Database Users

Summarization of complaints regarding the XOOM.

Why are people complaining that their Motorola Xoom isn't a phone? I get a real laugh out of the "I'm so pissed because I can't call someone from this device" threads. Texting is another laughable point? Really you aren't carrying a phone around with you at the same time as your Xoom that you can't pull it out for 3 seconds and fire off that txt? One guy wants to know why he can't use his Xoom as a GPS while he's FLYING.
Here is a short list of features that I *love* about the Xoom so far:
- Holy **** the screen is sexy. Playing around with some of these apps on a 10" widescreen is awesome.
- Battery Life - I am charing the thing overnight, picking it up in the morning at 100% and then typically ending the day at 70+% remaining. This is fantastic to me.
- Portability and ease of access - Using my acer netbook was a pain in the ass because I had to wait for windows to load, the desktop to show up... the workspace to be ready. This is instant on and ready.
- RDP works well - I can get into my books from anywhere, generate invoices and e-mail them to a customer right there on the spot. It's impressive and when you're a technology company it just looks good.
- Email support - The exchange support is awesome. The stock mail client could be a little stronger but I am very happy that it supports HTML as the android 2.2 / 2.3 mail client on my Nexus One does not/did not.
- Available storage space - Not having the SD slot isn't bothering me one bit. I would go as far as saying I may not ever even need it. Shipping the product with 32GB of internal storage was the way to go.
- App support - Out of the box, like 90% of my apps worked fine (granted I only use heavily maybe 5 out of the 40 that i have installed). The one or two apps that were missing at launch I've already gotten word from the developers that tablet ready versions or updates are on the way.
- Connectivity - Being a first time Verizon subscriber I am very impressed with the radio and/or 3G network behind it. When my AT&T phone has a **** signal or no signal at all, this Xoom tablet still picks up signal. That's cool to me and is a point that I would like to make separately about the need for the 3G version. Sure, I can tether through my AT&T phone but then I've got two points of failure to worry about.
My thoughts and comments regarding media consumption on this device:
- Music - I haven't had any issues at all. I use Windows Media Player 12 as a part of Windows 7 to manage my music library and it works wonderfully with the Xoom. I sync music to it just like any other generic MP3/music player. I susbcribe to the Zune Pass so actually obtaining music for me is a function I do on my PC, and then just transfer the music as I want or need it. To say that I must be able to download or purchase XYZ song on the road isn't necessary... isn't that what Pandora is for? Use Pandora to listen to what you want until you are in a position to purchase music, then do that. That's how I approach it.
- Videos/Movies - I'm not really a big "watch videos/movies on your portable" guy to begin with. That said, I do like to use youtube to show off certain things like video game trailers or movie trailers or something... but you tube isn't the issue on the Xoom and I don't think ever has been or ever will be. Some people have complained that the Xoom doesn't play the same H.264 videos that they can play on their Droid. To them I say that I'm sorry but your droid isn't running a Tegra 2 chipset. I do agree that the Tegra 2 should be able to handle a lot but I didn't design it.. shrug, what do I know. Seemingly however... the thing plays H.264 just fine if its encoded properly and it looks damn good. I ripped Kill Bill Volume 1 to H.264 with a 2k bitrate and it looked fantastic on the Xoom screen. I will admit that I'm not the best guy to take advice from in this area.
My thoughts / comments on whiners:
- Flash / SD Card Support - I really don't have anything to say about this. Flash 10.2 will be out soon enough and as far as the SD card is concerned I don't even need it. I only have a 4GB Class 6 micro SD card what's that going to do for me? It's laughable in size compared to whats in the unit.. I would only want to put a matching 32GB sd card in and that's gonna be another $100 minimum. Now your $799 device is an $899 device... where's the complaint for that?
- Can't make phone calls / TXT - Jesus christ, go buy a phone.

Nice review, particularly liked, "- Can't make phone calls / TXT - Jesus christ, go buy a phone."
Couldn't agree more!

Just ordered myself a Xoom and you've made me feel even better about my purchase. I'm a little worried about the video codecs thing but I'm sure Rockplayer or some such will sort that out. Thanks for a great review.

Thanks for the comments. If anyone has particular questions about the device or advice on how to best use the device for their situation fire away.

agreed up to one point
i agree man, def however
google voice must be used on this. not because of texting as a cellphone but because it does much more and can be so amazingly baked with all other google products.
that my friend, is inarguable.
please help that at least here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=978779

You'll have to expand on your thought process for me. What do you want to use google voice for? Will it help you avoid scratching your Xoom up so you don't have to return a second one?

cwizardtx said:
You'll have to expand on your thought process for me. What do you want to use google voice for? Will it help you avoid scratching your Xoom up so you don't have to return a second one?
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Google Voice gives you a platform independent texting and voicemail interface. It does help to have it handy.

Why shouldn't your android tablet and phone be linked in some way so that you could receive notifications on either device and respond to them exactly like how webos works? Who could act like this is a ridiculous request??
Also, don't get your hopes up with regards to media playback. Tegra 2 is awful in that regard and has been proven on here in a different thread to be incapable of 720p high profile, which all galaxy s phones can do flawlessly.
Also, asking got certain features or if something is possible is not complaining.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

my second one is much more protected now thanks for the sad comment.
anyways, i am baffled at how one wouldnt want this, clearly people havent FOUND the use of it, to which i understand.
the customizations on notifications; be it text or voicemail is amazing and so useful, having this on your tablet WILL be a big plus trust me.
controlling voice mail set ups for particular people, having transcribed vm being able to foward that/ download that, controll recorded phone conversations, archiving, starring emails/texts

cwizardtx said:
- Can't make phone calls / TXT - Jesus christ, go buy a phone.
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Couldnt you use an app to hand those stuff over your 3g/4g services?

I don't necessarily expect the tablet to act as an independent texting device, but I would prefer to not have to pull my phone out of my pocket while I've got my Xoom in my hands already. I know I'll almost 99% of the time have my phone and tablet on me at the same time, but its more of a convenience thing.
The way that WebOS pulls your notifications to your tablet via bluetooth from your phone is perfect. I'm already tethering my Xoom for internet off my phone, why not just have text messages pop over too?

martonikaj said:
I don't necessarily expect the tablet to act as an independent texting device, but I would prefer to not have to pull my phone out of my pocket while I've got my Xoom in my hands already. I know I'll almost 99% of the time have my phone and tablet on me at the same time, but its more of a convenience thing.
The way that WebOS pulls your notifications to your tablet via bluetooth from your phone is perfect. I'm already tethering my Xoom for internet off my phone, why not just have text messages pop over too?
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The way Palm... or well, HP, made the WebOS phones and WebOS tablets work together is very impressive. Implementing that text idea would be perfect.

Eclair~ said:
The way Palm... or well, HP, made the WebOS phones and WebOS tablets work together is very impressive. Implementing that text idea would be perfect.
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I agree. And its something that iOS and Android aren't even close to implementing. I see no reason why Google couldn't figure this out. I'm assuming that it will come later, probably with 2.4 for phones which will apparently implement what Google learned about 3.0 back into phones.

Automatically archiving your incoming text messages to an email address linked to your Xoom would at least be a step in the right direction. Granted it's only 50% of the issue, but it's better than nothing. At least you know whether or not to check your phone with a glance at your inbox notification.

theahlenius said:
Automatically archiving your incoming text messages to an email address linked to your Xoom would at least be a step in the right direction. Granted it's only 50% of the issue, but it's better than nothing. At least you know whether or not to check your phone with a glance at your inbox notification.
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I use SMS Backup for this very reason and just put gmail label shortcuts on my tablet. If my phone is upstairs or in my bag, I can just check the email to see if I got any texts.
But it would be cool if I could automatically notify on my tablet.
Sent from my SPH-P100 using XDA Premium App

cwizardtx said:
Why are people complaining that their Motorola Xoom isn't a phone? I get a real laugh out of the "I'm so pissed because I can't call someone from this device" threads. Texting is another laughable point? Really you aren't carrying a phone around with you at the same time as your Xoom that you can't pull it out for 3 seconds and fire off that txt? One guy wants to know why he can't use his Xoom as a GPS while he's FLYING.
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I am so sick and tired of this pompous ass attitude. Maybe I keep my Xoom with me everywhere, maybe I use a bluetooth and never "pull out" my phone... MAYBE I dont want to pay to keep several devices active that do the exact same ****. What myself and many others have been after does not degrade the tablet devices that are out one bit, and in fact has been simply DISABLED on some devices.
Long story short, I do not appreciate you calling my desires for this device laughable, especially considering there are quite a few people with the same wants/needs.
/rant off

Morkai Almandragon said:
I am so sick and tired of this pompous ass attitude. Maybe I keep my Xoom with me everywhere, maybe I use a bluetooth and never "pull out" my phone... MAYBE I dont want to pay to keep several devices active that do the exact same ****. What myself and many others have been after does not degrade the tablet devices that are out one bit, and in fact has been simply DISABLED on some devices.
Long story short, I do not appreciate you calling my desires for this device laughable, especially considering there are quite a few people with the same wants/needs.
/rant off
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I agree. People that make an argument like this are no better than apple in telling them what limits their device has.
And the guy wasn't complaining about airplane GPS, he was just wondering about it. There's a lot of people that do recreational flying and only do daylight clear weather trips. A GPS is great to tell you where you are, its not like they'd be using it to get from point A to point B or landing on a runway in fog or flying a commercial airliner.
Just because someone wants something better (for them) doesn't mean its a complaint, its merely a wish. Ideas and hopes make these devices better and inspire devs to create things we all love.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

Give me some reasons why I should get a Xoom and trade my iPad 2

I want to hear from Xoom users some advantages on getting the Xoom. I currently have an iPad 2 and it's cool but there is no JB for it yet. I saw some articles on Google IO today and was amazed at the USB host support which would make it awesome for emulators.
What are some advantages you guys think would be? I currently own an Evo so I'm familiar with Android. I'm more interested in knowing the cool things you can do with it. I found someone in CL who is interested in trading his Xoom for my iPad 2. Thanks.

Reason #1, it gets you away from Kool-Aide drinking mac-bots who think everything has to be white.

Anyone else have a constructive response?

gqstatus0685 said:
I want to hear from Xoom users some advantages on getting the Xoom. I currently have an iPad 2 and it's cool but there is no JB for it yet. I saw some articles on Google IO today and was amazed at the USB host support which would make it awesome for emulators.
What are some advantages you guys think would be? I currently own an Evo so I'm familiar with the Evo. I'm more interested in knowing the cool things you can do with it. I found someone in CL who is interested in trading his Xoom for my iPad 2. Thanks.
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Those of us who show our loyalty to google will be rewarded with land and women once the takeover is complete.
Additionally, flash is neat, USB hosting, I'm fairly siked about google music. Greater customization. I'd wait to see how 3.1 runs but it looks very promising in the dev notes.

you are not bound to itunes, you can customize your UI, your notifications wont interrupt you, its positioned to be compatible with a ****load of other devices, hdmi ready, amazon and sony love android

gqstatus0685 said:
Anyone else have a constructive response?
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How is that not contructive? Apple confines you to their standards. Time to open up and do what the user wants to do....Coca-cola taste a ton better than Kool-Aide

Best advice I can give you is just read the reviews and see if you like it. Seriously read up.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

Upcoming ice cream sandwich!
Sent from my Evo using XDA Premium App

http://cameradojo.com/2011/04/20/my-take-on-android-tablets-vs-ipad/

dunno why you need convincing ... just check out the features and play with one at a best buy.

Is Google Body available for the Xoom? I'm interested in that. I'll still have my 1st gen iPad so I don't mind trading it in. Are their any cool things you can do with it like connecting bluetooth devices, etc?
One thing I hate about the iPad 2 is the camera. I took a picture of my daughter up close and it was so blurry I thought she was a UFO. I think it's rated at under 1MP.

MitchRapp said:
dunno why you need convincing ... just check out the features and play with one at a best buy.
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I played with one at Best Buy but it was molested beyond recognition. There was so much stuff scattered all over the screen I didn't have the patience to look through it. I wanted input from someone who owns it and has played with it for over a month.
Are the apps catching up? What I mean by this is are there a lot of tablet apps out yet or just phone apps.

gqstatus0685 said:
Is Google Body available for the Xoom? I'm interested in that. I'll still have my 1st gen iPad so I don't mind trading it in. Are their any cool things you can do with it like connecting bluetooth devices, etc?
One thing I hate about the iPad 2 is the camera. I took a picture of my daughter up close and it was so blurry I thought she was a UFO. I think it's rated at under 1MP.
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see, something you could have easily checked online Google Body is one of the "made for Honeycomb" apps. It was released along with the XOOM.

gqstatus0685 said:
I played with one at Best Buy but it was molested beyond recognition. There was so much stuff scattered all over the screen I didn't have the patience to look through it. I wanted input from someone who owns it and has played with it for over a month.
Are the apps catching up? What I mean by this is are there a lot of tablet apps out yet or just phone apps.
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Plenty of tablet apps and "tegra HD" apps available.
Also, pretty much every app I've tried that didn't specify Honeycomb support worked anyways. the "HD" games are spectacular (youtube "pinball HD honeycomb" ... it's 2.99 USD (2.84 CDN haha) and it rocks.

multitasking, much better webexperience than safari, flash support
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

Starting a thread like this is just to fan the flames of fanboyism. Don't come on this forum and try to stoke fires. Go try them out and make your own decisions.

I actually purchased the Ipad 2 and received it about 2 weeks ago. It took me less than a week to call Apple and request and return package. I then went into Best buy and purchased a Xoom.
Here are the reasons why:
- FLASH: I watch videos online all the time, and most of them are sites that use flash
- Being able to just download a mp3, an image, or even videos right from the browser and save it wherever I want to
- Being able to open the downloaded file with the app I want
- Being able to connect my Xoom to my PC at work and transfer whatever file I want
- Being able to customize my homescreen to my liking
- Notifications
- Widgets (I just hated that fact that I always had to go to the settings to activate bluetooth or wi-fi for example
- Now with Honeycomb 3.1 announced, I'm really not regretting buying the Xoom

h_zee13 said:
I actually purchased the Ipad 2 and received it about 2 weeks ago. It took me less than a week to call Apple and request and return package. I then went into Best buy and purchased a Xoom.
Here are the reasons why:
- FLASH: I watch videos online all the time, and most of them are sites that use flash
- Being able to just download a mp3, an image, or even videos right from the browser and save it wherever I want to
- Being able to open the downloaded file with the app I want
- Being able to connect my Xoom to my PC at work and transfer whatever file I want
- Being able to customize my homescreen to my liking
- Notifications
- Widgets (I just hated that fact that I always had to go to the settings to activate bluetooth or wi-fi for example
- Now with Honeycomb 3.1 announced, I'm really not regretting buying the Xoom
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Click to collapse
Thanks. I'm going to pull the trigger and do the trade. I still have an iPad 1st gen so I can fall back on the apps I love like Netflix. Hopefully they hack other OS's on the Xoom like Linux. Thanks for all the positive responses from the few of you who weren't just looking to increase your post count.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

In short, it's not quite a slick as the iPad 2 and there are nowhere near enough tablet specific apps, but imo the browser is better, it's more customizable, google maps is far better as is the multi-tasking. But you should know that HD videos will require re-encoding due to the Tegra2 chip and it's limitations.

I think the biggest reason you have already mentioned in your post.
Jail-break.
iPad2 is a Jail. It needs to be broken.
I used to be an iPhone user (3GS and 4G).
I am sick of being told you should do things this way and if you don't , you are screwed.
Xoom and all other android device brings me "freedom" in what I OWN.
Specifically in terms of functions
0. Flash
1. You get much better camera (5mp back, 2mp front facing)
2. You have the rights to root it, install customized roms/themes
3. You can install third party apps freely.
4. You can flash kernels to overclock your CPU to 1.5Ghz while iPad 2 is stuck at 1G max
5. You have strong Dev community to create stuff. as long as there is a need. Apparently it requires certain level of computer proficiency but from what you mentioned, you definitely have it.
6. You have google rolling out more and more exciting updates and with an open source concept, the market share of Android will bypass iOS by much and developer community will definitely notice this part of the market and create apps (commercial apps) around it.
7. many apps you know what is going on because you can see source code.
8. To someone who may worry that iPad apps are more than Honeycomb apps, I think at the current rate of brining new apps to platform, it wont be a problem a few months later at all.
9. Oh, you can install and dual boot Ubuntu in it.

A Rant: Anroid, Get your Shiz Together!

This is what I type at 3 in the morning. Please read for a minute, I'll keep it short and get to the point. I feel NS owners should see this since they seem the most enthusiastic.
This is generally for Android as a whole, targeting Google. Wow, so it's been how many years since Android first came out? And what is the only other competitor in the market - oh right, iOS. iOS has been destroying the market with only one phone which rarely has any lag/bug/glitch issues, namely the 4S or the new 5 (minus the Maps).
The only reason Android has a large market share is due to the large number of phones at reasonable prices. That is all. There are only two competitors in this oligarchy, and one still can't do it right. Google engineers are apparently among the highest paid, yet they decide to constantly release updates which constantly has bugs. It is a pity, to look at many of you Android enthusiasts that are giving a lot of attention to Android development and are contributing to this world, when Google themselves is not treating you right, thus I feel that you are the reason that the brand is remaining strong. You guys have the capacity to overlook its bugs/lags and see what Android is there truly for. On the other hand, I doubt iOS users actually care about that topic since it is rarely seen.
Next, the phones. So we have like a thousand phones running Android from like 20 different manufacturers. What the..? Alright, phones that are aimed for a low budget do not count, but the Nexus devices that Google works on - they should be at least revolutionary. Google has to partner up with different manufacturers each time when creating the next Nexus? Talk about inconsistency, and inviting a lack of hardware acceleration with its software. Google can even build their own phones if they have to, but just get it right! I mean their latest phone, the Galaxy Nexus, is still not a stable phone (although I thought it would be). Samsung is actually holding it down and implementing their own stuff to create a good user experience (thus the success of the Galaxy line). Other than that, ALL other manufacturers are literally wasting money (but producing profits) by adopting Android and Google themselves are getting much more love than they should be getting.
Creating new updates and naming them after the alphabet and weird food names is quite cheesy. That's not the issue though, it creates hype by many users - the anxiety of waiting for the next update that will 'fix all problems' - but what happens? Promises are broken, and the software is bad once again. Like the JB update - turns out it's bad and many/most users tend to agree. So much for project butter haha. It's simply not worth it, not worth stressing or wasting time on it. I realize I am doing that by typing this post, but it needed to be done. People who are making money off of it - you're fine actually.
The message I am trying to get across is that Google's android software is not worth it, we all know it's bad, and Google seriously needs to get it right before everyone hops on the iBoat. There are actually multiple little things that I tried to get across in the post. That is all.

Cool story. Feel free to jump on the iOS wagon. I, for one, really like android.

I'm with android for the customization and freedom. I came from Windows Mobile where you could change anything you wanted and fell in love with flashing custom ROMS and even had a duel boot of WM6 and android 1.0 when I first came out (hated it back then, by the way.)
I bought an iPhone 3g when they came out and sold it by the next day. As you said, it was "flawless" as far as the operation of the OS, but when the OS imposes so much control over user input what do you expect? The iPhone tells you what you're allowed to do, it's not the user that defines what the phone can do.
After dropping my Tilt 2 flat on its face and tearing the ribbon for the screen, I hit the market for a new phone. Windows Mobile was still in the hundreds, but android was a cheaper alternative. I got a Samsung Moment and never looked back.
Maybe coming from Windows Mobile to android is why I don't have as many bug complaints. WM was mostly ALL bugs and glitches. That's not why I had the phone though - I had it for the features. Namely the ability to tether, which took android AND apple several releases to incorporate into their builds, but which was plug-n-play on every WM device I owned YEARS before. I also really enjoyed Windows Voice Command, better recognized as the Sync system in Ford vehicles. I could wear my bluetooth headset and make calls, open programs, listen to music and change songs all without having to touch the phone. Once again, it took apple and Google several editions to add useful voice commands to their systems.
I still miss remote desktop. I stopped having to store music and movies on my device because I could open a program and directly access every file on my home computer and stream anything to my phone screen.
So ultimately I'm with android for the freedom. The openness. The fact that they ALLOW outside developers to exist at all! It's the creativity found in the android community that has kept me, not the hope for a "fix all" update. Personally, the only problem I've ever had with my Android phones is the actual phone app itself. Delayed ringing and sometimes the inability to answer to even slide and answer the call due to screen freezing.
That's MY rant at 5 am lol
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda app-developers app

I'll have a Lamborghini Gallardo, Olivia Wilde and a cherry Coke, while we're at it (dreaming).

When you buy a new phone it should be completely yours not locked down by the manufacturer. If I want to brick I want to be able to do it.
If you really don't like it there a lot of rotten apple phones out there for you to buy.

anyway, I was on stock JB for a while, I haven't encountered all this **** your talking about. It could be faster, nicer, with more options but it is working quite well
Envoyé depuis mon Nexus S avec Tapatalk

Go get lost. Steve Job is waiting there to pay you for this iPhone advertisements in an android thread. You are required there not here. Lol....
Sent from my Nexus S

madd0g said:
I'll have a Lamborghini Gallardo, Olivia Wilde and a cherry Coke, while we're at it (dreaming).
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Scratch that lambo make it an Aston Martin Vantage V12. Regarding the other two: Plenty of cherry coke around, but we're gonna have a problem with Olivia: I won't share, no crossing swords!

I love when people try to tell me how I should feel about the products I enjoy.

Logomotph said:
Cool story. Feel free to jump on the iOS wagon. I, for one, really like android.
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I know right?
madd0g said:
I'll have a Lamborghini Gallardo, Olivia Wilde and a cherry Coke, while we're at it (dreaming).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I get that with no cholesterol burger and fries?
p.pavljasevic said:
When you buy a new phone it should be completely yours not locked down by the manufacturer. If I want to brick I want to be able to do it.
If you really don't like it there a lot of rotten apple phones out there for you to buy.
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Click to collapse
I've said this before. I hate when companies wanna slap their branding all over my 4 to 600 dollar smartphone and load it up with their crap I am never gonna use.
styckx said:
I love when people try to tell me how I should feel about the products I enjoy.
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My best friend is a iPhone fanboy. I have to show him once a month why my Nexus S 4G is better then his iPhone 4s.

to each his own, i don't mind jb's quirkyness, it's also a matter of finding just the right rom/kernel combo... can't speak for stock JB.
aokp JB 4 + marmite 4.8.7 is doing quite nice, steady & haven't had weird reboots yet

I will admit that the Nexus S has a hard time with stock Jelly Bean. It pushes the NS basically to its limits in terms of hardware capability. That said, as a daily driver, it's still very, very usable. If you want to see Jelly Bean run like a f**king champ, run it on a Galaxy Nexus or Nexus 7. It's pretty amazing.

Okay I'm not favouring iOS or anything and no I'm not jumping on their wagon, and I am also not hating on Android's customization/community. I've had my Nexus S for almost 1.5 years now and I still believe it's not outdated (great camera, front-facing camera, good screen, good touch sensor)
I appreciate that Android lets its customers customize the phones more than Apple. But what about the 'majority' who don't root or install 3rd party keyboards, etc. and like to run stock? I for one am running stock and native since I believe it should give the best performance as it is made by the manufacturer. But I'm not getting that! There are the red flags going off.
Additionally, when I was referring to iOS, I mean to say mainly iPhone 4 and up. The iPhone 3 was quite bad (although still better than android at that point in time). But with iOS 5/6, sure it takes away user customization, but the majority does not anyway - they just use their phone for their intended purposes and yet experience difficulties? That's a no no. However, ONE thing I do enjoy is widgets over having iOS.

Plenty of people dont run stock as per your definition. Plenty of people use or at least tried different keyboards / launchers / messaging apps etc
Root is not required and installing those apps is no different then installing any other app like Pandora. They are also often editors choice and top selling / top free apps in the play store. People know about them and use them. You don't need a to be a hardcore user to know about and use them.
People actually do change up there apps all the time and on all platforms. Its like saying people with a iPhone shouldn't use instagram because the phone comes with a camera application out the box.
Bottom line is if the user has a option to try different apps they will. Especially if its easy for the average user to install like a normal app. Imagine for a second if winterboard was freely available in the app store and functioned the same way it does on a jail broken device. I'd bet within 24 hrs it would become the most popular app in the app store. Your argument just seems silly to me. People will and do change things are freely and easily changed

albundy2010 said:
Plenty of people dont run stock as per your definition. Plenty of people use or at least tried different keyboards / launchers / messaging apps etc
Root is not required and installing those apps is no different then installing any other app like Pandora. They are also often editors choice and top selling / top free apps in the play store. People know about them and use them. You don't need a to be a hardcore user to know about and use them.
People actually do change up there apps all the time and on all platforms. Its like saying people with a iPhone shouldn't use instagram because the phone comes with a camera application out the box.
Bottom line is if the user has a option to try different apps they will. Especially if its easy for the average user to install like a normal app. Imagine for a second if winterboard was freely available in the app store and functioned the same way it does on a jail broken device. I'd bet within 24 hrs it would become the most popular app in the app store. Your argument just seems silly to me. People will and do change things are freely and easily changed
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Wonderfully said.

Another tiny bit to add on to my previous point.
The focal point of apples marketing strategy used to be " there is a app for that". Of course this is after they decided to even include a store. Who can forget the air traffic controller getting the weather from his iPhone?
But this doesn't seem to apply to things apple thinks its users shouldn't change.

What are you going to use your nexus to do as you write it has a hard time using jelly bean? - I my self have not got complications - I think I have used jelly bean nearly from when it was free - and I for my part - find it fast and free from lack - it play film - I read a lot news on it - it is very nice to read ebooks - see tv - you name it - ok - I do not use it for play - as all play for me are more or less the same - but ells I injoy jelly bean on my nexus s
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app

albundy2010 said:
Plenty of people dont run stock as per your definition. Plenty of people use or at least tried different keyboards / launchers / messaging apps etc
Root is not required and installing those apps is no different then installing any other app like Pandora. They are also often editors choice and top selling / top free apps in the play store. People know about them and use them. You don't need a to be a hardcore user to know about and use them.
People actually do change up there apps all the time and on all platforms. Its like saying people with a iPhone shouldn't use instagram because the phone comes with a camera application out the box.
Bottom line is if the user has a option to try different apps they will. Especially if its easy for the average user to install like a normal app. Imagine for a second if winterboard was freely available in the app store and functioned the same way it does on a jail broken device. I'd bet within 24 hrs it would become the most popular app in the app store. Your argument just seems silly to me. People will and do change things are freely and easily changed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand, you're going off on apps when I am not talking about customization. I am just talking about the performance of the phone and the bugs it has. Let me be specific - as I unlock my phone, i swipe through home screens = lag. I open my camera, it takes a while at times = lag. I scroll through a list, and it lags on me. Even though it is minuscule Google needs to clean it up, since I never see it on an iOS device which is a fair comparison as it is the leading competitor.
I am not talking about apps or anything, I think we and everyone has already established that it has more customization. I know most users have 'tried' some customizable app that is not available to iOS but that is no excuse for the actual performance bugs it has. I don't play games (like rarely maybe) on the phone and don't have a huge load of apps installed either. Things just aren't nifty..and it is taking them years to get it right but they'd rather focus on other feature additions which also work poorly.

You are the one who brought up that entire what about the majority of the people out there that don't run third party keyboards etc.
You brought it up. I said it was rubbish.
Android has always been laggy compared to iOS. Apple did a good job with that from the beginning.
The majority of your op is simply not worthy of responding to. Actually I re read it just now and I consider it all entirely flame bait/ trolling. You joined the forum 3 days prior to that as well. Not bothering with that type of silly debate/flaming.
Your 2nd post in the thread actually had something I felt was worth giving a legit response to.

It can be due to Google not paying enough attention to this device, however, I urge you to try new phones like the Nexus and this upcoming LG Nexus. For me, Jelly Bean have been smooth all the way through. Lag is inevitable on this device due to its old single core cpu.
We are atleast fortunate to retain nearly all the features from the latest Android version, Apple withheld features from old phones on purpose so you have to buy their newest and most expensive device.

change from iphone 4s to Nexus 4?

hi guys i'm a new member to this community and i'm ready to change from apple and IOS to android which i have never use..
i have find to sell my iphone and with that money to buy the nexus 4. During the last 3 weeks i have read and view many reviews about the nexus 4 and i believe it's a great phone !
what do you think will be the difficulties that i will face during this transition between the two different softwares??
is finally the nexus 4 a better phone than the iphone 4s?
thanks in advance for your answers!!

If your a techie, you shouldn't have any problems and you should be able to guide yourself through Android. Everything you need is in the Notification Drawer! You might have a hard time adjusting to no physical home button, but you'll get used to it. Music is just drag and drop, or it would be worth it to download Google Play Music on your computer and sync your music in the cloud. Just explore the phone the day you get it. I personally like the overall look and feel of Android more than iOS. Welcome to the best Android experience out there, a Nexus 4!!!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

Gorjira said:
If your a techie, you shouldn't have any problems and you should be able to guide yourself through Android. Everything you need is in the Notification Drawer! You might have a hard time adjusting to no physical home button, but you'll get used to it. Music is just drag and drop, or it would be worth it to download Google Play Music on your computer and sync your music in the cloud. Just explore the phone the day you get it. I personally like the overall look and feel of Android more than iOS. Welcome to the best Android experience out there, a Nexus 4!!!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your answer!!!

Like most iPhone users, you're going to spend weeks posting threads asking how to exactly replicate iPhone functionality before realizing that the Android experience is different and you just need to learn new ways of working.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

stefanos7 said:
hi guys i'm a new member to this community and i'm ready to change from apple and IOS to android which i have never use..
i have find to sell my iphone and with that money to buy the nexus 4. During the last 3 weeks i have read and view many reviews about the nexus 4 and i believe it's a great phone !
what do you think will be the difficulties that i will face during this transition between the two different softwares??
is finally the nexus 4 a better phone than the iphone 4s?
thanks in advance for your answers!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any phone is better than an iPhone.
Just kidding, but seriously. don't get me wrong, iPhones are good phones, they really are. People get them cause they like them, I get androids because I like them. Spec wise, Nexus 4 blows iPhones away. IMO, Nexus 4's are way better than any of the iPhones out right now. I talked to my friends who went from iPhones to Androids, and they said the only difficulty they had was getting used to how the OS is. iPhones are simple, and straight forward. Theres not much you can change about an iPhone unless you jailbreak it. Androids are customizable right out of the box.Only problem you MIGHT face is getting used to android.

@mrjoeltan: I agree with you, just want to add: I feel that android, starting jelly bean, doesn't require any customization. Let me explain.
For the longest time, people compared android to iOS this way: iOS you can't customize, but it works pretty amazingly right out of the box. Android, on the other hand, can be customized to incredible levels; however, right out of the box it is not a great experience. And up till jelly bean, I agreed with this claim.
What I think changed in the last half year is that now android (jelly bean, so Nexus 4 for sure) is as amazing out of the box as iOS, with the added ability to customize the sh*t out of it if you want to.
To not be completely off topic:
There will be very few things you need to "learn" during transition. I think the largest one is the way system handles settings of notifications and alerts: b/c iOS uses only its own push notifications, all sound settings for all apps are done in the "settings" app. Android is a bit different- the apps keep a service running in background for themselves, and so you have to edit sound/alert settings in the apps themselves. The reward for this is that apps can have more advanced notifications with popup menus, repeated alerts etc. They will all appear in your notification drawer, but they can do more.
Music is simple drag-and-drop.
Other difference is handling of files. PDFs will first download, only then you can click on them to view them. They will be stored in the "Download" folder, accessible either via the "Downloads" app or via file manager of your choice (I recommend installing one).
If you have more apps that allow opening some file (ie, you have Adobe Reader and the built-in quickoffice viewer), when you click on a PDF (or some other supported file, even link), you will have a window allowing you to choose what program should open the given file. (don't worry, you can set defaults and not worry about it again)
I suggest you set all google maps links to default to the google maps app, not the browser. Similarly, set all youtube links to go to the youtube app, not the browser.
Hope I helped!

matus201 said:
@mrjoeltan: I agree with you, just want to add: I feel that android, starting jelly bean, doesn't require any customization. Let me explain.
For the longest time, people compared android to iOS this way: iOS you can't customize, but it works pretty amazingly right out of the box. Android, on the other hand, can be customized to incredible levels; however, right out of the box it is not a great experience. And up till jelly bean, I agreed with this claim.
What I think changed in the last half year is that now android (jelly bean, so Nexus 4 for sure) is as amazing out of the box as iOS, with the added ability to customize the sh*t out of it if you want to.
To not be completely off topic:
There will be very few things you need to "learn" during transition. I think the largest one is the way system handles settings of notifications and alerts: b/c iOS uses only its own push notifications, all sound settings for all apps are done in the "settings" app. Android is a bit different- the apps keep a service running in background for themselves, and so you have to edit sound/alert settings in the apps themselves. The reward for this is that apps can have more advanced notifications with popup menus, repeated alerts etc. They will all appear in your notification drawer, but they can do more.
Music is simple drag-and-drop.
Other difference is handling of files. PDFs will first download, only then you can click on them to view them. They will be stored in the "Download" folder, accessible either via the "Downloads" app or via file manager of your choice (I recommend installing one).
If you have more apps that allow opening some file (ie, you have Adobe Reader and the built-in quickoffice viewer), when you click on a PDF (or some other supported file, even link), you will have a window allowing you to choose what program should open the given file. (don't worry, you can set defaults and not worry about it again)
I suggest you set all google maps links to default to the google maps app, not the browser. Similarly, set all youtube links to go to the youtube app, not the browser.
Hope I helped!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you all for your help!!
I have just ordered the 16 gb with the official bumper!!
i will return with my first impressions as soon as I have it in my hands!

Welcome to the world of Android. You will really enjoy the Nexus 4. The phone is smooth as butter and the customization is fantastic. I actually replaced the standard launcher with Nova Prime launcher as it offers even more customization than the standard launcher.

if you have your iphone jailbroken, it will be easier to port to Android, have fun..

Definitely get back and let us know if you have any questions - I just held my boyfriend's hand through his iPhone to Nexus 4 transition (I give great Valentines presents!), so I'm sure some of your questions will either pop up for him or already have.

calanizzle said:
if you have your iphone jailbroken, it will be easier to port to Android, have fun..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have jailbroken it in the past once but now my iphone is without
qocarekeri said:
Definitely get back and let us know if you have any questions - I just held my boyfriend's hand through his iPhone to Nexus 4 transition (I give great Valentines presents!), so I'm sure some of your questions will either pop up for him or already have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you (great gift!!)
I'm sure about that
how does your boyfriend finally feel with your gift??
does he miss the iphone?

You wont regret buying and android device like the nexus 4.
IMO android is much more flexible customisable and powerful than iOS. The iOS is soo God darn easy to use because there isn't much to do in it. It has a homescreen and... Well that's pretty much it!
But android 4.0+ combines ease of use and great functionality. Once you switch to android and start using all of its features, you'll never go back.
Oh and BTW, I think the Nexus 4 looks damn sexy, looks better than an iPhone.

stefanos7 said:
I have jailbroken it in the past once but now my iphone is without
thank you (great gift!!)
I'm sure about that
how does your boyfriend finally feel with your gift??
does he miss the iphone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was an adjustment period for him - how do I get X, where can I find apps, where is X setting.
He was a little pouty at the beginning of the process, but after a month or so, he's up and running and very happy. The main thing that he missed was a collection settings that covered all apps.
-Keri

qocarekeri said:
There was an adjustment period for him - how do I get X, where can I find apps, where is X setting.
He was a little pouty at the beginning of the process, but after a month or so, he's up and running and very happy. The main thing that he missed was a collection settings that covered all apps.
-Keri
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I can see how that could be a problem. However I went the other way (Android to an iPad) and was greatly dissatisfied with the super easy and noob setting of iOS.
On topic, I would suggest OP to use the phone for a couple months, before venturing into any customization options (rooting, kernels, ROMs, launchers etc). Getting used to Android could take you a while but once you get used to it your production will be greatly improved.

wngmv said:
On topic, I would suggest OP to use the phone for a couple months, before venturing into any customization options (rooting, kernels, ROMs, launchers etc). Getting used to Android could take you a while but once you get used to it your production will be greatly improved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And when you decide to do so, follow the link in my signature. Do not use a toolkit!
Good luck with it all, you'll love it! Let us know if you need any help. :thumbup:

wngmv said:
Yeah I can see how that could be a problem. However I went the other way (Android to an iPad) and was greatly dissatisfied with the super easy and noob setting of iOS.
On topic, I would suggest OP to use the phone for a couple months, before venturing into any customization options (rooting, kernels, ROMs, launchers etc). Getting used to Android could take you a while but once you get used to it your production will be greatly improved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I used an iPad recently and I actually found it very counter-intuitive having all of the individual app settings under the general settings app. I wanted to sign out of the email app for example but I genuinely could not find a way to do it from within the app itself, and ended up having to go to settings then manage accounts or something similar. In Android I just hit menu in any app I'm using and I can be certain that there will be some sort of settings or options button, which to me seems much more logical since if I want to change an app setting the likelihood is that I'm using that app already. Obviously the opposite will apply for users moving from iOS to Android, but I think I'm just so used to Android now that iOS simply doesn't work for me.

Vangelis13 said:
And when you decide to do so, follow the link in my signature. Do not use a toolkit!
Good luck with it all, you'll love it! Let us know if you need any help. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok thanks a lot for your help i will follow your advice !!
however you could find a better avatar!! the red one!!!heheh
na sai kala!!

software update...

Hi all.. Just throwing out there my AT&T S7 edge is downloading an update at this very moment. 11:30 pm Friday night. Not sure what all it is but I'll post an update tomorrow! Hopefully they're fixing the wonky distortion on videos and fixing my problem of landscape vids not playing back in landscape! We shall see!

I just updated mine early this morning and frankly I can't tell what changed.
Sent from my S7 Edge

From what I read in another post it was just a security patch.
Sent from my S7 Edge

android_ace said:
From what I read in another post it was just a security patch.
Sent from my S7 Edge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I have been reading too. Didn't fix any of the number of issues I am having, so it seems to have been the case.

Symphony0fLife said:
That's what I have been reading too. Didn't fix any of the number of issues I am having, so it seems to have been the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What problems are you having?
Sent from my S7 Edge

android_ace said:
What problems are you having?
Sent from my S7 Edge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tons of issues sending quality multimedia messages. I guess I'm just too used to how it worked in iOS. Sent whatever I wanted with minimal if any quality issues (only when it was an absolutely MASSIVE video). Everything on this phone gets so compressed it's not even worth sharing. Even just simple photos. Kind of a let down with the awesome camera. Slightly less important (now that I figured out a formula with package disabling and all) was how much work is involved in getting proper battery life. Having figured out that dance though it's not really a problem anymore. It's pretty silly that it was necessary at all but I can live with it.

Symphony0fLife said:
Tons of issues sending quality multimedia messages. I guess I'm just too used to how it worked in iOS. Sent whatever I wanted with minimal if any quality issues (only when it was an absolutely MASSIVE video). Everything on this phone gets so compressed it's not even worth sharing. Even just simple photos. Kind of a let down with the awesome camera. Slightly less important (now that I figured out a formula with package disabling and all) was how much work is involved in getting proper battery life. Having figured out that dance though it's not really a problem anymore. It's pretty silly that it was necessary at all but I can live with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The MMS quality drop is probably my biggest complaint with Android. There is no "imessage" type messaging app that will not compress the images/videos and make them look borderline unwatchable on the receiver's end. I'm hoping the upcoming Google Allo messaging may be the answer, but as of now if I want my pics on vids to retain quality, I have to send them via FB messenger.

cadorette said:
The MMS quality drop is probably my biggest complaint with Android. There is no "imessage" type messaging app that will not compress the images/videos and make them look borderline unwatchable on the receiver's end. I'm hoping the upcoming Google Allo messaging may be the answer, but as of now if I want my pics on vids to retain quality, I have to send them via FB messenger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine too. The camera drew me to the phone. I used my sister's S7 Edge one day while playing with my niece at the park while my iPhone was charging. I immediately wanted to get one. Got one and love it... Except that all the things I do with this brilliant camera can't really be shared unless I convince my friends, family and coworkers to join Facebook, Whatsapp, Telegram, or ask them to visit a file hosting site. The camera made me want it but if I'd tried to send myself an MMS of the photos and videos I took that day the desire would have immediately passed. It's more than a bit silly. Photos are not too bad, they don't get compressed so bad that they are unviewable on another phone... But videos, frankly it's ****ing ridiculous. There's really no excuse at all for it. Maybe on cellular data but if on wifi, no excuse at all. I hope that Allo helps as well.
If not and if no solution comes around within a year or so this will have to be my first and last Android device. I can deal with the manufacturer and carriers having no clue how to optimize a device and making the end user have to do a massive dance to get through a day on a single charge. It's not like we have to set the phone up every single day so that's not such a big deal. Even the bloatware and duplicate apps are not so bad because you can force them to go away. But the MMS thing is really, really difficult to live with.

Symphony0fLife said:
Mine too. The camera drew me to the phone. I used my sister's S7 Edge one day while playing with my niece at the park while my iPhone was charging. I immediately wanted to get one. Got one and love it... Except that all the things I do with this brilliant camera can't really be shared unless I convince my friends, family and coworkers to join Facebook, Whatsapp, Telegram, or ask them to visit a file hosting site. The camera made me want it but if I'd tried to send myself an MMS of the photos and videos I took that day the desire would have immediately passed. It's more than a bit silly. Photos are not too bad, they don't get compressed so bad that they are unviewable on another phone... But videos, frankly it's ****ing ridiculous. There's really no excuse at all for it. Maybe on cellular data but if on wifi, no excuse at all. I hope that Allo helps as well.
If not and if no solution comes around within a year or so this will have to be my first and last Android device. I can deal with the manufacturer and carriers having no clue how to optimize a device and making the end user have to do a massive dance to get through a day on a single charge. It's not like we have to set the phone up every single day so that's not such a big deal. Even the bloatware and duplicate apps are not so bad because you can force them to go away. But the MMS thing is really, really difficult to live with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah couldn't have said it better myself. Having owned and used every Android flagship since the first Galaxy S, all the HTC and Nexus and LG and Notes and everything in between, you would think it'd be an easy issue to resolve. I understand carrier bandwidth restrictions and all, but its this same issue that keeps me jumping back to an Apple device over and over. Sucks cause I'm in love with this camera.

cadorette said:
Yeah couldn't have said it better myself. Having owned and used every Android flagship since the first Galaxy S, all the HTC and Nexus and LG and Notes and everything in between, you would think it'd be an easy issue to resolve. I understand carrier bandwidth restrictions and all, but its this same issue that keeps me jumping back to an Apple device over and over. Sucks cause I'm in love with this camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that they have bandwidth restrictions too but it seems to be a problem that could have been resolved by now. I had no issues sending MMS messages with my iPhone, and haven't had since the very early versions. Even sending them to my friends or family who use Android, it was a pretty painless affair and the quality was fine (not as good between iOS and Android as it was iOS to iOS, but it was fine). If Apple can do it (still on AT&T) then why can't Samsung sort it out? Perhaps make it necessary with cellular data, but as far as wifi goes... It shouldn't be a problem. Could even present a warning on the recipient's end that the file will require wifi to download if need be. iOS can do it natively, third party apps for both iOS and Android can do it. While it's above my head, I can't imagine it's above theirs. Just seems lazy. Which is a shame really. This device is orders of magnitude more powerful than my 6s Plus. It's got a better camera, a beefier battery, better specs, a snappier operating system, feels better in hand, higher standard of manufacturing... It's a shame for something so basic to keep it under.
Interesting post though, I hadn't researched all the other manufacturers. I had no idea that this was a common issue across Android devices. I was thinking it was just Samsung.

Symphony0fLife said:
I understand that they have bandwidth restrictions too but it seems to be a problem that could have been resolved by now. I had no issues sending MMS messages with my iPhone, and haven't had since the very early versions. Even sending them to my friends or family who use Android, it was a pretty painless affair and the quality was fine (not as good between iOS and Android as it was iOS to iOS, but it was fine). If Apple can do it (still on AT&T) then why can't Samsung sort it out? Perhaps make it necessary with cellular data, but as far as wifi goes... It shouldn't be a problem. Could even present a warning on the recipient's end that the file will require wifi to download if need be. iOS can do it natively, third party apps for both iOS and Android can do it. While it's above my head, I can't imagine it's above theirs. Just seems lazy. Which is a shame really. This device is orders of magnitude more powerful than my 6s Plus. It's got a better camera, a beefier battery, better specs, a snappier operating system, feels better in hand, higher standard of manufacturing... It's a shame for something so basic to keep it under.
Interesting post though, I hadn't researched all the other manufacturers. I had no idea that this was a common issue across Android devices. I was thinking it was just Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. It's Android in general. Even Android to Android, unless you're both using something like whatsapp or something. I have to tell family and friends whenever I swap from iOS to Android again to send videos to my FB messenger so they won't be all distorted. And yes seems like a simple fix and its hard for me to believe there hasn't been more outcry about it and something done about it. I agree with everything you said above, as in, make them wait for WiFi to download the message if need be. That would even be acceptable

It could be just like the whole bloatware thing. Apple has the power to refuse bloat from the cell companies. Android phone manufacturers don't seem to have that power. I think the carriers are most likely at fault.
Sent from my VK815 using XDA-Developers mobile app

MMS by-definition uses cellular data. If you need to prove this to yourself you can turn off all data connections (wifi and mobile data - 3g/4g/edge/lte) and try to send an SMS and an MMS. The SMS can go through still, the MMS can not.
But, the MMS protocols define a number of points where content may be transformed from the original.
The short version is that content goes from source handset to a server (MMMC), and from that server potentially hopped to other servers, until it finally goes from the delivery server to the target handset. To my light reading it's possible that the content is transformed at any/all of these stages. How to avoid needless quality reduction is a question of how to originally encode the content and how the servers are configured to react to specific messaging user agents.
I would not at all be surprised that Apple has gone to aggressive lengths to ensure that the various MMMC are configure to integrate nicely with Apple iOS MMS client. Similarly, I would hope that Google has the base messaging software similarly tuned, but would not be surprised that they haven't. I would be significantly impressed if ANY 3rd party Android MMS client had worked with the telcos to ensure strong media compatibility. That seems like a ton of work that just isn't going to happen outside of a large corporate structure. Telcos, at least US ones, don't seem to like to Play Nice in that way, for no profit. This is all personal speculation of course.

Skizzy034 said:
It could be just like the whole bloatware thing. Apple has the power to refuse bloat from the cell companies. Android phone manufacturers don't seem to have that power. I think the carriers are most likely at fault.
Sent from my VK815 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, but also on bloatware, sadly the detrimental stuff is put on by Samsung themselves. That's another problem, but again since it's so easy to get rid of it's tolerable.
---------- Post added at 01:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
C0derbear said:
MMS by-definition uses cellular data. If you need to prove this to yourself you can turn off all data connections (wifi and mobile data - 3g/4g/edge/lte) and try to send an SMS and an MMS. The SMS can go through still, the MMS can not.
But, the MMS protocols define a number of points where content may be transformed from the original.
The short version is that content goes from source handset to a server (MMMC), and from that server potentially hopped to other servers, until it finally goes from the delivery server to the target handset. To my light reading it's possible that the content is transformed at any/all of these stages. How to avoid needless quality reduction is a question of how to originally encode the content and how the servers are configured to react to specific messaging user agents.
I would not at all be surprised that Apple has gone to aggressive lengths to ensure that the various MMMC are configure to integrate nicely with Apple iOS MMS client. Similarly, I would hope that Google has the base messaging software similarly tuned, but would not be surprised that they haven't. I would be significantly impressed if ANY 3rd party Android MMS client had worked with the telcos to ensure strong media compatibility. That seems like a ton of work that just isn't going to happen outside of a large corporate structure. Telcos, at least US ones, don't seem to like to Play Nice in that way, for no profit. This is all personal speculation of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good information! Thanks for providing it. It was just a shock. Somehow when sending from iOS it just doesn't lose the quality like that. It'll still look brilliant even if played on a 1080 TV. I realize Apple (for some reason) has far more clout with companies and are in a position to demand whatever they like really for any reason or no reason at all... but I wish the same was true of Android devices/manufacturers/Google. I'll have to research it all because I'm very curious how it works. I mean granted you can still email stuff (unless it goes over 25MB apparently), you can still use third party apps or hosting services - it just seems a little unnecessary.
At the end of the day, it's a great phone and I love it. I'll get used to all that stuff I'm sure.

C0derbear said:
MMS by-definition uses cellular data. If you need to prove this to yourself you can turn off all data connections (wifi and mobile data - 3g/4g/edge/lte) and try to send an SMS and an MMS. The SMS can go through still, the MMS can not.
But, the MMS protocols define a number of points where content may be transformed from the original.
The short version is that content goes from source handset to a server (MMMC), and from that server potentially hopped to other servers, until it finally goes from the delivery server to the target handset. To my light reading it's possible that the content is transformed at any/all of these stages. How to avoid needless quality reduction is a question of how to originally encode the content and how the servers are configured to react to specific messaging user agents.
I would not at all be surprised that Apple has gone to aggressive lengths to ensure that the various MMMC are configure to integrate nicely with Apple iOS MMS client. Similarly, I would hope that Google has the base messaging software similarly tuned, but would not be surprised that they haven't. I would be significantly impressed if ANY 3rd party Android MMS client had worked with the telcos to ensure strong media compatibility. That seems like a ton of work that just isn't going to happen outside of a large corporate structure. Telcos, at least US ones, don't seem to like to Play Nice in that way, for no profit. This is all personal speculation of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iOS sends just as poor quality photos and videos as Android over MMS. The only reason sending photos and videos from iPhone to iPhone looks good is because it doesn't use MMS at all, but iMessage. To test this for yourself, disable iMessage on an iPhone and send a video. You'll barely be able to make it out. It will look just like videos sent over MMS from Android. The problem is not with Android, but with MMS itself. It's old technology and it doesn't matter which operating system you use, it's going to suck. There is an updated MMS standard that would allow for high quality photos and videos to be sent, but I don't think any carriers have implemented it yet. It's up to them.

gtg465x said:
iOS sends just as poor quality photos and videos as Android over MMS. The only reason sending photos and videos from iPhone to iPhone looks good is because it doesn't use MMS at all, but iMessage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I held that theory privately, but since I don't use an iPhone any more I could not test/verify myself.
I seem to recall there are Android SMS apps which can route MMS content via a proprietary cloud service, but you would lose compatibility with any peer device not using the same service, for the same reason iMessage has its use constraints.
It's probably just easier to convince your friends to use WhatsApp or Hangouts though.

When my parents send me videos over MMS from iphones they are unwatchable.
---------- Post added at 06:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ----------
On a side note, when I want to send videos to people, I upload them to youtube and then send a link.

gtg465x said:
iOS sends just as poor quality photos and videos as Android over MMS. The only reason sending photos and videos from iPhone to iPhone looks good is because it doesn't use MMS at all, but iMessage. To test this for yourself, disable iMessage on an iPhone and send a video. You'll barely be able to make it out. It will look just like videos sent over MMS from Android. The problem is not with Android, but with MMS itself. It's old technology and it doesn't matter which operating system you use, it's going to suck. There is an updated MMS standard that would allow for high quality photos and videos to be sent, but I don't think any carriers have implemented it yet. It's up to them.
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Strange. Disabling iMessage and sending still results in perfectly fine media here. From my 6s Plus to my S7 Edge. However sending the same video from my S7 to my iPhone results in an unwatchable video. I'll have to play with it, maybe try some larger videos later.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using XDA-Developers mobile app

My Places
Hate to break the iPhone-Android MMS conversation that's been going, but I noticed one change in the update (AT&T SM-G935A) that really set me off.
Has anyone else noticed that their "My Places" Edge Panel has been removed? I used it ALL the time, it was a super helpful way to shortcut to my favorite apps depending on where I am at the time. The option for "My Places" is NOWHERE to be found in the settings or the Edge Panel menu anymore after the update, I hope this is temporary. I agree, I bought this phone for the camera, as well as the Ingress Protection rating (IP-68) for water resistance and a few other reasons.
EDIT: Somehow the application was disabled after the update, all is well and working now.

My Places is still on mine, no problems, SM-G935A on APF2