To be fair to all those considering Note, after all praising (I still do think it's best phone in the world right now), there are definitely drawbacks.
Here is one for example:
The regular phone speaker above the screen (not the loud one on the back) is not pointing sound into one direction. You can even speak on the phone with back side of Galaxy Note put to you ear, you will still be able to hear everything clearly, even on low volume.
On top volume, it is comparable to speaker phone on some other phones, so if you pick up a phone while surrounded by other people (unless you are in very loud place) they will hear the other person.
While in the office, I noticed myself turning volume down a lot when I pick up the phone.
I dont have this kind of problem , my old Nokia phone does.
Sure someone can hear some of the content near the phone you are talking in a dead silent arwa, it's inevitable.
I feel Gnote already perform quite well compare to the other phones, like HTCs in this area
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
to be honest id rather it was loud and have the ability to turn the volume down than it be too quiet and unable to turn the volume up
as my mum used to say,if its cold its better to have a coat and be able to take it off if you get hot than be cold and need a coat and not have one
Richy99 said:
to be honest id rather it was loud and have the ability to turn the volume down than it be too quiet and unable to turn the volume up
as my mum used to say,if its cold its better to have a coat and be able to take it off if you get hot than be cold and need a coat and not have one
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Click to collapse
It's not a question of whether badly working phone is better than no phone. It's a question of best phone being of high quality. In this case its potential privacy concern.
I switched from iPhones, where it was not an issue. If you put it tight to your ear in silent room, none else hears the person on the other end. Even on loud.
Like I've said above, on Note in silent room regular speaker (not the loud speaker) is comparable to loud speaker on some other phones. You can hear through the phone! Test yourself, make a call with screen side out, battery cover side to your ear, you might be surprised, that it's practically no difference what side you hold it to the ear, even on lowest in-call volume you can still comfortably speak with wrong side of the phone touching your ear.
I have not tried other Notes than mine, but I seriously doubt that it is one time occurrence, seems to me like an engineering issue, not enough sound insulation behind the speaker, just few thin layers of plastic.
If it is such a privacy concern, why not use a bluetooth headset or earbuds? Why not leave the room instead of taking the call in the room?
I mean there are more options that just sitting there letting everyone else hear your conversation if you feel that you have something to hide. But then again, your talking so they naturally are going to hear at least 1 part of the conversation no matter what. So I fail to see how you can really be concerned with privacy when they hear everything you say anyways, right?
If you were that worried about privacy you would send texts, emails or use an IM program to send messages so that no one knew what was being said or talked about. But since you are willing to sit in the room and let them listen to what at least you are saying, then you are not overly concerned with them at least hearing part of the conversation.
When I get a call that I dont want anyone else to hear I either leave the room, put on my earbuds or tell the person I will call them back when I can talk. So really it isnt about privacy concerns at all, it is just an inconvience for you to know that the speaker is loud. Louder than you are used to at least.
Fuuny that you mention this because i never thought i'll use those bt headsets until i own the Note. Each time i put it in my ear, my worry is not the volume but the number of heads turning towards me and the the sheepish grin that follows.
--- --- --- ---
A damn proud Galaxy Note owner.
Maybe try turn down the volume and using a case.
I wonder how those HTC phones perform because they all have ear speakers that are wide across the width of the phone itself.
eksasol said:
Maybe try turn down the volume and using a case.
I wonder how those HTC phones perform because they all have ear speakers that are wide across the width of the phone itself.
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Click to collapse
Lol..the speaker grill on HTC phone what we call it, is just a gimmick. If we see inside, the speaker none the less is only small portion on the middle side
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Astrum said:
While in the office, I noticed myself turning volume down a lot when I pick up the phone.
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Click to collapse
That's a really good point. Something else to improve in the Note2 along with moving power button!
Sent from my Amiga GT-N7000 using XDA Premium.
Related
I'm soooo on the fringe of buying this from Amazon but the ONE thing keeping me is the fact of taking phone calls in private. First off I HATE bluetooth headsets. I only want to carry my device. Nothing else... With that said are the speakers on the Advantage located so as I can put my ear up to it and cancel out the sound so others can't hear what other people are saying? Or are there dual speakers on the side which would make it quite hard?
Does anyone out there with an Advantage use it like this to take/place calls? Man I'm about to pull the trigger I just can't stand it doesn't have an earpiece...
Is there a super flat bluetooth headset I could possibly attach to the back?
I honestly don't talk that much on my phones mostly data and stuff but when I do need to talk I'd rather not have everyone else hear it...
Thanks.
juiceppc said:
Can I put this up to my ear?
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Click to collapse
No respectable Athena owners would put this phone up to their face. I use the LG Stlye-I as do others. I agree with you that the BT Earpiece is way over done and in some instances rude to wear.
Having the Style-I for the Athena gets loads of attention as most folks believe that it is your phone (and it's quite the piece). It is smaller than an average hi-lighter pen, has great battery life and a nice caller ID display. Only downside is that it rings quietly and does not have a vibrate mode.
Check e-bay as they run $30 or so depending on the listing.
I'm one of those who are not respectable, and I can't care less if I look like a nut to others. I do turn my volume to the lowest though, but that won't silent it enough. For calls which are important,I do pluck in my wired headset which I use for mp3 anyway. For VOIP I always use wired headset to prevent echo to the other party.
My advice is for you to buy other type of PDA instead of Athena if you are very strongly against using headset (need not be bt, wired will do very well) and feel bothered holding it against your face .
Regards.
I have a bluetooth headset and the wired microphone but I often just use my Ameo straight up to my face. It works ok but does look silly and you have to mess around with the volume. Not good in a quiet office environment because others will hear.
Summary: Possible but NOT ideal!
When going grocery shopping it's a bit ackward to put the phone to my ear and maneuver with 5 plus bags at the same time. I like to keep my hands free, and IMHO the Athena Is just a big too big to keep it to my ear, not only that the volume just isn't low enough to make the conversation private. As eaglesteve stated your best bet would be to get a different wm device. The phone is truely not a 1 handed device, however do keep in mind it has one of the biggest screens available on mobile devices. Just my 2 cents.
Oh and btw there's a seller on ebay stating he has 10 units available at $450 USD and the sale is ending in about 2 hrs. Hope this helps, here's the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Unlocked-T-mobi...ryZ38331QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
thanks for the feedback guys
I have many winmo phones but the screen on the Advantage really appeals to me.
the universal has an earpiece I just wish this did...
juiceppc said:
thanks for the feedback guys
I have many winmo phones but the screen on the Advantage really appeals to me.
the universal has an earpiece I just wish this did...
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Click to collapse
Like others have said, holding the phone up to your ear does work, but people close can hear your whole conversation.
I use the LG-StyleI and it works great. Leave your advantage on your belt (buy a tuff-as-nuts case) and answer and call using the style-i. You right the screen is great. I also have many winmo phones and the screen on the advantage can't be beat.
I am an occasional phone user. Nobody wants to talk to me ;-) But the sheer joy of owning one of these beasts far outweighs any inconvenience when using the phone (for an occasional user). The screen is large enough to make all the hype about watching videos, reading books, using spreadsheets, viewing website pages, playing hi res games, etc practical and enjoyable. BUY IT!
Athena up to my ear for tellyphone conversation
To juiceppc ,
i own an athena since January 2007 and have been frequently making & receiving calls by putting either my left ear or my right ear near to the right speaker like the Nokia Engage handphone and my mouth not so near to the mic on the left bottom of my athena with both speakers volume and mic volume to the maximum , and in my country - Malaysia i can talk using this way with 100% clarity in a quite enviroment or about 60% to 70% clarity on outdoors but 40% to 50% clarity on jobsites / noisy enviroment. Sometimes i encounter some breakups and cracking calls but other than that i think it's okay for my usage. You can always adjust both volumes to suit your calls but you may need some practise to get the hang of it. I hope this helps & sorry for very late posting
I got mine yesterday, everything works fine except its microphone's quality. The other people hear me like I talk from distance away.
Is this common problem or just mine?
Thank you
This is something that I experienced initially when I got my Atrix, I resolved it by moving the phone up closer to my mouth. I tend to let the phone hang from my ear where I hold it near the top and it put's some distance between me and the mic. I'm a former iPhone user and was lazy with where the phone sat on the side of my head, once I made this change though people have said I sound clearer than when I was on my iPhone.
I can't talk closer, the speaker is exactly on my ear. It looks the microphone has very bad sensitivity. Too bad all Motorola cellphones i had in the past they had excellent quality.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Active nooise cancle
I have same problem, I turned off noise cancellation and got some improvement. I'm pretty sure it is a software issue. I also put a clear bra type case on it from some 3m stuff I have, I didn't cut out for the mic on the back. I'm hoping this too helps but have not tried yet.
If I place my Nexus 4 against my ear, I can hear high pitched screeching and some popping coming from the earpiece, even when a call is not taking place. At first I thought it was a heat issue, maybe some capacitors or something getting a bit hot and whistling, so I turned the phone off and the noises stopped instantly.
This is pretty annoying and surely shouldn't be happening
Yes, mine too
losimagic said:
If I place my Nexus 4 against my ear, I can hear high pitched screeching and some popping coming from the earpiece, even when a call is not taking place. At first I thought it was a heat issue, maybe some capacitors or something getting a bit hot and whistling, so I turned the phone off and the noises stopped instantly.
This is pretty annoying and surely shouldn't be happening
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Click to collapse
I'm glad you posted that, mine does it too - and I thought I had a faulty phone.
According to support I'm the first to report such a problem, have you called support about it? - 0800 328 6081.
The more of us that call, the better the chance it's sorted (if it's possible).
I can't live with that noise, it's too loud for me as I have sensitive hearing on interference like that.
So it looks like I'm sending mine back for a refund and go buy a S3
It does sound like poor build quality in suppressing electrical interference to the ear speaker, as you say capacitors or even a processor is leaking noise to that speaker in the same way cell/mobile radio causes to external speakers when brought close to them.
WOW so many problems already with this thing!!! I don't know about this phone right now
rshea said:
I'm glad you posted that, mine does it too - and I thought I had a faulty phone.
According to support I'm the first to report such a problem, have you called support about it? - 0800 328 6081.
The more of us that call, the better the chance it's sorted (if it's possible).
I can't live with that noise, it's too loud for me as I have sensitive hearing on interference like that.
So it looks like I'm sending mine back for a refund and go buy a S3
It does sound like poor build quality in suppressing electrical interference to the ear speaker, as you say capacitors or even a processor is leaking noise to that speaker in the same way cell/mobile radio causes to external speakers when brought close to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I returned it to the store for a refund - they refused to swap it for another as they couldn't hear it . I've ordered another which I should get tomorrow, and if that has the same issue I'm not sure what to do - it doesn't really sound like something that can be fixed through software, does it?
I asked on another forum and one person replied saying that there's was ok, but maybe they're ears just aren't as sensitive as ours.
I remember as a kid, I could hear CRT TVs from a long way off (no sound was coming through the speakers) and nobody else could.
losimagic said:
I returned it to the store for a refund - they refused to swap it for another as they couldn't hear it . I've ordered another which I should get tomorrow, and if that has the same issue I'm not sure what to do - it doesn't really sound like something that can be fixed through software, does it?
I asked on another forum and one person replied saying that there's was ok, but maybe they're ears just aren't as sensitive as ours.
I remember as a kid, I could hear CRT TVs from a long way off (no sound was coming through the speakers) and nobody else could.
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Click to collapse
I think you're right, I too always heard a CRT working (I still can when I see one working!)
Maybe we're hearing interference the average user is not going to hear.
If anyone else is reading this and owns a Nexus 4, try calling your voicemail (which I assume would be free for you) - during the call wait for a few seconds and listen carefully, it's more obvious when you're not talking and in a call.
The noise is almost like having a small fly trapped between the phone and your ear at times, it also reminds me of the noise a hard drive makes at times and most of us know what that sounds like.
rshea said:
I think you're right, I too always heard a CRT working (I still can when I see one working!)
Maybe we're hearing interference the average user is not going to hear.
If anyone else is reading this and owns a Nexus 4, try calling your voicemail (which I assume would be free for you) - during the call wait for a few seconds and listen carefully, it's more obvious when you're not talking and in a call.
The noise is almost like having a small fly trapped between the phone and your ear at times, it also reminds me of the noise a hard drive makes at times and most of us know what that sounds like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it even when I wasn't on a call - a few seconds after powering up the phone and it was there
You guys are nerds
No, I can feel your pain! Hopefully you guys can sort this out and this is in general not a common problem with the N4.
i don't have this issue
It seems to be an issue with the electromagnetic shielding. I get this problem when I am next to my sound system and amplifier. Those things arent shielded. Now in school where theres basically nothing else here my earpiece is completely clean. Not even a hiss.
does it also emit a sound when it is swithced on, but the screen is off? i remember i had sth. like this (high-pitched sound) on my first google nexus s, but it was clearly coming from the screen rather than the earpiece.
Received a replacement today - it's A LOT better. There's still a very feint buzz, but it's barely noticeable.
Hallucinogen775 said:
does it also emit a sound when it is swithced on, but the screen is off? i remember i had sth. like this (high-pitched sound) on my first google nexus s, but it was clearly coming from the screen rather than the earpiece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, even did it without a simcard inside. Definitely coming from the earpiece, if I moved my ear down the phone it was quieter/silent.
What about in airplane mode?
jacklebott said:
What about in airplane mode?
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Click to collapse
Didn't test the previous one in airplane mode, but just tried this one and it's the same.
Definitely getting the same issue with my N4; screen on or off. Can't imagine this being fixed by firmware, sounds like a bad hardware design.
I'm also once of these people who gets irritated by the sound of DVD Players/VCR/TV etc. But two other people I have shown seem to think its an issue too.
It's good to read a replacement was better, that's made my day.
The problem is certainly a electromagnetic shielding issue with the earpiece, I can stand in a middle of a field and it has that sound you often get from PC or Hi-Fi speakers when you stand close to them.
But with the earpiece you can't move it of course - so clearly a design flaw, and hopefully only on a batch?
That said, it does seem to be an intermittent fault, I've also noticed it doesn't happen within the first 10-30 seconds of a call. I wonder if the phone stops all background processes during the start of a call, but then later kicks in which causes those noises.
losimagic said:
I remember as a kid, I could hear CRT TVs from a long way off (no sound was coming through the speakers) and nobody else could.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can hear the high pitched noise from a CRT from, like, 100'. Can a lot of other people really not hear them? Also, deer/dog/insect deterrents that people use in their homes and yard give me an instant headache from the sound. Great. This does not bode well. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge if/when I get to it.
Same here
estallings15 said:
I can hear the high pitched noise from a CRT from, like, 100'. Can a lot of other people really not hear them? Also, deer/dog/insect deterrents that people use in their homes and yard give me an instant headache from the sound. Great. This does not bode well. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge if/when I get to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly that, those who can't hear those audible repellents for pets, or not hear the Apps available which also emit very annoying high pitch sounds - then would not be bothered by the noise we mention here.
I'm certain if I took my N4 into a shop, the typical response from staff would be "we can't hear it"
I have this issue with my phone as well. Screen on or off. Charging or not. Noise is still present.
Sorry if this has been posted before, but I don't think it has because I check the forums daily.
Sometimes, when I get in a call with someone, my earpiece will make a very loud buzzing noise, and it's not the regular small background buzz. It's not even a buzz, It's more like a blasting sound, and you cannot hear voices when the sound is on, and I have to end the call, and call back to fix it. Any idea what this could be? It also happened on stock rom, and custom rom with a custom kernel.
I'm starting to lose hope on this phone. I've gotten 2 replacements so far, and both have had a high pitched sound coming from the earpiece, wether on voice calls or not. Is this crap just found on some N4's or pretty much all of them? I've never had such a poorly put together device. I don't mind the yellowish screen, the rattle, the hot back, or any other minor defect. Just feels like I'll never get a good one. *sigh*
It's my third phone and it still has the buzzing everything else besides the bottom plastic creaking when I press it but everything else is fine so I'm gonna keep it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)
bob2300nx said:
Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)
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Click to collapse
Yeah its low (with my over the ear cans), went all in on a descent amp that can usb of my pc and/or directly off my phone. Like my cans to rattle sometimes. With my IEMs though it gets loud after 50-60. Id make sure you have enabled Hi-Fi sound on the phone first and found this app to be very useful in adding some punch and volume to my tracks. ----> Equalizer (by Smart Android Apps)
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
JkdJedi said:
Yeah its low (with my over the ear cans), went all in on a descent amp that can usb of my pc and/or directly off my phone. Like my cans to rattle sometimes. With my IEMs though it gets loud after 50-60. Id make sure you have enabled Hi-Fi sound on the phone first and found this app to be very useful in adding some punch and volume to my tracks. ----> Equalizer (by Smart Android Apps)
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im talking about in call volume through the speaker that you hold up to your ear.
bob2300nx said:
Im talking about in call volume through the speaker that you hold up to your ear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol!! Oh. No not at all, that's way better than the last phone I had the lgg3.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Check your phone call settings. There may be an option in there that was enabled by accident.
And/or tell your correspondence to speak up. Lol.
yeah idk, my s7 sounded like crap for phone calls. could never understand the person on the other line. but my V20 sounds amazing. clear, loud etc. kills the s7
Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
I'm experiencing the same. Extremely clear, no issues whatsoever.
Speaking of the Nexus 6. That phone was hands down the best Android phone ever made. If they re-released it with a fingerprint sensor, I would buy it again. Best speakers and sound of any phone. It could have used a better camera, but other than that, 9 out of 10.
As for the speaker sound in the V20. I think it could be a a bit louder. Clarity isn't an issue for me. But it's def not very loud.
On the T-Mobile variant this thing is loud and clear. If I turn it all the way up I can hold it away from my ear in front of me and still hear the other person clear enough to understand them. definitely no issues so far involving that
Lgv20user said:
Check your phone call settings. There may be an option in there that was enabled by accident.
And/or tell your correspondence to speak up. Lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Mikekelso421 said:
Speaking of the Nexus 6. That phone was hands down the best Android phone ever made. If they re-released it with a fingerprint sensor, I would buy it again. Best speakers and sound of any phone. It could have used a better camera, but other than that, 9 out of 10.
As for the speaker sound in the V20. I think it could be a a bit louder. Clarity isn't an issue for me. But it's def not very loud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.
bob2300nx said:
What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pull up your phone app. Make sure it's on the dial menu and hit the 3 vertical dots in the upper right hand corner. Go to call settings. The last option should be one that reads "more" . Peruse that and see what may help. Good luck.
bob2300nx said:
What settings are you talking about?
And people calling me didnt magically decide to speak quietly just because I bought a new phone.
Yes loudness is the issue. Its too quiet if you are anywhere with noise like the grocery store.
Nexus 6 was a good phone but had issues (guess all phones do). The camera was pretty bad and buggy at times. Speakers were great but if you had lower battery they would automatically decrease the volume like 50% (even at max volume) that was insanely annoying. And lastly it throttled speed pretty badly when battery got low. Oh and it was pretty big, alittle smaller screen with the v20 but much smaller in the hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing I can think of would be to try turning on hearing aid compatibility or maybe messing with the call clarity and noise suppression options and see if that affects anything for ya.
I have both voice clarity and noise suppression turned on and have no problems with low volume at all. I remember reading somewhere on a different phone e that the hearing aid option made it noticeably louder on that specific phone so you could try that and see if it works for this phone.
bob2300nx said:
Maybe my nexus 6 was just that good but it feels like the v20's earpiece speaker isnt very clear or loud....I can live with lower quality but the sound level is kind of low (hard to hear people in noisy places)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am finding the same too, this time i have the voice clarity option enabled, lets see if it makes a difference. I find it soft in a quiet room, no idea how this will work out on the street. Might be forced to get a headset in that case.
Which would be a pity becaue this phone is all about audio. My speakers are perfectly fine. Why does the earpiece have to be so quiet