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My persistent knocking on the doors of mobile phone providers within a 30 mile radius from my home finally paid off today when I finally managed to get my hands on a HD2 (hoorah).
I have always said that there is no way on earth I would spend over £500 ona sim free device without first seeing one in the metal and testing it out. No one in their right mind buys a house or car without first seeing it and, if appropriate, testing it out before buying.
First Impressions:
Even though I had seen a dummy earlier, the size of the screen does come as a bit of a surprise. However this is a very thin device which makes the whole thing just about manageable. It is not quite as in-your-face, size-wise, as, say, the Toshiba TG01. Be aware though that there is absolutely a shedload of real screen estate to play with on the HD2.
Build quality looked very good. The back plate looks like a well machined item. I tweaked the keys around a little but did not experience the "wobble" that others have talked about.
The screen is a fingerprint magnet of the first order; however it is nothing a quick blow of hot, moist breath and a clean handkerchief can't cure very quickly. Maybe an appropriate screen protector might be helpful; however I cannot confirm.
Something else that was immediately apparent was just how fast the device is. Apps opened near instantaneously and the device was simply a joy to use.
The camera was rather interesting: as a brand new device, straight out of the box and booted up for the first time, the camera screen started up with a pink hue across the whole of the screen. I immediately thought of the pink issue that a lot of people have spoken about. However after about a minute the camera settled down and the pinkish hue cleared up.
The guy from o2 said that he had seen this start-up effect on all of the cameras he had seen/used/demonstrated/sold to date so I am assuming that this is "feature" of the device.
All the shots I took (indoors in artificial light) came out just fine and the quality, to my eyes, was good as far as camera's on mobile phones go.
I did not find the lack of a hardware camera button a problem. The fact is I actually preferred the on-screen shutter button; seemed pretty cool and effective.
The Keyboard:
I opened up MS Word and moved onto the dreaded keyboard.
Within a couple of seconds I could clearly see why some of you have given up on this device and sent it back. The keyboard out of the box is awful and stringing 2 words together was a real pain. However switch off the T9 function and the keyboard is transformed into something very very useful.
Yes, you have to be quite accurate with your fingers. I found I got the best results using my fingertips pointing near vertically downwards rather than horizontal and flat. The former method presents a narrow minimal area of the finger to the keyboard, resulting in reasonable/acceptable accuracy, while the latter method simply created problems, pulling in adjacent letters to the ones I wanted to use on nearly every occasion.
The key here is that, given I had no more than a half hour with the device, I found that I made no more mistakes with this keyboard, at no greater frequency, than I do now with my resistive keyboard on my TYTN, which I have had for over 3 years.
I did not get a chance to test the voice, email or sms functions as I did not have the time. Therefore I am unable to verify whether the problems others have mentioned were present in the device I tested or not.
Availability:
It is difficult to work out what the strategy is with the supply of this device. The 3 o2 shops I went into had only received 2 devices each! 2 out of the 3 shops had sold them on within a day and the 3rd, where I did my test, had 1 left.
None of the shops could confirm for certain when their next supplies would be in or how many handsets they would get. Each one suggested contacting them on a regular basis to see what the position is.
For me, given that this is a device in demand at probably the most advantageous marketing point in the year, i.e. the run up to Christmas, I cannot understand why there is so much uncertainty around the supply chain.
What Next?:
Now that I have finally laid my hands on the device, the key question I had to address was this; given all the horror stories on here about various problems, etc, was it sensible for me to become another early adopter given that this device will be used for business purposes where reliability is essential.
The decision I have made is, given the work currently being undertaken by C'monex and others coupled with custom roms already in the pipeline, plus the hints and tips thread in this forum, on balance I think it is just about worth the risk me jumping in and purchasing a device.
I was at this point 3 years ago when I first purchased my TyTN. To this day I consider it an absolute miracle that the device did not end its days under a hammer within the first week of ownership, so appallingly awful was that device straight out of the box.
Over time, and with a lot of people doing sterling work on here, things turned around to the point where I have a device that is rock solid stable, reliable and good to use.
I would strongly suggest that if anyone is considering buying this device, they find a live model to play with first before making their minds up. I can see why the keyboard could be a real deal breaker although I intend to purchase a capacitive stylus to get around some of the problems I foresee with non-finger friendly winmobile applications.
Conclusion:
This device looks very promising and yes, it does have issues, based on the reports we have seen here on XDA. You need to play with one first before making a decision to buy.
The keyboard is very different to a resistive one and requires patience, perseverance and good technique to get the best out of it.
I did not have enough time to have an exhaustive, comprehensive play with the device; however I have seen enough to determine that, on balance, and based on emerging developments here on XDA, I could live with it. Besides my current device is now long in the tooth and needs replacing.
The only fear I have is that once I have paid out my hard earned cash for this device, HTC bring out an Android HD2-like device using the snapdragon processor, which is really what I would prefer.
My order for a HD2 plus a HTC Hero goes in next week, depending on stock availability in the UK.
I hope this quick walk through is helpful to those who are trying to make a decision on this device, one way or another.
WB
Thanks WB for this excellent overview - certainly more down to earth and focused than most reviewers who don't know what to expect in HTC phones.
I too had a similar experience to your TYTN when I purchased my Polaris. Mine nearly took a high dive from the 30th floor of an office block when I got it. However in February this year, I installed epimazzo's KhanX ROM and didn't touch it again given how stable and usable everything was.
I've been watching the Leo forum closely for the past two weeks and I can see some of the top cookers hovering and waiting to pounce (oh, Hard SPL, wherefore art thou?). This device has so much potential and is so exciting that I purchased mine sight unseen.
The bugs and wrinkles are...ahem...par for the course if you buy a HTC phone these days. To my mind, there is nothing that appears insurmountable to the ROM chefs (respect). As I said, the phone has monstrous potential - seems like a solid GPS implementation plus the accelerometer, compass and proximity sensor. Bingo!
I had the option of going for any of the Samsung Omnia II, the Acer F1 and the Toshi phones. But none of those has the depth of support found here on xda (only iPhone comes close in community support). HTC owes many people on this forum in a big way - without it, probably you and I would have sh_tcanned HTC years ago...
And for someone who is always fiddling with my phone every day, the possibility of squeezing performance out of this thing is half the fun. May not suit those who need a perfect phone OOTB (like the iPhone for example).
He says confidently before he hits the SMS lag problem...
Update
Well, since I wrote the short review above and read XDA LEO forums end-to-end so my initial thoughts on jumping in and buying the device faded a little. Part of the problem was the sheer volume of negative noise coming from a number of people on these forums plus the fact that I have been here before with the Tytn, taking a year before I had a device I could both trust and like.
Those painful memories made me think long and hard about jumping in and doing the deed. What I needed to do was to get a sense of perspective and balance which was proving difficult to find on XDA. Also being able to lay hands on a device at will to play with was proving very difficult as the limited stocks becoming available were flying off the shelves as fast as they were coming in. This was at odds with all the negativity I was picking up here.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not knocking people. Those that were brave enough to post their honest views about the device, albeit negative ones, did me a huge favour, despite the fact that most of them faced massive hostility from the masses. What this meant for me was that instead of going into any decision rosy eyed I knew that if I bought into the HD2 world there would be problems to overcome, over and above the usual tweaks that one does because its windows, don't you know?!
Some sense of balance was found via the following polls, which I found to be invaluable:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=598900&highlight=polls (severity of grid display)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=595655&highlight=poll (weird touch-screen behaviour)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=591011&highlight=poll (earpiece and voice quality)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=2075 (HD2 speaker quality)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=592375&highlight=poll (in search of balance).
So, approaching the festive season with the family nagging me to tell them what I wanted for Xmas, I rang a supplier, talked through all the known issues with them, which they were aware of. However the rate of returns on HD2's to them was so small as to be infinitesimal which meant one of 2 things:
- People were buying the device and either liking it or could live with it or
- The supplier wasn't telling me the truth (highly unlikely as I have been using them for a while now).
They were happy enough to agree to take the device back and return my funds if I did not like it either under the 7 day distance selling rules in the UK or by me ringing them up and indicating my preference.
Went back to the family, gave them the news and......a brand new HD2 landed in my sack on Xmas day via Santa Claus. What an amazing guy he is! Someone should offer to have his children for him.
Broke the box open last night, ie Xmas night and despite my anticipation, took time out to charge it up properly. Time spent now conditioning the battery correctly equals solid battery performance later down the line.
Tackled the beast in anger today. It is true to say that in the metal, this is a beautiful piece of engineering. Build quality on my version at least is excellent with none of the wobbly keys and ill fitting screen problems reported by others being noticable.
Went through setting up the device as I want it (yes, its been a long day and I have stopped now), made a complete backup immediately as my master backup, then installed tips no 8, 44, 46, 58 from the hints and tips thread and made another backup, separate from the original. This way if anything goes wrong I can simply roll back to the last successful change.
Points Worth Commenting On:
Keyboard:
The keyboard needs a degree of accuracy to use it successfully. I did not find the sensitivity out of the box an issue at all. Where I had to be absolutely accurate was in keying in my sim unlock code into the phone. Got that wrong too many times but practice will make perfect.
An even greater level of accuracy is required when trying to put ticks into selection boxes, e.g when installing Memmaid. This can prove frustrating as can the process of copying and pasting. I am sure that the capacitive stylus coming out of HTC will help with this "problem".
For me the keyboard works best without T9 switched on. However for sheer speed the Swype keyboard which I have installed is the way to go. Another version of this board (SlideIt) is readily available and I will be moving to that asap as Swype is NOT free-ware nor, as I have just found out, not officially released yet for the windows platform.
Weather Animations:
The weather animations are very good, just the sort of thing a chap needs to gain bragging rights down at the local pub. I have already seen most of the animations today due to the readily changing weather conditions we have had where we live.
Back Cover:
There is a serious but amusing thread on here where someone could not get their back cover off. Having already been through that thread I was not looking forward to my experience. However I can report that as long as you follow the instructions in the guide the cover is pretty easy to take off and put back on.
Overall First Impressions:
There is a hell of a lot to like about the HD2. There are things that I felt needed to change to suit me better. I have altered SMS to show in traditional mode rather than conversation mode as this works best for me.
Twitter and Facebook are of no use to me so these have not been configured.
I have yet to work out how to get the built-in picture viewer to pick up and show my pictures on the external SD card and there are a whole host of other things I have yet to get done. However day 1 has gone very very well indeed.
I will add to this post as I get to know the device a little better. In the meantime I am off to read the full manual to pick up on what else I need to know.
WB
PS: For those interested I am running Rom 1.48 straight out of the box. Not bothered with the SMS fix as I have not had any issues with SMS sending and receiving so far.
I am being meticulous about killing off apps not required but running in the background via the task manager. Also been straight onto the notification queue lock-up problem by installing Memmaid to sort that out.
Need to find a way of making sure that the X button really does kill off these open apps to save valuable memory space.
PPS: Really annoying niggle is after 10 goes I have not been able to put on the HTC screen protector properly. No matter how hard I try, even using a large cardboard piece to smooth it out, I can't get all the air bubbles out. I really want to use the protector but as it stands, I might have to take the risk and ditch it unless someone can pass on a full-proof method for putting the damned thing on properly.
I have never ever had this problem before in all the years I have had of devices that needed their screens protecting.
More updates soon.
WB
Regarding keyboard I recommend to use Swype or Finger Keyboard.
its a support forum 99% of posts here will be problems
wacky.banana said:
The only fear I have is that once I have paid out my hard earned cash for this device, HTC bring out an Android HD2-like device using the snapdragon processor, which is really what I would prefer.
My order for a HD2 plus a HTC Hero goes in next week, depending on stock availability in the UK.
I hope this quick walk through is helpful to those who are trying to make a decision on this device, one way or another.
WB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I'd recommend waiting for the Xperia X10 if you want an android device. The HD2 in its current state is not something I'd want to use for everyday business use; it has still got some minor problems that needs addressing.
Toss3 said:
Honestly I'd recommend waiting for the Xperia X10 if you want an android device. The HD2 in its current state is not something I'd want to use for everyday business use; it has still got some minor problems that needs addressing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have they sorted the speed of the x10 out yet, last videos i saw it was terrible
sharpey said:
have they sorted the speed of the x10 out yet, last videos i saw it was terrible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's still in its beta stages so the software is bound to get faster once they've sorted out the minor bugs. I really doubt Sony would release it in its current state, but considering HTC released a device without proper texting support and awful call quality I can't say I'd be surprised.
Next year HTC brings out the HTC Bravo, it's an Android Phone (V. 2.0) with the snapdragon 1GHz and total similar to the HD2 instead of the 3,7" AMOLED (more than 16 mio colors) display .
I think it's the same as the hd2 just the android version of it
regards
HTC BRAVO: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/htc-bravo-pictured-more-lucidly/
sharpey said:
its a support forum 99% of posts here will be problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ sharpey,
Hey fella, merry Xmas to you. If you have been on here as long as I have you would know that XDA is not a support forum but a Developers forum, hence the name XDA-Developers. The conversation and posts used to be about cooked roms, hacking, development of tools and utilities, etc and pushing the technical envelope, NOT coping with people who won't or can't RTFM (read the manual).
It's only in recent times that new users have attempted to change the format and shape of the forum and it has now become, in part, a support forum because people like me like to help other people. Only problem is the noise generated by this process tends to obscure the real nuggets of good information one is looking for before investing in a device like this, e.g, SPL availability and associated development, availability of cooked roms, flexibility of the device from a hacking perspective, and so on. This is what I meant when I said I was looking for a balanced view on here but found it difficult to find what I was looking for although the polls I have linked to also provided useful info.
@ all others,
This thread is just a running update of the journey I went through until I got a HD2. I know there are a lot of people out there who are holding back on buying one as they are confused by how much information/misinformation there is out there on the HD2. All I am doing is sharing my experience in the hope that it helps someone.
Right now the device is 2 days old and I am Just loving it. :. Yes, there are some minor annoyances like the lack of a sent indicator when sms messages are sent; however I trust the device and if I want to be sure I simply look in my sent box to confirm the message is gone.
If you are considering buying a HD2, read this thread plus all the links, read the independent 3rd party reviews then go play with one in the metal, and, if you are happy, go buy one and ENJOY!!
WB
Samsung FocusBeautiful, crisp, or a cheap piece of junk. I would like to know.
I would like to know if you own a Focus or are considering purchasing one. I believe that word of mouth is important so I ask the community to place their thoughts about the Focus here. Also I would like just 1 post from each member who is writing their own review. Remember you can edit your post. Help me out and if you actually own a focus let us know in the poll.
Try to look at the below review for a format. Of course it is your review so write it how you see fit.
Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Light
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Fast and responsive
6. Diagnosis Screen
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Better SD support
2. Power charging should be on the bottom of the phone
3. Power button should be on the top of the phone or harder to press
4. Screen can scratch all be it very hard to do so.
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace can be buggy
2. Games are fun and vibrant
3. Programs are stable
What would you like to see improved in you windows experience on the Focus:
1. Need to allow multitasking as an option for GPS and third party audio programs.
2. Wish marketplace would show how many download an app had
3. More live tiles
4. In email adding folders to sync is cumbersome.
Who would you recommend buy this phone?
I would recommend this phone to anyone. This is the best phone I owned.
I pretty much agree with what you posted. I've really come to like WP7 and the Focus although, there is still much work to be done on the OS.
I guess if Samsung had one with a physical keyboard, I'd be all over it.
It's so fluid in motion, readable and highly consistent in design. Overall, I've got to give MS a big thumbs up. The UI is beautiful and functional.
My only real complaint is the occasional marketplace freeze.
I've had a number of android devices and I've had more than one iPhone.. I was ready for something fresh and different.. and so far this is fitting the bill quite well.
Now make with the updates, Microsoft... some new features would be nice.
As for the focus itself, it's a nice piece of hardware. The screen is gorgeous, battery life seems decent, speaker sounds good, calls are clear. It has a little creak do it if I grip it too hard, but it doesn't feel like it's going to break. I'd pretty much put it even with my Samsung Vibrant.. it is plasticky, but it doesn't feel cheap.
I've had my Focus since they released them publicly. The hardware is great overall. I have two iPhones (3G and 4), a Droid, Blackberry 9000 and a new Torch. The iPhone sets the bar high, and in my opinion the Focus easily competes head to head with the iPhone in terms of the screen and performance, maybe even better for speed. So far I haven't had any problems with it, in terms of the hardware. No unexpected reboots or lock-ups. I've soft-reset it a couple times on my own, and did one hard-reset to attempt to get wireless Zune sync working (still doesn't work), but that I'm sure is an OS problem. I do wish Samsung just stepped up with 16GB of NAND storage from the get-go though. Sure, an optional SD card is nice to have, but the way WP7 uses storage it doesn't surprise me people are seeing random crashes and data loss. WP7 essentially combines both storage types as one large storage, but expects performance to be the same and that's not reasonable. There's really no reason why they couldn't make NAND the primary, and SD secondary for more static things like music and documents.
In the beginning battery life was pretty bad. But I think it just took a few charge cycles to correct that. I get almost two days out of it without wifi. With Wifi it drops to maybe a day and a half at most.
The AMOLED screen is just awesome. Clear, bright, smooth.
I'm looking forward to MS releasing a WP7 update though. There are so many little bugs/features that are missing, besides the popular copy/paste that I rarely use anyway.
I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.
Pretty much agree with the first post. I really like this phone.
When reading email, I wish there was a way to make the font bigger that would also word wrap so you don't have to move back and forth to read the email. Either autosize to a larger font with word wrap, or just let me select a larger font size.
I love the voice search! It's worked for me in noisy resturants and standing along side a busy road. Impressive!
I really like my Samsung Focus primarily because in my usage the OS has been stable, fast, and really easy to navigate.
The lack of available applications (for whatever reasons) is a huge issue. I own both an iPhone and Droid X. If I didn't have those phones on which to use apps I think I'd be a little less kind at this moment to WP7 and the Focus
Overall I think what MSFT has TODAY is a great first smartphone for someone who has not used one before.
Will this progress to a serious contender in the smartphone space? I don't know but I'm hoping that it can be one of the top 3.
webdev511 said:
I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone's reception fairly blows, also, and AT&T is awful at my house. I bought a zBoost YX-545 GSM/PCS repeater, stuck the antenna in the attic where I get at least a couple reception bars and put the unit in the upper floor of the house. That now gives me 4 or 5 bars throughout the house and yard and helped the iPhone considerably and does just as well with the Focus. If you have any reception at all, this is a better solution than AT&T's hit-or-miss microcell.
Personally, I like the screen and the weight. It's so nice being able to pull it out of my pocket, take a quick glance at the screen to see if there's anything of interest and, if not, pop it right back from where it came. The screen is bright, easily read at arm's length and laid out well. The commercials about "saving us from our phones" actually made sense once I used the phone for a few days. One thing that drove me nuts about the iPhone was the form and weight. It's akin to having a brick in my shirt pocket and the weight makes it practically jump out of my pocket any time I bend over a bit. The Focus has a much nicer form with the rounded edges, it's thin and it's relatively light weight means it's been less prone to wanting to slide out of my pocket. It's being so thin and rounded makes it more difficult to pick up off a flat surface than the iPhone.
I've used iPhones for the past 2 1/2 years and while the iPhone has it all over the Focus as far as functionality, what the Focus currently does is so much easier to do that I believe I'm ready to commit and forget about the 30 day return policy. All in all, the benefits and potential very much outweight the few drawbacks that exist, such as the plastic feel and mediocre reception.
Oh...and the expandable memory is a HUGE plus after 2 1/2 years of a phone I couldn't even open. Yes, I've read that plenty of people have had problems with it but using a Sandisk 8GB class 2 SD card I've been able to put some 10 GB of music on the phone without so much as a single hiccup in any way. I suppose Sandisk is still the best for a reason...accept no substitutes!
JDiddyC Review
(in conjunction with previous noted items)
What I like:
1. Integration of FB, apps and Live Skydrive, etc. Seemless!
2. Ability to customize the tiles on the home screen
3. Live tiles! Need I say more!?
4. Accessing info and sharing is quick and easy
What I don't like / needs development:
1. For the love of God, please let us use Bing Turn by Turn and not PAY for provider specific apps or add-ons!
2. Zune / Music portion needs work
- Channels would be nice
- Why do I have to pay for songs via AT&T when I have zune pass? This should work like market place on the Zune HD!
- Please let me use music I have on the device as a ringtone!?
Overall satisfaction:
LOVE IT! I feel pretty confident that changes to the OS and apps will come in the near future that will hopefully address the few things I don't like. Although I fear there are some agreements with providers around GPS and turn by turn directions that may keep us hacking to get around them.
Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Facebook Integration
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Xbox Live
6. Fun UI
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Multitasking or at least backgrounding (i want pandora!!!)
2. When the Screen is locked i shouldnt be able to power off the phone with just the button! Come on now that should be common sense.
3. Flashlight app that acually uses the LED
4. Volume controls that are not all in one (i shouldnt have to turn my phone back up to 30 after playing a games at 10 because the games too loud, in turn making my ringtone way too quiet)
5. Cut, Copy, Paste!!!
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace and UI can be buggy (especailly when downloading)
2. Games are fun and vibrant but with a lack of games ive grown interested in with other platforms
3. best camera phone implementation with the shutter button and ease.
bump
Can a moderator sticky this
I love the focus ALOT! I bought it outright at Rogers for $630! Its unbelievably fast and smooth....its the most fluid phone I have ever used in my life to be honest....I handed it over to my gf! Why? because I take alot of pictures and video, and so far while the focus has been good at both, it doesn't hold up to my Xperia X10,,,therefore I went back to my X10...but I play with the Focus all day long. If somehow they could write a camera app (like Vignette for android) and make the pictures cleaner in low light then the Focus would be my primary phone hands down.
Overall I'd give this phone a 9.5/10 just because I feel the camera is lacking slightly.
Lovin My New unlocked Samsung Focus
Samsung Focus is the BEST WP7 phone hands down right now! Just wished 3G and MMS would work with my T-Mo service Provider.
Anyone find out how to get into the MFG Mode?
I have been through the whole Diagnosis Mode, changed about every setting i could change and still no MMS.
btw.. thx sandrobber for listing all the codes for the diagnosis menu!
Just bought 3 foci (sp), Originally got one for my step father who had been working on some old handmedowns and wanted a real smart phone of his own and one for my wife who hated her Pure with such a purple passion that I was almost ready to overlook my no Apple rule and get her an Iphone. They both are loving it.
I went ahead and got one for myself. I have to admit I did a lot of waffling between the focus and the quantum.
Personally I think the quantum's size and form factor is slightly superior. It was just the right size to fit in my hand and be worked easily with one hand while the focus is just a tad on the large size to be truly comfortable.
That said I ended up going with the Focus because damn it's a huge gorgeous screen the potential for expansion and general overall ratings it's getting on the hardware side.
My past experience with smart phones has been with winmo and palm OS. Part of my decision to go with the Samsung was because of my experiences with their older smart phones. In fact I just ran across my old I300 the other day while sorting through some old boxes and the damned thing still runs just fine after a quick charge.
Pro's
that huge screen.
smooth seamless performance.
did I mention that huge beautiful screen?
Expandable memory
Con's
Bing button is too damned easy to hit.
form factor is just a tad to big to be used consistently with one hand.
Who thought putting the USB port on the top was a good idea?
Market place is buggy and has locked up on me several times requiring a reset of the device.
Other thoughts
As a former winmo user I'm definitely missing some of the features that I knew weren't going to make it into this os. I still think it was rather stupid to drop active sync and myphone for this platform. I understand some of the rationals but it's still missed.
Same goes for the lack of access to the files system (in particular the lack of drag and drop and real support for SD storage)
That said the phone is incredibly user friendly. My wife who hated the hell out of her Pure took to this thing like a duck to water and she's far from technically competent with this sort of thing in that she's a fairly typical user who's not interested in tinkering with a device just to get basic functionality. as such this works great for her.
For my part I very rapidly got my start page re-arranged the way I liked it with my tiles organized in the manner in which I typically need them.
I'm still learning things about it like it was a bit of a surprise when my step father showed me how to voice dial calls. (so damned easy it never even occurred to me to try.)
So far everyone I've shown the phone to has been impressed (primarily Iphone users) and several have already expressed an interest in switching to WP7 as soon as their contracts come up for renewal. Especially those who aren't using Iphones since they'll be able to keep their old unlimited data plans with these devices.
I have very high expectations for the future of this platform. As soon as MS gets a couple basic features pushed out (copy/paste, task switching) and developers start getting some quality apps out I see this platform being quite competitive with Apple.
I get that there are some things that it's just never going to match winmo on and that functionality will be missed but after watching Apple dominate the market so thoroughly and observing users such as my wife beating their heads against the WinMo experience I can't really fault MS for shifting design philosophy.
Considering the fact that this OS has only been out a couple months I'd say it's off to a nice start. Sure it would have been nice to have had cut/paste and multitasking so I wouldn't have to listen to the apple fanboi's teases (hey at least it's got MMS out the box) but it is a fully functional smartphone right out the box that can already do many things much easier than my old 6.5 phone could.
Now I just have to find a good case for it.
Happy Focus owner, elated to be a part of a truly 'smart'phone era.
This phone was the best investment I ever made.
After purchasing the phone outright from Rogers in Canada, I paid an ebay guy $15 to unlock it.
I came immediately to XDA-Developers for guidance with my new toy. The community here is excellent; with a level of knowledge far beyond my wildest expectations.
Once I followed the advice of everyone here, I was able to unleash the full power of the phone on my preferred network, SaskTel.
Prior to this phone, I got a contract a year ago with a Samsung Omnia. My carrier wouldn't push the OS update, and Samsung didn't offer it direct to consumers. I was forever stuck on a crippled WinMo6.1 OS.
I am looking forward to future updates provided direct from Microsoft. This was perhaps the most significant reason I bought into the idea behind Windows Phone 7 as a future-proof platform.
The reasons I chose the Focus are the same as most around here. The SuperAMOLED screen is just a wonder to behold, and I find myself just scrolling the lists just to see the brilliance of the display in action.
Memory expansion is another boon for this device. Having at least one option in the Microsoft launch lineup with this feature is key to the platform's success. I believe like the handset manufacturers, that everyone has different needs in a device.
Storage is a need some of us have. I like the security behind the S in SD. I believe the way MS implemented the expandable memory is the way to go from a security and usability standpoint.
My final reason for choosing this phone was to test the ability of my service provider to bring alternate devices to the table. My carrier just upgraded to 3G+ from CDMA. Having a SIM based solution opened the Focus as a possibility.
I am satisfied with my carrier's network, and the phone, and the apps.
I looked at the iDevices and Android devices before making this purchase. While the iDevices were pretty much all out of my price range for the flexibility provided, I considered the Samsung Galaxy line.... in particular, the Galaxy S Vibrant (known by other names on other networks, so let's not quibble).
The only thing that kept me from the Android platform was how cumbersome it was to use.
While there are some mobile enthusiasts out there who will claim that the platform is lacking, I have never once been in a situation where I thought to myself, hey I wish I could multitask. Once something draws me away, the back button is right there, my little friend.. who always helps me back to whatever experience I engaged in before the distraction.
Personally I do not care for MMS, as my carrier charges me per use. at that rate, I can use my unlimited data and share over Facebook and SKydrive to those I want to see my photos. As a result I haven't even tested to see if the feature works with my carrier's current APN settings.
My only pain point is that a few of the features that were demoed early in the year, are not yet available in Canada.
For instance, Bing searching does not bring back local maps. The city where I live has too small a population for 2D overhead maps. I find all of this interesting, as I do have birds-eye within the bing maps silverlight experience on the desktop.
Another feature our lovely land to the north is missing is the Zune Pass. I would happily pay for the ability to link Shazam to Zune, unfortunately due what I presume to be legal reasons, the zune pass is not presently available.
===============================
My only hope now is that someone out there will create a Kinect-Based Star-Trek Exploration game that allows me to use my WP7 device as the infamous Tricorder.
I think that would totally kick ass. I'm thinking of a title we'll tentatively name "Star Trek: Red Shirt Adventures" Where you get to explore the worlds of Kirk's day, and all those up until Picard's day.
In this fashion a good story teller could preserve Trek Cannon and shed some light on the rich history to us causal trekkies. Maybe the objective is to burn through 1000 lives in a single play through.... who knows.... it was an idea, which I give openly to the internet to turn around and capitalize on, as I lack the ambition. Surely with XNA architecture as a base on both platforms, this should be doable.
Skex said:
3 foci (sp)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct
Finally a phone I love
Even though I've been in IT for 30 years, I had my first taste of smart phone ownership a little over a year ago with a BB Bold. I never needed one, but finally WANTed one. It was okay, but slow and not the easiest thing to type on. On 12/27 I upgraded to a Samsung Captivate. I really like the keyboard, but the darn thing kept powering off all by itself. When I noticed board postings about others' Captivates doing the same thing, I was determined not to play "let's see if this one works" and I traded for a Focus on 12/31. It is absolutely lovely. The only complaints I have are 1) the keyboard is a bit to small and 2) the hidden "diagnosis" settings really need to be easier to access. The good thing about that is I have joined groups like this one, where I am learning things I didn't know I wanted to know!
First day, first customer!!!
I have been a loyal WM/PPC user (iPAQ, Axim, 3125, TD2), and have been waiting for this phone. Having used TD2 and several Softbank (Japan) phones, I desire the following (only):
(a) Smart dial
(b) Toggle switches for Bluetooth/Wifi (like Cookies Home tab) on the Home Screen.
Nevertheless, very happy with my Focus.
To all in this forum. So many have had complaints about so many things to put that statement in perspective Here is a brief list:
Graying pixels (triangles)
Black not true
Color wash out
Color Rendering issues
Emmc Bug
S-Pen Issues
Tablet Mode jacked
Battery Drain Issues
These are the common ones, but you get the idea. What we as moderators really Hate is ALL THE COMPLAINING you throw at the following people......ChainFire, SuperCurio, Flappjaxx, Dagr8, M3dd0g, Sixstringsg, Dr Ketan, NeoBuddy, CM Team, AokpTeam, Gerret, xplodwild, Eybee1970....any all the others I cannot think of right now...(let me know who I missed and Ill add)
The majority of these issues are SAMSUNG hardware issues, a few are not. Stop Telling the Devs about these issues TELL SAMSUNG.......complain to them...and here's how...
The Idea:
I am going to try this and hopefully get everyone's support and contributions. What I am proposing is to post the Samsung issues here in a post and a brief description of what it is and what it is not doing.
Then, I will merge the real Samsung related issues into the 1st and 2nd post so they are itemized clearly. After a few days....
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART.... I then want all of you in this forum to Tweet the link to this thread to @Samsungmobile..... stating fix these issues Now, or we look to buy something else than Samsung.....
This works, my friend S15274N started #neveragain Samsung when they did not provide timely updates (2.1 to 2.2)... we got their ear. Samsung does not bad press on this Unit especially because they are going to release TMO version on 7-11-12....... So let's kick'em now and get some of their engineers to help us instead of beating on our dev's.
To Recap:
1. Post what you believe to be Samsung hardware/software issues
2. We will merge these into a cohesive/concise list
3. We barrage them with complaint tweets with the link to this thread.
Here is the link to this Thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27812352#post27812352
Let's do this it's worth a try and we can direct our frustration towards the correct culprits Samsung.
Thanks, Oka1
The List
Known Bugs/Problems
1. Emmc Bug
2. Color Rendering issues
..........A-Banding in Video recording/playback
..........B-Black clipping in videos
..........C-
3. Post Source code for ICS when you release ICS.
4. Provide a "Known and Resolved" bug list that you are presently aware of
5. Battery overheating
6. Hang and FC on Low DPI settings
7. MMS would not send/receive if Data Packet is not enabled. Previously in GB (Galaxy Note only) it was able to do so. I really hope that Samsung fix this issue for all its Android phones.
8. Samsung changed between GB and ICS raised kernel resume time from 650ms to 1000ms - just for the kernel to resume
Desired List:
1. Touch screen adjustment
2. Improve camera software too much banding in lowlight
for now, emmc bug must be the TOP PRIORITY..
all the other issues won't make your phone unusable and cost you motherboard replacement..
+1
Awesome a n7000 user union.
UNITE!
Missing traceability with partial wakelocks and what's really draining your battery. Statistics in native app are tainted/incomplete plus offer no real value in analyzing. Its like a Dilbert comic dashboard, useless.
Varying screen quality, maybe due to drivers : the banding issues with movies
Slow update speed. Samsung kept delaying ICS
ICS not as intended implemented, slow, battery inefficient and has lags.
No low dpi support on native launchers
Low Volume issues on speaker and ringer
Missing exchange contact search functionality
Missing control for apps permissions, like pdroid and lbe
Missing firewall
Missing touchscreen sensitivity setting
Crap update policy. Just make one good rom and not 50+ crap ones per region, per carrier. This will increase update speed, quality too
Missing wipe dalvik cache option
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
The whole idea of choosing Android (in particular Galaxy Series) over iPhone was the ability and ease of flashing firmwares and exploring new horizons. However the EMMC bug is limiting this very activity. Moreover we paid for the premium devices such as Note and millions of these have be sold all over. The EMMC fix should certainly be on TOP most priority. Hope Samsung will be considerate enough to consider this request. Else we all will be forced to re-evaluate our faith in SAMSUNG.
PS:
It hurts to know that google was aware of EMMC issues since 2008 and still SAMSUNG planned to go ahead with faulty chip. Surely Samsung does owe an explanation in-case they fail to find a fix in time!!!
I am in...the Hard brick bug is my priority for now....
LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE...
send this thread to samsung
we have to do something now, enough is enough.
1. Color Rendering, black greying out, black clippings..its been months and nothing done about it.
2. Battery Drain for what?!
It was marketed for its screen and HD experience..and the users are not experiencing that because of the above crap!
3. AND Yeah!! Do us a favor and release updates that are the same and that do not literally vary from one another! QUALITY CHECK!!!
YOU HEAR US SAMSUNG!!!
black clipping issue should be related to the firmware, samsung should release a hotfix for it asap.
http://innovator.samsungmobile.com/bbs/discussion/view.do?boardId=1132&boardName=AndroidBoard&messageId=155754&messageNumber=&messageCategoryId=4&startId=zzzzz~&startPage=1&curPage=1&rowsPerPage=10&searchType=TITLE&searchText=&searchDays=0&searchTitleFlag=false&searchContentsFlag=false&searchRegisterNicknameFlag=false&lastPageFlag=&categoryId=800&parentCategoryId=4&platformId=1&selectOrder=REGISTER_DATE&selectOrderDirection=DESC&searchParameters=%2Fbbs%2Fdiscussion%2Fthread.list.do%3FlistLines%3D10|searchType%3Dtitle|curPage%3D2|selectOrder%3DREGISTER_DATE|selectOrderDirection%3DDESC|messageCategoryId%3D4|&nacode=&listLines=10&searchTextForm=&searchTypeForm=TITLE
Please add to your list the Deep Sleep Problem.
My Note breaks deep sleep pretty much at will. That MUST get fixed.
Thank you for your initiative. It empowers all of us.
The biggest issue I have right now with the phone is the EMMC bug. This needs fixing ASAP.
The was my first Samsung and at the rate Samsung are going, then it's going to be my last !
Black clipping in videos is the biggest issue for me, having to use a app to adjust the contrast thus losing true blacks is not good.
I also believe there is an issue with how flash player works in stock ICS ROMs, Very jerky performance in browser, I don't think it is 100% Adobes fault as I have friends with other devices (Eg HTC Sensation) running ICS 4.0.3 stock ROMs and their playback is silky smooth.
Sent by Galaxy Note
Hallelujah. The best thread I've seen yet and here is my list:
Post ICS upgrade
1. Phone would randomly re-boot.
2. phone would lock up and not respond. Battery removal necessary to re-boot.#
3. eMMc Identified as being faulty.
4. Video recording would stutter at the beginning of each clip.
5. Video playback would frequently fail.
6. Pink Dot on Camera. YES IT IS A BLOODY FAULT. AND YES I DO KNOW HOW TO OPERATE A CAMERA.
7. Google Maps with Navigation would hang and screen would freeze and flicker.
8. Other Apps from Google Play store, certified as compatible with the GSN would hang, freeze, or otherwise cause re-boot.
9. Phone would sometimes get hot, very hot.
10. degraded sound quality, both recorded and playback.
I called Samsung and was not in the slightest bit re-assured by what the agent told me. They sent a plastic pouch with a tiny square of bubble wrap to send it to a service centre. That is not my idea of suitable packaging to protect MY device, and no, I'm not going to patch up their own shoddy performance with my own materials. I have sent my Galaxy Note back to the retailer for a full refund as it is now no longer fit for the purpose.
I would recommend anyone that has a defective device, is to follow the instruction manual to the letter. Make sure your apps are compliant fro the Goggle Play store. If after that, it is still defective, send it back to the point of sale for a full refund, do not accept a replacement, do not accept anything other than your money back. I know this is a PITA BUT, unless Samsung get hurt in the pocket and some truthfulness in the headlines in the press and on the Internet, nothing will get done. Yes I know living without a phone can be a pain, but we ca all live without the 'Note for a while. Do what I have done, get a crappy clam phone from Tesco for a tenner, it gets me by.
You might ask why I'm so militant, well its for two reasons. 1. It's in my genes. 2. I paid top dollar for a flagship product that is not fit for the purpose.
As the OP said, don't hit the Devs. They didn't write the crappy code that doesn't work, they don't work for Samsung either. They didn't instigate the crappy quality control that seems apparent in Samsungs factories, and that of their suppliers. What they do is write apps for you and me, they write code to 'try' and give you an alternative android experience, they try to fix what Samsung should be fixing. They do this all for free. I like free, and I like the Devs. Samsung should stop paying its own coders, and give all that money to xda developers. Maybe then we would have a quality product.
Things you can do to help. Appart from sending your device back to your retailer for your money back (some cant do this I know, but those that can, do it). Tweet epic fail on twitter, do the same on face book and every other social networking site you have. make sure its addressed and or seen by Samsung. It will hurt, particularly when google starts to pick it up in the search engine.
---------- Post added at 10:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 AM ----------
oka1, you have a private message.
also, add to my list above: touch screen sensitivity erratic.
thanks
bigstarrynight said:
1. Phone would randomly re-boot.
2. phone would lock up and not respond. Battery removal necessary to re-boot.#
3. eMMc Identified as being faulty.
4. Video recording would stutter at the beginning of each clip.
5. Video playback would frequently fail.
6. Pink Dot on Camera. YES IT IS A BLOODY FAULT. AND YES I DO KNOW HOW TO OPERATE A CAMERA.
7. Google Maps with Navigation would hang and screen would freeze and flicker.
8. Other Apps from Google Play store, certified as compatible with the GSN would hang, freeze, or otherwise cause re-boot.
9. Phone would sometimes get hot, very hot.
10. degraded sound quality, both recorded and playback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange, but I don't have any of this points on my ICS rom...
anonymous572 said:
Strange, but I don't have any of this points on my ICS rom...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Its all down to quality control, programming and who made the device components. You will see lots of satisfied guys with fully functioning devices, BUT, there are an awful lot like me in the same boat. BTW I don't root or use anything not served up by Samsung, that way I protect my warranty and leaves no room for manoeuvre for the retailer or Samsung.
Top of my list is:
1 Black clipping in videos
Its just NOT acceptable that a phone in this price range and with this specs. cannot play (random) video without this terrible artifacts.
It doesnt deliver what is promised. (in the commercials )
Even my 3 jear old HTC plays video a lot better.
If its not fixed in the near future i think i will go for a refund because i really feel cheated by samsung because of this problem and their way of (not) supporting it.
2 EMMC bug.
3 the overall way that samsung deals with this bugs and the people/customers who report them.
Please step up samsung!
i can wait for a stable ics.
BUT BLACK CLIPPING come on samsung... please fix it...its damn ugly...people look at this phone as if its some heavenly artifact..thank God i dont let em watch dark videos, they will just scoff at me saying ' 30,000 bucks for this?'..i'm sorta asking myself that question now...it's advertised as if it has the best screen on the market and yet it shows greys so badly and pictures taken in the dark are so ugly with purple blotches..premium smartphone? dont think so!!
Priority by number:
1- eMMC bug, known for a long time and can be solutioned if samsung wants to....
2- Black clipping, can get rid of it by not seeing vids or black images.......
3- Battery drain, it's impossible to have to walk with a charger in our pockets with average use. If you use data transfer all day you can't use it for a day (10H)
4- Updates from samsung are a joke, touchwizz may be a great launcher but not with ICS. Tanks for those who developed others..
5- Total lack of interest by samsung: 7 million sold with about 70% of those with a high possibilty to be returned and get a new MB?? That's a risk !!!!! No solution, no excuse, no explanation, nothing from samsung.......
Oh well i really like my note, bought it for a reason and it does what i want but there are too many bugs/problems with it to be a fully functional device. What does samsung about it??? Release SGSIII.......... yeah right nice solution.
Had a samsung before and gave me a lot of problems, i know i shouldn't have gone back but..........let's try to solve this.
becosemsaida
add Entropy to the list of people who gets a lot of complains from users..
anyway, i suggest that the emmc or wiping bug should be put as the top priority so that when samsung or anyone from their team visits the thread, the first thing they will notice is the said bug... a bold/red text maybe? and put some sticky magic to this thread?
i don't know if its just me but i only care about the bug that kills our devices.. i can live with the other issues...
im going to tweet this thread everyday.... hoping for fast actions from samsung... its the first time i got so disappointed with sammy..
here is a shortened url for tweeting http://goo.gl/I3q7q
I have been somewhat following the whole Phonebloks and ARA scene, participating in the Dscout missions, and generally have to say that there is a lot of buzz and hype with very little meat behind it. The general populace is thinking legos, colors, fancy shmancy materials, and other appearance related nonsense. There seems to be very little technical content, and the majority of the crowd seems to be lured by key words such as "eco", "reusable", "repairable", "customizable" and so on.
Certainly, in terms of driving sales, this is good attention, something Motorola needs.
The downside, however, seems to be that people do not understand how things work, have no patience for it, and want things to "just work."
I highly doubt that this will be something that is user friendly out of the box.
The biggest misconception seems to be that you will be able to build anything you want out of this. If this idea is not curbed, this project will fail. People will become disappointed. Already they seem to think that they can have an espresso maker and a telescope added to the thing.
On top of it all, Motorola has a track record of taking good ideas and executing them poorly. Think Atrix lapdock.
So what is the clear mission of this project?
Ease of repair? That can already be done using current production methods. Look at the iPhone vs Galaxy series in terms of screen replacement. Its night and day.
Reusing parts? What could you reuse from an iPhone 4 when building a 5s? The headphone jack? Batteries die, radios, memory, sensors, processors, become old news by the time they hit the assembly line, and screens evolve at a fast pace.
There is no mention of a core device with expansion bays, the project seems to suggest you could swap all basic components on the fly. This is nonsense. Is it really worth taking steps back to make separate little bricks for Bluetooth, Wifi, NFC, GSM radio, etc., when current production methods can squeeze these into a single system-on-chip design at a fraction of the cost?
Imagine for a minute if Googorola took the Moto X approach to hardware: You log into your Motomaker account, and at checkout you pick your options. 3 choices of screen size, 3 choices of processors, 3 choices of storage capacity, an 8, 13, or 16 Mpix camera, 3 different battery capacities, cdma, gsm, or global radio, etc., then once you select your hardware, you customize the case colors, and you're done.
I know this rant is way into the TL;DR territory, but there are other factors to consider, perhaps profitability being paramount. Open source phone, with open source modules, etc. How will Motorola make $ on this? How long till knock off modules hit the market? What is the pricing scheme, etc.
I would love to get a serious discussion going, touching on some of the things I brought up.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
I wouldn't say they're doomed from the start but their social network app and stuff seems pretty gimmicky to me. I definitely think that modular phones are in the future but they need to spend more time talking about the actual hardware and open sourcing drivers and stuff instead of their weird Instagram clone in my opinion. I'm still staying optimistic if they don't do it someone else will.
Sent using Tapatalk
Nice idea, but people here at xda would have a nightmare with such a thing, meaning rom development for every and each component combination.......
Lets ask ourselves, when would it be appropriate or papamount to upgrade a hardware component of any of our phones now? The reasoning now is more like, 'it would be cool if we could'. I cant think of any necessary reason now for needing to change harware unless it needs repair. I believe necessity should be a starting point for this whole concept. Necessity often drives truly good design.
I personally think that this would be good because of the fact that technology advances at such a rapid pace that being able to upgrade your components when a better version comes out would be good. Obviously there would be some compatibility issues between some parts that would be unavoidable. It would be more for the person who wants the high end device. Take me for example, I have the S4 and I love it but next year when the S5 comes out it wouldn't be the latest and greatest and I can't upgrade for two years. I could love a Moto X but I don't wanna pay the off contract price for it. So I think this is the only time it would be good and efficient, not a huge game changer but a slight game changer.
Also about the knock off or cheap parts, if they have the drivers and protocols open source than it shouldn't be to big of an issue, not anymore than buying a knock off replacement screen. Still something to look out for when buying modules.
I think that the idea from Phoneblocks or Ara are really good but I think that the project will prospere
Project Ara.
Being a modular design, brings complications, but with those complications comes new opportunities in the hardware section as well as the software side of the development.
The metric is quite valid and tangible, even more so today, wth the manufacturing techniques available, this idea actually makes far more sense than feeding the giant a steady diet of the same old thing.
You save money if all you require is a modified version of the RF section, you install that block.
The same goes for the remainder of the phone, easy upgrading, no downtime, and lower overall cost for the entire market, not to mention the lowering of landfill garbage from dumped devices that could not be upgraded.
The engineering end of this is wonderful, I wish it arrived years ago. A 'Lego-Phone' you build and upgrade as you need to, no more buying an aircraft carrier, when all you require is a shuttle.
We can finally drive the market, provide for ourselves, push manufacturers in the direction we need them to head, instead of driving us with their own thoughts on what is necessary.
I don't use much in the way of media, so anything more than 720P is of little use, but I do appreciate an HDMI-type format screen.
The RF section is far more important to my needs, and of course, a micro-SD card slot.
I prefer a sensitive front end, high dynamic range, and a superbly augmented IP3(third intercept point) as a basis for my receiver design.
I have grown tired of matchbox quality RF systems, and when in poor signal areas, or in a heavily wooded area with sparse cell tower penetration, i prefer my phone have the ability to connect with a site even if the RSSI indicates no signal, at least a data channel should be able to 'hear' a short text message for help if sent.
If the phone can't hear well, it can't talk well, either.
Most subscribers assume that cell signals are routed through the power lines*!*
I have had customers that actually said this...But this is the basis of my most desired and important 'want', a solid RF system, receiver and transmitter section that works!
High density areas have few problems with dropped calls, if the site loading is low, but in rural areas, loading is not an issue, it's accessibility, and sites spaced 10 miles apart, can actually have users drop calls even near by, due to dense foliage or hilly/mountainous terrain, even though the tower is within eyesight, you still drop a call. This is where fresnel zones come into play, and where a good RF section makes the difference.
If you think rain kills RF signals, see my pic I just snapped from my door, of the trees filled with heavy snow!
Poorly designed RF systems can't decode signals properly, the B.E.R suffers, causing message failures, call time-outs as well as just lousy QOS due to noise, echoing, raspy speech processing and a host of other problems.
The memory subsystems are important, as well as the GPU and video systems, but you can still make a call if the video drops, not so much if the RF section dies.
We all have our own desires, as well as what is most important to our needs, but overall, i do believe that project Ara is a great step in the right direction for a change....Where the customer drive the market, not the manufacturers!
Now I don't know if you were aware, but Google only owns Motorola's Research Lab. The actual company was purchased by Lenovo a few weeks ago.
Besides, I sort feel the same way, because, besides the hubbub, it doesn't seem like a very user friendly process in my mind. That's why I think it feels like nothing more than a research project with a couple of news reporters locked inside their facilities.
Sent from my ST21i using XDA app-developers app.
Don't forget to hit thanks if I helped!
In the beginning, they will have to offer options in a controlled environment like one poster abive said. It will be similar to
1. CHOOSE YOUR PROCESSOR:
a. Good
b. Better
c. Best
Etc etc....
The first question probably will be "Choose Your Carrier". Then all of the module choices will be pre-screened to function together on that network.
Samsung Galaxy S4 "Fort Knox Edition"
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just making sure it wasnt a misinterpretation but google did not create android, Android Inc founded by andy rubin(correct me if im wrong) http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...e-phones/a-complete-history-of-android-470327
PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
SynGates said:
All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ARA developers conference already answered most of this, so its possibility is not the question. Its availability and adaptability is the question. Will people flock to it or despise it?? Will it make people feel more in control?
If google can advertise this thing as something that gives people more power it will definitely catch on. Plus if Google is truly looking to start their own mobile network as rumoured, then they could start in that manner and make others envious to catch on.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.
replicamask said:
It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My sentiments exactly.
Koreans will really fight against this project. They won't be willing to loose the cellular market to Google. ARA has a lot of potential in developing countries, provided the prices for modules will be adequate. But yes, even with adequate pricetag such innovation will require a drastic change in marketing-infected minds of people.
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk 4
I hope it could work really well. I'd like to see the ability to transfer all the core modules from one endo 'frame' to another - SIM, WiFi, ROM, storage plus camera and perhaps CPU/RAM from a larger 'everyday' frame to a smaller 'night out' frame. I'd like an 'everyday' camera and a 'holiday' camera. I might carry a speaker module, but would swap it in against a torch module only for those occasions I'd need it. I'd carry spare battery modules and expect to see external chargers for them.
Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.
till22 said:
Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.
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This is possible and a good point. I think they could counter this by placing some inherent value on modules so you could trade them in for cash or credit towards other modules.
I think this will work much better than trading in phones since all modules should work for all ara phones.
What you all need to remember is that the microcomputer revolution didn't really become a mass market phenomenon until the IBM PC arrived with its open "Industry Standard Architecture". This allowed the rapid emergence of third party expansion cards and other "PC compatible" hardware, and "PC clones". Not only did this accelerate the pace of technology development it also pushed prices down significantly. If IBM had not made the PC architecture both expandable and open, general purpose computing would have remained an expensive and specialised tool available only to business and the very rich. Imagine the effect that wouls have had on the development of the worldwide web a decade later.
If you are of the generation who grew up uaing laptops you may not have realised that modular technology is cheaper and more flexible, and it means longer hardware lifecycles.
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the OnePlus 7T, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the OnePlus 7T is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Hello to all OnePlus 7T owners out there! I don't know if this is the right place to ask but what is your favourite thing about this phone and what is the thing you want to complain about, even if it is totally subjective? I am looking forward to your answers! Cheers
Super fast, the first phone or tablet I've seen that opens Pennsylvania's 20+MB hunting digest PDF and scroll perfectly...
The speaker.. omg super loud and clear who needs a Bluetooth speaker now!?!
Rugged case selection in stock shipping from an American warehouse is really poor..
Insane device. Also love the new camera bump as the design is a little bit fresh
uberjon said:
Super fast, the first phone or tablet I've seen that opens Pennsylvania's 20+MB hunting digest PDF and scroll perfectly...
The speaker.. omg super loud and clear who needs a Bluetooth speaker now!?!
Rugged case selection in stock shipping from an American warehouse is really poor..
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it's clearly, I have not been impressed with the speaker, did you do anything with your settings or Dolby to get it working better?
Cowbell_Guy said:
it's clearly, I have not been impressed with the speaker, did you do anything with your settings or Dolby to get it working better?
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Nope nothing different haven't even messed with Dolby
Buyer beware of the rear glass and OPs handling of what is clearly a design defect...very easily scratched deeply
chazman1117 said:
Buyer beware of the rear glass and OPs handling of what is clearly a design defect...very easily scratched deeply
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Luckily they may screen protectors for this about 6 USD for a 5 pack on Amazon
---------- Post added at 08:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 AM ----------
Amazing phone! Stacks up with the super brands all day long at half the price .
I should be getting one of these today unless FedEx decides to do some more creative routing. The phone has already traveled about 2,300 miles to get to me from an origin point about 150 miles away. New Jersey to New York via Memphis, Tennessee. And I paid extra for that.
The only things I really care about in a phone are the processor, GPU, RAM, connectivity, basic call quality, and GPS. The rest falls under the heading of "stuff I never use." I'll be back with my narrowly-scoped observations on those aspects within a few days, the good Lord and FedEx willing.
Okay, here are a few preliminary impressions.
Setup: Painless.
GPS: Surprisingly good. This is an important feature for me because I do mapping work. I almost didn't buy this phone because of all the complaints about the GPS that I read. But then I realized that literally every other phone in the phone-using world had just as many or more complaints about GPS, so I decided to try it for myself.
Bad GPS would have resulted in my returning this phone, but it actually did quite well. With all four systems in use, I tool it for a roughly 20-mile drive through an area that practically all GPS receivers have a hard time with because of the topography. It maintained a 3D fix with 3-meter accuracy for the whole length of the trip, which is outstanding. :good:
I also tried to test it with Magic Earth, but being your basic idiot, I forgot to download the offline maps first; so that report will be forthcoming.
Overall Design: I'm probably not the one to comment on that. I'd use a brick phone if it delivered the best performance.
Call Quality: Seems okay when talking to myself from one of my other phones. Maybe a tad tinny, but not horrid.
Bluetooth: I can hear the GPS voice over my car's Bluetooth system, which is all I care about.
Signal Strength: Three bars on ATT, which is about average for where I live. I'll check the actual signal strength later.
WiFi: 5GHz works well anywhere in my house, which was all I tested.
So far, no deal-killers. :fingers-crossed:
LTE speed isn't bad for the boonies: 82.69 Mbps down, 6.50 Mbps up. That's on AT&T prepaid.
First impressions
New year, new round of flagships. Last year started with OnePlus 6T and it lasted for good 2 weeks. This year is the same for me.
* glass back looks matte, almost though it's plastic. Camera design is very attractive unlike iphone/samsung rectangles
* it's too heavy, can't imagine difficulty holding Mi10 or 1+7Pro
* it lacks SD, jack, QC, Qi, IP and notification diod. Lacking wireless charging is very painful as the luxury of placing mobile on magnetic Qi holder is priceless. Ambient display shows notification briefly which is great and better than AOD icons, but no AOD + no LED lights means you don't know what's up most of the time including charge status and low battery
* again nice hardware volume switch every phone should have
* display is bigger, higher frequency helps some animation blur
* night mode, reading mode, dimming mode and night theme is provided
* very fast charging but i still hate Warp as it's not compatible with myriad of chargers
* fingerprint is excellent and super fast, but you need to tap screen first
* faceunlock is also super fast but doesn't work in night unless you want to be attacked by display light
* nice classic local backup feature is gone
* fenomenal OnePlus-original hide notch feature is gone, only fake hide notch which cuts the screen is available
* animations are inconveniet for eyes, for example when switching apps the app will blink each time
* hint popups on the bottom of the screen are hard to spot, fast timeout and small size
* fenomenal Pie navigation is gone, instead xiaomi mi9 like crippled gestures are there, you no longer can scroll apps while holding pill.
* overall phone speed is incredible
3 days later
* app switching really sucks, QuickSwitch plugin doesn't work, and Nova is launched app switching is gone
* rooting is very annoying, but udating ROM is probably the easiest of all phones (just the OTA availability is great)
* this is perhaps Android Q, but i appreciate two finger up swipe gesture for magnification. This solves the longterm problem of having full screen navigation while missing zoom. Normally there are two modes in Accessibility settings: triple tap screen which delays the whole UI or navbar icon which obviously doesnt appear with full screen navigation
* i love OnePlus-original screen off gestures as before.. it's genius. Less i need hold fingerprint shortcut menu.
Three things to hate:
* minimal brightness always lower than it should be. Very annoying. Also dark mode would make screen readable even less update: solution: turn off any night mode stuff..makes phone unreadable
* cannot hold keys on the left and right boundary of the keyboard without massive delay (so there are many typos when long-pressing keys like "1", "q", "p")
* no wireless charging and a Qi pad doesn't work (works on other phones). This brand really insists people don't use the best technology in mobile phones - Qi update: also got another most capable multiformat charger, still won't charge above 8W (3hours).. commitment: i won't be buying any brand-specific chargers ever
Luckily battery is so great that charging is a rare event as documented in battery threads
Battery could have been better atleast 4000 mAh
I’ve been reading OnePlus forums all day and I’m more and more confident that I made a great choice. The second phone I have is Huawei, but he is not standing next to it))
I love mine, got it a week ago, and this phone is like lightning, I love the Oxygen OS, Dual sim, lots of HP and storage. Best phone I have ever owned. :good:
Meh, honestly I think based on what I keep hearing this may be an unpopular opinion but.... one plus devices to me have always been great due to their freedom. If you run into some problem then plop on a rom and fix it or some root app.
Unfortunately due to there not being much active development due to the temporary death of twrp, I’ve been running into a bunch of stability issues I can’t fix. I’m not sure if it’s just my phone or if people are blind due to the lower cost of the device. I’ve run into random freezes, keyboard lag, Bluetooth will sometimes just switch audio to phone speaker and won’t go back even if I’m still connected till I restart Bluetooth, the prox sensor is doing such a poor job at keeping the screen locked while I’m in a call that it’s really just comical now...I’ve ended a call to find myself looking at a screenshot my face took of the home screen and been fooled for a few seconds, or having the call ended because I’ve activated my flashlight and airplane mode...
I came from an Xs max to this phone and had a pixel before that. I’m not os brand loyal. If this phone didn’t need rebooted daily (cause I just don’t have time to fiddle around and find the issue, I have work and rebooting usually fixes whatever bug pops up) and could just hold onto its stability (I have no social media so I’m talking basic functionality here and some telegram usage) this phone has all the hardware markings of an awesome e phone.
It just falls short in knowing that we used to just plop on a hyper stable rom nd call it a day.... and now I’m just stuck.
If i wasn’t currently convinced this was just my phone, I’d give this phone a 2 but I’ll give it a 3 out of respect for OnePlus. I loved my last OnePlus device and used to not even be able to switch roms because oos was just that good.... now I’m going to Samsung of all things and holding onto this phone in hopes of a proper functioning twrp in the future, and that devs are still around when it does
igotlostintampa said:
Meh, honestly I think based on what I keep hearing this may be an unpopular opinion but.... one plus devices to me have always been great due to their freedom. If you run into some problem then plop on a rom and fix it or some root app.
Unfortunately due to there not being much active development due to the temporary death of twrp, I’ve been running into a bunch of stability issues I can’t fix. I’m not sure if it’s just my phone or if people are blind due to the lower cost of the device. I’ve run into random freezes, keyboard lag, Bluetooth will sometimes just switch audio to phone speaker and won’t go back even if I’m still connected till I restart Bluetooth, the prox sensor is doing such a poor job at keeping the screen locked while I’m in a call that it’s really just comical now...I’ve ended a call to find myself looking at a screenshot my face took of the home screen and been fooled for a few seconds, or having the call ended because I’ve activated my flashlight and airplane mode...
I came from an Xs max to this phone and had a pixel before that. I’m not os brand loyal. If this phone didn’t need rebooted daily (cause I just don’t have time to fiddle around and find the issue, I have work and rebooting usually fixes whatever bug pops up) and could just hold onto its stability (I have no social media so I’m talking basic functionality here and some telegram usage) this phone has all the hardware markings of an awesome e phone.
It just falls short in knowing that we used to just plop on a hyper stable rom nd call it a day.... and now I’m just stuck.
If i wasn’t currently convinced this was just my phone, I’d give this phone a 2 but I’ll give it a 3 out of respect for OnePlus. I loved my last OnePlus device and used to not even be able to switch roms because oos was just that good.... now I’m going to Samsung of all things and holding onto this phone in hopes of a proper functioning twrp in the future, and that devs are still around when it does
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As for the proximity sensor, the 7T uses a different type of sensor, and maybe it's settings/calibration need to be adjusted in some future ROM update.
https://www.ellipticlabs.com/2019/09/26/new-oneplus-7t-phone-uses-elliptic-labs-ai-virtual-sensor/
Guatiao said:
As for the proximity sensor, the 7T uses a different type of sensor, and maybe it's settings/calibration need to be adjusted in some future ROM update.
https://www.ellipticlabs.com/2019/09/26/new-oneplus-7t-phone-uses-elliptic-labs-ai-virtual-sensor/
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Ah! It’s guessing, should have thought it was something like that. Instead of using a sensor it’s trying to determine via software alone which at best is an educated guess, and fake a sensor report based on its guesses.
This does mean at least it’s not a hardware fault! If they do a good enough job and don’t drop the tech it could be cool stuff. Just doesn’t feel that stable in this phone yet.
Still cool tech
igotlostintampa said:
Ah! It’s guessing, should have thought it was something like that. Instead of using a sensor it’s trying to determine via software alone which at best is an educated guess, and fake a sensor report based on its guesses.
This does mean at least it’s not a hardware fault! If they do a good enough job and don’t drop the tech it could be cool stuff. Just doesn’t feel that stable in this phone yet.
Still cool tech
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Indeed! I've experienced it also, having a second call placed while holding my phone with the shoulder. I believe a bit of software tweaking could fix the issue. I don't know if non official ROMs or beta versions of the stock one still suffer from this.