2 that's coming out soon!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will NEVER buy another samsung phone, Eff the Galaxy S2. It's too bad, the fascinate has some great qualities, but I refuse to give money to someone who doesn't care. I was burnt once, not gonna get me again. I'm debating if I leave Verizon, quite honestly.
I completely agree with you about voting with your wallet!

I will always argue that you should make your decisions based on the hardware. Not the software, not the manufacturer, not the carrier. Hardware will always win out, and Samsung makes great hardware.

Kevin Gossett said:
I will always argue that you should make your decisions based on the hardware. Not the software, not the manufacturer, not the carrier. Hardware will always win out, and Samsung makes great hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to say the same thing, based upon past experience with numerous WinMo phones.
I no longer agree. Not in the least. I had a Samsung WinMo, but my last two WinMo phones were HTC. Compared to this Samsung.....
a) The Samsung pulls 300ma max from the PC USB port. That is fine. It only pulls 650ma max from a 5 volt adapter. The phone can consume well over 650ma to operate as a car GPS (screen bright, downloading map data, etc). So, the battery can rather quickly die even plugged into a high rate charger in the car. I have never seen an HTC phone do that. If the operating current goes up, the HTC pulls more current from the charger. Usually up to about 1 amp. So if it is plugged into a high rate charger, the HTC phones will never drain the battery even in the worst conditions. Charge rate FAIL.
b) In total darkness, it is too bright. In bright sun, it is too dim. You can go to manual mode, and adjust to a good level, but that misses the point of having the AUTO sensor... Auto brightness adjust FAIL.
c) On my phone, when used for a long while on charge at high brightness (car again), the four bottom buttons appear to be pressed randomly. The phone becomes a worthless brick. According to Verizon, this is fairly normal for the generated heat and there isn't anything I can do but not use it when it is charging. FAIL button sensor sensitivity. (though I believe this is just my phone being defective, and I can't get it fixed)
d) Charge plug. Who designed that piece of garbage. Pretty much every plug I have, and I have a lot of them, had to be cut up in the front side to allow it to fully seat in the Samsung jack. FAIL plug placement.
e) No notification LED. What??? FAIL.
f) Minor items like the mediocre loudspeaker placement, no camera button, and slippery back cover add up to another FAIL IMHO.
I used to think highly of Samsung devices from my past experience. This device has tarnished that image. I would only recommend this phone to someone because I thought they might want to buy this one that I have.

So, I sent an email to verizon, and this is what I got....
Good afternoon Mr. ****,
Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. My name is Nicholas and resolving your issue is my top priority. I sincerely apologize that you are dissatisfied with the new froyo software update not being available for the Samsung Fascinate. I can recognize the importance in having the newest, most sophisticated software when purchasing new equipment. Despite all, I'm eager to assist with all of your concerns today.
Mr. *****, I can understand your urgency in regards to this matter. However, before new software is released, it must be approved by the manufacturer ( Samsung ) and Verizon Wireless. Therefore, based on this process I'm unable to provide a definitive answer as to when the froyo software update will be available for the Fascinate. This information is not readily available for the public. Nonetheless, if or when it becomes available you will receive a text on the handset prompting you to update your phone.
Additionally, based on your inconvenience I've issued a $ 50.00 courtesy credit on the account. The total credit amount of ( $ 50.00) , will appear on your next billing statement, ( Apr. 26, 2011 ), and will include an additional adjustment for taxes if applicable. You can check your revised balance immediately by dialing from you wireless device, # BAL and the SEND button. You will be connected with an automated system which will relay your account balance as a free text message to your wireless phone. You may also continue to listen and follow the voice prompts to receive the information airtime-free. You will be provided with the amount and date of your most recent payment, as well as your current balance due.
Lastly, I am also pleased to offer you the option of obtaining a new device with the software update currently, if it doesn't become available for the Fascinate. This offer will not extend your contract nor upgrade date. If you wish to take advantage of this option, you may contact me directly at ( 803 ) 231 - 1825 / Mon - Fri / 2:30pm. - 11:00pm. For your added convenience, below I've listed a link that includes our available device line - up. I hope you find this information to be beneficial:
So it does pay to continue to fight the good fight! I suggest you ALL email verizon and let them know your unhappy!!!

My old Samsung dumb-phone was wonderful. I took crap care of it, and it took a beating (I'd frequently toss it), I'd never give a single concern for maintaining the battery, it got great signal pretty much everywhere (when I went to the woods with a bunch of people, the people on AT&T would have a paper weight, the other people on Verizon would have occasional signal, and I'd have consistent, albeit poor, signal), and I'd easily go a week on a charge.
Occasionally I'd get hit by a software bug, like once ever several months, but over the several years I had the phone (5+ I think?), those were quite few in number.
My Fascinate, on the other hand, other than the screen the hardware seems moderate at best. The processor/GPU don't matter a lot long as they're at least as good as what 'most people' have, since generally programs are designed to be used on the more common phones. Now the GPU could have been leveraged on Gingerbread, but, we don't really have Gingerbread, although people like PK are working on it.
There's also 'only' 384 MBs of usable RAM in the phone, meaning less apps can be kept asleep in the background, causing apps to have to save their state & be restarted more often (IIRC, all the other Galaxy S phones have 512 usable!).
Then there's the GPS. It was flat out broken when Samsung released this phone, and I still have a horrible GPS- the other day it took ~25 minutes for the GPS to lock (even after downloading AGPS data, and getting the no help that cellular triangulation and wifi location services provides), just in time for us to miss the turn to our destination! (resulting in everyone agreeing that my phone "sucked").
No notification LED... we've had to work around that with 'No LED' and BLN- hardly ideal solutions... more like clever hacks. 802.11N also doesn't support the 5Ghz band, apparently... lovely. The battery life is also nothing to write home about. And there's quite a number of other shortcomings with this phone's hardware.
Is the Fascinate's hardware horrible? No, with the exception of the screen (which is quite good), most of it's around par, some above, some below. But the Fascinate's problem is it's crippled by horrible software! Our Devs will fix that, you say? So how's that CM7 working for you? MIUI? AOSP? Your options, at this point, are either use a hacked up Samsung ROM, or lose various hardware support. Is it because our devs suck? Hell no, they've long since shown they're damn good at what they do- but even so they can only do so much at a time. Take the best hardware in the world, but put **** software on it, and you've got ****. Bad software will ruin any hardware.
Good software on bad hardware, though, can at least make the hardware bearable. Next time, I'm picking my phone based off which actually has a fully custom ROMs ported to it, like MIUI or CyanogenMod- that should be a good indicator of how good the software support should be- then I'll go by hardware.
Edit: New post while I was writing... Does "obtaining a new device" mean, "trade in for a phone with Froyo"? If so... that's quite surprising, and it'd be interesting exactly what phones are available for that. Although, at this point, I just feel like taking it until my renewal comes around- all the phones are going to be far superior by then, and, with any luck, this sort of BS will have been reined in by Google.

Im going to call tomorrow and see what that means....but its a start. 50 bucks off my bill is nice!

modus81 said:
Just vote with your wallet and don't buy samsung phones anymore.
Also, always make it a habite to tell anyone shopping for a phone about how bad samsung is and why they shouldn't buy a samsung phone.
It's amazing how many people are complaining about froyo, yet they get really excited when they hear about the Galaxy S 2 that's coming out soon!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but look at the specs on the galaxy S2, at least here in america its gonna have the samsung Exynos chip that is a 1.2 Ghz Dual Core, 1 GB of RAM a super AMOLED+ screen and does FULL HD VIDEO </Sarcasm>
sounds nice but knowing samsung it won't receive any support i've only had this phone since thursday and i really, really don't like it and wish that even with the locked bootloader i had gone with the droid X simply because i'd like to have gingerbread instead of eclair, though putting the miui alpha on it sorta make the fascinate worth while

420fan said:
So, I sent an email to verizon, and this is what I got....
Good afternoon Mr. ****,
Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. My name is Nicholas and resolving your issue is my top priority. I sincerely apologize that you are dissatisfied with the new froyo software update not being available for the Samsung Fascinate. I can recognize the importance in having the newest, most sophisticated software when purchasing new equipment. Despite all, I'm eager to assist with all of your concerns today.
Mr. *****, I can understand your urgency in regards to this matter. However, before new software is released, it must be approved by the manufacturer ( Samsung ) and Verizon Wireless. Therefore, based on this process I'm unable to provide a definitive answer as to when the froyo software update will be available for the Fascinate. This information is not readily available for the public. Nonetheless, if or when it becomes available you will receive a text on the handset prompting you to update your phone.
Additionally, based on your inconvenience I've issued a $ 50.00 courtesy credit on the account. The total credit amount of ( $ 50.00) , will appear on your next billing statement, ( Apr. 26, 2011 ), and will include an additional adjustment for taxes if applicable. You can check your revised balance immediately by dialing from you wireless device, # BAL and the SEND button. You will be connected with an automated system which will relay your account balance as a free text message to your wireless phone. You may also continue to listen and follow the voice prompts to receive the information airtime-free. You will be provided with the amount and date of your most recent payment, as well as your current balance due.
Lastly, I am also pleased to offer you the option of obtaining a new device with the software update currently, if it doesn't become available for the Fascinate. This offer will not extend your contract nor upgrade date. If you wish to take advantage of this option, you may contact me directly at ( 803 ) 231 - 1825 / Mon - Fri / 2:30pm. - 11:00pm. For your added convenience, below I've listed a link that includes our available device line - up. I hope you find this information to be beneficial:
So it does pay to continue to fight the good fight! I suggest you ALL email verizon and let them know your unhappy!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you dont mind me asking, what all was in your email? It may be beneficial to know the way you went about contacting them if there are those (like myself wishing to get a tbolt lol) that want to go this route. Also what email address did you send the complaint to?

Neuman.Tim said:
If you dont mind me asking, what all was in your email? It may be beneficial to know the way you went about contacting them if there are those (like myself wishing to get a tbolt lol) that want to go this route. Also what email address did you send the complaint to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea, I emailed and they called me back. They offered to give me a new phone line instead... I would also have to pay for another phone... Bogus... What did you tell them?

I've looked for the email on yhier website and all and I can't find it. Anyone got a quick link to it?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/contact/index.jsp
is the page I used.
Email I sent
Why am I still waiting for my fascinate to be updated to froyo? All the other galaxy S phones have received it, Samsung has given you the code, now I am curious as to why we still don't have it. I was told when I purchased the phone that it would be 'soon'. I did a lot of research and am tired of being lied to by your company. Your contract states that I can't lie to you, but your are not held responsible for what an agent tells me. WTF is that?? You will probably loose my business when my contract is up, and maybe even before if I can sell this phone. Why won't you take care of your existing customers? Too busy trying to sell 4G when its not even in my area. I was told 'soon' about that too! I understand that the email I will get will say Im sorry for the delay, but we are working hard at it....BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!

420fan said:
I see things progressing because off our devs, not because of verizon or samsung. I'm tired of big business getting away with anything they want. I get your point, but I'm still trying to get answers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. While it's very true that our devs are to be applauded for their efforts, the very reason that we have working Froyo roms like SuperClean (aside from jt's AOSP, which still is lacking a few features) is because of leaked builds from Samsung/Verizon. Our devs did not make those, only released them and cleaned them up a bit. We have three leaked builds total now, so there is no longer any basis upon which to claim that the official update will not be released. They would not be putting that much work into builds for this phone if they did not intend to release it once it's complete. Also, I think we should be grateful that they are taking the time to properly fix issues like GPS, which the new radio does, instead of rushing a new release with more bugs.
I too am disappointed at the time it's taking for them to get this release out, but it is clearly coming, and soon, if the last leak is any evidence at all, so I think we all just need to remain patient for a little bit longer. However, I do have one question. We have had working Froyo roms here for quite some time now. If you're posting here on XDA, I can only assume you're interested in modifying your phone, as opposed to leaving it stock, since that is, after all, what XDA is all about. If that is true, why are you still complaining about the lack of official release? Just install SuperClean or your rom of choice and move on.
Sent from XDA Premium on my Super Clean Fascinate