Related
Hi to all of those Leo owners.
Is it true that there is no stylus with the Leo?
I have large fingers and the built in stylus (eg like that of the Diamond2) is a must.
And there is no second camera for video calling?
I also use this feature and it is not on this phone.
I know many are saying the Leo is a great phone but without these 2 features it seems sadly lacking.
It would be nice if it also came with an 8 megapixel or more camera.
What do you guys think?
Aussie
just shut up, and don`t buy it, and never ever visit this part of xda ok?
Hey,
jep thats correct ... no stylus and no second video cam for conference calls.
but there was a link for an stylus on the web, that can used with the capacitive screen.
regards
I don't care about video calls and I WANT device with capacitive (and large) screen. So HD2 is simply exactly what I want. If it is not for you, I agree with previous poster, even if I don't approve on his style.
20mihalko said:
just shut up, and don`t buy it, and never ever visit this part of xda ok?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...lol... ^^
To be fair, read the specs. It tells you EXACTLY what you need to know. There are enough reviews of the device out now, to know exactly what it has.
aussie1234 said:
Hi to all of those Leo owners.
Is it true that there is no stylus with the Leo?
I have large fingers and the built in stylus (eg like that of the Diamond2) is a must.
And there is no second camera for video calling?
I also use this feature and it is not on this phone.
I know many are saying the Leo is a great phone but without these 2 features it seems sadly lacking.
It would be nice if it also came with an 8 megapixel or more camera.
What do you guys think?
Aussie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no use for a stylus with a capacitive screen. The only thing that you are really giving up is the ability to use notepad, which I use quite a bit.
As for the second camera... it would be nice, but oh well
Thanks for the feedback
Hi again
Thanks for the constructive feedback. The other feedback just shows how anal some of you are.
Some sellers in my country sell the Leo with a stylus. But the specs and reviews say there is none. Scouring the net shows a few expressing their disappointment with the lack of stylus which helps with apps that require precision tapping or touching (eg Spreadsheets, games etc) or for those who just have large fingers.
Perhaps those who have told me to just "shut up" and not to "visit xda" should follow their own advice if they have nothing constructive to add.
Dont forget to burp your Leo.
Cheers
Aussie
Just ignore 'em.
My Leo didn't come with a stylus, and it doesn't have video call either. I too have large fingers so I am a bit annoyed, but I'll live
Thank you
Chainfire said:
Just ignore 'em.
My Leo didn't come with a stylus, and it doesn't have video call either. I too have large fingers so I am a bit annoyed, but I'll live
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback.
How is the smoothness and precision when navigating around the phone without a stylus?
I have used the iphone and found that very smooth. Is the Leo also as easy?
Cheers
Aussie
aussie1234 said:
Thanks for the feedback.
How is the smoothness and precision when navigating around the phone without a stylus?
I have used the iphone and found that very smooth. Is the Leo also as easy?
Cheers
Aussie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have an iPhone so it's hard to compare. I do have an iPod which I have used an awesome 3 times. Compared to what I remember, it's control is a bit better. The Leo screen is very sensitive. Looking at it almost makes stuff happen There's a fix that lowers the sensitivity around here though, but I have not tried that out yet. As it is, without fix, typing accurately is a real pain. I would have much prefered if it had came with a capacitive stylus, as HTC does make those...
Chainfire said:
I don't have an iPhone so it's hard to compare. I do have an iPod which I have used an awesome 3 times. Compared to what I remember, it's control is a bit better. The Leo screen is very sensitive. Looking at it almost makes stuff happen There's a fix that lowers the sensitivity around here though, but I have not tried that out yet. As it is, without fix, typing accurately is a real pain. I would have much prefered if it had came with a capacitive stylus, as HTC does make those...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone should really make a thought control program for the HD2 then there would be no need for fingers or styluses at all
The capacative styluses on ebay are very competant especially for hand written notes or navigating around windows explorers. I wouldnt advise trimming them down though as I decided to do one night to see if a more precise point could be made, I guess the styluses need a certain surface area making contact with the screen which is probably why they are made like that HAHA.
Ohh well at least I have 1 left which works well on my ipod touch so it should be fine with my HD2.. IF IT EVER ARRIVES!!
mskip said:
Someone should really make a thought control program for the HD2 then there would be no need for fingers or styluses at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that control program is allready made, you can enable pinch to zoom in every application, so if you have problems tapping on some small button, you can zoom in... it is pretty usefull, but i never used it for example in explorer... i don`t have any problems clicking anywhere
The lack of stylus is a bit of a problem (Especially considering the fact I use many spreadsheet files).
The more problematic thing is that HTC has developed a stylus for capacitive screens,
but do not include it with the device that should be their Flag-Ship device.
The lack of stylus results the keyboard size to be huge eating up a lot of screen space,
instead of including a stylus and letting the user choose wheter to use it or not,
and allowing the user to set the keyboard size to his pereferenced size.
Now - there are several "capacitive screen" styli out there that might work just fine
so there is a solution - but - I would have expected that HTC would supply a stylus,
especially when thay have already designed one.
20mihalko said:
just shut up, and don`t buy it, and never ever visit this part of xda ok?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brutal, funny, but oh so valid.
How hard is it to read the specs? Or a review? Or.. anything?
BTW is it true it has a capactive screen????!?! Thought I'd ask cos last 29 posts asking this might have been wrong!!!1!!!111!
mr_Ray said:
Brutal, funny, but oh so valid.
How hard is it to read the specs? Or a review? Or.. anything?
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Click to collapse
mr_Ray said:
I regret not having done my research before buying, there are enough other horror stories out there... lies, poor service, failure to deliver, honour returns, etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, it's rather hard.
Chainfire said:
Apparently, it's rather hard.
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Click to collapse
Wow what are you, some kind of stalker?
FWIW there's a difference between researching a company who you want to do nothing more than put a label on a box and give it to the postman vs. a £500 device you'll be living with every day for a year or two.
Chainfire said:
I too have large fingers so I am a bit annoyed, but I'll live
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be interesting to see how the future goes with the competition between Capacitive and Resistive screens. Software developers either code them all under one roof (I'm not a developer, so I'm not sure how hard!!!) or have different versions (meaning more works and costly). Because the new WM 6.5.x are very Capacitive screen friendly. M$ did a good job on the cosmetics and it's functions!
mr_Ray said:
Wow what are you, some kind of stalker?
FWIW there's a difference between researching a company who you want to do nothing more than put a label on a box and give it to the postman vs. a £500 device you'll be living with every day for a year or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW anyone that is willing to part with £500 for a phone or anything else should be thoroughly researching every aspect of what they are buying including the company that is making it. If anything, researching the company is more important than all else as it gives insight as to build quality, customer support, future updates and fixes for what you are buying.
Even though HTC has many failings with regards to drivers and customer support I am still more than excited to get the HD2 as soon as I can, not just because the Hardware spec is the best available in todays phones but mainly because I know the dedicated members of xda-developers (which I am proud to be a part of) wont rest until the HTC HD2's full potential is unocked for the benefit of everyone.
jackkkkk said:
It would be interesting to see how the future goes with the competition between Capacitive and Resistive screens. Software developers either code them all under one roof (I'm not a developer, so I'm not sure how hard!!!) or have different versions (meaning more works and costly). Because the new WM 6.5.x are very Capacitive screen friendly. M$ did a good job on the cosmetics and it's functions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the future of Mobile Phones is capacitive screens whether people like it or not. All the major manufactures will start phasing out resistive screens in favour of capacitive technology due to the faster and more responsive feel of it. Styluses will also be phased out as Windows Mobile 7 and other 3rd party apps will have larger and more finger friendly buttons and menus.
I'm really itching to get some real live information from someone who has used a new Nexus One phone. I am going to my T-Mobile store in a day or two, and there are several specific things I want to see:
(1) yes, of course the screen. but i'd like some real data on battery performance, and I doubt anyone's got some good comparison data yet compared to Hero?
(2) Without SenseUI, what is its look & feel? I would like to see the live Wallpapers, but truly that is eye candy, and as visually oriented as I am, I want to use my phone and mini-computer, not stare at it.
(3) (this is out of sequence but does the HTC Nexus One (vs Google Nexus One) have Sense UI on it? if so, how do they differ?)
(4) MAIN THING FOR ME: I love my HTC Hero (Europe GSM version, yes, with the chin)... But, after just the very first day when I started using it, I recognized the annoyance of the hard keys being really hard to push, relatively, compared to hard keys on my last HTC device, which is almost 3 years old -- T-Mobile Wing. Those hard keys are contoured and flush. The Hero's keys LOOK sharp, but they also feel sharp. and not easy to depress.
COMPARED TO: what looks like soft touch keys on the Nexus One. They look great. And could be reason alone for me to sell my Hero and get the Nexus One. I don't care at all for the loss of CALL and END dedicated keys. I almost always use the onscreen touch controls for these functions. It seems like Google really did some serious usability improvements if in fact those 4 standard Android function keys are all flush touch keys: Back, Menu/Options, Home, Search.
(5) SECOND MAIN THING: The trackball. I just have to say, this has been the biggest disappointment of all for me with the Hero. I have seen zero advantage to it, and many disadvantages compared to the ease of use of the quad-directional pad on my T-Mobile Wing. Obviously Motorola agreed the trackball left a lot to be desired since they nixed it from both the DROID and the Cliq.
I had expected much greater sensitivity control from the trackball -- but it is so unwieldy, and 9 times out of 10 when I have my selection, it slips to an adjacent selection when I then want to "long-press" to get options, or even short press to activate selection. I have not yet rooted my Hero, so i have no idea yet what XDA devs have done the past few months to perhaps add advanced controls for the trackball. My expectation is to have sensitivity and speed control adjustments that are context sensitive for each and every app I use, but especially the keyboard. How often I am trying to reposition the cursor and, there it goes, to top or bottom, or anywhere except where I want it to go. Also, Ihave been really really surprised at how lacking the controls of the trackball are for selecting letters of a word.
SO, I want to feel in my hands how the Nexus One feels in this regard. Is it better, is it the same?
Anyone know?
---
I'm secretly hoping people will say, for real, "yes, the Nexus One has the much faster processor, the higher-rez screen, the noise cancellation, the turn-by-turn application" and so on, "but it falls short compared to the Hero in these ways:.................................. "
But somehow I do not think that is going to be the case.
(Oddball final question: Has the hero gotten its ANdroid and SenseUI updates yet?)
.
Nexus one vs. HTC Hero
quicksite said:
(1) yes, of course the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus One screen is awesome, but not touted as oleophobic. It does retain fingerprints if your fingers aren't dry, but it's easy to clean. Hero's screen is supposed to be oleophobic, but it also gets fingerprints.
quicksite said:
but i'd like some real data on battery performance, and I doubt anyone's got some good comparison data yet compared to Hero?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus One seemed to fare a little better than Hero with regards to batter life, but I haven't done proper comparisons.
quicksite said:
(2) Without SenseUI, what is its look & feel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks great. I didn't miss the lack of SenseUI, except in the alarm application, where you can't swipe the hour/minute up down, but have to press two plus/minus buttons.
quicksite said:
(3) (this is out of sequence but does the HTC Nexus One (vs Google Nexus One) have Sense UI on it? if so, how do they differ?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus One doesn't have Sense UI.
quicksite said:
(4) MAIN THING FOR ME: I love my HTC Hero (Europe GSM version, yes, with the chin)... But, after just the very first day when I started using it, I recognized the annoyance of the hard keys being really hard to push, relatively
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The soft keys on Nexus One are famous for being a bit misplaced - you have to touch slightly above them, in order to register the tap. They offer haptic feedback. The back key (the most commonly used one) is smartly placed where your thumb falls- an improvement over the Hero, which places it such that you have to contort your thumb to reach for it.
quicksite said:
(5) SECOND MAIN THING: The trackball. I just have to say, this has been the biggest disappointment of all for me with the Hero. I have seen zero advantage to it, and many disadvantages compared to the ease of use of the quad-directional pad on my T-Mobile Wing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The trackball is a bad idea compared to a directional pad. I haven't used it much really, but from what I have, it did an OK job.
quicksite said:
SO, I want to feel in my hands how the Nexus One feels in this regard. Is it better, is it the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The chin on the Hero is useful in that it protects the screen if you drop the phone on a flat surface. If you drop the Nexus, the screen will take the shock. The Nexus one is slimmer and slightly larger.
quicksite said:
I'm secretly hoping people will say, for real, "yes, the Nexus One has the much faster processor, the higher-rez screen, camera flash, the noise cancellation, the turn-by-turn application, easier to remove back cover" and so on, "but it falls short compared to the Hero in these ways:.................................. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does have all those, and it's frikkin' fast indeed. It falls short in that it has a lame speaker, and its slab/slate shape will make it somewhat more likely to have the screen damaged in the event of a drop. I for one miss the call/end call keys, but overall prefer the soft keys on the Nexus One.
What a fantastic review, thank you, dandv!
I think it is fair to assume that you must work for Google, because who else would have had this much experience already using the Nexus One -- especially this line:
The soft keys on Nexus One are famous for being a bit misplaced - you have to touch slightly above them, in order to register the tap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the way, is it okay for me to compliment Romania on having one of the most beautiful and charming women in the whole world? (Maria Popistasu)... I would trade 10,000 Nexus Ones, okay, 1 million Nexus Ones for a Maria. (Now I will get slammed by one of the two members within the 2 million registered XDA-developers who are women )
Nexus One seemed to fare a little better than Hero with regards to batter life, but I haven't done proper comparisons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? wow, this was a major complaint by the Engadget people, that battery life was poor on the Nexus One, due to the power drawn for that screen and various connectivity to web issues, and live wallpaper etc. It's funny: I was comparing the reviews by Engadget and TechCrunch -- total opposites. But commenters at TechCrunch claimed "Engadget loves all things Apple and hates Android" while "TechCrunch hates Apple for withholding Google Voice on iPhone, and loves all things Android".. with users calling for a neutral review to split the tie. ( I also loved how one of the commenters at TechCrunch just decimated Walt Mossberg: "Ryan Sinn - January 6th, 2010 at 4:04 pm PST:
Walt Mossberg writes his tech reviews on a MacBook Pro while listening to his iTunes playlist via an iPod with his AppleTV recording the MacNeil Lehrer Newshour." ... This was in reply to another user comment who was paraphrasing uncle Walt:
I read Walt Mossberg’s review of the Nexus One and he provides a review of the Nexus One’s media features (handling photo, video, syncing music, etc.) as virtually non-existent or downright shoddy as compared to the iPhone. While I agree with you that the iPhone can learn a thing or two from webOS and Android in terms of multitasking, notifications, and so on, the Android still seems an inferior platform (as Mossberg again states) when it comes to overall functionality of going beyond the productivity apps like email, browser, and GVoice that Android 2.1 boasts of here.
I was tempted to switch to the Nexus One from my iPhone, but after reading Mossberg’s review, especially when it comes to syncing media – not to mention the sheer number of apps available – the iPhone still seems the front runner. Multitouch also seems to be a BIG advantage that no Android device supports.
I do think that iPhone OS 4.0 and the next gen-hardware of the iPhone will go beyond the Nexus One. So far, Android is still playing catch-up from where I see, although it does seem to come pretty close to the 3GS, a phone released 6 months back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
--- anyway, back to YOUR review, dandv:
Looks great. I didn't miss the lack of SenseUI, except in the alarm application, where you can't swipe the hour/minute up down, but have to press two plus/minus buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That IS pretty nifty on the Hero, but since this is my first Android phone, I don't really know what's SenseUI and what is raw Android. But let me ask this question: Surely some XDA-dev has extracted SenseUI and could create a ROM for Nexus One that installs it?
Nexus One doesn't have Sense UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I was asking if the HTC European release of the phone added SenseUI... since I read that it does include multi-touch gestures on the native Android apps and UI, but I have no idea if that is true or not. I read elsewhere that the USA model and the HTC Europe model is identical. Do you know? And more specifically, do you know if the European model includes T-Mobile USA 3G bands?
The soft keys on Nexus One are famous for being a bit misplaced - you have to touch slightly above them, in order to register the tap. They offer haptic feedback. The back key (the most commonly used one) is smartly placed where your thumb falls- an improvement over the Hero, which places it such that you have to contort your thumb to reach for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Re: "misplaced"... More and more I am just recognizing that on the resistive screens I have been used to on WindowsMobile phones, we are all used to being able to line up the top of the fingernail with the keys in order to get natural placement, but that on capacitive screens, the impact point of the finger to the screen is the bottom of the fingertip, which in itself is (using USA scale) 1/8" to 1/4" downward from the fingernail tip. So I have been advised by "experienced" Android users that the secret to typing on the soft keyboard is to tap slightly above the letters on-screen. But in fact that really is just a visual adjustment and the actual impact point of the finger is precisely on the soft target... ?
If I am correct, then it would be great if Android OS offered a user preference offset adjustment -- in the same way that Windows Mobile (yes, can you believe it, an actual compliment to Windows Mobile!) did a great job with its angle offset adjustment since people who are right handed are really naturally positioned with their hands to be "attacking" the soft keyboard at a slight diagonal angle from lower right and moving to the left.
But what do I know. YOU've used the Nexus One, I haven't. In fact I was really disappointed. Today I went to my T-Mobile store thinking they might have a demo Nexus One that customers could try out before purchasing from Google online... Nope. they said there is no way to try the phone first. You have to just buy it.
The trackball is a bad idea compared to a directional pad. I haven't used it much really, but from what I have, it did an OK job.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, so at your next Google team meeting, would you please tell the Android product dev team to take a cue from Motorola and provide the D-pad?
The chin on the Hero is useful in that it protects the screen if you drop the phone on a flat surface. If you drop the Nexus, the screen will take the shock. The Nexus one is slimmer and slightly larger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I never thought of that before, and I've never read that anywhere... I wish Google hadn't dumped the "chin" for their Nexus One, but given both USA carriers of the Hero, Verizon and Sprint, both dumped the chin, I have to believe that some of that influence came from Google itself -- and these weren't simply decisions made unilaterally by Sprint or Verizon.
It does have all those, and it's frikkin' fast indeed. It falls short in that it has a lame speaker, and its slab/slate shape will make it somewhat more likely to have the screen damaged in the event of a drop. I for one miss the call/end call keys, but overall prefer the soft keys on the Nexus One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lame speaker as in "not what it SHOULD be" or "not as good as the Hero speakers (which I have been very impressed by). Do you have any idea what kind of usability studies Google Mountain View did to justify removing those keys? Why couldn't they have also been soft keys?
fyi, not sure how many people know about the company "SquareTrade" -- who provide alternative handset insurance, which includes accidental droppin g and I believe water damage. Way more reasonable in price than the plans that carriers offer. They "flatrate" iphones because of huge customer base, but it's a bit higher for other touchscreen phones. There's no way I would get a phone today without accidental dropping coverage, especially when it's reasonable.
I have to say, based on your review re battery life and the soft keys, I am very tempted to buy the Nexus One and commit to 2 years with T-Mobile. I've already been with them for 5 years and am reasonably happy. But I have questions, just for the heck of it:
(1) Since you're out there in Silicon Valley, and as I said, maybe even a Google employee by day, XDA-devs member by night, my guess is that a Nexus Two is already way into development? Just curious if anyone has any sixth sense about when Google's followup phone will be released?
(2) What is the market rate these days when selling a used Hero that's still under full warranty ( i think mine is 3 years, or at least 2 years for sure)? I purchased the european GSM version for $525, so what would be a price someone would be willing to pay for a used Hero? $400, $350 ?
Thanks so much for your review and full answers. I expected there would have been topics already here at XDA on this phone, but I didn't see any.
Get a job?
Oi quicksite, a buddy of mine who's seen your post above agrees that you have too much time on your hands
I don't work for Google - quite on the contrary. I'm just experienced with evaluating stuff. One will realize the slight misplacement of the soft keys as soon as they first experience the Nexus One; and I've seen the issue reported in a few places, to conclude that it's famous (Engadget probably).
Rumor has it that Nexus Two will be out in a year. As for the speaker, it's worse than Hero's, and worse than the one in iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. But do you really play music on the phone's speaker? You'll probably use earphones, or Bluetooth. As for ringtones, you won't really care that the speaker is poor. If you watch videos, you might suffer. The soundtrack of videos I watch is mostly dialogue (TED talks, George Carlin-type comedy).
As for "market rates" for stuff, there's no such thing. Head to eBay and craigslist and see what they sell for. Market yours well (see my eBay ad for my Samsung Galaxy) and you'll get a good price.
As for insurance, the only time my phone was dropped was when I let a curious doofus handle it. Look back in time - do you really have a tendency to drop your phone? I would not buy any sort of insurance.
Nope, there is no option in Android to offset your point of contact. Just get used to where the fingertip really is. Windows Mobile interfaces may have that option (I haven't seen it on my HTC Angel) because they're badly built for finger use - they're built more like office applications to be used with a stylus. The Android UI is touch-optimized. Most of the time you can operate your phone fine with only one hand, which makes it way more usable for GPS navigation (of course, don't text and drive - but hey, Nexus One introduced dictation as an input method, so you may be tempted).
I expected there would have been topics already here at XDA on this phone, but I didn't see any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Head over to http://androidforums.com/htc-hero/
My advice - you seem to be trapped in analysis paralysis, or the paradox of choice. Just buy the phone, and you'll be able to sell it a year later for at least $300. With the time you'll save by not dwelling too much on it, you'll be able to work a gig to make up for the difference
Oh, and put some hot Romanian girl wallpaper on it.
Oh my god, i'm given links to analysis paralysis! Then I am analyzed... hah hah. Geez man i've only had my Hero for 4 weeks. I'm not used to that turnaround rate.
No, I just type at an inefficient word rate of 100-to-1 compared to most.
Note to self: Set up a poll here to ask if anyone at XDA learned something valuable from my questions!
You can't possibly be Romanian if you do not know the subject in question. But seriously thank you. And after deliberations under 36 hours, yeah, maybe i'll get the nexus. But analysis paralysis? This coming from...
Welcome to my collection of meta-reviews. Before making significant purchases, I do a fair amount of market research, aggregating user reviews from Amazon, Epinions, or specialized sites for electronic or computer equipment. For software, as for anything I decide buying, I write my own reviews on this wiki.
Displays
a massive analysis of over 50 LCD monitors
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hmph. Okay! now I see how it's done! all in under 36 hours I am sure... ha hah
Moving on
quicksite said:
You can't possibly be Romanian if you do not know the subject in question.
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Click to collapse
Which subject? Anyway, this got way off-topic already.
quicksite said:
But seriously thank you. And after deliberations under 36 hours, yeah, maybe i'll get the nexus. But analysis paralysis? This coming from...
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Click to collapse
Exactly - with regards to the analysis paralysis. Been there, done that, trying to help others avoid it.
dandv said:
Which subject? Anyway, this got way off-topic already.
Exactly - with regards to the analysis paralysis. Been there, done that, trying to help others avoid it.
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what about help in...
Post Purchase research????
I am spending to much time online.
Looking up new things / issues / upgrades/ all about my new HERO!!!
Dan330 said:
what about help in...
Post Purchase research????
I am spending to much time online.
Looking up new things / issues / upgrades/ all about my new HERO!!!
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Click to collapse
well i guess this is a mocking comment but i cannot tell.
In 3 years on this site, I've actually never run into this much dissing of somebody asking reasonable questions about actual usability issues. For some i guess $500 is a drop in the bucket; just buy the damn thing. a day of posting here is way too much time on your hands.
So here i was ready to take the advice of "just do it", and then I followed another of dandv's links to androidforums.com -- where i discovered that in 13 pages of threads on the Nexus One, at least 50 threads were expressing major problems in all kinds of areas, from the displaced touch alignment, which for many was recurring in every session, and would be fixed by battery removed, replaced, to lots of erratic connectivity problems with people who had two phones and could swap sim cards out and see their other phone connecting immediately, to major complaints re data plans there were not made clear to existing customers of T-Mobile, to some instant-pushback on google for its refusal to provide telephone support for their branded phone, instead their usual "fill out an email; you may not get a personal reply" (which means all the template stuff where you are forced down a path of their search results based on your question, read read reda, eventualy at the end of that line there is no existing faq for your question, and then waiting yet again for another non-specific email reply.
I'm actually glad this topic immediately deteriorated. If my questions were analysis paralysis about what for me is a major new expense, then its equally irresponsible to give the phone a rave (the hardware and software) without even a hint of the legions of problems some people are experiencing not just with the phone, but also with sorting out WHO ANSWERS THE CONSUMER FOR WHAT? T-mobile, HTC, Google.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8451473.stm
Just one of many such news reports.
So la dee dah, just frikkin buy it and then buy a new one if that's a problem.
quicksite said:
well i guess this is a mocking comment but i cannot tell.
.
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Click to collapse
Yes
it was a joke...
what i was trying to say
I am like you
do a lot of research before purchase
and a lot more after...
so chill
it's all good....
I learned a lot from your questions, comments, and research...
later
Nexus One has the fastest GPS fix I've ever seen
Just wanted to add, after a month with the N1, that it gets a GPS fix faster than any other phone (Samsung Galaxy, HTC Hero) or device (GlobalSat SiRFstarIII) that I've used. It gets a GPS fix, apparently from a cold start, in less than 20 seconds, every time, even from a moving car.
Ok, I will try to keep this short...I just thought this was kinda weird.....
I called to return my phone today, and when they asked if I had any other issues with it (besides the back cover not lining up with the phone) I said yes..and I described how the screen does not let you have two fingers on the same axis and gave them this example: when I was playing 'Prince of Persia' and it had the direction buttons on the lower left of the screen and across on the lower right of the screen were the other 'action buttons' and when I press both they either both do not work or only one will work. Now the rep said 'Oh, well that is because the nexus one does not have multi touch...it has pinch to zoom' ...in my mind I was like "wth?" haha, but is this just their excuse for the Synaptic touch sensor? It seems more as though they are trying to justify it instead of owning up to it...well my response was refering to the Htc incredible and the Supersonic which have new touch sensors that work better and I said I had wished the nexus one had the same...the rep said she was not aware of an update for the problem, but it is not out of the question...(I wondered if she realized I was talking about hardware not software, although hardware can be updated as well just not as easily...)...
Umm I'm not sure how much that tech actually knows, because I was playing a game on my N1....idr the name of it but it was a first-person shooter, and I was able to use the on-screen movement controls AND look around by dragging my finger across the screen at the same time.
I think that's because they are on two different horizontal axes.
N1 can detect TWO touch points at the same time, and thats according to the touch sensor manufacturer. I think the game, Prince of Persia, is not efficient enough for detecting two points at the same time. We should wait till 19th May and see what Google brings for gaming scene on android...
yeah the update is right around the corner, so i would be curious to see if it fixes that issue.
but i would not expect some customer service rep to know a damn thing about the Y-axis issue or what model the touch screen is synaptics clearpad 2000. you're giving them way too much credit. they just know it has pinch to zoom, and that's the end of it.
anyway that game should work OK using 2 touch points, but i havent tried it to know for sure. i have seen that there are other games that use 2 points and they work fine. i guess the game crosses the Y-axis is when it would not work, but i didnt know any type of those games exist yet. i admit it sucks that this limitation is present.
The error occurs if the two fingers are on the same axis ...i.e. horizontal / vertical from each other ...but if it is diagonal it should work...even slightly diagonal should work unless the two points get close to each others axis....this is not a software issue and I surely would love to see it fixed with a software update but I doubt this will be so...only time will tell.....now I would not blame it on Prince of Persia...check other games with the same control layout and see how it works...or even try something without the same layout and just use one control and touch your finger on the same axis of the control and you will see the error occur....
It sucks, a BRAND NEW 2010 phone, over $500....and yet cannot even use proper multitouch...even my old iphone 2g works better in the multitouch aspect....(sad and disappointing) ...it has all these nice specs but the multi touch aspect kills it for me...
People expecting the N1 to not have any quirks make me laugh
ap3604 said:
People expecting the N1 to not have any quirks make me laugh
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so you are fine that a piece of hardware made 3 years ago out performs this new one? That is something that you normally expect eh?....hmm " " ....
erebusting said:
so you are fine that a piece of hardware made 3 years ago out performs this new one? That is something that you normally expect eh?....hmm " " ....
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Click to collapse
Well actually I am.. but that's because I don't play poorly made games on my phone, at least not ones that require multi touch, and even then.. it doesn't really mess up though :/
If there are games that are actually made with quality for Android, that multi-touch is really required on.. then maybe I will then know your pain. Other than that, apps and etc. are pretty fine.
erebusting said:
so you are fine that a piece of hardware made 3 years ago out performs this new one? That is something that you normally expect eh?....hmm " " ....
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yes i am totally fine with it. maybe i live in reality but this minor design issue is NOTHING to worry about. i think some people are not well adjusted to the world....
RogerPodacter said:
yes i am totally fine with it. maybe i live in reality but this minor design issue is NOTHING to worry about. i think some people are not well adjusted to the world....
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your eggagerated response is funny, you live in 'reality' where you would pay top dollar for something supposedly top notch, but I think in REAL reality you would want the best for your money....basically would you pay $2.00 for a Ferrari/MaxTouch sensor or $2.00 for a pinto/Synaptic touch sensor ...... why not get the most for your money? are you just trying to make yourself feel better about the phone your are now basically stuck with?
Eclair~ said:
Well actually I am.. but that's because I don't play poorly made games on my phone, at least not ones that require multi touch, and even then.. it doesn't really mess up though :/
If there are games that are actually made with quality for Android, that multi-touch is really required on.. then maybe I will then know your pain. Other than that, apps and etc. are pretty fine.
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Click to collapse
wth are you talking about...'made with quality for Android, that multi-touch is really required on.'...? this is a hardware issue, how does it matter how good or bad the game is made, the hardware supersedes the software in this case....
I guess the real thing is, as long as you are all happy with your non multi touch phone/ the 'pinch to zoom' phone...
haha
yes i am totally fine with it. maybe i live in reality but this minor design issue is NOTHING to worry about. i think some people are not well adjusted to the world....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your eggagerated response is funny, you live in 'reality' where you would pay top dollar for something supposedly top notch, but I think in REAL reality you would want the best for your money....basically would you pay $2.00 for a Ferrari/MaxTouch sensor or $2.00 for a pinto/Synaptic touch sensor ...... why not get the most for your money? are you just trying to make yourself feel better about the phone your are now basically stuck with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why you think the nexus price is any different than any other smartphone. its actually cheaper than most smartphones.
my response is not exaggerated at all. I'm happy with my phone 100%.
RogerPodacter said:
I don't know why you think the nexus price is any different than any other smartphone. its actually cheaper than most smartphones.
my response is not exaggerated at all. I'm happy with my phone 100%.
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Click to collapse
well that is not what the discussion was about now any ways right(the price)...the price is another issue, but for being the same price as about any other smartphone while some of those smart phones can do proper multitouch and with the same or better specs, why would you want to limit yourself if you could choose the best...
disregard the exaggerated comment because it just brings up another discussion for another day
just answer this...
wouldnt you want the best you can get for the hard earned money you spend?
I understand this phone is great...I believe it should have been at least a little bit better than what it came out to be...
i can't think of two (one isn't really worth the think) reasons for a multi-touch sensor. pinch/zoom seems to work well for maps and pictures. not being a gamer means a good deal of drama is lost on me i suppose.
as far as the price of the n1, and being 'stuck' with the phone... that's laughable. anyone can sell their n1 TONIGHT on ebay or craigslist for 100% of what they paid for it from google, and then some in certain cases. smart phones co$t MONEY. beit an iphone, n1, n97, or whatever is going to be badass next summer. i _LIKE_ the idea of buying off contract, using a NO CONTRACT carrier, and selling/leaving when i want.
should a N1 come out for att/whoever without contract, with a sweet keyboard like the G1, i'd switch overnight. water proof ? i'm there. 12 mp camera with HD and a gig of rom space ? sweet.
this is more a rant thread than a progress in motion thread. if you feel you've been wronged or led by false advertising, sell your phone. get one that does everything you have to have. i don't recall anyone saying "holy **** it haz multi-touch i gotta haz it !!!!!" when the n1 was released.
that was much longer than i expected. shoulda just said "lol" and left it.
erebusting said:
wth are you talking about...'made with quality for Android, that multi-touch is really required on.'...? this is a hardware issue, how does it matter how good or bad the game is made, the hardware supersedes the software in this case....
I guess the real thing is, as long as you are all happy with your non multi touch phone/ the 'pinch to zoom' phone...
haha
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Click to collapse
When I said made with quality, I was saying how much quality are put into Android's games. I was referring nothing to hardware issues.
Most Android games (to me) are horrible little 2D games that get boring in a few minutes. I don't even really "want" to play them, so therefore I don't need a complicated multi touch system until 'quality' games are made. Games that are worth playing for more than a few seconds, sadly to say, iPhone type games. Google is trying, though.
The only application that "plays" the games I want to play is GameBoid, where the multi-touch works perfectly. I can hold down a directional input, along with B, or A, and reform actions that result in those two presses perfectly. Such as running.
You seem to love to whine though, you did pay a lot for this phone though, I guess I would be pissed if this really mattered to me as well. Right now I'm like "whatever, who cares". It does what I want..
I don't know why you think the nexus price is any different than any other smartphone. its actually cheaper than most smartphones.
my response is no
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Click to collapse
well that is not what the discussion was about now any ways right(the price)...the price is another issue, but for being the same price as about any other smartphone while some of those smart phones can do proper multitouch and with the same or better specs, why would you want to limit yourself if you could choose the best...
disregard the exaggerated comment because it just brings up another discussion for another day
just answer this...
wouldnt you want the best you can get for the hard earned money you spend?
I understand this phone is great...I believe it should have been at least a little bit better than what it came out to be...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've owned so many phones in my life, and every single one of them had some type of issue, defect, missing feature, or whatever. if the only complaint about the nexus is this one minor issue, than I say its a winner.
great so the original iPhone could do it, but it couldn't do pics with a flash, or copy/paste, or mms. so what scenario is better/worse? I say the nexus is the better situation by leaps and bounds.
if this issue is important to you then you should switch phones. for me its not that important. my Nokia n97 had a faulty camera lens issue that scratched itself when opening. every phone has its quirks. if the nexus ones quirk is this Y axis issue, then I proclaim we all are winners with such a minor issue.
erebusting said:
so you are fine that a piece of hardware made 3 years ago out performs this new one? That is something that you normally expect eh?....hmm " " ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and it took the iphone how long until they got copy and Paste? that wait winMo had since the ipaq days
or wait MMS?
hm whatever? does it do bluetooth file transfers yet? without needing alternative programs?
even myk750 from sony does bluetooth lol
habs101 said:
and it took the iphone how long until they got copy and Paste? that wait winMo had since the ipaq days
or wait MMS?
hm whatever? does it do bluetooth file transfers yet? without needing alternative programs?
even myk750 from sony does bluetooth lol
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Click to collapse
lol that is not the point, I was just saying that when I heard it was able to do multi touch I thought it was going to be like the iPhone's multitouch ...since that tech is now older tech I thought it was implied that it would have equal or better multi touch especially since everything else is definately better...The iPhone was a competitor for a while there and you would think they would have beefed up the multitouch (or at least made it on par) since they beefed up every other aspect....
haha damn, this IS becomming a 'rant' thread...sorry on my behalf for that didn't mean for it to come to that ...I am irritating myself right now with this thread... I just wanted to bring up what the rep had said it was kind of odd to hear that....but the issue she was referring to is something that bugs me..
Now in reference to the gba emulator comment, I haven't tried it but the SNES emu works fine (it has the directional pad diagonally across from the buttons, so it does not suffer from the so called 'y axis' error)
BTW I have some Nexus Cases, anyone interested ?
erebusting said:
wth are you talking about...'made with quality for Android, that multi-touch is really required on.'...? this is a hardware issue, how does it matter how good or bad the game is made, the hardware supersedes the software in this case....
I guess the real thing is, as long as you are all happy with your non multi touch phone/ the 'pinch to zoom' phone...
haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, go get the best you can get for your money, i guess. Some people are satisfied with their nexus ones (nexii?)
erebusting said:
lol that is not the point, I was just saying that when I heard it was able to do multi touch I thought it was going to be like the iPhone's multitouch ...since that tech is now older tech I thought it was implied that it would have equal or better multi touch especially since everything else is definately better...The iPhone was a competitor for a while there and you would think they would have beefed up the multitouch (or at least made it on par) since they beefed up every other aspect....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The iphone and the nexus are not competitors, strictly speaking. The devices are competing in different classes. If you feel that they are, you could probably do some research, which would give you a good idea of how they compare.
Less ranting please.
Hello XDA!
I managed to get my hands on a Galaxy Tab to review. I'm an avid android user and I know what I would want from a device like this. Thing is, I want to know what YOU, dear XDA members, would like to know about the device!
Kindly leave me questions that you wish to be answered in the video review of the Galaxy Tab.
The sooner I get the questions the sooner I'll be able to post up a video.
Note: Kindly note that I cannot root the device nor change the flash version of android that runs on the device.
Firmware version: P1000XXJH1
Specs of the device as per Quadrant Advanced:
Quadrant score: 1,000
CPU: 1437
MEM: 1684
I/O: 791
2D: 201
3D: 886
Linpack score: 13.877
Total memory available: 435MB of which 174 is used on fresh boot.
System information(via Quadrant Advanced).
htt p://img215.imageshack.us/i/20101005100755.jpg/
htt p://img59.imageshack.us/i/20101005100927.jpg
htt p://img697.imageshack.us/i/20101005100848.jpg
htt p://img411.imageshack.us/i/20101005100911.jpg
htt p://img34.imageshack.us/i/20101005100927.jpg
(Apologies for the low quality photos)
It would be nice if you describe display quality - viewing angles, panel type (is it IPS) how it performs in sunlight. Is minimum brightness good for reading in dark conditions? Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
vitalij said:
It would be nice if you describe display quality - viewing angles, panel type (is it IPS) how it performs in sunlight. Is minimum brightness good for reading in dark conditions? Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Viewing angles are a subjective issue, personally when i pick up my mobile device and look into it, it's always straight in front of me, so that's all i want, but if you have a viewing angle of over 45 degrees like the Tab, all you get is people on the bus, train or plane looking sideways to see what you're looking at
I'm based in England at the moment, they don't have that much sunlight and even less direct sunlight
First impressions, it feels to plasticky, not like it's price suggests that it should, not as bad as an X10, but almost.
checkbox111 said:
Viewing angles are a subjective issue, personally when i pick up my mobile device and look into it, it's always straight in front of me, so that's all i want, but if you have a viewing angle of over 45 degrees like the Tab, all you get is people on the bus, train or plane looking sideways to see what you're looking at
I'm based in England at the moment, they don't have that much sunlight and even less direct sunlight
First impressions, it feels to plasticky, not like it's price suggests that it should, not as bad as an X10, but almost.
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Click to collapse
How is the call quality/ease of use.. Does the tab "feel" swift?
Hello guys,
Thanks for the initial question. I will cover this question in the video review.
I need more points of focus for the review.
MOARRRR
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Like if you have had chance to use the ipad, maybe like how does it compare value wise? As I think how much it costs £599 is putting me off, but if it is worth it compared to other tablets then I would consider it more
Phen0m said:
How is the call quality/ease of use.. Does the tab "feel" swift?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't know about call quality as it's only owned by an engineer that comes into our office, he doesn't have any problems as far as i've heard, but as with other threads here just don't expect it to fit into you jacket or trouser pocket, one it's to big and another it's to heavy to be comfortable.
You may have visited the dell streak forum, or heard of how fragile the dell streak lcd screen is? because of it's large size the body flexes but LCD's by their very nature cannot flex and they snap. Well just look at the size of the LCD on the Tab, and the body of the Tab is made of plastic and (not titanium as per streak) to save weight, this by it's very design will make it more suceptible to breakage, (the body will flex under pressure the LCD will not) = ££££££
sebbo90 said:
Like if you have had chance to use the ipad, maybe like how does it compare value wise? As I think how much it costs £599 is putting me off, but if it is worth it compared to other tablets then I would consider it more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
checkbox111 said:
Wouldn't know about call quality as it's only owned by an engineer that comes into our office, he doesn't have any problems as far as i've heard, but as with other threads here just don't expect it to fit into you jacket or trouser pocket, one it's to big and another it's to heavy to be comfortable.
You may have visited the dell streak forum, or heard of how fragile the dell streak lcd screen is? because of it's large size the body flexes but LCD's by their very nature cannot flex and they snap. Well just look at the size of the LCD on the Tab, and the body of the Tab is made of plastic and (not titanium as per streak) to save weight, this by it's very design will make it more suceptible to breakage, (the body will flex under pressure the LCD will not) = ££££££
Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. Do you have any questions that you would like answered about the device?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Halulz said:
Thank you. Do you have any questions that you would like answered about the device?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Similar to all owners i would think! why did samsung insist on utilising such a large bezel around the screen? therebye turning a 7' screen device into one more akin to a 10' without any benefits of a 10'?, and adding nothing to the looks of the device at the same time.
Well the ipad and the Tab are two completely different entities, one is a bookreader trying to be a netbook pc, the others a smartphone with obesity problems. They shouldn't be compared IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah I get the point, what I was more curious was in relation to the size, like is 7" too small to get a full web experience? Is it too big to carry round yet too small to use around the home? etc
sebbo90 said:
like is 7" too small to get a full web experience?
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Click to collapse
No, because the 5" dell streak isn't to small for that!
sebbo90 said:
Is it too big to carry round yet too small to use around the home? etc
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Click to collapse
As in other posts! you will not carry this around on your pocket, unless you want to break it! You might try a large overcoat with a very wide collar, if the pockets big enough and you want to look like the FBI everywhere you go.
https://www.urbantool.com/hq/laptop-cases/show-pocketbar
checkbox111 said:
Troll
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Click to collapse
Thanks for trolling another thread entirely off the rails.
To the OP:
A few things that I'd like to see discussed. Firstly how does it feel to type on it ? I've seen in a few first-impression pieces that it feels good (like a galaxy S in landscape) but it'd be great to get the feelings of a regular user. Also, some shots of the keyboard in action would be nice.
Secondly, can you toss some 720p video on there and show us how it looks. It never looks the same in video as in person, but it'd give us an idea of how the screen does as far as contrast and colour vibrancy is concerned.
Finally, how does the device feel to you ? Does it feel to you like you could carry it in a pocket all day ? Does it meet your expectations for speed/ease of use ?
GL with the video, hope to see it soon!
It is maybe off topic, but ... here goes :
- What release of Android is running ? Same as the one on Galaxy S device ?
- Does this android release supports multiple Exchange sync accounts (like HTC Desire & Desire Z do) ?
- Does it have 2 SIM card slots ? (saw that somewhere, don't remember ... where). If so, is it one for voice plan, second one for data plan ?
- Does it come with a USB host port (or the hw to take care of it) ?
Thanks.
Does it play 1080p files (mkv & flash) or does i only output 1080p..?
I got my hands on this last week to try out for a good half hour, and i loved it. The size was great, and great to watch movies on.
Looking forward to it. Release in Norway is 21. okt )
could it be confirmed if the Tab is going to require Kies in the same way as the Galaxy phones, e.g. for firmware updates
i assume that there will be no difference between this and their phones, but as Kies is software that i truly dislike, i am living in hope that it does not.
johnnewhouse said:
could it be confirmed if the Tab is going to require Kies in the same way as the Galaxy phones, e.g. for firmware updates
i assume that there will be no difference between this and their phones, but as Kies is software that i truly dislike, i am living in hope that it does not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is confirmed by Samsung already. In their official site, it says in the "PC connectivity" section "KIES". Sorry. I know, I hate that application with a passion myself...
If you have time, it would probably interest many people if you'd manage to try some popular apps from the market and see how they act with the increased resolution. We all probably have out own top10 lists for software, but I think browsing appbrain for most popular and trying a few of them would give people some idea how far that compatibility is.
(I, personally, would love to see how WidgetLocker, Beautiful Widgets and Launcher Pro work on that, but unfortunately at least the first two ain't free.
But more generally, how do widgets work on that screen? What I've gathered from the pictures is that the Tab has a FIVE column display (instead of the traditional 4) on the homescreen. How do widgets work with that? does a 4x4 widget scale to full size, or does it live a "column" free. Also, how many rows does the screen have?
EDIT: oookay, I don't know why these two posts became separate, this was supposed to be an edit to that earlier...
Actually thats a good idea.
I even forget that widget locket etc are even apps these days! But yes that'd be good to see if they scale up or still work properly on the big screen.
I imagine beutiful widget and switchpro you could make them bigger with launcherpro+ if they won't scale up by themselves, same with any other widgets, but it'd be good if they did it for free! However I think the 'grid' on the Tab is bigger anyway, so 4x2 widget would cover more space, but then it appears to have more rows too, so they might still appear small
Anyways, if you have any paid for apps on your main smartphone, you should be able to put the same market account on the Tab and download them again, so that's one way around paying twice just to demo them.
A few things I'd like to see:
- Spotify in action if possible.
- Proper comics and hos they scale to the screen and if it's easy or hard to read them (The Walking Dead for example.)
- A bit more on reading eBooks in different lights.
- In-depth look at the calendar and how flexible it is.
- If possible, how the accessories (like the keyboard) work.
- How it handles different resolutions of video.
Thank you for accepting suggestions!
Don't get me wrong, I love this phone and think it'd be PERFECT, but nothing ever really does come perfect and for those who are really keen on buying this, I think you should take a look at some of the things I certainly wish they'd done better.
1) No notification LED - Maybe this is a Samsung thing but for a device catered for business, I really wish they've added this small detail that can do so much good! And don't tell me to get NoLED from market either, the point of the LED is that I can see notifications without having to press any buttons.
2) Poor sound and call quality - It might have to do with the Yamaha codec that others on the forum have been complaining about. My phone before the Note was a Motorola Milestone 2/Droid 2, and Motorola beats Samsung's call quality big time. Motorola has CrystalTalk which would spoil anyone who needs to make calls all the time, whether I'm in HK's busy subway or its most crowded districts, I'm able to hear and the other party can hear me just fine. With Samsung Galaxy Note, I push my incoming call volume to the highest and can hardly make out what the other party is saying unless they voice up. The other party can hardly hear me as well. There's no noise-cancellation whatsoever. It's a tad better if you make calls without a headset, but as a girl, it looks super silly holding up the Note to my face. I use Marshall Minor earphones for conversations and they worked wonderfully well with Motorola, not that great with Samsung. I am not sure if high-end noise-cancellation earphones the likes of Sennheiser or Shure would work better but I'm no audiophile and I really don't want to have to pay half the price of the phone for some quality conversations. Music is passable, both on the speaker and on the earphones, but don't expect it to do a good job with low-bass. If you're an audiophile, you'd need a dedicated MP3 player or HTC's Sensation XE might be a better phone for you.
3) Not-so-great power button placement - The Power/Screen Off button is right where the volume rocker buttons are placed on the other side of the phone. I find myself accidentally pushing the screen off button when I really just want to adjust the volume. There's so much space on the top of the phone for this button.
4) No dedicated camera shutter button - Not really a HUGE deal here but a device this big can come with one. I recently notice that the new phones coming out are dropping this
5) Pre-installed keyboard not good enough - Coming from a Milestone which has a dedicated QWERTY slider keyboard, some might think I'm biased about this, but no, I've played with HTC's Sensation keyboards and hardly make a typing error, and it definitely made me switch to an all touch-screen device. For this one, if you don't get the Thumb Keyboard or some other keyboard you're used to, then you might find it quite frustrating to message or type up e-mails. Of course, you can use the S-pen and handwriting recognition, which I find quite pleasantly smart.
6) Poor customizability - Please note that this is not a Note-exclusive problem but with Touch-Wiz. I am not keen of the Touch-Wiz interface and immediately changed the interface to Launcher Pro, unfortunately, many of the widgets that are part of the Touch-Wiz UI can no longer be added. I wish Samsung would change that.
7) Phone does not include S-Pen tutorials as well as other Note-exclusive features - Unless you download the full 190-page manual (English version), there's not much help in getting to know the features of the phone. There are pop-ups now and then telling you certain features, but if I didn't watch a ton of Youtube 'first impression' videos, I wouldn't know of the gestures functionality and other cool features I can do with the S-Pen. However, this is not a reason for NOT buying the phone.
8) Poor Touch-Wiz Low Customizability- If you don't love Touch-Wiz, you won't like the pre-installed interface. You can always change it to Launcher Pro but that means there'd be widgets you cannot use if you don't use Touch-Wiz. I like the Calendar widget but have to make do with Pure Grid Calendar Widget if I use Launcher Pro. And for some reason, if you're a root user, you still cannot change the battery icons (I've created another thread about this), but I probably should not blame this on Touch-Wiz or the ROM Samsung uses, as rooting is fully a personal choice. I just wish we have themes to turn off the ugly green Android is so fond of using (can't wait till ICS comes out because I see blue finally!)
9) S-Pen is hard to draw with off-table - Unless you have a super steady hand, I find writing (not to mention drawing) on the Note a challenge. There's several promotional videos from Samsung showing off the artwork that can be done with the S-Pen just by holding the Note in your hand as you would a PDA but I personally doubt it'd be easy unless you're a seasoned artist with a very steady hand. However, the S-Pen is FUN to use and amazing for jotting notes, so again, it should not be something to deter you from getting this phone if you don't plan on replacing your WACOM pen tablets with this.
10) Battery Removal required for SIM or MicroSD cards access- You'd think a phone of this size will allow you to swap out at least the MicroSD without having to power off, but unfortunately, this is not feasible with the Note.
So far, these are the few "quirks" I don't like about the Galaxy Note, but otherwise, the phone never ceases to amaze others not only because of its size but it's functionality and brilliant screen.
P.S. Forgot to add one more point, there are no A/V or media ports other than MicroUSB and 3.5mm audio jack (no HDMI or other ports) which doesn't bother me but might others.
If those are your gripes, this phone must be amazing.
Thanks for your POV!
With regards to 1,6 and 8, I agree that these are Samsung wide problems at the moment. But obviously its all down to personal preference. I use ADW Ex on my SGS2 but the fact that you can't use the Samsung S widgets on it means I might actually try TW for a while first!
Just out of interest, where did you get your Not from and how much did you pay in total for it?
JoyR2 said:
If those are your gripes, this phone must be amazing.
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Haha...yes, other than the poor voice quality, I do think it's an amazing device.
vinokirk said:
Thanks for your POV!
With regards to 1,6 and 8, I agree that these are Samsung wide problems at the moment. But obviously its all down to personal preference. I use ADW Ex on my SGS2 but the fact that you can't use the Samsung S widgets on it means I might actually try TW for a while first!
Just out of interest, where did you get your Not from and how much did you pay in total for it?
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I got it from a shopping plaza in Mong Kok District of Hong Kong. That plaza sells many 2nd hand as well as new imported phones. I got mine for HK$5760 (~USD 742), they also allowed me to trade-in my good ol' Milestone 2 so I only paid a total of HK$4160 (~USD 536).
1) Notification LED - hopefully we will get a custom kernel with BLN support soon You have rooted it, right??
8) So TouchWiz sux - but there are lots of other Launchers to choose from.
10) Actually you CAN remove the SIM and sdcard without removing the battery - you just need to pry up the edge with a small tool - they are pretty flexible.
I'll add two gripes to your list:
- The protective camera glass on the back is slightly RAISED, so it is gonna get scratched up FAST if you ever put your Note down on any dirty/uneven surface. And because the glass is actually part of the CAMERA (not the case), it's probably not replaceable.
- The S-pen is too small, and pretty laggy in some apps, making it not even worth using (like drawing). And its touch-sensitivity is pretty worthless. And you can't tap the menu/back buttons with it.
But I still love my Note And it's only gonna get better as the custom ROMs start showing up.
RashaMatt said:
8) So TouchWiz sux - but there are lots of other Launchers to choose from.
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...which would make some of the widgets obsolete.
RashaMatt said:
10) Actually you CAN remove the SIM and sdcard without removing the battery - you just need to pry up the edge with a small tool - they are pretty flexible.
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...true, but why need a tool in the first place, why can't Samsung just design it so you can remove them easily?
RashaMatt said:
- The protective camera glass on the back is slightly RAISED, so it is gonna get scratched up FAST if you ever put your Note down on any dirty/uneven surface. And because the glass is actually part of the CAMERA (not the case), it's probably not replaceable.
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Strange, but my camera glass is actually indented into the area surrounded by the metal square. My Note is imported from Poland, I wonder if they have different builds?
RashaMatt said:
- The S-pen is too small, and pretty laggy in some apps, making it not even worth using (like drawing). And its touch-sensitivity is pretty worthless. And you can't tap the menu/back buttons with it.
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Yes, you're right about the small part, I'm Asian and a girl, so my hands are pretty small which makes the pen just right, but I can understand some people with bigger hands will find using it a real pain. I do agree with you on the other points!
wendyalison said:
Strange, but my camera glass is actually indented into the area surrounded by the metal square. My Note is imported from Poland, I wonder if they have different builds?
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I got a Polish "plus" Network model too (from handtec.co.uk) - how weird. Poor quality control...
First some comments on the above gripes :
noled shows you led notifications without you needing to touch the screen. It's pretty decent. I'd rather have a real led but it's not bad at all. Try it.
If you are using the stylus you hit the button and swipe up for the menu, and or swipe left to go back. That's how you get around the button issue.
Now my gripes:
The capacitive buttons (menu, back) are WAY too sensitive and I find myself accidentally hitting them constantly. One handed use is almost possible too, but I keep rubbing those buttons and it wrecks everything.
I think I need more friction to write with the stylus - I don't use it much at the moment.
- Frank
Performance
what about the performance is there an issue or lag
as i couldn't get a conclusion of this point
ChodTheWacko said:
First some comments on the above gripes :
noled shows you led notifications without you needing to touch the screen. It's pretty decent. I'd rather have a real led but it's not bad at all. Try it.
- Frank
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Do you find that NoLed impares the battery function of your phone? I have heard reviews on the SGS2 that it kills the battery while others say it is OK. As far as I am aware, NoLed turns the entire screen on while displaying its mini icons, would be nice if it could just activate a few icons on the top left or right of the screen.
I guess they put the notification LED in the Nexus, keeping it excluisive to that.
I am willing to buy the Note sight unseen because I love my friends S2's and I drooled over the LTE HD edition coming out. The Note is like 50 times better. I can't wait for my shipment on Monday!
tito17182 said:
what about the performance is there an issue or lag
as i couldn't get a conclusion of this point
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Depends what you're running. With Launcher Pro, I do feel a wee bit of lag when I use the Pulse widgets on one of the homescreens, I have 3 of those dragged out though and they all need to gather data, so I wouldn't expect it to go smoothly.
Otherwise, i'm playing Asphalt 6 while playing music with PowerAmp and I don't feel lag.
wendyalison said:
I got it from a shopping plaza in Mong Kok District of Hong Kong. That plaza sells many 2nd hand as well as new imported phones. I got mine for HK$5760 (~USD 742), they also allowed me to trade-in my good ol' Milestone 2 so I only paid a total of HK$4160 (~USD 536).
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AWESOME!!!
I will go there first chance I get!
bbdj69 said:
Do you find that NoLed impares the battery function of your phone? have heard reviews on the SGS2 that it kills the battery while others say it is OK. As far as I am aware, NoLed turns the entire screen on while displaying its mini icons, would be nice if it could just activate a few icons on the top left or right of the screen.
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First of all, remember that this is amoled and each pixel is lit up individually. So it doesn't 'turn the entire screen' on unless you turn the entire screen white. Or you run on an lcd phone with a backlight.
It runs fine for me at the moment Although i want to do more battery tests to see what uses how much power. It could still be the case that noled drains battery via cpu usage or wakeups.
Frank
ChodTheWacko said:
First of all, remember that this is amoled and each pixel is lit up individually. So it doesn't 'turn the entire screen' on unless you turn the entire screen white. Or you run on an lcd phone with a backlight.
It runs fine for me at the moment Although i want to do more battery tests to see what uses how much power. It could still be the case that noled drains battery via cpu usage or wakeups.
Frank
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This is from the NoLed FAQ, similarly to what I have read online, opinion varies:
Q: What about battery drainage ? How much battery percentage does this app consume per hour ?
A: To answer this question, I quote our friend evilhunter101 from xda-forums.com
"That's a question that simply can't be answered for you and everyone else who wonders. Why? Because all the available settings change the battery consumption, as well as what other apps you have installed and what kernel or OS you are using. Simply put, try the app. If you like it, keep it. If not, uninstall it. You have literally got nothing to lose.
P.s. I see no difference with or without NoLED, while others swear its a battery hog. I imagine we have it set up very differently."
wendyalison said:
P.S. Forgot to add one more point, there are no A/V or media ports other than MicroUSB and 3.5mm audio jack (no HDMI or other ports) which doesn't bother me but might others.
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the MHL adaptor for GS2 working well~~
wendyalison said:
Yes, you're right about the small part, I'm Asian and a girl, so my hands are pretty small which makes the pen just right, but I can understand some people with bigger hands will find using it a real pain. I do agree with you on the other points!
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I am a short guy with pretty small hands, so I'm curious about how you feel using it. Is it even possible to do anything one-handed for you? Do you feel it's comfortable holding in one hand and using the other other for navigating? And finally, is it comfortable using the on-screen keyboard, might it be too big?
Thanks for your input so far. Good having people saying what's not so good as well.
wendyalison said:
I got it from a shopping plaza in Mong Kok District of Hong Kong. That plaza sells many 2nd hand as well as new imported phones. I got mine for HK$5760 (~USD 742), they also allowed me to trade-in my good ol' Milestone 2 so I only paid a total of HK$4160 (~USD 536).
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Click to collapse
Where did you get the Galaxy Note? at the plaza in argyle street at the end of ladies market? If so I couldn't find one...
Fair comments,
Actually make me feel a lot more confident in buying the Note - just need to convince the wife now!
wendyalison said:
And don't tell me to get NoLED from market either, the point of the LED is that I can see notifications without having to press any buttons.
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Not following this comment. NoLED doesn't require you to press any buttons.
wendyalison said:
It's a tad better if you make calls without a headset, but as a girl, it looks super silly holding up the Note to my face. I use Marshall Minor earphones for conversations and they worked wonderfully well with Motorola, not that great with Samsung.
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Wait, you're saying call quality through earphones is WORSE than call quality just holding the phone? This is very alarming as that's how I make most of my calls. Can anyone else confirm this?