Database Users

Thread for the "HAPPY" GT-i9000 owners...

I have been reading threads dedicated for Galaxy S for the past 2 weeks seeing only disappointed people complaining for various things/bugs/problems, that almost none applied for my personal case.
Thinking that this is very unfair for the specific phone (my opinion after using it 2 weeks now), I would like to just check how many users are happy with the device...
Personally, I have NO problem with GPS fix (navigated a lot through cities and national roads in Greece, Athens and Piraeus), and my phone is not laggy at all. I currently use the phone a lot for various reasons (gaming, e-mails, browsing, navigating, etc), and I really can't find any bug that would make me think of changing the device.
Is it just me? I am using the stock rom version XXJF3...

I've not experienced any lag or GPS issues. That could just be me and you though!
I upgraded to FroYo a day after I got it and I couldn't be happier. Im glad I didn't get a Desire now. This screen is just so... amazing!

I'm also still on the official firmware and I also consider myself a satisfied customer.( At least for now - you only know how good a product really was until after you're done using it in 2 years or so, right?)
Anyway, I DO have the lag issue. It's just that I have it under control by (sadly) using a task killer , and compared to other mobiles on the market, the galaxy s still does the best job for me.
written on a mobile device

i came from the nightmare that is the Desire and its atrocious battery life and the stupid htc bug of "no trickle-charge".
The SGS has been one of the best phones i've had. The lag issue is there for me and i dont have an external sd to try out the mimocan fix... but even then the superb reception, awesome screen and great battery life make it a deadly combo.
GPS also works fine for me on JM2 rooted.

I must say that I'm very happy with my SGS, and I'm sure that some posters just post negative comments to wind people up.
I was amazed to read today that one poster was claiming that Samsung would never release 2.2, while in the dev forum for the SGS people are posting their impressiopns of the pre-release 2.2 from Samsung.
There is one poster who can be found on any thread relating to GPS, complaining about his experiences, but I have found that once I worked out how to use it, my map positioning works well without any modifications from how it came out of the box.
I can only say that anything that I have tried on my SGS has worked once I have sorted the right way to do it, and while I can accept that there are problems, I have faith that Samsung and the experts on this forum will soilve them.

Im also very happy with my SGS! Best phone I have ever used. I do have the same bugs as others i.e "lags" (although I have never experienced 10 second long stalls more like 2-3 second hickups) and since using luncher pro the stalls are much better.
I think the SGS is a coupple of firmware updates from beeing perfect.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

I have had my phone for 2 weeks, went from JF3 to JG5 & now JM2 rooted with SD fix, as it is at the moment it is extremely fast for a Smartphone & I am very happy with what it is capable of, I may even hold off on froyo if the speeds arnt as good as what I get now.
Also I like playing, and having a phone that is very hackable and pretty much unbrickable is a godsend when trying stuff out. Had a couple of scarey moments but its all fun

I am using the phone for the past 10 days and didn't much to complain about it.
Intially there was a problem installing the kies and detecting the phone but it was resolved in a matter for 10mins by googling. After 10days of experience I have no complains and very happy with this piece from Samsung. Although havn't worked much with the GPS (Bandwith issues - India) but no lags (>2sec - if any). Works really well with games and sound quality is awesome.
True Fan for SGS...
Cheers Samsun!!

Gotta admit, I wasn't thrilled with it to say the least when I first got it, but I'm now happy with it as it is (JM2, rooted, EXT4 hack, autokiller). Runs fast and is nice to use, and I think definitely as good as an iphone 4 which was the other phone I was considering at the time. Shame, the apps aren't better but thats not the phones fault.

Remember everyone, there's a HUGE amount of happy campers with any device. iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S, etc. It's usually the minority comprised of nitpickers, enthusiasts, and people with genuine problems that fill up forums like this.
Oh, I'm part of the enthusiast group I think.

gabbybob said:
There are always idiots moaning - especially on Xda - it's like a magnet for the morose maudling naysayer - poor boys - cry into your pints. I think it's an excellent device - that screen and it's sheer grunt have it stand well apart from the competition - let's see some developers get behind this and make the games, media and applications (for that is their true label, not that propogated by the narcissistic fool known as Jobs)
It's the potential for excellent gaming which I think we'll see in the future on Android that I think will propel this - it already has excellent Sound, Video playback, GPS (I've never had any problems - the fix is quick and accurate), camera is great - get a grip - it's the convergance device I wanted.
Pop a 32GB MicroSD in and on top of the 8GB / 16GB already on the device you have 40 - 48 GB storage - in other words, loads of Multimedia be it Books, Albums, Films, Magazines, Applications - whatever
So, well done to Samsung - let's see Froyo in a timely manner as promised (not another **** up like those idiots at HTC; yes I had a Hero)
Enjoy my son - Ignore the idiots - I do and usually go much further by having many laughs at their expense - schadenfreude ? Definately !!!
S xx
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I think it is going a bit far to call people trying to work through some issues with the phone "idiots". When I go to a forum I want to see both the good points and the bad points and I like the fact that xda does have people that find the bad things in phones and try and work on solutions for them. I would hardly call those people idiots as you are.
I think a bit of balance is a good thing and we don't really need the name calling do we? If you are old enough to make it to the forums then surely you are old enough not to have to resort to insults on other members especially in a thread about happy people, you dont sound too happy
As for the phone, I came from the nexus and I do like it a lot, I do have some issues but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives so I am holding on to it for now because its the best android device so far in my opinion.
Screen is definitely awesome, loving the accuracy compared to the nexus and the ability to see it easier in sunny conditions and of course the size of the screen, 4 inches i think is about as big as I would want it, just the right size.
Loving the dlna abilities to stream movies off a media player in the house etc and have the horsepower to actually watch them .

Likewise I think the comments are a little unfair. You invaraibly find more people with issues on forums than those without, it is after all the sensible place to look for support.
I do have issues with mine, but at the same time I'm pretty happy it. I suspect I'll be one of the first in line for the Galaxy Tab too when it comes out as I like the idea of the same device with a larger screen for home browsing.

My GPS is working fine. Had lag with stock FW (JG3), but with JM2 and now JP3 it has been working great.
Only issue I have using JP3 is that I drop 3G connection sometimes when setting it to WCDMA mode only, so I had to go back to using auto mode instead which is no biggie.
I live in area with very bad reception, and I'm lucky to get one bar showing on all phones I tried and many times get dropped calls, but so far with the SGS that happened only once. My USB 3G modem almost never found a proper 3G connection even if I tried placing it optimally, but the SGS often gives me 3G and 3G+ without looking for a good spot.
My battery life is about double compared to what I would have expected.
Reading this forum I get the impression I'm somewhat lucky, but IMO it's a very awesome phone!

gabbybob said:
There are always idiots moaning - especially on Xda - it's like a magnet for the morose maudling naysayer - poor boys - cry into your pints. I think it's an excellent device - that screen and it's sheer grunt have it stand well apart from the competition - let's see some developers get behind this and make the games, media and applications (for that is their true label, not that propogated by the narcissistic fool known as Jobs)
It's the potential for excellent gaming which I think we'll see in the future on Android that I think will propel this - it already has excellent Sound, Video playback, GPS (I've never had any problems - the fix is quick and accurate), camera is great - get a grip - it's the convergance device I wanted.
Pop a 32GB MicroSD in and on top of the 8GB / 16GB already on the device you have 40 - 48 GB storage - in other words, loads of Multimedia be it Books, Albums, Films, Magazines, Applications - whatever
So, well done to Samsung - let's see Froyo in a timely manner as promised (not another **** up like those idiots at HTC; yes I had a Hero)
Enjoy my son - Ignore the idiots - I do and usually go much further by having many laughs at their expense - schadenfreude ? Definately !!!
S xx
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Click to collapse
Wait a second, you criticise HTC, but wasn't it Samsung who eventually had to backtrack when they couldn't go beyond Android 1.6 for the Behold?
You fail to miss as well, the 8 Gig or 16 Gig phone you buy has two gig less for multimedia and storage because it is partitioned to install Applications, so you're really buying 6 Gig or 14 Gig. That wasn't in the fine print.
Although the phone has 512 Meg RAM, you cannot use it, and even the leaked Froyo builds you cannot access the full 512 Meg RAM (ie it doesn't show as a total anywhere).
The lags are very real, but some people live with them. The suggestion is that the phone has two different types of memory, one sequential and one random access, and the lag is caused by some random data being on the sequential area. Other fixes involve not used vfat but partitioning an area of your sdcard to ext3.
Doubt the GPS issues all you like, call me an idiot, whatever, just take a look at this and tell me my GPS is working without a problem:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...2.494749,-1.744981&spn=0.007447,0.022724&z=16

I don't use GPS, so that's had no impact on me whatsoever.
I was surprised to see the number of people complaining about lag and 10 second stalls, as I never experienced anything that severe on the stock Optus firmware. At most, it was 2-3 seconds when opening or closing an app, pretty much exactly what happens normally on my previous phone (HTC Hero).
Basically, I believe for anyone not into the rooting / rom scene who's unaware of XDA they probably have no clue that there's even a problem with the firmware on their phones. I sure didn't until I was informed I should be unhappy.
After mimocan's fix my phone flies, and I really couldn't be happier. I'm loving playing NOVA far faster than on my iPod Touch 2nd gen and the screen is drop-dead gorgeous for videos. The contrast and black levels are so good I'm actually only using black as my wallpaper which makes my minimalist widgets appear to be floating on black glass, causing my friends to do a double-take (hiding the top bar in Launcher Pro or ADW makes this effect even more pronounced). It really makes it look like the entire front surface on the phone is the screen since the edges aren't visible.
The only thing I would have liked is some nicer case material(s), as it doesn't 'feel' anywhere near as much of the premium device it is compared to the Desire's soft-touch plastics and aluminium.
For the record, I thought I'd hate Touchwiz but I don't mind it at all since the changes are minimal from stock Android. I do use Launcher Pro and ADW thought simply to enable 5 rows on the homescreens however.

I have a great phone now but only after flash+root+lagfix+launcher pro+autokiller. That's a bit much to ask an average customer. Samsung did a horrible job releasing this phone the way they did, the hardware is really nice but the software is ****e.

Most people who are healthy don't go to the hospital.
This forum is where the sick come to play.

I think the poster is an idiot, myself.The premise for the thread is sound, but the attitude and opinion is laughable.
I am very happy with the phone - I do not have problems with lag though it has gotten a bit slower now I have added more apps, I dont find myself bothered by it, but like the other person who posted the GPS track, my GPS is not usable for the purpose of recording tracks at all.
Initially I called Samsung and was told "there is no problem, its normal behaviour" - at this point, I had very little choice but to publicise the issue to add my voice to the MANY that have GPS problems.
This thread seeks to marginalise people with genuine problems, and is selfish and unnecessary with respect to being part of the solution.
What do you (people with phones that are fine) lose by the threads complaining of problems?
What is to be gained by NOT publicising the problems? (Hint: Nothing, for those affected...)
I am of the opinion those that have no problems DO NOT use the devices to record tracks. Many seem to be able to navigate with the GPS as it doesnt get too whacked out for long, but for recording a track its useless (see previous link). Having said that, I have struggled to get a sat fix when driving too, so been unable to navigate (and got lost as a result).
If the thread stuck to positives, instead of itself being negative, you would have me here singing praises for the good things too. But instead, I am just annoyed at your insensitivity for those that paid good money for a product that doesn't meet expectations.

Love the phone, and I had both the HD2 and Desire, as I am an HTC fan, and I chose the SGS over the two. No problems with the GPS, but there is one thing that bugs me and I tried to find a solution for it, videos with AAC audio get out of sync, only with JG5 the problem seems to be minimal.

x50v! said:
I think the poster is an idiot, myself.The premise for the thread is sound, but the attitude and opinion is laughable.
I am very happy with the phone - I do not have problems with lag though it has gotten a bit slower now I have added more apps, I dont find myself bothered by it, but like the other person who posted the GPS track, my GPS is not usable for the purpose of recording tracks at all.
Initially I called Samsung and was told "there is no problem, its normal behaviour" - at this point, I had very little choice but to publicise the issue to add my voice to the MANY that have GPS problems.
This thread seeks to marginalise people with genuine problems, and is selfish and unnecessary with respect to being part of the solution.
What do you (people with phones that are fine) lose by the threads complaining of problems?
What is to be gained by NOT publicising the problems? (Hint: Nothing, for those affected...)
I am of the opinion those that have no problems DO NOT use the devices to record tracks. Many seem to be able to navigate with the GPS as it doesnt get too whacked out for long, but for recording a track its useless (see previous link). Having said that, I have struggled to get a sat fix when driving too, so been unable to navigate (and got lost as a result).
If the thread stuck to positives, instead of itself being negative, you would have me here singing praises for the good things too. But instead, I am just annoyed at your insensitivity for those that paid good money for a product that doesn't meet expectations.
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I don't think it's anything wrong with threads that complain about the problems. It's obvious that there are a lot of users experiencing issues, and if I was one of them I would be angry and discuss the issues as well.
What really bothers me is that when I respond with comments about not having an issue, there are some users that will assume that it's because I'm clueless or dumb. You do it as well when you say "those that have no problems DO NOT use the devices to record tracks". And in the same post you talk about OP marginalizing users with problems?
I have been navigating in the terrain using GPSCompassMap and MyTracks. I haven't had a need to save tracks, but the other day I made a recording with GPSCompassMap when I was driving just because I got fed up with that kind of accusations.
When posting that I'm told that it must been a lucky day or that I happened to have ideal conditions...basically being accused of being a liar since I clearly stated that it's normal performance for me.
I don't get locks on satellites with SNR <20 or more than 8 sats, but it still works.
I really don't get what causes some users to lash out at anyone that does not have problems and call them idiots or liars.
I know it's hard to make any sense of things, since there doesn't seem to be any common denominator explaining why some users have a completely useless GPS and some have one that is working fine.
But it's the same with the lag and battery life as well...some people experience issues and some not, and while it's a bit more common the issue is nailed down to a particular FW or software with those, it's still not 100% clear why there are such differences how users experience the device.

Have I made the wrong choice...

I always used to use this place when I had my windows phones and found it a brilliant source of information.
I have just bought (not arrived yet) a Galaxy S and thought I'd have a look on here and I am amazed at the problems and people moaning about there devices, I read loads of official reviews and they all praise the device highly, in fact almost as high as the big Apple.
I am completely new to Android so most of the terminology is different to the old Windows mobile so I guess I shall get used to this.
But it seems this Galaxy S is plagued with lag and gps issues, this concerns me a lot as I am a heavy gps user, have I made the wrong choice in going for an Android device, would be nice to hear some positives

There are many positives on the SGS. In my opinion (from a short, but intense ownership period) the lag issue isn't as bad as it might sound.
In certain ocasions it does lag and I've ended up waiting 4 or 5 seconds for an app to open or do something.
But those events were rare and might be reduced in the upcoming Froyo ROM.
Not something that will ruin the experience I'd say, since the unit has many positive aspects, including the amazing display.
If you are a heavy GPS user I'm afraid that there are no good news. The current GPS performance is a disaster (and no proper testing was made in any professional review). Personally I consider it not to have GPS as it is so unreliable that it cannot be trusted.
IMHO that is the only critical flaw that the SGS has right now.
Don't panic yet. Perhaps it can be solved with a firmware upgrade (maybe it is not hardware-related). In any case if GPS is really important to you and you can still return your unit, I'd do it (I will do that with mine). Get your money back and watch what happens.
If Samsung/Broadcom fix the GPS issue, then it will be a good terminal worth buying again.

well, i've been along time wm user and apple user. Got the galaxy s a few weeks back, right around the time there was massive stock shortages in australia, however my galaxy s never had any gps issues. I'n my personal opinion samsung have fixed the issue with the GPS in the later firmware revisions.
Lag, well i was running stock firmware without any mods for a few weeks, not too many issues. Yes it was a little laggy at times (typically when opening big apps), but copilot ran fine better than any wm device or apple device using tomtom.
Be sure to only kill apps that your not using, dont kill email and other important things because you'll notice the lag much more.
Just upgraded to jm5 firmware with all the mods and stuff, yes its much faster but running stock is good too. I would never go back to a windows mobile or apple device, even if it was free.
good luck, just my 2c.

THUDUK said:
I always used to use this place when I had my windows phones and found it a brilliant source of information.
I have just bought (not arrived yet) a Galaxy S and thought I'd have a look on here and I am amazed at the problems and people moaning about there devices, I read loads of official reviews and they all praise the device highly, in fact almost as high as the big Apple.
I am completely new to Android so most of the terminology is different to the old Windows mobile so I guess I shall get used to this.
But it seems this Galaxy S is plagued with lag and gps issues, this concerns me a lot as I am a heavy gps user, have I made the wrong choice in going for an Android device, would be nice to hear some positives
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Click to collapse
Coming from a windows mobile device there is truly no comparison. I've owned and test many windows mobile devices in the past, and the Galaxy series far superior than anything previously made in my opinion. The small lag/gps issues will be fixed with minor build revisions. (unless GPS was hardware but doubtful) anyways Enjoy the device, peace!

Well my JF3 stock phone lags ALOT. Installed ca 100 apps. Not tried any of the fixes. But the lag is really really bad. Just going into calendar/dialer/contacts can take 5-10 sec. Not acceptable at all

borchgrevink said:
Well my JF3 stock phone lags ALOT. Installed ca 100 apps. Not tried any of the fixes. But the lag is really really bad. Just going into calendar/dialer/contacts can take 5-10 sec. Not acceptable at all
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100 apps
Perhaps that is the source of the problem.

I came from a windows then apple and when i got the apple iPhone wow big difference...but then..unless you jailbreak you cant customized it...so then it became boring...was waiting for the iphone 4..but it looked the same...no real multitasking..plane the same...so moved to the gs and yes i got the jf3 firmware...yes gps issue...tried all the methods found...and some it worked...but then i was able to update via flashing my rom to M2 and gps issue has been solve...the lag is solve..the phine is faster..the android community is more vibrant than the iphone and that's because apple don't like ppl tweaking with their device...
So i can say that galaxy s is ideal if you are a power user..as you can customizer it to your hearts content

No real issues except the gps one (which is HUGE). The rest is nothing serious.
And the phone can be tweaked in so many ways, used like a pc, download torrents, watch movies directly without reconverting, copying music and photos without sync (I hate apple so much because of this). Also went from iphone 3g and my choice was between iphone 4 and galaxy s. Iphone 4 has a load of fun games, but the device is from Big Brother, no flexibility at all.
And as a artist/photographer the huge super Amoled was just wow.
Again, the gps issue spoils it all. I do hope Samsung fixes it because it is a pity to sell it and get the Iphone (

THUDUK said:
I always used to use this place when I had my windows phones and found it a brilliant source of information.
I have just bought (not arrived yet) a Galaxy S and thought I'd have a look on here and I am amazed at the problems and people moaning about there devices, I read loads of official reviews and they all praise the device highly, in fact almost as high as the big Apple.
I am completely new to Android so most of the terminology is different to the old Windows mobile so I guess I shall get used to this.
But it seems this Galaxy S is plagued with lag and gps issues, this concerns me a lot as I am a heavy gps user, have I made the wrong choice in going for an Android device, would be nice to hear some positives
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people with this phone don't really have any problems. We have a lot of people on this board with what appear to be faulty GPS units (can't get a lock at all) who are very stubborn and don't seem to want to return their faulty devices, so they spam away on here. If you read through the complaint threads, you will see that it is mostly the same 10-15 people posting over and over how terrible their GPS is, and how horribly their phone lags.
That aside, if you buy a device that has an old (JF series) firmware, then you will have to flash it to a newer one if occasional lagging bothers you. Another alternative is to wait for an official firmware release before buying your phone, but that doesn't seem to be an option since you've already ordered it.
Either way, don't take the complaining on this forum as any sort of proof of widespread issues without first trying the device yourself.

Totally agree with the above. It is not as bad as some make out. I use my GPS all the time without any issues at all. Lags are minimal with later firmware. I hope you enjoy your GS.

Frankly, I do not have the issue with GPS, I use Google Maps Navigator a lot.
Lag issue has been addressed by JG1 or newer test firmware.
PS: I had at least 2 WinMo phones in the past, and I have to say that I love android phone.

borchgrevink said:
Well my JF3 stock phone lags ALOT. Installed ca 100 apps. Not tried any of the fixes. But the lag is really really bad. Just going into calendar/dialer/contacts can take 5-10 sec. Not acceptable at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you need all 100 apps to do work? that's the real problem.
I believe none of the WinMo (6.5) phone can takes 100 apps in 1 single phone and still working.

Roy Ngan said:
do you need all 100 apps to do work? that's the real problem.
I believe none of the WinMo (6.5) phone can takes 100 apps in 1 single phone and still working.
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Click to collapse
I do not need all, but they are not running all at the same time. So it should work just fine.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

When I got mine it was between the iphone 4 and the SGS, I had an iphone 3G before, and did have a good play with the iphone 4, but ultimately it felt the same, and I felt I would get bored with it.
So I got the SGS.
At first I regretted it - it was slow and unstable, and with terrible battery life.
I've since updated to JM2, rooted, done the EXT4 hack and installed Autokiller and use optimum settings on that. I installed launcher pro instead of touch wiz, and a few nice little widgets and a few apps and games.
Now, I'd almost go so far as to say I now prefer it to the iphone 4. Yes, perhaps you shouldn't have to do all this, but I bought the phone, and I was damned if I'm going to waste my money selling and buying an iphone 4, I was determined to make it work, and now it does work, I put all the tweaking to the back of my mind - now I don't try and keep up with all the latest firmwares, instead, I am just enjoying the phone and the Android OS. The only time I will now change is when a good, official Froyo firmware is released.
The positives for me are, sheer speed (when all of the above patches / hacks are performed), the customisation options that are simply not there for the iphone - you can change virtually every aspect of your phone to your tastes - try that on an iphone. You can literally make your phone unique from any other. The screen size - yes the iphone is sharper, but you have to virtually hold your eyeball to the screen to notice - for me, the benefits of having a larger, more colourful screen are immediately apparent. Much better media support, no more converting most videos to play on it.
The downsides - well the GPS is a reported downside - Google Navigator simply didnt work for me when I tried it, but that was with stock firmware, I've not tried it since I performed my above fixes (and tweaked a number of GPS settings too). The camera is pretty rubbish IMO, imagine a 3GS camera with a few more pixels and a few more options and you're not a million miles away (but on the flipside you get 720 video recording)... no flash either. The battery life still isn't amazing - it's still very poor compared to an iphone, but ultimately, its no worse than any other android phone.
Personally, I think the SGS is up there with anything out at the moment. I wouldn't go back to the iphone at the moment - before I'd reconsider this, I'd be wanted a 4+ inch display for starters, and a lot more customisation options...
Heck... I even rediscovered the art of bluetooth file transfers again the other day!!

borchgrevink said:
I do not need all, but they are not running all at the same time. So it should work just fine.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you use samsung default widgets try disabling them. Many people have found their phone stopped lagging so much once they disable the samsungs default widgets

tameracingdriver said:
When I got mine it was between the iphone 4 and the SGS, I had an iphone 3G before, and did have a good play with the iphone 4, but ultimately it felt the same, and I felt I would get bored with it.
So I got the SGS.
At first I regretted it - it was slow and unstable, and with terrible battery life.
I've since updated to JM2, rooted, done the EXT4 hack and installed Autokiller and use optimum settings on that. I installed launcher pro instead of touch wiz, and a few nice little widgets and a few apps and games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah see that's what a lot new users say. The whole point of linux though is customizing on a kernel level. Literally everything can be customized, and changed, tweaked, and even ported to other devices haha..
I don't get how there is even a comparison between Apple products and the new lines of Linux based phones already out and will be releasing in just a mere 3 months. What about Microsoft as well, check out metro UI, they're something to think about. Apple is done, they give their users nothing, like I said before, you have 1 billion people with an iphone and EVERY single one is the same hah.. where's the diversity?!
If you want to ditch the lag,why don't you just get launcher pro and call it a day, worked like a charm on my old captivate with the STOCK rom hah.. so yeah

Dopedangel said:
do you use samsung default widgets try disabling them. Many people have found their phone stopped lagging so much once they disable the samsungs default widgets
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Exactly what are they all called?

RyanZA said:
Most people with this phone don't really have any problems. We have a lot of people on this board with what appear to be faulty GPS units (can't get a lock at all) who are very stubborn and don't seem to want to return their faulty devices, so they spam away on here. If you read through the complaint threads, you will see that it is mostly the same 10-15 people posting over and over how terrible their GPS is, and how horribly their phone lags.
That aside, if you buy a device that has an old (JF series) firmware, then you will have to flash it to a newer one if occasional lagging bothers you. Another alternative is to wait for an official firmware release before buying your phone, but that doesn't seem to be an option since you've already ordered it.
Either way, don't take the complaining on this forum as any sort of proof of widespread issues without first trying the device yourself.
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Click to collapse
Let's clarify one thing.
I tested 7 (seven!!!) of these phone.
They were ALL broken, with a miserable GPS.
It's not spam. It's the reality. You're probably have no idea what you're talking about.

nricci said:
Let's clarify one thing.
I tested 7 (seven!!!) of these phone.
They were ALL broken, with a miserable GPS.
It's not spam. It's the reality. You're probably have no idea what you're talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can open google maps navigation, put in a destination, and drive whole following the maps/prompt and end up at my destination, with the prompts being completely accurate.
I can post/geotag my location with any program and it gets it instantly within 50m or so (This would be AGPS I think).
What exactly is the problem? What are you trying to do with your GPS?

The BCM4751 should be able to resolve and maintain a position down to nearly 2m. What you think is working, is actually the broken.

[Q] Some questions about the Xperia Play

So I'm coming off contract on my current phone soon so I've naturally been checking out the market for a new phone. When the Xperia Play launched earlier in the year, to be honest I wasn't that impressed with it, but I've been hearing good things about it lately. Specifically how SE have continued to support it and fix the little bugs and glitches, as well as providing more functionality in the future and OS updates (crossing my fingers for the 4.0 update). However I am a bit cautious because I am totally new to Sony Ericsson phones, and this will also be my first Android phone. I currently own a Samsung Omnia 2 (i8000).
I realise a lot of things could be gleened from reviews, but the problem is all reviews for this phone were written months ago when it was first launched, so seem hardly relevant now after the recent updates SE have been making. What I want to know is, have these updates improved the phone significantly? Is the phone worth it now?
I am a keen gamer, so the physical controls definitely interest me, but I am also after good functionality in the phone too...making calls, how easy the keyboard is to use, music and video playback, how well the GPS works, how good the web browsing experience is, how customisable it is, how good the camera is etc etc - does the phone perform these functions well?
Also of importance is how is stacks up in performance against other high end Android devices (currently the Galaxy S II is the only dual core device on the Australian market) - how many Android apps and games are actually written to support dual core CPU's? How well does it perform in everyday phone operations compare to say the Galaxy S II?
One feature I'm particularly bummed about is the lack of FM Radio...I use the FM Radio in my current Omnia 2 more often than I expected, so I'll definitely miss that if I decide to go for the Play - has anyone written an app that's able to utilise the radio in the Play's snapdragon CPU? It still baffles me that SE elected not to enable the radio especially when touting the thing as a multimedia device, given the hardware is there already. Course I could stream it but that's a waste of data (and battery, compared to using the radio).
Another feature is the lack of internal storage...for a device that's supposed to be about gaming it seems odd that there is basically no internal storage in it, forcing you to use a microSD card. If anyone in Australia has picked up this phone through Telstra, what size (and class) microSD card do they package with the phone? Need to know if I'll be shelling out more money for a nice 32 GB card or something. Is it relatvely easy (without rooting the phone) to move stuff to the SD card or force it to install to the SD card by default?
Lastly, how comfortable is the phone to hold when gaming? I've noticed the PSP go, which has a very similar basic design, can become uncomfortable after a while as the edges of the device kinda dig into your palms, has anyone found this to be a problem with the Play? I couldn't really tell this from the couple of minutes I spent with one in store while it was covered in security tags and attached to a desk with cables.
Thanks for your time...it's a bit of a wall of text so I apologise in advance for that.

my 0.02$
pros: the tons of emulator support and mind you its improving
the fact that we can convert our own psx titles thanks to psxperia
of course the controls tho the joysticks due need a bit of getting used to
honestly think if SE wouldve designed the joysticks like the psp go it wouldve been alot better
the phone overall feels solid not cheap the controls is like a good lapdance on your bday lol
keep in mind it was marketed as a gaming device not a multimedia etc
the camera is great also the front camera is a bit so so
cons:
basically the storage and no hdmi out which wouldve been the icing on the cake
and like really we all know emulators psx games and all the crap we can run is gonna eat up alot of memory mine came with a pre installed 8 gb which is okay but after all the shi you can do with it it does feel small a nice 32 gb pre installed wouldve been nice
also the battery life is horrible due to all the bloatware installed nothing a little rooting magic wont solve
i used to get about a day out of it but now after rooting and removing all the junk
i get about 2 days of heavy usage and gaming before i gotta recharge
yeah the missing radio is a con to some but others are just like ill just get on youtube
"jerrys final thought" lol
the hardware is decent i mean were not gonna run call of duty on it
the overall functionality as a phone is great
but this thing is honestly lacking SOFTWARE "anyone got geohots number"

Anyone else want to give their opinions? I'm trying to get as much information as I can about this phone before I take the plunge.

I was t very pleased with the keyboard, but I installed go launcher ex and all the extras that come with it, and not only does it give some extra look, but it adds some really good features. I noticed that it gets very low on memory, but that may be because I've got 15 startup apparently or so. Haptic feedback could be a bit better, but other than that I don't have many negative views on it. The hardware gaming pad is very nice, but I wasn't ecstatic about the sensor pads. They are a bit irritating and take a while to get used to. The physical buttons are very very nice. I also like the bottom row of buttons (back, home, menu, and search) are also pleasing. Touch screen is very responsive. Also, it comes with like $25 worth of games pre loaded on it XD but I uninstall most of them, because they were unnecessary. If you like monetary at all, you'll have to buy this phone. If I think of anything else, I'll post again.
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

Thanks for the reponses so far.
I'd still like some more though - please post your experiences with the Play both good and bad...ANY information you think might be useful to know.

As said in other threads like this, it all really comes down to how much you play games that needs a dedicated gamepad to be really enjoyable and even playable in some cases.
The phone is pretty much as other Android phones on the market and it's doing the job as a phone pretty good. There's some bugs here and there, but not anything serious. There's a battery drain bug that can be fixed by manual selecting your network instead of auto selecting (only on the newest FW). The UI is fluent and smooth, the hardware build is ok, could be more robust, snappy response, nice screen, good dev going on etc.
It's not that elegant even though they curved it on the back it' still a bit bulky and if you don't play that much it will be a bad plunge to go for the play. It will be a slightly big lump in your pant's for 'just' a phone. It's not a brick like the Nokia N900 but you can feel it and see it in your pocket.
I think i have average sized hands so for me it's comfy to hold the xperia play while playing and do sometimes play games 3 hours strait without any discomfort.
I don't miss the FMradio even though it's been on all my phones since... Well the last, say 8-9 years.
Haven't really encountered any problems with the low internal storage. You can move apps to the sdcard and the dalvik cache aswell to gain more that way.
Bottom line it's a phone to play games on wich is does with bravour and i'm really glad i got it and i'm not missing anything on the phone side nor the whole experience as an android phone.
Just get it mate and start the gaming
Regards Dousan...

In my opinion we should not be so harsh to SE, they made a rather experimental device. Of course they can do better, but not without your money. Also I think sony is holding this thing back because of the ps vita.
Its rather unique that you can never be truly bored when you are carrying this phone. (I think touch screen controlls are 100% crap)
Sent from my R800i using XDA App

I have some input I can share after my 1 week with my 800x(VZW)... I had an EVO for a year and have a Nexus S as well. When I was looking for a new phone I really wanted a keyboard... but after some play time on an Epic and my gf's EVO Shift, I noticed I'm totally over my soft keyboard hatred and didn't need a physical one.. except it helps for gaming. The XP was the most logical choice for me.
I LOVE having solid control over orientation. The d-pad is perfect for fine cursor control without dragging a handle around. The GPU helps it perform as well or better than my EVO/NexusS. I heard complaints that the screen is terrible in the sun, it looks almost exactly as my EVO does, I'd say slightly better due to the factory screen protector. With the latest OTA the auto brightness problem is gone, thankfully! Battery life is similar to underclocked/volted EVO. I love how the Home key is a secondary power button.
Now for the bad stuff! The front cam is grayed out and underwhelming, but it works well enough. Locked bootloader is a burn for me, but honestly I'm having a much better time dealing with it than I thought. Vanilla Android helps a lot, but the bloatware makes managing apps difficult. I've had to let some phone-only apps go, but thems the breaks sometimes!
Overall, I'm very happy with the XP so far, I think you should give it a week or so trial and see how you like it!
---
Edit with some more stuff! GPS has been tight, locks in seconds, and only problem I've had with the controls is that I'm having a tough time with SF Alpha 3, F-D-DF (dragon punch) motion is difficult for me right now. Otherwise it's been butter! I didn't care for the touch pad thingies on Crash Bandicoot, but I prefer d-pad gaming anyway.
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

Demise of Epic 4G?

Recently, I have been so negative about my Epic 4G, so this time, I am writing why it became so outdated. I believe during Froyo era, Epic 4G was the best phone ever. It had better cpu/gpu for everyday experience and had better gaming performance than any other phones. When compared to Evo, our Epic crushes Evo with superior screen quality, better camera/camcorder+FFC and speedier everyday performance. It was once named top Android phone on some website.
Although Epic had its faults, such as keyboard skipping and inaccurate GPS, these were quickly fixed/mitigated by our proud devs in XDA. I was also pleasantly surprised when Epic natively supported 720P avi and mkv files. Epic really shined when all the emulators like FPSE, N64oid came out and they ran nicely and utilized keyboard well. I personally thought it was amazing to run PS games on my Epic. Some people even mistook my Epic as a PSP. So everything was good and I was proud to be the owner of the best phone.
Fast forwarding to Gingerbread era, where many high end phones are coming out with current OS installed, our Epic is still shining. When I run Netflix, the phone handles well, there are no signs of phone struggling. When on skype call, I can simultaneously browse webs or play games without causing the phone to slowdown too much. Also when using Google navigation and music simultaneously, the phone handles it with breeze. I didn’t have much frustration because of phone lagging/crashing. So Epic is still up there when it’s about performance. But why I do I still feel dissatisfied. Why do I feel so short changed?
The environment is changing. More specifically, technology is advancing in a way features of Epic 4G can’t utilize. More and more sophisticated apps are coming to Android and most of them are optimized for keyboardless phones. These sophisticated apps were already successful on iPhone platform, so naturally, these apps are optimized for keyboardless phones. Recent days, I rarely use my HW keyboard. I don’t play emulator games anymore as native games have better experience. Apps are becoming more virtual keyboard friendly that it is faster and comfortable than HW Keys. It seems like developers build apps without thinking about HW keyboard. The keyboard can still be utilized for document editing, but there are no good viable document editors. Also, this task is being quickly replaced by tablets as it has more potential thus developers are ditching developing good office apps for phones.
Also when talking about playing HD contents. It is now a trend to stream HD videos. People used to transfer mkv files to the phone to watch them but this is not only cumbersome to do it, it is a chore when having to deal with limited amount of SD space. It is very convenient to stream HD contents right on the phone with so much more selections. Epic can also do that but with critical limits. The current 3G is unreliable and 4G is not available for the majority. Phone still needs to rely on WIFI, when at this point, it is just better to use a tablet or a laptop.
A feature like FFC is not utilized as well since Skype is so slow on updating and supporting FFC for non-Gingerbread phones. It is difficult to have a video chat with people w/o high-end phones since they have to use the rear camera, which then they can’t see me, rendering video chat useless.
So all of sudden, the phone, Epic 4G, that had complete features, feels so outdated and unsupported. This is bound to happen for any phones out there, but it feels Epic was especially short-lived. The phone that had so many potential is quickly being outdated without ever realizing any of them. This is why I feel frustrated and how turn of events made Epic less useful.

mtwow789 said:
Recently, I have been so negative about my Epic 4G, so this time, I am writing why it became so outdated. I believe during Froyo era, Epic 4G was the best phone ever. It had better cpu/gpu for everyday experience and had better gaming performance than any other phones. When compared to Evo, our Epic crushes Evo with superior screen quality, better camera/camcorder+FFC and speedier everyday performance. It was once named top Android phone on some website.
Although Epic had its faults, such as keyboard skipping and inaccurate GPS, these were quickly fixed/mitigated by our proud devs in XDA. I was also pleasantly surprised when Epic natively supported 720P avi and mkv files. Epic really shined when all the emulators like FPSE, N64oid came out and they ran nicely and utilized keyboard well. I personally thought it was amazing to run PS games on my Epic. Some people even mistook my Epic as a PSP. So everything was good and I was proud to be the owner of the best phone.
Fast forwarding to Gingerbread era, where many high end phones are coming out with current OS installed, our Epic is still shining. When I run Netflix, the phone handles well, there are no signs of phone struggling. When on skype call, I can simultaneously browse webs or play games without causing the phone to slowdown too much. Also when using Google navigation and music simultaneously, the phone handles it with breeze. I didn’t have much frustration because of phone lagging/crashing. So Epic is still up there when it’s about performance. But why I do I still feel dissatisfied. Why do I feel so short changed?
The environment is changing. More specifically, technology is advancing in a way features of Epic 4G can’t utilize. More and more sophisticated apps are coming to Android and most of them are optimized for keyboardless phones. These sophisticated apps were already successful on iPhone platform, so naturally, these apps are optimized for keyboardless phones. Recent days, I rarely use my HW keyboard. I don’t play emulator games anymore as native games have better experience. Apps are becoming more virtual keyboard friendly that it is faster and comfortable than HW Keys. It seems like developers build apps without thinking about HW keyboard. The keyboard can still be utilized for document editing, but there are no good viable document editors. Also, this task is being quickly replaced by tablets as it has more potential thus developers are ditching developing good office apps for phones.
Also when talking about playing HD contents. It is now a trend to stream HD videos. People used to transfer mkv files to the phone to watch them but this is not only cumbersome to do it, it is a chore when having to deal with limited amount of SD space. It is very convenient to stream HD contents right on the phone with so much more selections. Epic can also do that but with critical limits. The current 3G is unreliable and 4G is not available for the majority. Phone still needs to rely on WIFI, when at this point, it is just better to use a tablet or a laptop.
A feature like FFC is not utilized as well since Skype is so slow on updating and supporting FFC for non-Gingerbread phones. It is difficult to have a video chat with people w/o high-end phones since they have to use the rear camera, which then they can’t see me, rendering video chat useless.
So all of sudden, the phone, Epic 4G, that had complete features, feels so outdated and unsupported. This is bound to happen for any phones out there, but it feels Epic was especially short-lived. The phone that had so many potential is quickly being outdated without ever realizing any of them. This is why I feel frustrated and how turn of events made Epic less useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool story

Agreed. At the time I loved my Epic but it seems like wireless companies are hell bent now on releasing new phones every 5 minutes it seems. This is funny considering most carriers look at reducing or preventing you from using it (capped data plans, touting 3D streams and Netflix sure is retarded when you can only watch so many episodes or stream so many movies a month). This has led to a large decline in support for existing devices, because why give a **** when you can just release something more powerful with upgrades software already built in that people can just buy. When I first got my Hero is was awesome, little slow but it was my first Android experience. The Epic 4G blew it out of the water, and I still love playing PSX games on it from time time, as well as Plants vs. Zombies and Cut the Rope look beautiful on the Super AMOLED screen. But when looking back, with all the hardware and software problems (GPS, keyboard, reboots, buttons) I still loved my device. Sadly, the trend has already started of shelling out half-finished products that companies can just "update".. but where do you draw the line when the product doesn't get updated? Both the carrier and the consumer lose. For me personally I've had my Epic since launch and I'm looking to trade it our for a Nexus S. Sure it doesn't have a keyboard and smaller resolution video but guess what: it's supported by Google themselves and gets updated off the bat.
Like Google said today, they are their own worst enemy. And with the shortened product cycle and lack of updates, people are foaming at the mouths for the iPhone5. And after stealing so many of Windows 7/Android "features" and calling them their own, Apple is looking at another record profit year because at the end of the day a large portion of people just want a phone that "works" and Apple supplies that kind of product. Reminds me of a nice little quote: "Evil will always triumph because good is dumb."

tl;dr: Newer phones are better than the 13 month old Epic. Also, apparently since it has a real keyboard, virtual keyboards don't work on it, for some reason.

vita10gy said:
tl;dr: Newer phones are better than the 13 month old Epic. Also, apparently since it has a real keyboard, virtual keyboards don't work on it, for some reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It comes with 3 virtual keyboards (swype, samsung, and android). And unless typing here or anywhere else I would type more than 5 word I rarely use the hw keyboard.
Sent from my un-rooted Samsung Epic 4G with XDA Premium

vita10gy said:
Newer phones are better than the 13 month old Epic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imagine that
Sent from my SPH-D700

OP - Welcome to the world of Evolution.
...pull up a chair and have a set.

Honestly, my ET4G made me start to think my Epic was old. I didn't want a new phone at all until lately. The numbers don't lie. Screenies are stock ROM, stock kernel with root. Edit..the Quadrant test is actually a low score. I can't read those tiny previews...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I still don't think the current generation of phones is sooo much better that it's worth upgrading yet personally. The hardware has stood up to the test of time so far if we just get some official gingerbread finally, this phone will get me by just fine for another 9+ months.

CapsLockKey said:
I still don't think the current generation of phones is sooo much better that it's worth upgrading yet personally. The hardware has stood up to the test of time so far if we just get some official gingerbread finally, this phone will get me by just fine for another 9+ months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 A stable GB will do me just fine even beyond my upgrade date of 1/1/12

worldwidepmp said:
+1 A stable GB will do me just fine even beyond my upgrade date of 1/1/12
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A stable Gingerbread would make this phone feel new again. I am just concerned because we have had what 3 or 4 leaks now with almost the same issues. I hope the next one will fix the reboot issue
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

What's this?? Exponential technilogical advances are making electronics obsolete at an exponential rate??? Gonna have to have the boys in the lab verify these findings and get back to you ...

Specialksg1 said:
What's this?? Exponential technilogical advances are making electronics obsolete at an exponential rate??? Gonna have to have the boys in the lab verify these findings and get back to you ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol...well played sir
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

Well, to be honest, what are you REALLY trying to do? Keep up with the Joneses?
What irks me the most is the random quirks: Unresponsive apps, random force closes, half-baked apps that feel like weekend projects, having to pull the battery on some freezes, GPS drops, video recording issues, and TOO MANY OPTIONS TO WORK WITH! I'm finding myself "working" with my phone rather than "playing" with my phone.
Now, I love this community. I'm a geek, but not a total geek. I have SFR 1.2 installed, phone unrooted, and a custom kernel running (I forget what off the top of my head). I love being able to customize my phone... but it's getting to the point to where I just want to say "SCREW IT! JUST WORK RIGHT SO I CAN USE THE DAMN THING!"
That's what Apple does right: It just WORKS. However, there are many things I will miss if I switch to an iPhone: Widgets, a bigger screen, customizing my home screen, Roam Control, Google Navigation, and Voice Search just off the top of my head.
It's weird: I have an iMac, Macbook Pro, and iPad, but I have an Android phone. I love it... but these quirks are pissing me off. I tell everyone I meet that my phone works amazingly well 95% of the time. That 5% drives me CRAZY!
But, going back to your rant about our phone being a beast of a phone like the new phones: Relax. The Epic 4G is pretty damn epic! There's no "killer" feature yet that is coming out that will make me want to get a new phone. I don't play many games on my phone. I have my iPad for that. The next killer feature is the NFC chip, which I think the iPhone 5 will have. If it does, I just might switch. I know the Google Nexus S has one, but the Nexus S is basically an Epic 4G without the keyboard. I'd wait until the next version of the Nexus comes out and compare with the iPhone 5.

Yeah, I find myself flashing every ROM and kernel that comes out because I am still trying to get my phone to the point where everything is working properly without issues. On my ET4G, I rooted it, flashed the CRT+1% battery mod and put the stock kernel back on it. I haven't flashed any of the early ROMs because I am very happy with how everything is functioning. I hope I can get my Epic to that point some day
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

JohnCorleone said:
Yeah, I find myself flashing every ROM and kernel that comes out because I am still trying to get my phone to the point where everything is working properly without issues. On my ET4G, I rooted it, flashed the CRT+1% battery mod and put the stock kernel back on it. I haven't flashed any of the early ROMs because I am very happy with how everything is functioning. I hope I can get my Epic to that point some day
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXACTLY WHY I CHECK THE FORUMS EVERYDAY! You just made me realize why I do it. I guess I'm always looking for the bigger, better, faster method. I have to admit, I check the Android Market once or twice daily to see if there's any updated apps. I must be OCD or something.

DangerZone1223 said:
EXACTLY WHY I CHECK THE FORUMS EVERYDAY! You just made me realize why I do it. I guess I'm always looking for the bigger, better, faster method. I have to admit, I check the Android Market once or twice daily to see if there's any updated apps. I must be OCD or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its the whole android motive, even though everything is working perfectly for me I feel the need to brick it and odin just to restore everything and change it up a bit maybe different theme or ROM lol its never been that it doesn't work for me. I have an ipod touch and that's it,it just works lol I get bored with it jailbroken or not its boring after a while lol.
Sent from my SPH-D700

R3537L1F3 said:
It comes with 3 virtual keyboards (swype, samsung, and android). And unless typing here or anywhere else I would type more than 5 word I rarely use the hw keyboard.
Sent from my un-rooted Samsung Epic 4G with XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's why it was sarcasm. I'm not sure what the OP's point was there. What possible method of on screen controls won't work on the Epic?

vita10gy said:
Yes, that's why it was sarcasm. I'm not sure what the OP's point was there. What possible method of on screen controls won't work on the Epic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel confident that the OP is trolling and most likely owns a htc evo 3d. Im running at 1.5 ghz stable and epic screams. It suks the life out of the battery like some members here on kokers but thats why I have 2 extra batteries free from our beloved asurion. Don't ask how trolls! Every app runs like a black man from police. Don't you trolls go anul and report me to mods! Im joking for gods sake! But the battery sucking pawer is true.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Common faults with Xperia PLAY

I am interested to know how many of you have experienced faults I have read about while frequenting these forums.
The reason for me wondering this is because my Xperia PLAY is just out of warranty (2 years) and I'm considering buying a new handset while I can as it seems to be out of production, and before long all that will be available is used devices. The device didn't succeed much in terms of android updates and support from Sony (they had too much invested in the DOA PS Vita) but alas, no other device compares to it in terms of gaming with particular regard to emulator support. This is primarily a gaming-centric device (hdmi-out would have made it golden) and I honestly don't see its crown being taken any time soon. I think this is reason enough for me to hold onto one but unsure of if a new one in warranty is necessary, hence the poll.

Tlrtheory has made several posts regarding his thoughts on the xperia play. He had moved XP to an HTC One-x and to an iphone 5 only to come back to an XP. Sorry I contact link any comments as I am away from my laptop. Will post some later.
Sent from my R800at using xda premium

Its definitely a fun little device to have, but I can't use it as a daily driver.
The XP does one thing well, and only one. Portable gaming.
While its inconvenient to carry around a Dual shock 3 and a separate device, its a much more pleasurable experience than using my XP. Dem joysticks.
If you have the opportunity, use a newer device in conjunction with an XP.
My main problem with my XP is that it showed its age rather quickly, and even using stock gingerbread, it can barely perform the games it used to blaze through. I'm unsure whether its my processor, the SD Card, or the device is just plain old, but the XP does not live up to its former glory.
After about a year, no matter what I tried, I was unable to perform basic tasks without encountering extreme amounts of lag, while gaming was un-enjoyable. Mine is collecting dust, with an occasional power on and play when my tablet is out of juice.
Sent from my Nexus 7

My experience with PLAY has been fantastic. It plays almost all available emulators at full speed. My only gripe was the amount of support from Sony was lackluster to say the least. But as a basic Android phone, it works splendid.
I haven't experienced any problems that I've read yet, I've gotten my phone stolen half way through its contract so the one I have now is about a year and a half years old. But the main problem people seem to report would be the flex cable.

Power button sometimes gets stuck and my volume buttons and back cover are VERY squeaky.

Actually my Power Buttons fine, it's just that the varnish has gone so now theres a massive LED light now..
And I'm not sure if this is normal but my R Trigger feels looser than the L Trigger.

The paint on the 4 front buttons (back,search,home, and settings) started to chip off and another big problem that hasn't happened to me yet but lots of people complain about is the flex cable
Sent from my Xperia Play (r800x)

Yes also for me, the paint is starting to come off.

AzNTypeR said:
And I'm not sure if this is normal but my R Trigger feels looser than the L Trigger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, its very loose :/ L is fine though..
The only other problem i have is my back button being too squishy, theres no force needed to push it!
I have had no problems with the power button because I never use it :silly: I mapped search to be power instead as its easier to access and I never used search lol

Zilch for me.
...the only problem I really have is that the previous owner messed up the front camera when replacing the flex cable. My original Xperia Play (which is now in the hands of a long-time friend) has absolutely NO hardware issues at all.
The only real problems were that:
• Internal memory sucked (which we can easily remedy with Link2SD - I've done it and now I have 471 installs while having 283MB free)
• Stock launcher was weak (also an easy fix - I've found ssLauncher to be the smoothest, most aesthetically appealing option)
• Stock browser was laggy (get Opera, it's not only the best mobile browser, but it's completely smooth on Xperia Play)
• Didn't natively come with notifcation toggles (which can be fixed with notifications)
...but by far and large... the biggest complaint is just that it's not "officially" supporting ICS. I take a rather extreme stance of "are you guys on crack?!" when someone tries to point this out as a valid point. This is not a damn iPhone... meaning it doesn't work on the same restrictive principles as the iPhone. On iOS, there's no getting around the fact that you need a newer FW to get features. On Android, we aren't so much affected in the same manner. Yeah 4.2.2 brings lock screen widgets... but everything dating back to 2.1 has already had those features through external apps like widgetlocker. We can get data management without 4.x.x, and even have that holo theme take over our Xperia Play. So, for us... anything above 2.3.7 is more of a bragging right... and it's a bragging right that compromises the stability of our games and compromises how much of the RAM we have... that ain't very "baller" to me.

Somebody give this guy a medal, please? Makes me love my XPlay even more (even if "she's" very sickly).

My xPlay is more than year old, and so far she don't have any hardware issues. And even when i get newer phone, i plan to flash some gingerbread rom without phone capabilities and use it as psx/c64 platform untill she dies in my hands...
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

My R800x is almost 2 years old, still have that despite moving to a R800at, which was in new condition. But both phones and my R800x are in great condition with no hardware issues whatsoever.
And despite playing with a GS3 for 2 weeks it was nice but didnt wave my flag, so I went, nah, and went back to my PLAY. No regrets when I moved from R800x to R800at, especially since i snagged a prototype AT&T model with no branding on it and it was already bootloader unlocked. Had to unlock the sim lock but that was no big deal. Is our phone dated hardware wise yes, but would I give it up for a GS4, nope. I know some people will think it odd and call me crazy but there is nothing like using this phone for some online MC3 or Lets Golf 2 or shadowgun or Bards Tale, or especially the Tiger Arcade CPS1/CPS2/NeoGeo emulators......
Best thing on the world for phone and gaming in my opinion. $ony needs to make another XP2, but doubtful since they want to try and resuscitate the Vita... anyways, no issues but per bliss.

ozzmanj1 said:
a prototype AT&T model with no branding on it and it was already bootloader unlocked. Had to unlock the sim lock but that was no big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does it have an hdmi out as the first demo units did or is it a later prototype without please?
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

ps3taker said:
does it have an hdmi out as the first demo units did or is it a later prototype without please?
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk
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No HDMI out, I had made a thread on it, see post 8 for images:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2088271
Noticed the ebay listing is gone, one of the photos showed the back with the battery out and it clearly states "Prototype not for sale", and on the bottom of the front keys there is a serialized number on it. Also the IMEI starts with 044 which I have read means its a proto model. If you'd like me to make a photo of the back let me know, of course I will blur out the last half of the IMEI #.
Edit - Added photos. See attached.

My contract ends next week and... I decided to stay with my XP. I know is little bit outdated and latest games not running smoothly but it's still fun.
Later someone mention that better is to connect to tv and use pad to play but try to do that waiting in queue or bus, during lunch time or waiting for your missus trying another dress...
If want to play good quality game I turn on my PC or Xbox.
Modified ROMs give us nearly all functions that new phones have. I not much gamer to have extra pocket device with me and smudging on screen to play is not fun either. I still have hope that Sony realize that chase after Apple, Samsung etc. Is not only copy other devices but to make some unique moves. Sometimes I thinks that get rid Ericsson was mistake, I used since 1018 long time ago.
Back to topic. I have my XP for 2 yeaes now, no major issues.
I have problem with touchpads, they not working always. I need to turn off phone, remove battery and they back. Tried different roms, kernel, back to stock and even send twice to Sony. I can live with that.
Heard that ribbon is problem. I have change that but it happen when fallen down to river with my XP inside pocket. When dried out phone back to life but later screen started flickering.
Sorry for boring post but I love my XP.
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

ozzmanj1 said:
Tlrtheory has made several posts regarding his thoughts on the xperia play. He had moved XP to an HTC One-x and to an iphone 5 only to come back to an XP. Sorry I contact link any comments as I am away from my laptop. Will post some later.
Sent from my R800at using xda premium
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Yeah I remember reading it and thinking I'd quite like a white XP too but all that is available for sale in the UK are used ones (don't buy used electronics) or grossly overpriced ones (£400+ for a 2011 handset? dafk!).
Replacing my XP with something different isn't really on my mind, but more just that of preserving a working one because it is still the damned best handheld you can get even if its capabilities as a phone are questionable. Its inevitable I will have to replace it eventually given that app developers won't support GB forever. When that day comes, Sony won't even be a brand I consider unless they get a grip on the future of PS Mobile and release an Xperia PLAY 2. It will be Nexus all the way for me with their great pricing and software support. But even then I will still want to hold onto my XP as a great gaming machine.
Its a great shame Sony doesn't realise the potential of a gaming/phone hybrid. The XP had a lacklustre launch with lacklustre specs with a lacklustre marketing campaign, and despite this it was still a great handset in many ways and earned itself itself a strong following. Sony (and pretty much any multinational company) only cares about the sales figures and not the big picture. Smartphones are and will continue to eat into dedicated gaming handhelds; PS Vita is the past and devices like the XP are what they need to move PS Mobile as a strategy going forwards.
Leraeniesh said:
Its definitely a fun little device to have, but I can't use it as a daily driver.
The XP does one thing well, and only one. Portable gaming.
While its inconvenient to carry around a Dual shock 3 and a separate device, its a much more pleasurable experience than using my XP. Dem joysticks.
If you have the opportunity, use a newer device in conjunction with an XP.
My main problem with my XP is that it showed its age rather quickly, and even using stock gingerbread, it can barely perform the games it used to blaze through. I'm unsure whether its my processor, the SD Card, or the device is just plain old, but the XP does not live up to its former glory.
After about a year, no matter what I tried, I was unable to perform basic tasks without encountering extreme amounts of lag, while gaming was un-enjoyable. Mine is collecting dust, with an occasional power on and play when my tablet is out of juice.
Sent from my Nexus 7
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Sounds very much like a hardware problem with your device, either that or the SD card. Its definitely not something I have experienced. I decrapified my handset from useless apps from day one and experience little to no lag, ever. Nexus+XP might be something I consider going forwards but the XP is definitely irreplaceable in terms of gaming, which is a shame.
Mega5657 said:
My experience with PLAY has been fantastic. It plays almost all available emulators at full speed. My only gripe was the amount of support from Sony was lackluster to say the least. But as a basic Android phone, it works splendid.
I haven't experienced any problems that I've read yet, I've gotten my phone stolen half way through its contract so the one I have now is about a year and a half years old. But the main problem people seem to report would be the flex cable.
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Yes I agree with you and everyone else in regards to the flex cable. It was clearly designed poorly to avoid ware.
I have a bad feeling that mine is slowly on its way too. It didn't used to make any noise when opening/closing the slider but it makes an unmistakably odd crackling noise now. This is the main reason I'm considering replacing it with a new handset while I can... not worth the heartache later
CyberScopes said:
Power button sometimes gets stuck and my volume buttons and back cover are VERY squeaky.
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Click to collapse
Only had my power button get stuck the once and I rarely use the volume buttons tbh.
The back cover is definitely very squeaky. I'm probably in the minority here but I'm a big fan of plastic housing for phones because of its durability and shock resistance, but the XP's back cover was poorly designed and adds to the growing list of problems for us 1st worlders, lol.
AzNTypeR said:
Actually my Power Buttons fine, it's just that the varnish has gone so now theres a massive LED light now..
And I'm not sure if this is normal but my R Trigger feels looser than the L Trigger.
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Click to collapse
Same here with the R trigger. Its lost its springiness. This I think has something to do with how we hold our devices when making a call, so it seems Apple users aren't alone in "holding it wrong" lol.
abdel12345 said:
The paint on the 4 front buttons (back,search,home, and settings) started to chip off and another big problem that hasn't happened to me yet but lots of people complain about is the flex cable
Sent from my Xperia Play (r800x)
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This started to happen to my device very slightly but since getting the Trident case, no further ware on the buttons has occurred.
TLRtheory said:
Zilch for me.
...the only problem I really have is that the previous owner messed up the front camera when replacing the flex cable. My original Xperia Play (which is now in the hands of a long-time friend) has absolutely NO hardware issues at all.
The only real problems were that:
• Internal memory sucked (which we can easily remedy with Link2SD - I've done it and now I have 471 installs while having 283MB free)
• Stock launcher was weak (also an easy fix - I've found ssLauncher to be the smoothest, most aesthetically appealing option)
• Stock browser was laggy (get Opera, it's not only the best mobile browser, but it's completely smooth on Xperia Play)
• Didn't natively come with notifcation toggles (which can be fixed with notifications)
...but by far and large... the biggest complaint is just that it's not "officially" supporting ICS. I take a rather extreme stance of "are you guys on crack?!" when someone tries to point this out as a valid point. This is not a damn iPhone... meaning it doesn't work on the same restrictive principles as the iPhone. On iOS, there's no getting around the fact that you need a newer FW to get features. On Android, we aren't so much affected in the same manner. Yeah 4.2.2 brings lock screen widgets... but everything dating back to 2.1 has already had those features through external apps like widgetlocker. We can get data management without 4.x.x, and even have that holo theme take over our Xperia Play. So, for us... anything above 2.3.7 is more of a bragging right... and it's a bragging right that compromises the stability of our games and compromises how much of the RAM we have... that ain't very "baller" to me.
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Click to collapse
Well pretty much the same. I have only had minor issues so far with mine, with the R1 button losing springiness, ware on the front buttons and the housing scratching the gamepad. My main concern is with the flex cable; it now sounds unhealthy when opening/closing the device, where it didn't before. Do you notice anything with yours?
I agree with you. Link2SD is a REQUIREMENT for XP users and I never worry about internal storage any more.
Meh. I have no problem with the stock launcher. Sure it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of say a Samsung device but what it lacks in features is makes up for in simplicity and stability.
The stock browser was worse than aweful; it was atrocious. After a few weeks of using it I replaced it. Opera is indeed the best browser available for android. I tried Firefox and others, which were largely very unstable and overall just rubbish for multiple different reasons.
I agree on the ICS issue. though I do think it was something that could have been avoided if it had been released with current specs on launch day. But alas, it didn't and there's no point crying about it now. The real shame is not that it didn't get ICS, its that the lacklustre launch specs and sales campaign that probably stopped it from getting the sales it deserved and resultantly killed off much chance we had of seeing a successor to it.
Bakisha said:
My xPlay is more than year old, and so far she don't have any hardware issues. And even when i get newer phone, i plan to flash some gingerbread rom without phone capabilities and use it as psx/c64 platform untill she dies in my hands...
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Hope its good health continues for you. Its gaming capabilities are definitely not in doubt, even 2 years later :good:
ozzmanj1 said:
My R800x is almost 2 years old, still have that despite moving to a R800at, which was in new condition. But both phones and my R800x are in great condition with no hardware issues whatsoever.
And despite playing with a GS3 for 2 weeks it was nice but didnt wave my flag, so I went, nah, and went back to my PLAY. No regrets when I moved from R800x to R800at, especially since i snagged a prototype AT&T model with no branding on it and it was already bootloader unlocked. Had to unlock the sim lock but that was no big deal. Is our phone dated hardware wise yes, but would I give it up for a GS4, nope. I know some people will think it odd and call me crazy but there is nothing like using this phone for some online MC3 or Lets Golf 2 or shadowgun or Bards Tale, or especially the Tiger Arcade CPS1/CPS2/NeoGeo emulators......
Best thing on the world for phone and gaming in my opinion. $ony needs to make another XP2, but doubtful since they want to try and resuscitate the Vita... anyways, no issues but per bliss.
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Click to collapse
You're not crazy, I use the XP for all my portable gaming needs. Its a real shame we won't ever likely see a successor or even a challenger to it. But at least if the majority of devices stay working without the aforementioned faults, what remains is a great and unbeaten gaming device.
ps3taker said:
does it have an hdmi out as the first demo units did or is it a later prototype without please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was on developer units. Dire shame this feature never made the cut.
bartmw said:
My contract ends next week and... I decided to stay with my XP. I know is little bit outdated and latest games not running smoothly but it's still fun.
Later someone mention that better is to connect to tv and use pad to play but try to do that waiting in queue or bus, during lunch time or waiting for your missus trying another dress...
If want to play good quality game I turn on my PC or Xbox.
Modified ROMs give us nearly all functions that new phones have. I not much gamer to have extra pocket device with me and smudging on screen to play is not fun either. I still have hope that Sony realize that chase after Apple, Samsung etc. Is not only copy other devices but to make some unique moves. Sometimes I thinks that get rid Ericsson was mistake, I used since 1018 long time ago.
Back to topic. I have my XP for 2 yeaes now, no major issues.
I have problem with touchpads, they not working always. I need to turn off phone, remove battery and they back. Tried different roms, kernel, back to stock and even send twice to Sony. I can live with that.
Heard that ribbon is problem. I have change that but it happen when fallen down to river with my XP inside pocket. When dried out phone back to life but later screen started flickering.
Sorry for boring post but I love my XP.
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. Who the hell uses a dualshock controller or one of those ridiculously obese and unportable controller attachments? It looks and is retarded. People are mad if they think otherwise.
I also know someone who got their XP damp (dropped in puddle) and the ribbon went a few months later. Sounds like this is something to try and avoid.

Also, another problem is that the Front Camera's gone completely Green and Fuzzy. May be down to the amount of times that I've dropped it, before it wasn't that bad but now it simply refuses to work.

On my third Play, but not through anything breaking by itself. My first was stolen, my second didn't survive my dropping it in a sink full of water. Water = not good for sure, and I'm paranoid about the flex cable. Interestingly each that I had tried with let me overclock to 1.5GHz at stock voltage, but I use OC sparingly.
It's an absolute essential to get the Trident case IMO, it saved my last play from being dropped on concrete twice I'm sure and to protect the buttons. Honestly, if anyone is thinking about getting it and worrying about the price: please if you can at all afford it, just get it. It'll save you money on a broken phone some day.
And also honestly it's the only phone for me, even if imperfect. I can either choose between GB and some new 4.0+ only apps not being available (for me, BBC radio player), or ICS and some circle button and game incompatibilities (krisdee's Hybrid rom + LuPus ICS/GB 480p seems a viable combination for game performance and general stability at least though, which is great). Not tried JB. But either way, it's more game playing than I'd do on any device without buttons regardless of the specs. Even if it only played emulators, it would still be "cool" to me.
I agree Opera is the smoothest browser, I've always found that, particularly on GB. And yes the speakers are so very useful, I use it as a mini "radio" all the time.

I seriously don't know how you guys have problems.. i bought mine 2nd hand a year ago and only problem I've faced is the housing seems to fade/damage easily. going to replace it soon. otherwise no prob.