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Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
I'm not sure what to tell you other than you need to run to the store and swap yours out.
Mine sounds way better than any other phone that I've ever owned.
silverwolf0 said:
The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound.
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I think there's something wrong with your phone, bro. I can hear my ringtone very loud and amazingly clear over my car stereo (Pioneer HU, Infinity Reference 6.5", 10" subwoofer w/600w).
I couldn’t care less what the phone looks like. It could have a 'scratch and sniff' picture of a rotting cow covered with maggots on the back. That’s what they make gel covers for! I just want it to have an awesome screen, CPU and GPU. It has all that. Qwerty would have been nice for emulators.
UPDATE
Yeah, your speaker is 'jack'd', I have to turn mine down because it's way to loud!
Well the back cover of all phones aint worth a damn. But i dont care because mine ALWAYS have a case of them. I have a skinomi screen protector on it so i dont have any fingerprints. I am right handed and press the power button with my thumb or if its in my left hand i use my index finger. Maybe you need practice. I can care less about how the phone looks when its off.
I agree you should return your phone.......
silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
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LOL WoW tell us how you really feel about the phone, you sound like you ran out and bought it and your pissed that the Sim's game isn't as fun as you thought it was going to be so now the whole phone sucks I'm just sayin...
I haven't really known anyone to complain about a phone being too light.
im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.
98classic said:
im with this guy on the phone, coming from the evo, this samsung kind of sucks, im trying to stick it out but i'll probably go back too sprint. tmo's reception is not stellar and samsung software is less then stellar =\.
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TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.
acjames said:
TMo's reception works fine for me and the comparison between the Evo and the Vibrant stops at they are both Android phones. Vibrant is far better. But to each their own.
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might be the phone but, its far to jumpy, i travel between LA and Portland weekly and only get 3g for about 15 minutes in 3 citys in those 1000 miles. hopefully 2.2 fixes some of the issues.
I guess to each his own, but I love this phone. I've had it next to an EVO and even though the Evo's screen was bigger the Galaxy S screen was definitely more vivid.
I hope you're still within the return period...
Guess there should've been a "IMO" in the title, this phone is fine to me in all those aspects you mentioned.
Thanks for venting, I guess ...
silverwolf0 said:
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes.
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I wouldnt blame it on Samsung. Since there are many variations to the Galaxy S lineup.
I would blame T-Mobile for ordering a glossy backed phone from Samsung. What Samsung does is they take the order and customize a phone for their customer (T-Mobile) to meet their needs.
Captivate has a different back, Fascinate has a different back, Epic 4G has a different back.
So your argument that it is Samsung's fault for making a bad design decision is fruitless. I like fruit by the way.
silverwolf0 said:
Yes the phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., but beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many compromises, bad design choices, and cost-cutting for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. I am still sticking with the vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does bother me that I am sort of downgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a bad design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that no one likes. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and becomes a slimy mess very quickly. It's also not very secure and creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side, or at least mine does. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold and unpleasant to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The cheap plastic buttons are also difficult to press because of the thinness, are jittery and not very firm, and the power button should be bigger or on the top because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for left hand usage only.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap. It would also help with the toy feel of the phone by adding some weight to that 118g.
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely not a looker, accented with a cheap chrome trim that has been used on old phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. I guess you could say the front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror.
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, but the actual earpiece and speaker isn't very good. The earpiece is muddy and not very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is terrible for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a garbled mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can't get very loud and has that same garbled mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the cheap diminutive fashion candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so bad, or if Samsung has gone cheap again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is real fast, has all this cool stuff like 4" Super AMOLED, GPS, Wifi, HSPA, 1GHz processor, etc., AND beyond what they list on the spec sheets, there are many great compromises, great design choices, and awesome cost-cutting ideas for the physical portion of the phone and its usability as a "phone" phone. The vibrant as it performs well for a smartphone, but it does'nt bother me that I am sort of upgrading in other respects.
For one, Samsung made a great design decision by using a cheap, thin, shiny plastic back cover that i like. It is basically the entire phone aside from the glass front, and its easy to clean with one swipy. It's also very secure and does not creaks at the edges where it snaps on the side. The way it tapers back like an iPhone 3G and has a thickness of less than 10mm makes it hard to hold my mouth closed in amazement to use when talking on the phone or using it as a camera. The comfortable plastic buttons are also easy to press because of the thinness, are very firm, and the power button should be applauded because I use my phone with either hand and the power button is made for non complainers.
If the Vibrant had not wanted to be a me too (huh?) of the iPhone 4 as far as thinness, it would be much better to hold like the Samsung Wave, which has actual sides (not chrome edges) that are rounded and comfortable to hold, along with a real shutter button. A thicker phone would have also allowed for a bigger battery and better sensor/lens for the camera and also more expensive if they cared to place one, and who knows why they took out the flash beyond just being cheap (the flash that never existed you mean?). It would also be adding some weight to that 118g. but who wants a heavy phone?
When the screen is off, the phone is definitely a looker, accented with a cool chrome trim that has been great phones for ages. And I've already said enough about the back. i mean its awesome you know cause i get reception unlike a iphone 4. The front can look cool if wiped clean and used as a mirror. (great idea!)
For telephony, I can't say much about call reception, other than amazing but the actual earpiece and speaker is very good. The earpiece is very loud compared to all my previous phones. The speaker is for placing people on speakerphone, because their voices sound like a hot mess that goes in and out. Same with using it when someone calls me. The ringtone can get very loud and has that same hot mess for sound. I've heard way way better like the stereo speakers on Nokia phones and it seems on par with some of the candy bars that Sony Ericsson has. I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.
Batpimp said:
I wonder if its the thinness that is making both the earpiece and the speaker sound so good, or if Samsung has gone awesome again.
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ROfl
Nice one
@OP
If you don't like the phone, return it.
If you can't return it, sell it.
There a plenty of people interested in buying this phone.
^ +1
Funny stuff
Humorous, I find the case of the phone to be a mute point as in my case the phone is sitting snug in a rubber body glove with only the screen exposed. To each his own.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Funny post. Complaint about everything but the GPS. This phone has the biggest capacity battery I have seen for a phone, yet that's too small. The nicest back cover yet. I must be deaf, because I can hear my phone quite well in a 100db engine room. Cheap plastic buttons? There is buttons on this phone? What is he doing, typing the Morse Code on the power button? Or is there some great phone I'm missing?
YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!
I know it sounds a little odd, but I kinda wish the phone was a little heavier. When I was holding the Evo yesterday it felt beefy and really solid.
However with that being said, I really like the fact that when I wear cargo shorts and my phone is in my pocket its not cracking me in the knee like my G1 brick used to do.
I guess you have to take the good with the bad and the bad being its rather light I suppose I can live with unless of course I decide later to duct tap some lead to the battery cover.
Batpimp said:
and the power button is made for non complainers.
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LOL!!! I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk, otherwise, my laptop would be bathed in it!
Maybe someone can shed some light on this for me and possibly the community. I wish the Xoom/any tablet or phone would have speakers on the front rather than the back. When you are the user holding the phone you are not behind the phone, but in front of it, thus the sound should come from the front. It makes sense right? I understand putting them on the back is a better way to share a song or something with others when you want to, but what if it's just you?
Is it a hardware limitation to have the speakers on the front, like... the internal workings are not arranged to work that way? It would be much more ideal to have double speakers on the front and the back. This would give all users the best experience, whether you are the one holding the device or you are sharing it with others. That would also enhance the sound environment, making a more somewhat surround sound type feeling.
For example I like how all new PSP's have front facing speakers just for the reason explained above. Why can't other devices like phones and tablets use this idea? And why can't devices have speakers on both the front and the back.. is that a company related issue or hardware limitation?
Im not complaining or anything. I love the Xoom and its speakers. But when its laying flat on a surface the sound gets covered. Isn't it supposed to lay on flat surfaces since it's a tablet? The sound doesn't lower much but still. Thoughts?
Sure that would be nice, but it's not technically practical in a tablet. I doubt any of the upcoming tablets will have front facing speakers, and if they do they will have Larger bezels to accomodate it. I'd prefer it like the XOOM. This isn't meant for audiophile listienig.....
The reason I ask is because I see a lot of build quality complaints on the forum (not arguing if this is because this forum is here to solve issues, even if it was just 1 complaint it would still count) which say it has bad build quality because it has a little lightbleed or sharp edges and other issues.
Well in my case I have treated my TF101 like **** (it's been banged around, dropped from 4ft+ heights multiple times, collided with things while sliding around on my sailboat, falling to the floor when I tried to chuck it on my bed and missed) and so far there isn't any (visible) damage, and is still working perfectly fine without any screen bleed.
So is the initial state of the product the only measurement of build quality? Cause I find the TF101 to be pretty resistant against pretty serious abuse and would say the build quality is amazing.
In the new generation of morons it's been defined as:
"Is it Apple? No? Then the build quality sucks."
stcardinal said:
In the new generation of morons it's been defined as:
"Is it Apple? No? Then the build quality sucks."
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I own an iPad 2, well, owned. Gave it to my girlfriend.
Does it feel nicer? Yes. Is it shinier? Yes. Is it more rugged? No, my iPad got dented when it slid around in the ship and a corner of the glass cracked, luckily Apple repaired it for free after a lot of *****ing.
Great quality
I have had mine for 2 weeks and have zero complaints. If I could find a good sleeve/protector for it, I'd be set.
wunshot said:
I have had mine for 2 weeks and have zero complaints. If I could find a good sleeve/protector for it, I'd be set.
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This isn't a thread about what is/isn't wrong with your transformer, I want to know what defines build quality.
Build Quality: Your senses comparing a thing to your experienced things that cost the same money. The more senses involved, the more important and emotional (to you) the purchase decision will be. The more you'll complain if the product dissappoints you in some way.
These tablets are held. How they feel in the hand is an obvious factor (sharp edges, slipperiness, texture). How much they weigh works here as well.
They are a visual experience (not for the blind), and so things like screen quality and light leaks matter. Fit and finish of the body is here as well. Even fingerprint-ability matters.
How it sounds when we tap it, flex it, open it, close it, dock it, etc., are audio experience factors. Does yours squeak a little when flexed? Tinny sound when tapped? These add in to build quality as they appeal (or don't) to your ears.
Smell is a minor player with tablets. Not much smell to any of them that I can tell. Still, if they had an off-gassing plastic smell or hot/burning smell we would think less of them.
Last is taste. Nothing to lick. Doesn't come into play here.
4D
4dthinker said:
Build Quality: Your senses comparing a thing to your experienced things that cost the same money. The more senses involved, the more important and emotional (to you) the purchase decision will be. The more you'll complain if the product dissappoints you in some way.
These tablets are held. How they feel in the hand is an obvious factor (sharp edges, slipperiness, texture). How much they weigh works here as well.
They are a visual experience (not for the blind), and so things like screen quality and light leaks matter. Fit and finish of the body is here as well. Even fingerprint-ability matters.
How it sounds when we tap it, flex it, open it, close it, dock it, etc., are audio experience factors. Does yours squeak a little when flexed? Tinny sound when tapped? These add in to build quality as they appeal (or don't) to your ears.
Smell is a minor player with tablets. Not much smell to any of them that I can tell. Still, if they had an off-gassing plastic smell or hot/burning smell we would think less of them.
Last is taste. Nothing to lick. Doesn't come into play here.
4D
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Click to collapse
Okay so according to your logic a tablet that is well finished off and looks nice and sounds nice but breaks after a week because you dropped it from a 2 ft height has good build quality, but a tablet that has sharp edges, flexes in plastic, smells odd, and looks like a brick but functions fine and does everything the same hardware wise and more and keeps working for a year straight has bad build quality?
I think you need to visit your nearest Apple store.
seshmaru said:
Okay so according to your logic a tablet that is well finished off and looks nice and sounds nice but breaks after a week because you dropped it from a 2 ft height has good build quality, but a tablet that has sharp edges, flexes in plastic, smells odd, and looks like a brick but functions fine and does everything the same hardware wise and more and keeps working for a year straight has bad build quality?
I think you need to visit your nearest Apple store.
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Relax. The question was about build quality. It is an instant opinion you formed when you first held a device. What happens after that (breaking when dropped, functions fine or not) adds or subtracts to that starting opinion. When it subtracts, we get pissed because we spent alot of money. The more senses involved, the more pissed we get. When the performance (which also involves one or more senses) matches or exceeds build quality joy can ensue. I don't get where your vile comes from. I've got an iPad and a Transformer and the Acer Iconia tab. I'm a furniture and product designer/builder/educator. I buy and use and then evaluate electronics as a hobby for my blog.
I think people are just getting confused with the terms... there is quality control and there is build quality.
The Transformer seems to have good build quality generally, it's not made of awfully cheap materials and the corners aren't actually rough, like some cheap electronics you might buy from China or something.
It does seem like the Transformer may have hit some quality control niggles, which has nothing to do with poor build quality. Poor build quality is something that's done on purpose by the designers, poor quality control usually happens when somebody at the factory isn't doing their job.
Not saying the threads re. quality control are not valid, but as always it's always the people who had bad luck and got a faulty unit that come online to complain and get help.
So yeah, I think people need to learn the difference between quality control and build quality.
Shawn_230 said:
I think people are just getting confused with the terms... there is quality control and there is build quality.
The Transformer seems to have good build quality generally, it's not made of awfully cheap materials and the corners aren't actually rough, like some cheap electronics you might buy from China or something.
It does seem like the Transformer may have hit some quality control niggles, which has nothing to do with poor build quality. Poor build quality is something that's done on purpose by the designers, poor quality control usually happens when somebody at the factory isn't doing their job.
Not saying the threads re. quality control are not valid, but as always it's always the people who had bad luck and got a faulty unit that come online to complain and get help.
So yeah, I think people need to learn the difference between quality control and build quality.
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That makes a lot of sense to me.
solid feeling, consistency, no creaking, screen issues, and fit and finish... aka bezels lining up etc.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Shawn_230 said:
I think people are just getting confused with the terms... there is quality control and there is build quality.
The Transformer seems to have good build quality generally, it's not made of awfully cheap materials and the corners aren't actually rough, like some cheap electronics you might buy from China or something.
It does seem like the Transformer may have hit some quality control niggles, which has nothing to do with poor build quality. Poor build quality is something that's done on purpose by the designers, poor quality control usually happens when somebody at the factory isn't doing their job.
Not saying the threads re. quality control are not valid, but as always it's always the people who had bad luck and got a faulty unit that come online to complain and get help.
So yeah, I think people need to learn the difference between quality control and build quality.
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+100000000000000000000000 Seriously.
To be more specific, there are 3 different layers to what the end user might consider "quality". It all starts with a design idea, presented in both drawings and descriptions of what it does and how it should perform. One could hate the aesthetics even though they love the performance of it. Not black and white even here.
Follow with engineering. Pick the parts, spec the mechanics. Make it do what the designers described. Solve the technical details of how it all goes together. One could love the design (look) but not be fond of the processor chosen or material used for the case.
Then comes production. Here is where a set of parts gets put together then packaged. Humans in the factory make mistakes, and that is why some tablets are perfect while some have flaws. Production flaws. Not design flaws. Not enginnering flaws. Just a mistake someone made on that one identical set of parts when they did their part in putting it together.
"Build quality" is a vague and generalized term. How well the product survives a fall may be the engineer's fault. Light leaks sound like a production issue to me. If you don't like its feature set or looks, blame the designer. If your USB port doesn't work, blame production. If your USB port connects to everything but a specific scanner or printer that Asus never claimed it would work with, then blame yourself for expecting it to work.
To me build quality is defined as functionality...
I know that technically that isn't right, but I'm one of those people who values functionality and practicality more than just looks and design. I mean I want the nice things in life but i'd much rather have things (especially in regards to technology) that helped me perform better and give me an edge.
This is the reason why I don't buy apply products, whether they be laptops, ipods, iphones or ipads. To me apple products are 100% about aesthetics while making productivity secondary.
So to me, the TF has amazing build quality. It has added advanced productivity to my life while at the same time adding more entertainment. It is easy to use, it's not heavy and doesn't slow me down. I can hold it for long periods of time without being bothered. I enjoy looking at the screen and I enjoy typing long emails and editing documents on such a small device with the efficiency of something larger...
It also looks nice to me and feels solid. I haven't dropped it yet so i'm not sure how it would hold up to carelessness.
In all, I love it.
It's all subjective: as long as you like your device then it doesn't matter what others say.
I'm starting to think that there are just some people on here who like being argumentative. There is no set definition; clearly, people have qualms with the exterior of the tablet (whether you want to call it build quality or whatever).
THAT is what matters -- your own opinion of the device. Complaints don't just stop at "bad build quality", they go into much more detail about that complaint (whether it be because of creakiness, light bleed or uneven screen)
Build quality is not a technical term so I don't see why it must be defined as such. It's like trying to come up with a technical definition for "quality". Does that mean strength/durability? Comfortability(when holding)? Functionality? Structure flaws? Heck, all these "general" terms are more detailed than "build quality". Plus, are we using relative comparisons or using a fixed system?
If you like your device, then that's great. But, there are people out there who have problems with the "build quality" and these problem's aren't fictitious. It really doesn't matter to them if you think that your device is great and durable. (actually it shouldn't matter to anyone besides yourself) There is still an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Defining of a vague term doesn't solve anything.
My 3 pennies...
The short version: It's whatever you think of it. Yours is a rhetorical question. There is no standard definition for "build quality," because there is no standard definition for "quality."
Anyway, in judging what is "good build quality," you are assuming that people can make rational evaluations of their purchase. Most can't. There is a whole host of biases in the way, ownership bias, cognitive dissonance, etc.
Do realize that there are currently VERY FEW rational reasons for buying a tablet, in that it is a discretionary item for most consumers. If you were basing your choice strictly on rational cost-benefit analysis, you would likely not be purchasing one.
Given that the underlying rationale is an emotive one, asking people to be rational is asking them to rationalize after the fact. Whatever answer you get is just that, a rationalization.
4dthinker said:
[1]These tablets are held. How they feel in the hand is an obvious factor (sharp edges, slipperiness, texture). How much they weigh works here as well.
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9/10 the Transformers texture is excellent, i love the back and have never come to to dropping it, yet, , sharp edges??? it weighs a bit more than the 'others' but that adds to the solid feel of the device, i don't want something that blows away in the wind when i'm in the garden.
4dthinker said:
[2]They are a visual experience (not for the blind), and so things like screen quality and light leaks matter. Fit and finish of the body is here as well. Even fingerprint-ability matters.
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10/10 I don't have any 'light leaks' (i've owned two and know of three others) i believe that to be over exagerated bollox
It's a 'glass capacitive screen', it's not going to be finger print resistent but it's better at it than my Desire HD.
Finsh of the body is mentioed above.
4dthinker said:
[3]How it sounds when we tap it, flex it, open it, close it, dock it, etc., are audio experience factors. Does yours squeak a little when flexed? Tinny sound when tapped? These add in to build quality as they appeal (or don't) to your ears.
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Click to collapse
9/10 It creaks when i pick it up by the dock by one corner but not nearly as much as my girlfriends Sony Vaio Laptop costing 5 times as much
Docking is now easy, i had 'problems' when i first tried it but now i just know how to do it properly, so that was my fault and not the Transformer
When i tap the glass it sounds like glass, when i tap the back it aounds like plastic, errrrr it is
4dthinker said:
[4]Smell is a minor player with tablets. Not much smell to any of them that I can tell. Still, if they had an off-gassing plastic smell or hot/burning smell we would think less of them.
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I find that if i don't clean the screen it doesn't smell, if i clean it it smells of polish That's polish not Polish! they live next door!
I've just bought a Iconia A500. Very happy so far But next week I'm heading back to university and were planning on using it to take notes. On my phone and laptop I've got the Evernote app which works great and syncs across the platforms. It has a feature for recording sound whilst taking notes.
I tried using it on the Iconia, but the internal mic was, to be honest, crap. Cause the lecturer is at least a few meters away and I could hardly hear a thing.
Q: Do you know if it's possible to use a either a USB mic, Bluetooth mic or a standard 3,5mm jack?
I tried first plugging in a standard MIC 3,5mm jack, nothing. Then I tried the combo headset/mic I've got for my HTC Desire; it worked, but the audio was still pretty crap when faced with the problem of a speaker a short distance away. I also tried connecting my H4N zoom recorder (USB), but nothing.
Any ideas or experiences on this???
Thanks for your time
The problem is not the mic, but the 3.1 Android OS, I have connected an external mic and recorder sound is crap. As far as I see our only hope is to wait for 3.2 to fix the issue, and if not contact Acer and ask for a fix. Again is not hardware related issue but software one.
As for external mic to work, you need one that uses the fourth ring (the first one if I not mistake), that is the ones like iPhone and similar headsets with mic integrated, standard mic doesn't work even they are 3.5 mm jacks because the wiring is different.
[]===> (Jack)
. |
mic wiring (1st one of four)
If you have an older batch of the Acer A500, then you are out of luck... or ALMOST
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
rokimbo said:
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir, are a tool .. And completely wrong to boot. Verify facts, then rant - not the other way around.
I'm looking at my A500 right now, I can clearly see the microphone port at the top center (as you say is the "new" design - only bought mine a few weeks ago, but no idea when it was manufactured) and guess what - Microphone quality is rubbish. I'd love for you to be right (because then I would have a working mic!) but, you're not. Now get down off your soapbox.
To the OP,
I don't know what to tell you except to sit the tablet upward facing your instructor or whatever speaker is loudest in the room. Though I'm sure you're probably using it to type notes as well or whatnot? I would recommend a bluetooth mic but I don't think there is such a thing. The only one's I've seen are for camcorders and I'm guessing they are made specifically for them somehow. I feel your pain
Unfortunately, this may not be the best tablet to do what you want to do with it. If you just bought it, maybe you can return it and try something else? The Transformer is roughly the same price and I haven't heard of people complaining about the mic on that. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 may also be a better choice in terms of mics, but it is more expensive. The Galaxy Tab Plus is coming out and should be $400, in case you don't need a 10" screen. If you want or need the USB port, there's the Toshiba Thrive.
Good Luck.
rokimbo said:
The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...
1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap
People, act. Don't just sit and complain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get this information? I got my A500 the day it was released in the U.S (thus, the old batch) and my mic is in the center. I have never seen an A500 mic under the glass on the left, that's more than likely the light sensor you're talking about.
Furthermore, afaik the mics on all of them are the same. I think the problem some people have is that they think of them like phone mics (multidirectional) and they seem to be (whether by design or not), unidirectional for the most part, capturing sound from directly in front; adding insult to injury, they are noise cancelling so it actively filters background 'noise' which in some cases, consist of the person's voice. In essence, I've found it great if I act like I'm using the tablet to make a video call and speak loud and clearly, but otherwise it's sub par for use as a recording device. I use it for Voice actions and it works exceptionally well, better than my phone - ironically.
I'm no sound engineer, but I bet that if Acer allowed 1 of the mics to turn off or allowed echoing (through a setting in the OS) or put in a mic boost setting, the perceived quality would go up exponentially. This is a case of technology working against itself.
very nice and informative thread
very nice and informative thread. Thanks to you who have contributed. Exciting the understanding that it is not a hardware problem but a software problem. My mic is also bad even when I use an external headset. Good to understand that even if you put an external headset remains the built-in mic active.
mikkel
Hello,
does anybody hear an coil whine from the speaker during phone call?
Many people especially older people can't here that, so it would be nice to get feedback from someone who usually can hear that.
No one?
I can hear the coil whine from the top speaker even when not in a call. Just put the phone up to my ear and it's there.
It's not very loud so I'm just dealing with it. I heard it in my first phone before I replaced it due to screen gaps also.
Not the end of the world I guess
I hear it sometimes, but not all the time. And even then only when the room is completely 100% quiet. In a room with normal background noise I don't notice it at all.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
No, as I have the old speaker grill.
You have posted a negative / snarky post on every thread I've looked at today - what is your deal?
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
"good" to hear that i'm not the only one. It's really weird that it's noticable without even calling someone. Sometimes I can hear it while laying in bed and that bothers me a lot.
I wrote essential and they just said that they can't do anything for warranty while I'm living in germany. So I told them to just forward my problem to an technican and they did.
So everyone else with the same problem, send essential an message and describe the problem. They just start helping if there are enough people with who complain! Maybe they can fit it via firmware update.
Look at the OnePlus, since the oneplus 2 or 3 there was a microphone bug and it was fixed after the OP5 was released just because there wasn't enough people who complain. I don't want to wait that long.
I definitely have coil whine in my brand new essential ph-1. Pretty persistent when in apps....has anyone else tried antutu benchmark? Mine is much more noticeable then (heavy load)...also it is much more noticeable in the back of the device than the front (I listen by the camera)
I also have a OnePlus 5 and an iPhone 7 that do the same thing...the OnePlus actually makes the noise with the screen off for a while, so the fact that the essential phone is at least silent when off is a plus I guess? I am tempted to ask for a replacement but I feel like every one will have this...it's just an insulation thing
I recieved my second Essential Phone and I can hear a little buzzing from the top speaker but it's ok.
No loud coil whine I think. I didn't test it that much, but the second dosen't bother me that much.
Ordered a third one because on the second one there are bigger gaps between frame and backside.
Maybe there is the same problem like with the pixel 2 devices. Google announced that they will provide an fix via update.
Not to beat a dead thread but I just received 2 essential phones from the amazon sale, and I am happy to report, BOTH devices have the same noise as you describe. Why am I happy? Because I can confirm that what you are hearing is the completely normal sound of coil whine!
Coil whine has been an oft documented phenomenon throughout most electronic devices, especially computers, but seems to be making its way into the cell phone world lately (just google Hiss-Gate if you don’t believe me). The fact of the matter is, all electronic devices can produce a hiss from electric coils as more and more current is drawn through them. The hiss actually comes from these coils vibrating with the current load. This is why you may see an increse in noise while gaming or filming 4K etc.
Why, then, are we only hearing about it recently? And why does the essential phone have this “problem”? I’m glad you asked You see, up until about the iPhone 6 era, phones were heavy, large, thick, and had terrible battery life. This all adds up to manufacturers having much more ability to dampen this coil whine. Whether it be through applying a paste like substance over the coils to prevent vibration, or simply thicker chassis material to “trap” noise in. We also hear of it more now because internals in phones are becoming much more powerful, and demanding much more current to run the more complex apps and games that exist today. The more current needed to power these internals, the more chance for coil whine. We also hear of coil whine more and more lately because, historically speaking, the generation of users who noticed the problem (ie the younger generations) are able to detect higher frequencies of sound than the older generation. Coil whine is a high frequency noise.
The reason you are hearing the noise by the speaker is simply because the speaker is located near the coils in this device, and provide an opening for the sound to escape the chassis. There is no water proofing membrane here to trap noise a bit better, so it is a little louder than your galaxies or iPhones (also why the Pixel is seemingly “plagued” more than other phones)
So long story short: this sound is completely normal. Nothing to RMA about (because, well, you’re just wasting time sending a phone back only to get one with the same sound in return). After viewing the teardown, I would actually be MORE concerned if you have a device that didn’t have some coil whine, as that may be a sign that current is not being properly distributed to the components, causing them to attempt to operate without the proper juice.
Thank you for your detailed answer. You saved a lot of time, trouble and money for me because I live in Germany.
That's a bad news actually because after a time it feels like a headache for me because those sounds bothers me a lot. The printer in the office makes me crazy with that sounds but I'm the only one who hears that.
Essential told me their hardware team is working on it so maybe we can just hope that the second Essential Phone don't have that coil whine. .
I had three Essential Phones and the third of them don't have the high pitched noise. It's more like a buzzing and it dosen't bothers me like the high pitched noise. It's the one which seems to have the baddest build quality of them, and the speaker grill come of. Same problem with the second one so I will keep the first one.
Essential offered me an exchance but they can't send it to germany. I think you are right, so the exchance wouldnt help either.
I hear ya. I can pick out abnormalities on phones almost immediately, so I’ve been driven crazy by the humming and chirping of coil whine for over a year now with other devices. At this point I can’t imagine Essential would release a silent version of the Ph-1 with some putty over the coils or something, so if it really bothers you, I’d say hope that they release an update to unclock the internals a bit and leads to a lower power draw (they’ve fixed the camera through software so it could happen!). Just for reference, I am bit of a tech snob and have had many phones this past year, and ALL of the high end phones from iPhone to Samsung can experience this under load. From my brief time with the ph-1, it is in the middle end of the spectrum in terms of noise, not the loudest, not the quietest! At least it’s nearly half the sound as the Pixel 2 non XL!
It’s just the old “they don’t make em like they used to” argument.