Database Users

Is the Samsung Fascinate a good choice?

I'm due for an upgrade on Nov. 18th, and wanted to know the goods and bads of this phone from my fellow XDA Community. Basically, I want to know:
1. Will the lagfix potentially fix any "lag" on the phone beforehand?
2. Is the GPS as bad as people say it is?
3. Is Screen Burn in a problem with the Super Amoled Screen?
4. Is the Camera and Camcorder any good?
I'm coming from a Droid Eris and want to get the best phone out there that can last me for a year.

Ok my personal opinion:
Camera is great!!!
Video Recording is great
Screen Is great!!!
GPS is quirky (might be fixed with 2.2 update)
Touchwiz is boring , slow etc
Great design!
But i got rid of mine, in hopes that the htc desire hd is being released this month on verizon! The new Sense UI is awesome .......my opinion others love stock android ui!

Just saw your coming from a HTC Eris..........then honestly if you like the Sense UI, dont get this!
Goodluck!

I came from an Eris too and I love this! (I got rid of the Sense UI on my Eris with a custom ROM) Personally I don't have any problem with lag even without a lagfix, my GPS works just fine, and call quality is great. It is a big improvement from the Eris, the battery life is definitely better, and I really have nothing bad to say about it. The only thing I miss is the LED notification but there are ways around that. The camera and camcorder work great - excellent picture quality, and no screen burn in that I have seen so far anyway.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Wtf does HTC sense have to do with the Samsung phone. I never flame but that is dumb as hell to say. Touchwiz and sense are not even close. Besides. Put LP on there and forget it. People only slam it when its not their cup of tea. I have literally had every phone Verizon has release since the Droid 1 and I ****ing love my fascinate. The new HTC will likely be a ***** to root much like the others. And Verizon WILL NOT GET DESIRE HD. it will likely be the exact same phone but not called that. But in Sherwood's defense ill say that's one hella good looking phone. But I am gonna keep my fascinate til LTE and by the. That HTC will be shot BC it wont have LTE. if u want to be impressed read about how much better fascinate screen and CPU /GPU Are than any other phone. If u like to game the Samsung galaxy phones are the absolutely best made for that
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Untrue statement about Sense UI being better than Touchwiz. I have had the eris, incredible and now the facinate and touchwiz is just fine. Load ADW as your launcher and you will really dig this phone over the eris for sure.
IMO... GPS is not that big of an issue for me as there are some work arounds to get satellites to lock quicker and if I do get burn in on my screen I will have it replaced.With the 2.2 update just around the corner it should help make this a more solid phone. (Especially after the developers get a hold of it!) If your ok with the size of the incredible, there isn't a better phone made but it lacks a good car dock/mount and the best case ever made, "kickstand case". My incredible did have a little better cell signal also... Having said that, good luck. The facinate will be a huge upgrade from the eris. And as stated before, this is all (IMO) with experience with all three.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Depending on your screen size preferences and the reviews you might want to take a look at the Samsung Continuum when it comes out - should be before your upgrade date. If you must have a notification when things happen then the ticker seems to be a great idea. We have yet to see how it affects battery life though.

1. Yes. Also depends on your level of annoyance to the lag.
2. No.
3. None evident at all, after a month and a half.
4. Yes. I have always loved the sammy panorama feature.
No regrets at all.
good day.

Coming from a moto droid this phone is great!
Camera and camcorder are great
gps is iffy at time but works prob get fixed
I like touchwiz and find it not laggy at all in fact its one of the only launchers that dont lag when used with lwp. I mean launcher pro does not lag alot but u can see it in the app drawer alittle touchwiz app drawer has zero lag.
I dont use lagfix (uninstalled) i see no need for it actually i think just running the stock deodexed rom makes for a super smooth experiance.

Problem is, I'm deciding between a Samsung Fascinate with AWESOME hardware (love that GPU) and a Droid X with 2. 2. It's hard!
Sent from Eris with Froyo

Go to a corporate store and play with both of them - I briefly considered the Droid X but when I tried it out in the store, it just seemed slow and somehow cumbersome and not just from the size - even stock the Fascinate was smoother to me.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

If you liked the ERIS......... stay with SENSE UI. Its hard to give it up. I regret it!!!
As far as Games , if you want a gaming phone WAIT TILL THERE ARE QUALITY GAMES. And not 1 year old IPHONE PORTS.
Wait a little longer trust me.
BTW I had the droid X the camera was complete garbage!!! And I prefer capacative buttons at the bottom and not tactile ones like the x.
But again stay with sense. You get alot of built in options stock instead of 3rd party addons to get same options. Like copy and paste, and scrollable widgets.
Goodluck!!

I'll just have to wait and see.

TheSonicEmerald said:
1. Will the lagfix potentially fix any "lag" on the phone beforehand?
2. Is the GPS as bad as people say it is?
3. Is Screen Burn in a problem with the Super Amoled Screen?
4. Is the Camera and Camcorder any good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I don't notice any lag for normal use. It only really lags on me when installing things from the Market, but I'm guessing this is a general issue with Android
2. GPS lock can take 10-20 sec, but isn't that bad. I've found that always leaving GPS on as opposed to turning it off/on as needed helps keep the lag from being as bad.
3. Haven't noticed any burn in on my phone
4. I haven't taken many pictures yet, but the one's I have taken have been good for a phone camera
I'd say go to a store and play with both devices. After using the capacitive buttons on the Fascinate for a couple weeks now, the physical buttons of the Droid X seemed annoying when I played around with one a few days ago. Also, if you're waiting until the 18th, FroYo should be out not long after that, and that is when I'd expect a lot of development to start up for ROMs and kernels, so the software should hopefully catch up to the great hardware in a couple months.

Droid X VS Fascinate
I just picked up the Fascinate a few days ago after returning the X. I had the X for three weeks. I agree with the poster that noted how BAD the X camera is. So far with the sammy I have not had any issues lag,GPS or otherwise. I had a Tmo Vibrant and loved it. My only complaint about the fascinate is the lack of 2.2. Other than that I think its the perfect size and weight. I currently carry and iPhone 4 and the Fascinate. I dont think I have taken the iPhone out of my laptop bag since I got the Samsung.

you should wait and see if the nexus two comes to vzw

Chuban7 said:
you should wait and see if the nexus two comes to vzw
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Click to collapse
No, you shouldn't. Right now the Nexus Two is a mythical device that does not exist. Even if Google does decide to make one, it won't be out anytime soon, and there's a good chance it wouldn't be on Verizon first, if at all.
I came from an Eris myself, and had no problem dumping Sense UI. In fact, the last month I had it, I was running the KaosFroyo ROM, which is based on stock Froyo. Once I installed LauncherPro Plus, Dialer One, and a few other goodies, I realized that it was even better than when it ran Sense UI. If I were you, I would grab the Fascinate over the Droid X, because te hardware is superior, and Froyo will be out for it soon enough. Bing is a non-issue, since it can easily be removed by rooting, if you don't like it.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Upgrade to Epic 4g from evo 4g?

So my evo is starting to act up, wondering if the epic would be a viable replacement?
Anyone done this or have any input on it?
Mostly use my phones for the tether, texting and killing time at work.
Thanks for any help!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Not much of an upgrade unless you want the keyboard or a slightly better screen if you ask me. If your phone is acting up it may be software related? Try flashing a different ROM or something

Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

trueplaya89 said:
Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Epic is better then an EVO overall..but it boils down to is it worth for you to spend money buying a new one...
your usage is mostly fairly simple, I guess you'd have better time texting if you use the physical kb I guess...or if by killing time you mean running high end games..then Epic would definitely be an improvement..
I mean what do you mean by "acting up" and "killing time"..be a bit specific?
I'll tell you this though Epic runs really awesome stock with little to no issues...

trueplaya89 said:
Could be rom, but Im thinking the meeting with the concrete today may have something to do with it to be honest.
Could be warranty time. Lol.
I'll try a different Rom in a bit.
Cyanogen mod time.
But nothing really better than the evo then?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us answer that question after official froyo is released and/or Cyanogen mod is fully ported.

I have had 5 random restarts, seem to all happened during data usuage, but I haven't had random ones on this phone before. Trying to strain the phone some more now.
My usuage for my phone is mostly just the tether/wifi tether, facebook chat, texting, mp3 player occasionally, haven't really gotten into gaming on the phone.
I know it may me being paranoid... And I haven't bought a new phone in a while haha.
And anyone swype on their epic? Or is everyone all die hard keyboard?
Thanks everyone
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I just recently got the epic over the evo, due to the beautiful screen and so far I'm thrilled. The Evo is a very nice phone and I'd say on par with the epic but the epic has the keyboard along with a super amoled screen. Some say the 8MP camera is a plus for the evo but personally I'd rather have a samsung 5mp than a htc 8mp, just due to their reputation. But both take beautiful pics, so it really comes down to is the keyboard and amoled with gorilla glass worth it for you? I rarely use the slide out, mostly swype, but for long emails, texts, etc the slide out is extremely useful!
So evaluate the pros / cons and see if its worth it for you! I'm more than happy I went with the epic!
Sincerely,
D3luSi0n4L

I agree with D3luSi0n4L, you just need to evaluate the pros/cons as they pertain to you. I'm overall pleased with my Epic because IMO the screen quality is superior and I like to have a physical keyboard (especially when traveling, Emulators play nicely with keyboards ) The only hangup with the Epic is the lackluster support from Samsung. If you really like playing with new ROMs and constantly tweaking your phone, then the EVO will be better for you. Lets face it, HTC phones just have more support behind them. Hell, even the Hero is still getting updates...
Like i said, figure out what's most important to you and go from there.

The epic is a viable replacement. Its noticeably smaller though, even if its only .3 inches. That might make a difference. Other than that its basically the same+keyboard. And froyo isn't out officially yet. and there's a considerable difference in development for the epic and evo...so you might wanna take that into account too, although stock dk28 froyo is good enough. I've been running it since it firs got leaked and my gps is perfect and everythin else works. Even the browser. Wen froyo is officially released, this phone will easily beat evo
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Oh and swype is preinstalled lol
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Evo has Swype since last week's update.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

That's a downgrade if you ask me, I have both unless you game and watch movies. The Evo is a better daily functional phone, hands down.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Basically the phones are very similar. You should try to see about that warranty before you drop a load of cash on a phone that isn't all that different. Are you out of warrantee/due for an upgrade? T-Mobile Nexus S looks yummy

sleepy8594 said:
That's a downgrade if you ask me, I have both unless you game and watch movies. The Evo is a better daily functional phone, hands down.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will have to agree with this statement. But again, this is MY OWN personal thoughts on it. I have both phones as well and I find myself using my EVO a lot more than my Epic. Not saying that the Epic is not a good phone because it is a good phone.
At the end of the day though, its all in what YOU want and what works best for YOU. Thats something no one can speak on. Either way, your in a win-win! GOOD LUCK!

trueplaya89 said:
I have had 5 random restarts, seem to all happened during data usuage, but I haven't had random ones on this phone before. Trying to strain the phone some more now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember hearing someone say they had this issue on multiple EVOs..not sure if its true or not but this is not an issue on the Epic.
My usuage for my phone is mostly just the tether/wifi tether, facebook chat, texting, mp3 player occasionally, haven't really gotten into gaming on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well both phones can do what you want...things come to mind is our Inferstructure tethering is right now 2.1 only, hopefully will be fixed soon..if ad hoc or wire tethering is what you need 2.2 works...as for mp3, we got 5.1 surround sound option if you have headsets that support it..
I know it may me being paranoid... And I haven't bought a new phone in a while haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boils down to your financials..I say go play with an Epic at the store to get a feel for it before deciding though...you can load up 2.2 on their demo phones while they arent looking too lol
And anyone swype on their epic? Or is everyone all die hard keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of people use swype..most ppl use kb for long messages and gaming...in my case I need kb for remote desktop programming in emergencies...I use on screen kb by default...but I do enjoy using the physical kb for when surfing the net..I so hate using the onscreen kb when surfing webpages on all phones in general..mostly since..
1) web is ment to be surfed vertical resolution anyways
2) the onscreen kb popping up is a mess that blocks my screen :/
hence the physical KB makes surfing the net more enjoyable for me at least..
If you would like to know what we got going over the EVO its:
1) Better processor
2) 3x better GPU
3) 6 axis accelometer
4) super amoled
5) keyboard
6) Better camera
7) Better Audio
8) Gorilla Glass
9) Built in video drivers such as xvid/divx/mkv etc
10) and more...
and probably a few other things I'm missing...I'm not saying the Epic has no flaws..but its definitely a step up hardware spec wise..

Switching from Vibrant to HD2

Got a bit tired of Vibrant.....not that its bad, its a great phone and TouchWiz has been great too, GPS worked fine as well.....but the lack of ROMs made me switch. I tried going back to Nexus One.....no go, screen is crap, cant type anything without mistakes after Vibrants SAMOLED.....so HD2 came into my mind. Ironically, this Windows 6.5 phone has more Android support then Vibrant. It runs anything you want, Win6.5, Win7.0, CM7, Miui, HTC Sense, and even Linux......thats why I decided to give it a shot, at least until Pyramid comes out.

I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.

inconceeeivable said:
I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks.
well, since today, Miui Gingerbread is officially supported on hd2. this is one of the reasons for switch. Miui work great on my Nexus 1

I have both the vibrant and hd2, the hd2 is my back up/ fun phone. I gotten tired of touch wiz and wanted to try aosp android. So after months of having the hd2 I flashed everything under the sun and loved it. There is always something new to do on the hd2.
But as for battery life, stability and speed i still use the vibrant for my main phone.

Blkegk said:
I have both the vibrant and hd2, the hd2 is my back up/ fun phone. I gotten tired of touch wiz and wanted to try aosp android. So after months of having the hd2 I flashed everything under the sun and loved it. There is always something new to do on the hd2.
But as for battery life, stability and speed i still use the vibrant for my main phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a fan of aosp. more of a sense and Miui fan
really worried about battery though

inconceeeivable said:
I've used both...
The screen size of the HD2 is nice, but the Vibrant display is superior in every other way IMO. And while the HD2 has some excellent ROMs, I wouldn't expect everything to work out of the box. It may run all those OSes you just mentioned, but the only one it officially runs is WinMo 6.5. Expect to compromise on features and do some tinkering otherwise. (If you require HD video recording, for example, don't even consider the HD2.)
It sounds like you've had pretty good luck with your Vibrant (compared to other Vibrant owners). Especially considering the fact that you don't mind TouchWiz, not sure I'd recommend the switch...that's just my opinion from several weeks experience. Your mileage may vary of course.
Good luck though. The HD2 has the best build of any phone I've ever used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After using the HD7 so much, I cannot fathom going back to using only a 4" screen as my main phone. I still use my Vibrant daily - I think some of the Official Apps on WP7 like Twitter and FB still need a bit more work. But with just 0.3" less screen size it feels too small already. I can barely type on it anymore.
The screen is really good but once you start using the other phones (even using them side by side) I don't think I ever really think about which screen is better, TBQH.
And yea, the build quality of the HD2 is great outside of the dust-attracting speaker grilles
However, the Vibrant makes a superior phone to the HD2/HD7. Reception is a lot better. The Vibrant's speakers are also a lot better than the HD2/HD7s. Less tinny and twice as loud. Even the earpiece volume for talking on the phone on an HD2/HD7 is almost 50% thinner and lower in volume than the Vibrant.
Just makes me think how much of a shame it was for Samsung to put such terrible software on the Vibrant (not in function or aesthetics, but in performance and robustness).

kolyan said:
thanks.
well, since today, Miui Gingerbread is officially supported on hd2. this is one of the reasons for switch. Miui work great on my Nexus 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow...did not know that lol. That's awesome.

if you could, just buy a 2nd hand hd2 and keep them both.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

N8ter said:
After using the HD7 so much, I cannot fathom going back to using only a 4" screen as my main phone. I still use my Vibrant daily - I think some of the Official Apps on WP7 like Twitter and FB still need a bit more work. But with just 0.3" less screen size it feels too small already. I can barely type on it anymore.
The screen is really good but once you start using the other phones (even using them side by side) I don't think I ever really think about which screen is better, TBQH.
And yea, the build quality of the HD2 is great outside of the dust-attracting speaker grilles
However, the Vibrant makes a superior phone to the HD2/HD7. Reception is a lot better. The Vibrant's speakers are also a lot better than the HD2/HD7s. Less tinny and twice as loud. Even the earpiece volume for talking on the phone on an HD2/HD7 is almost 50% thinner and lower in volume than the Vibrant.
Just makes me think how much of a shame it was for Samsung to put such terrible software on the Vibrant (not in function or aesthetics, but in performance and robustness).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stay away from the SGS2, you'll never be able to go back to a 4.3 inch.

Nothing against the vibrant but I jsut bought an dell streak. Vibrant is the champion being the longest phone in my possession. Im just bored with it and the dell streak is about the only phone I havent had besides the nexus s. Just waiting until the sgs2 comes out.

So far 4.3'' is pretty impressive, dont miss SAMOLED at all. Both speakers suck in HD2 compared to Galaxy, built quality is much better then Galaxy, Android actually runs faster (maybe the same), battery life dont know yet..... I hear mixed reports that Gingerbread is draining more battery......but the good thing is that Miui updates are comming out each week and no wipe is needed. Might try Gingerbread Sense UI later on since its still "new" to HD2

kolyan said:
So far 4.3'' is pretty impressive, dont miss SAMOLED at all. Both speakers suck in HD2 compared to Galaxy, built quality is much better then Galaxy, Android actually runs faster (maybe the same), battery life dont know yet..... I hear mixed reports that Gingerbread is draining more battery......but the good thing is that Miui updates are comming out each week and no wipe is needed. Might try Gingerbread Sense UI later on since its still "new" to HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the latest releases, but pongster's GBX ROM has a great reputation battery-wise. And yeah, those GB Sense builds will be sick if they get the camera working.
Edit: The main thing that bothers me about the HD2/7 display is the LCD response time. Do you guys notice this as well?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

inconceeeivable said:
Not sure about the latest releases, but pongster's GBX ROM has a great reputation battery-wise. And yeah, those GB Sense builds will be sick if they get the camera working.
Edit: The main thing that bothers me about the HD2/7 display is the LCD response time. Do you guys notice this as well?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean about LCD ? Haven't noticed anything different from Vibrant yet.

I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..

kolyan said:
what do you mean about LCD ? Haven't noticed anything different from Vibrant yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost like a ghosting effect. Mainly noticeable on white text scrolling on a dark background. Not a huge deal, but was definitely there on both HD2 and HD7.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App

cashyftw said:
I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine with Android ROM so it was easy. with original windows, you have to flash radio, spl, and bootloader. after that its easy, and pretty much the same as Vibrant, flash the same clockwork recovery and flash Rom of your choice.

cashyftw said:
I've been considering getting an hd2 for awhile, I just don't know what to do though, I'll miss my vibrant like crazy, one of the main reasons I'll miss my vibe is because I wouldn't have a clue how to flash roms on the hd2..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will glady help you flash roms on the Hd2.
It may seem complicated, but most of it is done through the computer. DFT's executables are very simple to operate. And unless you flash the wrong radio or mess up the bootloader, the phone is impossible to brick, partly thanks to the ability to flash through the computer (kind of like odin).

battery lasted 9 hours of pretty heavy use in 3g area with brightness set to auto....mostly playing and browsing the net, not much talk time or gps. also right now and at least in Miui, I can't change settings for light sensor (its a bug or something) and stock brightness is pretty high. Ones thats fixed, I bet it will greatly help the battery.

XPLANE9 said:
I will glady help you flash roms on the Hd2.
It may seem complicated, but most of it is done through the computer. DFT's executables are very simple to operate. And unless you flash the wrong radio or mess up the bootloader, the phone is impossible to brick, partly thanks to the ability to flash through the computer (kind of like odin).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, once you get clockwork on there, it wont be so different.

april fools? haha just playing
I came from an HD2 to a Vibrant. Gave the HD2 to my brother (android virgin). I love the screen size and the ease of running multiple roms on it but speaker and camera annoys the heck out of me. Funny though because I don't even use GPS that much and barely take picture but those are some things I NEED to have in a phone.
ANyway, good luck with your new phone. I am a bit jealous of not being able to run GB w/ gps my vibrant but it makes up in other area.

Just got my Nexus S ATT. My thoughts.

Coming from HTC Inspire btw.
Size-Build is awesome imo, perfect screen size, nice and lightweight and does not feel cheap imo.
Yea its superamoled but wtf at the yellowish tint....why did they do this?? My Captivate looked better and this is one of the main selling points for me, is there anything we can do to get it back to the other color temperature? Seriously....
Tried the camera a bit, not impressive at all, neither was the inspire so eh whatever.
Everything is FAST! I love it!
Stock Android!!! Woooh! No Blocking of Apps! Woooh!
Wifi seems a bit slow, it started doing a restore off the bat and downloading all my apps from the inspire and even the background! wow! Really cool feature that I had no Idea about, but some apps installed and then I kept getting a bunch of errors saying "insufficient memory" I guess I gotta do them one by one...
Thats pretty much it, Im satisfied but the screen tint is kinda leaving a bad taste in my mouth, the SuperLCD seemed more sharp and brighter then this and the whites were WHITE and the blacks werent too shabby either, dunno wtf is going on as the Screen on my old captivate was great and I loved it, this is eh...

Really hoping I didnt make the wrong choice here, the Xperia arc I had my eyes on and the only thing it didnt have was a FFC and I can live without it, beyond that I like the looks, bigger screen, lighter weight, on the arc better and sony unlocked the bootloader on their new devices so updates will come regardless, way better camera, I just dont know about this whole screen thing....

i just got mine today, so thought i'd chime in too.
build quality: not cheap imo, the ergonomics dept should pat themselves on the back. feels just right
doesn't feel laggy
sensors problem. compass seems a bit off, and the best gps lock i've had is 10m error after about 60s. i stood outside and waited, no lock. resorted to downloading gps status and downloaded the additional gps data. this seems to be the only way it's locked on. compared to a desire, this is hella slow and crappy for gps.
camera quality, i think for a phone it's good enough. for the ffc, so it's vga, but at what resolution does skype mobile use? what's that? it's not working? oh well. i think vga is fine for video calls. anything else is just additional cost.
about to test with music and haven't put a sim in yet to test the phone.
i bought it for development, so i'm now going to start messing about with it, but the phone feels nice and zippy, but disappointed with the sensors (will be testing outside tomorrow) as i'm looking to do a lot of augmented reality dev.

MarkusPO said:
i just got mine today, so thought i'd chime in too.
build quality: not cheap imo, the ergonomics dept should pat themselves on the back. feels just right
doesn't feel laggy
sensors problem. compass seems a bit off, and the best gps lock i've had is 10m error after about 60s. i stood outside and waited, no lock. resorted to downloading gps status and downloaded the additional gps data. this seems to be the only way it's locked on. compared to a desire, this is hella slow and crappy for gps.
camera quality, i think for a phone it's good enough. for the ffc, so it's vga, but at what resolution does skype mobile use? what's that? it's not working? oh well. i think vga is fine for video calls. anything else is just additional cost.
about to test with music and haven't put a sim in yet to test the phone.
i bought it for development, so i'm now going to start messing about with it, but the phone feels nice and zippy, but disappointed with the sensors (will be testing outside tomorrow) as i'm looking to do a lot of augmented reality dev.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're going to test sound, i highly recommend using netarchy's kernel (unsure if it works on a I9020A).. but basically put Voodoo Sound, it'll be highly worth it without question

thanks, but i'm going to keep this stock.

You can change the bad color by using voodoo control app on the market and finding a kernel that supports it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

MarkusPO said:
thanks, but i'm going to keep this stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're keeping it stock... why did you say
i bought it for development, so i'm now going to start messing about with it, but the phone feels nice and zippy, but disappointed with the sensors (will be testing outside tomorrow) as i'm looking to do a lot of augmented reality dev.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aren't you simply contradicting yourself?

j0hnZ said:
You can change the bad color by using voodoo control app on the market and finding a kernel that supports it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean by "kernal that supports it" Can anyone help me out with this? Whole reason I got a NS is so that I didnt have to mod/root etc lol
But I dunno if I can live with this yellow tint, I NEED to change it!

zephiK said:
if you're keeping it stock... why did you say
aren't you simply contradicting yourself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do plenty of app development on a stock rom. Not all development is rom/kernel based
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

krohnjw said:
You can do plenty of app development on a stock rom. Not all development is rom/kernel based
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, thank you. "Development" only means ROM development here. in the big-wide-world it means apps!

MarkusPO said:
Yep, thank you. "Development" only means ROM development here. in the big-wide-world it means apps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, you didn't specify. and yes, development on XDA is defaulted towards ROM development and not apps.

bah. it doesn't matter, let's play nice.
want a game of horseshoe? HORSESHOE!

MarkusPO said:
bah. it doesn't matter, let's play nice.
want a game of horseshoe? HORSESHOE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about a yellow tint? You have it? Its seriously bugging me out...

crap, sorry about the thanks there
no, i don't have a tint at all - i have a 9020. and no tint. i manually upgraded to 2.3.2 - too scared to update to 2.3.3 yet. i don't have a sim in it, so the ota wasn't registering.
in terms of sound quality, it blows away my ipod touch 1st gen, but then again most of my older cheaper mp3 players do so that in itself isn't saying much! the dynamic range sounds a lot better on this than what was on the desire too.
but still haven't taken the stickers on the phone off yet. need a case!

MarkusPO said:
Yep, thank you. "Development" only means ROM development here. in the big-wide-world it means apps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol lmo in your world maybe.
In the one that I live in and the rest of the world DEVELOPMENT means rom development or something else or different to improve the phone or make it looks nicer maybe a theme
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

MarkusPO said:
crap, sorry about the thanks there
no, i don't have a tint at all - i have a 9020. and no tint. i manually upgraded to 2.3.2 - too scared to update to 2.3.3 yet. i don't have a sim in it, so the ota wasn't registering.
in terms of sound quality, it blows away my ipod touch 1st gen, but then again most of my older cheaper mp3 players do so that in itself isn't saying much! the dynamic range sounds a lot better on this than what was on the desire too.
but still haven't taken the stickers on the phone off yet. need a case!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd be even more amazed at sound with voodoo.
Seriously, you're missing out. But if u don't want to mod it then that's fine.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

doniqcc said:
Lol lmo in your world maybe.
In the one that I live in and the rest of the world DEVELOPMENT means rom development or something else or different to improve the phone or make it looks nicer maybe a theme
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
putting glow-in-the-dark stickers on it will make it look nice... ohh i see... i didn't know that's development! thanks!
development means programming. fullstop. period. back to the scheduled show!

MarkusPO said:
putting glow-in-the-dark stickers on it will make it look nice... ohh i see... i didn't know that's development! thanks!
development means programming. fullstop. period. back to the scheduled show!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not in xda development but you can do it in android market place but you'll learn eventually it's ok. I can't wait to see what app you'll work on. wait I know something about teaching other people how to develop a rom without rooting your phone nice yeeeeah
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

voodoo sound and color changed my life.
Try the settings in the apps and themes section of this forum.

aaronpaws said:
voodoo sound and color changed my life.
Try the settings in the apps and themes section of this forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I could do it without a root, I just cant seem to do the damn root, Im stuck on the drivers part....

Xperia X10... How BAD can it be?!

In my urge to find something "different" I'm considering purchasing an X10, but all the reviews say it's just terrible...
Honestly, how bad can it be? Is this just tainted blood from when it was first released on 1.6? Am I wrong in thinking that it's a very usable device, either with the latest updates, or on a rom from the dev section?

I'd say wait another month when it gets Gingerbread and look for reviews then.
Right now, I wouldn't recommend buying it, no matter what custom rom you put on it. There are better phones you can get with the same price.
Ofcourse, I love the design, camera, UI, etc but the screen is so unbelievably bad right now, it goes over anything else

What do you mean the screen is bad? Response or the image on the screen?

pngface said:
I'd say wait another month when it gets Gingerbread and look for reviews then.
Right now, I wouldn't recommend buying it, no matter what custom rom you put on it. There are better phones you can get with the same price.
Ofcourse, I love the design, camera, UI, etc but the screen is so unbelievably bad right now, it goes over anything else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen isnt that bad at all. And theres always gonna be better devices for the same price no matter what device you have. There are better devices, but how much are you willing to spend?
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Seems they're easily had in the 150 dollar range used...

ClubDownforce said:
Seems they're easily had in the 150 dollar range used...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...but how much are you willing to spend on a phone? And what's the important features you want?
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Mr Patchy Patch said:
Yes...but how much are you willing to spend on a phone? And what's the important features you want?
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree.
Most of the people that reviewed the x10 used it with Android 1.6.
IMHO, it's as bad as you think it is. But as Mr Patchy said what's the most important thing or feature do you want on a phone?
In my case, I just want a stylish, camera phone that has ANY Android OS in it be 1.6, 2.1 or 2.3, so with or without the GB update, I am quite satisfied.
Of course, any new features are welcome.

clixt said:
I totally agree.
Most of the people that reviewed the x10 used it with Android 1.6.
IMHO, it's as bad as you think it is. But as Mr Patchy said what's the most important thing or feature do you want on a phone?
In my case, I just want a stylish, camera phone that has ANY Android OS in it be 1.6, 2.1 or 2.3, so with or without the GB update, I am quite satisfied.
Of course, any new features are welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yes....but not 1.6. If you can remember 1.6 the screen was terrible!!! But since 2.1 SE adjusted colors and made it a very nice display imho. But, yes I to find it important to have a quality camera on my phone....big big reason why I ditched my nexus one for my very first X10. Then everything else just fell in place. I loved the phone the day i got it and never looked back....and that was when it was on 1.6 lol.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

I need a quality cam, reliable signal, decent battery life, and a usable messaging system, with an accurate keyboard.
That's about it.

Camera, signal, and battery life are just fine. It's not the fastest phone. It's still pretty laggy even when optimized. Things should really improve with the 2.3 upgrade but even with that, there are faster, more powerful, and featured phones out there.
For the average smartphone user, the major downside to this phone is the low in call volume. I've had to purchase a bluetooth speakerphone for the car (which is great actually). Taking a call in a loud environment is awful.

ClubDownforce said:
I need a quality cam, reliable signal, decent battery life, and a usable messaging system, with an accurate keyboard.
That's about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Id say go for it. You dont sound to demanding, and you dont sound like you need the best of the best. The X10 is pretty pleasing in my experience.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

I've had my x10 since march. Ive had other droids before and an iphone as well but what i really needed was the great camera that the x10 does have. I've always read people having problems with low in call volume but I can say that i've never had that problem myself. I never used the phone with 1.6, when i got it the 2.1 update was already released, so i never experienced the dreadfulness (some say) that was the 1.6 rom.
The x10 is a very beautiful and stylish phone (specially the white one) with an outstanding camera, HD video and android. I can agree, that the rom (The SE one anyway) is not the fastest or more responsive thing on earth, but I don't find it too horrible either. now that it has the dual touch, the large display is a lot better to handle, even if not perfect.
I say go for it. try to find the one dubbed x10 HD (one that comes with 2.1 out of the box), because it is my understanding that it has a better display module that looks even better than the first x10s did.

Mr Patchy Patch said:
Well yes....but not 1.6. If you can remember 1.6 the screen was terrible!!! But since 2.1 SE adjusted colors and made it a very nice display imho. But, yes I to find it important to have a quality camera on my phone....big big reason why I ditched my nexus one for my very first X10. Then everything else just fell in place. I loved the phone the day i got it and never looked back....and that was when it was on 1.6 lol.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it lol? I didn't know since I got the x10 HD.

clixt said:
Is it lol? I didn't know since I got the x10 HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was bad on 1.6. I have to admit. Most of my widgets looked like ****. And certain wallpapers i used were not tolerable. Since 2.1 dropped i havent had a single problem. Everything is nice and crisp. Consider yourself lucky lol
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Mr Patchy Patch said:
It was bad on 1.6. I have to admit. Most of my widgets looked like ****. And certain wallpapers i used were not tolerable. Since 2.1 dropped i havent had a single problem. Everything is nice and crisp. Consider yourself lucky lol
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What were the colors originally
Sent from my X10 TripNMiUI-Iris using XDA App

If you want to make calls with your phone DON'T buy a X10! The in-call volume still is the worst I ever experienced in my life. All those updates, hacks or custom kernels didn't change anything. When you aren't in a church or library understanding someone is a challenge.
Sent from my X10 using Tapatalk

One thing to consider is how long you plan to use this phone. The X10 Is about to receive android 2.3. This however will be the last official android upgrade that it will receive. I'm close to the end of a 2 year contract so this is not such an issue for me. Granted if you are planning to use a custom roms it won't be a big issue for you either.
Edit;
Willey1986 said:
If you want to make calls with your phone DON'T buy a X10! The in-call volume still is the worst I ever experienced in my life. All those updates, hacks or custom kernels didn't change anything. When you aren't in a church or library understanding someone is a challenge.
Sent from my X10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get your carrier to repair it. I don't have this issue.
Sent from my X10 TripNMiUI-IRIS using XDA Premium App
Sent from my X10 using XDA Premium App

It's stability ranges from no issue's at all to overheating, "usb & chipset" death.
Support from SE is very much lacking.
The x10 does not do well in low signal area's and will overheat and chew thru the battery on 3G.
The camera is nice but unfortunately lacks a flash.
The screen is great even with only 16Bit color.
It's upto you but i would suggest another handset.

rtblittlebrown said:
What were the colors originally
Sent from my X10 TripNMiUI-Iris using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you use the X10 on 1.6? There is a very big noticeable difference between 1.6 and 2.1. While they didnt give us 16m colors they did adjust the colors. Some of the same wallpapers and widgets i used then and now proove a massive difference. Not exactly sure how or what they did...but something was adjusted lol.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

OmegaRED^ said:
It's stability ranges from no issue's at all to overheating, "usb & chipset" death.
Support from SE is very much lacking.
The x10 does not do well in low signal area's and will overheat and chew thru the battery on 3G.
The camera is nice but unfortunately lacks a flash.
The screen is great even with only 16Bit color.
It's upto you but i would suggest another handset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive noticed in bad areas it has its problems...sometimes even drops my call. But i most certainly remember my old nexus one had a very similiar issue where i live. When i had the galaxy s i didnt experience such issue...but that was only like a week...and my samsung focus has been by far the greatest. Not a single issue no matter where ive been.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App