Database Users

After weeks of use: Great!! but can be annoying

Annoying things samsung was lazy about in the release/build of the vibrant's software:
HTC Sense UI makes Samsung's touchwiz Interface seem like a fail sorta.
I'm being sincere and want to know if you guys agree or disagree with the below. I hope Samsung can address these issues with the Froyo release. This can make up for the cheap quality hardware build. I love the phone though. seriously. ok here we go:
Issues:
1. Switching from edge to 3g takes a lifetime
2. Slight lag in the standard software going from screen to screen (i shouldn't have to use a home replacement like adw or launcher pro for smooth scrolling)
3. The market is horribly slow to load and often says retry-connection error
4. When going into the photo gallery, old pics show first. (annoying because I have many pictures and have to go through them to get to the newest ones)
5. In the feeds and updates widget, someone may load a picture, u click on it and a tiny pic is shown (u can't *like* it or enlarge it) *Facebook action*
6. If you click on a contact, go to the media tab, let it load then click on an album, it takes you to the browser (why not fetch it within the app?)
7. When you reply to a twitter/Facebook/Myspace status update, it automatically refreshes the feed (i don't need another refresh if i didn't request it by pressing the refresh button) it should take you back to the feed
8. ACCOUNTS AND SYNC have been horrid. They work when it wants to. Always receive an error more often than not. facebook/twitter/myspace
9. Battery take 2 lifetimes to charge

I don't agree with the Sense UI making Touchwiz3 look like a fail, there are issues that it has within itself that others dislike. However, please be aware that Samsung is quite new to the game and is still developing.
The only problem I have in common with yours is the market issue which is pretty irritable.

None of those bug me.... sgs ftw

Wow dude,
maybe you got a defective device?
mine works great

ElahC said:
I don't agree with the Sense UI making Touchwiz3 look like a fail, there are issues that it has within itself that others dislike. However, please be aware that Samsung is quite new to the game and is still developing.
The only problem I have in common with yours is the market issue which is pretty irritable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i understand, that's why i am just giving my outlook on it. Hopefully it doesn't seem like im attacking Samsung... I like their interface... it's just clearly missing a few things. I'm anxious for some upgrades

stepinmyworld said:
Annoying things samsung was lazy about in the release/build of the vibrant's software:
HTC Sense UI makes Samsung's touchwiz Interface seem like a fail sorta.
I'm being sincere and want to know if you guys agree or disagree with the below. I hope Samsung can address these issues with the Froyo release. This can make up for the cheap quality hardware build. I love the phone though. seriously. ok here we go:
Issues:
1. Switching from edge to 3g takes a lifetime
2. Slight lag in the standard software going from screen to screen (i shouldn't have to use a home replacement like adw or launcher pro for smooth scrolling)
3. The market is horribly slow to load and often says retry-connection error
4. When going into the photo gallery, old pics show first. (annoying because I have many pictures and have to go through them to get to the newest ones)
5. In the feeds and updates widget, someone may load a picture, u click on it and a tiny pic is shown (u can't *like* it or enlarge it) *Facebook action*
6. If you click on a contact, go to the media tab, let it load then click on an album, it takes you to the browser (why not fetch it within the app?)
7. When you reply to a twitter/Facebook/Myspace status update, it automatically refreshes the feed (i don't need another refresh if i didn't request it by pressing the refresh button) it should take you back to the feed
8. ACCOUNTS AND SYNC have been horrid. They work when it wants to. Always receive an error more often than not. facebook/twitter/myspace
9. Battery take 2 lifetimes to charge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Doesn't for me, and this is the first I'm hearing of that. Perhaps you are in an area with poor reception or have a defective device.
2. I have no lag at all. Are you running any intensive widgets? Live wallpapers? A million things running in the background?
3. Again, that's a sign of being in a poor reception area which isn't the phone's fault. If you haven't already, I would try activating and swapping out the SIM card out for a new one if you are using an older one from a previous phone. That has solved some people's problems.
4. There should be a setting to sort by date. If there isn't, *shrug*. There are other good picture viewing apps in the market. I find the Gallery app to be very helpful in sharing pictures though.
5. Facebook makes an official app. Same goes for Twitter and Myspace. Some specific social networking actions, such as "liking" can't be done with the widget or in the contacts menu. I find the widget is good for a quick updating of statuses or tweeting.
6. If it gets you to the same point, then? The browser is speedy enough on this phone that you shouldn't need to worry about using it as opposed to the built-in apps that take you there.
7. Again, there are tons of other software in the market to use if you wish to not use the ones provided.
8. This is the social networks fault, not the phones. Facebook sync in particular works when it wants to for me. But it's Facebook's fault. Something awry with their server connections. Twitter always syncs for me.
9. Mine takes 4-5 hours from dry to charge fully. That's the downfall of having a bigger battery, you get more usage out of it but it takes longer to charge. Make sure you are using the wall charger and not a USB port on your computer (USB charging any device takes a lifetime as USB ports don't draw a lot of power anyway). If possible, turn the device off as it charges. It will charge much quicker this way. Perhaps leave the device off overnight and charge it up?
These seem like general smartphone complaints and really not much to do with the Vibrant specifically. Most of these phones have the same general minor annoyances or glitches. Sense is OK, nothing special. It's all personal taste but after using Sense for a month and then TouchWiz for 2 weeks, I much prefer TW. The Launcher and the Samsung specific apps really integrate services, social features, and Android very nicely. If you don't like the Launcher you can always use the other two big ones in the market, they work just as well. You can also use any messaging app you wish.
The hardware feels light for a reason. The heavier the device is, the harder it falls when you drop it. If you've seen all of the quality tests of people dropping the phone, trying to scratch it, etc, you would see that the build quality is amazing. The metal-looking plastic on the rim will take the most damage. Screen is scratch-resistant, not scratch-proof.

stepinmyworld said:
Annoying things samsung was lazy about in the release/build of the vibrant's software:
HTC Sense UI makes Samsung's touchwiz Interface seem like a fail sorta.
I'm being sincere and want to know if you guys agree or disagree with the below. I hope Samsung can address these issues with the Froyo release. This can make up for the cheap quality hardware build. I love the phone though. seriously. ok here we go:
Issues:
1. Switching from edge to 3g takes a lifetime
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is a network issue, not Samsung's fault.
3. The market is horribly slow to load and often says retry-connection error
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once again, a network issue.
4. When going into the photo gallery, old pics show first. (annoying because I have many pictures and have to go through them to get to the newest ones)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This I agree with.
6. If you click on a contact, go to the media tab, let it load then click on an album, it takes you to the browser (why not fetch it within the app?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand what this means. Could you elaborate?

@MMcCraryNJ
Ive had 3 vibrants already.. returned two for different issues.
thanks for your reply: I have been a smart phone user for a long time and im pretty intuitive when it comes to devices and their flaws.. I mention these issues because they trully exist. I have ran into many people from different sites whom experience the same things.. i just wanted to converse with the xda family about it. You advised that i use alternate applications via the market to fulfill my desires but that's not what I want to do or feel that needs to be done. Just like the iphone, don't tell me i have to get a rubber case to enjoy the phone because of bad reception/antenna build. The perks within the widgets could be added and indirectly im asking for some extra features in which would be attainable by Samsung. if you don't speak on it, things wont ever get done because people try to make this phone seem as if its flawless and it's not.. it's ok to admit to certain issues and not sugar coat them lol. The phone has treated me very well though besides the few annoyances just like everyone has their own preferences ya know?

Originally Posted by stepinmyworld
Annoying things samsung was lazy about in the release/build of the vibrant's software:
HTC Sense UI makes Samsung's touchwiz Interface seem like a fail sorta.
I'm being sincere and want to know if you guys agree or disagree with the below. I hope Samsung can address these issues with the Froyo release. This can make up for the cheap quality hardware build. I love the phone though. seriously. ok here we go:
Issues:
1. Switching from edge to 3g takes a lifetime
you said:[B said:
I think this is a network issue, not Samsung's fault.[/B]
my response:this is samsungs fault.. no other phone has done this.. i've had about 20 phones. I have the mytouch slide and it doesn't take more than about 10 seconds to change.. the vibrant takes about 20 to 30 seconds
3. The market is horribly slow to load and often says retry-connection error
you said: Once again, a network issue.
My response: why ddidn't my nexus one or mytouch slide do this often? it's a samsung issue
4. When going into the photo gallery, old pics show first. (annoying because I have many pictures and have to go through them to get to the newest ones)
This I agree with.
6. If you click on a contact, go to the media tab, let it load then click on an album, it takes you to the browser (why not fetch it within the app?)
u said: I don't understand what this means. Could you elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My response: when i say fetch it within the app, i mean for it to load the exta pics right in the same area and allowing me to preview them instead of pushing me to the browser to look at the pics via facebook that way. I hope im clear

ElahC said:
I don't agree with the Sense UI making Touchwiz3 look like a fail, there are issues that it has within itself that others dislike. However, please be aware that Samsung is quite new to the game and is still developing.
The only problem I have in common with yours is the market issue which is pretty irritable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Market issue and app lag in general is easy to fix. look up vibrant stalling thread, lag is due to how slow the storage is. By moving app storage to nand, you fix the issue, there are only a few side effects which most of us wont run into anyways.
I've had nexus one and ran desire rom with sense, I've had evo4g with sense, and older android phones with sense. I skipped Samsung phone, whatever it was called on Tmobile, the first Samsung android due to touch wiz. Hated it, was super slow, retarded looking, and buggy. When I heard about the vibrant, I was hesitant as I did not want touch wiz, I hated how it was in the past. Still got the phone, and wow.... I love it! I replaced launcher with adw because I Just like the way it looks more, but everything else is great. I actually prefer touch wiz to sense, it looks more modern, has some neat features.
Although, I do agree with you that it still does have issues, so does sense, specially espresso version of it on the slide. My girl has it, omg, I'd throw that phone out of the window... lol
My biggest issue with touch wiz now is the messaging. It lags, specially if you're texting several people at once. It also refuses to scroll up in the thread sometimes, just bounces back down. Despite it, I still love it, makes an already good looking OS, look better. I do prefer the visuals of touch wiz to sense, personal preference. Sense feels like a a fancy limo to me. Over the top classy visuals, with too much bloat, and overall is rather slow. Touch wiz is like a BMW, looks superb, just enough flare to make it look modern, still runs fast.
The lag in sense is mostly graphical, just feels choppy. My guess is that it is mostly related to devices themselves, as they are not as powerful as the vibrant. Like, oncrhe nexus one, 3d gallery loads just as fast, but animations feel a little choppy, on vibrant it is very smooth. And your issue with gallery, I think it is more android related and not touch wiz. Nexus is full stock and it uses same 3d gallery as the vibrant, it does the same thing when it comes to ordering.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

MMcCraryNJ said:
1. Doesn't for me, and this is the first I'm hearing of that. Perhaps you are in an area with poor reception or have a defective device.
2. I have no lag at all. Are you running any intensive widgets? Live wallpapers? A million things running in the background?
3. Again, that's a sign of being in a poor reception area which isn't the phone's fault. If you haven't already, I would try activating and swapping out the SIM card out for a new one if you are using an older one from a previous phone. That has solved some people's problems.
4. There should be a setting to sort by date. If there isn't, *shrug*. There are other good picture viewing apps in the market. I find the Gallery app to be very helpful in sharing pictures though.
5. Facebook makes an official app. Same goes for Twitter and Myspace. Some specific social networking actions, such as "liking" can't be done with the widget or in the contacts menu. I find the widget is good for a quick updating of statuses or tweeting.
6. If it gets you to the same point, then? The browser is speedy enough on this phone that you shouldn't need to worry about using it as opposed to the built-in apps that take you there.
7. Again, there are tons of other software in the market to use if you wish to not use the ones provided.
8. This is the social networks fault, not the phones. Facebook sync in particular works when it wants to for me. But it's Facebook's fault. Something awry with their server connections. Twitter always syncs for me.
9. Mine takes 4-5 hours from dry to charge fully. That's the downfall of having a bigger battery, you get more usage out of it but it takes longer to charge. Make sure you are using the wall charger and not a USB port on your computer (USB charging any device takes a lifetime as USB ports don't draw a lot of power anyway). If possible, turn the device off as it charges. It will charge much quicker this way. Perhaps leave the device off overnight and charge it up?
These seem like general smartphone complaints and really not much to do with the Vibrant specifically. Most of these phones have the same general minor annoyances or glitches. Sense is OK, nothing special. It's all personal taste but after using Sense for a month and then TouchWiz for 2 weeks, I much prefer TW. The Launcher and the Samsung specific apps really integrate services, social features, and Android very nicely. If you don't like the Launcher you can always use the other two big ones in the market, they work just as well. You can also use any messaging app you wish.
The hardware feels light for a reason. The heavier the device is, the harder it falls when you drop it. If you've seen all of the quality tests of people dropping the phone, trying to scratch it, etc, you would see that the build quality is amazing. The metal-looking plastic on the rim will take the most damage. Screen is scratch-resistant, not scratch-proof.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To number 9 specifically. He's right about charging, I think its mostly done by Samsung to preserve the battery. Nexus one has 1400mah battery, I also threw a 1500mah right before I sold it. I noticed slow charging immediately on the vibrant, nexus one charged way faster. I'm used to it now though, I always leave it on the charger over night anyway. So, the issue is not with higher capacity battery, but Samsung improving the battery life, at least I think.
And op, android is not like apple, very open sourced. It is very easy to customize and there are a ton of replacement apps on the market which could help. Like launchers, very useful and don't even waste memory as default launcher gets disabled if you run an alternate one. Point is, nothing wrong with voicing opinions and hoping that Samsung will fix or improve things. But, That will take ages, and it is a long shot. Why discredit aftermarket apps? They do no harm and could really help You enjoy your phone more.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

stepinmyworld said:
@MMcCraryNJ
Ive had 3 vibrants already.. returned two for different issues.
thanks for your reply: I have been a smart phone user for a long time and im pretty intuitive when it comes to devices and their flaws.. I mention these issues because they trully exist. I have ran into many people from different sites whom experience the same things.. i just wanted to converse with the xda family about it. You advised that i use alternate applications via the market to fulfill my desires but that's not what I want to do or feel that needs to be done. Just like the iphone, don't tell me i have to get a rubber case to enjoy the phone because of bad reception/antenna build. The perks within the widgets could be added and indirectly im asking for some extra features in which would be attainable by Samsung. if you don't speak on it, things wont ever get done because people try to make this phone seem as if its flawless and it's not.. it's ok to admit to certain issues and not sugar coat them lol. The phone has treated me very well though besides the few annoyances just like everyone has their own preferences ya know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a shame you are comparing a hardware issue(iphone) with software issue that you are having. The iphone fails because it is hardware and there are pretty much no other options but to fix it with a case however with your phone you can install different apps. You can use other apps than stock, i keep Twitter installed due to the integration with TW however i use Twidroid im sorry Twidroyd for my day to day twitter client. This phone is far from flawless i would relate the lock/power button to the iphones reception problem however with ours there is no case fix. I think it was a poor oversight on Samsung's part to put the button on the side of a rounded housing at that!

stepinmyworld said:
Annoying things samsung was lazy about in the release/build of the vibrant's software:
Issues:
1. Switching from edge to 3g takes a lifetime
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a netowrk parameter setting. By increasing the time between scans your local T-mobile market is increasing your battery life and reducing the paging load on the network. Everytime you ping pong between 2G and 3G you have to do a location area update so the network knows where to find you. EVeryone doing that would overload the system and some calls would not be delivered. Aka, they are probably doing a good thing.

hurrpancakes said:
I think this is a network issue, not Samsung's fault.
Once again, a network issue.
This I agree with.
I don't understand what this means. Could you elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shane_pcs said:
This is a netowrk parameter setting. By increasing the time between scans your local T-mobile market is increasing your battery life and reducing the paging load on the network. Everytime you ping pong between 2G and 3G you have to do a location area update so the network knows where to find you. EVeryone doing that would overload the system and some calls would not be delivered. Aka, they are probably doing a good thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
o ok... i just wonder why alll of the other phones i've owned didn't do this.... (take such a long time to switch?)

stepinmyworld said:
o ok... i just wonder why alll of the other phones i've owned didn't do this.... (take such a long time to switch?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak for markets I don't work on, but from time to time corporate changes the recommended settings. There have been a few changes specifically to the 2G and 3G interaction lately. There are also different "release classes" of handsets and they don't always support the newest "features". So sometimes a parameter change only affects certain handsets and not others.

Hi XDA, longtime lurker, first time poster. Love the forum, thanks for taking my post...*laff*
I have had a smartphone back to when they weren't phones (Motorola PageWriter). I remember the bad old days of the Pocket PC phones, how good Blackberries were with email when they hit the market and a charter G1 owner.
I can say without hesitation that the Vibrant is the best smartphone I have ever owned.
My only qualm at this point is the whole phone/google contact thing in the TouchWiz contacts app, I hate that I can't set custom ring tones or use the "groups" function for Google contacts and can't sync the "phone" contacts...I hate that, with a passion.
Seems like Samsung is treating Google contacts like an LDAP server instead of the seamless integration I had with my G1.
Other than that, I really like TouchWiz.

A few reasons why this phone is a fail for converting iPhone users

A work colleague came and asked me to explain a few things about her new S3 today, since she knows I have one and she upgraded to it after having a little look at mine last week. She had an iPhone before.
1. Play Store default setting is to dump app icons all over your homescreens - she had about 30 icons dotted across her home screens, and she couldn't understand why they were duplicated there and in her app drawer.
2. The Touchwiz launcher default is not to alphabetically organise your apps, and she said she had a hard time finding each app when she wanted to use it
3. Some of the cool features are not turned on by default, and are buried in menus which a novice user is not going to find. Case in point, voice control of apps is under Settings in S Voice. First off there is no indication that Settings is even there unless you know to pres the menu button (not intuitive at all). If these features were turned on in the first place then the popup notifications you get when using the apps would've told her about their existence, and hence she could've been using them on her own.
4. Disabling built in apps - first off she had no idea that it could be done, she just knew that she couldn't uninstall them via Play Store like her downloaded apps, and there lots she wanted rid of. When I showed her the Applications Manager this caused confusion on three counts:
A) why is there two places to get rid of/disable apps,
B) why do you have to uninstall updates to some built in apps before the disable button is shown,
C) she didn't feel comfortable messing around in a menu which clearly has essential system apps with weird (to a novice) names such as Certificate Installer, Factory Test, Security Storage and com.android.smspush
5. She didn't really understand what a Widget was and why there was a list of them at the end of her app drawer, and how to use them. I can't remember whether the setup wizard covers widgets or not, but suffice to say if it did then she had not understood it, and dismissed it. She was scrolling to the end of the apps into her widgets and saying "I don't understand these funny looking apps - they don't do anything when I press them"... She did not see the tab at the top which detotes the difference between apps and widgets, and there is no other indication when you get into the widgets.
6. She says the battery life is not good compared to her old iPhone. After having a quick look at her Battery stats (unplugged after full charge, 7.5hrs off the charger 1.5hrs screen on time, 25% battery left) there was nothing in particular acting up, however her cell reception was burning a lot of the battery. She said that her reception (measured by the number of bars - I know, I know!) was not as good as her iPhone. So the 2 issues here are that her battery is objectively not as good, and her reception is subjectively not as good as her old iPhone.
7. She does like the camera, but was unaware of features such as panorama and shooting stills whilst recording video (and I'll mention again, the possibility of voice control). However she WAS aware that the new iPhone does these things (minus the voice control).
8. She didn't understand why she needed multiple accounts for things, Google, Samsung, Dropbox - she was unaware of what these accounts were even used for, and she thought it confusing to have them all on her phone. I didn't check, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was saving all her contacts to her phone rather than her Google account and thus negating a large benefit of having an Android phone.
All these things are minor to the likes of us who are used to Android, but she felt confused and out of her depth with the phone. I tried to show her stuff and reassure her, and she has said she will give it a few more days - but she isn't comfortable with it and may return it for another iPhone...
Admittedly she is not a techie sort of person, but I do feel that Samsung (and Google) could do a bit more to simplify things for the likes of her, because ultimately they are competing against Apple the masters of simple and making people feel at home with their devices.
My discussion with her has really opened my eyes as to why so many people love the iPhone, despite it being inferior in many ways to the S3. I guess you can sell a Ferrari at Ford prices, but not everyone has the skills to drive and park such a machine...
Opinions?

Literally dude I am surprised you wrote this long problem stats. First half of the things you asked are solved in settings for ex. your first problem is solved in playstore settings and similarly same with touchwiz go in menu press option button and u get grid view choose your type and your many other problems would be solved by reading whats written in plain english and smart phones are to bug around and learn about it not to keep in showcase

Nikhil'Da Devil said:
How did you last this long on this forum...................head bang
Literally dude I am surprised you wrote this long problem stats. First half of the things you asked are solved i settings for ex. your first problem is solved in playstore settings and similarly same with touchwiz go in menu prss option button and u get grid view choose your type and your many other problems would be solved by reading whats written in plain english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's ironic, because you clearly didn't read the beginning of his post.

For point 1, you can disable the shortcut creation in the home screen so that it will create only in the app drawer.
I expect Google having its own findmylostphone service..... Samsung drive is useless.
The one big issue that I see in S3 is the lag that is in the home screen after returning back from another app. Samsung was pathetic there. Also inside the. App drawer lags inside the widgets tab. Even though S3 is a power horse Samsung has failed in many places....
No phone is perfect to fulfil everyone's need but the features that are released shouldn't be as half baked as the TW home screen. Disappointed.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Well you typed an essay...
Sent from my epic amaze 4g

The only thing that this post proves is that most people are stupid and don't take the time to learn things that they use everyday. Why have a smartphone of u don't take the time to learn how to use it?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Get her to go Windows. It's just two rows but more customization than IOS.
What Samsung should do is make a Galaxy S4 and a Galaxy SW. Make the hardware exactly the same but market the S4 to intermediate to advance user and market the SW with Windows Phone 9 to beginner to intermediate users.
The reason I say that this is how they should approach it is because Android is like what you described inherently. It gives you a lot of ways to do things from every screen. Samsung can't really dumb it down anymore or there is no point using Android. So Windows for beginners is how Samsung should approach it but instead of fragmenting their market just call the next Ativ S a Galaxy SW and watch the money come in from the beginners.

IPhone for girls and soccer moms. Android is for advanced users. I understand what you're getting at.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

I have a couple of friends who got the S3 just about the same time as myself. They both were ex iphone users and were both using BB torch prior to the S3. After a month, I was quite familiar with all the functions such as smart stay, direct call, swipe capture... etc. They were quite surprised that those features existed when i showed them, despite the fact there are pop up tutorials when you first use the phone. That's how i knew those features existed.
I dont think i'm any smarter than the average person, I think they are just too lazy and can't be bothered. Or maybe they are just living life and not sitting down with a computer, hitting the refresh button to see if the link to the latest JB leak have been posted up.

Nikhil'Da Devil said:
How did you last this long on this forum...................head bang
Literally dude I am surprised you wrote this long problem stats. First half of the things you asked are solved in settings for ex. your first problem is solved in playstore settings and similarly same with touchwiz go in menu press option button and u get grid view choose your type and your many other problems would be solved by reading whats written in plain english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You apparently have a reading comprehension disability. He was pointing out that these things are not as obvious to others as they are to us, as in the case of his colleague.
This has been obvious to me since I first got an android. I have had no issues, though I have missed some options till reading about them a time or two or just forgot where they were.
That's why there will always be a need for the iPhone, for those who cannot figure **** out on their own.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

I m gs3 USEr and GS3 is really failed phone bcoz....
wt the hell this time apple really make awesome work look at the picture...
http://mediacdn.disqus.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/344/6674/original.jpg
lol hahahaha

setspeed said:
A work colleague came and asked me to explain a few things about her new S3 today, since she knows I have one and she upgraded to it after having a little look at mine last week. She had an iPhone before.
1. Play Store default setting is to dump app icons all over your homescreens - she had about 30 icons dotted across her home screens, and she couldn't understand why they were duplicated there and in her app drawer.
2. The Touchwiz launcher default is not to alphabetically organise your apps, and she said she had a hard time finding each app when she wanted to use it
3. Some of the cool features are not turned on by default, and are buried in menus which a novice user is not going to find. Case in point, voice control of apps is under Settings in S Voice. First off there is no indication that Settings is even there unless you know to pres the menu button (not intuitive at all). If these features were turned on in the first place then the popup notifications you get when using the apps would've told her about their existence, and hence she could've been using them on her own.
4. Disabling built in apps - first off she had no idea that it could be done, she just knew that she couldn't uninstall them via Play Store like her downloaded apps, and there lots she wanted rid of. When I showed her the Applications Manager this caused confusion on three counts:
A) why is there two places to get rid of/disable apps,
B) why do you have to uninstall updates to some built in apps before the disable button is shown,
C) she didn't feel comfortable messing around in a menu which clearly has essential system apps with weird (to a novice) names such as Certificate Installer, Factory Test, Security Storage and com.android.smspush
5. She didn't really understand what a Widget was and why there was a list of them at the end of her app drawer, and how to use them. I can't remember whether the setup wizard covers widgets or not, but suffice to say if it did then she had not understood it, and dismissed it. She was scrolling to the end of the apps into her widgets and saying "I don't understand these funny looking apps - they don't do anything when I press them"... She did not see the tab at the top which detotes the difference between apps and widgets, and there is no other indication when you get into the widgets.
6. She says the battery life is not good compared to her old iPhone. After having a quick look at her Battery stats (unplugged after full charge, 7.5hrs off the charger 1.5hrs screen on time, 25% battery left) there was nothing in particular acting up, however her cell reception was burning a lot of the battery. She said that her reception (measured by the number of bars - I know, I know!) was not as good as her iPhone. So the 2 issues here are that her battery is objectively not as good, and her reception is subjectively not as good as her old iPhone.
7. She does like the camera, but was unaware of features such as panorama and shooting stills whilst recording video (and I'll mention again, the possibility of voice control). However she WAS aware that the new iPhone does these things (minus the voice control).
8. She didn't understand why she needed multiple accounts for things, Google, Samsung, Dropbox - she was unaware of what these accounts were even used for, and she thought it confusing to have them all on her phone. I didn't check, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was saving all her contacts to her phone rather than her Google account and thus negating a large benefit of having an Android phone.
All these things are minor to the likes of us who are used to Android, but she felt confused and out of her depth with the phone. I tried to show her stuff and reassure her, and she has said she will give it a few more days - but she isn't comfortable with it and may return it for another iPhone...
Admittedly she is not a techie sort of person, but I do feel that Samsung (and Google) could do a bit more to simplify things for the likes of her, because ultimately they are competing against Apple the masters of simple and making people feel at home with their devices.
My discussion with her has really opened my eyes as to why so many people love the iPhone, despite it being inferior in many ways to the S3. I guess you can sell a Ferrari at Ford prices, but not everyone has the skills to drive and park such a machine...
Opinions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
help her see the light, guide her.

2ndaccord said:
The only thing that this post proves is that most people are stupid and don't take the time to learn things that they use everyday. Why have a smartphone of u don't take the time to learn how to use it?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the reason most people don't like android phones. They find it complicated. Those who know something about technology and open source or wants more from their phone they switch to android.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

I can't understand the reason of this thread, most of the "problems" are just caused by the inexperience. Logically android it's not iOS and i don't get why she spent her money in a phone that don't wanna learn to use
Inviato dal mio GT-I9300 con Tapatalk 2

Thank you for your replies regarding on how to "fix" her issues, perhaps I didn't make it clear enough - I was able to sort all of her issues out for her as I am well versed with Android. The point is that many of her issues require digging down into menus that a novice could not know existed, or they are issues caused by thoughtless defaults on the part of the manufacturer.
Many people (iPhone users especially I think) pick up a device and learn how it works by using it, they don't want or have time to read manuals or dig through settings menus trying to guess what might or might not be in there. For instance my colleague couldn't make the mental link between installing a new app and having it appear in two different places (seemingly randomly arranged, because it would just go to the first empty space on her home screen, and her app drawer was not alphabetically organised).
If she couldn't make that mental stretch, how would you then expect her to think "Ah, this behaviour might be adjustable - where would I adjust it? Oh of course, in the Play Store settings, where if I press the Menu button (with no indicator that there is a menu underneath that button on that screen) and de-tick auto-add widgets"
And they aren't even widgets, they're app icons! So even if she had got there by some stroke of luck, she probably wouldn't have understood it anyway, because widgets are something else!
My point is that Android and Samsung have a long way to go in the usability stakes for novices.

Nosterius said:
I can't understand the reason of this thread, most of the "problems" are just caused by the inexperience. Logically android it's not iOS and i don't get why she spent her money in a phone that don't wanna learn to use
Inviato dal mio GT-I9300 con Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She got the phone because she was impressed with it's physical characteristics, big screen & nice camera. But using it has been far more difficult for her than her old phone, and hence she doesn't feel comfortable with it unfortunately.

Man I gave up long ago trying to convert iPhone users.
I tried to convert 3 at my work, and all 3 times it backfired on me. They could not grasp Android after using iOS for so long and you become the ASSHOLE that ruins their life. iOS is a perfect operating system for most people, you don't really have to think much to use it. It's just so beautifully easy to use and intuitive that you could just pick it up and master it within 10 minutes.
On that note, I could NEVER EVER go back to iOS, ever. When I use an iOS device, it feels like I'm using a phone. When I use my Android device, it feels like I'm using a computer.

So basically OP, she doesn't know how to use the phone yet?
Why the hell did she buy a phone thinking she would instantly know how to use it?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 03:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:23 AM ----------
Dan37tz said:
On that note, I could NEVER EVER go back to iOS, ever. When I use an iOS device, it feels like I'm using a phone. When I use my Android device, it feels like I'm using a computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly how it is!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

setspeed said:
Thank you for your replies regarding on how to "fix" her issues, perhaps I didn't make it clear enough - I was able to sort all of her issues out for her as I am well versed with Android. The point is that many of her issues require digging down into menus that a novice could not know existed, or they are issues caused by thoughtless defaults on the part of the manufacturer.
Many people (iPhone users especially I think) pick up a device and learn how it works by using it, they don't want or have time to read manuals or dig through settings menus trying to guess what might or might not be in there. For instance my colleague couldn't make the mental link between installing a new app and having it appear in two different places (seemingly randomly arranged, because it would just go to the first empty space on her home screen, and her app drawer was not alphabetically organised).
If she couldn't make that mental stretch, how would you then expect her to think "Ah, this behaviour might be adjustable - where would I adjust it? Oh of course, in the Play Store settings, where if I press the Menu button (with no indicator that there is a menu underneath that button on that screen) and de-tick auto-add widgets"
And they aren't even widgets, they're app icons! So even if she had got there by some stroke of luck, she probably wouldn't have understood it anyway, because widgets are something else!
My point is that Android and Samsung have a long way to go in the usability stakes for novices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I edited my reply with more thoughts. Basically, I don't see Android going that route of simplifying because that is just not in the Android genetics. All android manufacturers should follow HTC and Samsung and make idiot proof Window phones to supplement their advance android devices. Because let's face it, if they dumb down Android some more most of us are gone once we get bored of Jelly Bean. No one here wants Android 4.2 to be simple like IOS.

Don't understand it either. I jumped on a Mac the other day and was lost in iOS. Problem IMHO Mac holds your hand does it for you, whether you like it or not.
Android, less hand holding and many ways to do the same task. Can see that being confusing. It's like a prisoner being let free, all those new options are so confusing.
Like comparing a new Honda with automatic everything. To a Ferrari or Porsche that surrounds you with options of how you want everything to operate.
As I say in IT, to most plebes RTFM.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Improve overall performance (How to)

I don't know if it's well known, but I found the overall speed/performance to be a little slow. I'm talking about opening apps, and loading them, before they can be used. A simple thing I did was turn off all Moto stuff (Assist, Actions, Display). Not that the phone was bad as it's a very smooth overall device, but after turning off Moto, it really made a difference. All apps open and load much faster, and the UI seems snappier too. I know this may not be good for those who use Moto, but for me the trade off of turning it off is better than the little times I used it. Just thought I'd share in case there are people who are looking to gain a bit of speed.

Another tip is to enable developer options, and change the animations from 1x to .5x. Huge difference in opening apps, and general overall use.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE)

bobbyphoenix said:
Another tip is to enable developer options, and change the animations from 1x to .5x. Huge difference in opening apps, and general overall use.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your tips, i remove all bloatware motorola and have better battery life too

On the topic of improving performance, is there a list of bloatware/apps that are safe to freeze/remove?

xtermmin said:
On the topic of improving performance, is there a list of bloatware/apps that are safe to freeze/remove?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's not really any bloat. Since the phone is not carrier locked you only get three apps not from Google. Alert, Migrate, and Moto. I guess if you really wanted you can disable the Google apps you don't use, but they are just the standard apps you would use anyway (at least I do) like Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, etc.

bobbyphoenix said:
There's not really any bloat. Since the phone is not carrier locked you only get three apps not from Google. Alert, Migrate, and Moto. I guess if you really wanted you can disable the Google apps you don't use, but they are just the standard apps you would use anyway (at least I do) like Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon carries this phone. I just disabled whatever I don't use and my phone is fine.

bobbyphoenix said:
There's not really any bloat. Since the phone is not carrier locked you only get three apps not from Google. Alert, Migrate, and Moto. I guess if you really wanted you can disable the Google apps you don't use, but they are just the standard apps you would use anyway (at least I do) like Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah sorry, I meant more than just preinstalled apps. I meant background apps and services as well.
I use DroidWall to deny network access to everything except the stuff I need (gmail/web browser/weather widget), and looking at firewall logs I see a ton of moto and google-related services trying to connect to the network even if I don't use them. (DW groups them all into a few "app" entries, so I haven't had time to go through and find the exact culprits). Some of the google ones can be easily disabled (hangouts, drive, etc), but there's more than just those three moto apps that are trying to get network access.
For example, there seems to be some sort of service (Moto Checkin maybe?) that displays a ! warning symbol in the wifi signal meter if that service is not able to connect to some server, even if network access is working in other applications. Disabling that service would help cut down on RAM/CPU usage (even if it's only minute) and network usage (it seems to do this check every 15min or so).
EDIT:
Found what is causing the exclamation mark. It's an android system process that pings google servers to determine if the phone has a connection to the internet and not just the router. I was thinking it had to do with some Moto service because Droidwall grouped "Android System" in the same app category as a bunch of useless Moto services.
This thread details a bit more about it and how to disable it (I went with method 2A): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58252752&postcount=38
Not having a service trying to ping google every few minutes should help improve battery life and a minute amount of RAM/CPU usage.

pixiebob said:
thanks for your tips, i remove all bloatware motorola and have better battery life too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/ according to me all the motorola phones come without bloatware and by removing mentioned apps i dont think there must be significant improvements. But definitely changing animations will definitely improve your performance but not the moto apps

Is the device still have memory leak bug. My device is lagging like hell after half an hour use.
The antutu benchmark is also 16163 which is very less i think. My Android One topped upto 22000.

I wrote a post similar to this as well, is there a way we can consolidate it to just this one?

bobbyphoenix said:
I don't know if it's well known, but I found the overall speed/performance to be a little slow. I'm talking about opening apps, and loading them, before they can be used. A simple thing I did was turn off all Moto stuff (Assist, Actions, Display). Not that the phone was bad as it's a very smooth overall device, but after turning off Moto, it really made a difference. All apps open and load much faster, and the UI seems snappier too. I know this may not be good for those who use Moto, but for me the trade off of turning it off is better than the little times I used it. Just thought I'd share in case there are people who are looking to gain a bit of speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the best way to do this? Go into Apps and disable, or is there a better way to "turn it off"?

Disabling apps basically stops them from ever being active, period: once disabled they don't run anymore, don't have any services run anymore, and they disappear aka become invisible in the apps tray. The only thing they still do is "hang around" meaning they take up space on the device but that's a given. With a proper root and Titanium Backup (the full purchased version) you can completely uninstall said apps but there's always a chance you'll remove something that's integral to something else, especially when you're dealing with either the Google framework stuff or on Motorola devices the Moto system underpinnings.
Best course of action: go into Settings - Apps - and Force close the app, delete all the cached data if there is any and then disable the app(s) as required on the device itself and then go from there. If there's absolutely no issues ever with the functionality of the device then sure, you can do the root/Titanium Backup/uninstall route if necessary but you're not really going to save a ton of space overall.
Most times, disabling an app is more than enough to get it out of the way and stop bothering you for whatever reason(s).

bobbyphoenix said:
Another tip is to enable developer options, and change the animations from 1x to .5x. Huge difference in opening apps, and general overall use.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that really made a difference indeed.

I regret buying this, it lags like hell no matter what you do. I feel the moto g 2nd gen runs smoother. It could be the memory leak bug on 5.0.2.

fix-this! said:
I regret buying this, it lags like hell no matter what you do. I feel the moto g 2nd gen runs smoother. It could be the memory leak bug on 5.0.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you have tweaked stuff since day one. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I'm running stock, and the only change system wise I did was change Dev options for animations. I have no complaints as I switch back and forth from this, and my Note 3, and I only notice some slowness opening apps, but no lag, stutter, or anything I would consider bad performance. Maybe try flashing stock image, factory reset, and see how it is then.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE)

bobbyphoenix said:
Well you have tweaked stuff since day one. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I'm running stock, and the only change system wise I did was change Dev options for animations. I have no complaints as I switch back and forth from this, and my Note 3, and I only notice some slowness opening apps, but no lag, stutter, or anything I would consider bad performance. Maybe try flashing stock image, factory reset, and see how it is then.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say I agree here, I am also running Stock. I have not seen any serious lag on ths phone except slightly slower loading. And I know what lag feels like as I am the not so proud owner of a TF700 tablet....
All I have done is mod the animations likewise and disabled as much as I can that I don't use.

I run stock and only modified the animation speed and must say the phone lags much more than I anticipated.
Must be Lollipop because my parents both have the Moto G 4g (kitkat) and everytime I need to help them it feels much more fluid than my Moto e.
From loading apps and the play store to even swiftkey that seems to load so much quicker, very weird.
Just tested it yesterday because I thought I was making things up and put my dads phone and mine next to each other and the speed difference when loading apps was making me sad.

I just picked this phone up yesterday to hold me over until the next moto X, or maybe the next nexus.
came from a nexus 5 (only had it a month and well i couldn't live with its awful battery life, it was so bad maybe only 6 hours per charge and the battery was fairly new). now this phone is noticeably slower, but its really not so bad. I do think though that something in this software build for 5.0.2 is slowing it down. when i am using the phone it seems like theres plenty of free ram, but it just feels a little stuttery scrolling through things like a facebook feed. I had a moto x 2013, and a razr M before that, and am a big motorola fan, but I just cant see how this is so slow. it seems like it'd have to be faster than a razr M (which is same resolution, and 1GB ram) but it seems to me that something is really wrong here.
hopefully 5.1 comes out soon.

pixiebob said:
thanks for your tips, i remove all bloatware motorola and have better battery life too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you make a few screensshot of disabled apps, please?

castillo92 said:
Can you make a few screensshot of disabled apps, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am in CM12.1 now, this rom is more battery friendly than stock rom so i suggest you to do same.
in CM12.1 all bloatware motorola is removed

I don't know what to think about this Nexus.

I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.

They each (AOSP vs manufacturer's skins) have their advantages. For me, I was sick of being many months behind on Android versions.
You'll be able to find lots of tweaks to help. You might also try Benzo or Chroma ROMs.

And I am someone that every non nexus I have had I put aosp on as soon as I could love me some vanilla
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Free mobile app

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search in Calendar is right in the top level menu, just above the first separator (Schedule...Day...3 Day...Week...Month....Search). Assuming you mean Google Calendar, which is stock.
Click on the contact image to bring up the contact, and the text icon is on the right. Click on the number to bring up a redial menu. Its not labeled or anything, but once you know its super easy.
Why are you forced to use Google's camera? It sucks. I use Snap Camera. Google photos sucks, too. Actually, all galleries suck compared to QuickPic. And I use SugarSync for backup because it copies the photos to a specific directory on my main PC.
And other than maybe the dialer, I used these same apps when I ran a TW ROM on my old S4. The more open API standards of Android generally allow you to use best in class apps no matter what OEM skin is in place. Also...dialers can be replaced, too. I just don't use them enough to care much.

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You aren't actually experiencing problems, you're still in the learning phase. Once you have it figured out, you'll be good to go.
I actually like the Droid Turbo immensely. My issue with it was pretty much that it doesn't work on my carrier's network (UMTS/AWS). The international version "Moto Maxx" was very appealing, but hard to get your hands on and really not all that much support.
** I favor, slightly, the smaller screen + bigger battery.
The calendar search has been explained.
Text to a caller is easy; In your dialer RECENTS list, click on the CONTACT ICON at the LEFT SIDE of the log line, and then press the "messaging" button on the top-right of the drawer that pops up from the bottom of the screen. Bang, you're in Messaging and that contact is selected.
Not sure what problem you have with the google camera application, works pretty well for me.
But yeah, photos[+] is a horrid piece of spyware crap that deserves to burn in hell.
You can disable photos by dragging it from the launcher drawer to the top of the screen "info" and pressing "disable".
THEN you can install the proper AOSP gallery, which I've rigged up to install as an external apk;
https://github.com/lbdroid/Android-Binaries/blob/master/Gallery2.apk
OR if you prefer to compile it from source yourself to reassure yourself that I didn't add any spyware to it;
https://github.com/lbdroid/android_packages_apps_Gallery2
* note: compiling that requires NDK

Thank you for the links to a gallery app. I'm gonna trust you and use the first link.. You wouldn't want to spy on my pics unless you like hot blonds and camaros (my girlfriend and my car ). That is all I take pics of for the most part.

tombaldwin6 said:
Thank you for the links to a gallery app. I'm gonna trust you and use the first link.. You wouldn't want to spy on my pics unless you like hot blonds and camaros (my girlfriend and my car ). That is all I take pics of for the most part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't trust him.
I installed that .apk and my phone blew up.
:crying::crying::crying:

You literally named issues that can almost all be fixed by using a different app instead of the one you are using. And I'm too lazy to name them all. But you didn't complain about the huge screen which is nice to not hear

Nickchapstick said:
You literally named issues that can almost all be fixed by using a different app instead of the one you are using. And I'm too lazy to name them all. But you didn't complain about the huge screen which is nice to not hear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IKR I'm short person well below average. And I use 6in screen one handed no problem. Y is everyone so scared of it?

Exel said:
Don't trust him.
I installed that .apk and my phone blew up.
:crying::crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol

hdtechk said:
IKR I'm short person well below average. And I use 6in screen one handed no problem. Y is everyone so scared of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur with some other folks here, it sounds like you need Chroma. IMHO the best way to describe Chroma is a vanilla version of Android with all of the little niceties added back in.

IMO the google camera has been slightly faster at responding (focusing, snapping, opening, etc) since the update to 5.1 (I have used both stock 5.1 and now cleanrom). Before that I used open camera, and still like it for the features.

MunkinDrunky said:
IMO the google camera has been slightly faster at responding (focusing, snapping, opening, etc) since the update to 5.1 (I have used both stock 5.1 and now cleanrom). Before that I used open camera, and still like it for the features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was just updated.

I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 PM ----------
If you miss something like moto blur your right Nexus phones are not for you. I personally DESPISE anything other than stock android. Theyre all ugly as **** and full of useless gimmicks.

chrisnk204 said:
I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice car though.

brizey said:
Search in Calendar is right in the top level menu, just above the first separator (Schedule...Day...3 Day...Week...Month....Search). Assuming you mean Google Calendar, which is stock.
Click on the contact image to bring up the contact, and the text icon is on the right. Click on the number to bring up a redial menu. Its not labeled or anything, but once you know its super easy.
Why are you forced to use Google's camera? It sucks. I use Snap Camera. Google photos sucks, too. Actually, all galleries suck compared to QuickPic. And I use SugarSync for backup because it copies the photos to a specific directory on my main PC.
And other than maybe the dialer, I used these same apps when I ran a TW ROM on my old S4. The more open API standards of Android generally allow you to use best in class apps no matter what OEM skin is in place. Also...dialers can be replaced, too. I just don't use them enough to care much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I myself don't mind the Google camera but ya quickpic gallery is pretty amazing I love it as well
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

huh? I think she's pretty damn hot!

chrisnk204 said:
I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh snap!
Sent from my Chroma-powered Nexus 6

24 hour first impressions

I've had the Pixel 2 a little over 24 hours now.
Okay. More like 36.
Here are my initial impressions...
Mod edit, removed link

"After my first day, I can say that I love the direction Android is heading in. It’s becoming more customizable by the minute, and with each update, things just keep getting smoother."
You lost me there. Android is less and less customizable after each new version, sadly.

Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...

IVBela said:
"After my first day, I can say that I love the direction Android is heading in. It’s becoming more customizable by the minute, and with each update, things just keep getting smoother."
You lost me there. Android is less and less customizable after each new version, sadly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IVBela said:
Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Valid points, I suppose. But the Pixel 2 will surely have a solid development community, so these things will all still be customizable - it will just require jumping through more hoops than it should.

Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.

IVBela said:
Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The search bar isn't a feature of "android" though. It's a feature of Google's Pixel launcher, so this isn't a lack of customisation in Android but in this specific app that Google make for their particular phones (not as part of the OS).
If you want rid of it, use a different launcher. It's what I'm doing.

Large Hadron said:
The search bar isn't a feature of "android" though. It's a feature of Google's Pixel launcher, so this isn't a lack of customisation in Android but in this specific app that Google make for their particular phones (not as part of the OS).
If you want rid of it, use a different launcher. It's what I'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then. I just listed a few points that quickly came to my mind. By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Anyways, each their own. I feel it's going the wrong direction in terms of customization.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
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Click to collapse
NFC issue with clicking? Can you elaborate? I don't use NFC very often, outside of a few Android Pay payments here and there, so I haven't experienced this yet.

IVBela said:
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then. I just listed a few points that quickly came to my mind. By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Anyways, each their own. I feel it's going the wrong direction in terms of customization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Nova launcher, you can keep the swipe to the left foot Google now and hide the persistent search bar.

Has anyone else had random shut downs?

IVBela said:
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it becoming harder and harder to root? Other than we don't have TWRP yet.

foosion said:
How is it becoming harder and harder to root? Other than we don't have TWRP yet.
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Click to collapse
First it just broke OTA, then came forced SELinux, then this SafetyNet thing first only if modified something, now even if just unlocking bootloader. All their justification was "increased security". Thank you, but I can protect myself.
Got a refurbished Nexus5x after my original one bootlooped, on this the bootloader can't even be unlocked... yay!

t2jbird said:
Has anyone else had random shut downs?
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Click to collapse
2 here in the first hour of use, wasn't really do anything at the time. The last time I clicked a folder on the home screen and down it went. Hopefully this was just a one time thing (2 times).

guysalami said:
2 here in the first hour of use, wasn't really do anything at the time. The last time I clicked a folder on the home screen and down it went. Hopefully this was just a one time thing (2 times).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.

t2jbird said:
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.
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Click to collapse
Not a good sign, nice of them to give you a credit though. I don't have twitter installed here.

guysalami said:
Not a good sign, nice of them to give you a credit though. I don't have twitter installed here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far no shut downs but not sure I'm willing to give up Twitter.. it works fine on all my other devices.

t2jbird said:
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude that is seriously scary... You think it's your phone or something with Twitter?

cap1tal1sm said:
Dude that is seriously scary... You think it's your phone or something with Twitter?
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Click to collapse
I'm honestly not sure. It's been annoying and it appears to be random... It's happened with no background apps open while I'm scrolling through photos. The screen freezes for about 5 seconds and then cuts off instantly. Then it will turn back on after about a minute.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my Pixel 2 since Thursday last week. NFC was on by default and I have not noticed with the many calls I have made with the phone since I got it.
IVBela said:
By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nova Launcher support it.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can also hear the clicking. It is constant but only noticeable when holding the phone to my ear.
I will say that this is the most impressive camera I've ever used on a phone though.