OK, so I've been using a Kaiser/Tilt with Eclair on it for awhile. I've spent countless hours drooling after the Nexus One. When AT&T finally got the "Backflip" from Motorola, I just couldn't resist. I took the plunge.
I should've known better. I have plenty of AT&T horror stories, and this is the same carrier that wont allow you to tell your Java apps NOT to ask for permission more than once (making Opera mini a PITA but the only usable browser for non-smart-phones).
There is NO option to install applications from untrusted sources. This means anything on your SD card, downloaded from the web or over your wifi at home WILL NOT WORK. Naturally, you also cannot use the "su" command in terminal.
Motoblur is nice I guess, but the uninstallable AT&T paid apps, the limitations of 1.5 firmware (ie: no google navigator, no voice search) and the locked-to-yahoo-search-bar are enough to get me to say NO to any further AT&T abuse.
With the Kaiser's bloatware, they removed/hid apps from you so you wouldn't try to use them and replaced them with their crapware.
AT&T does not know the meaning of "open" and they do not understand Android. You are not buying an Android phone when you buy from AT&T.
You are buying a device LOCKED to a market with a smaller number of applications than the iPhone (I don't use Apple products either ) forced to use a lesser search engine for your most convenient option and subject to losing any application that was once on the market but then removed. You can't install your own apps or even test them on your device. Period.
Also on my first day of using it I got a number of "Force Close" messages including on the built-in applications (ie: Motorola's flavor of the desk clock).
It's decent hardware, it feels pretty zippy to me, but this is exactly why I WONT buy an iPhone.
Screw you, AT&T. I will make sure that everyone I know is properly informed about this crippled device that is nothing like the Android experience is supposed to (expected to!) be.
/endrant phew, going to go breathe for awhile.
EDIT: I will add:
- Set "orientation" on this phone when you tilt it and somehow it gets stuck in one orientation or the other (who knows maybe this one is just me, not seen any other backflips) if you set it back to just when you open/close it it's fine again though
- The desk clock can't be launched manually and is tricky to get to appear trying to get the phone in that perfect angle to display it
- I don't have a separate camera on me right now to show you the menu but to back up with sources:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/1910...n_atandt_not_the_full_android_experience.html
https://supportforums.motorola.com/message/121849
Don't buy this phone. Stay away from AT&T, stay away from Motorola (IMO or at least the motorola backflip).
This is pretty horrible.
I have two questions, though.
1) Can you take a screen cap of the Settings > Applications screen so we can see the lack of Unknown Sources option? That'd really help people see the validity of this issue.
2) I hope you have some kind of 30-day money-back guarantee when buying a handset from AT&T like Sprint offers. Otherwise, ouch =/
I haven't tried to install an apk from astro or anything, but i have pushed a few with ADB which seems to work fine. It kinda sucks, but I really hope that we can figure out root access soon! I don't care for blur, but I like android. Hopefully we don't have to wait to long. Here is an ADB guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=643866
I wonder if Apple suddenly took over AT&T because this kind of behaviour is more common to them
... It's not only AT&T who manages to confuse their customers about an OSS... Don't forget who decided to lock down an open software system boot-loader for everyone *cough*Motorola*cough*
Apple made them an offer they could not refuse!
nuff said
I spent some time with one yesterday.
Ouch, even my Fuze running eclair is faster.
They really broke this machine.
I am worried about other att phones!
My hope for an even somewhat open x10 on AT&T is starting to dwindle.
HushH said:
My hope for an even somewhat open x10 on AT&T is starting to dwindle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mines as well. i hope they dont. i know its off topic but is there an officail release date for the x10 on att? i hear it may be april/may
Someone more familiar than I needs to figure out the proper java system call to enable unknown/untrusted sources and then post on this thread the proper at command to execute it via CLI. You wouldn't even need root to do this.
IConrad01 said:
Someone more familiar than I needs to figure out the proper java system call to enable unknown/untrusted sources and then post on this thread the proper at command to execute it via CLI. You wouldn't even need root to do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming the software running on the Backflip is the same software they released the source to on opensource.motorola.com, there may be hope of that. I'll dig into it when I get time.
Wow. I am surprised that this was picked up by Gizmodo. Do we have anyone corroborating this? Doesn't this somehow violate Google's terms of service?
HushH said:
My hope for an even somewhat open x10 on AT&T is starting to dwindle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine too! Just means to spend the couple extra hundred dollars and get an unlocked unbranded one.
I got the Backflip just because I am moving on from my jailbroken iPhone and I wanted something neat and shiny.
I can say that there is a lot of smack talk here, but give these guys a chance here to root the phone and get some things working on it.
It's been two days since the release and I can already say, that I like the phone a hell of a lot more today then I did on Sunday. I've been able to install untrusted sources using the Droid Explorer, a bit of a pain in the ass, but it's okay, considering that if I want Android, then this is the only way to go for now.
But I have faith in someone out there... Someone will figure this out.
I just hope it's within my 30 day return policy.
EDIT: I Installed "GDE" on my device and I am able to use the Google search widget... So that issue is sort of solved...
This may just be my unit but the A2DP doesn't work right, it starts playing music then begins to fast forward whatever you are watching or listening to. Did a hard reset, no luck. Looks like I already need a replacement lol.
Squeaky369 said:
EDIT: I Installed "GDE" on my device and I am able to use the Google search widget... So that issue is sort of solved...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please explain how you got the google search widget working?
nutcake852 said:
Can you please explain how you got the google search widget working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh; fail on my part. It's mostly a cosmetic fix. I didn't actually test it, but when you click on it, it changes to "Yahoo".
So my bad on that one.
God, I hate Yahoo. Ever since that stupid ass cowboy did that commercial, it's ate away at my soul...
I don't know why...
To think we were all worried about how Verizon was going to cripple android only to have ATT do it instead. At first I was amazed and then I realized that any android phone would have outshown their prized phone...oh well one more reason to love being on T-Mobile. ;-)
I played with a Backflip. My god it's a horrid phone. And yeah, Android is completely locked down, with no way to delete those AT&T apps and no installing off-Market Android Apps out of the box.
I was going to wait to see what AT&T was going to bring to the table, but I'm not holding my breath.
Btw, I noticed that AT&T trained to sell the Backflip pretty hard. Like, seriously, I was looking at phones today, and every other word out of the rep's mouth was that I should buy the Backflip. Thankfully I'm more informed than that. I walked out with an iPhone instead. (Don't grill me, I use a Touch Pro2, I just needed a good phone for my work line >_<)
Help i ****ed up my phone
So i just rooted my g1 to get the nexus one features to it and now all it is doing is foreclosing instead of going to the home screen if anyone can help can you please email me at [email protected] thank you
Xodium said:
I played with a Backflip. My god it's a horrid phone. And yeah, Android is completely locked down, with no way to delete those AT&T apps and no installing off-Market Android Apps out of the box.
I was going to wait to see what AT&T was going to bring to the table, but I'm not holding my breath.
Btw, I noticed that AT&T trained to sell the Backflip pretty hard. Like, seriously, I was looking at phones today, and every other word out of the rep's mouth was that I should buy the Backflip. Thankfully I'm more informed than that. I walked out with an iPhone instead. (Don't grill me, I use a Touch Pro2, I just needed a good phone for my work line >_<)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really do think though that this is going to end up to be a decent phone.
I know I am a little pro for that comment, just because I bought one. But lets look at every phone that ever comes out. There is always some sort of challenge that we have to overcome.
And; with all the threads I've been reading about this; it looks like it was BOTH AT&T and Motorola that are to blame for locking this phone down. ATT cause they don't want us to install from anything but an "App Store" and Motorola because they don't want their devices used for what "there were not intended to be used for," is the wording I've seen floating around the internet.
But in all seriousness. I am coming from an iPhone 3GS which I had jailbroken. So I am coming from a phone that I had everything and anything on to this, and I am, overall, happy with it. Although it's only been 5 days, I can say I don't think I'll change my mind in the next 25 days.
But that's just my two-cents.
Hi all,
I have a friend who has a bricked Legend, and I have said that I will attempt to install a updated ROM for her.....
Problem is, although I have done this a few times with MY LG GT540, I have done nothing with HTC.
Could anyone point me in the right direction for a guide to updating the Legend to the latest ROM, including any downloads that I'd need.
Thanks very much,
Mango
I would start with the sticky at the top of THIS page.
Good luck.
Thanks Dirk (Love the name, by the way!)
But looking through that it's very difficult to get a sense of what I'll need to do, and in what order.....
The LG is pretty easy, as you have a KDZ installer......But on that stickie it seems a bit random!
Right....having now got the Legend in front of me, I need to know what to do!
It seems to be having a software glitch on the previous update.....Cannot get in to see which update it was, and my friend has no idea either.
She had sent it back to V'phone, and also HTC to get them to do something, but they keep fobbing her off.
I said I'd have a look, but it really doesn't seem as straight forward as LG!
Are you ever able to boot into a working OS (doesn't sound like it), or does it crash out before loading the desktop?
What sort of errors or faults are we dealing with here basically?
Basically, it starts up.....
It loads up the OS, but from there, it can take anything from 2-5mins to freeze up.
The notifications bar will not pull down, and then, when it does it sticks.
I've said that she probably needs it to be re-installed.....(Hopefully with a newer version).
Vodaphone and HTC have both been useless for her. I woulda thpought HTC would've just flashed it and be done....but no!
So I thought I'd come searching on here! But the sticky doesn't help me that much! I'm from the LG forum, where everything is set out in !idiot guides"!!
I do work in IT, so I am pretty competent, but haven't touched an HTC before!
Thanks for your replies
Right....Done a factory reset, and when the Legend comes on, it is completely unresponsive.
Plus, the screen image shakes from side to side, in a quite violent manner!
It would appear that I can move the screen without even touching it!
Any help is gratefully received!!
Sounds like a hardware issue then. If you were able to factory reset without any improvement at all i'd say that software problems are pretty much ruled out.
If i were you i would have a good rant at Vodafone until they agree to swap the unit with a working model.
Thanks again, Dirk....
I have emailed her to let her know your thoughts!.
Long, dark tea-time awaits
Always a pleasure to speak with a fellow fan
Good luck with the phone. Vodafone have always caved in when i've kicked up a stink about various faults etc so i hope your friend gets a result.
Apparently, she has already been intouch with both HTC and V'phone....and neither are prepared to do anything about it.....
Still worth a screaming match with them???
On an unrelated point..... Did you see Steven Mangan as Dirk? Was disappointed that the book was so thoroughly mashed, but was still entertaining!
Hi all,
I did a search through the forums, and maybe I just haven't leveled enough to know what I'm looking for.
I bought an e-book reader today ("the book" by Augen), and want to get Android on it. The OS it shipped with is terrible, and I picked it up on the super cheap so I'm not terribly worried about destroying it.
So, I tried a few stupid things that I kinda figured wouldn't work, like formatting through Windows. I'm not very well versed in the ways of Linux, which is another problem...
Could anyone give me a little guidance on where to start? Do I want to go all out and wipe the whole volume? Or is there a more appropriate way to approach this problem?
Update: The WiFi wasn't working so I dug around until I found the notice for their last firmware update. The unit is now partially bricked. Apparently, the update is a hit or miss. I can get into the usb flasher, but I can't access the actual device...
A friend of mine has a Palm Pre, and he is mad because when he got it, the Android craze hadn't really set in yet, but now his carrier's got him locked with this phone for a good couple of years.
SO, here comes the question:
Is it possible to somehow put Android onto the Pre?
I heard of a way of doing it, but it needs the computer to run it, meaning that when you unplug the phone it will be webOS again.
I'm looking for a more "permanant" way of actually installing it onto the Pre.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Since you guys here at XDA are such geniuses and fix most any problem, this should be a piece of cake. After all, you found a way to put Ubuntu on Android phones, how hard could this be, same idea right?
though there're some team are working on it, it is still not that easy cuz some kernel codes of webos are not open-source. And this threadhas discussing about it.
they started working on it 3 months before the first pre came out but they never could get any where
Hi everyone,
Im new here so sorry if these questions seem a bit dumb but Im at a loss right now.
So I ordered this Hyundai (presumably) DVR, its fine and dandy all together for €120 but now if I want to use another DVR app instead of the one that comes with the thing they all crash. So I did a little research into all the menus and seems there is no camera system even installed (no idea how the app that comes with the thing even works without it) so my question is, is there a way to install somekind of an generic driver for the camera or just add some files into the system?
There are quite a few MTK files in the apps tab so I'm guessing it has something relevant to this discussion.
I know DVRs are not really the kind of things this site deals with but since its Android powered it was the best bet to ask here, maybe someone could help me out a little.
Any help is really highly appriciated! :fingers-crossed: