Database Users

tmobile vibrant works great and no complaints

I must be the only one in this forum with a working t-mobile vibrant.
Works great and never had the gps issue either.
Keep up the good work T-mobile!

You're not the only one.
my compass was wonky though, but the JI2 Rom fixed it for me.
glad to hear your's works fine.

I am on my third Vibrant...
My first one was perfect: GPS worked, no lag issues etc. Unfortunately the menu key became nonresponsive...

Mine works great also

My Vibrant is just fine
My Vibrant is working just fine...
Maybe its because I haven't tried to mod it.
At $300, I don't want to "brick" it.
Enough said.

Working great here too.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I have no complaints about mine ether. I just root it, but didn't get any modes.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Never have lag issues just GPS issues. Other than that this thing has been wonderful ....

The one that I have currently works great. I returned my first one because the home button quit working, gps also sucked on that one as well. I knew that there was a problem because my wifes vibrants gps works great.
Sent from my Vibrant using tapatalk.

It's nice to see a thread complimenting this wonderful phone instead of complaining. I also love my phone. Rooted, applied the GPS flashable .zip, and lag fix, but since then, everything's been flawless. Well, the battery life could be a little better, but I get through the day. And the fact that I can't sync with my Google Groups is kind of annoying, too. Haha. But it's cool to see my iPhone friends drool over the greatness that is my Vibrant.
Cheers.

A good amount of people with problems are the ones that hack up their phones. I don't install garbage roms on my phone and I don't have any "lag" "fixes" on my phone and it works great. I updated my phone to JI2 and performance is exactly where I want it to be. Battery life is excellent, EVEN BETTER - despite the fact that I have Tweetcaster, Google Talk, Tweetdeck, Google News&Weather, Fancy Widget AND Feeds & updates syncing every hour or 3. 13 hours of time unplugged right now @ 60% left. Slept for 10 of those hours, left it alone for 2 and I've been used it for maybe 1 hour. Now I'm going to really wake up..
LOVING my Vibrant.

The people complaining are people who expect more from the hardware. This phone is a monster when it comes to specs, but its not showing it software wise, yet.
Personally, coming a blackberry, I don't notice any lag lol.

How you got install JI2... to make the phone run smoother. If you don't mind.

Love mine too...even more after rooting and debloating

Same
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Lovin it!
Sent from my SGH-T959 + bionix 1.3 (= sexiness) using XDA App

Using Ji2 also. I haven't bass much problem with my phone, except for lousy 3G, which got better with Ji2, but is ultimately a network problem in my area.
GPS and compass were wonky, but Ji2 fixed that. I have never had the supposed lag that everyone talks about. Did they expect a beowulf cluster of MIT supercomputers under the touchscreen?
As some others have said, those who have problems tend to also run extensively modded ROMS and overclocked kernels, etc.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using telepathy.

lotherius said:
... those who have problems tend to also run extensively modded ROMS and overclocked kernels, etc. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And those having problem with the battery life tend to talk and text and email..., you know, they use it too much like a smartphone....

I switched to the Vibrant from the iPhone 3GS since the contract was finished and I couldn't be happier. This screen leaves the self-promoting "retina" screen in the dust. Black is black on this phone, period. Looking back at the iPhone, the colors now seem to be washed out. The Vibrant is really so vibrant and so light that I can put it in the shirt pocket and don't notice anything. However, after two weeks, I start seeing some worrisome symptoms. Occasionally, the phone becomes so sluggish that only a reboot will fix. I can't let the phone running constantly for many days without rebooting to get the responsiveness back. Even when a call comes in, the screen just not responds to touch until 10 sec later. The System Sound turns itself back so loud that when you reboot the phone, you have to keep the finger on the loudspeaker hole in the back to keep the sound down in the office and then set the System Sound down again for quiet shutdown. In side my house, the signal strength drops to around 0. Many time the phone just does not bother searching for signal any more. When I get into the car and drive out, the phone does not refresh searching for signal. I have to manually turn off and then on the flight mode for the phone to wake up, search for signal and lock it. This relock is very quick, but it's annoying that I have to remember to give the phone a kick to search after it looses the signal for a while.
All problems above are small problems, but they remind me the symptoms of Microsoft Windows before Windows 7 finally came. Any one has the annoying problems that I have? Note that I have Android 1.2 update 1 and I do not have any issue with GPS. Overall it's a much better phone than the iPhone, since I don't have the feeling of locking into ONE company for hardware and for software and I don't have to jailbreak it to get what I want. Thank you for all you guys writing great software for the Android platform. Samsung did a good job with this phone. Maybe Android 2.2 fixes all issues above. Can't wait.

tphone said:
I switched to the Vibrant from the iPhone 3GS since the contract was finished and I couldn't be happier. This screen leaves the self-promoting "retina" screen in the dust. Black is black on this phone, period. Looking back at the iPhone, the colors now seem to be washed out. The Vibrant is really so vibrant and so light that I can put it in the shirt pocket and don't notice anything. However, after two weeks, I start seeing some worrisome symptoms. Occasionally, the phone becomes so sluggish that only a reboot will fix. I can't let the phone running constantly for many days without rebooting to get the responsiveness back. Even when a call comes in, the screen just not responds to touch until 10 sec later....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's your battery life?
I love the screen, too, but after two months with the phone I can't wait for 2.2 to hopefully fix some of the issues, and 3.0 to revamp the UI a bit - it's just not as smooth as the iPhone. And I hate the battery life compared to the iPhone.
But, the screen rocks.

My thoughts on the Arc and why im going to sell it (read if your thinking of buying!)

Hi all,
Now im generally not a fan of people posting 'hate' threads, but this phone has dissapointed me so much that i feel it necessary to point out why i turned to hate it and why im selling it and getting the Galaxy SII in order to help people that are thinking of buying this phone to make an advised decision.
1. It constantly lags, and almost every app force closes (and YES i have reset the phone and used both .181 and .145 versions of the firmware.
2. When the phone starts syncing accounts in the background it renders it unusable. The phone takes up to 5 minutes to load the Facebook app and longer for anything else.
3. Sony Ericsson's stupid decision to reverse the ground and mic wires so you cant use any other wired headphones with an inline control but the ones it came with. As discussed in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045973&page=1
4. The camera takes too long to open.
5. The USB socket is on the side at the top so you have to have a landscape dock which takes up more room (obviously only applies to people that use a dock with their phones).
6. The USB/Power lead that comes with it is angled up instead of down which i find just gets in the way.
7. The headphone jack is on the side (ok this is not a major issue but is annoying when getting it in and out of your pocket when you have headphones in.
8. The headphones that come with it only have a play/pause button and no volume or any way to change tracks. (i hear theres an app that can change what the button does but it really should be there to start with!)
9. I bought a sim locked version which at the moment means i cant root or install custom roms.
10. The Sony Ericsson UI is awful and downright ugly (again you can always install a different launcher, but thats money for an app that you shouldnt need in my opinion and it just covers the home screens, as soon as you enter the Settings, Dialler or Contacts your right back in the SEUI).
11. Recording in 720p is super laggy and jolts all the time making it useless.
I will go on to say though that the camera is the best phone camera i have ever used by far! Stunning photos everytime. And the same goes for the built in speaker.
UPDATE!!
Ok so i thought i should update this post in case anyone was still undecided on which device to buy. I have since sold my Arc and bought an S2 and WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE!.
The S2 solves all the little problems i had with the Arc (the headset wiring is the right way round, the headphone jack is on the top of the device, the micro USB is at the bottom PERFECT)
PLUS it solves the big problems i had. The S2 is lightning fast, fast like you wouldnt believe! Everything opens instantaneously including the camera which literately takes just a second to open and be ready to shoot.
Speaking of the camera the built in features are better (panorama up to 8 pictures, cartoon mode and beauty shot, as well as all the stuff the Arc has) and it films in 1080p!!! The quality is superb you just would not believe it was recorded on a phone!!! Oh AND you can use digital zoom at the highest quality setting by pinching the screen! Cool feature the Arc doesnt have at all let alone with a cool multi touch gesture!
I have had the phone running for about 3 days now and used it heavily (games, video, intensive browsing with heavy flash sites usually for 2 hours at a time) and not once have i needed to force close stuff with a task killer or restart the phone, the S2 just keeps on going with whatever you do to it. I have never known a phone capable of such use!
With my Arc i would of had to have run a task killer after EVERY task in order for it to be responsive enough to do something else at a reasonable speed. For example with the Arc if i watched a few flash videos in the browser and then pressed the home button, the Home Screen would be unresponsive for a couple of seconds and all the app shortcuts would have missing 'transparent' icons. After a few seconds the icons would come back and i would need to run a task killer to be able to do anything else or it would take up to 5mins even to load the FB app!
With the S2 i can just keep using it, task after task and it never slows down even a tiny bit, everything continues to be buttery smooth and instantaneous even after using several intensive apps!
The S2 never laggs at any time even when using a live wallpaper, its always buttery smooth and just as responsive. The Arc used to lag a bit when using a live wallpaper.
The S2 boots up in less than 15-20 seconds!!! The Arc took nearly a whole minute! Nothing so far has force closed and everything has opened almost instantaneously! The build quality is so much better, much sturdier and no wobbly buttons made of cheep plastic. Everything on the S2 is rock solid and built to a really high standard!
There are little bonus's with the phone too, the ROM and UI is much better designed. Theres a CM7 style settings widget in the notification tray, the music player looks and works brilliantly and includes a widget in the notification tray when its in use for album art and music controlls. Theres a 2MP front facing camera the Arc didnt have one at all and the battery seems to last longer. Theres loads of built in gestures, like pinching the screen in the browser when zoomed out brings up the tabbed windows screen, holding 2 fingers on the screen and then tilting the phone forward or back zooms in or out on photos and in the browser, holding an icon or a widget then tilting the phone left or right moves across the home screens and turning the phone upside down when you get a call silences the ring! Watch them here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxCW7U2m8dk
Theres also a wealth of handy built in apps from Samsung including a photo and video editor!, unlike the usual useless rubbish manufacturers put on phones plus even more handy stuff like built in screen capture by pressing 'home' and 'power' buttons together and it has that nice 'bump' effect the same as the iphone when you get to the top or bottom of a page or menu. Personally i find Touch Whiz 4.0 much better than the Arc launcher however i am using Launcher Pro (i had to buy i to replace the Arc's homescreen so i might as well get my moneys worth haha, plus i really like it)
All in all, reading peoples comments, i might agree that i had a faulty unit but even so, the S2 is miles ahead in my opinion. It just eats any task you give it with no hassel. Its never rebooted itself. It never laggs and has so many more built in features. The Super AmoLED screen is just breathtaking, the picture quality and colour depth must be seen to be believed!
Each is to their own, and im sure all the owners here love the Arc, but in my own opinion, especially if your a heavy user... GET THE S2!
P.S. For LiveView owners, disconnections are far and few between with the S2! With the Arc i would have to reconnect the LiveView every 1 or 2 hours whereas with the S2 i can sometimes go a whole day without needing to reconnect!

keyz86 said:
Hi all,
Now im generally not a fan of people posting 'hate' threads, but this phone has dissapointed me so much that i feel it necessary to point out why i turned to hate it and why im selling it and getting the Galaxy SII in order to help people that are thinking of buying this phone to make an advised decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure what world you are talking about, but want to comment on your points..
1. It constantly lags, and almost every app force closes (and YES i have reset the phone and used both .181 and .145 versions of the firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? I have more than 100 apps installed from Market & not a single app force closes & there is no lag. There are a lot of videos on youtube of ARC running smoothly with loads of apps, without lag or force close. Every review statets that & even it runs almost as sommth & fast as GalaxyS2 (Youtube Videos)
2. When the phone starts syncing accounts in the background it renders it unusable. The phone takes up to 5 minutes to load the Facebook app and longer for anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just can't believe that. 4 Arc in my house, and not a single has a similar problem. My phone runs normalls when it syncing..
3. Sony Ericsson's stupid decision to reverse the ground and mic wires so you cant use any other wired headphones with an inline control but the ones it came with. As discussed in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045973&page=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say anything about that coz i have no knowledge about that...
4. The camera takes too long to open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Do you really mean it???
"The camera has its own shutter button, and you can snap up to one frame per second at full resolution (8 megapixels)." Source: http://www.amobil.no/artikler/sony_ericsson_xperia_arc/93179/3
"What we might like best about this camera is how quick it is. When you press the dedicated camera key, you are ready to take the picture in no time, and to take the picture is also faster than usual." Source: http://www.mobili.no/tester/test-av-sony-ericsson-xperia-arc/
I have never used a mobile where a camera opens as fast as it does on ARC..
5. The USB socket is on the side at the top so you have to have a landscape dock which takes up more room (obviously only applies to people that use a dock with their phones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem for me... But didn't you know that before buying?
6. The USB/Power lead that comes with it is angled up instead of down which i find just gets in the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem for me..
7. The headphone jack is on the side (ok this is not a major issue but is annoying when getting it in and out of your pocket when you have headphones in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem for me... But didn't you know that before buying?
8. The headphones that come with it only have a play/pause button and no volume or any way to change tracks. (i hear theres an app that can change what the button does but it really should be there to start with!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And this one with Galaxy S2 is really far better? http://st.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/samsung-i9100-galaxy-s-ii/review/phone/gsmarena_029.jpg
9. I bought a sim locked version which at the moment means i cant root or install custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root it although it's sim locked.. But anyway, how it's a negative point when it was YOU who bought it sim lock?
10. The Sony Ericsson UI is awful and downright ugly (again you can always install a different launcher, but thats money for an app that you shouldnt need in my opinion and it just covers the home screens, as soon as you enter the Settings, Dialler or Contacts your right back in the SEUI).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only personal choice, You can't tell others its ugly & awful. Many here mean that Samsung UI is awful.. But it depends on personal choice. SE UI was same when you decided to buy this phone & it was with this UI, the Arc was advertised..
11. Recording in 720p is super laggy and jolts all the time making it useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of videos available on net captured with Arc.. And after lastest update the minor bugs are already fixed..
I will go on to say though that the camera is the best phone camera i have ever used by far! Stunning photos everytime. And the same goes for the built in speaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!!!!
And if you think Galaxy S2 would be really bugfree, then i will suggest to take a tour to Galaxy S2's section & i can only wish you good luck... And Bye!

Mano1982 said:
Really??? I have more than 100 apps installed from Market & not a single app force closes & there is no lag. There are a lot of videos on youtube of ARC running smoothly with loads of apps, without lag or force close. Every review statets that & even it runs almost as sommth & fast as GalaxyS2 (Youtube Videos)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mano1982 said:
I just can't believe that. 4 Arc in my house, and not a single has a similar problem. My phone runs normalls when it syncing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes really, its really that bad! restore after restore i get these problems. perhaps its a faulty unit, i dont know.
Mano1982 said:
Really? Do you really mean it???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i do! my phone before this was a HD7 and before that an iPhone4, both took a fraction of the time to open the camera app. and yes i am quite aware it has a dedicated camera button thank you.
Mano1982 said:
and this one with Galaxy S2 is really far better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, but i expected a lot more from Sony! plus with the S2 the stupid wiring problem doesnt exist so im free to choose what ever wired headset i wish.
Mano1982 said:
You can root it although it's sim locked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you cant root on the 2.3.3 update
Mano1982 said:
A lot of videos available on net captured with Arc.. And after lastest update the minor bugs are already fixed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
after the update the issue still exists for me otherwise i wouldnt have written about it
Mano1982 said:
And if you think Galaxy S2 would be really bugfree!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont expect anything to be bug free, but after using several S2's to me it seems a lot less buggy than my Arc, again perhaps mine is faulty, but none the less for me personally i prefer the Samsung UI and features (built in gestures, settings on the notifications tray like in CM7 and all the little things that the Arc seems to be missing)

I do admit that my misses Arc keeps force closing and randomly rebooting but she still loves it I prefer the I9000 as u can see....can do more with it in regards to CM7....it works wonders on the I9000 but I'm not so sure about the Arc due its complexity of inner workings I.e bravia engine etc and the galaxy s 2 is pretty much the same as the I9000 just a faster processor and more ram...everything else is the same lol....personal preference....I9000
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

Facebook takes 10 sec to open on mine :-D
For UI...yup dey sux whether its Samsung,lg,htc or SE. Using launcher pro instead
Sent from my LG-P500 CrAcKeN using XDA Premium App

I have to agree with the video recording...BUT, when you play it back on another device/player the jittery lag is non existent. good luck with your new phone anyway.

Hmmmmm... I have been tossing up between the Arc and the S2 for several days now. I know the S2 is higher spec'ed but after reading reviews about the arc I decided that for my needs, the arc would be fine. After reading this though I just don't know...

The only one of those issues that is real is the headphone wiring one.. Everything else is either personal preference or faulty unit.
Sent from the Arc.

im_iceman said:
The only one of those issues that is real is the headphone wiring one.. Everything else is either personal preference or faulty unit.
Sent from the Arc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the force close thing is a faulty unit? With a new baby on the way this is going to be the last phone I'll be able to buy for a while so I want to make sure I make the right choice. I'm upgrading from a Samsung Captivate so if the force close thing is a faulty unit, then everything else is going to be alot better than I currently have?

Of course it's a faulty unit.
Or some **** software installed.
Normally Arc is super snappy.

doministry said:
Of course it's a faulty unit.
Or some **** software installed.
Normally Arc is super snappy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate, I'll be getting mine first thing in the morning now

Hey i want to know about the sound quality of arc in headphone?
i am not a audiophile but i use phone to listen songs(daily 2hours or more),,right now i am having w705 with modded acoustic and it give good sound and beats.....so i want to know is sound quality of arc in headphone is good or bad?
i am thinking of upgrading my phone..........
please give genuine advice...........

djice000 said:
I do admit that my misses Arc keeps force closing and randomly rebooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is it true?

abhisheak.bansal said:
is it true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may well be, he may have got a bad one and should take it back for an exchange. Most people's arcs are rock solid though.

can u answer sound quality question mentioned above?

keyz86 said:
1. It constantly lags, and almost every app force closes (and YES i have reset the phone and used both .181 and .145 versions of the firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO you have a duff phone or dodgy apps installed. If youve reset and it's still doing it it sounds like hardware so you should take it back for an exchange. Seriously, my arc is rock solid and it *flies*.
2. When the phone starts syncing accounts in the background it renders it unusable. The phone takes up to 5 minutes to load the Facebook app and longer for anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost certainly caused by same problem as 1.
4. The camera takes too long to open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree on this one. Also the button is too fiddly and unreliable. SE get a free pass from me on this one cos the camera is simply amazing otherwise.
6. The USB/Power lead that comes with it is angled up instead of down which i find just gets in the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i think it's the right way round, but if it's annoying you could always buy another lead.
9. I bought a sim locked version which at the moment means i cant root or install custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, well you have only yourself to blame for this one. Research better before purchasing next time. (or just be patient and wait for someone to crack the bootloader)
10. The Sony Ericsson UI is awful and downright ugly (again you can always install a different launcher, but thats money for an app that you shouldnt need in my opinion and it just covers the home screens, as soon as you enter the Settings, Dialler or Contacts your right back in the SEUI).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt disagree more, i think it's a million miles better than anything samsung or htc have produced. But horses for courses innit. As for 3rd party launchers - the ability to change launchers is one of the joys of android, and plenty of good ones are FREE.
The dialer is pretty crap though (i recommend dialer2 from the market).
11. Recording in 720p is super laggy and jolts all the time making it useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK this has been fixed in the recent firmware, probably related to your hardware problem in 1.
Cant really comment on your headphone issues, but they sound like reasonable things to have a problem with. Personally i think you have a faulty handset so i'd take it back if i were you. If the headphone issues and UI style are a dealbreaker i guess then the arc just isnt for you, but if not try again with working handset - dont dismiss the phone as being laggy/buggy because you got a duff one.

The Arc isn't really a bad phone....if your having problems with FCs etc then as Davey said it probably a dodgy app or a hardware fault. The only thing I don't like about it is the bootup time....it takes forever lol other than that its really snappy
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

Hey i want to know about the sound quality of arc in headphone?
i am not a audiophile but i use phone to listen songs(daily 2hours or more),,right now i am having w705 with modded acoustic and it give good sound and beats.....so i want to know is sound quality of arc in headphone is good or bad?
i am thinking of upgrading my phone..........
please give genuine advice...........
sorry for double post

Yeah it does every now and again....but it doesn't bother her and it takes forever to boot up, even when fresh out of the box lol
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

abhisheak.bansal said:
can u answer sound quality question mentioned above?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i've only used it a couple of times as an mp3 player - but it's been pretty good, at least as good as my dedicated mp3 player.
However i havent even touched the supplied headphones, so cant comment on those either way.

Feedback on new AT&T ROM

So I installed it yesterday (and thanks to all those who helped).
I think the new ROM is FANTASTIC. Everything works for me, its faster than before and I have no lags. Im using Launcher Pro because the new Blur doesn't support scrolling widgets.
Battery is definitely better (turned on at 6am and had 15% at 6pn which us amazing for me).
Camera has been improved. Pictures look sharper and the colors no longer look weird. I owned an sgs2 and to me the pictures are just as good (and definitely better than the Sensation I owned for a bit). Its also much faster (put it in sport mode and virtually immediate).
Fingerprint reader works. Properly. Period.
Sound on speaker is excellent. Its still the best device on the market.
Sound on earpiece might be a little quieter. I am not certain on this but its something I noticed on my first call.
Gps lock is very quick. It was before too.
Software. Wow what a MASSIVE improvement. Email software is finally useable readable and possibly as good as Sense. Widgets are also better, like weather. Photo software and gallery better. MUSIC is a different application totally. I think I preferred the old one or just need to get used to it. Dialer is improved. Video playback is still great and again an area where this device excels over others I have owned. Animations also very cool. Top bar and notifications simply better than before. Entire color scheme is improved.
Stock keyboard is better but I still make a lot of mistakes when typing. HTC still make the best Android keyboard IMHO and I wish I could port the Sensation keyboard.
Overall its just more elegant and mire pleasurable ti use. For the first time I feel like its a device to show off. I really believe its the best device out there. Had Moto started out with this ROM it would have been considered a device as good as the HD2 in its day.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

I agree that Gingerbread by far is better than Froyo. My Atrix looks and runs so much better.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

ernestdefoe said:
I agree that Gingerbread by far is better than Froyo. My Atrix looks and runs so much better.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

After one day on gingerbread, I'd have to say the keyboard's the biggest improvement for me. An @ key without having to press alt first? Yes! Long press keys for numbers? Yes!

I agree. It's a fantastic upgrade and the new skin is slick....my only complaint is that homescreen scrolling isn't as fast as I expected. The forest LWP is a little slow, and pinch to zoom on stock camera gallery isn't as good as my previous phone or 3rd party market apps
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

its is an amazing difference

before making the plunge I wud like to know from u guys about the screen gradient issues
is it solved??
like skin tones appeared really odd and washed out
I thot it was a software issue as the screen grabs also showed them on my PC
that was a big gripe for me but for the otherwise near perfect phone
and ya camera quality was also really poor

Are you talking about kenns?
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

dunno whom u are asking but am still on froyo
wud love to hear that screen issues are solved
leaving aside the pentile issue as SGS also has pentile but looked better

Battery life is the biggest improvement forvmr
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

I freakin love the new ROM. Thanks KP!

They have made a smart move by selecting a color scheme that greatly reduces the effect of the inherent technical limitations of a Pentile LCD! Its better than Froyo but I guess only because of the color scheme they have decided to go with!

Pat123 said:
They have made a smart move by selecting a color scheme that greatly reduces the effect of the inherent technical limitations of a Pentile LCD! Its better than Froyo but I guess only because of the color scheme they have decided to go with!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if the color scheme didnt change its 10 times better. Im tired of the complaints about the phone, go get a different one and/or dont complain about this one. We dont care to hear it.

Loving the new rom so far. I do think the cardock app got worse (looks better, but fewer custom buttons). I love how you can uninstall apps using a long press from the app drawer.
I'm also looking forward to trying the ignore call, respond with text option.
Last thing, wish the default music app worked with Google Music Beta... installed the Google one instead.
Sent from my Rooted, Bootloader Unlocked Gingerbread Atrix using the XDA Premium App

Overall, this seems to be working pretty fantastically for me except for a few things.
- Contact List can get REALLY slow sometimes. (15 seconds to load up a contact's information!)
- Unlocking (the screen, not the phone) can get slow, as well as Facebook and a few other apps. Haven't fully tested yet.
Is this happening to anyone else?

So far, i'm loving the new blur, everything is working fine for me.but i hope this is not the final blur version, because i was watching a demo of blur for droid3 on youtube it looks a little bit better then this. The swipe between screens was different and the quick contact widget was different and more useful.

are you sure about the battery life part.. i got a bad battery life thats the reason why i flashed it back to froyo 2.2.2 ( 1.83 sbf ) .. if you are also using kenneth's beta release >> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1159385
and if u also talking abotu kenneth's beta one. fingerprint reader doesn't work for me

hem.acharya said:
are you sure about the battery life part.. i got a bad battery life thats the reason why i flashed it back to froyo 2.2.2 ( 1.83 sbf ) .. if you are also using kenneth's beta release >> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1159385
and if u also talking abotu kenneth's beta one. fingerprint reader doesn't work for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure is not talking about the ken release.

ohh so its all about the color scheme that's chosen now!!
neways I will wait till the official release
bit scared by the hard brick numbers

ayaskant12 said:
ohh so its all about the color scheme that's chosen now!!
neways I will wait till the official release
bit scared by the hard brick numbers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only hard brick if you try to do the OTA. If you use kennethpenn's method using CWM with an unlocked bootloader you'll have no problem.

7 days with the Note

I am experienced with the 5" form factor having owned a Dell Streak.
The Note? Wow!
The good:
- The Screen is amazing! Wonderful! Colours are incredible.
- The feel of the device in hand is great! I was surprised, by this, after reading reviews. It's light... grips nicely... the back textured cover is a nice touch. It doesn't feel like it needs a case.
- The camera is better than the reviews here. It's not going to replace your camera if you are a photo freak... but it's pretty darn good.
- The speed. I've got another dual core tablet... and I'm pleasantly surprised by the speed of this device. Get ICS on it and it will be really-really good.
- I like touch wiz. I've not owned a Samsung Android device before... but the touch wiz is nice.
- It's pocketable. Yes... again... I knew it would be... but when looking at Tablets the Note has an advantage here.
- The "on-board" ability to edit photos and video (with good tools) is cool. It's one of the things that drew me to the Note.
- The SPen. Admittedly, I don't use it much yet. It's got potential though in some applications.
- The battery life. It's really-really good. Granted... I use mine exclusively as a pocket tablet on 3G/wifi... but it's got plenty of life at the end of the day.
- The screen is wicked bright! Holy smokes! I don't think I've had brightness above 50%.
The bad:
- The buttons (power, volume, etc) can get easily pressed when gripping.
- There is color shift (green/blue) when viewing at angles.
- The scrolling can lag or be glitchy occasionally. Nothing big. Just a tad.
It's a great device! I'm stoked! I love my Samsung Galaxy Note!
Cheers!

Does any one have the buttons not responding issue...
Once in a while the menu & back button go to sleep & the only way to activate them is by restarting the phone
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

ywnmmsb said:
Does any one have the buttons not responding issue...
Once in a while the menu & back button go to sleep & the only way to activate them is by restarting the phone
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the issue handful of times. Not sure what causes it but the phone itself is functional except for the capacitive buttons

ywnmmsb said:
Does any one have the buttons not responding issue...
Once in a while the menu & back button go to sleep & the only way to activate them is by restarting the phone
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh this thing is still around? I had this on my Galaxy S in the early gingerbread stages but I had no idea it's still around and on other devices too.. I haven't seen it myself yet though.

The color shift while viewing at angles - not all units have this issue.

I had it twice (in a month) when on 2.3.5, but so far not under 2.3.6.
ywnmmsb said:
Does any one have the buttons not responding issue...
Once in a while the menu & back button go to sleep & the only way to activate them is by restarting the phone
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks for your review. I have added it to the note review sticky. No need to keep this thread open now.
Thread Closed​

Note 3 Issues - considering selling it?

While I like the phone, love the SAMOLED and the new S-Pen features, I have many complaints about it:
The Touchwiz looks like the one I had on my old Galaxy S, not like that on my Galaxy Tab2 (which is excellent). Why the hell did they put only four rows of icons? Sometimes it looks like a visually-impaired option. I set the font to really small and still is quite big. Looks like this has even less personalization options than the tab2. Meh. I don't mind the huge size, really, but this looks like it's an enlarged phone. The extra real estate is not used effectively.
GPS is giving me many disappointements. Jumps next to building and can't track properly in trams and public transport. Again, on Tab2 it was excellent.
I am not a fearful modder, but no excellent rom is out and I will probably lose some of the s-pen features.
I am skeptical, after the bad experience with the Galaxy S I would like a phone where the hardware (i.e. GPS) actually WORKS. I shelled out some 500euros+ for this, I don't expect to see GPS jumps with ingress.
I am seriously contemplating selling it and getting an S4 or other good phone with SAMOLED, giving up the s-pen (which is more a treat than a must).
I would like to hear some opinion from other users, if you share the same feelings about it.
Thanks
Cheers

You're basing this off something you can replace in two clicks? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?
Ditch Touchwiz. Get Apex or Nova. Problem solved.

Agree with shadow.. install nova and add more dock icons. . If you still feel it looks to much like a "phone"(LOL surprise it's supposed to be a phone) you can change the dpi, I have dpi set to 320 and everything looks great
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

ShadowLea said:
You're basing this off something you can replace in two clicks? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?
Ditch Touchwiz. Get Apex or Nova. Problem solved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But do I keep S-Pen functions then?
Because if I then lose the s-pen, what's the point of keeping the Note 3 vs S4? Beside 1 GB more of ram that is...

Khizar said:
Agree with shadow.. install nova and add more dock icons. . If you still feel it looks to much like a "phone"(LOL surprise it's supposed to be a phone) you can change the dpi, I have dpi set to 320 and everything looks great
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding "Phone"
Perhaps I was not expressing myself clearly enough. I am comparing to the Tab2 (7", so not so far actually), which I have and it's great in every aspect on stock. I see the design effore there. Here, it looks just a rescaling of a normal 4" screen "Phone" rom. (not Phablet, as the note should be, if you want)

McBain_666 said:
But do I keep S-Pen functions then?
Because if I then lose the s-pen, what's the point of keeping the Note 3 vs S4? Beside 1 GB more of ram that is...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-pen functions are not dependent on the launcher. When people here say something is based on touchwiz, it just means that whatever function they're referring to is based on the touchwiz framework present in the rom, not actually using the TW launcher. I use Nova launcher & my s-pen functions are fully intact. You would only lose s-pen functionality if you flashed an AOSP/CM rom.
McBain_666 said:
Regarding "Phone"
Perhaps I was not expressing myself clearly enough. I am comparing to the Tab2 (7", so not so far actually), which I have and it's great in every aspect on stock. I see the design effore there. Here, it looks just a rescaling of a normal 4" screen "Phone" rom. (not Phablet, as the note should be, if you want)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can change the screen DPI to make it look more like a "phablet", but you'll need to be rooted because the apps that can achieve this need root access to work.

McBain_666 said:
But do I keep S-Pen functions then?
Because if I then lose the s-pen, what's the point of keeping the Note 3 vs S4? Beside 1 GB more of ram that is...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All Spen functions are intact. They're not part of the launcher, they are their own apps on top of a launcher.

kabuk1 said:
S-pen functions are not dependent on the launcher. When people here say something is based on touchwiz, it just means that whatever function they're referring to is based on the touchwiz framework present in the rom, not actually using the TW launcher. I use Nova launcher & my s-pen functions are fully intact. You would only lose s-pen functionality if you flashed an AOSP/CM rom.
You can change the screen DPI to make it look more like a "phablet", but you'll need to be rooted because the apps that can achieve this need root access to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I will definitively try it, like, now.
If the launcher becomes decent, I will then evaluate if the GPS issue alone is a problem for me. Thanks.

McBain_666 said:
Ok, I will definitively try it, like, now.
If the launcher becomes decent, I will then evaluate if the GPS issue alone is a problem for me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thing I did was replacing the launcher. I got so used to a non stock one that this was the first To do for me. Why on earth would I want any company to tell me what I can do with a product I just dropped 700€ for?
After 3 days I really missed the volume rocker to skip tracks option. So a root was what was next. You can tweak your phone to whatever you need it to be. And if you look at Samsungs touchwiz, it's for sure just a blown up UI of a phone. Well, like others already stated, it is a phone. My phone is actually a library, magazine reader, gaming machine, on the go multi language translator, camera (the best camera you can have is the one you have on hand when a good opportunity arises), and so much more. I'd actually go so far to say that my phone is an awesome pocket PC with which I can place phone calls (maybe 2-5% of whatever I use it for the rest of the time).
Did I say that it makes an awesome music player for in car use when you use tasker to automate things like gps for speed based volume setting, skipping songs with volume rocker (eyes free operation)....
Oh, sorry. i got carried away. This phone so far provides the best GPS I had so far. What's the issue with yours?

Mikegrmn said:
First thing I did was replacing the launcher. I got so used to a non stock one that this was the first To do for me. Why on earth would I want any company to tell me what I can do with a product I just dropped 700€ for?
After 3 days I really missed the volume rocker to skip tracks option. So a root was what was next. You can tweak your phone to whatever you need it to be. And if you look at Samsungs touchwiz, it's for sure just a blown up UI of a phone. Well, like others already stated, it is a phone. My phone is actually a library, magazine reader, gaming machine, on the go multi language translator, camera (the best camera you can have is the one you have on hand when a good opportunity arises), and so much more. I'd actually go so far to say that my phone is an awesome pocket PC with which I can place phone calls (maybe 2-5% of whatever I use it for the rest of the time).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Apex Launcher now. MUUUUUUUUUUCH better, like, another planet. Makes me not wanna sell the phone just yet. I still have to investigate the unroot/unKnox thing before rooting. I still want to keep the warranty for a month-ish. Again, coming from a satisfactory stock Tab2 7" I was hoping not to have to root, but still, if everything works the only thing becomes the GPS.
Mikegrmn said:
Did I say that it makes an awesome music player for in car use when you use tasker to automate things like gps for speed based volume setting, skipping songs with volume rocker (eyes free operation).... Oh, sorry. i got carried away. This phone so far provides the best GPS I had so far. What's the issue with yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My feeling is that they screwed up the antenna again, like in the Galaxy S. I have a Tab2 7"and it has great accuracy everywhere. In particular, while on public transport (trams) it follows me readily. This Note 3, today lost lock several times on the tram and was always jumping around. A fiend with S4 has perfect lock on trams. Yesterday the GPS was also jumping on the open, I was simply walking next to a big building. (I play Ingress)
In the GPS thread someone said that they sent in the phone for repairs and they got a better GPS afterwards, but I am skeptical, ppl were saying that also for the first SGS, which eventually, just had a crappy GPS antenna. What's your experience>?

McBain_666 said:
On Apex Launcher now. MUUUUUUUUUUCH better, like, another planet. Makes me not wanna sell the phone just yet. I still have to investigate the unroot/unKnox thing before rooting. I still want to keep the warranty for a month-ish. Again, coming from a satisfactory stock Tab2 7" I was hoping not to have to root, but still, if everything works the only thing becomes the GPS.
My feeling is that they screwed up the antenna again, like in the Galaxy S. I have a Tab2 7"and it has great accuracy everywhere. In particular, while on public transport (trams) it follows me readily. This Note 3, today lost lock several times on the tram and was always jumping around. A fiend with S4 has perfect lock on trams. Yesterday the GPS was also jumping on the open, I was simply walking next to a big building. (I play Ingress)
In the GPS thread someone said that they sent in the phone for repairs and they got a better GPS afterwards, but I am skeptical, ppl were saying that also for the first SGS, which eventually, just had a crappy GPS antenna. What's your experience>?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My razr HD took ages to get a lock. Never had the issue so far with my N3, but then, I didn't use it for navigation so far. Just speed based volume bc my current car is lacking this feature.
For my razr HD I used GPS test, an app from play store. Go to settings and try "update agps". This brought the fix time down on my razr HD. Although it took ages when I started the feature while moving. It's just so much better on my N3. Maybe your unit is faulty. Have some one with another N3 to see if there's a difference? Would be a good try. Although, most people I know just find the note much too big. So in my circles, there wouldn't be a second N3 to verify. Maybe a carrier or dealer?

Mikegrmn said:
My razr HD took ages to get a lock. Never had the issue so far with my N3, but then, I didn't use it for navigation so far. Just speed based volume bc my current car is lacking this feature.
For my razr HD I used GPS test, an app from play store. Go to settings and try "update agps". This brought the fix time down on my razr HD. Although it took ages when I started the feature while moving. It's just so much better on my N3. Maybe your unit is faulty. Have some one with another N3 to see if there's a difference? Would be a good try. Although, most people I know just find the note much too big. So in my circles, there wouldn't be a second N3 to verify. Maybe a carrier or dealer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The locking is indeed fast. Maybe faster than the Tab2. But then the accuracy sucks. It will be hard to explain or prove that it it a malfunction, I don't know if I would get a really better functioning one. Here in Switzerland they're not so big on customer support, but I suppose I could try. Maybe I could try writing to Samsung or so. :/ I will anyway check the accuracy with the GPS test asap.

I put nova launcher on my phones first thing when I get them. Much better than stock overlay. Also, my first note 3 had a bad gps antenna and wouldn't even lock on to any satellites. The new one locks on quick but I haven't tested nav yet.
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda app-developers app

With Apex Launcher and Holo Locker, the phone is starting to look OK.
I still regret that I can't have the security pattern on with the custom lock. (all the other lockers I've found with security make it a two-steps unlock [custom unlock -> stock pattern unlock], which I find annoying, if you know otherwise please let me know)
GPS
Looks like there is an issue here, but is related to the compass rather than the GPS antenna. Yesterday I calibrated the compass and then I had perfect reception in trams, then today suddenly it lost lock, the compass was pointing wrong, and the GPS Test told me 1 satellite in sight for like 5 minutes, at which point it snapped back into a correct view, had 21 satellites in sight and locked quickly, with fair precision.
I will still experiment more and perhaps post a screenshot. Any suggestion is gladly welcomed.

Well after a week-ish I would say I am way past any doubt that this is a great device.
Regarding my initial Touchwiz perplexities, Apex Launcher solved it. I still would like to change the dpi in the menu, device, etc. But that's minor, now.
The GPS issue is also greatly reduced. Still, my Galaxy Tab 2 7" has WAY faster locking times and accuracy. I still think that the antenna is better, but it's also a larger device. It happened already with Ingress that I was sitting in a spot with friends, and nobody got a lock but me with the Tab 2. To mantain proper lock, it's important not to let the compass go crazy. Sometime it's pointing in a bad direction, then it's enough to rotate your wrist a couple of times and usually it switches back in place. Can't really whether this is software-fixable, but once you know it becomes a minor issue.
Beside, I am really starting to enjoy the S-Pen. Multitasking is great. The machine is simply -powerful-. Blazing fast in everything.
It's the fist time that stopping by an iPad test post I do NOT think "ok Apple suck but it definitively looks smoother than my android devices". On the contrary, it felt way more sluggish.
So, no, I won't sell it for the moment. I just hope that Samsung will make a reasonable software update within the next 6 months.
With the Tab2 7" they were doing a great job, I also bough it when JB got out and they did upgrade it after about 6 months, fixing most of the obvious TW shortcomings, and it's not even a flagship device.

did you have problems with gps capture?

ELCUPRA said:
did you have problems with gps capture?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, losing lock and accuracy while in movement in places with non-optimal (but not bad) reception. At the same time, the compass would flicker and point in wrong directions.