Database Users

just read this

http://www.pcworld.com/article/204936/samsung_fascinate_crashes_verizons_droid_party.html?tk=hp_new
Unfortunately, not all is peachy when wireless carriers and handset makers start messing with the stock Android experience. Reviews of the Fascinate by Slashgear and Engadget note that the phone uses Bing as its default search engine, not Google - probably more fallout from the cozy Bing-Verizon relationship. That wouldn't be so egregious if you could switch search widgets at will, but alas, the only way to remove Bing is by hacking the phone.
Verizon also swapped in its own Navigator app for Google's free navigation as the default for providing directions, but at least this can be changed in the phone's settings.

mdram-omnia said:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/204936/samsung_fascinate_crashes_verizons_droid_party.html?tk=hp_new
Unfortunately, not all is peachy when wireless carriers and handset makers start messing with the stock Android experience. Reviews of the Fascinate by Slashgear and Engadget note that the phone uses Bing as its default search engine, not Google - probably more fallout from the cozy Bing-Verizon relationship. That wouldn't be so egregious if you could switch search widgets at will, but alas, the only way to remove Bing is by hacking the phone.
Verizon also swapped in its own Navigator app for Google's free navigation as the default for providing directions, but at least this can be changed in the phone's settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...however i'm not worried. It has a better cpu/gpu/screen than any other android device on vzw right now. I will be rooting and using vanilla and loving it.

emplox said:
True...however i'm not worried. It has a better cpu/gpu/screen than any other android device on vzw right now. I will be rooting and using vanilla and loving it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
qft
+1 for me as well.
If you're on XDA complaining about Bing and all the other garbage that comes on the phone, you're preaching to the wrong people.

mackeydesigns said:
qft
+1 for me as well.
If you're on XDA complaining about Bing and all the other garbage that comes on the phone, you're preaching to the wrong people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
word, hahahahaha

Ok, I've been wanting a Galaxy S variant for a long time now and of the versions available in the US I like the Fascinate the most (I am CERTAINLY wating for confrimation the GPS falw is fixable though before buying). However, this Bing **** is just too much. I don't want to have to root a phone that should aready be MINE, but it's looking like I will have no choice here. Problem is....I'm a super noob and have never rooted any phone ever and don't want to brick it.
So, I need to start reading. Can someone point me to what you think is a really good comprehensive overview of the methods and implications (warranty?, future updates?, reversion to stock os if rom is modded? etc. etc. etc.) involved in rooting a phone. The more exhaustive, detailed and authoritative the source, the better. Thx guise.

bugmenot5 said:
Ok, I've been wanting a Galaxy S variant for a long time now and of the versions available in the US I like the Fascinate the most (I am CERTAINLY wating for confrimation the GPS falw is fixable though before buying). However, this Bing **** is just too much. I don't want to have to root a phone that should aready be MINE, but it's looking like I will have no choice here. Problem is....I'm a super noob and have never rooted any phone ever and don't want to brick it.
So, I need to start reading. Can someone point me to what you think is a really good comprehensive overview of the methods and implications (warranty?, future updates?, reversion to stock os if rom is modded? etc. etc. etc.) involved in rooting a phone. The more exhaustive, detailed and authoritative the source, the better. Thx guise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The current Galaxy S variants have a one click root application. You download it, run it, your phone is now rooted. Rooting it simply opens it to do whatever the hell you want. The norm is to find a stripped ROM (also known as vanilla aka plain) and run the phone at its maximum speeds with no frills or fancy eye candy widgets.
The other spectrum is, to root the phone and do what you want, paint the walls pink, add the latest moby song as your ring tones, install custom ROM's, it's up to you.
I'm not the least bit worried about Bing, even if google is locked out of the stock phone, it probably won't be very hard to fix. It's hard to deny the fact that outside of that issue, this is Verizon's best phone (obviously up for argument, but the screen, come on).

mackeydesigns said:
qft
+1 for me as well.
If you're on XDA complaining about Bing and all the other garbage that comes on the phone, you're preaching to the wrong people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahaha +1. Also sig worthy.

Actually the screen is the only think keeping me from this phone. I got a chance to play with one for awhile last night and compare it w/ my D2. The quality of text on the new SAMOLED display is not good. The best way to describe it is an old dot matrix printer. My eyes were actually fatigued from trying to focus and refocus on blurry text. The D2 on the other hand was quite sharp and very easy on the eyes.
Just something to be mindful of if you're one w/ sensitive eyes or don't like fuzzy text. Other than that, it feels very solid in the hand. And I experienced zero lag at any time. Even w/ touchwiz/bing, it made my D2 look like a go-bot.

Jodiuh said:
Actually the screen is the only think keeping me from this phone. I got a chance to play with one for awhile last night and compare it w/ my D2. The quality of text on the new SAMOLED display is not good. The best way to describe it is an old dot matrix printer. My eyes were actually fatigued from trying to focus and refocus on blurry text. The D2 on the other hand was quite sharp and very easy on the eyes.
Just something to be mindful of if you're one w/ sensitive eyes or don't like fuzzy text. Other than that, it feels very solid in the hand. And I experienced zero lag at any time. Even w/ touchwiz/bing, it made my D2 look like a go-bot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?
I have a droid 2, been using it for about 3 weeks. Have you actually seen an AMOLED screen before side by side next to the droid 2? Text is 1000000 times superior on the AMOLED. Images and movies even more. It even has a higher resolution even thought the AMOLED doesn't need higher res.
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Yes, I've seen one. Yes, I've put the D2 side by side w/ my Zune HD, the Captivate, Vibrant, Epic, and Fascinate. Text on the (S)AMOLED's will never be as sharp as long as the current pentile matrix is being used. It's actually not even 800x400, but 653x392 because each pixel contains only 2 subpixels alternating b,g r,g vs a typical LCD w/ r,g,b r,g,b.
It's fast, responsive, and has inky blacks, but it doesn't do white, proper color, or sharp text. Side by side, text on the D2 IS sharper than any of the Galaxies.
It works for my Zune HD because I'm only watching movies or scrolling around tracks...in black menus. There's no reading going on there. For a phone you're going to do a lot of reading on, it's just not suitable.
IMO, the iPhone 4's display is the perfect match for a phone. It's very bright and extremely clear...like reading paper...from a laser, not a dot matrix like the Galaxy. It's just too small IMO.

I like my droid 2, but couldn't disagree more. The galaxy S is king of the screen quality and by a wide margin.
I think this droid2 has a good screen, but n o different than the EVO in my opinion.
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App

From ZD Net ...http://www.zdnet.com/reviews/produc...scinate-verizon-wireless/34129372?tag=nl.e550.
Is it possible to put google navigator on this phone , or does one need to root . Don't want to pay $9.95/month for navigation

Yeah, this is getting out of hand. Check Phil's videos out over @ androidcentral. Some pretty nasty stuff. Even though you can get the google search widget, it reroutes through bing! Hitting the little magnifying glass pulls up bing, typing in the url box pulls up bing. And apparently gnav doesn't work...grain of salt there.

Yes, u can put google maps on there as i installed it yesterday when i played with it at the store, GMapps also comes with navigation, we are good guys
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

You what i noticed on this forum (fascinate)? A lot of people ready to bash the hell out of it. I see good things in all phones. Yes the droids have bootloader locks, but they have been bypassed. Yes Samsung has GPS issues, but its probably software since they all use the same hardware. Sure the HTC phones are slow, but HTC has been supporting their phones the best.
In XDA forums, which i have been a part of since 2004, a solution to your problems will always be found. To attempt to create panic here is pointless let alone try and do it before the product is even out.

Haha, thanks for the quick reality check. You know, I did have an incredible for a short time and wnet back through some older forum posts only ti find my reason for return did not have anything to do with the text being blurry. I wonder if I could just get used to that, and the overblown colors? I must admit, im very tempted to swap my D2 with the fascinate today. I would be stuck with it tho.

Full Review of Atrix 4G

Hey all!
I've posted my full review of the Motorola Atrix 4G. Overall, I think it's a solid phone.
I compared it to the Samsung Captivate specifically, but also talked about HDMI-out, GPS performance, battery life, speed, etc.
Check it out:
http://briefmobile.com/motorola-atrix-4g-review

Respect !!!

majik8ball said:
Respect !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it. If anyone has any questions... feel free to ask away!

Nice review!
I'm really looking forward to upgrading to this phone when it launches in the UK
I'm sure I read a review a while ago that implied that, when using the multimedia dock, it was possible to wirekesslt stream media from locally networked storage. but I cannot find it now
is there any way you could test this?

stunno said:
Nice review!
I'm really looking forward to upgrading to this phone when it launches in the UK
I'm sure I read a review a while ago that implied that, when using the multimedia dock, it was possible to wirekesslt stream media from locally networked storage. but I cannot find it now
is there any way you could test this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I don't have a WiFi network to test it over (I'm connected via LAN) on video.
However, I have already tried out this feature, called DLNA, and it works seamlessly with Windows Media Player. You simply set up a shared playlist in Windows Media Player and then click on the DLNA application on your Atrix while connected to the same WiFi network as the server (computer).
It works well. My only gripe is that the Atrix cannot play back .MKV files.

@Stunno
I found a stray WiFi network to use. Obviously, my computer wasn't connected, so I can't set up a playlist to stream.
But I took a screenshot of the DLNA application. Overall, fairly easy to set up.
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kennethpenn said:
@Stunno
I found a stray WiFi network to use. Obviously, my computer wasn't connected, so I can't set up a playlist to stream.
But I took a screenshot of the DLNA application. Overall, fairly easy to set up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great stuff! Thanks for the reply, Kenneth! It's very much appreciated, any thoughts on whether it could access samba shares?
I have a TV upstairs in the bedroom, and rather than run an aerial wire to it I was going to buy something like a Revo and set up media streaming (I have a couple of TBs of DVD rips on a NAS) Then I saw the Atrix + multimedia dock and it all became so clear

stunno said:
Great stuff! Thanks for the reply, Kenneth! It's very much appreciated, any thoughts on whether it could access samba shares?
I have a TV upstairs in the bedroom, and rather than run an aerial wire to it I was going to buy something like a Revo and set up media streaming (I have a couple of TBs of DVD rips on a NAS) Then I saw the Atrix + multimedia dock and it all became so clear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. I'm not too familiar with Samba. Here's an official Motorola rundown of DLNA on the Atrix 4G:
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/60673/p_country_code/US

Thanks again!
From the list on http://www.dlna.org/ it looks like my NAS is supported by DLNA, so, hopefully, I should be good to go!!
Now we just need Motorol;a to get their fingers out and release it over here!
Many thanks again Kenneth!

Nice review!

kennethpenn said:
Hey all!
I've posted my full review of the Motorola Atrix 4G. Overall, I think it's a solid phone.
I compared it to the Samsung Captivate specifically, but also talked about HDMI-out, GPS performance, battery life, speed, etc.
Check it out:
http://briefmobile.com/motorola-atrix-4g-review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many of the folks here are seeing average to below performance with the battery. But you have rated it as exceptional. Can you provide more details on your usage during those 16 hrs?

Nearly every topic you listed had negatives for the phone but you say its a solid device? Id give it 2/5 stars at best. Really disappointed.
The screen is horrible - cant even display yellow properly. Not to mention its pixelated and washed out.
Battery life is abysmal.
Really the only thing I found "good" with this phone, was the call quality.

psufan5 said:
Nearly every topic you listed had negatives for the phone but you say its a solid device? Id give it 2/5 stars at best. Really disappointed.
The screen is horrible - cant even display yellow properly. Not to mention its pixelated and washed out.
Battery life is abysmal.
Really the only thing I found "good" with this phone, was the call quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im quite sure the color issue is software related. This phone was rushed out the door, lets not forget. I also think the camera could be optimized better through software also. This phone is just an infant. If we can get some custom roms on it the future is sky high for this phone. Right now it feels like a beta.

I read your review and while it was thorough I do have one criticism, and it can be levied against pretty much anyone who has used an AMOLED device prior to the Atrix.
Everyone falls prey to the "Ohh shiny!" problem of the AMOLED screen. Oversaturated color is NOT accurate color. It's just like in big box retailers where they crank up the contrast and backlighting to make TVs "pop". My Blu-Ray player even has a "store" mode in the settings menu that turns on different lights and displays that aren't normally running just to draw your attention. If you had it setup that way at home you'd go insane (not to mention not being able to sleep from the light in the room). Just because it's bright and shiny does not mean that it's at all representative of the real world, and the average person just doesn't understand that.
Also, the picture you used in the screen portion of your review comparing the two phones has to do much more with the different screens' viewing angles than their perceived color reproduction accuracy.

illini71 said:
Im quite sure the color issue is software related. This phone was rushed out the door, lets not forget. I also think the camera could be optimized better through software also. This phone is just an infant. If we can get some custom roms on it the future is sky high for this phone. Right now it feels like a beta.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh it doesn't feel like a beta maybe not polished but The Nexus S with 2.3 feels like a beta or RC;-)

rapidstar said:
Many of the folks here are seeing average to below performance with the battery. But you have rated it as exceptional. Can you provide more details on your usage during those 16 hrs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I usually use the device every other minute while I'm in classes or at work. I surf the net, usually visiting my blog and other tech blogs. Then I check out Analytics applications. I also watched a full episode of The Daily Show during my test... which was the biggest drain (Flash over browser). I don't know how anyone could say battery life was terrible. Battery life on this device matches my iPhone... and it's better than the battery life on any of my past Android devices.
psufan5 said:
Nearly every topic you listed had negatives for the phone but you say its a solid device? Id give it 2/5 stars at best. Really disappointed.
The screen is horrible - cant even display yellow properly. Not to mention its pixelated and washed out.
Battery life is abysmal.
Really the only thing I found "good" with this phone, was the call quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might seem like every category was negative, because I was trying to be critical of the device and point out its flaws. You must remember that all of the categories are weighted more than others. Speed and processing power is more important than the lack of video codecs... for example.
illini71 said:
Im quite sure the color issue is software related. This phone was rushed out the door, lets not forget. I also think the camera could be optimized better through software also. This phone is just an infant. If we can get some custom roms on it the future is sky high for this phone. Right now it feels like a beta.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you used the device? You really believe it feels beta? I'm pretty shocked to hear that. This thing is incredibly fast, efficient, and sleek. I'm loving it so far.
phobos512 said:
I read your review and while it was thorough I do have one criticism, and it can be levied against pretty much anyone who has used an AMOLED device prior to the Atrix.
Everyone falls prey to the "Ohh shiny!" problem of the AMOLED screen. Oversaturated color is NOT accurate color. It's just like in big box retailers where they crank up the contrast and backlighting to make TVs "pop". My Blu-Ray player even has a "store" mode in the settings menu that turns on different lights and displays that aren't normally running just to draw your attention. If you had it setup that way at home you'd go insane (not to mention not being able to sleep from the light in the room). Just because it's bright and shiny does not mean that it's at all representative of the real world, and the average person just doesn't understand that.
Also, the picture you used in the screen portion of your review comparing the two phones has to do much more with the different screens' viewing angles than their perceived color reproduction accuracy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is partly true. Over-saturated colors aren't accurate. It is also true that the angle of the picture makes the Atrix's colors look worse.
I did that angle for a reason. It was the only way that I could show how the two screens look side by side in true life. Every other time, the camera would balance the colors and the Atrix would look equal with the Captivate. The picture under the screen section is actually a very accurate view of the comparison between the two screens.

kennethpenn said:
I did that angle for a reason. It was the only way that I could show how the two screens look side by side in true life. Every other time, the camera would balance the colors and the Atrix would look equal with the Captivate. The picture under the screen section is actually a very accurate view of the comparison between the two screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand the reason but it really provides a skewed view of the phone which is unfortunately a common problem in the media.
You must have a very sophisticated camera for it to compensate for different colors in different areas of an image. Mine (Canon Powershot S90) is only capable of adjusting white balance or hue/saturation/brightness/contrast over the whole of the image.

phobos512 said:
I understand the reason but it really provides a skewed view of the phone which is unfortunately a common problem in the media.
You must have a very sophisticated camera for it to compensate for different colors in different areas of an image. Mine (Canon Powershot S90) is only capable of adjusting white balance or hue/saturation/brightness/contrast over the whole of the image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Canon Rebel T21. It's a friend's.
Not sure if it was balancing colors or if my lighting was just poor, but it wasn't communicating the major color difference when I took a straight shot.
I did include a straight shot with screens on in the gallery of pictures within the review FYI.
But, the color difference is much more dramatic in real life. Whites look more accurate on the Atrix. Other than that, blacks and ROYGBIV look way better on the Super AMOLED.
However, I would still buy this phone over the Captivate any day. The screen is still wonderful... and the resolution is useful.

Is it confirmed that the display is made of Gorilla Glass?

JD914 said:
Is it confirmed that the display is made of Gorilla Glass?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! And it works well!

[INFO] For those still undecided - my first thoughts mini review

Unit arrived yesterday.
Initial thoughts .....
Honeycomb/Transformer is a very quick combination. everything seems very smooth. Spotted a few bugs in the OS (and a few areas of foreign wording) but these arent huge bugs.
Web browsing is great on the large screen. Rotation is slick. Took a while to get used to the new Honeycomb layout but it now seems intuitive.
The unit is solid. not noticed any screen bleed (although i do have a fine 'gap' between bezel and screen on one side but not enough for me to return it).
HDMI out looked great when connecting iPlayer to a 46 inch TV. Movies look good on the screen due to the extra width - nice widescreen view and room for any menu underneath.
Battery is very good. Trying to run it down fully after the first (8 hour) charge and it lost very little (if anything at all) overnight.
The screen is stunning - although i find it a little dark on the 'auto-brightness' setting but thats personal taste. Very clear and very crisp.
Photo viewing is very quick.
Most apps that i used on my HTC Desire work great - using the same Google ID downloaded all my apps (including paid ones) to my Asus. The web market also instantly recognised my new kit and would ask me which item i wanted to download the item to (desire or ASUS). One or two apps dont stretch to the full screen but im sure the devs will sort that soon.
Camera seemed fine. im not on the latest build (that got pulled) but ive not noticed a huge shutter delay on the rear camera. High quality video was admittedly a bit stuttery but i believe that can be fixed.
The charging cable IS a little short ....
eBooks look fantastic Even PDF format ones !!!
Music is great - the speakers are pretty loud considering their size (obviously they are never going to replace an Amp !!) and i havent spotted the balance issue that some have.
All in all im very impressed !

Thanks for the review, this should help some folks!

wilbur-force said:
The unit is solid. not noticed any screen bleed (although i do have a fine 'gap' between bezel and screen on one side but not enough for me to return it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, that gap, do you see the backlighting through it, like this?
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"lightbox_share": "Share",
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Thinking about returning mine (when the store has inventory for an exchange) because of this gap and also because of a small scratch that the bezel has.
Wondering how common this gap in screen is.

just pushed mine up to full brightness and i cant see anything like that.

wilbur-force said:
Unit arrived yesterday.
Initial thoughts .....
Honeycomb/Transformer is a very quick combination. everything seems very smooth. Spotted a few bugs in the OS (and a few areas of foreign wording) but these arent huge bugs.
Web browsing is great on the large screen. Rotation is slick. Took a while to get used to the new Honeycomb layout but it now seems intuitive.
The unit is solid. not noticed any screen bleed (although i do have a fine 'gap' between bezel and screen on one side but not enough for me to return it).
HDMI out looked great when connecting iPlayer to a 46 inch TV. Movies look good on the screen due to the extra width - nice widescreen view and room for any menu underneath.
Battery is very good. Trying to run it down fully after the first (8 hour) charge and it lost very little (if anything at all) overnight.
The screen is stunning - although i find it a little dark on the 'auto-brightness' setting but thats personal taste. Very clear and very crisp.
Photo viewing is very quick.
Most apps that i used on my HTC Desire work great - using the same Google ID downloaded all my apps (including paid ones) to my Asus. The web market also instantly recognised my new kit and would ask me which item i wanted to download the item to (desire or ASUS). One or two apps dont stretch to the full screen but im sure the devs will sort that soon.
Camera seemed fine. im not on the latest build (that got pulled) but ive not noticed a huge shutter delay on the rear camera. High quality video was admittedly a bit stuttery but i believe that can be fixed.
The charging cable IS a little short ....
eBooks look fantastic Even PDF format ones !!!
Music is great - the speakers are pretty loud considering their size (obviously they are never going to replace an Amp !!) and i havent spotted the balance issue that some have.
All in all im very impressed !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get the HDMI out cable.
Tx
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290418022489
Ebay........ under 3 quid delivered

wilbur-force said:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290418022489
Ebay........ under 3 quid delivered
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers for that one just ordered.

could you please post your opinion on sunlight/outside condition? is it usable for watching movies while lying on the balcony? thanks!

0x000 said:
could you please post your opinion on sunlight/outside condition? is it usable for watching movies while lying on the balcony? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well its evening here so im going to struggle to test that today
id wager its going to struggle in bright sunlight same as zoom/desire/ipad etc.

wilbur-force said:
well its evening here so im going to struggle to test that today
id wager its going to struggle in bright sunlight same as zoom/desire/ipad etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hehe thanks for testing whenever you find time.
i just read this review and they say it's very usable http://www.everythingabouttablets.net/2011/04/25/transformer-long-term-test-tablets-ips-screen/

0x000 said:
hehe thanks for testing whenever you find time.
i just read this review and they say it's very usable http://www.everythingabouttablets.net/2011/04/25/transformer-long-term-test-tablets-ips-screen/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ill give it a go tomorrow and report back .... assuming its sunny here ....
UK weather

I've been decided. Just waiting for it to be available again and thank you for the review.
Sent from my Captivate

0x000 said:
could you please post your opinion on sunlight/outside condition? is it usable for watching movies while lying on the balcony? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Outdoors in a shaded area like a balcony it's good. I have to turn the brightness to max, but I can see the display perfectly well. However that is a huge drain on the battery. Think this would probably only last 4 or 5 hours at maximum brightness.

curti.nogg said:
I've been decided. Just waiting for it to be available again and thank you for the review.
Sent from my Captivate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont think you'll regret it ... in my opinion its a great bit of kit

Ravynmagi said:
Outdoors in a shaded area like a balcony it's good. I have to turn the brightness to max, but I can see the display perfectly well. However that is a huge drain on the battery. Think this would probably only last 4 or 5 hours at maximum brightness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep..... sunny here now. whilst the screen was surprisingly good outside as soon as I tried to watch a movie I was struggling. admittedly it was quite a dark film ......

0x000 said:
could you please post your opinion on sunlight/outside condition? is it usable for watching movies while lying on the balcony? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Southern California, and it was a clear, sunny day on Saturday. I took the Transformer out on the back porch at noon, just for kicks, to see how bad it would be in the direct SoCal sun. I cranked up the brightness to maximum, and prepared to give a laugh--I've always used my Nook for reading outside because of course the e-ink screen prefers bright lights.
Imagine my surprise when I could actually see the screen, well enough to use it. And note--this was in the direct SoCal sun at noon. I could actually read ebooks on it, surf the Web, etc. It wasn't an awesome experience, but it was good enough to use in a pinch.
I was very impressed with its performance, much, much more so than I expected.

thanks for your answers regarding sunlight performance! then i only have to wait until it is available

0x000 said:
thanks for your answers regarding sunlight performance! then i only have to wait until it is available
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be waiting until Winter.
At least then the sun won't be as much of an issue.

My experience and negatives of SGS II

Hello XDA.
These are NOT MAJOR problems for me personally. The phone is brilliant, blazing fast. However if I had to pick out things I disliked/gripes these would be it. And will update if I or we happen to find more.
___________________________________________________________________
Hardware
- MicroSD and Sim slot has switched places from original SGS
Its more common to take the MicroSD out than the SIM card. Have to take the battery out just to insert/take out my MicroSD!!!
- Camera prone to scratches
The little platform that the camera is raised on is prone to scratches.Laying on a table the phone virtually rests on the camera lens! Comparing with the SGS the case takes the damage.
A good temporary way would be to stick a bit leftover from invisishield onto where the "8.0 MEGA" sign is and let that take the weight and scratches.
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- Gap in Speaker
I don't know if you've noticed but there is a GIANT GAP between the slits of the cover and the internals underneath it. And unlike the SGS I. There is noway to reach inside it get get dirt/bits out. Is a big whole waiting to collect dust IMHO. :S
- Lack of Base comparing to the SGS I
I have to say the speakers on SGS II imho is not better than SGS I. Maybe there was a bit of compromise in the design?
On the original SGS you couldn't listen to it whilst on the table or sofa.
Now on the SGS II there is a massive gap between the outer chasis and the internal speaker inside so you can listen to music perfectly without any muffling when laid on a surface which is a GOOD THING. However there seems to be a real lack of base comparing with the SGS I.
- No cover for MicroUSB slot
Again dust prone. Why they took that feature out from the Original sgs I don't know.
- Did not come with USB2go or HDMI cable EDIT: Samsung Infuse 4G has a USB2Go adapter included in box!
I know they didn't advertise this as one of the strongest points but a little disappointed that it didn't come with it. I actually asked about this at CPW on launch day but the accessories were still all boxed up so couldn't take a look.
- Some people having problems with Screen
Pixel/Lines appearing and disapperaing. But looking at this forum and others only a minority/rare case and I personally don't have this problem on my SGS II.
___________________________________________________________________
Software
- Flash videos
Problems with BBC iPlayer, video stuttering. A faint mesh background when you watch any flash embedded videos using the stock browser.
TRY TESTING THIS YOURSELF. Play a video which has a white if not a bright coloured background.
- Menu Key vibration in Game Hub
It is excessively long and loud unlike any other hubs or just when you press the menu key.
- Low call volume when using personal head phones. CONFIRMED

yeah, I've noticed these things too... but since I wasn't an original sgs owner didn't think too much of it. I actually noticed the deep speaker gap when I saw something just inside.... had to fish it out with a toothpick?!

dk206 said:
- Camera is a real worry. The little platform that the camera is raised on is prone to scratches. I don't like cases and I tried sticking the bits left out of my Invisishield screen protector onto the back cover but it doesn't seem to stick on...I was trying to stack a a neat circle of invisishield at the sides of the camera so when placed down on a desk/table it wouldn't scratch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't the camera has also gorilla glass?
Otherwise it is a big worry

My negatives so far are
* Flash videos are not smooth on BBC iPlayer, even using the official iPlayer app.
* Camera shutter noise cannot be disabled
* Some popular games are not working, NFS Shift, Dungeon Defenders etc
* No LED for email/sms notifications
* Phone vibrates loudly when fully charged - waking me up at 4 am

dk206 said:
These are NOT MAJOR problems
Negative points for me
- MicroSD and Sim slot has switched places. Its more common to take the MicroSD out than the SIM card. Now I have to take the battery out just to insert/take out my MicroSD!!!
Not a problem i take sd card out once a year at most .
- No cover for MicroUSB slot again dust prone. Why they took that feature out from the Original sgs I don't know.
Odd that maybe they think wont attract dust as its on the bottom .
- USB2GO cable didn't come with the box!
Not expecting it to
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hung77 said:
Doesn't the camera has also gorilla glass?
Otherwise it is a big worry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno. I bets not. Hope so but yeah, the glass edges mounted on the silver chrome is just waiting to get scratched! :S
@jgittins
Agree with the LED not having notification functions.
But the rest of the issues can be software-fixed and will improve in time e.g games compatibility. Remember the SGS II just came out. Like-wise maybe bbc iPlayer is not yet tailored for the SGS II. Strange though, my Carphonewarehouse phone did come with it installed. I'll check this out.
As for phone vibrating loud turn the vibration down in settings.
Camera shutter sound even on silent, yes I can confirm too that it is not working for me too. I'm on CPW (sim-free unlocked) firmware

JJEgan said:
- USB2GO cable didn't come with the box!
Not expecting it to
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah agree they are not major problems like I've said. I just tried focusing on the h/w problems which might be hard to change/alter unlike software problems.
The cable tbh I expected it to come with it.
The box is smaller than the Galaxy S which I applaud Samsung environmental/wasting less resources but for a 500Pounds phone...disappointed nonetheless.

dk206 said:
Dunno. I bets not. Hope so but yeah, the glass edges mounted on the silver chrome is just waiting to get scratched! :S
@jgittins
Agree with the LED not having notification functions.
But the rest of the issues can be software-fixed and will improve in time e.g games compatibility. Remember the SGS II just came out. Like-wise maybe bbc iPlayer is not yet tailored for the SGS II. Strange though, my Carphonewarehouse phone did come with it installed. I'll check this out.
As for phone vibrating loud turn the vibration down in settings.
Camera shutter sound even on silent, yes I can confirm too that it is not working for me too. I'm on CPW (sim-free unlocked) firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since screen is SAMOLED you can get an app to flash a couple of pixels with minimal power drain IIRC
RE the vibration, if it's annoying, I'll find a way to stop it by hacking the framework if required...

Hmm nothing really sticks out as bad or negative, personally just gripes.
Also annoyed by the SD card being ballache to remove, I'd prefer a external access port.
I'd prefer Samsung not stamping there name front and back, on the back would have been fine, I'm well aware of what i bought it doesn't need a f'in label.
Disappointed with the hotspot on the camera CCD. had this on the HD2, Desire etc.
I don't like the lack of a notification LED
The clicking of the hardware key sounds cheap IMHO.
16gb storage, hmm 2gb apps 2.5gb unaccounted for? 500mb Rom 500mb Rom backup? even at that rate, still missing 1.5gb ???
Battery life isn't what i hoped for, can't get anywhere near other users standby times
USB2GO not included nor HDMI lead?
all in all i am happy but a few adjustments and it would have been perfect, literally

jgittins said:
My negatives so far are
* Camera shutter noise cannot be disabled
* Phone vibrates loudly when fully charged - waking me up at 4 am
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those two drawbacks are actually disturbing, as SGS has an option to disable shutter sound from within camera settings.
I also remember, that in previous, first Froyo firmwares for SGS it was also vibrating at night when charged.
Samsung fixed it with newer firmwares and this problem was gone.
I wouldn't worry about this just yet, I think those two maybe fixed in the future.

pulser_g2 said:
Since screen is SAMOLED you can get an app to flash a couple of pixels with minimal power drain IIRC
RE the vibration, if it's annoying, I'll find a way to stop it by hacking the framework if required...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
camera shutter noise is priority now I think.
Really strange usually U.K or Europe for that matter has the function to silent shutter noise when in silent/vibration mode for companies like Samsung, Nokia etc.

diablous said:
Hmm nothing really sticks out as bad or negative, personally just gripes.
I'd prefer Samsung not stamping there name front and back, on the back would have been fine, I'm well aware of what i bought it doesn't need a f'in label.
I'm actually glad they did this. People need to know that it is a Samsung phone and not a knock off of an iPhone most people believe it to be. The general public will be amazed with Super AMOLED plus therefore I think it was good Samsung to do this front and back. (IMHO)
The clicking of the hardware key sounds cheap IMHO.
You mean the middle home button????
16gb storage, hmm 2gb apps 2.5gb unaccounted for? 500mb Rom 500mb Rom backup? even at that rate, still missing 1.5gb ???
Yeah this is a little strange, will look on this
Battery life isn't what i hoped for, can't get anywhere near other users standby times
Hmmm I've been easily getting over 24hours with my moderate usage. 3G always on/ MP3 everyday 45mins there and back from Uni, browsing 2hours at least. Auto-sync turned on all day
USB2GO not included nor HDMI lead?
Neither included...for a 500 Pound phone...
all in all i am happy but a few adjustments and it would have been perfect, literally
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah agree. Happy, blazing fast. Like the SGS will only get better and better with time. I'm just so looking forward to what our devs can do with this beast >

diablous said:
Hmm nothing really sticks out as bad or negative, personally just gripes.
Also annoyed by the SD card being ballache to remove, I'd prefer a external access port.
I'd prefer Samsung not stamping there name front and back, on the back would have been fine, I'm well aware of what i bought it doesn't need a f'in label.
Disappointed with the hotspot on the camera CCD. had this on the HD2, Desire etc.
I don't like the lack of a notification LED
The clicking of the hardware key sounds cheap IMHO.
16gb storage, hmm 2gb apps 2.5gb unaccounted for? 500mb Rom 500mb Rom backup? even at that rate, still missing 1.5gb ???
Battery life isn't what i hoped for, can't get anywhere near other users standby times
USB2GO not included nor HDMI lead?
all in all i am happy but a few adjustments and it would have been perfect, literally
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm only going to refer to the 16GB part. I know that when I purchase ANY storage (hard drive, memory card) it is NEVER the full amount. Such as my 16GB micro SD card gives me around 14GB of space. Just like my 500GB hard drive is also in the 400 something GB range for usable space. It is just the nature of storage, you never get the full amount .

my personal negatives are:
1.no touch to focus on camera app.(it does work, my bad)
2.aliasing on web pages.
3.too many incompatible games.
4.no mhl cable bundled with the phone
that's all

awesome-member said:
my personal negatives are:
1.no touch to focus on camera app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine does..
What i done like:
the gap inbetween the screen and the silver bezel
the home button moves around a little
Big gap where the speaker is
no protective cover for the camera

jgittins said:
My negatives so far are
* Flash videos are not smooth on BBC iPlayer, even using the official iPlayer app.
* Camera shutter noise cannot be disabled
* Some popular games are not working, NFS Shift, Dungeon Defenders etc
* No LED for email/sms notifications
* Phone vibrates loudly when fully charged - waking me up at 4 am
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, how can the shutter noise not have an option to turn it off????
use an APP called NOled it worked amazingly on the SGS1

RedBlueGreen said:
Mine does..
What i done like:
the gap inbetween the screen and the silver bezel
the home button moves around a little
Big gap where the speaker is
no protective cover for the camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
opps,,,, mine does too. i swear it didn't a minute ago. only after i rebooted the touch to focus worked.

valdigre said:
Those two drawbacks are actually disturbing, as SGS has an option to disable shutter sound from within camera settings.
I also remember, that in previous, first Froyo firmwares for SGS it was also vibrating at night when charged.
Samsung fixed it with newer firmwares and this problem was gone.
I wouldn't worry about this just yet, I think those two maybe fixed in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont understand. original SGS had the vibrate issue when full, so they fixed it. they relesae the successor, and put the issue back in place? oh samsung you silly devil dogs, cant think things thru can they...kinda stupid.

My number one concern is bbc iplayer.
When I visit the iplayer website and play video it suffers from stuttering.
My second concern is white mesh on flash animations. Why cant the vectors be smooth like flash on the pc?

Dannyboyni said:
My number one concern is bbc iplayer.
When I visit the iplayer website and play video it suffers from stuttering.
My second concern is white mesh on flash animations. Why cant the vectors be smooth like flash on the pc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I've said this before above somewhere iPlayer will most certainly improve for SGS II. It just came out.
I have no problems with flash. Watch (not in youtube) embedded sites and click full screen set on 1080p it is AMAZING.

Galaxy S II

Hi, I was an andorid user and when i had one i loved it too bits then came windows phone 7 and im not going to lie i loved that more, however I am due a upgrade and the sheer power of the new andorid phones overpower windows phone 7 handsets and adter watching some youtube videos web browising is faster. However I have a few questions, would you recommened it? How is the batter life with e-mail updates constant/instant and few web browsing. My old android x8 had soem lag, has this now been sorted due to the power or is it jsut andorid os?
Thanks

Here's some things to consider with the SGS2. Some of what's listed effects different users to different degrees.
- Display
There's a band on the left side that seems discolored on a gray background at 20% brightness in the dark. Some see it in everyday use, some don't. I'd venture a guess that more don't or the hue and cry would be louder. If you're anal retentive about your display, check out the 60 page thread.
- Wi-Fi
Seems wonky for some users. It may be equipment specific (EG: router) or strangeness with a particular handset. There's a couple of threads running on that.
- 2G/3G/4G
There's some connectivity issues depending on what network you're on. Make sure your location and/or carrier aren't ones people may be having issues with.
- Audio
If you're an audiophile there's a couple of threads on audio performance which, due to a number of factors, has been deemed by pros to be below that of the original Galaxy.
- Camera
There's a bunch of threads on stills and video. Read them if you're a heavy camera user. Biggest issue now is a pink spot showing up photographing white backgrounds in natural light.
- Battery
Average at best. As things currently are, plan on 10-16 hours depending on how you use the phone. There's an issue in 2.3.3. that effects dual-core phones and Samsung's issuing an update to 2.3.4. any day now which is supposed to correct it.
Based on the way I (and only I) use the phone I'm very happy and the above issues either don't bother me or don't effect me. The phone's fast, the display is beautiful, and it's a great all around device. Compare your hot buttons to those of others and if you think you're good, by all means get the phone.

Don't forget the color banding, gradients don't appear smooth but look banded like they did in the 90's with 16 bit color

godutch said:
Don't forget the color banding, gradients don't appear smooth but look banded like they did in the 90's with 16 bit color
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a thread on whether the phone's fully using its 24bit capabilities via the display. The theory is that when software is directly addressing the screen its fine. When drivers get involved it drops to 16bit. The same thing happened to the Nexus S and was fixed in 2.3.4. We're hoping the same thing happens.

I would just like to that all you for your comments, so far all the problems are actully scaring me lol. However with all these problems would you still reccommened this phone? If so do you like it more than your previous andorid phone?
Thanks

andoridkiller said:
I would just like to that all you for your comments, so far all the problems are actully scaring me lol. However with all these problems would you still reccommened this phone? If so do you like it more than your previous andorid phone?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problems i have none of the above and suggest the ones that do are in a minority as always .
Choice is yours but remember that a forum like tis does not get may saying its brilliant by its very nature those that perceive a problem post those that dont have the problem dont post .
Plus the posters of xxx problem always manage to post multiple threads saying exactly the same .
jje

JJEgan said:
Problems i have none of the above and suggest the ones that do are in a minority as always .
Choice is yours but remember that a forum like tis does not get may saying its brilliant by its very nature those that perceive a problem post those that dont have the problem dont post .
Plus the posters of xxx problem always manage to post multiple threads saying exactly the same .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 nicely put
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA Premium App

andoridkiller said:
I would just like to that all you for your comments, so far all the problems are actully scaring me lol. However with all these problems would you still reccommened this phone? If so do you like it more than your previous andorid phone?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, if your just using it as a device that can phone, text, take pics when you need that arent for a magazine or something, play some tunes whilst you are on the bus or whatever, do some modding if you are that way inclined then buy it. If you are fussy about anything like that find something else. People will always find problems with devices like this as they are used to better maybe or compare it to a device thats is specifically for playing music or taking photos. This is a great phone, best i have had and i am well pleased. Just my opinion anyway.

Im so tired of people summing up everyones experience. I have a sgs2 from first batch and I have none of the problems youll find on the first 2-3 pages of threads. Remember like the member above me said, people with complaint threads will post before a postive thread. Complaint threads will get the most attention and see the most post. There might be less then 10 members actually having the problem if you read through the thread.
Display: gradients on screen is really only not that noticable unless your anal. Only time I see it is when I open xda app(takes ages to load on brown screen) and others are seeing it on the intro to angry birds. Not while actually playing but the intro lol. Screen is beautiful and works 99.9% correctly.
Wifi: I have no issues with connection or speed. I download lost of big files daily. Mostly mixtapes and other files usually around a 100mb+. I get connection and my 15-20mbs download no matter where im at in my house.
2g/3g/4g/ My device stays connected through 3g all day. When im actually downloading or using data it switches in 1sec to H+. Real world usage is really fast in North florida but if im playing with speedtest apps I will get mixed reviews.
Audio- I start my music at work around 9am everyday. I work with loud ass dogs and other various animals on a daily basis. Never had a problem with audio coming through my handset and I use the included headphones. At 50% I can hear my audio over barking dogs. In my vehicle with my 2 12s and 1000w amp you can hear me from a block away. Easily matches my wifes iphone4 if not better with poweramps eq.
Camera- No issues here. Just getting back from short trips to jacksonville fl, orlando, and north georgia(mostly ATL) and no pink spots on my photos.
Battery life is all user to user. I myself have the luxury of charging my phone over night unlike others on the website. I can do my heavy using from 9-6 everyday and still have 30-50% when I get home. Music is always playing through headphones(9-6) 2 emails checking hourly, check xda 1000times, browse atleast 20 websites throughout the day and other numerous stuff and can make it home after a work day. If I was anal I could get 2days out of my phone before it actually dies. Remember with android most problems are User Error.
Unless you are in love with Sense, theres no phone that can match it until the next sgs comes out.
BarryH_GEG said:
Here's some things to consider with the SGS2. Some of what's listed effects different users to different degrees.
- Display
There's a band on the left side that seems discolored on a gray background at 20% brightness in the dark. Some see it in everyday use, some don't. I'd venture a guess that more don't or the hue and cry would be louder. If you're anal retentive about your display, check out the 60 page thread.
- Wi-Fi
Seems wonky for some users. It may be equipment specific (EG: router) or strangeness with a particular handset. There's a couple of threads running on that.
- 2G/3G/4G
There's some connectivity issues depending on what network you're on. Make sure your location and/or carrier aren't ones people may be having issues with.
- Audio
If you're an audiophile there's a couple of threads on audio performance which, due to a number of factors, has been deemed by pros to be below that of the original Galaxy.
- Camera
There's a bunch of threads on stills and video. Read them if you're a heavy camera user. Biggest issue now is a pink spot showing up photographing white backgrounds in natural light.
- Battery
Average at best. As things currently are, plan on 10-16 hours depending on how you use the phone. There's an issue in 2.3.3. that effects dual-core phones and Samsung's issuing an update to 2.3.4. any day now which is supposed to correct it.
Based on the way I (and only I) use the phone I'm very happy and the above issues either don't bother me or don't effect me. The phone's fast, the display is beautiful, and it's a great all around device. Compare your hot buttons to those of others and if you think you're good, by all means get the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

intruda119 said:
Display: gradients on screen is really only not that noticable unless your anal. Only time I see it is when I open xda app(takes ages to load on brown screen) and others are seeing it on the intro to angry birds. Not while actually playing but the intro lol. Screen is beautiful and works 99.9% correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you call this "not that noticable" I give up :
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(Nexus One vs S2 @ "the Impossible Game" )
Do you think this is a normal IQ for a High End device like the S2?
As to Angry Birds 1 & Rio (and other games too) it is not only noticable in the intros my friend ... if you play them you will see !

Yeah I consider that not noticable in my book.
1st photo is a picture of the battery charging when phone is turned off if I'm correct. I don't stare at my screen when its just charging. In my real world use ill never see that long enough to annoy me.
2nd pic is when its connected to kies. When I actually use keis I'm not looking at the phone. I'm not saying its not there but the first 2 pics is not something I see daily. Im guessing the 3rd is a game but I don't play it. But the gradient is there.
I'm pretty sure I've heard its a software issue and not hardware. I find the pictures you posted funny. It shows me how hard it is to reproduce the gradients. But like I've said before I must have crap standards to accept a phone with imperfections. Can't believe I spent 700 on the best phone out to date.
To me this is a small issue that's resolved with a software update or one of the amazing devs come up with something. We don't have a ton of choices and I rather have gradients on a FEW screens vs what HTC is doing.
I understand that im a early adaptor of a device. Things may be changed/fixed in the next couple of months like nfc or something.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

intruda119 said:
Im so tired of people summing up everyones experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your solution is to sum up yours and assume your individual device and personal expectations trump all? All hail the king.