Hi guys,
I thought i share my thoughts and experience with people who have not decided which phone to buy. Maybe my input will make the decision easier (or maybe it will confuse you even more hehe).
Also I am hoping people with Android experience maybe can assist me with some of my negative bullets. I'm very new to Android so i apologies for my mistakes in my so called review/comparison.
And lastly i dont want to start any fanboy android vs iOS. This is just my personal view of the two phones/OS'es. Its maybe a bit unfair since i been using iPhone for the last 3 years and Android for only a week but still some of the bullets are independent of that. Any how lets dig into it, First i take the negative side of SGII and next the positive sides.
(maybe my topic is a bit misleading but below some of the items are compared against iPhone but i wont write all the plus/negative for iPhone since the SGII list is already pretty big and i want to focus on SGII which i hope can replace my iPhone)
- When i exit USB mode (where i can access the SD card) i cant find a way to reconnect it without cable unplug->plug. Is there a way i missed?
- Browser doesnt word wrap the text/column so good on table tab. I had a side by side comparison with my iPhone4. On iphone the whole article including images are resized and the text is fully readable. On Galaxy S2 images are not resized and text is readable but just barely. So the whole screen real-state is not fully utilized with the lower resolution and bad browser formatting.I have tested Opera also but the whole word wrapping experience left a very bad taste in my mouth. It was the worst experience ever, the article jump up and down every 5 sec or so, i think the browser got confused for some reason and couldnt decide how to format the page (this was when double tapping).
- Default browser crashes (go to qj.net where i usually visit to read about games).
- Text selection is a pain sometimes. First problem is that in every app it behaves differently. Second problem is that the process to select a text isnt so smooth.
- Confused about task and background proceses that start magically! When using taskmanager i can see mostly 2-3 tasks there and this makes sense. Now using other task killers suddenly they show 10-15 tasks. I understand these are background task but its beyond me why some of them suddenly are there. Like Kies, this should never be started unless i am using Kies. I can see now why my battery goes dows so fast (well compared to iPhone again). Why is there so many tasks started and why cant i control them from vanila Android. This should be a must. I dont want to root my phone to do the basic settings.
- Pretty much all application is downloaded can only be installed on phone memory. Why doesnt Google enforce developers to adapt to new versions of Android is beyond me.
- I havent found a way to backup everything on the phone (including applications and their save data) to my pc/mac. Without this i dont like to experiment rooting and other shizzles.
- Apps are not as smooth and functional on GS2 compared to iPhone4. Ex: Tunein Radio, i cant skip to next song. Ex2: ign app (iphone) allow for daily videos while the Android version is very poorly done and dont have any videos. Feels like Everything works just a little better on iPhone compared to Android phones.This is something most people cant understand if they havent had iPhone for a long time i think.
- Slow battery charging. I usually start charing at around 20% battery left. In one hour GS2 reaches around 40-50% while iPhone goes to 80%
- Headset lacks volume + next/back track when playing music.
- Creating folder through Kies Air not possible. for ex in media make a folder called movies.
- Drag&Drop in Kies air missing.
- When uploading a file through Kies Air there should be a progress bar, now it just looks busy and you dont know if its uploading or it hangs.
Ok now to some good sides on the Galaxy S2:
+ Brilliant screen (even if i think resolution could be better)
+ Flexibility and open market for every sort of application. Much like windows here you can add more functionality and make the phone very personal.
+ Excellent codec support. It plays pretty much everything i through at it. Well done Samsung.
+ Very good camera (even better then iPhone i admit)
+ Very good video recording (also better then iPhone)
+ Very light
+ Feels pretty good in your hand (even though i’m afraid one day the backvocer will break, i had a Nokia N95 and one day the smal plastic edges broke when i was opening the cover. Same thing will happen ti GS2 i’m sure)
+ Expandibale uSD.
+ Very cool fearure called Kies Air where i can access most studd through browser. (this can also be added to minus since it doenst work perfectly everytime i tested but the potential is there)
+ Nice features like pinch effect for desktop + many nice widgets.
+ I think you can make proper call recording on SGII (CallRecorder) but havent confirmed myself yet.
Lastly i like to say SGII is a wonderful phone and i really really want to use it as my primary phone. The one thing i hope Samsung fixes that will make me more loyal to Android is the default browser. The text wrapping must be improved and the browser more stable. I like the smoothness of the default browser and this is the most used part of the phone and so far my iPhone is better but i hope 2.3.4 update maybe can improve this.
Any input, tips, tricks are welcome. I really appreciate your help.
Hopefully this will help you, at least in some areas (i numbered them in the order that you have used):
1) using developer mode at least (i prefer it as its faster and more compatible than samsung's stuff) you can mount/umount at will the card on the pc via the phone without unplugging
2) You may want to try Opera Mobile, it seems to do a very good job at this. I'd like to see this in the stock browser too, but hey, this is Android, you have the choice to change the browser if you like ;-)
3) Well, same thing I guess. 2.3.4 may improve stability but the rest, I don't know, I wouldn't bet on it. I like Firefox quite a bit as well, but text wrapping is odd on it.
4) Android issue =/
5) I wouldn't use any task killer. Check the active apps and uninstall any app that doesn't behave (keep only the ones you REALLY need that still do stuff in the background, like email etc, but not too many). Seems to work a zillion time better for battery life. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a decent way to enforce such a policy.
Regular background tasks are not necessarily ever active. It just means they're frozen in the background and do nothing. As long as they do nothing it's fine, it's just faster to start them again (instant, in fact). The issue is really when they're activating every XX minutes while in the background.
6)Doesn't matter, the recent samsung phones such as the SGS2 have a HUGE internal memory compared to other phones, you'll never have space issues for that imo.
7)Install a kernel with CWM and then, boot in recovery and run a nandroid backup. It will create the backups on your sdcard. Copy them to your PC. Also, copy /efs using tools or manually..
You can restore using a CWM kernel later on and nandroid restore.
You can also use stuff like TitaniumBackup, but it's not nearly as thorough as nandroid backup (which is doing basically disk images, while Titanium and other such apps just copy app/settings)
8)Trollish subject. Some apps are superior on Android, some are superior on iOS. Heh SGS2's browser speed eats my IP4 for breakfast for example. If the same Android app doesnt have the feature of the iOS app, complain to the dev or find another app.
9) it's true it's like that, nothing you can do about it (technically, something could be done but that's probably not wise at all)
10) Use another music player, such as PowerAmp if you like. There's (many, many) other possibilities as well. It also let you boost the volume higher than the stock max volume (although I find stock to be loud enough)
11) Don't use KIES air to do that then ;-)
12) Likewise. There are apps like KIES air, you might want to try them btw. Make a little search, I dont have the name in mind, but they do exist, others will probably point them out
13) I do get a progress bar that moves, maybe a browser issue. Anyway, see point 12)
Cheers for the answers and help. I write the comments inline below.
bilboa1 said:
Hopefully this will help you, at least in some areas (i numbered them in the order that you have used):
1) using developer mode at least (i prefer it as its faster and more compatible than samsung's stuff) you can mount/umount at will the card on the pc via the phone without unplugging
A: i did test this mode but it asked me to unplug the cable also, same thing for MTP. Dont you get that?
2) You may want to try Opera Mobile, it seems to do a very good job at this. I'd like to see this in the stock browser too, but hey, this is Android, you have the choice to change the browser if you like ;-)
A: As mentioned i already tested this. Opera does some things better and some things worse. For instance visiting one of my favorite sites like Engadget.com the whole page jump up and down when i zoom in a little. To be honest the stock + Opera feel very bad compared to iPhones browser. I hope Opera or Samsung improve on this area. This is the most used feature for me.
3) Well, same thing I guess. 2.3.4 may improve stability but the rest, I don't know, I wouldn't bet on it. I like Firefox quite a bit as well, but text wrapping is odd on it.
A: Lets hope so
4) Android issue =/
A:
5) I wouldn't use any task killer. Check the active apps and uninstall any app that doesn't behave (keep only the ones you REALLY need that still do stuff in the background, like email etc, but not too many). Seems to work a zillion time better for battery life. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a decent way to enforce such a policy.
Regular background tasks are not necessarily ever active. It just means they're frozen in the background and do nothing. As long as they do nothing it's fine, it's just faster to start them again (instant, in fact). The issue is really when they're activating every XX minutes while in the background.
A: Yes true, i think Android just shows to much info for regular user. I have to see past the background tasks perhaps. Also some appz you can not remove like the hubs and such. Sure i can root and hack but i'm not so interested to do so just yet. Maybe when i'm a bit more user and understand Android better
6)Doesn't matter, the recent samsung phones such as the SGS2 have a HUGE internal memory compared to other phones, you'll never have space issues for that imo.
A: Actually i got over 12Gig of Appz on my iPhone so 16Gig (or actually 12Gig which is free) isnt all to much when you have navigator (3,5Gig) and games and blogs and such. But sure its enought for a time to come. The bottom line is Google must be tougher with the market otherwise the fragmentation will just grow.
7)Install a kernel with CWM and then, boot in recovery and run a nandroid backup. It will create the backups on your sdcard. Copy them to your PC. Also, copy /efs using tools or manually..
You can restore using a CWM kernel later on and nandroid restore.
You can also use stuff like TitaniumBackup, but it's not nearly as thorough as nandroid backup (which is doing basically disk images, while Titanium and other such apps just copy app/settings)
A: Thanks for the tips, i will write it down. As said i dont dare yet to mess with hacking but soon i was actually considering using the TitaniumB , hear its easy to use.
8)Trollish subject. Some apps are superior on Android, some are superior on iOS. Heh SGS2's browser speed eats my IP4 for breakfast for example. If the same Android app doesnt have the feature of the iOS app, complain to the dev or find another app.
A: I'm noob on what is there on the market so i'm sure there are many awesome apps on Android but when comparing the same app on Android vs iOS the Android was inferior. That was what i was comparing.
Another thing i dont really experience is the speed. To be honest i dont see such a huge speed difference when using my Wlan at home. But maybe you are right
9) it's true it's like that, nothing you can do about it (technically, something could be done but that's probably not wise at all)
A: I guess your right. On the other hand it could be possible a fw update could adjust some values for the current input, this could be a software limitation also i think. Lets hope
10) Use another music player, such as PowerAmp if you like. There's (many, many) other possibilities as well. It also let you boost the volume higher than the stock max volume (although I find stock to be loud enough)
A:Thanks for the tips will test this. Actually this is same thing as the copy/paste issue. I expect the behaviour to be the same no matter application (coming from iOS) but here it seems its application to application. This offer more freedom to developers for sure but it will also generate crapy software and result in a bad user experience. It would be so much better if there were a set of rules that all developers should follow on certain areas (this one is one such area).
11) Don't use KIES air to do that then ;-)
A: hehe true but this is the official way so i thought it should have been well tested and all
12) Likewise. There are apps like KIES air, you might want to try them btw.
Make a little search, I dont have the name in mind, but they do exist, others will probably point them out
A: Will do.
13) I do get a progress bar that moves, maybe a browser issue. Anyway, see point 12)
A: Strange, have to test again on IE which i hate, i use Firefox only. Also tested Safari on my mac.
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Click to collapse
Thanks again for your input mate. Back to play more with my GSII
Applications can also be installed on the external sd card.
Applications and I also believe their user data are backed up on google server. So if you factory reset the phone and sync with google, it will download all previous apps.
About the slow charging - are you on old firmware version or do you charge over USB?
Creating a folder through kies air is not possible, that is correct. To be honest I am happy that there is even an app which allows to copy media etc. over wifi, you know there are phones which don't have that, for example the iPhone.
All apps I am using are working fine. If an app is not stable it's developer's fault, not the phone.
Ios is from 2007.. android 09.. 1-2 years between them. just think how far android have gone the last year.. give it 2 years and then compare it to iphone 4 in it current state.. well yes i know android is older.. but the initial realse was around 08-09 and IOS june - 07.
and yes.. so far iphone fits those who just want it to work better.. that means ppl not that used to computers etc.
and currently i dont own an iphone but i got a first generation ipod touch.. and yes even that stoneage IOS thing does alot of things better then my S2..
bah but this iphone vs android is getting old its a subject that can go on forever and ever..
well ill stick with my laggy android.. well i've been told by my iphony friends that its laggy.. i just dont see it
vampyren said:
Hi guys,
Any input, tips, tricks are welcome. I really appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice overview.
IMO S2 is the best phone on the market now. But due to appl's hype, n matter what hardware specs they release, the iphone will always be superior to ANY phone. They could release an iphone with 1st gen hardware, and it will still make more sales than sgs2.
But, slowly more and more ppl are moving towards androi, and apple are losing sales. they even copied bb and android in ios 5..
Also coming from an iPhone 4 to the GS2 I can safely say that I don't miss the iPhone at all which I thought I would.
Having owned a Nexus S in the past and feeling a bit bewildered as there was a lot of stuff within the OS which felt unpolished and unfinished and now 2.3.3 is like night and day for that and it feels much more like a complete OS to me.
@OP give it time there will be a lot of things you can do with your new phone which would require rooting on your iPhone 4
The world of apps and widgets and customization is at your finger tips so jump right in and enjoy
My phone is running ADW Launcher EX with 90% icon dock size, 5x5 grid for homescreen, transparent drawer and miui weather
The only thing you might miss is the app store and iTunes integration (if you use it), other than that the Galaxy S II has it beaten quite comfortably.
@zxz0O0:
OOH that is cool , i think some option about it but didnt think it was what i thought it was nice to have it confirmed. Then this is pretty much what Apple is adding into iOS now with the cloud thing. Pretty cool Android has it already. By the way why do people use program like TitaniumBackup when there is google sync ? is there any limitation to the cloud backup? will all games data, programs data, settings be backed up or just Android OS stuff?
About FW i use the latest i think KE7 i think its called but i read there is a new one coming out next week so hoping for better battery life.
And your last point is something we can debate about for a long time but my view is that if you dont have strict rules developers do what ever they want and can let their app go without update. On the other hand if Google enforce some guideline like having option to install to SD card developers must go by that or their application is removed from market. In the end users will benefit and the platform will grow. But this is my view alone.
@olyloh6696:
I dont think its just hype really. I mean we are comparing a year old phone to SGII here and they are pretty much head to head in most scenarios i tested. But i see your point and i do agree that Android has a charm about it. I love the moving background, i love the whole flexibility to do what you want with the interface. Specially SGII's support for codecs so i dont have to spend 2 day re-encoding all my movies etc. So there are definatley benefits with Android but iOS has the benefit to be easy and working perfectly with the functions it offers from the get go. I think its a matter of preference and more advanced users will move to Android (a bit like me).
@daleski75:
Yupp i think i just need to play with it more and get used to the eco system
I think i will harass Opera developers to fix the formatting thing on the webpages now
Thanks for your input guys, gonna go out and take a walk now, later.
There are also many other good browsers, xscope, miren and dolphin hd to name a few, they all have their own way to format the page and all are pretty good many have different options too for formatting and text wrapping (I believe the default samsung browser also has some options)
also I believe google sync doesnt save all app data (eg angry birds progress is not saved)
That is correct...Google Sync doesn't backup app data (like your Angry Birds scores). This is where Titanium Backup (commonly abbreviated to as TiBu) comes in. It "sort of" does cloud backup (via Dropbox), but its strength really shows when you start installing/changing/updating custom ROMs. Typically, it's used to backup your apps and their data to a folder on your SD card. I can also do some pretty advanced stuff that you probably wouldn't use much (if at all). In my view, the strength is it's ability to deal with batch jobs. For example, before installing a new ROM, I backup all user installed applications (non-protected ones, anyway) with only a couple clicks. Restoring is just as easy, provided you have the paid version (it allows for hands-off batch restore of your apps). Another cool feature it has is "freezing" apps. Say you root your phone and may want to clean some carrier crapware off of it, but aren't *totally* sure. You can freeze those apps...they stay installed and can be defrosted at any time, but they won't be available for use until you do.
Also, I agree with you that a lot of iOS apps are much better than their Android counterparts. I believe this is the case for one main reason: there are tons of people using Android and tons of people on iPhones...you can essentially count on one hand the number of iOS phones Apple has to support, and they are all sold by Apple. Now, look at the number of Android phones and devices and their individual specifications...that makes developing apps for Android pretty complicated. Devs have to take into account different CPUs, memory limitations, and the biggie--SCREEN DIFFERENCES! However, I like being able to run an app developed for a phone on my Honeycomb tablet. Yeah, it may be ugly (not necessarily), but it almost always works! I have a network tool I use that only shows up on about 1/6th the screen of my tab, but I don't care...it still does the job.
Don't forget another important aspect of the Android vs. Apple thing...Apple has control of their devices and their operating systems, and the cell phone carriers don't have control over when Apple releases an update. On the Android side, you have some manufacturers that are prompt with getting an update ready, and those who abandon their devices after they leave the store shelf. Not only that, but those who do release updates, and most do, have to deal with the likes of AT&T and Verizon and everyone else here in the US. Each company wants a ROM customized only for them, and sometimes the manufacturers actually have to pay the cell companies to push out updates. This is what causes the splintering of Android, but openness is what gives it its strengths.
As a general rule, I find that the more "techy" people like the Android OS, since you can customize it and tweak it like crazy. Those who aren't quite as savvy will probably like iOS more (there's less to screw up and they all look the same). Please don't flame me for saying that...it's just a general observation that has many exceptions.
Well that's my two cents. Maybe it will be helpful in some way? <*schrugs*>
Brad
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
There is no practical comparison possible between the mentioned phones.
Appreciate the explanation brad, TB is a nice tool indeed
Just one point, In regard to customization i can pretty do anything also when i jailbreak the iphone which is even simpler then rooting Android and what all techies do anyway with their Android phones
But i agree Android has its charm with the more open eco system.
The 2 area i wish to have before it gets perfect is the browsing and more resolution for the big ass screen (4.3)
Related
By removing:
- TimescapeLargeUI.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeBlue.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeGreen.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeIndigo.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeOrange.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeSakura.apk
- TimescapePluginManager.apk
- TimeScapeProvider.apk
...in the system/app directory with root explorer(mount r/w) or other root file managing software. Just deleting these apps alone allow you to GREATLY increase the snappieness(get it...snapdragon) of the X10. Personally I find that it is a useless App that bogs down the phone more then it's worth. Once you have uninstalled it then restart the phone. Ensure that before you remove Timescape that you don't remove any other files at the same time before restarting as this will eliminate the possibility of the timescape removal creating an error.
Do not remove gtalk.apk, or any other google apk's as you are risking messing up some features (Market for example)
Other apps I have found are safe to remove: *UPDATED LIST*
- backupandrestore.apk (Second-party app from the market or Titanium backup works better than this default app)
- Calculator.apk (For the most part a very basic calculator, A free Scientific calculator app from the market is worth the download if needed.)
- Any of the Language* apk's (chinese, danish, korean, japanese) *LatineIME.apk is for the default android keyboard(not the initial one you have when you first get your phone, you will only know about it if you changed it)
- Emanual.apk (Not required unless you really need it, you can still access it from the SE X10 support area on their website if needed)
- EManualLauncher.apk (part file for Emanual.apk, remove aswell)
- Facebook.apk (Facebook is for the sad and lonely, I don't care what kind of burrito Sh!t's your having at 4AM)
- LearningClient.apk (Word memory, it works as a word learner when word suggestions are enabled on the keyboard, when typing in a word it sometimes switches to the "correct" word that it thinks after pressing the space button. When you backspace to get the word you wanted to appear again This service looks at that word and if it use more than once on intentionally then it will remember that and give you the option of that word in the suggestions. Thought I might answer that one since people have asked) *If you don't use word suggestions since it slows down texting then you can remove this.
- moxiermail.apk (Gmail.apk or another email app from the market are definitely better than moxier)
- Officesuite.apk (Not the full version, download the full version)
- OMAClientProvisioning.apk
- playnowappinstaller.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 1
- playnowback.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 2
- playnowclient.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 3
- qcsemcservice.apk
- quadrapop.apk (boring game, good for a day or two but then you find better)
- SemcCheckin.apk
- SemcEmailLargeui.apk (along with the email.apk)
- SemcSetupWizard.apk (I set it up already and the only way I would need it again is if I reflashed and I would have all default apps again anyways)
- SetupWizard.apk (part of the previous Semc...apk)
- SnsContactImageCacheProvider.apk
- StatusSwitch.apk
- usersupport.apk (just not needed in general)
- uWlopProvider.apk
- wisepilot.apk (No need if you have Google Maps, Google Earth, Garmin, TomTom, etc)
- youtube.apk (If you have full episodes or movies on your phone and just don't use youtube then theres no need for this bogware)
By deleting these apps I have sped up the X10 so much I'm amazed at how much of a difference I've seen...maybe even a speed increase X10. I can now say I am fully happy with this phone.
List of features working...but faster.
Phone calls
Contacts
All games that normally worked anyways
Camera
HD recording
Settings menu
Wifi
Phonebook
Messaging
Alarm clock
Browser
Calendar
Gmail
Latitude
GMaps
Market
Media Scape
Navigation
Places
Voice Dialer
...everything...I've done my research. Any apps unlisted just means I have deleted them myself, doesn't necessarily mean their not working.
I currently have 183.21MB used with 169.41MB free. Not bad I'd say.
I await your post in about one day asking for the Timescape APKs because you can no longer make phone calls.
You've probably created a placebo effect. You only think the phone is faster. Run benchmarks, then see how the phone operates. You may think deleting browser.apk or dialer.apk is a good idea now, but when you're in an emergency and the phone won't work, you can't blame anyone but yourself.
Also: You don't know what people need/want from their phone, so it's best to not act so superior. (especially because you're far from the first to delete apps from their phone.)
I have looked into what files I can delete and I have also had to re flash because of my curiosity. Since your obviously the degrading type I can see you have an obvious lack of respect for someone who has done the research and the hit and miss troubleshooting of finding out what a general audience would want to possibly remove if not needed. Not everyone has facebook, or uses youtube. I personally prefer using youtube on my monitor compared to a smaller more costly device such as a data restricted cell. I don't use twitter, facebook, or any timescape dependent service as sms/mms are handled through the default sms/mms app that then forwards it's data to timescape. I wouldn't be in the aerospace industry(military to boot) if I have no idea what I am doing. Since I was smart enough to back up all the default app .apk's after a fresh flash then I know I will not be asking you for any of the apk's, your useless comment doesn't carry any weight.
*I was on the phone when I removed the timescape app since it is not tied to the dialer service.
No point in starting an arguement.
But, not everyone is you. If I'm on a long train ride, the ability to watch YouTube videos is a lifesaver. Obviously one could watch on a monitor, but I don't have that option when I'm not at home. The point of a smartphone is to be able to do things you can do with a PC, when you're not at home.
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.
iead1 said:
No point in starting an arguement.
But, not everyone is you. If I'm on a long train ride, the ability to watch YouTube videos is a lifesaver. Obviously one could watch on a monitor, but I don't have that option when I'm not at home. The point of a smartphone is to be able to do things you can do with a PC, when you're not at home.
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i know many people who have unistalled Timescape (even Mediascape) since they have 2.1 with no issues at all.
The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Just having android without any manufacturer modification still gives a ton of room for growth and possibilities to be seen. My goal was to supply a list of apps that are safe to delete without disturbing the stability or functionality of the phone as a whole, while providing another easy work around. These apps I know, as I have tested with 3 phones now, do not effect the user experience greatly. Since I have removed the apps I have had no problems with data, texting, phone calls, boot loops, the market, or browsing. Pick and choose which apps you need and don't need but from what I have removed I'm getting a greater user experience based on performance and alternative functionality.
Games and third-party apps still work fine, but are now faster.
Swifty76 said:
The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Just having android without any manufacturer modification still gives a ton of room for growth and possibilities to be seen. My goal was to supply a list of apps that are safe to delete without disturbing the stability or functionality of the phone as a whole, while providing another easy work around. These apps I know, as I have tested with 3 phones now, do not effect the user experience greatly. Since I have removed the apps I have had no problems with data, texting, phone calls, boot loops, the market, or browsing. Pick and choose which apps you need and don't need but from what I have removed I'm getting a greater user experience based on performance and alternative functionality.
Games and third-party apps still work fine, but are now faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. There are many more apps you can delete with no issues, it depends only if you're gonna use them or not.
Swifty76 said:
The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were looking for functionality, you bought the wrong device. Single touch, 65k color screen and 384MB of RAM? Not what I'd call the pinnacle of technical achievements.
The number of dependencies in 1.6 where removed in 2.1 as most of the initial software on the phone are layers. Sony stated that they learned from 1.6 by not going too deep into the core of android but more by means of creating "layers"(boot apps) on top of the core system.
Since they switched to layers they created the possibility to give rooted users the option of choosing alternatives to the initial software. The obvious apps you can remove if unused are facebook and youtube as they are obvious non dependents.(Facebook does have a slight dependency to timescape, but with timescape removed then that issue is not relevant)
iead1 said:
If you were looking for functionality, you bought the wrong device. Single touch, 65k color screen and 384MB of RAM? Not what I'd call the pinnacle of technical achievements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the price to features ratio and the features they have included (8.1 MP Camera, 720P recording, 1Ghz processor, 4.0" tft screen + others) It is as functional as I need. Multitouch will eventually find it's way to the phone one way or another. Also on a 4" screen the difference in colors is unnoticeable side-by-side to other devices that I have checked out. RAMS not an issue with a decent task manager.
I bought the phone to be a android phone.. not some piece of infected bloatware.
I want my phone phone to be mine not SE's..
So if you don't want to remove time scape... then ignore this thread.
OmegaRED^ said:
I bought the phone to be a android phone.. not some piece of infected bloatware.
I want my phone phone to be mine not SE's..
So if you don't want to remove time scape... then ignore this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts. The biggest performance jump I saw from deleting any of the apps was by taking out timescape. I bought the phone because it was android and because a majority of hardware is quality. I didn't buy it because it was SE, that just happened to come with it.
Swifty76 said:
Exactly my thoughts. The biggest performance jump I saw from deleting any of the apps was by taking out timescape. I bought the phone because it was android and because a majority of hardware is quality. I didn't buy it because it was SE, that just happened to come with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Swifty76, do you mind feeding us an update for say maybe the next week or two on the performance of your phone? Just a quick so far it been perfect OR crap I had to reflash because my phone messed up. Reason im asking is because I would remove alot of those apps you listed, but I don't need my phone messing up on me...so just keep us posted on how its going and if all is well Ill go for it to. Thanks for the post.....try to keep an eye on the camera for pictures and video as thats important to me.
uhhh... so i have to root my phone to remove those apps, right?
iead1 said:
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol if anyone bought an x10 for timescape nor mediascape
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Yeah you have to root your phone to be able to properly uninstall a majority of these apps. The camera is working great so far on all 3 phones. The camera is saving and viewing properly as well. I would recommend the 3D gallery as a picture viewer. Winamp or poweramp are good for the beats.
Haven't found a decent video player yet, anyone know of some good ones?
Swifty76 said:
Haven't found a decent video player yet, anyone know of some good ones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only video player worth installing is RockPlayer
ProBoner said:
The only video player worth installing is RockPlayer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
For video--- RockPlayer
For Pictures--- Gallery or JustPictures (it has One Touch zoom that works great)
For Music--- PowerAmp (simply amazing!)
OBS dont remove gtalk, it will couse a lot of problems, trust me, if you did, read here forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6822850
fuusuke said:
Lol if anyone bought an x10 for timescape nor mediascape
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've said it probably three hundred times on these forums: We are NOT the target audience for this phone. The phone sells to millions, each who bought it for different reasons. I regret my purchase, as now Docomo is releasing Japanese-market focused Android phones, instead of the world-focused X10.
But yeah, to the OP, my point was, you can't just delete everything in one go, say performance is awesome 20 minutes later. There's just no way to tell how the phone will do after a week or two in this state. Maybe it really is that much faster, which would be nice. But, to prematurely say it's amazing then find out later that something doesn't work properly would suck. And, from reading XDA, people always delete things they need and come back and whine about them because they didn't back up properly.
Hi there,
my dad sold his iPhone 3GS for a Samsung Galaxy S i9000. Coming from an iPhone, I first had to show him the amazing richness of possibilities you have on Android compared to an iPhone and after he overcame his old knowledge of "one button, one app", he was quite pleased with some of Androids merits. However, all in all, he's missing some important features he used to have on his iPhone and he has some problems:
A) Most important of all, pretty much a deal breaker if he can't get it fixed soon: SIP. We tried several different clients, and for example we even tried the latest (non-market) version of csipsimple and we found bug reports for the Galaxy S and adjusted the mic/speaker volumes accordingly but it's still really bad: For local calls the quality is reasonable. It's a bit stuttery at times but people can talk. It's much worse than on his iPhone though. But what's really annoying him is the fact that calls to foreign countries are a no-go. The added quality drop to long distance calls make it very hard for the other party to hear him (All over wifi btw). Please, does anyone know a sure-fix, exact-settings-listing for some SIP app for Android?
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view. The original one doesn't have one, the Samsung one doesn't show titles on tasks. I find it ludicrous, it's just boxes without titles... Ideally, he wishes to have a week view similar to what I have on my N900:
Sorry, can't embed the image because I'm a new user:
h t t p ://login.icu.uzh.ch/~archer/Screenshot-20101116-182459.png
There's more but especially the SIP is really bugging him. He absolutely needs it to work reliably or he'll need to sell the device.
Thanks.
TB2 said:
Hi there,
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Try Calendar Pad from the market in week view
What exactly is SIP? According to wiki, it's just a voice over internet protocol. Can you not use skype?
my wifi signal on 2.1 and 2.2 are the same. cellphones are not the same as laptop that has higher power to transmit data far away and and large space for antennas for receiving signal. if you look at wifi routers they got huge antennas. i don't think you can fit that in a phone.
i read a few months ago that iphone has problems on signal bcause of bad design : )
if you want software you've got a lot of choices in the market.
Try Sipdroid.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/sipdroid-voip-video-calling/org.sipdroid.sipua
all off topic comments trashed
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=9283203
Um... Poor daddy? Sorry cheeky I know but sgs is for people who like to tinker and find cool mods even simple apps like the plethora of gre calendar apps he could use right now. Seasoned iphone users especially of the older generation often don't get, the nerdy thrill that we do with the customisations and work necessary to fully realise the potential of sgs and andriod in general
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
TB2 said:
Hi there,
...................
A) Most important of all, pretty much a deal breaker if he can't get it fixed soon: SIP. We tried several different clients, and for example we even tried the latest (non-market) version of csipsimple and we found bug reports for the Galaxy S and adjusted the mic/speaker volumes accordingly but it's still really bad: For local calls the quality is reasonable. It's a bit stuttery at times but people can talk. It's much worse than on his iPhone though. But what's really annoying him is the fact that calls to foreign countries are a no-go. The added quality drop to long distance calls make it very hard for the other party to hear him (All over wifi btw). Please, does anyone know a sure-fix, exact-settings-listing for some SIP app for Android?
......................
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Sipdroid and VYKE as SIP provider. No echo, no cutting and only 30 seconds to set up. Can use WiFi or 3G. I do not use any PBXes.
the latest custom ROMs are really showing Pro
and performances are very quick
I'll recomend installing the DOC's ROM for SGS and use SipDroid for the voice chat
there are tons of Calendar options in the market, just take your time to review which one you like best
TB2 said:
Hi there,
..................
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view. The original one doesn't have one, the Samsung one doesn't show titles on tasks. I find it ludicrous, it's just boxes without titles...
..............
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Egg 'n stone CalWidget. You can customice as You like. Size the Widget 4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4......, choose a calander to view (MyCalendar, Google Calender.....), how long time ahead, layout and colors as You like, transparancy, and it's free.
I guess if Your father is a former iPhone user, he does not know how a widget work, try to explain to him.
Allright thanks everyone for the suggestions!
Dad's pleased with CalendarPad. Nice overview and the widget does a good job as well.
We installed sipdroid today and for local calls it seems to work well. Will check soon if we have the same problems as with csipsimple regarding long distance calls.
By the way... What is it with the "want an iphone, get an iphone" attitude in this forum. I clearly mentioned that he likes some of Android's merits and I asked two specific questions which I think I can expect from any modern smartphone, not just the iphone (working SIP and flexible calendar), the second of which btw is a downside of the iPhone because of all the sandboxing going on on an iphone. Anyway, you seem to be pretty quick on the "it's an iphone-loser" button.
Anyway, I've got a third and fourth question:
C) Is it normal that the battery lasts about 1.5 days with no IM or SIP services running? Only a calendar and the shipped-with weather widget. Is there some hack to improve battery life beyond just turning all the features off?
D) He's having serious stability issues at times. It happens that the device freezes when plugging it into USB or at different random times. At those times, the button lights would stay on with the screen being black. Long-pressing the power button fixes it. At different times it's a bit jerky. For example you would unlock the screen (gesture code) but then the screen would remain black for a few seconds and maybe the lock screen would show up again. Is this normal on android in general or has it to do with what Samsung pushed into its distro? Btw his mobile is branded by Orange and ships with some additional crap. Could this cause the problem? What's the easiest way of getting a fresh and simple Samsung or pure Android distro on it? I see there are lots of "mods", but I think we don't need any sort of mod, just a plain and stable OS.
Thanks.
To improve battery life, try turning off "Wireless location" in settings. However the battery life, even with various optimizations, is nowhere as good as iPhone 4.
The delays and stuttering you are experiencing is probably due to file system lag. Samsung uses RFS which is their own version of file system based on FAT32. Unfortunately that causes the phone to lag from time to time, usually when opening new applications or performing multiple I/O tasks. This can be fixed by installing one of the many lag fixes available. I use "One click lag fix" which you can download from the Market, but you will need to root the phone to apply it. There are several other alternatives which you can find in the "Development" forum.
Jamm59 said:
Try Egg 'n stone CalWidget. You can customice as You like. Size the Widget 4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4......, choose a calander to view (MyCalendar, Google Calender.....), how long time ahead, layout and colors as You like, transparancy, and it's free.
I guess if Your father is a former iPhone user, he does not know how a widget work, try to explain to him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is google calendar, cant find it in the market. It would be great to have a calendar sync with my google account like my contacts as I've missed a couple of appointments when switching to a new phone and having no backup on calendar...
TB2 said:
Allright thanks everyone for the suggestions!
By the way... What is it with the "want an iphone, get an iphone" attitude in this forum.
C) Is it normal that the battery lasts about 1.5 days with no IM or SIP services running? Only a calendar and the shipped-with weather widget. Is there some hack to improve battery life beyond just turning all the features off?
D) He's having serious stability issues at times.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, glad CalenderPad worked out for your dad.
At times, android lovers seem to suffer from the Calimero effect
Your battery life could be a bit better, but not much. 1,5 days is considered normal, most of us have the goal to get through a full working day (and tinkering evening...) with one charge.
The stability issues are 90% Samsungs fault, because they did a less than perfect job on the software. HTC does a better job out of the box software wise. Indeed, a lagfix will most probably cure the symptoms, i have good experience with the Voodoo Lagfix. Instructions are easy, and can be found at project-voodoo.org.
To get rid of the Orange branding, you could flash an unbranded stock Samsung Rom from samfirmware.com (Link, you need to create an account for the link to work). The first time i flashed a ROM, it was nerving. But as long as you know how to get into recovery mode (and checked that Recovery Mode is available!) you should be fine. Just remember to disable/revert any lagfixes before flashing another ROM or Kernel to be safe.
Well, even though I actually don't have a problem with WinMo 6.5 outside of a few minor annoyances I've decided to make the switch over to Android...guessing NAND...though, still looking to here about WinMo 7...
I'm just noticing that there is more support and apps being developed for Android and the future of my HD2 suddenly shows more growth...have my fingers crossed waiting for Netflix to resolve the DRM issues they have with Android!
I was always waiting for a solid Android build that actually replaced WinMo (NAND is finally here). During that time I used WinMo and actually liked it. First thing I will miss is the customization. I don't think there's another Mobile OS that beats it in that department...and I REALLY like customizing.
I've been using Android more now and still don't understand how the NAND will work. Have read a lot...as far as installing, that won't be a problem with me. My questions start with customizing. Where will the media folder be? Is there a folder on the SD card that Android associates ring tones with? I make my own ringtones as mp3 files, so i need to know the structure of how Android handles media. WinMo was simple. Also, the Android build I was using did not support USB without major hickups...well...it just didn't work. I'm not going to assume all Android builds are like this, but can I expect Android to be able to link via USB and I can work with it as a storage device and create folders and organize in this manor?
I know you guys work hard and appreciate it, so please do not take this the wrong way. Which Android build is the most stable at this time with all features working? I ask this cuz I notice there tends to be some builds that come along much slower than others and bugs as well as a lack of hardware support can occur. Is there a build that's considered stable and all hardware is supported?
I've basically been trying to make Android provide the same experience as far as apps and ease of use I had with WinMo...I think I'm there.
Does Android have a set structure with Wallpapers...ringtones...documents and such? Example...does each file type have its own folder on the device or storage card in which Android associates the tools which manages them? I always keep my device clean and move all files to the card that don't NEED to be on the device. Is this possible with Android?
Android play well with Microsoft Docs?...Word?
I've always felt that Android ran smoother than WinMo 6.5. I noticed after a while it can get a little sluggish. Is Android like that? I believe Android is Linux base? I'm expecting memory management to better. On PC, I'm use to any Unix based OS to out perform WinAnything with resource management.
I also noticed something strange about some of these apps in the Android market. One, a lot of adds within the apps. Two, a lot of these apps tend to require access of priveledge areas that can be security risks...to make it worse you fine yourself saying why a browser would need access to anything else outside on internet and maybe GPS. Other apps have access to areas that make no sense to me.
Are their security issues with Android...it's market...or apps?
That's all i can think of now. Didn't have a moment to proof read, so please excuse me. Have to take care of a few things. be back shortly.
Thanks.
WOW! What can I say... Ditto. I love WinMo, but I'm fearful that I'm watching it's death rattle. Win Phone 7 seems like a illegitimate infant in a world of fast moving, focused, college freshmen (albeit, not the brightest).
I had a lot of reservations with switching from WM. Mainly related to the phone being able to handle work related stuff. So I too ran WM and android on SD. I must admit though, that after having run android for almost 2 months without loading WM, (I basically pretended I had bought a new phone and forgot all I could do with WM), I had figured out work-arounds and got it running more than sufficiently. The only problem I had was having to back-up the SD in fear of a random reboot corrupting the data.img. Now with NAND, it's no longer a problem. I can honestly say that the switch was easy, and I'm glad I no longer have winmo in my life.
IMO Android is a far superior OS, and I can't sing it's praises enough.
As for all the questions:
Media folder is built like this:
media
->audio
->->alarms
->->notifications
->->ringtones
->->ui
Different folders are available for their obvious uses (i.e. go into ringtone selection, and you don't get the ui folder listed).
USB is more than stable (for me at least), never had a problem since NAND. Having most stuff moved to SDCard the phone hates it when I plug it in as a disk drive, (widgets disappear etc.) but within a minute of unplugging it it's back to normal.
I personally feel the desire build are the best, however as for more stable? I believe we are reaching a plateau where stability is the norm. I have tried nexus builds, and have had no problems with them either, it's just personal taste. The HD builds (Desire HD Base) are a little more 'experimental' but with reading, you'll learn what works on each build, and what doesn't. Figure what's important to you, and check.
The best advice I can give is get hold of SPB Backup (For WM). Do a full backup. Then jump in at android's deep end. (After reading how obviously). If you don't like it, re-flash winmo, redo your backup, and it's like you never left. You won't regret it though.
Man I'd love to dump WM as well, bu I can't bear the thought of all the days going by where I can't be the dude on the bus who reboots into ubuntu to pass the time...sigh.
MattOG said:
The best advice I can give is get hold of SPB Backup (For WM). Do a full backup. Then jump in at android's deep end. (After reading how obviously). If you don't like it, re-flash winmo, redo your backup, and it's like you never left. You won't regret it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft My Phone actually does fine with all the backup I need.
I'm still wondering about security issues. Example: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20026804-83.html
Also, hit a bump in the road. It would seem that Android doesn't support the Mugen 2600 Extended battery!
The primary security issue with Android isn't Android or Linux, it's Google. Google's security is very problematical, Gmail has been hacked (as has Gmails security software) by someone.*
*Some think it's the Chinese government, the official Chinese response is, "No, it's just kids" but since all hacked accounts we know about have been dissidents, the government theory looks pretty solid....
The primary issue is NOT Google. It's the user.
If you're loading up banking apps on a device that you could lose, be stolen, or bluetooth hacked, then don't blame anyone but oneself.
I've yet to know anyone who's been phone-hacked if that's any consolation.
As a former hd2/android user Id have to say It makes the entire experience of the phone better.
I think it also depends on what you are use to. as far as customizing I would venture to say that there is just as much customization with winmo as there is android. Though id have to say I found myself looking for skins more often than not cause winmo was so ugly to me.
I enjoy having almost direct access to all my data without it having to look like winphone7.
As far as security I think its always been tighter because most people were on different types of phones. now that we have blackberrys and iphones and android phones I think possible viruses will show.
I believe google has a built in kill switch for rogue apps. Also if you buy apps from the legit market you should have no problem!
Ok two things that I'm trying not to get frustrated about before I put a little research into it...
First, why in the world does Android want to crop every image instead of using the entire image as a wallpaper?
I even have wallpapers that are the exact size of the display and Android still wants to crop a small portion of that image?....help please...
Second, why can't I get a simple widget or window dedicated to favorite contacts, such as sense in WinMo does without having to pay for it?
Android doesn't have a simple tool that allows you to setup a favs like Sense does in WinMo? There's this LaucherPro that wants to charge me to do so?
Thanks
Why does Photoshop Express require access to personal information, phone calls and full internet access?
Devils1stBorn said:
Why does Photoshop Express require access to personal information, phone calls and full internet access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
checking the install notes It says
the only one that bothers me is the it reads contact info.
the phone state is different than phone info. it basically should shut down when you recieve a phone call. why it needs access to your contacts is why im uninstalling it.
I can also set basic contacts by long pressing a blank spot on the screen and selecting shortcuts>contacts>the actual contact.
wallpaper I believe if you set the picture with the proper resolution it shouldnt crop it
Devils1stBorn said:
Ok two things that I'm trying not to get frustrated about before I put a little research into it...
First, why in the world does Android want to crop every image instead of using the entire image as a wallpaper?
I even have wallpapers that are the exact size of the display and Android still wants to crop a small portion of that image?....help please...
Second, why can't I get a simple widget or window dedicated to favorite contacts, such as sense in WinMo does without having to pay for it?
Android doesn't have a simple tool that allows you to setup a favs like Sense does in WinMo? There's this LaucherPro that wants to charge me to do so?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You can just expand the crop window so it encapsulates your entire wallpaper, if it indeed is in perfect size. Keep in mind the crop window is sized for 3 homescreens or 5 or however many you have, so if your perfect size is for just one screen (480x800) you'll have a bit of a problem there.
2. You can just place contacts on the desktop. That's the closest you'll get without paying for this in LauncherPro. While you're at it, even if you don't want to pay - get LauncherPro and replace the default Launcher already. You'll love its speed superiority immediately.
A lot of devs put permissions on to prevent possible problems, also, not sure if it relates to android, but I know some permissions are needed for things that you would not normally relate them to, possibly things like automatically pausing operations when a call comes in etc...
schunniky said:
1. You can just expand the crop window so it encapsulates your entire wallpaper, if it indeed is in perfect size. Keep in mind the crop window is sized for 3 homescreens or 5 or however many you have, so if your perfect size is for just one screen (480x800) you'll have a bit of a problem there.
2. You can just place contacts on the desktop. That's the closest you'll get without paying for this in LauncherPro. While you're at it, even if you don't want to pay - get LauncherPro and replace the default Launcher already. You'll love its speed superiority immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured out the contacts on desktop, thanks though!
As for the wallpapers, I do try to expand the Window and it never completely encapsulates the entire image. I just dont get why Android doesn't allow the Wallpaper to remain static while your homescreens maneuver over it.
I currently have an Atrix but I've been having many problems with it. I just came from a captivate that I really enjoyed but had grown bored with.
What I want to know is if anyone has experience with both the Focus and Captivate. If you came from one to the other are you happy with the change? I think a lot of my problem with the captivate was that I was just bored with android. WP7 looks very nice and it would almost be a relief to not feel the need to customize /root /upgrade /flash a new ROM every other day.
Any Android to WP7 converts who regret the change?
I actually just got a cheap Samsung Focus. I still have my captivate and was in the same boat as you. I was just sick of looking for froyo etc. I found a deal on one and really really enjoy it. I love the games on it as they are more cohesive than Android. Also, it just works. There aren't as many apps etc but the freakin GPS works spot on and quickly. It takes a little adjustment coming from Android to WP7 but I am almost completely swapped over. I will be using my captivate more like an ipod touch for the foreseeable future. I don't like bing as much as google but that has been my biggest problem so far.
I did make that leap. I got tired of a couple specific issues with the Capitivate. The GPS was terrible and took forever to lock on. The Focus is almost instant. The email updates on the Capitivate was eratic and would most times not automatically update. The email on the Focus has been great compared to that.
tanneji hit it -- there are more apps on Android, but I'm not missing any (well, besides Angry Birds, for now). The rest of the OS for WP7 is much better for me than Android. I sold my old phone and am not looking back.
My 2 cents
Being a previous Captivate owner from Aug'10 through Dec'10, here is a short list of pros/cons after making the change to the Focus:
Pro's:
*Flash for camera, and camera has side button to press instead of touching screen.
Con's:
*Univeral Volume. On captivate you can specify Ringtone/Music/Notifications/Etc
*No High Quality mode when watch youTube via 3G network... so the quality is terrible... better make sure you have wifi hooked up.
*No personal ring tones
*SD card is permenantly attached to phone when installed. No removing and putting into laptop for quick click 'n dragging.
Both:
*Both phones have promised updates that will never arrive.
*Battery life was the same for each, just make sure you plug it in at work.
I personally liked both phones, but I'm thinking I would have been very pleased with the new 4G HTC Inspire. It comes loaded w/Froyo (Gingerbread promised, if it ever happens).
Hey ... this is pretty interesting... I just bought a Captivate. I will say I do really like the Focus but the "update" is slow in coming. The captivate is nice phone and Android pretty much reminds me of iPhone with the individual icons on the screen. The set up is a bit more flexible (volume controls) and I do like the WIFI Hotspot feature of Android. The battery is aweful (same as Focus) but at least I can swap them out (same battery for both phones). iphone didn't allow easy battery swapping.
I've only had my Captivate for a week. A good phone but not a great phone. Nothing terrible about it except battery usage.
LS1Jabroni said:
Being a previous Captivate owner from Aug'10 through Dec'10, here is a short list of pros/cons after making the change to the Focus:
Pro's:
*Flash for camera, and camera has side button to press instead of touching screen.
Con's:
*Univeral Volume. On captivate you can specify Ringtone/Music/Notifications/Etc
*No High Quality mode when watch youTube via 3G network... so the quality is terrible... better make sure you have wifi hooked up.
*No personal ring tones
*SD card is permenantly attached to phone when installed. No removing and putting into laptop for quick click 'n dragging.
Both:
*Both phones have promised updates that will never arrive.
*Battery life was the same for each, just make sure you plug it in at work.
I personally liked both phones, but I'm thinking I would have been very pleased with the new 4G HTC Inspire. It comes loaded w/Froyo (Gingerbread promised, if it ever happens).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol official 2.2 did come out for captivate
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I have iPhone, Captivate, and Focus so I'm very objective.
As the operator said, Android is a disaster. Flashing new ROM in search of a better UI and feature has been annoying while iPhone just works perfectly for backup. The reason I went for Rooting and Updating Froyo and Cognition ROM and now back to Official UCKB7 Froyo ROM is because I just want Skype to work, able to use Titanium Backup to backup app data just like the iPhone.
WP7 still does not have backup feature to backup apps....... everything seems to be cloud base may be easy for normal people but it DOES NOT BACKUP MY APPS DATA nor APPS.... it's annoying when I want to upgrade the SD card to 32GB and figure I have to wipe everything away and re-download and reconfigure everything ... It's just makes me really really annoyed...
WP7's multitasking is weak so far... I'm still waiting for the WebOS task switching UI that Microsoft has promised to release soon. But I'm having buggy issues in WP7 like the screen being too sensitive sometimes, lacking VOIP and turn-by-turn GPS navigation app sucks.....
Damn I think I will go back to iPhone. **** Android's fragmentation!! The OS is not stable at all! Skype, Tango, and other apps always crash and slow. iPhone just works smoothly, same thing as WP7.
WP7 still has a lot to catch up.
I have both.
Captivate:
* Google's vast collection of cloud services, Google Maps, Google Navigation, Places, Translate, Google Voice and SkyMaps etc. All of them are severly lacking on WP7 side.
* Poor GPS
* Easily hackable to have wi-fi tethering and custom ROMs.
* No matter what I do, the phone is always sluggish on home screens.
* UI reminds me of old WM. Lack of innovations. The Android OS is basically a nature evolution of WM OS in many aspects.
* OS Updates are slow to come. Samsung is notorious for this.
* microSD card works
Focus:
* Very nice UI.
* Very fluid home screen
* Never used GPS (no useful Navigation apps) so can't say how much better it is (anything is better than Captivate's GPS).
* No easy tethering. No, I don't want dial-up modem type of tethering. I want wi-fi AP type of tethering or at least USB tethering without install or configure anything on the PC side.
* MS cloud services are very lacking.
* API is limited so useful apps are lacking.
* MS in charge of OS updates, not Samsung. Regardless of recent issues with update (which is still caused by Samsung), I'd expect phone Updates should be faster and better than Samsung ever can be.
* microSD doesn't work with majority of the card out there. So the storage capacity of the phone is lacking (8GB vs (16GB + microSD) on Captivate).
* WP7 is an OS heading the right direction.
Oh... -1 for Android. I just found out it doesn't play .WAV files ? (2.2) Off I go to find a fix. This is a total blunder on Googles part. I mean .WAV files are very common with voice mail to email messages. Sigh..... off I go...
PaullikesWINMO said:
Oh... -1 for Android. I just found out it doesn't play .WAV files ? (2.2) Off I go to find a fix. This is a total blunder on Googles part. I mean .WAV files are very common with voice mail to email messages. Sigh..... off I go...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It plays wav file just fine for me. It does not recognize it as music file hence won't show up in music library but if you use file explorer to open it, it will play without any problem.
How do you file explorer on an attachment in an email ?
I have a Captivate, Focus and an iPhone. I'd rank them Focus, Captivate, iPhone.
Focus
- More Stable
- Awesome UI
- Netflix
- Turns on in less than 7 minutes
- GPS Works
- Updates come from MS and not Samsung
- Xbox Live
Captivate
- Google Voice
- Multitask
- Been using Android for the last year, so it's what I'm used to
iPhone
- Visual Voicemail
- Pretty UI
So blah blah blah, what everyone else has already said. The Focus is awesome, but the Captivate has it's pros too.
LS1Jabroni said:
Being a previous Captivate owner from Aug'10 through Dec'10, here is a short list of pros/cons after making the change to the Focus:
Pro's:
*Flash for camera, and camera has side button to press instead of touching screen.
Con's:
*Univeral Volume. On captivate you can specify Ringtone/Music/Notifications/Etc
*No High Quality mode when watch youTube via 3G network... so the quality is terrible... better make sure you have wifi hooked up.
*No personal ring tones
*SD card is permenantly attached to phone when installed. No removing and putting into laptop for quick click 'n dragging.
Both:
*Both phones have promised updates that will never arrive.
*Battery life was the same for each, just make sure you plug it in at work.
I personally liked both phones, but I'm thinking I would have been very pleased with the new 4G HTC Inspire. It comes loaded w/Froyo (Gingerbread promised, if it ever happens).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
App Realtube allows high quality over 3g.
Landmine said:
iPhone
- Visual Voicemail
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I was told (I don't have iPhone), Android's Google Voice voicemail imlementation (ability to transcribe voice into text) is way better than Visual Voicemail on iPhone.
Google Voice mail is awesome. I love it more than iPhone visual voicemail. It is practically the same thing however it also emails you the message and a transcription. The transcription is not that great but it will be quite awesome when they are able to understand accents a little better haha.
I used to have an HTC magic & captivate (used them for 2 years) but currently have the Iphone and use the Focus as my main phone.
Android had some very exciting features. I used to love being able to download a music album, then unzip it on the phone and play it right there and then. Having a file explorer was also amazing. Fragmentation between user experience varying from device to device is what killed it for me for the android platform..as well as the whole update limited by the carier fiasco.
WP7 in it's early stage is a better OS imo than Android was. It's IOS smooth and fluid and in the time I've used it, i've yet to have stability issues with the OS. With my Android phones, restarting the device was common to recover from force closes and lock ups.
I like the fact MSFT is taking the Apple route in the sense of 1 update for all. And I do think they will support their phones for a while to come, the way Apple till this day pushes out updates even for older hardware..3G/GS(albiet the real old stuff is no longer supported). Zune is the only thing I think is lagging with WP7. Itunes has alot more polish than Zune..but since Wp7 & zune are still relatively young.. i think they will still get there. More udpates, more APIs, more fun!
anyone who did the nougat update, can you post some screenshots? i am debating whether to do the upgrade or leave well enough alone. one post mentioned that th recent apps window was sub-standard. any other good and bad?
mark2573 said:
anyone who did the nougat update, can you post some screenshots? i am debating whether to do the upgrade or leave well enough alone. one post mentioned that th recent apps window was sub-standard. any other good and bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm curious as well..i want to know if this update is going to be worth it
I did update to Nougat. My use is very limited but I find battery timing much improved and multi window is way better.
first of all - if you're satisfied with your device as it is don't update! It (unfortunately) doesn't get any better. They removed two important features - at least for me. There are no floating apps anymore - so if you want to use the small version of (for example) the google play music player while you're browsing you will have to use the splitscreen with dramatically decreased space for your browser left. So basically this means less convenience for you. The other thing is the (absolutely) useless "recent apps" view. In the past the whole screen was used by displaying the apps as tiles - now you only see them in the (for big tablet screens) useless card view.
Sorry - i always hate it when something really good just gets abandoned and replaced by something far inferior
I also found out, that manufacturers of 10"+ Tablets are encouraged to implement the native Android N freeform mode - so why has lenovo left this out of their update? I hope it gets back on the device with a later update.
P.S.: Android 7.0 CDD states that:
Device implementations with screen size xlarge SHOULD support freeform mode.
In the parlance of this CDD, there appear to be three levels of endorsement: SHOULD, STRONLY ENCOURAGED, and MUST. SHOULD is the weakest of the three, but it is still an endorsement.
NiffStipples said:
first of all - if you're satisfied with your device as it is don't update! It (unfortunately) doesn't get any better. They removed two important features - at least for me. There are no floating apps anymore - so if you want to use the small version of (for example) the google play music player while you're browsing you will have to use the splitscreen with dramatically decreased space for your browser left. So basically this means less convenience for you. The other thing is the (absolutely) useless "recent apps" view. In the past the whole screen was used by displaying the apps as tiles - now you only see them in the (for big tablet screens) useless card view.
Sorry - i always hate it when something really good just gets abandoned and replaced by something far inferior
I also found out, that manufacturers of 10"+ Tablets are encouraged to implement the native Android N freeform mode - so why has lenovo left this out of their update? I hope it gets back on the device with a later update.
P.S.: Android 7.0 CDD states that:
Device implementations with screen size xlarge SHOULD support freeform mode.
In the parlance of this CDD, there appear to be three levels of endorsement: SHOULD, STRONLY ENCOURAGED, and MUST. SHOULD is the weakest of the three, but it is still an endorsement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks buddy. I think I'm better off skipping this update.
Wrong, wrong, wrong
NiffStipples said:
first of all - if you're satisfied with your device as it is don't update! It (unfortunately) doesn't get any better. They removed two important features - at least for me. There are no floating apps anymore - so if you want to use the small version of (for example) the google play music player while you're browsing you will have to use the splitscreen with dramatically decreased space for your browser left. So basically this means less convenience for you. The other thing is the (absolutely) useless "recent apps" view. In the past the whole screen was used by displaying the apps as tiles - now you only see them in the (for big tablet screens) useless card view.
Sorry - i always hate it when something really good just gets abandoned and replaced by something far inferior
I also found out, that manufacturers of 10"+ Tablets are encouraged to implement the native Android N freeform mode - so why has lenovo left this out of their update? I hope it gets back on the device with a later update.
P.S.: Android 7.0 CDD states that:
Device implementations with screen size xlarge SHOULD support freeform mode.
In the parlance of this CDD, there appear to be three levels of endorsement: SHOULD, STRONLY ENCOURAGED, and MUST. SHOULD is the weakest of the three, but it is still an endorsement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, updates are really important for android devices in general. And especially for manufacturers like Lenovo which is known to let their product outdated pretty early. Personally, I'm impressed this time they updated to Android N even before schedule, and I'm hoping they continue releasing updates not to let this amazing product die.
As for the features you talk about:
1) floating windows in freeform is natively supported in android N and just need to be enabled in developer options (one of the last entries under App category). You can install "Taskbar" app to launch all of your apps in window mode by using the native method, and resize them as you like by dragging on the bottom-right corner (which previously was not possible).
2) It is true that Task manager with tiles view was a more clean way to switch between apps on this device, but the needing of double-pressing the TAB button when alt-tabbing beween apps, always made it uneffective and uncomfortable to me. Now ALT-TAB switch between apps just flawlessly as in a standard computer. Hence, i'm really happy with that.
3) I find overall performance have gotten slightly better with the recent N update: i can notice that in the UI and in games too! other users on other threads are talking about a slightly better battery performance too, so it seems like they optimized the hardware support somehow.
morrolinux said:
First of all, updates are really important for android devices in general. And especially for manufacturers like Lenovo which is known to let their product outdated pretty early. Personally, I'm impressed this time they updated to Android N even before schedule, and I'm hoping they continue releasing updates not to let this amazing product die.
As for the features you talk about:
1) floating windows in freeform is natively supported in android N and just need to be enabled in developer options (one of the last entries under App category). You can install "Taskbar" app to launch all of your apps in window mode by using the native method, and resize them as you like by dragging on the bottom-right corner (which previously was not possible).
2) It is true that Task manager with tiles view was a more clean way to switch between apps on this device, but the needing of double-pressing the TAB button when alt-tabbing beween apps, always made it uneffective and uncomfortable to me. Now ALT-TAB switch between apps just flawlessly as in a standard computer. Hence, i'm really happy with that.
3) I find overall performance have gotten slightly better with the recent N update: i can notice that in the UI and in games too! other users on other threads are talking about a slightly better battery performance too, so it seems like they optimized the hardware support somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion of taskbar - i've already tried it before and imho it's just not that convenient as a rom included solution. Beside the fact that you would have to use an unnecessary extra app for a native android function, it's not really intuitive in it's handling - but i have to admit, that every user will see that different depending on their needs My question is just why lenovo hasn't implemented this standard feature in a neat and handy way?
Speaking of different user needs/requirements - i've personally never used the Alt-Tab combi on my tab. In my daily use i use it most of the time in tent mode without the keyboard.
As to the performance - i didn't really noticed a change here. But in my opinion it was already really snappy before the update so maybe i can't rate that improvement. Maybe the animations between app switches got nicer but it's possible that i deactivated them before the update by myself - so nevermind
Guys, can somebody upload Noughat update otapackage?
I do not have a device but i need this to borrow graphic drivers.
After update to Nougat, battery drain in idle status doesn`t happen anymore. After a day idle, it takes only like 1-2% of battery. At least it is worth to me.