Related
*Please be aware that if you have rooted your device you may get undesirable results from daily use that I haven't covered here. That is a risk you take or something you have to put up with or solve/workaround yourself, or with your rom provider.*
__________________
When in doubt, always read the manual!!! >>>>DOWNLOAD IT HERE!<<<<
Have a problem with your dock/battery?
Read THIS first.
My FOTA update keeps failing to install.
You have to fully return your device to stock (not just unroot). Use NVflash to do this. Then go to the asus ftp server and download any update file. Update your device using that file and this should allow your device to update FOTA properly.
Get a tingling sensation when plugging in a charger?
Flip the charger over and plug it into the wall so that the S in asus is on the side with the fat slot on the plug to fix. Seems to be a faulty adapter issue.
My screen isn't displaying anything:
Make sure none of the side buttons are stuck. Press them and make sure they 'click' ok. Force power off your device (10-12 second hold of power button, then release). Wait for about 30 secs. Then power it on normally (6sec power button hold and release). If your screen worked, then stopped, try discharging the battery to 0%. Then re-charging it. This has seemed to clear screen responsiveness for lots of people.
My dock battery is dead and it won't start to re-charge:
Try this tip HERE.
My speaker volume is stuck at a certain level:
Force power off your device (10-12 second hold of power button, then release). Then wait for about 30 secs. Then power it on normally (6sec power button hold and release).
My device/dock battery isn't charging OR my device/dock battery isn't holding a charge:
Make sure the charger is 100% clipped together properly. It's a very tight fit and may need slight force to snap together. Also make sure you have inserted the usb cable the right way up in your adapter. Sometimes unclipping, and re-attaching the adapter parts fixes problems (some come pre-assembled already so this may not be your issue). If your dock battery indicator doesn't ever go green after about 8hrs of charging (not for the first charge) then it may need RMA'ing. A normal charge of the tablet itself, from empty to full, should take about 3hrs maximum (not for the first charge).
My battery is draining very quickly:
Some apps run fine in the background, but there are others that may be 'keeping alive' certain functions, such as gps, sensors, etc. In order to get around this you can use free task killing apps from the market. It's recommended to be selective about which apps you choose to auto-kill. Don't just put them all on auto-kill (unless you are using a 'safe' option in the app) or your system may become unstable. If you have wifi on when you put the tablet in standby, it stays connected. If you then leave the network coverage area, the tablet will continually search for any network around it, draining the battery further. So when leaving home, remember to switch it off. Another possible cause of major battery drain is a badly coded/incompatible app. Get a battery monitoring app from the market and keep a close eye on the logs it produces. Don't watch every little blip/spike in the readings, try to take an average reading, over a few hours/days to get a better idea of what's happening.
Why isn't my device charging when I plug it into my pc?
It will only charge when the display of the device is off. And it is extremely slow and will only trickle charge. There are ways to boost power to your usb port, but the risks far outweigh any benefits.
My keyboard dock has X issue:
The next firmware update should solve many dock problems.
My touchscreen isn't working properly:
A future firmware update may resolve this issue.
My speaker balance is off (louder/quieter in one speaker than the other):
A future firmware update may resolve this issue. Or if you don't want to wait you can read THIS thread.
My X app force closes/crashes unexpectedly:
Check with the app developer/market for an updated version compatible with honeycomb.
The default camera app is showing a green screen:
This was fixed in firmware update1. Upgrade your firmware.
I don't have MyCloud or splashtop apps installed. Where are they?
These were added in firmware update1. Upgrade your firmware.
My email widget isn't updating and always shows 0 emails:
This was fixed in firmware update1. Upgrade your firmware. Then remove the widget from your home screen, reboot and then re-add the widget to your screen.
My wifi signal keeps dropping:
Update to the latest firmware. Set your router/modem to a specific channel (set it to 1-11, NOT channel 12 or 13). Failing that, it's probably time to buy a newer wireless N router/modem (the TF does not support 5ghz, only 2.4ghz).
One of my speakers stays on even when nothing is playing from it:
Put your device into standby mode for 5+ seconds. Then turn on again.
My charging cable is too short:
Some 3rd party USB 3.0 male to female extension cables work to extend the length. This seems to be the luck of the draw if it works for you or not.
I get horrible movie recording framerate issues:
This was fixed in firmware update1. Upgrade your firmware.
My microsd card isnt working:
Make sure it is formatted to fat32. Make sure it's securely fixed into the slot. It has to be pushed in quite a way. Use a long fingernail or the edge of a credit card. Make sure it clicks and holds in the slot. It should be flush to the side of the device.
I have dust under my screen or dead pixels or both:
Return and replace for a new unit by RMA'ing your device.
My MKV video playback is jerky/unwatchable/not working:
Make sure it's a low profile encoded file.
My device isn't powering on:
Perhaps you have put it into APX/nvflash mode by mistake (which doesn't display anything onscreen). Force power off your device (10-12 second hold of power button, then release). Then wait for about 30 secs. Then power it on normally (2sec power button hold and release). If still nothing you might have to RMA it for a replacement.
I can't install any apps from the market:
If you are in an unsupported country you can try THIS. If you're not and still can't install, sometimes google does maintenance that affects certain accounts. Try it again at a later time/date.
My onscreen keyboard is laggy:
Change the keyboard from the default Asus keyboard for the stock honeycomb one. Turn off text prediction. If still laggy you have a conflicting app. If fixed then find another keyboard app that you like.
When I plug my device into my pc I cant transfer any files:
Make sure the device's screen is on, and that the lockscreen is not showing.
My dock isn't charging my tablet above 97%:
There is inbuilt code to stop your device from charging above a certain point to prolong the battery life.
Solid Green light = Battery above 95% charge.
Solid Orange (they call it orange) = 10-95% charge.
Orange blinking = Battery less than 3-10% charge.
Orange fast blinking = Battery less than 3% charge.
My screen is sticky:
Give it a wipe with a microfibre cloth. After a few days of use it will be a lot better.
The XDA site is laggy in the default browser:
Bottom left of the XDA site is a dropdown box. Change the template to 'Classic' mode.
After trying to update the firmware, my device is showing the wrong build number:
Factory reset your device and re-apply the update manually.
I get a strange clicking noise on startup:
It's normal. This is just the camera running through the initialisation process.
I'm having troubles installing apps via the desktop market.
Make sure the screen is on, and unlocked.
I can't login to the android market:
Go to settings>applications and clear the market, market updater and market feedback agent caches. Try again.
My apps are force-closing/crashing all the time:
Install apps that are known to be stable with honeycomb. Try this list HERE.
My SDXC card isn't working:
Format it as NTFS, if you are using files over 4gb on it or the card wont work properly. An alternative method is to format the card as Fat32 filesystem (if you are going to be only storing files under 4gb in size), but you will need to partition it into 32gb sections if you use this formatting system, for the full capacity to be usable.
LINK for RMAing devices in the UK.
LINK for RMAing devices in the USA.
My case is sharp/creaky/rattling/chipped/dented/flexing/cursed/gives me a funny look, when I received it:
RMA for a replacement.
My neighbours' baby/dog/cat/grandfather/goldfish/alien ate my cable:
This won't be covered under any warranty so you will have to purchase a separate one when they become available.
I have light bleed:
Cool... free torch feature!! Either that or RMA for a new device.
____________
Think something should be added here? Pm me, or post below.
My battery died very quickly while the tablet was in standby:
If you have wifi on when you put the tablet in standby, it stays connected. If you leave an area of wifi coverage, the tablet will continually search for a network, draining the battery.
EJL1980 said:
My battery died very quickly while the tablet was in standby:
If you have wifi on when you put the tablet in standby, it stays connected. If you leave an area of wifi coverage, the tablet will continually search for a network, draining the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can modify that behavior in the wifi settings. Take a look at the sleep settngs.
I have not seen this mentioned so it probably is not too common a problem but my wifi was initially invisible to my transformer. Switching the channel from 13 or maybe 14 to something lower fixed the issue.
EJL1980 said:
My battery died very quickly while the tablet was in standby:
If you have wifi on when you put the tablet in standby, it stays connected. If you leave an area of wifi coverage, the tablet will continually search for a network, draining the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks that's a good point. I've added it to main post.
EJL1980 said:
My battery died very quickly while the tablet was in standby:
If you have wifi on when you put the tablet in standby, it stays connected. If you leave an area of wifi coverage, the tablet will continually search for a network, draining the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and I want to stress: wifi performance on standby is problematic and needs a fix. On the Xoom, wifi can be kept on when the screen turns off and standby performance is in the <.5%/hour battery use range. The Asus needs to have wifi set to turn off when the screen is off to achieve this kind of performance (otherwise, it burns about 3%/hour).
I'm hoping Asus is aware of this issue and will fix it soon in a firmware update.
some very good points, thank you
Touch screen stopped responding to touch
Brand new unit after about an hours use the touchscreen stopped responding to touch. It did this on Friday, May 13th, between Noon and 5pm eastern DST. The unit was working when shut of and was in a safe spot. I went to turn it on and no touchscreen. I noted the time as I think there may have been an OTA update then but I never saw anything on screen.
No monkey business, rooting, tinkering etc. Just learning about unit.
I have wiped the memory and cold booted several times, no change. I note that after a forced off the unit turns back on by its self. I saw earlier when I started the browser for the first time, the right 25% of the screen was over bright then went dark. Exiting browser, screen returned to normal and never saw this behavior again.
Screen may be somewhat dim now but cannot get past setup screen as only power key is responded to.
Already asked B&H for RMA but any magic gratefully accepted.
Howard
@easyrotor
Unfortunately it sounds like a clear case of a faulty unit. Don't know of anything that can help in that situation im afraid. Not what you'd want to hear of course, but at least it should be a simple exchange for a new one.
Overcharging prevention on PSU-to-Tablet too?
<<<
My dock isn't charging my tablet above 97%:
There is inbuilt code to stop your device from charging above a certain point to prolong the battery life.
Solid Green light = Battery above 95% charge.
Solid Orange (they call it orange) = 10-95% charge.
Orange blinking = Battery less than 3-10% charge.
Orange fast blinking = Battery less than 3% charge.
>>>
- On this note, does it only apply to Dock-to-Tablet charging or also for PSU-to-Tablet charging?
- I have not try the dock to see it for myself but at least with PSU, it seems to charge my tablet all the way to 100%.
AcidCool2K said:
- On this note, does it only apply to Dock-to-Tablet charging or also for PSU-to-Tablet charging?
- I have not try the dock to see it for myself but at least with PSU, it seems to charge my tablet all the way to 100%.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, I'm not sure. I assuming that no matter what, the led on the keyboard dock would show just it's own charge.
Will have to monitor it for a bit and get back to you.
Hopefully later once Asus release another update, it will contain the dock battery vs. tablet battery (that got taken out from the .12 beta build) for us to monitor both.
just wanted to say that this thread is awesome...thanks so much for putting in the effort to document all problems/solutions that may come up with our TF's.
It might be worth mentioning light bleed here?
thegrumpyyoungman said:
just wanted to say that this thread is awesome...thanks so much for putting in the effort to document all problems/solutions that may come up with our TF's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
UKseagull said:
It might be worth mentioning light bleed here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Saying what exactly? Return and get a new one? Would imagine most would do that already. Plus there's no fix you can do yourself.
I only put those last 2 lines in the first post as a bit of a joke, but I'll add another for light bleed then.
stuntdouble said:
Saying what exactly? Return and get a new one? Would imagine most would do that already. Plus there's no fix you can do yourself.
I only put those last 2 lines in the first post as a bit of a joke, but I'll add another for light bleed then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not, if you've bothered with mentioning the dust issue then why not another issue that's been mentioned more than once?
I have dust under my screen or dead pixels or both:
Return and replace for a new unit by RMA'ing your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Added. ...
Hardy harrr harrrr .... If I had a custard pie ...
Transformer won't Charge
I received my eee pad transformer from hh gregg yesterday. When I opened the box I noticed that there was a scratch that appeared to be under the the screen. The scratch is very long, but also very fine and you can only see it when the screen is dark and you hold it up to the light. So I figured what the heck, not that big of a deal. However, when I went to charge the transformer, I cannot get it to charge. No light, no nothing. I've tried everything. Plugging it up to the computer, plugging into the wall, taking apart and putting back together, still nothing. I'm trying to figure out what to do. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Asus said I can send to them and they will look at it or I can send it back to the store, however, the store does not have anymore of the transformers in stock.
zoranaw said:
I've tried everything. Plugging it up to the computer, plugging into the wall, taking apart and putting back together, still nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are taking apart and putting back together the wall charger then you likely haven't put it together properly yet; it will not come apart easily at all if it is fully together.
Try pushing harder than you think you should until the pronged portion is snapped in to place and you cannot easily remove it again. If it doesn't snap down, the contacts on the back side don't line up and it won't charge.
I have an TF 32GB + docking.
I have shutdown my transformer completey and removed it from the docking.
When I now plugin the powercord to charge it, the tab always starts up. I dont want that. Is that normal behaviour?
Mine does that as well. I may be wrong ,but i think it charges faster when its turned off, so i often turn it off then plug it in. I need to get into the habit of plugging it in , and then turning it off, I guess.
nexxexium said:
I have an TF 32GB + docking.
I have shutdown my transformer completey and removed it from the docking.
When I now plugin the powercord to charge it, the tab always starts up. I dont want that. Is that normal behaviour?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears to be normal behavior.I know about 5 people with TFs and mine. All turn on when you plug the charger...
Skickat från min ASUS Eee Pad TF101
nexxexium said:
I have an TF 32GB + docking.
I have shutdown my transformer completey and removed it from the docking.
When I now plugin the powercord to charge it, the tab always starts up. I dont want that. Is that normal behaviour?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't see if AT is fully charged without see the screen so... that's completely normal, dock has a led that tablet hasn't...
-you choose to shut your tablet down
-you plug power in
-now the tablet acts on its own and powers on
then they should also put a small light on the tablet. my god i'm starting to regret my purchase.
if this is by design then they are completely retarded at asus
Annoying... yes... big deal... no.
Skickat från min ASUS Eee Pad TF101
How is this annoying in any way? It's not like it'll charge a significant amount slower with the screen off, and with the screen off there isn't a single way to see it's on if you're 12 and won't want your parents to find out it's turned on after bed time.
You people will ***** about ANYTHING.
My iPhone and the iPad did the same thing,
Plug the power cord in and then shut down, this way it will remain off..
nexxexium said:
-you choose to shut your tablet down
-you plug power in
-now the tablet acts on its own and powers on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do this instead (still 3 steps):
-you plug power in
-now the tablet acts on its own and powers on
-you shut your tablet down
Better?
i ***** if i feel like it
Its one extra annoying thing. (Like you cant connect to hidden wifi)
These things are designed by a retard.
I don't know whether there is a technical reason for the power on so I will abstain from judging it to be a mental impairment...
nexxexium said:
Like you cant connect to hidden wifi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woah, really?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
nexxexium said:
i ***** if i feel like it
Its one extra annoying thing. (Like you cant connect to hidden wifi)
These things are designed by a retard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 2 waps and both are hidden. I can connect to both.
nexxexium said:
Like you cant connect to hidden wifi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true. My work wifi SSID isn't broadcasted and I was able to add it to my list and connect easily.
As for the original question...every Android and iDevice I've seen exhibit this behavior.
Maybe you could direct your anger and energy towards the failing economy and make some progress there?
so to reverse only one step (plug then switch off) is for genius
Tigrev said:
So do this instead (still 3 steps):
-you plug power in
-now the tablet acts on its own and powers on
-you shut your tablet down
Better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's one step too many. If I run the battery down on my tablet (which I do fairly frequently), then want it to charge as quickly as possible, I shouldn't have to power it back down every time to achieve that.
I'd like to see this behavior changed, and I'm glad to find I'm not the only one irritated by it.
Don't get me wrong -- love the tab, and own two. That doesn't mean there's no room for improvement, though. There's no logical reason to have the tab turn on instantly on charging. (Seeing the charge level doesn't count as a logical reason, because if you're worried about the charge level, you likely don't want to reduce the charging speed to find out the answer -- you likely want it charging as fast as possible until you're ready to leave the charging point.)
I would guess the behavior likely hails from phones, where it actually makes sense. With a phone, you want it active to receive calls all the time, and so starting when you plug it in is logical. With a tablet, it's simply not. Just something Google forgot to correct in Honeycomb, is my guess.
nexxexium said:
These things are designed by a retard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And, apparently, operated by the retarded.
Settings -> Wireless and Networks -> Add WiFi Network.
knoxploration said:
No, it's one step too many. If I run the battery down on my tablet (which I do fairly frequently), then want it to charge as quickly as possible, I shouldn't have to power it back down every time to achieve that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well OK, then skip the last step. The display will go right back off by itself within the screen timeout. No big deal. My timeout is set to 2 minutes, so I'd estimate that might add a minute or so to the net charging time, worst case.
Can we consider this a thoroughly dead horse?
Tigrev said:
Well OK, then skip the last step. The display will go right back off by itself within the screen timeout. No big deal. My timeout is set to 2 minutes, so I'd estimate that might add a minute or so to the net charging time, worst case.
Can we consider this a thoroughly dead horse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, we can't. The display powering off doesn't power off the tablet. It still runs, and hence still charges slower than it should be. With the tablet running (even with the display off), it charges significantly more slowly, as evidenced by the battery graph which gives a clear indication of charge rate.
And from my experience, it occasionally doesn't charge at *all* when running, even when using the factory charger and factory charging cable. (Not sure why, but it's happened a couple of times, and powering off starts it charging.) That glitch makes it even more important that it doesn't start up when plugged in to charge.
knoxploration said:
No, we can't. The display powering off doesn't power off the tablet. It still runs, and hence still charges slower than it should be. With the tablet running (even with the display off), it charges significantly more slowly, as evidenced by the battery graph which gives a clear indication of charge rate.
And from my experience, it occasionally doesn't charge at *all* when running, even when using the factory charger and factory charging cable. (Not sure why, but it's happened a couple of times, and powering off starts it charging.) That glitch makes it even more important that it doesn't start up when plugged in to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All you did was ***** before you got your TF, now you have it and all you do is still *****. You are everything that's bad about the world.
Because people seem to have their panties in a bunch over this one I checked charging rate powered off vs turned on, and it's only 2% less per hour. That's an insignificantly small difference.
I said it before and I'll say it again, you guys will ***** about ANYTHING.
EDIT: The 2% was measured including the extra battery drain I get from starting up the tablet to check battery level every hour.
On my work computer I notice that when my phone is plugged into usb and charging, the computer will tend to freeze up for a split second, sometimes several times a minute. Anything I do during the freeze is lost, such as a keystroke wont be registered.
It also happens more frequently when my phone is doing more cpu/memory intensive things like playing music.
Its a small low power PC. Could this be maybe a power issue with the phone eating too much power through USB?
redspeed said:
On my work computer I notice that when my phone is plugged into usb and charging, the computer will tend to freeze up for a split second, sometimes several times a minute. Anything I do during the freeze is lost, such as a keystroke wont be registered.
It also happens more frequently when my phone is doing more cpu/memory intensive things like playing music.
Its a small low power PC. Could this be maybe a power issue with the phone eating too much power through USB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a low amount of available RAM. When it "freezes" for a second, look at the case/tower. Is the hard drive activity light rapidly blinking? Your PC may be "swapping" or "paging" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paging
If it's a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine, try plugging in a USB flash drive and using the ReadyBoost feature. See if that helps out.
Its got 4gb of ram so that shouldnt be the issue I would think. The odd thing is its always worked fine before. When I updated to EL30 it seems like thats the exact moment it started occurring.
I guess Ill find an extra wall charger to bring in instead.
redspeed said:
Its got 4gb of ram so that shouldnt be the issue I would think. The odd thing is its always worked fine before. When I updated to EL30 it seems like thats the exact moment it started occurring.
I guess Ill find an extra wall charger to bring in instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Despite the amount of physical RAM installed, there's always the possibility of a ton of apps/processes running in the background, hogging up resources. Just because a machine has 4GB RAM doesn't mean all 4GB are always available. With Windows, that's seldom the case. I'd double-check the "Processes" tab in the Task Manager to get an idea of available RAM vs in-use RAM. Even if it doesn't apply to this situation, it's still a good thing to know in case you want to squeeze out more performance from your system.
Hello
My Amazon Fire Tablet 7" 16GB which is only two years old. The Tablet works really well. However, it keeps switching off. There is no consistency to this. Sometimes, I am using the device and it goes off. Other times, I leave it on and it switches off. It's driving me mad. Amazon were not at all helpful. I have done a factory reset already. Does anyone have a solution for this problem? Thanks.
Gill said:
Hello
My Amazon Fire Tablet 7" 16GB which is only two years old. The Tablet works really well. However, it keeps switching off. There is no consistency to this. Sometimes, I am using the device and it goes off. Other times, I leave it on and it switches off. It's driving me mad. Amazon were not at all helpful. I have done a factory reset already. Does anyone have a solution for this problem? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Likely a hardware problem - failing battery or loose battery connection. Little you can do unless willing to crack open the case (search YouTube for video guidance). Replacement batteries are rarely authentic even when touted as new/original; approach with skepticism. Loose connections (or main board with a micro fizzure) are tough to track down unless obvious.
These inexpensive Amazon gizmos are pretty much a throw-away when they start acting up. Sorry for the bad news.
Can you open your fire tablet to measure the voltage
Requirements:
Amazon Fire tablet
A repairing toolkit for mobile
Multimeter (use for voltmeter)
1. Open your Fire tablet
2. Prepare the multimeter to mean the battery voltage
3. Connect the probe to battery socket to pin 1-2 positive, 5-6 negative
Pin 1-2 red
Pin 3-4 white
Pin 5-6 black
4. The voltage is higher to 3.8v or lower to 3.4, replace the battery with new battery
I just bought this phone recently, mainly because it was $425 on Amazon. I was coming from a Galaxy s9+ that had cracks on both the back and the front. It was bought new. The s9+ that I have been making some comparisons to was bought used.
This phone is used mainly in a large metro area. I have not used this phone in areas where cell phone coverage may be spotty
Sim card: Same one I have been using since ~2015ish. Think It came from a Galaxy s5. The Nokia does not come with a Sim card, but does have the sim card extractor.
Android version: 11 (security patch level is 11/1/2021). This was upgraded from 10, which is what the phone comes with. The updates on t-mobile started almost as soon as I inserted my sim card, which worked flawlessly. I've had the same sim card for a few years.
Call quality. I haven't had any complaints about call quality. I can be heard quite clearly, as long as I am not to close to frozen food cases. I think the florescent lighting or the metal of the case interferes with the phone somehow. Backing away a few feet seems to correct this. Had the same issue with the Samsung. I can also hear others quite clearly.
Networking: the 5g indicator is usually on. I don't do more than lite browsing and social media on the phone. I also use Public transportation apps(for tickets and scheduling), banking, ridesharing & Kindle type apps. No problems with any of these.
There is one problem to report, that I haven't had for a few days. I have a strange hesitation when using a network related app. When using google voice dictation, sometimes it takes a few seconds before you can start dictating text. I've experienced the same thing in other network heavy apps like social media or just standard web browsing. I think it mainly happens when you are connected to wifi, but I haven't seen that problem in almost a week.
Sound: I definitely recommend using Poweramp or similar app with this phone so you can enable the eq built into poweramp. Out of the box, the sound was tinny and some of the mids were way too noticable, which can hurt if you have sensitive hearing. Depending on the headphones or earbuds you use you will have to adjust this so the mids are not as noticable and the Bass is more present. The speaker on the phone itself sounds OK for calls but when going to YouTube, there just isn't any bass at all. This is not a big deal to me as I don't generally watch video on my phone with the exception of a ticktock video you may see posted on Facebook. The headphones included are kind of tinny. I have also used those samsung headphones that have the wing to keep it in your ear. These have somewhat better sound.
Gaming: I don't use this phone for gaming and don't generally do android gaming as many of the games I have played in the past put a commercial in front of you every 30 seconds. I do have one puzzle game installed that works fine, but that one does not have any ads.
Screen: The adaptive screen brightness control will darken the screen in unusual situations, requiring me to raise the brightness. I think it happens mostly when bright sunlight hits the screen. It happened a couple of times when I am about to activate a bus ticket which is incredibly annoying when you have to activate the ticket, and pull your mask up to get on the bus. It seems to have gotten better lately, but I haven't had occasion to need a bus ticket for the last week. Other than that, the screen is good for what I use it for, pictures I have taken both with this phone and other phones look fine. When using kindle type apps like Kindle and FB reader, you may want to adjust the brightness or use night mode. FBreader has a brightness control on the left side of the screen, just swipe up down. Also FBreader, and I believe Kindle as well have a setting that won't darken the screen if the battery is below 50%
Dimensions: you will notice this phone in your pocket. It isn't that much wider than my s9+, maybe 1/8 inch on either side with a case on it. It is noticeably longer however, by about half an inch. Also, this phone is also heavier than my s9+, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I also had an LG g4 (hated that phone, happy when I turned it in), and the g4 was definitely awkward in your pocket. the Nokia is not as awkward but you will need to adjust it depending on activity. Don't drive with it in your pants pocket. It can be uncomfortable. I usually put it on the console.
Battery: I usually find myself charging this phone before bed. By the next day, if I don't charge it, the battery will be down to about 20%-30% the following evening, after I get home, usually by around 6pm-8pm. I generally try to let it get down into the teens or even lower before charging it during the week. To contrast that with the s9+, If it was 100% charged in the morning, by 8pm it will usually be almost out of power unless I charge it during the day. On Fridays or Saturdays when I go out for fun, however I will charge the phone even if it is at 50%. Ridesharing apps can drain the battery pretty quickly on my s9+, and leaving the GPS on in general I have noticed is a power drainer, so I only turn on the GPS when I need it. If I go out for the evening, I will also turn off wifi as this will also save power. The ridesharing apps on the Nokia seem to use noticably less power.
Charging: Don't use other chargers with this phone. I have a Samsung variable watt charger which will charge the s9+ in under an hour, but I noticed when I connected it once as a test, the Nokia phone kept going through this charging not charging cycle as though you were plugging and unplugging the charger every second. It also doesnt charge well if the charger is connected to a USB extension (the extension is not USB3). I use these cables to charge the s9+ (which is OK with using the extension usb cable) and the Nokia (which doesn't like the USB extension). From almost no power, the phone will get to about half in around 30 minutes (time approximate, I wasn't keeping track) and a full charge will take a little over an hour. It may be that USB3 cables like those I linked are required. I haven't used the cable included with the phone as those are usually crap.
I have connected the phone to my computer for file transfer and the connection is solid and does not time out. Also Total Commander with the LAN plugin works well also.
Thats all I can think of for now.
eta:
Fingerprint scanner:
The s9+ fingerprint scanner is rear mounted and is covered with the same glass material the back uses. As such, it gets smudged quite frequently and will not effectively scan a fingerprint
The Nokia is side mounted and uses some type of composite material that does not get dirty. It's rare that it does not work. I like the side mounted scanner/on button as it is easier to get to with one hand, and it is easier for different fingers to use the scanner. One swipe usually does it.
Weight: I have an Iphone 11 for work, and it seems the Nokia weighs almost exactly the same as the Iphone, But the Nokia wins by a small margin in the weight category.
Just a quick update. 7% battery can last a long time on this phone, depending on usage. Especially if you turn off wifi
Adaptive brightness reminds me of the Acura CL I use to have, specifically the fact that the automatic transmission was always shifting, just like the adaptive brightness control. If you are reading something in a low light situation, you constantly have to turn the phone towards a lightsource and back again to be able to see what is on the screen. I turned off adaptive brightness and just keep it less than 50% most of the time. That seems to work better.
The side mounted fingerprint scanner is a little too conveniently located. Depending on how you hold your phone, you could turn the screen on in situations where you don't want to do that. It just takes an adjustment to how you hold your phone.
Thanks for the detailed review, I think Im going to get it.
careloads said:
Thanks for the detailed review, I think Im going to get it.
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I'm happy with it mostly. There is still the odd hesitation when going to dictation mode for anything, but it doesnt happen all the time. Also keep in mind, I'm in a large metro area with alot of coverage. The only time I dont get signal is at work, and wifi can be spotty at work also. But this is a known issue with for everyone where I work.
I went off brand using a Umidigi Bison before this one. The only thing that the Bison really beat this one was signal strength. I drive thru rural and a 30 second drop has turned into a 2 minute drop in coverage.
Everything else is as good or much better.
Turn 5G off, its not worth it. The 12 update will kill Dual Sim if you use it.
Just checking in. Battery still lasts more than a day. I keep gps off mostly and only turn it on for ridesharing apps, or mapping when driving. Wifi will be turned off as well if I know I am going to be somewhere where there is no wifi. These 2 tricks extend the battery life quite a bit. Facebook can be a bit of a drainer as I tend to watch reels alot.
Also recently got the 12 update. Hate Android 12 mostly. The design choices are simply horrible.
WestCoastSunset said:
The design choices are simply horrible.
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Nothing like going backwards over a decade in design eh?
Another weird problem I realize I've had for a couple of days now. A reboot fixed it. The ringer stopped working, even though sound did not.
It seems Nokia's need rebooting more often than Samsungs. Although, it could be an android 12 bug. I did not have this problem on android 11.
I was waiting for an Uber a few weeks ago, when my mobile signal suddenly dropped to 0. Had to reboot the phone. Would have tried the cell data button, but I didnt want to miss my uber. Rebooting fixed it. Androids seem to need rebooting more often.
Well, I have to play with this phone to get it to recognize anything plugged into it. Charging and Data connections can be very quirky on this phone. Rebooting seems to help, as does cleaning the USBC port. I am not entirely sure there is any physical damage. This may just be a case of slower hardware. When I plug in a USBC cable, either for power or charging, after a reboot + 5-10 minutes, it seems to work fine.
I bought this phone in December of 2021. Not sure if a warranty replacement is even worth the inconvenience, as I would have to get a cheap interim backup phone while waiting for the warranty replacement. I recently switched jobs and no longer have access to the job provided Iphone. Having a backup phone is something I have always wanted to to have, however. The Samsung I had has a cracked front and back, so that is out of the question. If anyone has any suggestions as to what to get, please post.
Another thing that's been happening is when my fingers are not touching the phone, apps will launch anyway as though I had. I have a glass screen protector (that I need to replace) on it, not sure if this is part of the problem.
Also, I originally thought that the fingerprint reader/button was very conveniently placed, I now think it should be a little higher up on the phone.
Have to get the phone serviced. it wont charge anymore. Since I bought it on Amazon and thru a 3rd party reseller, I don't think it will be covered under warranty. But if it is, I may just keep it as a backup phone and get something different. if not, I'll sell it on ebay for parts. The phone would have been fine if it weren't for all the quirks. Google dictation still hesitates. I have to reboot the phone almost every day. The battery still lasts a good while. But the damn phone has a crappy charging port. The charger works in every other device I plug it into.
Final reccomendation: avoid Nokia.
Reliability is a big deal, and they just don't have it
Well, anyone following this, I sent the phone to Nokia's service center in Florida. I have not gotten a communication yet as to whether I will be charged for the cost of repair or not:
Your NOKIA 8.3 submitted for repair has been received by the service centre and is the process of being evaluated and repaired.
You will receive an email update when completed and the phone is on its way back to you.
For any further assistance or support please contact us via https://www.nokia.com/mobile-support
Sincerely,
Nokia Mobile Care Team
From the way this is worded, it seems they may honor the warranty. We will see.
Still not sure if I will keep the phone as my daily driver. I still have the cracked s9+. It needs to be charged multiple times a day as I use my phone alot for work. The s9+ also has a tendency to get very warm.
Well, I got the phone back. I also ordered those magnetic cables. There are a few companies, but I ordered from NetDot on amazon. They work fine for charging your phone, but if you use android auto in your car and have to connect a cable (I'm not sure if cable connection is always necessary when using android auto, but it is for the car I sometimes use these days), then unless you have a car mount of some type, the cable will constantly be knocked out of the socket. I've also noticed that the usbc connector with the magnetic tip is easily removed from the phone itself. I've often pulled the cable out with magnetic connector. Bending the cable to remove it from the magnetic connector is a better option.
I won't be buying another Nokia as the USBC connector issue happens on a range of models, as I've discovered on Reddit.
A shame, really. But I don't expect them to get better.
On a side note, don't expect a tracking # on the return voyage. I even chatted with support and they could not get me one. The whole process took about 2.5 weeks for me. At least I got the phone back.
Going to start putting money aside for a new phone-non Nokia, I don't expect this one to last.