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I got my HD2 about 6 months ago and love it. There are many small reasons why I chose it over others:
1. I use Hotmail, MSN Messenger, Media Player, etc so Windows Mobile would suit me without having to open any new accounts.
2. The hardware. It was (and still is) one of the most powerful phones in terms of hardware.
3. Physical Buttons. I tried using my Dad's Touch HD and got really annoyed when using the 4 buttons on the bottom because there was no instant feedback as to whether it had recognised that you'd pressed it. There was a slight vibration but it's not the same as the 'click' of an actual button. Also, if the phone is on a go slow then the vibrate confirmation wouldn't kick in for a few seconds meaning that you'd think it didn't register, and then pressing it multiple times.
4. Big screen. I would have loved a physical keyboard, but I realise that to have one, it would mean extra bulk. I liked the bigger screen because it means that the keys on the keyboard aren't too small. The keyboard on my ipod touch can feel fiddly sometimes and feels a bit small for everyday use.
5. This site. I don't know how well WinMo would do without all of the XDA Devs but they really do add a lot more functionality. My hat goes off to all of you!
I would add Android as well to the list but it was only a pipe dream when I first got my phone and wasn't a deciding factor.
I was just wondering what the reason you all had for choosing the HD2 over other phones? It'll be interesting to see what you all have to say
Mostly due to the fact that is probably the last GREAT WinMo phone before WP7 comes on the scene and kills off the most customisable mobile OS left.
It's a phone, it's a music player, it's a satnav, it's cheaper and it has a better screen than an iphone.
Mostly due to the big screen and the hardware of it, I wasn't too bothered atleast about the apps since I already have an ipod touch so I normally carry that around so I get the best of both worlds especially cause I can share the itnernet from my phone to my ipod.
But mostly it was the big screen, really makes surfing the web the easiest of all phones I find
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i was between Desire and HD2. I like android more, but crappy touchscreen(as seen on google) made me turn to hd2.
not sorry for one moment about that choice
1. I'm comfortable with WinMo
2. My work has an app that needs WinMo. In recent months I found that I won't be needing to run that app, however.
3. It's customizable. iPhone still seems like a smartphone for dummies.
4. I guess this is part of #3, I want to have my information in front of me, now and on a big screen. On one customized screen, I know the weather, time, email count, messages, and most importantly, upcoming events. With iPhone, I'd have to go into apps looking for the information. It's what-to-do (WinMo) vs what-can-I-do (iPhone).
5. Form factor. At first I thought the screen might be too big. Now I won't get a phone with anything smaller. It's thin too. When I first got it, I felt like I was holding a picture frame to my head.
6. At the time it wasn't a factor, but dual boot to Android is fantastic. I'm actually running Android all the time. There's not much missing from mattc froyo build.
I had faith that the guys from xda would force android on to the hd2. The a number one reason why no other phone matters is cause of the screen size. atleast on t-mobile.
soon as i saw the wiper on the weather i had to have one,lol, hated it for a fair while.....after getting brave, cant stop playing with it, now love it!!!
The flashlight...
The big screen and the hardware. I also took a calculated risk that it would be updated to 7 series. DOH!
RReckless
I bought it because....
.....actually i owned an iphone 3gs for 2 days but then it got stuck and couldnt turn on..
So i sended it back to apple store and i was waiting till they fix it, but it took them so long so i bought the leo while waiting for the iphone 2 b repaird...
i remember it was monday when i bought my leo, and as soon i had the box in my hands they called back from apple store and said - sorry we cant repair your iphone so you get a NEW one
But then i kept my leo and sold the iphone, and i havent regret at all!!!!
i HATE iphones (anything with that stupid piece of fruit on it actually!) and this is pretty much as opposite to an iphone as it gets; its ot a good screen, a good camera with a flash, it can be tweaked/hacked/modified and its using fast, new hardware. i had a nokia n95 before this, and the screen was huge in comparison-and so thin! ive dipped in and out of windows mobile so had some expeience with it. i used pocket pc 2002, windows mobile 5 (t-mobile mda vario 3) which is when i first used xda to get wm6 onto it. since then i couldnt find a pda that did everything i wanted. now my hd2 has replaced my camera, my mp3 player, my usb flash drive, and is now my main device for news/weather and social networking. the big screen makes things so easy, and despite the heavily biased reviews that all seem to say something along the lines of 'well its not an iphone so its rubbish', im very very happy with it. only thing i sacrificed was battery life, as my n95 could probably go a day on heavy use, whereas the hd2 will be dead early evening time. ive also developed paranoia about scratching/cracking the lovely big screen on it
i was gonna get a desire but (imho) its butt ugly i really liked the look of the hd2 but wasnt too sure about winmo however when i saw the development going on in the forums i decided to get a hd2 and havent looked back
In the Poll I chose 'Other' because ALL of the other options applied to me....
Why I chose the HD2....
1. 1Ghz CPU
I remember the first widely available 1Ghz DESKTOP Processors. I remember being in awe of the GIGAHERTZ trophy everyone wanted. I remember being amazed at the fact that a home computer could have a ~1000Mhz CPU.
I remember a similar feeling when I heard about the HD2
2. My last phone was a Touch Pro2 and in the short time I had it I actually grew to love Windows mobile Probably because it was my first ever smartphone (previously a samsung jet owner).
I decided the TP2s successor should have WinMo too! .
The HD2 was the obvious choice.
The thought of having a free upgrade to Windows phone7 swung the decission even further in the hd2s favour.
3. THE SCREEN = BIG. Not amoled like the jet etc. but BIG, with good resolution, decent coulours and brightness.
4. After dabbling with android on the TP2 very briefly, I did some research and found that Android on the HD2 was probably coming withing 6 months. Case closed.... this was the deciding factor for me (coupled with the fact that I liked winmo too).
5. ANDROID! (mentioned above, but its worth mentioning twice )
Signed,
One very happy HD2 Dual-booter
I bought my HD2 about a month ago now. I bought it because of the hardware inside it. I kinda enjoy the fact that its almost as powerful as my wifes laptop!
Having been a fan of HTC for many many years, its nice to know that my phone is 4 times better than the Iphones and cost me half as much!
Ive been using wm6.5 ozrom with no problems (except not being able to connect to the internet sometimes, i believe this is more the chinese network rather than the phone!)
Pleased as punch with it and kudos to HTC showing yet again, that they rock!
I bought it because of the screen & processor(and because thanks to Radio Shack's kickass trade-in program, I was able to get it for EIGHT DOLLARS!), but the biggest reason was because the HD2 is probably the last great, REAL WinMo phone we'll see before Win7(AKA Buzz Killington) comes out & ends an era. The death of WM is gonna be a really hard pill to swallow, nigh on impossible actually, but having the last real WM phone might soften the blow a bit.
I really hope that communities like this one keep WM alive for as long as possible.
Viva LA WM!!!
WM will never die!!!!
The manufacturers may stop making devices but the community will never die!!!
Long live WM!!
just 3reason. i choose hd2 because of fast gps reciver phone,support garmin software and big screen.
I moved to Leo because my Rhodium was too slow and I took the hardest desicion of leaving real keyboard device for Leo, I am very satisfied with the performance and now more fun having Android too!
But still miss a real keyboard...
Well said!!!:
rmdeathwish said:
WM will never die!!!!
The manufacturers may stop making devices but the community will never die!!!
Long live WM!!
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Hello all,
I am looking to buy My streak next month and I would like some personal impressions (pro's and con's) from actual users.
I have read the wiki and the FAQ's (great stuff)
I am currently using the Xperia x1 and I love it but its time to upgrade. (im also selling one as I have 2). I live in NYC and of course I have ATT.
I am all but sold, but some personal experience from the highly respected XDA community would be nice.
thank you.
I have a real love hate relationship with mine. I've had it since June, but will be selling it soon to get the upcoming HTC Deisre HD.
PRO
Super screen, quite repsonsive, really bright. HD youtube looks fantastic on it. Really snappy to use. Internet is a joy to use.
\
the CON is as a phone it sucks. It's just too big. It took a while to make up my mind, but if you use your phone to make calls a lot, it may be a little big. I've even dropped it a couple of times due to it's large size. Support seems weak as well.
I got it a couple weeks ago and love. In my opinion its the best android device for At&t so far. The aria is a mid-lower end and the captivate feels cheap so i settled for the streak
When you first get it you will be amazed at how big it is but after using it for a couple weeks it feels normal and other devices (evo and iphone) feel SO small in your hand. One handed use sometimes is a bit hard when on the home screen but theres ways to go around that.
Browsing is awesome, haven't had to many issues due to the lack flash. Games are amazing on the 5" screen, haven't done too much movie watching but do watch the occasional youtube video.
Don't have anything bad to say about it other than its aspect ratio is set to "long" (think widescreen tv) while most android devices out there are "not long" (regular 4:3) so some apps won't look right but i have been seeing updates in the market for added streak support.
One downside though would be the connector/charger which is a PDMI connection. The cable that comes with the device is a tad too short and a spare cable from dell is $19.99!
Overall i'm happy with it and would recommend it if its your cup of tea. Also its a really big attention grabber. You don't understand how many times girls have came up to me and asked what it was and how i just pulled it out of my pocket. Then there is those that hate that say its too big as they play with their little iPhag phone..
I also came from an x1 and streak has been great for me, I can only think of glowing comments.
The obvious question is the size, but really its not that noticeable over any other phone (actually I would argue its less noticeable than the x1). If you want an approximation of the size, put a casio calculator in your pocket, keeping in mind that the streak is significantly thinner than it.
Plus as fone_fantastic mentioned its a real head turner, and seriously not as ridiculous to use as a phone as it seems, its a great device, highly recommended.
Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.
strboy said:
Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.
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Lol I'm a waiter too, its just as sea of blackberries and iphones. Wish I could just pull out the Streak and show off
Ha! we arent supposed to either, but I will sneak it in and show guests sometimes, (my x1 that is)...I don't get the wow factor I used to but....Streaks a coming.
and Yeah i see tons of Iphones all my co workers have Iphone 4's and BB torch's, I cant wait till I get my streak.
The Streak does everything I could wish and more, if there's one bad thing it's that it is a bit fragile. If you decide to get one make sure you also get a decent protective case.
I don't use mine as a phone (data only contract), but as a MID I think it is great.
The screen size (and quality) is perfect for browsing while remaining truly portable. It is my first Android device and thanks to that is endlessly customisable and has got me tinkering 'under the hood again' which is something I hadn't realised I'd missed.
Build quality wise it isn't bullet proof but given that you take care of it you shouldn't have any problems.
I have a love hate relationship with mine to. I love it totally:
Web browsing: what other smartphone can you visit and read a website with not having to zoom in a scroll left and right to read text on any site?
Ease of use: it's a Android!
Reliability: the HTC HD2 is at this time the closest competition IMO, used to have one but it was so unreliable with it's wifi i soon started to hate the sight of it!
Size: fits in any pocket i have, including trousers.
Don't watch TV, but wait until you veiw youtube on it or start view photo's you'll never wnat a small screen again.
What i hate about it is when others who complain about the size! they new the size before they bought it right, so they obviously worry far to much about what others think of them! that's not the streaks fault it's theirs. If i'm standing at some busy junction and i answer a call, if others start looking then i think they just want one to and they're eyeing it up to see what it is
The galaxy tab will be released next month, but portable it's not! look at the size of the bezel around the screen! that would look strange, holding a netbook up to your ear
I know it's a bit off topic but the Samsung Tab won't be getting voice on the US side.
now back on track
I love the streak, best parts are as said before, screen size, browsing experience (I use dolphin HD, skyfire and regular browser) each one i like for different things, I do browsing mostly on it.
cons. my streak won't charge but it's ok ( I paid half price), besides that, is that it doesn't have froyo which I don't mind at all, the other thing is that there are not many devs for this phone/tablet yet, but nothing to worry. Also the down side is the "PDMI" port, there aren't any third party chargers, cables, docks but I hope they'll come down eventually.
I'm skinny 5'10 and the streak doesn't feel all that big when against my head, no one even notice when I'm on the BIG phone talking to someone, I don't get any weird looks, but when I lay that "flipflop" on the table everyone looks at it and wants to have a go.
I've used the X1 and had several HTC's as you can see on my sig, one thing tho is that you might miss the physical keyboard, but you'll get around it, the screen is so big that the on-screen keyboard are not bad at all, I personally use "multi-touch keyboard" and that does the trick for me.
hope that helps.
Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)
I'm in love with this phone device. The screen is awesome. Very responsive and big enough for me to type fairly accuratly on.
Talking on the phone feels normal. I didn't expect it to, but I've had only minor issues with calling. I have found myself sometimes hunting for the speaker but find that I can hear fine if I just hold the Streak a hair away from head. Basically my fat head was muffling the sound if I had the phone resting against it without having the speaker right over my ear.
I do wish that Dell would answer someone's post about the screen failures. I suspect there was a build quality issue with at least the early Streaks.
I also wish someone would get 2.2 working on a Streak so I can do remote desktop and have full exchange support, oh and Flash.
To add 1 more con, there is no VPN support if you use windows vpn LP2T, but hopefully it'll get sorted on 2.2.
I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.
THJahar said:
Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)
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Click to collapse
LMao...I'll look for you in the papers two years from now
SAman1 said:
I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.
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My sentiments exactly,
Question regarding the size, with my X1 I rarely ever hold it to my face I always use the Stereo headset that came with it, does the streak have on also (bundled) is it any good?
another ex-X1 user here. Love the streak and can't think of another device I could replace it with currently. In fact it's hard to leave it alone and the battery gets quite a hammering
Yes you get a stereo headset with the streak and it's not bad at all really. I don't use it myself (got some Ultimate Ears 'phones which sound incredible and I only use handsfree over BT in the car) but it should be fine...
I've kept the X1 for when i'm doing "rough stuff", like photographing 4x4 events - can just shove it in a pocket out of the way whereas the Streak would probably get damaged. For everything else though (especially in the car for satnav, music etc) it's one hell of a good device.
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too. For example I want to be able to download the occasional shot from my camera to check on the Streak's fairly well calibrated screen. I can also resize and send if necessary and POSSIBLY even back up the camera's memory card! (IF it works of course!!)
Everything works better than it did on the X1. BT streaming, web browsing, emulation (PSX for example), graphics, user interface (and i was using a custom WAD desktop on my X1), call quality, you name it
Up until I got the Streak I thought the X1 was the best phone I'd had but this is a whole other level!!
triondave said:
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too.
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I've been following that thread, with the hope that one could maybe use the USB port with a serial port adaptor to connect to Cisco routers and maybe run an Android equivalent to Windows Hyperterminal app to configure Cisco routers? I guess that's a bit far-fetched since no Android drivers would be available ...but as you mentioned, there are many other possibilities to this USB Host functionality which are likely to work.
Which version of Android are you currently running tho? Is it stock or modified?
Can you get a full 12hrs availability from the battery daily with say, 2 hrs voicecalls, & 2 hrs HSDPA internet plus a few sms's?
Also wondering if you know what the USB connector on the Streak is called? Can't see myself unplugging the cable back & forth between my bedroom, the car & the office every day. Should be easy to make up the USB host cable as well as a few spare charging cables while I'm at it if I can source the connector somewhere.
Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!
triondave said:
Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!
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So you use the Streak like a PC - screen on & in use almost continuously? Based on that it would probably be safe to say it would last me all day with less than 4 hrs screen on time (screen is mostly off during phonecalls I guess due to proximity sensor) & fairly typical/light mobilephone use. That's great to know, thanks.
Indeed, perhaps the name PDMI will help me find it somewhere in Asia, but probably best to have a closeup picture of it. As long as someone makes a connector that fits the slot and we can find out Dell's pinouts, should be ok. When my unit arrives next week I'll at least have the USB cable to check the connector for myself .
Anyways, my apologies to the OP for having gone a bit off topic there.
I'm convinced now I'll be happy with the Streak, despite some minor challenges no doubt. Besides, if it turned out to be perfect, how would we find a worthy upgrade in another year from now....
Samsung FocusBeautiful, crisp, or a cheap piece of junk. I would like to know.
I would like to know if you own a Focus or are considering purchasing one. I believe that word of mouth is important so I ask the community to place their thoughts about the Focus here. Also I would like just 1 post from each member who is writing their own review. Remember you can edit your post. Help me out and if you actually own a focus let us know in the poll.
Try to look at the below review for a format. Of course it is your review so write it how you see fit.
Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Light
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Fast and responsive
6. Diagnosis Screen
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Better SD support
2. Power charging should be on the bottom of the phone
3. Power button should be on the top of the phone or harder to press
4. Screen can scratch all be it very hard to do so.
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace can be buggy
2. Games are fun and vibrant
3. Programs are stable
What would you like to see improved in you windows experience on the Focus:
1. Need to allow multitasking as an option for GPS and third party audio programs.
2. Wish marketplace would show how many download an app had
3. More live tiles
4. In email adding folders to sync is cumbersome.
Who would you recommend buy this phone?
I would recommend this phone to anyone. This is the best phone I owned.
I pretty much agree with what you posted. I've really come to like WP7 and the Focus although, there is still much work to be done on the OS.
I guess if Samsung had one with a physical keyboard, I'd be all over it.
It's so fluid in motion, readable and highly consistent in design. Overall, I've got to give MS a big thumbs up. The UI is beautiful and functional.
My only real complaint is the occasional marketplace freeze.
I've had a number of android devices and I've had more than one iPhone.. I was ready for something fresh and different.. and so far this is fitting the bill quite well.
Now make with the updates, Microsoft... some new features would be nice.
As for the focus itself, it's a nice piece of hardware. The screen is gorgeous, battery life seems decent, speaker sounds good, calls are clear. It has a little creak do it if I grip it too hard, but it doesn't feel like it's going to break. I'd pretty much put it even with my Samsung Vibrant.. it is plasticky, but it doesn't feel cheap.
I've had my Focus since they released them publicly. The hardware is great overall. I have two iPhones (3G and 4), a Droid, Blackberry 9000 and a new Torch. The iPhone sets the bar high, and in my opinion the Focus easily competes head to head with the iPhone in terms of the screen and performance, maybe even better for speed. So far I haven't had any problems with it, in terms of the hardware. No unexpected reboots or lock-ups. I've soft-reset it a couple times on my own, and did one hard-reset to attempt to get wireless Zune sync working (still doesn't work), but that I'm sure is an OS problem. I do wish Samsung just stepped up with 16GB of NAND storage from the get-go though. Sure, an optional SD card is nice to have, but the way WP7 uses storage it doesn't surprise me people are seeing random crashes and data loss. WP7 essentially combines both storage types as one large storage, but expects performance to be the same and that's not reasonable. There's really no reason why they couldn't make NAND the primary, and SD secondary for more static things like music and documents.
In the beginning battery life was pretty bad. But I think it just took a few charge cycles to correct that. I get almost two days out of it without wifi. With Wifi it drops to maybe a day and a half at most.
The AMOLED screen is just awesome. Clear, bright, smooth.
I'm looking forward to MS releasing a WP7 update though. There are so many little bugs/features that are missing, besides the popular copy/paste that I rarely use anyway.
I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.
Pretty much agree with the first post. I really like this phone.
When reading email, I wish there was a way to make the font bigger that would also word wrap so you don't have to move back and forth to read the email. Either autosize to a larger font with word wrap, or just let me select a larger font size.
I love the voice search! It's worked for me in noisy resturants and standing along side a busy road. Impressive!
I really like my Samsung Focus primarily because in my usage the OS has been stable, fast, and really easy to navigate.
The lack of available applications (for whatever reasons) is a huge issue. I own both an iPhone and Droid X. If I didn't have those phones on which to use apps I think I'd be a little less kind at this moment to WP7 and the Focus
Overall I think what MSFT has TODAY is a great first smartphone for someone who has not used one before.
Will this progress to a serious contender in the smartphone space? I don't know but I'm hoping that it can be one of the top 3.
webdev511 said:
I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.
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Click to collapse
iPhone's reception fairly blows, also, and AT&T is awful at my house. I bought a zBoost YX-545 GSM/PCS repeater, stuck the antenna in the attic where I get at least a couple reception bars and put the unit in the upper floor of the house. That now gives me 4 or 5 bars throughout the house and yard and helped the iPhone considerably and does just as well with the Focus. If you have any reception at all, this is a better solution than AT&T's hit-or-miss microcell.
Personally, I like the screen and the weight. It's so nice being able to pull it out of my pocket, take a quick glance at the screen to see if there's anything of interest and, if not, pop it right back from where it came. The screen is bright, easily read at arm's length and laid out well. The commercials about "saving us from our phones" actually made sense once I used the phone for a few days. One thing that drove me nuts about the iPhone was the form and weight. It's akin to having a brick in my shirt pocket and the weight makes it practically jump out of my pocket any time I bend over a bit. The Focus has a much nicer form with the rounded edges, it's thin and it's relatively light weight means it's been less prone to wanting to slide out of my pocket. It's being so thin and rounded makes it more difficult to pick up off a flat surface than the iPhone.
I've used iPhones for the past 2 1/2 years and while the iPhone has it all over the Focus as far as functionality, what the Focus currently does is so much easier to do that I believe I'm ready to commit and forget about the 30 day return policy. All in all, the benefits and potential very much outweight the few drawbacks that exist, such as the plastic feel and mediocre reception.
Oh...and the expandable memory is a HUGE plus after 2 1/2 years of a phone I couldn't even open. Yes, I've read that plenty of people have had problems with it but using a Sandisk 8GB class 2 SD card I've been able to put some 10 GB of music on the phone without so much as a single hiccup in any way. I suppose Sandisk is still the best for a reason...accept no substitutes!
JDiddyC Review
(in conjunction with previous noted items)
What I like:
1. Integration of FB, apps and Live Skydrive, etc. Seemless!
2. Ability to customize the tiles on the home screen
3. Live tiles! Need I say more!?
4. Accessing info and sharing is quick and easy
What I don't like / needs development:
1. For the love of God, please let us use Bing Turn by Turn and not PAY for provider specific apps or add-ons!
2. Zune / Music portion needs work
- Channels would be nice
- Why do I have to pay for songs via AT&T when I have zune pass? This should work like market place on the Zune HD!
- Please let me use music I have on the device as a ringtone!?
Overall satisfaction:
LOVE IT! I feel pretty confident that changes to the OS and apps will come in the near future that will hopefully address the few things I don't like. Although I fear there are some agreements with providers around GPS and turn by turn directions that may keep us hacking to get around them.
Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Facebook Integration
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Xbox Live
6. Fun UI
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Multitasking or at least backgrounding (i want pandora!!!)
2. When the Screen is locked i shouldnt be able to power off the phone with just the button! Come on now that should be common sense.
3. Flashlight app that acually uses the LED
4. Volume controls that are not all in one (i shouldnt have to turn my phone back up to 30 after playing a games at 10 because the games too loud, in turn making my ringtone way too quiet)
5. Cut, Copy, Paste!!!
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace and UI can be buggy (especailly when downloading)
2. Games are fun and vibrant but with a lack of games ive grown interested in with other platforms
3. best camera phone implementation with the shutter button and ease.
bump
Can a moderator sticky this
I love the focus ALOT! I bought it outright at Rogers for $630! Its unbelievably fast and smooth....its the most fluid phone I have ever used in my life to be honest....I handed it over to my gf! Why? because I take alot of pictures and video, and so far while the focus has been good at both, it doesn't hold up to my Xperia X10,,,therefore I went back to my X10...but I play with the Focus all day long. If somehow they could write a camera app (like Vignette for android) and make the pictures cleaner in low light then the Focus would be my primary phone hands down.
Overall I'd give this phone a 9.5/10 just because I feel the camera is lacking slightly.
Lovin My New unlocked Samsung Focus
Samsung Focus is the BEST WP7 phone hands down right now! Just wished 3G and MMS would work with my T-Mo service Provider.
Anyone find out how to get into the MFG Mode?
I have been through the whole Diagnosis Mode, changed about every setting i could change and still no MMS.
btw.. thx sandrobber for listing all the codes for the diagnosis menu!
Just bought 3 foci (sp), Originally got one for my step father who had been working on some old handmedowns and wanted a real smart phone of his own and one for my wife who hated her Pure with such a purple passion that I was almost ready to overlook my no Apple rule and get her an Iphone. They both are loving it.
I went ahead and got one for myself. I have to admit I did a lot of waffling between the focus and the quantum.
Personally I think the quantum's size and form factor is slightly superior. It was just the right size to fit in my hand and be worked easily with one hand while the focus is just a tad on the large size to be truly comfortable.
That said I ended up going with the Focus because damn it's a huge gorgeous screen the potential for expansion and general overall ratings it's getting on the hardware side.
My past experience with smart phones has been with winmo and palm OS. Part of my decision to go with the Samsung was because of my experiences with their older smart phones. In fact I just ran across my old I300 the other day while sorting through some old boxes and the damned thing still runs just fine after a quick charge.
Pro's
that huge screen.
smooth seamless performance.
did I mention that huge beautiful screen?
Expandable memory
Con's
Bing button is too damned easy to hit.
form factor is just a tad to big to be used consistently with one hand.
Who thought putting the USB port on the top was a good idea?
Market place is buggy and has locked up on me several times requiring a reset of the device.
Other thoughts
As a former winmo user I'm definitely missing some of the features that I knew weren't going to make it into this os. I still think it was rather stupid to drop active sync and myphone for this platform. I understand some of the rationals but it's still missed.
Same goes for the lack of access to the files system (in particular the lack of drag and drop and real support for SD storage)
That said the phone is incredibly user friendly. My wife who hated the hell out of her Pure took to this thing like a duck to water and she's far from technically competent with this sort of thing in that she's a fairly typical user who's not interested in tinkering with a device just to get basic functionality. as such this works great for her.
For my part I very rapidly got my start page re-arranged the way I liked it with my tiles organized in the manner in which I typically need them.
I'm still learning things about it like it was a bit of a surprise when my step father showed me how to voice dial calls. (so damned easy it never even occurred to me to try.)
So far everyone I've shown the phone to has been impressed (primarily Iphone users) and several have already expressed an interest in switching to WP7 as soon as their contracts come up for renewal. Especially those who aren't using Iphones since they'll be able to keep their old unlimited data plans with these devices.
I have very high expectations for the future of this platform. As soon as MS gets a couple basic features pushed out (copy/paste, task switching) and developers start getting some quality apps out I see this platform being quite competitive with Apple.
I get that there are some things that it's just never going to match winmo on and that functionality will be missed but after watching Apple dominate the market so thoroughly and observing users such as my wife beating their heads against the WinMo experience I can't really fault MS for shifting design philosophy.
Considering the fact that this OS has only been out a couple months I'd say it's off to a nice start. Sure it would have been nice to have had cut/paste and multitasking so I wouldn't have to listen to the apple fanboi's teases (hey at least it's got MMS out the box) but it is a fully functional smartphone right out the box that can already do many things much easier than my old 6.5 phone could.
Now I just have to find a good case for it.
Happy Focus owner, elated to be a part of a truly 'smart'phone era.
This phone was the best investment I ever made.
After purchasing the phone outright from Rogers in Canada, I paid an ebay guy $15 to unlock it.
I came immediately to XDA-Developers for guidance with my new toy. The community here is excellent; with a level of knowledge far beyond my wildest expectations.
Once I followed the advice of everyone here, I was able to unleash the full power of the phone on my preferred network, SaskTel.
Prior to this phone, I got a contract a year ago with a Samsung Omnia. My carrier wouldn't push the OS update, and Samsung didn't offer it direct to consumers. I was forever stuck on a crippled WinMo6.1 OS.
I am looking forward to future updates provided direct from Microsoft. This was perhaps the most significant reason I bought into the idea behind Windows Phone 7 as a future-proof platform.
The reasons I chose the Focus are the same as most around here. The SuperAMOLED screen is just a wonder to behold, and I find myself just scrolling the lists just to see the brilliance of the display in action.
Memory expansion is another boon for this device. Having at least one option in the Microsoft launch lineup with this feature is key to the platform's success. I believe like the handset manufacturers, that everyone has different needs in a device.
Storage is a need some of us have. I like the security behind the S in SD. I believe the way MS implemented the expandable memory is the way to go from a security and usability standpoint.
My final reason for choosing this phone was to test the ability of my service provider to bring alternate devices to the table. My carrier just upgraded to 3G+ from CDMA. Having a SIM based solution opened the Focus as a possibility.
I am satisfied with my carrier's network, and the phone, and the apps.
I looked at the iDevices and Android devices before making this purchase. While the iDevices were pretty much all out of my price range for the flexibility provided, I considered the Samsung Galaxy line.... in particular, the Galaxy S Vibrant (known by other names on other networks, so let's not quibble).
The only thing that kept me from the Android platform was how cumbersome it was to use.
While there are some mobile enthusiasts out there who will claim that the platform is lacking, I have never once been in a situation where I thought to myself, hey I wish I could multitask. Once something draws me away, the back button is right there, my little friend.. who always helps me back to whatever experience I engaged in before the distraction.
Personally I do not care for MMS, as my carrier charges me per use. at that rate, I can use my unlimited data and share over Facebook and SKydrive to those I want to see my photos. As a result I haven't even tested to see if the feature works with my carrier's current APN settings.
My only pain point is that a few of the features that were demoed early in the year, are not yet available in Canada.
For instance, Bing searching does not bring back local maps. The city where I live has too small a population for 2D overhead maps. I find all of this interesting, as I do have birds-eye within the bing maps silverlight experience on the desktop.
Another feature our lovely land to the north is missing is the Zune Pass. I would happily pay for the ability to link Shazam to Zune, unfortunately due what I presume to be legal reasons, the zune pass is not presently available.
===============================
My only hope now is that someone out there will create a Kinect-Based Star-Trek Exploration game that allows me to use my WP7 device as the infamous Tricorder.
I think that would totally kick ass. I'm thinking of a title we'll tentatively name "Star Trek: Red Shirt Adventures" Where you get to explore the worlds of Kirk's day, and all those up until Picard's day.
In this fashion a good story teller could preserve Trek Cannon and shed some light on the rich history to us causal trekkies. Maybe the objective is to burn through 1000 lives in a single play through.... who knows.... it was an idea, which I give openly to the internet to turn around and capitalize on, as I lack the ambition. Surely with XNA architecture as a base on both platforms, this should be doable.
Skex said:
3 foci (sp)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct
Finally a phone I love
Even though I've been in IT for 30 years, I had my first taste of smart phone ownership a little over a year ago with a BB Bold. I never needed one, but finally WANTed one. It was okay, but slow and not the easiest thing to type on. On 12/27 I upgraded to a Samsung Captivate. I really like the keyboard, but the darn thing kept powering off all by itself. When I noticed board postings about others' Captivates doing the same thing, I was determined not to play "let's see if this one works" and I traded for a Focus on 12/31. It is absolutely lovely. The only complaints I have are 1) the keyboard is a bit to small and 2) the hidden "diagnosis" settings really need to be easier to access. The good thing about that is I have joined groups like this one, where I am learning things I didn't know I wanted to know!
First day, first customer!!!
I have been a loyal WM/PPC user (iPAQ, Axim, 3125, TD2), and have been waiting for this phone. Having used TD2 and several Softbank (Japan) phones, I desire the following (only):
(a) Smart dial
(b) Toggle switches for Bluetooth/Wifi (like Cookies Home tab) on the Home Screen.
Nevertheless, very happy with my Focus.
I was one of those that pre ordered the Dell VP way back in November 2010. By the time I finally got the phone, it became my primary phone for several months, before moving on to better hardware. I recently turned the phone back on and decided I preferred the Windows Phone OS to other platforms.
But, I found the DVP too slow and missing key items that similar primary phones had. I have an HD7 and I tried that too. But the HD7 hardware is close to 2yrs old if not more.
I eventually found a deal at T-Mobile for the Lumia 710 and purchased that. The deal was essentially a duh because it added nothing to my contract and cost $20US. Of course the 710 is low end hardware with 4g.
I've seen other new gen Windows Phone hardware out there.....
Titan
Titan 2
Lumia 800
Lumia 900
Radar
Ominas.
I was just curious, if you're staying with Windows Phone, what will your next one be?
Me, I have the Lumia 900 in site.
I REALLY like my DVP and I REALLY like WP7. There aren't any other WP7 phones out there that catch my eye so I'm going to stay put for the next 3-6 months.
I hope that Microsoft can find a way to get core apps like Pandora and services like VOIP to work like they do on Android/IOS. If so, I will have absolutely zero reason to go with another platform when it is time to upgrade.
BTW Alodar1, what runs slowly on your DVP?
Given the chance I would love to move to a Lumia 900 or a higher model from Nokia. The Titan II also looks interesting but I really dont like HTC so would probably not buy that. Also not really interested in owning anything from Samsung.
However as I am still on T-Mobile and am likely to stay here for the forseeable future I will have to stick with my trusty DVP.
bbowman said:
I REALLY like my DVP and I REALLY like WP7. There aren't any other WP7 phones out there that catch my eye so I'm going to stay put for the next 3-6 months.
I hope that Microsoft can find a way to get core apps like Pandora and services like VOIP to work like they do on Android/IOS. If so, I will have absolutely zero reason to go with another platform when it is time to upgrade.
BTW Alodar1, what runs slowly on your DVP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved from the DVP to android G2x and evenutally the Bionic. Both are superior hardware wise, having 4g and several other functions like wifi N, and more.
I knew that android was just a fad for me, and that became true when I saw the Lumia 900. But still...I'd never had a nokia and the lumia 710 provided me some exposure. the 710 is faster than the DVP data wise. Since data is the primary way I use the phone, it is important. There is a significant speed difference here both by wifi and on radio.
The integration of Mango is almost the same so thats not a problem. Getting used to people hub is the biggest thing to get used to, but I'm good with it now. Calendar and contact integration is good on most devices. The skydrive app helps with visuals there.
I found an app, Cloud Music that links with Skydrive and will play stored music there. Its a v1 app, but works ok on the 710. I used Google lattitude for connections with my kids....but its somewhat flaky, working when it wants to....so its no longer the draw for me. Though its pretty cute when I'm in the restaurant and my daughter pings me and asks what I ordered....
As for Pandora...MS has come out and said, they consider Pandora a competitor. So I doubt we will see resolution soon on that. For me, the starbuck app is more important. Its the #1 app I use on android.
Most WP devices, first gen, were old design and hardware. the OEMs simply did not invest in them. With Nokia on board and a potential opportunity slipping away from the grubby money hungry mobile operators, Windows Phone is seeing some of the love of up to date hardware. It won't go dual core , yet...but, the 710 is a nice device. Gives me great hope for the 900.
I too used to be an HTC fan. But recently I've stepped away. From the Sense rendition on Android to the WP rendition...its a disappointment.
has anyone looked at the Omnia's out there? The new ones???
alodar1 said:
I moved from the DVP to android G2x and evenutally the Bionic. Both are superior hardware wise, having 4g and several other functions like wifi N, and more.
I knew that android was just a fad for me, and that became true when I saw the Lumia 900. But still...I'd never had a nokia and the lumia 710 provided me some exposure. the 710 is faster than the DVP data wise. Since data is the primary way I use the phone, it is important. There is a significant speed difference here both by wifi and on radio.
The integration of Mango is almost the same so thats not a problem. Getting used to people hub is the biggest thing to get used to, but I'm good with it now. Calendar and contact integration is good on most devices. The skydrive app helps with visuals there.
I found an app, Cloud Music that links with Skydrive and will play stored music there. Its a v1 app, but works ok on the 710. I used Google lattitude for connections with my kids....but its somewhat flaky, working when it wants to....so its no longer the draw for me. Though its pretty cute when I'm in the restaurant and my daughter pings me and asks what I ordered....
As for Pandora...MS has come out and said, they consider Pandora a competitor. So I doubt we will see resolution soon on that. For me, the starbuck app is more important. Its the #1 app I use on android.
Most WP devices, first gen, were old design and hardware. the OEMs simply did not invest in them. With Nokia on board and a potential opportunity slipping away from the grubby money hungry mobile operators, Windows Phone is seeing some of the love of up to date hardware. It won't go dual core , yet...but, the 710 is a nice device. Gives me great hope for the 900.
I too used to be an HTC fan. But recently I've stepped away. From the Sense rendition on Android to the WP rendition...its a disappointment.
has anyone looked at the Omnia's out there? The new ones???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just reread this and realized my thoughts may sound anti android. Not really. Its nice...but its extremely fragmented now...and hard to keep up with. I have a Xoom tablet with ICS. Love it. do MOST of my work on the tablet. But with the volume of android phones coming out....its a real mess...my opinion only....
Have you played with Windows 8? Just got an Acer W500 and waiting for the beta, personally looking forward to the final immensely. Love the integration of Metro UI and traditional Windows if I need it.
efjay said:
Have you played with Windows 8? Just got an Acer W500 and waiting for the beta, personally looking forward to the final immensely. Love the integration of Metro UI and traditional Windows if I need it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'veonly touched the rawest of builds. Nothing optimized and nothing on the tablet. I;m going to reserve judgement on the tablet. Traditionally MS has had a MS uber alas attitude for periphials. I hope that changes. I think a fully funtional Windows tablet...that works....is unbeatable. when I say...that works it means:
touch works as it should, not as a work around
smart choices with thumbdrives and other external storage
sync ability with devices
remote syncing
skydrive access that is smart, not the limited interface we see now.
If MS gives us a functional tablet and a flexible os....I think the android OS will dry up. I love the idea of open source, but....within in reason. How do you globablly support open source and maintain security and compatibility? Use Android and netflix for example....OS v2.3.3 won't run net flix...but 2.3.4 will, if its a certain device. But how about 2.3.7...etc??? Right now its a cluster and not getting better. ICS supposedly offers stability, but the fragmentation has started with that one already and its only a month old. MS has an opportunity to drive a stake here....if it gets it close to right.
The difference between Seven and Mango is a breath of fresh air. But, Mango was in the path of seven all along. Features that showed up in mango, were finished and ready to go before NODO...this is a long, well thought out process for windows phone....I hope they stick to their guns.
There really isn't anything that interests me much. I refuse to buy a phone without a physical keyboard and there are basically no good ones out/coming out soon that we know about. The Galaxy Note interested me due to its sheer size, but the PenTile screen puts me off. I hated my Nexus One PenTile screen and while the DVP's isn't as bad, I don't want to buy another device with a PenTile screen.
I don't know why you're complaining about speed. Everything is really fast even if it is really old hardware.
I bought the DVP because of the hardware keyboard and the amoled screen. In the past few months, I've opened the keyboard maybe 10 times... that's how much i like the on-screen keyboard in windows phone.
A hardware keyboard will not be in my next phone's future although a super amoled or clearblack display most certainly will. I'm also holding out until Apollo gets released hopefully bringing in new screen resolutions and other features like NFC and I'm leaning very heavily towards Nokia unless HTC finally releases a WP with a super amoled display.
I don't see how people prefer on screen to physical keyboards. Physical isso much more accurate and faster.
I hope TMOUS releases the Nokia Lumia 900, or as rumor says the 910 with upgraded camera. I am also a fan of the HTC Titan.
Either way, the stock OS is great and doesn't require much modification to do exactly what it was designed to do which is work.
holding out until microsoft fixes the orientation lock thing. then we'll see if nokia makes a keyboard phone.
weatherx said:
holding out until microsoft fixes the orientation lock thing. then we'll see if nokia makes a keyboard phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone made a homebrew fix. It was published on the portal the other day. Sorry I don't have a link right quick. I have a headache and its making thinking and looking at a bright screen difficult.
jelliottz said:
Someone made a homebrew fix. It was published on the portal the other day. Sorry I don't have a link right quick. I have a headache and its making thinking and looking at a bright screen difficult.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, i saw that homebrew. problem is, it disables the accelerometer completely, rather than stopping the orientation switch, and requires a reboot to re-enable IIRC. this setting really should be a quick access setting (like volume) rather than having to go thru an app.
i'll be honest, about 1/3 of the time i slide the keyboard out on the DVP just to lock orientation.
petard said:
I don't see how people prefer on screen to physical keyboards. Physical isso much more accurate and faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree, I think physical keyboard is more accurate and I have small fingers.
petard said:
I don't know why you're complaining about speed. Everything is really fast even if it is really old hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not complaining. Ever ride in a Mercedes, then go home in a low end KIA or something. You become spoiled....even though the Mercedes is out of reach. With data speeds on the G2x and the Bionic, and now the Razr series, the data speed is blazing. Since most of my time on a phone is indeed data related of some sort, its noticable. Not like the Mercedes which is out of reach $$ wise, getting a dual core, 4g, android beast is very affordable. And I got used to it. If I never tried it, I could be of a different opinion...but it did.
With that said, the 710 with low end hardware, does indeed close the gap, alot. I've seen the reports from the TItans and some other devices, which lead me to no longer concern myself with the dual core question. But simple 3g vs 4g is an issue, and so is WiFi N availability. Both of these leave the VP in second place.
But, the VP is old hardware now. Its not so bad that you have to update, now. But, in the next several months, you will do it....as a normal progression.
crav4speed said:
I bought the DVP because of the hardware keyboard and the amoled screen. In the past few months, I've opened the keyboard maybe 10 times... that's how much i like the on-screen keyboard in windows phone.
A hardware keyboard will not be in my next phone's future although a super amoled or clearblack display most certainly will. I'm also holding out until Apollo gets released hopefully bringing in new screen resolutions and other features like NFC and I'm leaning very heavily towards Nokia unless HTC finally releases a WP with a super amoled display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, mostly. When the Dell was introduced, I had anHD7 in my hand. A Dell rep was at our work and pulled out the VP. INSTANT love affair. When he opened the keyboard...bing.....I was sold. During the entire time I used the Dell, I opened the keyboard ONLY to access the EM menu. Never did anything else. I eventually learned the feel of the phone and mistakes were rare. I was always impressed by Joe B's launch demo of WP7...with his wild typing...but it works...usually. But so does android and apple...but who cares.
I do know that MS is working on an NFC solution, and has been. I'll be interested to see what comes up....but for now that won't impact my next decision.
Regarding screen resolutions, I believe....MY OPINION ONLY, ... that first in MS's mind is the proper mix of resolution, speed, power overall, and battery life. Until they can master the issue of battery life, dual core and any other high power drains will not be part of WP. The Droid Razr MAXX was released today with a whopping 21 talk time claim. Of course, they doubled the pwer of the battery, so the efficency is the same as before....I believe MS is looking for efficiency improvements and not battery claim.
The truth is, I guess, I only purchased the 710 to see if I could handle a Nokia. I would not use this phone as my primary everyday phone. But, I now have faith in the 900, 910,930's I've seen reported by Engadget. Its better than even money I'll have 1 of these by June.
weatherx said:
i'll be honest, about 1/3 of the time i slide the keyboard out on the DVP just to lock orientation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, especially if I'm using it in bed at all.
I actually bought a used DVP a couple days back to replace my stolen iPhone 4 until something better comes along. So far, I'm actually a bit disappointed. Everything is great with the exception of the screen (stupid Pentile) and battery life.
I'm really looking forward to the Nokia Lumia 900, but until then, I'm not sure what to do. I suppose I can live with the screen for a couple months, but I don't know what to do about battery life. I really don't want to have to turn off push, but I also don't want to spend money on another battery when I'll probably replace the phone in a couple months.
I have been a DVP owner for over 1 year - switched from iphone 4 - and the Mango update breathed new life in to the phone - the lack of Internet Sharing is the only major problem I have with the phone given my 5 year old Palm Treo has this feature.
I recently cracked the screen on the DVP and was looking for a new option - I picked up the Nexus S and installed ICS 4 on it. Overall a great phone, ICS is complete and Android offers much more selection of apps and 'internet sharing' built in - you must spend a lot of time customizing as it is rather 'vanilla' out of the box.
Installed Swype on the Nexus S and it was decent - however, I am a physical keyboard guy and use the phone for work and email is the most important feature for me.
Long story short, after 5 days with Android I am back using the DVP with a cracked screen - as a business user I find the Windows 7 interface is much easier to "get in and out" for making a call, sending email, sms, webpage, etc. Also, I have ridiculously fast typing speed on the DVP keyboard, almost the same as a PC keyboard.
I am shocked that the portrait slider format is effectively dead - other than a BB Torch 9810 I haven't seen anything else on the market with a physical keyboard.
I would love to hear other people's experience transitioning from a physical keyboard, maybe I need to give it more time...
Also, if anyone has any rumors or just wants to make something up about a new portrait slider for WP7 or Android please post here...
I picked this device up as a impulse buy to replace my Note 8 and even though there was quite a lot of negative talk about this phone mostly for the software I have to say I don't regret my purchase in terms of why I bought it. I was considering the Z Fold 2, but couldn't justify wasting THAT much money for something I'd most likely break just using it (screen). Anyway, the Duo has been a great multitasking device so far. The only area I'm highly disappointed by is not so much the crappy potato camera, but the fact 1. it takes soooo long to deploy the camera ready to take one. 2. the gigantic f$%&ing delay when taking a picture vs when the camera shutter sound signifies it took a picture. I'm hoping that future updates resolve this phones issues although it sounds like there hasn't been much attention given other than this past January... At any rate, I've bought a few things to improve the usability of this phone. Magnetic usb-c cable for charging and data transfer (miss Qi charging...) and added screen protectors. Finally made some vinyl overlays for the outsides and used CF for grip although negated when the screens are folded open.
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
wez_p said:
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
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Honestly, I think you'll be disappointed straight away. You'll have to forget most of what you expect a android phone, much less a phone to be and learn how to navigate Microsoft's version of Android and a duel screen (not all Microsoft's fault and the nature of duel screens). With that said if you get comfortable enough with how they want you to do things you may start to love it more than any single screen phone and not want to go back. While I feel pretty adjusted and comfortable with using it for what it is as I was intending. With that said I've run into a few situations where the Duo will just NOT replace a phone at least a flag ship like what I was used to with my Note 8. I don't know if this good or good enough, but I can take the Duo off the charger, go to work, have the bluetooth connected to my headset, playing video, screen at around 15% brightness, be browsing the net or social media at the same time the video is playing and after my 8 hr shift be at around 10-5% battery left. Or I can do a charge for about an hr and a half? and be at around 80 - 90%? Not sure what ARCore is. Let me know if you need any info or help, although in some ways still learning myself.
blackhawk said:
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
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Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
vipfreak said:
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
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Lol, the Folds are designed to self destruct like a Mission Impossible tape... brute force not needed
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
blackhawk said:
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
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Definitely agree. It's really nice hardware. Speaking of which I will watch re-runs of Star Trek TNG if it's on some times.
blackhawk said:
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
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My primary use case is in "Nintendo DS" view where I have a screen for video playback on top and then I'm browsing the net, social media, or games on the bottom screen. This is where I think it shines the most. My second use case is like regular phone with one screen mostly for ease of typing like replying to a text message. A cool use case that I haven't done all that much is book view where I have youtube open playing a video and doing whatever on the other screen. This view is primarily nice if I have music playing off of youtube because usually if you try to multi task and youtube will stop the music and close the app entirely. With the Duo I don't have to worry about youtube taking up the screen since I have a secondary one. Something a single screen can't do. Why don't I pay youtube? I'm cheap and part Chinese. lol...
Hi,
Well, given the massive price drop from Microsoft, I decided to go for one that I bought from the MS Store directly.
Openend the package and powered up the device. Well, first thing is you will probably have to wait for 30 minutes for the successive updates to apply... Not really nice on a device that still is 800€ after 50% rebate, but OK.
Once powered up and ready to go, the first impression is amazing. The build quality is about the best you can get. The displays despite what reviewers write, are splendid. And the "Duo" panels are just amazing. App are installed super fast (not sure what memory they used, but here is it indeed pretty fast) ; GPS is super accurate ; communnication areoud and clear and so that is all good
But unfortunately, that only last for some time... And then the problems arise :
- no Led or outter display : you don't have a watch. You'll have to grab the device and open it just to know what time it is. You got a notification ? Same thing just to see what arrived. Even worse : you get a phone call ? You have to grab your phone, open it, see who's calling... and half the times, you'll miss the call because you weren't fast enough !
- the hinges ? Superb piece of craftmanship. Honestly. They feel super solid. They have the exact balance between being stiff enough to allow the displays not to move by themselves but still not to be too difficult to operate and unfold. But once your device is open and if you display, say a webpage, in "full screen" (so on both displays) then you'll just have a gap and so some parts of the page won't be legible... I thought MS would have worked on a seamless displaying of the pages when in "full screen", but no. They went the easy route ;
- the way the dual display are working is totally confusing. When I launch an app, it sometimes will display on the left panel, sometimes the right one. Why ? No idea. But that is OKAY. A little more problematic : let's say that I am using my web browser in full screen (on both displays). I get a notification that I got an e-mail. I go to recents and check the mail, then go to recents again to go back to browser... it works, but will go back to single display, not "full screen", so I have to drag the slider again to have full screen. Maybe I would be able to live with that. But on my device, one of the displays randomly decides to power off. I have to close the Surface Duo and reopen it to get the second display back. That really doesn't fill me with confidence in durability :-(
- and then there is the battery. It's melting like snow in hot summer day. I am used to 5kAh batteries that last almost a week-end given my usage. I know MS wants to mimick some of Apple's features, but why taking the worst and choose the same battery power ? Here, playing a simple game like "Cody Cross" and I will be out of juice within 2h30...
I will not talk about other small glitches, like the MS launcher, which in the Surface Edition is simply a joke ; the fact that some apps will not work in the Surface ; the incredibly poor camera (I don't care, I don't use it but did they even gave a look at the smartphone reviews where the stupid reviewers can take away 1 full star out of 5 for a smartphone just because it's camera is not stellar ?) ; the lack of accessories (proof that it simply hasn't sold)... and some other details.
But the ones I described earlier will probably get me to send the Surface Duo back to MS.
Will wait until September 22 to do that.
Let's see what they'll release on Surface Duo 2...
Because I really would like to love it and justify spending 800€ on a smartphone !
Regards
I bought mine Amazon $419 just to play and get to know - it is a fun device - I couldn't justify the Fold 3 which I had been using contemplating. If I trade this in for a Duo 2 and get US $250+ it's all good.
It fast charges really quickly. It can get to 40C and yes it drains battery terribly.
Even SwiftKey seems buggy - whole thing is more prototype than a finished product - they should be paying us!
But I think I'll wait for Android 12 at this point. 11 is a great already a year old. Also the I like to wait 4-6 months anyway for the any issues.
Hi,
If the Surface Duo was sold in France for 400€, I'd keep it too
But best brand new price I've found here is 800€ (for 256GB model) unfortunately.
This is why keeping it is a question for me :-(