Database Users

Thoughts on my Vibrant (Long)

Here's my review of the Vibrant which I've had for almost a week.
I'm conflicted on this phone so I'll break it into Pro's and Con's
Pro's
Very Nice Screen
Responsive touchscreen
powerful CPU and GPU
Cons
Compass functionality is abysmal
GPS is weak, can't lock on indoors and loses satellite signal while driving
Marketplace lags for 2-3 seconds going in between pages, even on wifi
Touchwiz UI
3G Mobile Data speeds are extremely slow
To give it context, I'm coming from a Blackberry 8100 -> G1 -> Samsung Vibrant, all on t-mobile. My friend has his new Droid X from Verizon so we ran some tests on them, both after fresh factory resets.
The results were:
Neocore (GPU Benchmark):
Vibrant: 55.6 fps
Droid X: 44.3 fps
Linpack
Vibrant: 8.14
Droid X: gave us a value between 5.6 - 8.2 seemingly at random each time we ran the test.
The Vibrant also had much better viewing angles than the Droid X, but I'm not sure how useful that will ever be.
I also prefer the screen size and form factor of my Vibrant because I'm average height and don't have gorilla hands. Now on to the negatives..
The Compass is an absolute joke, I'm sure you are all aware of this but it updates painfully slow and takes 2-3 seconds to point the correct direction, often spinning sporadically to get there.
COMPARISON: The Droid X Compass works extremely well, updates quickly and is very responsive. The G1 compass is also vastly superior to the Vibrant.
The GPS can't seem to find my location anywhere indoors, and sometimes when I'm in my car using google navigation it will lose signal for several minutes.
COMPARISON: GPS on the G1 is far superior to those on the Vibrant. It's not even close. I didn't get to fully test the Droid X GPS.
Market Lag is a serious issue on this phone. This is not a network speed issue, it's a phone issue. When on 3G OR Wifi, while going through pages of the market there's a 2-3 second delay.
COMPARISON: No such delay on the G1 or Droid X. Browsing the Market is instant.
TouchWiz UI - I'll admit this comes down to personal preference, but I greatly dislike the UI, and not allowing me to cleanly disable it without rooting the phone doesn't sit well with me.
COMPARISON: Droid X has motoblur which looks nicer, but still we should be able to completely disable the manufacturer UI and run the phone on vanilla android without rooting.
Mobile Network Speed: the data speeds I'm getting on 3G are horrible. To put it into KB/s terms, I'm pulling between 2KB/s - 30KB/s. My friends Droid X in the same room as me was pulling between 150-300KB/s. This is obviously a massive difference.
Mileage may vary and I'd love to hear of people who get faster speeds elsewhere.
I'm still on the fence about keeping this phone - I know there's some progress on the GPS issue, but the broken compass/GPS + the slow marketplace really leave a bad taste in my mouth. I knew the reputation of Samsung phones going into this - I just hoped that since they put so much into this Galaxy S line that they would make sure that everything is working properly. I was wrong.

Still the best android phone out there imo. The major issues like compass and gps will get fixed sooner than later. And what do you mean you can't disable touch wiz? Do you dislike the contacts app and stuff? Bc they're pretty awesome to me. The launcher can be changed.
I get awesome 3g speeds but I guess it depends on your location. Don't think that's an issue with the phone. There's a thread for speeds and most people have great speeds
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant using XDA App

I'm on my second Vibrant and the first one was unresponsive in regards to the market, beautiful widgets, and zedge. But the second one I have doesnt lag at all in any of those. My first vibrant took several minutes to load all the skins for beautiful widgets but the second one loads them in a couple seconds.
TouchWiz has grown on me. I like having the music player on the lock screen, the smart dialer is convenient, love the radio controls in the pull down.
GPS is working ok. I'll be going on a trip this weekend and will use the phone for GPS so I'll see how it goes then.
Do agree with the compass, it's all screwed up.

hollabax said:
Here's my review of the Vibrant which I've had for almost a week.
I'm conflicted on this phone so I'll break it into Pro's and Con's
Pro's
Very Nice Screen... I Agree!
Responsive touchscreen...Very much so
powerful CPU and GPU... Agree
Cons
Compass functionality is abysmal... Can be fixed with an Update
GPS is weak, can't lock on indoors and loses satellite signal while driving... I have the same issues, but again, it can be fixed with an update
Marketplace lags for 2-3 seconds going in between pages, even on wifi... I know they've been working on this, so again I can be fixed.
Touchwiz UI... I find TW to be great, and many will agree, so I find this to just be an opinion. Plus, you can always switch launcher via Market.
3G Mobile Data speeds are extremely slow... Sounds like you're not an a great area. I live in Miami with no issues here.
To give it context, I'm coming from a Blackberry 8100 -> G1 -> Samsung Vibrant, all on t-mobile. My friend has his new Droid X from Verizon so we ran some tests on them, both after fresh factory resets.
The results were:
Neocore (GPU Benchmark):
Vibrant: 55.6 fps
Droid X: 44.3 fps
Linpack
Vibrant: 8.14
Droid X: gave us a value between 5.6 - 8.2 seemingly at random each time we ran the test.
The Vibrant also had much better viewing angles than the Droid X, but I'm not sure how useful that will ever be.
I also prefer the screen size and form factor of my Vibrant because I'm average height and don't have gorilla hands. Now on to the negatives..
The Compass is an absolute joke, I'm sure you are all aware of this but it updates painfully slow and takes 2-3 seconds to point the correct direction, often spinning sporadically to get there.
COMPARISON: The Droid X Compass works extremely well, updates quickly and is very responsive. The G1 compass is also vastly superior to the Vibrant.
The GPS can't seem to find my location anywhere indoors, and sometimes when I'm in my car using google navigation it will lose signal for several minutes.
COMPARISON: GPS on the G1 is far superior to those on the Vibrant. It's not even close. I didn't get to fully test the Droid X GPS.
Market Lag is a serious issue on this phone. This is not a network speed issue, it's a phone issue. When on 3G OR Wifi, while going through pages of the market there's a 2-3 second delay.
COMPARISON: No such delay on the G1 or Droid X. Browsing the Market is instant.
TouchWiz UI - I'll admit this comes down to personal preference, but I greatly dislike the UI, and not allowing me to cleanly disable it without rooting the phone doesn't sit well with me.
COMPARISON: Droid X has motoblur which looks nicer, but still we should be able to completely disable the manufacturer UI and run the phone on vanilla android without rooting.
Mobile Network Speed: the data speeds I'm getting on 3G are horrible. To put it into KB/s terms, I'm pulling between 2KB/s - 30KB/s. My friends Droid X in the same room as me was pulling between 150-300KB/s. This is obviously a massive difference.
Mileage may vary and I'd love to hear of people who get faster speeds elsewhere.
I'm still on the fence about keeping this phone - I know there's some progress on the GPS issue, but the broken compass/GPS + the slow marketplace really leave a bad taste in my mouth. I knew the reputation of Samsung phones going into this - I just hoped that since they put so much into this Galaxy S line that they would make sure that everything is working properly. I was wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The way I look at it is... you've got a bad taste in your mouth due to some minor issues that can, and will be fixed. Samsung is working on an update to fix these issues very soon.
If you don't like the phone, or can't deal with these issues, I say return it. I would recommand to just hand tight for a bit. It's a new phone, and minor issues are common with released into the wild.
I come from many great phones/providers, and hands down can say that the Vibrant is one of the best phones I've ever owend.

WilliamStern said:
The way I look at it is... you've got a bad taste in your mouth due to some minor issues that can, and will be fixed. Samsung is working on an update to fix these issues very soon.
If you don't like the phone, or can't deal with these issues, I say return it. I would recommand to just hand tight for a bit. It's a new phone, and minor issues are common with released into the wild.
I come from many great phones/providers, and hands down can say that the Vibrant is one of the best phones I've ever owend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone got a link where Samsung says there gonna release a fix for this?

DROID X's MOTOBLUR looks nicer.. yeah riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Why do we have to have one of these threads every other day? Are you really telling us something we don't already know or that hasn't already been a confirmed SOFTWARE fault?

For the market lag, you should try the fix to move application data from sdcard to NAND flash. I don't feel the lag now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

The problem is neither t mobile nor samsung have official response on these issues. Looks like they are still busy on marketing these *EXCITING* gadgets...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

neasoon said:
For the market lag, you should try the fix to move application data from sdcard to NAND flash. I don't feel the lag now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will that limit my app storage? going to try it right now either way, thank you!
WilliamStern said:
The way I look at it is... you've got a bad taste in your mouth due to some minor issues that can, and will be fixed. Samsung is working on an update to fix these issues very soon.
If you don't like the phone, or can't deal with these issues, I say return it. I would recommand to just hand tight for a bit. It's a new phone, and minor issues are common with released into the wild.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you're right but I wouldn't be surprised if the community ends up fixing most of these issues. As far as the compass I don't know if it's software or hardware at fault, but could you link me to where it has been determined to be a software issue? Does someone have a rooted Vibrant running a custom rom with a compass that works perfectly?

neasoon said:
The problem is neither t mobile nor samsung have official response on these issues. Looks like they are still busy on marketing these *EXCITING* gadgets...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the phone was released 12 days ago. everyone knows that the first 2 weeks to sometimes 3 months after the release of a new piece of tech gear as sophisticated as our phones are becoming are the roughest. this is the time where all of the software bugs are worked out. as much as the manufacturers can try they cant account for each and every scenario that the device and software may face when released into a real world environment. especially one in which the operating system is on an open plan like android is. our phones could just about do anything given the right coding. given that, its almost impossible to plan for every contingency.
being virtual beta testers is kind of the risk we all take as being early adopters.
aside from that we already have confirmation of an update to 2.2 in the coming couple of weeks.. verified by T-mobile. i count that as an "official response" to the software issues at hand.
if having a "2 or 3 second" delay when loading new app information in the market is really a "serious issue" for you, then you probably would do better going to a platform that has been out for several months or a year and has all the kinks worked out. look at WinMo 6.5.. its been out for.. oh.. like a billion years.. and they are finally making it work right thanks to outside dev support. at least our manufacturers are making our android phones work.. well.. most of them..
i wont name any names motorola.

neasoon said:
For the market lag, you should try the fix to move application data from sdcard to NAND flash. I don't feel the lag now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you do that?

Look up mimocan's ext4 lag fix.

Echo and static on calls?

Whenever I talk, there is a noticeable echo and static. Holding it away from my face, it stops. Why is this? Is this a hardware issue? Should I take back? It is very annoying. I also have major GPS issues. The phone is perfect otherwise

What ROM-Radio combo do you use? I think thats your problem. Try searching in the ROM thread. Good luck!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

Did you successfully install the service update (DH12)? Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but I feel like voice quality improved.
If you're rooted, try the unsigned version that namebrandon posted. Otherwise, wait for the prompt from Verizon on your phone and--this is important--install via 3G, NOT Wifi.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

jorisvdende said:
What ROM-Radio combo do you use? I think thats your problem. Try searching in the ROM thread. Good luck!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the Fascinate, not the Vibrant. We don't have ROMs. I'm only rooted. The baseband ends in D101 which is the recent update.

hanathan said:
Did you successfully install the service update (DH12)? Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but I feel like voice quality improved.
If you're rooted, try the unsigned version that namebrandon posted. Otherwise, wait for the prompt from Verizon on your phone and--this is important--install via 3G, NOT Wifi.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got this phone at BB from the Free Phone Friday promo. As soon as it turned on it prompted the D101 update, over 3G.

Oh, okay. Yeah, you have the latest build D01 (not what I mistakenly wrote above).
Hrmph, not sure what to tell you. I get some reverb and the overall voice quality is just par for Verizon, but I definitely don't get any static...
Supposedly the voice quality on Motorola's Droid X and Droid 2 are both dreamy, but they have other issues (locked bootloader, froyo update issues). Unfortunately, there isn't really a single Verizon device that does everything perfectly at the moment, so you'll have to compromise. Maybe other folks on here will have something more useful to tell you. Good luck!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

hanathan said:
Oh, okay. Yeah, you have the latest build D01 (not what I mistakenly wrote above).
Hrmph, not sure what to tell you. I get some reverb and the overall voice quality is just par for Verizon, but I definitely don't get any static...
Supposedly the voice quality on Motorola's Droid X and Droid 2 are both dreamy, but they have other issues (locked bootloader, froyo update issues). Unfortunately, there isn't really a single Verizon device that does everything perfectly at the moment, so you'll have to compromise. Maybe other folks on here will have something more useful to tell you. Good luck!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely don't wanna switch to a different device. The CPU, GPU, and screen are amazing. This static is just annoying. My Droid definitely had the best call and speaker quality I've ever heard on all ends, and the Incredible comes pretty close.

Sounds like you have a defective handset... Definitely not a typical thing.
Sent from my Fascinate using XDA

I've had same issue. Seems like certain frequencies cause kazoo effect or ripped speaker sound plus dimly hearing my own voice in the same manor. I've had it 8 days I think I'm gonna exchange it. And per vzw forum *228 did nothing.
in call volume only 50%.
good day.
Off topic: Will they swap the sd during exchange or should I copy stuff to computer?

I have found that holding the phone more horizontally makes this stop compared to holding it more up and down like. Make sense?

chopper the dog said:
I've had same issue. Seems like certain frequencies cause kazoo effect or ripped speaker sound plus dimly hearing my own voice in the same manor. I've had it 8 days I think I'm gonna exchange it. And per vzw forum *228 did nothing.
in call volume only 50%.
good day.
Off topic: Will they swap the sd during exchange or should I copy stuff to computer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe my voice's frequency causes it I would just copy the SD card to be safe. I think I will return as well.

dlongb13 said:
I have found that holding the phone more horizontally makes this stop compared to holding it more up and down like. Make sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do understand that. I have felt the mic is not padded to the proper db level on this device. But the buzzing sound also occurs while listening to someone else talk on a land line. Never heard it like this on any other device.
Copying now.
good day.

Let's see: I have this issue, the GPS issue, my volume rocker rattles, which is a defect according to another thread, and my power button sticks and doesn't always work(especially when trying to turn the device on.) Return? Oh, and the 4 buttons on the front(especially the home one) have response issues. It is especially hard to pull up the multitask menu without accidentally going to the homescreen because it didn't respond right.

Problem Solved and very pleasantly...
Alright, so I was not crazy. There was something wrong with my ear piece on my device. Went to the vzw store last night signed into the kiosk and that gave me about 25 minutes of waiting which was perfectly fine. I first went to a fascinate on display and dialed *611 and listened to the chick say "welcome to verizon wireless" and holy crap it has bass and didn't buzz like a kazoo. Dialed *611 on my device and there it is, the sound that has plagued me for a week. I spied another fascinate on display and did *611 again and there it was full sounding with no buzz. Now I have confidence that I am not crazy and I am not being picky. Being very new to android and falling in love with the fascinate upon seeing and holding it in the store the first time a couple of weeks ago. So now I have some android knowledge and I had a chance to compare the vzw android line up. Keep in mind I came from a omnia i910 that served me well for almost 2 years and when vzw would release a new device I would stop in and spend 5 or 10 minutes with a hot device. Nothing ever said BUY ME like the fascinate did. But after having the fascinate for a week all the devices I laid my hands on just felt archaic and boring. So that completely eliminated the "I wonder what that device would be like thought". So my name was called and I explained my situation. He then exchanged it without mention of the $35 return or exchange fee which I was not charged for and gave me a new pack of protectors that I did not ask of, for free as well. The most interesting part of the whole experience was watching him remove way more plastic from the device that was not on my original one. And then he took the battery out of the PLASTIC. Awesome I'm getting a virgin device, the first one I got the battery was oddly in the device when she took it out of the box for programming. All my calls today were very pleasant and normal sounding. My store experience was great. Kudos to the Big Red.
good day.

Nice! Glad to hear about your happy ending
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Back to my N1

Well, I really wanted to love this new G2. I gave it a shot. I really did. But after all the things that annoyed me (below) I decided to go back to my Nexus One, since it's really not *that* much of an upgrade. Luckily I was in my buyer's remorse period. Here's what annoyed me:
- Constant crashing in low signal area
- Apps crashing (I'm lucky I woke up early today because I set an alarm, but instead woke up to a red triangle on a crashed and hung phone)
- Sub-par GPS (mine seemed to take forever to connect)
- Weak hinge (though I do love the hinge idea)
- Crinkly button keyboards (a couple keys sounded weird when pressed)
- Dead pixels on two different G2's
- Wonky app behavior (couldn't read an email msg yesterday without rebooting)
- Lack of USB tethering or WiFi hotspot without root
- A little too heavy for me (though the build is nice)
- No fancy neoprene case like my N1
I went through 3 G2s. TMobile helped me out along the way. I do like the G2 and I'm sure some of this stuff will be fixed with OTAs. Oh well...at least I can upgrade to the next best thing down the line.

t3rabyte said:
Well, I really wanted to love this new G2. I gave it a shot. I really did. But after all the things that annoyed me (below) I decided to go back to my Nexus One, since it's really not *that* much of an upgrade. Luckily I was in my buyer's remorse period. Here's what annoyed me:
- Constant crashing in low signal area
- Apps crashing (I'm lucky I woke up early today because I set an alarm, but instead woke up to a red triangle on a crashed and hung phone)
- Sub-par GPS (mine seemed to take forever to connect)
- Weak hinge (though I do love the hinge idea)
- Crinkly button keyboards (a couple keys sounded weird when pressed)
- Dead pixels on two different G2's
- Wonky app behavior (couldn't read an email msg yesterday without rebooting)
- Lack of USB tethering or WiFi hotspot without root
- A little too heavy for me (though the build is nice)
- No fancy neoprene case like my N1
I went through 3 G2s. TMobile helped me out along the way. I do like the G2 and I'm sure some of this stuff will be fixed with OTAs. Oh well...at least I can upgrade to the next best thing down the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use pdanet to usb tether without root.
But, to be honest I'm in the same boat as well. I like the g2 a lot but I am also in my buyers remorse. So I'm considering returning it and sticking with my vibrant. Not sure yet...
Sent from my T-Mobile G2

t3rabyte said:
Well, I really wanted to love this new G2. I gave it a shot. I really did. But after all the things that annoyed me (below) I decided to go back to my Nexus One, since it's really not *that* much of an upgrade. Luckily I was in my buyer's remorse period. Here's what annoyed me:
- Constant crashing in low signal area
- Apps crashing (I'm lucky I woke up early today because I set an alarm, but instead woke up to a red triangle on a crashed and hung phone)
- Sub-par GPS (mine seemed to take forever to connect)
- Weak hinge (though I do love the hinge idea)
- Crinkly button keyboards (a couple keys sounded weird when pressed)
- Dead pixels on two different G2's
- Wonky app behavior (couldn't read an email msg yesterday without rebooting)
- Lack of USB tethering or WiFi hotspot without root
- A little too heavy for me (though the build is nice)
- No fancy neoprene case like my N1
I went through 3 G2s. TMobile helped me out along the way. I do like the G2 and I'm sure some of this stuff will be fixed with OTAs. Oh well...at least I can upgrade to the next best thing down the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't had any of the issues you describe above (other than the weak hinge, weight and no case, ofc). I've never experienced it myself, but i'd surely be interested in finding out what the red triangle thing is all about. The other thread never got to the bottom of the matter.
The one thing I like about the G2 that is really a marked improvement over the Nexus One is the radio/antenna. Unfortunately T-mo being T-mo, there is still the occasional drop back to EDGE, but overall I seem to stay connected to 3G/3.5G much more, with more responsive download speeds. ymmv of course.

Never had any problems with my G2. In fact I love it. As far as the tether (lack of) I'm sure the g2 will get it. I believe there is a reason we have less than the promised 4gig of internal memory. (future updates) my g2 its fast and the occasional switch to edge is a tmo issue not the phone itself. But if you have an n1 you should still be satisfied. I'm staying with the g2 because I see some great things coming for it in future updates.
Sent from my G2 root by visionary using my XDA app

The G2s must have hit or miss build quality, because mine's fine. I haven't had the problems that everyone seems to be complaining about. I can't wait until the complaints go away or dwindle either because they've been fixed, or the complainers move on to the next phone.

Theirs always complaints when phones come out. Nothing new. Same thing happend with the vibrant. Then vibrant people got the g2... now they complain about the g2... then their gonna go to the new mytouch hd... I'm sure they will complain about that and move onto something else. Endless cycle
Personally I have issues with mine but its mostly software. Which I'm waiting for a update I'm sure will soon come out for a fix. None the less the g2 is the best phone I've owned and I have no regrets with it.
Sent from my HTC Vision G2

I also wanted to get G2, but no native tethering support disqualified even I can purchase PDAnet.
I tried both (easytether and PDAnet) and both don't support cradlepoint router, so there's NO WAY to tether wirelessly without rooting.
Nexus One, on the other hand, is one of my favorite daily phone. It can be rooted easily, but I found the cleanness within even I don't need to root. Frankly, if Nexus One has more internal storage (>512MB for applications), I even wanted to buy one more!

mingkee said:
I also wanted to get G2, but no native tethering support disqualified even I can purchase PDAnet.
I tried both (easytether and PDAnet) and both don't support cradlepoint router, so there's NO WAY to tether wirelessly without rooting.
Nexus One, on the other hand, is one of my favorite daily phone. It can be rooted easily, but I found the cleanness within even I don't need to root. Frankly, if Nexus One has more internal storage (>512MB for applications), I even wanted to buy one more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't support cradlepoint?
Only issues I've had with PDANet is setting to HTTPS sites... mainly because I'm too cheap to pay for the full version, lol.

Yeah I think it's the heft that turned me off along with the hardware/software problems I had. The N1 is just so thin and sleek. I used the G2 keyboard sometimes but really only just to play Quake3 (by the way if you turn mouse sensitivity way up it's quite playable with the touchscreen or trackpad). And I played around with one-click root and wifi tethering for my iPod which actually worked pretty well I must say. But like I said, the N1 man...awesome phone. Looking forward to blindtype.

Sorry to hear you had so many things go wrong. I'm very happy with mine and have had no issues at all. Seems like some people have no problems, and others just can't get a good working phone.

t3rabyte said:
Well, I really wanted to love this new G2. I gave it a shot. I really did. But after all the things that annoyed me (below) I decided to go back to my Nexus One, since it's really not *that* much of an upgrade. Luckily I was in my buyer's remorse period. Here's what annoyed me:
- Constant crashing in low signal area
- Apps crashing (I'm lucky I woke up early today because I set an alarm, but instead woke up to a red triangle on a crashed and hung phone)
- Sub-par GPS (mine seemed to take forever to connect)
- Weak hinge (though I do love the hinge idea)
- Crinkly button keyboards (a couple keys sounded weird when pressed)
- Dead pixels on two different G2's
- Wonky app behavior (couldn't read an email msg yesterday without rebooting)
- Lack of USB tethering or WiFi hotspot without root
- A little too heavy for me (though the build is nice)
- No fancy neoprene case like my N1
I went through 3 G2s. TMobile helped me out along the way. I do like the G2 and I'm sure some of this stuff will be fixed with OTAs. Oh well...at least I can upgrade to the next best thing down the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting. im beginning to like the g2 more than my n1. ive only had the phone since last friday, but ive not had it crash once. in fact, aside from the reboot when i swapped out sdcards, its been up and going 24/7. no weird app issues either. my hinge is nice and tight as well. i never used the tethering/hotspot on my n1 so im not missing much there.
its a little weighty but no overly so. my only gripe is no holsters/beltclips available yet. im stuck carrying it in my pocket for now. things i like over my n1 include zippyness (feels a bit more fluid moving around the phone), better screen sensitivity (thought the n1 wasnt bad, it sometimes has quirks), readable in the sun and in my car dock, and im really starting to dig the physical keyboard.

Surprisingly I like the g2 more than my nexus. its faster, cooler, and I love the keyboard. The nexus is an awesome phone but it looks like I'm sticking with the g2.
Btw I'm running enomthers rooted rom. I've had one spontaneous reboot. Tether works perfectly. No bloatware.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

The more I read, the more it seems that it is mostly hit or miss quality. My G2 has great battery life, hasn't had one force close, the GPS locks on within 5 seconds while inside, etc. It does however have a couple specks of dust under the screen, a stuck pixel and the standard issues (Although I just use my G1 case with it, which it seems to fit in better than the G1 did.).

Wow, bad luck must have hit you hard.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2

You should root with visionary. Not only just a temporary root. You can root and unroot at the push of a button when you want. If a ota comes out just press one button and you unroot. Feel like tethering one day. Press one button and your tethering. You will see quite a bit more from the g2 in the future trust me. I've head things so if you can hold on to your g2 brother do it. Just a little advice from one who knows
Sent from my G2 root by visionary using my XDA app

jcX4ever said:
Wow, bad luck must have hit you hard.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha I couldn't have said it better
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

I like my g2 only thing bothering me is my really loose hinge and when i turn off my phone and turn it back on sometimes it freezes at the htc screen, tried to get a new one from radio shack but the chick said I have to go back to the radio shack I bought it from....wack, hopefully I don't end up with random reboots and dead pixels

tdtylert said:
I like my g2 only thing bothering me is my really loose hinge and when i turn off my phone and turn it back on sometimes it freezes at the htc screen, tried to get a new one from radio shack but the chick said I have to go back to the radio shack I bought it from....wack, hopefully I don't end up with random reboots and dead pixels
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would exchange if I were you. I expect a device to be in perfect working order when I buy it. "Occasional" freezes are unacceptable - it won't get better with time (only worse.)

t3rabyte said:
Well, I really wanted to love this new G2. I gave it a shot. I really did. But after all the things that annoyed me (below) I decided to go back to my Nexus One, since it's really not *that* much of an upgrade. Luckily I was in my buyer's remorse period. Here's what annoyed me:
- Constant crashing in low signal area
- Apps crashing (I'm lucky I woke up early today because I set an alarm, but instead woke up to a red triangle on a crashed and hung phone)
- Sub-par GPS (mine seemed to take forever to connect)
- Weak hinge (though I do love the hinge idea)
- Crinkly button keyboards (a couple keys sounded weird when pressed)
- Dead pixels on two different G2's
- Wonky app behavior (couldn't read an email msg yesterday without rebooting)
- Lack of USB tethering or WiFi hotspot without root
- A little too heavy for me (though the build is nice)
- No fancy neoprene case like my N1
I went through 3 G2s. TMobile helped me out along the way. I do like the G2 and I'm sure some of this stuff will be fixed with OTAs. Oh well...at least I can upgrade to the next best thing down the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Crashing issue: FIXED
App Crash: FIXED
GPS: ON POINT within 10 seconds
Tethering and Hotspot: FIXED (after OTA)
A few of the design/hardware issues are obviously unable to be addressed, but my G2 is the illest phone I've ever owned. You should have hung on to it. It's definitely an upgrade from the N1.

DROID X vs Fasciante in real life performance

I have an upgrade due in November and want to get a good phone that could supply my needs for the next year. I'm looking at the Droid X and the Samsung Fascinate and wanted to ask those with Droid X if the real life performance is good. I want to know:
1. Is opening applications and exiting applications fast?
2. Is there any significant lag during day to day use?
3. Is the GPU good enough to produce smooth gameplay on 3D games such as Angry Birds, NFS Shift, or other demanding games?
I just want to know if the Droid X is good enough to be my next phone (my current one is the Eris).
Sent from Eris with Froyo

i cant speak specifically for the fascinate, but i have used the captivate before switching to the droid x.
1. there is terrible lag on the captivate in some applications. unlocking the phone, and even just answering a phone call gave me terrible lag. there are lag fixes, but you have to root to use them.
2. see #1
3. i think that the galaxy s units have a superior gpu, but i have had no issues whatsoever playing any of the games that you mentioned at all.
i have been completly happy with my x, and to me its much better than the galaxy s line of phones. the galaxy's have better screens, but thats about where it ends. good luck!

I can't speak on behalf on the fascinate but I can tell you that the droid x tends to be a bit laggy when performing regular tasks like scrolling through apps and screens. As for everything else it's amazing. No lag with games, speedy browsing, and amazing pictures. It would be the best phone ever made IMO if the lag was fixed.

I have both of these phones and the one I use 99% of the time is the Droid x. I have 2 numbers and have all calls from the samsung line forwarded to the droid x line. The x is built better; the samsung is mostly plastic and feels cheap. The x has 4 times the onboard memory; 8 gb to 2 gb. The x has a larger screen; the samsung has a nicer looking screen. The samsung is a google phone with microsoft software; that makes alot of sense??? The samsung is definately more "laggy" than the x. The x seems to get better reception. The x has 3 more megapixels in the camera. I'm not saying the samsung is a bad phone; if I had never tried the x I would be more than happy with it. Especially coming from an eris, I think you'll be happy with either one of them. Oh, your hand size might pay a role in the decision as well. Some people can't hold the x with one hand and touch anywhere on the screen. I don't have this problem, but I could see how it would be annoying. I hope that helps.

Thanks for these tips! I'm pretty sure this will be my next phone now, unless Verizon comes out with something mindblowing.
Sent from Eris with Froyo

TheSonicEmerald said:
Thanks for these tips! I'm pretty sure this will be my next phone now, unless Verizon comes out with something mindblowing.
Sent from Eris with Froyo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HTC Merge is coming next mid-month...

Might be worth it to wait a month or two to see what else comes out.
The x is a pretty good phone to go with minus the locked bootloader.
LTE and a front facing camera would be sweet to see. Those two things in addition to current features of the x would be the perfect phone in my opinion. Still waiting for the double rainbow of phones though.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

you could wait, but as fast as phones are coming out, you would always be waiting for whatever was new. i say get what you want now. it'll be outdated in a month anyway regardless of what you get!

Cobra302 said:
you could wait, but as fast as phones are coming out, you would always be waiting for whatever was new. i say get what you want now. it'll be outdated in a month anyway regardless of what you get!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, true.
Sent from my Eris using XDA App

Before anything, Go into a corporate store and ask to play around with both phones, most sales reps have the droid x or the fascinate as their personal phone and they will let you use them.
with that being said. I bought the Samsung Fascinate first and brought it back a week later to get the Droid X. Fascinate has a GREAT battery life compared to the droid X.
Reason I did this is not because the phone is not a good phone it is because the phone has some thing integrated that I did not like.
1) Bing is every where on the phone, so you must tweak it to where you can use google via an app on the home screen instead of a search bar ( some of us don't mind but I did.
2)On the car dock the default navigation system to use is VZNavigator which is run by BING and you must subscribe to it, so again to use google maps which is free btw you must use another short cut key.
These are the two biggest things I did not like on this phone. Other than those two things the phone has a beautiful screen and the camera quality is equal to greater than the Droid X, but without a case for the phone the phone feels very light and cheap.
Droid X has some issues of its own but nothing a little rooting can't help. When I had the stock Droid X I had a few freeze ups and lag but haven't had it happen since I rooted and did a few other tweaks.
Issues
1)Camera even though is 8MP is not the best but still does the job.
2)Do not know if this is a 2.2 issue or not but when you record video and then try to play it back on say a computer the audio gets messed up and has a delay
3)Battery life doesn't do to well
Other than those are minor ones and they can be fixed in time but you should also wait to see what they have coming out when they roll out LTE Network because I have seen a few I would love to get my hands on already.

I can't say anything about the fascinate but I have no major complaints about my x I mean sometimes the camera takes grainy pictures, but that's about it I've never had a freeze or anything of the sort im runnig completely stock 2.2 ota im always running live wallpapers and the battery lastes me 12-15 hours and that's with wifi use and emailing facebooking testing calling. Heavy use lol
The only thing that mainly depletes my batery is pandora when I have it hooked up in my car but that still takes 6-8 hours to kill it.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

conradd said:
I can't speak on behalf on the fascinate but I can tell you that the droid x tends to be a bit laggy when performing regular tasks like scrolling through apps and screens. As for everything else it's amazing. No lag with games, speedy browsing, and amazing pictures. It would be the best phone ever made IMO if the lag was fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's because of the default Blur software. After I removed bloat and installed launcher pro, the phone is as smooth as butter with 100 MB free memory

My plan was to try the Fascinate 1st then get the Droid X if I didn't like the Fascinate. The Fascinate had a beautiful screen. The Fascinate is plastic and felt plasticky. Touchwiz was not bad. I didnt like the Bing presence and was holding off on modifying the OS.
The deal breaker for me was the abominable GPS and an issue with 3G instability (frequent dropping) after the Fascinate update. My roomie has an original Droid and she had great GPS and 3G by comparison.
I exchanged the Fascinate for the DroidX (after opening a trouble ticket for the 3G issues which VZW acknowledged was a problem with that phone).
Needless to say, I am totally happy with the Droid X. It's super responsive and everything works great (GPS, wifi, bluetooth, 3G). I appreciate the large, clear screen.
Battery performance is about 17-21hrs. I disable data when i dont need it. Generally have phone on for calls and text. I enable wifi at home or 3g out-and-about when it's needed. I dont need frequent updates of twitter,weather,email etc. (Once got 27hrs...). The GTD apps have always been my primary use of a smartphone.
My DroidX is pretty much where I want it to be (GTD apps and launcherpro, not a gamer per se). And it is unrooted.
I'm a girl with girl sized hands (you know what I mean) and I am totally comfortable with the Droid X. Unlike the Fascinate, the DroidX feels solidly built.

sheth1nks said:
I'm a girl with girl sized hands (you know what I mean) and I am totally comfortable with the Droid X. Unlike the Fascinate, the DroidX feels solidly built.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad you like it. At first I thought the X was too big for my big hands coming from eris, let alone a girl carrying it. But now I have learned to carry it comfortably and operate it with one hand.

rlacsamana1989 said:
3)Battery life doesn't do to well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Define "doesn't do to[o] well," because my phone often lasts me 9 hours of rather moderate use (numerous phone calls, ~75 texts, ~3 hours of music streaming, and probably ~1 hour of browsing the internet) and still keeps 50% left.
Get Setcpu if you don't already use it and learn how to set up profiles, especially one for when your screen is off.

List of problems with the Epic 4G

Lets put together a list of problems that we have with this phone. I'll split them into software bugs and things we just don't like.
Software bugs/shortcomings
- GPS problems
- Touchwiz seems to have been gimped (less of an issue as I use Syndicate, although I know some people like Touchwiz)
- Kies does not appear to be working
- Phone seems to get really hot
- Signal appears to have difficulties locking in some areas still
Things we just don't like about this phone
- Internal storage for apps is less than 500 mb when you install (it seems that every Galaxy S phone has been gimped in some manner - this is ours it would seem. Whereas the i9000, Vibrant, and Captivate lack flash, we have this problem).
- Still uses pen tile
- Battery life is not as good as it could be (Kernels like Pheonix and Xtreme try to adjust this)
- Keyboard WPM could use some work
Note: Keep this thread civil. I don't want this thread to be locked due to a flame war. We want to put together a list of known issues. Maybe something like this should be stickied.

*It simply isn't usable in stock form for a business professional.
-The gps never works when you need it on demand.
-If you actually use your phone, even just to talk on for any amount of time, it dies quickly.

I'm having issues with MMS. Takes hours to download.

J3ff said:
*It simply isn't usable in stock form for a business professional.
-The gps never works when you need it on demand.
-If you actually use your phone, even just to talk on for any amount of time, it dies quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely disagree with this particular assessment concerning being usable in stock form. Even though I'm rooted, I specifically refuse to run any custom rom. Very happy with stock. My gps has worked when I've ever needed to use it.
Battery life could be better, definitely, but I make it through a regular work day (almost 6.30pm and at 37%).
I'd say battery life is my number 1 need for improvement, not gps (mine works fine when I need to use it) but that's not unique to the Epic in general. Android phones and *great* battery life don't seem to mix.
Forgive My Brevity. To Be Or Not To Be...

sauron0101 said:
Lets put together a list of problems that we have with this phone. I'll split them into software bugs and things we just don't like.
Software bugs/shortcomings
- GPS problems
- Touchwiz seems to have been gimped (less of an issue as I use Syndicate, although I know some people like Touchwiz)
- Kies does not appear to be working
Things we just don't like about this phone
- Internal storage for apps is less than 500 mb when you install (it seems that every Galaxy S phone has been gimped in some manner - this is ours it would seem. Whereas the i9000, Vibrant, and Captivate lack flash, we have this problem).
- Still uses pen tile
- Battery life is not as good as it could be (Kernels like Pheonix and Xtreme try to adjust this)
Note: Keep this thread civil. I don't want this thread to be locked due to a flame war. We want to put together a list of known issues. Maybe something like this should be stickied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kies does not work when you are rooted for safety reasons. gps will not lock if you have wifi on and sometimes it needs to be on kinda weird. no problems with twiz maybe you should do a battery pull and for the guy with mms taking awhile to download update prl or get closer to a tower or turn on mobile data. The only problem with these phones are the people using them.

time w/o a signal >50%

The LED notification light only blinks about 5.25 times then stops. After that, it blinks sporadically.

Anyone who criticizes the battery life on the Epic probably didn't come over from the Evo. It no exaggeration has about 4 times the life

jbadboy2007 said:
The only problem with these phones are the people using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not at all. Hardware wise, the phone itself could use improvements. The Galaxy S global edition came with 1.7 GB of free space.
Although the GPS is different on this unit than the other Galaxy S phones, all models seem to suffer from various GPS locking issues. There are a host of other issues, some of which have been addressed by Sprint.
Lets put it this way: Samsung got a lot of things right with this phone and we are moving I think overall towards a better Android experience, but we've got some ways to go.

imwillzillla said:
Anyone who criticizes the battery life on the Epic probably didn't come over from the Evo. It no exaggeration has about 4 times the life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having never used an Evo, I can't comment on that one. I bought my Epic for about $300 + shipping + import taxes and am using it in Canada as an "Android touch".
However, gripes appear to be common on battery life. In particular, enabling 4G for most users seems to suck battery out very rapidly.

Coming from a TP2 I will point out a nuisance that I have.
No way to link notification volume with ringer volume. There are 2 separate sliders and it bugs the crap outta me. Either my ringer is too low and notifications too high or vice versa..

My gps hadn't failed me since the last update or so. Ever since it has been fast and accurate so I am shocked people are still complaining about it. Maybe some of you with the GPS issue haven't updated to the latest stock rom...
Fine, I'll shut up.
Sent from my Epic 4g using XDA App

jbadboy2007 said:
Kies does not work when you are rooted for safety reasons. gps will not lock if you have wifi on and sometimes it needs to be on kinda weird. no problems with twiz maybe you should do a battery pull and for the guy with mms taking awhile to download update prl or get closer to a tower or turn on mobile data. The only problem with these phones are the people using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are general, not (RE: NOT!) specific problems, meaning that not (again I say NOT!) ALL phones are gonna be affected, so if your phone is good, then so be it and stay quiet since this thread clearly isn't meant for you, but for the people who actually have the same problems such as I and the next guy.
Back on topic, I think the back button thing should be up there. Not sure ifits fixed yet, but my epic has it and I bought it first week of october and it had dg27 so I'm guessing mine was part of the first couple batches
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

imwillzillla said:
Anyone who criticizes the battery life on the Epic probably didn't come over from the Evo. It no exaggeration has about 4 times the life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. Battery life on the Epic is terrible.
Currently at 27%. Time since plugged in: 9.5 hours with only 1 hour and 12 minutes screen on time.
Seems 3x worse than when I bought it. Need to put my spare battery in soon...

daddymikey1975 said:
Coming from a TP2 I will point out a nuisance that I have.
No way to link notification volume with ringer volume. There are 2 separate sliders and it bugs the crap outta me. Either my ringer is too low and notifications too high or vice versa..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you use the volume rocker they are definitly linked. Even if you place them on two different settings on the sliders, then use the volume rocker they both move to thr ringer setting.

Power button on the right side... WHY wasn't it put on the TOP!
Stupid video recording always asks for Normal or MMS limit..

sauron0101 said:
Having never used an Evo, I can't comment on that one. I bought my Epic for about $300 + shipping + import taxes and am using it in Canada as an "Android touch".
However, gripes appear to be common on battery life. In particular, enabling 4G for most users seems to suck battery out very rapidly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well so far on my epic everything has been working very well..including impressive batt life. i came from an evo >epic..just flawless. i do however dislike the download cap, signal strength could be improved, stock browser doesnt let you rename a file when you downlod to sd card.

Well let me first start off by saying that I totally still love my epic, and that every device has shortcomings/issues/****ty support in one way or the other. I love my epic.
Now that I got that out, one thing that totally aggrivates me is the fact that the keyboard doesn't recognize typing faster than a certain WPM. I happen to type very fast, and about 1 in 5 words will have a missing letter if I don't type in granny mode. For a long time I thought it was just me and that I haven't adjusted to the keyboard yet. Unfortunatly later on I viewed a post on here that about 30 other ppl were *****ing about the same thing. Ugh. Other than that though I love the phone... but I got a hardware keyboard attached to it and switched to sprint so I could type faster... but half the time swype is more efficient! Lolz.

hydralisk said:
I disagree. Battery life on the Epic is terrible.
Currently at 27%. Time since plugged in: 9.5 hours with only 1 hour and 12 minutes screen on time.
Seems 3x worse than when I bought it. Need to put my spare battery in soon...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks. When having the spare battery in, did you leave that one in to see if it was the battery and not the phone? Also is your phone rooted? I rooted mine, dropped it in a bowl of cereal and got a new one from the store and both rooted and unrooted worked fine for me but I think you should look into what is causing it.
A couple of other folks in this thread who came from the Evo appreciate how good the battery life is on this. I will try to leave my EPIC unplugged for the next twelve hours and see how much juice is left. and I play Angry Birds and Galcon constantly.

While i love the phone i do have some problems.
The wobbly slider mechanism
My GPS was fine until i left the WIFI on for several hours. After that i had to reboot for the GPS to lock. So sure the GPS 'works' but it's easy to break.
All the stupid little stuff i have to do. ie. airplane toggle, kill DRM, set wifi to always on, cold start for GPS. It would be nice if we didn't have to do any of that. Not a big deal for me, but for non-technical people i can see it being a deal breaker.