Love my Thunderbolt so far. Two things I don't like...
1) This phone has a MASSIVE amount of bloatware on it. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible to have more than my DroidX did... but it does. Thankfully, once root is available this is solvable.
2) Battery life. I really wanted to purchase the extended battery, but there is no holster for the phone that will work with it. This is unfortunate. Hopefully they'll make a holster similar to the one I had with my Droid and DroidX where the back of the phone isn't limited in any way.
Agreed with the bloatware. So lame. I dont need 50% of the junk installed on here.
Need root asap to clear out the garbage!
Honestly the one thing that I don't like is the fact that skype doesn't work with this phone yet. it's honestly the main reason I got this phone
CityId is the bane of my existence
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
actually looking at it now that I've had time to play around, No skype, no swype, unable to use FM radio app without headphones, No HDMI output. I've even tried using fring calling for video chat, doesn't even utilize the FFC. it uses the rear camera. the bloat ware yes. I'm sure there will be more to come
Jlluna87 said:
actually looking at it now that I've had time to play around, No skype, no swype, unable to use FM radio app without headphones, No HDMI output. I've even tried using fring calling for video chat, doesn't even utilize the FFC. it uses the rear camera. the bloat ware yes. I'm sure there will be more to come
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The swype beta works to a point. For video chat, and 2 of my friends tried Tango and said it works.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.sgiggle.production&feature=search_result
HolyGrail said:
. For video chat, and 2 of my friends tried Tango and said it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Front facing?
Yes, I can't try it till I get home, but they said it works. Thunderbolt to an Iphone was what they chatted on.
Tango works. I just chatted with an ifriend
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Tango definitely works, Fring needs to be updated to support the thunderbolt, and Skype will eventually come. Since they enabled video chat on iPhone only a matter of time on Android
Jlluna87 said:
unable to use FM radio app without headphones,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as the incredible. Uses them as an antenna.
Have any of you tried the EVO version of Fring in the Market?
The only thing that really annoys me about it is the location of the USB port. Can't watch a movie or slingbox in landscape and simultaneously charge it with the cord (it looks like it may only be possible to do that with a dock).
Wait a minute.
You don't suppose they purposely designed it that way so I'd have to by a dock, do you?
HolyGrail said:
The swype beta works to a point. For video chat, and 2 of my friends tried Tango and said it works.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.sgiggle.production&feature=search_result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had any problems with the swype beta so far. When does it stop working?
I did notice you can remove City ID from inside the app....mine is gone.
Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk
Also, the Verizonwireless app doesn't support the Thunderbolt yet.
Must be a 4G issue... but I can't load it and pay my bill.
doublehoya said:
You don't suppose they purposely designed it that way so I'd have to by a dock, do you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's hilarious. Ordered mine tonight, dude said it was being overnighted but I've ordered enough phones from Verizon where if you don't get the "it's been shipped" email with tracking, it ain't coming. Guess I'll have to hit a store on lunch tomorrow and "undo" the shipped one.
I have a similar question tho about a dock, time to start searching for accessories I suppose because I can't live without a car dock.
I dont like that they have charger slot in the same side where the back-stand opens to. If I want to have my phone horizontally and while charging I cant because the slot faces down. They should have thought about that.
My main gripes thus far:
microUSB location
notifications (LED not as good as multicolored on Nexus One, Vibrate tends to be weak)
in-call volume is somewhat quiet
bloatware
Everything else seems solid. I do not like Sense, but permanent root is imminent. I can solve many of my "problems" with a custom ROM and other software tweaks.
I am highly impressed with the build quality of the device. It feels solid and high quality (like HTC hardware usually feels). I am looking forward to upcoming ROMS/hacks/etc.
I have not been affected much by poor battery life to this point. We will see what happens after my first full day at work with the device off the charger from 6:30a - 4:30p (and usually into the evening depending on how much charge is left when I get home).
they did so much better than the evo. feels solid and well made, screen construction is different hopefully preventing screen separation, kickstand wider to hopefully actually work, camera lense recessed rather than sticking out, i actually like the charging port on the side because i use my phone more in portrait mode.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Related
I just put official to reduce the amount of individual threads. Anyway, since some people are getting their Captivates, please post your first impressions of the device below. Also please include pictures of your phone to make it less boring! Also describe your experience getting it at the store, I'm sure people will want to know things when they get theirs.
Will update when I get it.
n' for the love of god, plz try out the gps
Picked mine up yesterday at the local ATT store. It was only $350 no commitment.
(I am coming from a tilt2)
This thing flies. Yes menus may jerk a little, but thats because of all of the Samsung and ATT crap. It is definitely worth the money. It is much lighter and thinner than I expected too.
Now if we could only figure out how to root this thing and kill the ATT and Samsung stuff
EDIT: GPS is great. Locks in about 5-15 seconds for me.
matthewpapa said:
Picked mine up yesterday at the local ATT store. It was only $350 no commitment.
(I am coming from a tilt2)
This thing flies. Yes menus may jerk a little, but thats because of all of the Samsung and ATT crap. It is definitely worth the money. It is much lighter and thinner than I expected too.
Now if we could only figure out how to root this thing and kill the ATT and Samsung stuff
EDIT: GPS is great. Locks in about 5-15 seconds for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wooo 1 confirmed good gps experience!
im glad you like it. cant wait to pick one up myself
Wow you got it quick! I could have sworn that ATT was going to release the device later in the week. Where you are, it is already released? Do they have store models as well (for demo purposes)?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
No store models out. They may let you try one out though.
I knew since it was supposably coming out on Sunday that they would have to have them before then because nobody that I know of delivers sunday. So id been calling every day since monday to see if theyd gotten them in, and finally yesterday they did
i think samsung pressured att to move up the launch because the droid 2 (or whatever its called) came out yesterday as well
EDIT: if anyone has any questions please shoot. im glad to share the wealth
matthewpapa said:
No store models out. They may let you try one out though.
I knew since it was supposably coming out on Sunday that they would have to have them before then because nobody that I know of delivers sunday. So id been calling every day since monday to see if theyd gotten them in, and finally yesterday they did
i think samsung pressured att to move up the launch because the droid 2 (or whatever its called) came out yesterday as well
EDIT: if anyone has any questions please shoot. im glad to share the wealth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there stutter in the videos u record at 720p on objects moving quickly? saw a youtube of droid x and galaxy recorded clip and the galaxy had stutter when panning and on cars driving by.
quick question, how is call quality on the phone? also speaker phone quality?
I havent had any problems with video record quality or stuttering, but i will put it to more tests later
As far as call quality: reception is unparalleled on any phone ive used. I can hear people better than I have ever been able to. The quality of the audio you send out is upper average. The dual mike noise cancellation works almost without a flaw, however. Speakerphone is 99% as great my old tilt2, which was the best speakerphone I have ever heard.
And as far as fingerprints? dont worry about those. This phone's screen is so great that i never notice them even though it can accumulate quite a few
only complaints so far is that the stupid power cord receptacle is cheap and it doesnt lock the power cord in when charging, and that gameboid for some reason doesnt work correctly
im trying to get this phone for my girlfriend. i was looking on the ATT website but i don't see it, but you picked it up in store...are they slowly coming to all the stores?
what is gameboid?
another user posted something about the power cord then corrected himself saying it was the way he had it plugged in. try playin around with it. i think he said something about a slide cover he hadnt opened all the way
@thisguy10
its hit or miss at local stores. call ahead n confirm they have it and will sell it.
matthewpapa said:
only complaints so far is that the stupid power cord receptacle is cheap and it doesnt lock the power cord in when charging, and that gameboid for some reason doesnt work correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if your device is just an oddball in this regard. Most of those adapters are fairly snug in the devices I've used. Has anyone else talked about this in reviews and videos? I've watched a few and haven't heard anything, but perhaps I just ignored it.
-In general how is the navigation in terms of smoothness ?
-How is xvid/divx video play back ?
-I know it plays several audio formats, but does it play FLAC ?
matthewpapa said:
I havent had any problems with video record quality or stuttering, but i will put it to more tests later
As far as call quality: reception is unparalleled on any phone ive used. I can hear people better than I have ever been able to. The quality of the audio you send out is upper average. The dual mike noise cancellation works almost without a flaw, however. Speakerphone is 99% as great my old tilt2, which was the best speakerphone I have ever heard.
And as far as fingerprints? dont worry about those. This phone's screen is so great that i never notice them even though it can accumulate quite a few
only complaints so far is that the stupid power cord receptacle is cheap and it doesnt lock the power cord in when charging, and that gameboid for some reason doesnt work correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dual mic nosie cancellation? I was under the impression that there was just one mic.
Well i dont know but if there is no dual mike cancellation, whatever software/hardware filter they are using worked really well
I will have to test different video formats when I get home for benchmark sake.
Just went by the apple store in the mall because it was on the way to lunch. I loaded some websites on the demo iphone 4 and my captivate side by side at the same time. as far as loading speeds its pretty much a draw, which is good. Opera mini was significantly faster, but of course that is a preprocessor browser and a completely different animal. I tried rotation benchmarks and the Captivate for sure wins that one. Keyboard on the iphone4 is def better than the samsung keyboard, but if you switch to swype (and know how to use it) it is like 300% faster
@ systoxity
you are correct about the door not being open all the way. i charge it before i go to bed so i guess i didnt see that the door was still partially closed because my lights were out
@I,Rookie
Window speeds are fast, except with the Samsung widgits. I am very impressed so far. I could be biased though because i am coming from a tilt2 which was uber slow
btw does anyone know of a good Android RSS reader that does podcasts too?
Can you change the Iphone like "shortcuts" that are on the bottom of the screen? I've seen several videos saying that you are stuck with the defaults but seem to remember watching someone change them in a video a few days ago, but can't find it now.
Going off a hands-on video, I believe you have to go into the App Drawer and then hit menu then edit.
Has anyone tried the DLNA sharing (sharing video/music from a desktop to the phone on a LAN)? Is it laggy?
Wireless Tethering?
One of the Samsung videos mentioned wireless tethering. Has anyone check the Captivate for that capability?
Alright, here are my first impressions. I don't have one yet, but I got the chance to play with one for a while.
----Screen----
It's beautiful. The most impressive part is that blacks are truly black. The colors are impressive as well and aren't as oversaturated as the AMOLED screens on the Incredible and N1. Sharpness wise, the Captivate is on par with the Incredible and N1. Like the AMOLED screens on the Incredible and N1, these new Super AMOLED screens still aren't as sharp as LCDs. You can see jaggies if you look close. If you're coming from an iPhone 4, you will definitely notice that the Captivate's screen is less sharp.
----Launcher and UI----
Scrolling between home screens is pretty smooth. It's not iPhone smooth, and it's not quite as smooth as the HTC Aria, but it's on par with the Incredible and Evo and a lot smoother than the Droid X (which is awful). Swiping through the application drawer is iPhone smooth though, which is appropriate because it looks nearly identical to the iPhone interface. Scrolling through lists on this phone isn't iPhone smooth, but it's smoother than any other Android phone. Samsung has also implemented elasticity within many lists so that they bounce when you reach the end. I like it. Oh, and live wallpapers run like butter.
----Browser----
Scrolling around web pages is very smooth. Again, it's not iPhone smooth, but it's smoother than any other Android phone. Unfortunately, the browser has one major flaw. It doesn't reflow text to fix the screen when you zoom in. This is something you may not appreciate unless you've used an HTC phone or some alternative browser with this functionality. After using the Aria for the past two weeks, I can say that browsing is tedious and frustrating on the Captivate without this feature. I'm not sure if Dolphin supports this functionality, but if it does it would instantly become my default browser if I got this phone.
Update: It seems the browser DOES reflow text, but only when you double tab or use the buttons to zoom, not when you pinch to zoom. In light of this, it's not such a big deal. I could live with the default browser.
----Lag/Stalling----
Some refer to it as lag. Others refer to it as the stalling issue. Either way, it's real and it's there. I noticed it whenever I was in an application and pressed the home button to return to the home screen. I set my Aria next to it and compared them side by side. My Aria returned to the home screen faster every single time. On the Aria, returning to the home screen happened instantly, while on the Captivate it often took a second or two, or sometimes as much as 5 (yes FIVE) seconds! I first noticed the issue when leaving the Maps application. It consistently took 3 or 4 seconds to return to the home screen from the Maps application.
If it weren't for the fact that there is supposedly a fix for this (which isn't exactly foolproof and may have side effects by the way), this would be a total deal breaker for me. It's that bad. I really hope Samsung releases an update soon to fix the issue for those who don't want to go tinkering with the OS, but Samsung isn't exactly known for their support or quick releases.
So I've had my iPhone 4 since release and I've been happy with it but itching for AT&T to get a decent android phone for me to try. I'm eligible for partial upgrade and because I'm on premiere I get an additional 10% off; which the Corp store agreed to honor; so total price was $269. Luckily they were busy when I got there and I had some time to play with it. Very solid phone. But I've been debating the whole front facing camera thing. I Skype regularly with my parents who are overseas and I FaceTime with my wife (more once our baby is born in April. SO the lack of a front facing camera was big. I've also heard horror stories of android and battery life; so when I found it it was only 1250mah I couldn't believe it. And after playing around with it I realized that the browser is not on the same level as the iphones. I watch a lot of videos on CNN and when I tried it using the flash Player on android it took a long time. On the iPhone the HTML 5 page pulls up and videos are near instantaneous. The browser just seemed a lot more fluid. I dunno I haven't made a final decision but wanted to see somebody doses perspective who went from iphone4 to inspire
I sold my iPhone for $ 500 and never looked back. I picked up the inspire this morning and after an hour of frustrating debacle with the radio Shack guy I got to playing with it.
I had owned an evo before but this blows it out of the water. If you can get by the fact that it doesn't have a front facing camera you will be pleased. The phone is super fast and the display is beautiful. I'm working on my first charge and the battery is lasting. I do not miss my iPhone at all.
I am sorry if my writing seems choppy but I'm currently playing with SwiftKey
Cool. Let me know In a few days after you've been using it for a while. The other very annoying thing (and this is the iPhones fault) is that the damn iPhone uses a micro sim. So i can't just switch back and forth between the two. I'll probably have to pick up a micro sim adapter that would allow it to be used sit regular sim slots
I sold my iphone and I am very happy with my phone. So nice not needing itunes and being able to use the storage in my phone. Its also nice being able to add ringtones and sounds so easily. IMHO the inspire screen is just as good.
Naytwan said:
I sold my iphone and I am very happy with my phone. So nice not needing itunes and being able to use the storage in my phone. Its also nice being able to add ringtones and sounds so easily. IMHO the inspire screen is just as good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything he said.
@OP: That's what I hear too, also have seen, that the experience on iOS is just a little smoother than the Android experience, and I can understand where they are coming from.
Captivate 2.2.1 Paragon
I sold my i4 last night and bought my inspire today. My advice to you is get an ipod touch 4gen for your face time. That us my plan as I live apple for their audio. If Android made a device similar to the touch than I would still have my iPhone but that's not the case. Plus this phone is solid and not cheap like others. Doesn't feel like I've skipped a beat. Good luck. Also my speck case makes a difference because that's why I loved iPhone were the accessories.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
switch to verizon and get the thunderbolt its has lte and a front facing camera
I just got rid of my iP4 for the Inspire and I'm not gonna miss it. I've had a ton of phones in the last year and this might be my favorite. The speaker is a little weak, but I'm used to that from HTC. Screen is brilliant and while it may not be the retina display I prefer the larger size.
I haven't had a chance to evaluate battery life yet of course, but I pretty much know what I'm getting there.
I charged mine fully and have been playing with it for a while now. The battery has gone down only a tad - in no way can you literally 'watch the battery drain'. I think this will only improve with root. And the screen seriously is just as impressive as the retina display. It's really tough to see pixels on this thing - everything is bright, sharp and clear.
jdphilly said:
switch to verizon and get the thunderbolt its has lte and a front facing camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except best buy wants 299 on contract and 799 off
this will be my situation. i am brand new to this forum, so forgive me lol.
My first smartphone was the G1, loved it but decided to switch to iPhone 3g.
Sold that to by Nexus One. Loved it as well, but sold it to get the i4.
Now, i'm selling my i4 to get the inspire. So it's not my first Android, but I've become sorely accustomed to the "stupid" nature of iOS. Returning to android will take some getting used to.
I am trying this android thing out. Came from iphone 4 but still debating. I may return it because of battery issues and also music management sucks. Cant manage playlists. Also, bluetooth control does not work on the included player.
Rican2008 said:
I am trying this android thing out. Came from iphone 4 but still debating. I may return it because of battery issues and also music management sucks. Cant manage playlists. Also, bluetooth control does not work on the included player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't be using this for music except for slacker and pandora, and will stick my iphone4 in the glovebox and listen to the ipod while in the car. Have a small ipod if I ever need to take one somewhere.
acPIZZA said:
I charged mine fully and have been playing with it for a while now. The battery has gone down only a tad - in no way can you literally 'watch the battery drain'. I think this will only improve with root. And the screen seriously is just as impressive as the retina display. It's really tough to see pixels on this thing - everything is bright, sharp and clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only difference is that you can see the touchscreen grid on the inspire, but not on the iphone.
@rican
Not exactly sure what you are referring to regarding managing playlists but I use isyncr and it works perfectly for me. With the wifi addon you can sync them over your home network as well.
Thanks newter55, I will give isyncra try.
The main problem so far is battery life and bluetooth music controls. It will not let me pause, change tracks, etc. Any work around for this? I am a bit new to android and do like the inspire.
I use MixZing Basic for music, works perfectly with playlist.
I like this phone a lot. The only concern I have is call freezing. I had a G1 before, it freezes a lot when answering a call. It forced me to switch to IPhone 4. I hope this one doesn't have the freezing issue so I can sell my IPhone 4 on ebay, haha
acPIZZA said:
I charged mine fully and have been playing with it for a while now. The battery has gone down only a tad - in no way can you literally 'watch the battery drain'. I think this will only improve with root. And the screen seriously is just as impressive as the retina display. It's really tough to see pixels on this thing - everything is bright, sharp and clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good; keep in mind though that you're using a new phone and the battery life will get worse the more apps you download, the more widgets you have, and as you add more screens and files to the phone.
You should definitely take advantage of rooting wnd trying to find a ROM that has undervolting and over/under clocking to get the most out of the battery.
I have used my stereo Bluetooth headset and I can pause and skip tracks. I'm using stock player.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
I have had the Inspire for a few days and I thought I'd give my 2 cents. Just to give you some background, I have had dozens of smartphones. I benched my iPhone 4 for this phone.
Initially, my main concern was battery life. I'm happy to report that it's not an issue. While 1250 maH sounds like fail for an Android device with a 4.3" screen, it's obvious that the next gen Snapdragon is very good at keeping power consumption to a minimum. I unplugged the phone from it's charger this morning at 6 a.m. and at 10 p.m., I still had 30% battery. I had two lengthy calls and used the phone plenty to check e-mail and surf the web. I also streamed Slacker for a while. While I would feel more comfortable with a 1500 maH battery in the phone, the 1250 seems to be sufficient. I actually thought HTC was crazy when I originally read the specs.
Loving the new Sense. Not just the performance enhancements (it's fast), but the little things like the ability to skin and theme the device. Unlike Motoblur, Sense UI actually enhances Android. I have always felt this way, having had several HTC Android devices, but now I feel more so.
Screen is great. I don't like that you can see so many of the capacitive screen dots at times, but I can live with it. The screen is super responsive and very clear.
The Camera is actually really good. The main reason I held onto my iPhone 4 for so long was for the Camera. Every phone I have tried (I'm looking at you, Captivate) has let me down in the Camera department, but so far, I find the Inspire's Camera to be very sufficient. I love the interface and all of the effects, and the picture quality is excellent. Overall, the iPhone 4 is still slightly better, but HTC definitely put a good camera in this phone. It's the first phone since iPhone 4 that I actually have confidence in the picture quality (Samsung Focus was close) and wouldn't hesitate to use as a standalone camera. As some reviews have stated, the flash does make some night shots yellow, but this only appears to be true of fairly close-up shots.
Honestly, the only thing I wish this phone had was a Front Facing Camera. As little as I used it, it was just nice to know I had it on my iPhone 4. Still, I wouldn't trade this for an Atrix. I know that the phone will be more stable, functional, and I'll get an update to Android faster with HTC. Motorola soured me when I had my Droid X and proved that they shouldn't be allowed to mess with software.
Forget dual core. While the specs of the Atrix are impressive, I find this phone to be very responsive and smooth. It's clear that the next gen Snapdragon is more than sufficient for the task.
My only real wish with this phone is that I could uninstall ALL of the bloatware. I hate that about Android. WP7 lets you uninstall all apps and iPhone doesn't allow any in the first place. Android seems to be the whipping boy of carriers. I hate that the apps are ROM locked and that you have to root to get rid of them. This is especially true of the AT&T Navigator, which is pointless on Android in the first place. It's deeply integrated, too, so it shows up as an option when you click on a contact (use AT&T Navigator to get you to their address). I could hide these apps with Launcher Pro, but I shouldn't have to. AT&T disabling app side-loading is crap, too. We can always use side-load wonder machine (thank you Android Central), but disabling the feature is like taking a steaming dump on what Android is about (openness) to me.
Still, overall, I feel this is one of the best devices available on AT&T, and the only real Android option. Samsung needs to sort out their GPS issues (no, the software fix didn't resolve it. The issue is bad hardware) and Motorola (looking at you, Atrix) always manages to ruin perfectly good hardware with an encrypted bootloader and buggy software "enhancements". If you don't absolutely need a FFC, then this is your #1 Android choice on AT&T.
Sorry for the long-winded post. I originally set out to say "hey, the battery life really is good" and got carried away.
Good review,
And I pretty much agree 100% with everything you have said.
But as I may have to have a FFC I'm going to keep my iphone 4 around for a while.
I still can't believe that I may actually have to have a FFC soon. HAHA whatever my company is odd.
I was running the DesireZ Rom on my HD2 and I'm quite pleased with how this runs in stock form. I can't wait to get rid of the junk.
Coming from an HTC Aria, I also had concerns about battery life but was immediately impressed when I started using the Inspire. My first run of the battery from a full charge was about 28 hours which included phone calls, texts, web, pandora and much camera and video use at a concert. I got this phone expecting it to only last 12 hours max but was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a lot of battery drain even when not in use but that hasn't been the case at all. Battery consumption remains relatively untouched when the phone is not in use. I turn off data, gps and wifi unless I need them; I don't need things syncing constantly. I also keep the screen brightness at about 40%. I can't wait to see even better performance once I root and install a custom ROM.
I should also mention that the Inspire charges very quickly, at least as fast as an iPhone and much faster than any of the Galaxy S phones.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
greyhulk said:
I should also mention that the Inspire charges very quickly, at least as fast as an iPhone and much faster than any of the Galaxy S phones.
That was tge biggest suprise, from 10% to 100% in less than an hour and a half.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
One more update: I said in my review that the only thing I really missed was a FFC and the only thing I really used that for was self portraits.
I just discovered in the camera app on the Inspire, not only a self-timer (yay), but a "self portrait" setting. The self portrait setting automatically uses face detection to take the picture after you turn the phone around. I just tested it and the picture came out perfect.
I'm officially sold on this phone.
That was totally my exact feelings. I love this phone! I sold my Iphone 4 for 445 and am so glad I exchanged the Captivate for this baby. The pictures are awesome! The speed is great and yes, there are apps I miss on Itunes, but my hubby has an Iphone 3gs...
Grayhulk what is the name of that app?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
zizux said:
Grayhulk what is the name of that app?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For self-portrait? It's built into the camera software. You launch the camera, then push menu and it's the first option.
I tried playing with it but I'm a bear of little brain do I select self portrait then press the shutter then turn the camera around? Or turn the camera around and try to find the shutter button when I can't see it?
gunnyman said:
I tried playing with it but I'm a bear of little brain do I select self portrait then press the shutter then turn the camera around? Or turn the camera around and try to find the shutter button when I can't see it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have to push any buttons. After you select self portrait, just turn the phone around and try to hold it steady while it finds your face. There needs to be at least decent light for it to work.
That's pretty cool. Thanks
Will it work on T-Mobile?
Do you guys think i will be able to use it on T-Mobile US, with 3g? I had a Desire HD but had to sell it because it was only Edge with T-Mobile
Thanks
barakalla said:
Do you guys think i will be able to use it on T-Mobile US, with 3g? I had a Desire HD but had to sell it because it was only Edge with T-Mobile
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope same problem all ATT phones have on T-Mob. The data is using the wrong radio frequency to be 3G it will be edge only.
I tried out the demo in an AT&T store yesterday and I really love it. My one problem with it was the ring around the camera feels....wrong. I don't know if it was just that unit but you could turn it and it made it feel cheap. This isn't a big enough problem to keep me from buying this phone once my birthday comes around in April but it bothered me. Anyone else notice this?
Just tried to turn mine and it won't.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I'd need a pair of needle nose pliers to even begin to move mine. Sounds like the demo unit has seen some battle action.
Mine either
I don't particularly like the way it protrudes, but I can live with it. A case would take care of that (it would even out the back so it was flush with the camera protrusion), but I don't like using cases on my phones.
You also have to be careful when you set it down, or it'll scratch the metal ring around the camera. While this protects the lens, it'll decrease the value later if you want to sell it. Otherwise, I love the build quality.
The only issue I have had is that the Messaging app seems to lock up my phone completely every so often. I haven't tried an alternative, like Handcent to see if the issue persists. I also couldn't place a call or get data today until I reset the connection (airplane on/off), which is a first for me.
Overall, pretty minor bugs for a very nice phone.
greyhulk said:
You don't have to push any buttons. After you select self portrait, just turn the phone around and try to hold it steady while it finds your face. There needs to be at least decent light for it to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After having tried it in low-ish light, I recommend LOTS of light, and disabling the flash.
Those spots in front of my eyes are laughing at me.
Training device at the story, had my share of time with it today, checked it all out.
Pretty nice keyboard and tilt mechanism, hardware felt awesome in the hand. Software is definitely behind though, multitasking is a no go, software really isnt there for landscape yet which is a bummer with the keyboard.
Netflix worked great however.
Just posting in case anyone here had planned to switch from the epic, I can answer any questions about it too.
Sorry about the blurriness of a few of the pics, I was in a bit of a rush(the public isn't supposed to be seeing the device yet, so taking pictures isn't exactly easy )
Really would appreciate the pics...
LordLugard said:
Really would appreciate the pics...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll crop and put them up in the first post now.
Its a windows phone isn't it? How is the smoothness of.it.compared to.the.epic?
Sent From My Evo Killer!
musclehead84 said:
Its a windows phone isn't it? How is the smoothness of.it.compared to.the.epic?
Sent From My Evo Killer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics up.
Oh don't get me wrong, it's very fast, everything loads really quickly.
Sometimes the transitions get annoying when you're just trying to be done with something..it's pretty though.
The worst culprit is the weather in the HTC hub, switching between cities does this whole cloud moving crazy popup thing, it looks pretty cool but takes about 5 seconds and could be very annoying if you're just trying to check the weather in a hurry.
Apps load really quickly, Netflix took about a minute to load up the app and get into a movie on 3g, quality seemed pretty good.
Battery life seemed good, although I had no percentages to work with, it didn't seem to drain that bad.
One thing I noticed though: In the marketplace, larger apps like 3d games can't be downloaded over 3g, it says "Wifi or PC Connection Required"
Really looking to try a WP7 phone, so thanks for this! Did you get a chance to test out the camera, and was the screen any good?
Sent From My Command Center... (aka basement)
flopez76 said:
Really looking to try a WP7 phone, so thanks for this! Did you get a chance to test out the camera, and was the screen any good?
Sent From My Command Center... (aka basement)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera I only took one picture, it seemed pretty clear! I'll try it more tomorrow and let you know.
The screen and type were very crystal clear, it's SLCD and looks absolutely fantastic, not QUITE the Epic but very good.
Also did you have a problem with the screen being 3.6" instead of 4"
Sent From My Command Center... (aka basement)
I'm not a windows fan but that phone doesn't.look to bad. I've never really.played with one before.
Sent From My Evo Killer!
I'm swapping out my HTC Hero for the HTC Arrive on the 20th. Can't wait.
that looks sexy but um yeah.... not into that whole hinge tilt stuff and windows phone 7 is just not hooking me.
I actually really like the tilt feature. It works like a kickstand for the screen so you can use your phone as a desk clock better or watch movies with no hands. I wish there was a tilting android phone.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Reminds me of the TP2 keyboard/tilt. That was the best, most responsive keyboard on a phone I've had.
I'd gladly trade my Epic keyboard for an HTC one... you know if it had a 4" SAMOLED screen...
I love the look of this phone it's just like a perfect hardware specs tp2 and that tilt screen is the one and only thing I miss from my tp2, but WP7 can suck it!! If only HTC released this the time the epic was out and had android on it I would of got this!!! I love the speaker on it too, really sexy phone!!
Set From My 3.0.1 Bonsai Epic 4g
god thats one ugly looking phone.
Nice looking phone. The real questions is, can we get Android running on it...
Probably, the question is why bother? It's last years weakest hardware...even after a port the Shift would still kill it performance wise, and don't even try to compare it with the Epic.
Nice looking phone ughly looking wp7.
never leaving android, atlast for now.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Magic Oreo said:
Nice looking phone ughly looking wp7.
never leaving android, atlast for now.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Trolls have no reason to post. If you are not here with interest in WP7 or the Arrive, then why are you here except to voice your pointless opinion?
Anyway. I also got my hands on an Arrive for a good bit. One thing about the slider, make sure you don't judge it until you remove the clear plastic protector on the back of the screen part of the slider (the back of the screen with the keyboard out). Until that is removed the slider will feel very wobbly, stiff, or overall crappy. Same thing was the case for our Touch Pro 2's.
The overall feel of the phone is really solid and well made, like the TP2 it feels solid but with the metal back and an actual glass screen it feel even higher quality. (Plus I love the way the screen angles off into the 2 grill parts on the top and bottom.)
The OS performed just as expected with performance never showing any sort of hiccup or slowdown. 3G Speed in the area was a bit poor due to it being a highly populated area that Sprint throttles. (Not a problem where I live). It was not a problem for normal use and web browsing but it did take a hit on Netflix playback, downgrading the quality to extremely low but still viewable quality I suppose.
As mentioned earlier/elsewhere, the one thing that is bumming me is the 3G download limit on large apps. I know it is the norm for most of todays phones but with an Unlimited plan, limiting my download size to 20MB is a real bummer. I hope there may be a way around this in due time. Sucks that they expect you to pay for another service while paying for the same type of service? WTF!?
I did not test this part of the phone out though since I did not want to set it up under my live account.
Other parts of mention was the seamless use of Bing search for various things. Unlike on the TP2 where you click on bing, wait a minute, have to quit back out because you forgot to run quick GPS to keep the sat info updated and of course it never automatically updates on its own, back into Bing and waiting another minute, type in what you want to search for (or click on the appropriate button), it searches and gets you what you may want, you click on it, wait a bit to get options, then finally to what you want. If using the Voice Guidance you have to hope it doesn't crash or lock up partway into your trek.
With WP7 it seriously was click button, 3 sec later your there, type or say what you want, it searches for another 2-3 sec, bamn various things related to your search and picking one only takes another 2-3 seconds. Fast, easy, works.
Sure Voice Guidance isn't in Bing for WP7 yet, but it is coming and till then Sprint gets their own Voice Guidance GPS that actually works ok as well.
There is only 1 Problem (Seams to be lightly known) with the phone. Wifi. Similar to the Video Demo I saw of a GSM UK 7 Pro, the wifi would get stuck trying to connect to a network and eventually give up. In the video he mentioned a hard reset fixed this but being as it was not my phone I did not test this. This looks to be a simple HTC bug and I would guess it would be fixed in a side update separate from other updates soon. Still, a bummer seeing how the phone isn't out yet and it's GSM brother has the same issue.
Either way I pre-ordered my phone and plan to enjoy it. The only thing is my upgrade isn't due till June 14th and well, that is a long way away. So I may buy the phone outright and just learn everything I can for a month. It is not that I cannot afford it, I just don't feel like paying $450 for any phone.
$35 to rent the phone for a month isn't a bad deal though. Did this with the HTC EVO. 4G was Awesome, but the Android os, while powerful, just didn't feel finished/polished similar to WM6.5 Roms.
Sure WP7 does lack a few features we have all known and loved on WM6.X and Android, but for what I use the phone for most, paired with the fact that I am getting sick of the phone having weird glitches, lockups, temporary hangs, slowdowns, and overall things either not working or working weirdly, (also on Android for this), WP7 looks for fix that for me. A phone that does all of the features it offers now and does them well. I used to be a huge tweaker for these devices, but after a while, the time it takes to make the phone work 100% takes way too long these days and especially on the old 500mhz chip, it is just not worth the fuss anymore. I have an HD2 to tinker with and use for certain Apps, and a Dell Axim X50v for my other WM entertainment needs.
Thank IM for that post.....Normally I am not one to read long posts but you covered everything that I was curious out.
I have an EVO right now and even though I love it. I loved my Zune HD a lot more. heres to hoping that the arrive lives up to hype I gave it.
Yesterday, I purchased a HTC Sensation from Walmart. I spent the day comparing it to my G2X (which I still have) and decided to see how the phones stack up against each other. The following are my observations:
Screen: I think this one comes down to preference. It's a hard call saying which one looks better than the other. The Sensation did not have any backlight bleeding (my G2X has minimal bleeding). When looking at the same picture on both phones side by side, the G2X seemed to be brighter. The viewing angles on the Sensation were not as extreme as on the G2X, but they were fine (unless your were looking at it from an extreme unnatural angle lol)
Performance: After having used a G2X since it came out, it took a little bit of getting used to the way the Sensation performs. That's not to say it's slow by any means (because it isn't), it just performs differently than the G2X. The Sensation has a lot of transition animations that the G2X doesn't have and this can make it feel slower than the G2X. For example, when you hit the home button on the G2X it takes you straight to the launcher, whereas when you hit the home button on the Sensation it fades into the launcher which takes about a split second longer. After a while I turned the animations setting on "some animations" because I prefer the snappiness of not having so many transitions than having all the eye candy. Of course this is just a personal preference. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will appreciate the eye candy. In using the phone I did not experience any slowdowns or lag. The phone was very responsive. All in all, I'd say both phones are on par with each other when it comes to responsiveness.
Sound: The Sensation wins this one easily. The sound on the G2X is very tinny and gets easily somewhat distorted. While the speakers on the Sensation aren't as good as some phones I've had (such as the Nexus S) they are definitely a higher quality than that of the G2X. The G2X does get a little bit louder than the Sensation, but it's sound quality is not on the same level.
Camera: The camera on the Sensation definitely responds faster than that of the G2X. As far as clarity goes, both phones take pretty decent pictures. I don't really see a world of difference between the two phones. I am pretty satisfied with the cameras on both phones.
Battery Life: Since I have only had the Sensation for one day I can't really speak to in depth on it's battery life. That being said, I will say this, I took the phone off of the charger with the battery around 80%ish and I had 3 hours of phone conversation, about 10 minutes shy of two hours of screen on time, push exchange email, facebook syncing, texting, and web browsing and the battery lasted me a little over 6 hours. This leads me to believe that the battery life on the Sensation is better than that of the G2X. My G2X in the same scenario would have died out much sooner than that.
Conclusion: It's hard for me to say which phone is "better". If you were trying to decide on a phone that was ready to go today, I would say go with the Sensation. Though I've only had it for a day, I did play with it extensively and I did not find any bugs. On my first day of having the G2X, I had already had multiple reboots and freezing. The Sense UI is a bit of an adjustment when coming from vanilla android but it is definitely very nice and very well implemented. The one gripe that I do have with the Sensation is that for some reason it doesn't seem to support bluetooth voice dialing natively. I noticed the leaked G2X gingerbread rom has the same problem so I'm not sure if it's a gingerbread problem or what. Hopefully this thread helps those that might be on the fence between the two phones. If there is anything that I missed that you want to know, just let me know.
Nice review
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Thanks for the great review. I have been considering purchasing a Sensation to go with my G2X. AFter reading a lot of reviews I had decided against it. After reading your review I am back on the fence again as to whether to buy it off contract or not.lol Would be interested in your findings after about a week . Once again thanks for posting an honest objective review!!!!!
Have you tried the death grip on this? Supposedly covering the back of the phone with your palm kills all the radio signals.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
mobilehavoc said:
Have you tried the death grip on this? Supposedly covering the back of the phone with your palm kills all the radio signals.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I've tried to replicate it but really couldn't. Now if I deliberately cover the phone in a way to intentionally block the signal then yeah you can lose signal, but of course that is true on every phone lol. I think whoever decided that to be an "issue" might have been someone just looking to fine problems, because I don't see any way possible you could unintentionally do that.
mysterioustko said:
Yeah I've tried to replicate it but really couldn't. Now if I deliberately cover the phone in a way to intentionally block the signal then yeah you can lose signal, but of course that is true on every phone lol. I think whoever decided that to be an "issue" might have been someone just looking to fine problems, because I don't see any way possible you could unintentionally do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't actually believe you can do it with every phone to the same extent. Like the iPhone 4 with the Sensation, your skin comes into direct contact with the antenna (or at least the cover which houses it) which causes MORE attenuation then say the G2X.
In the G2X the antenna is inside the phone and then there's a battery cover between it and your hands so your skin/hands NEVER touch the antenna. With the Sensation your fingers touch the antenna (exact issue as iPhone 4) so it will cause a disruption to your signal greater than the G2X.
Even if I cover my G2X completely with a deathgrip I don't see anything close to the results that gsmarena video shows. Not saying this is a dealbreaker but don't fool yourself to say this isn't a possible problem depending on how you hold your phone.
mobilehavoc said:
I don't actually believe you can do it with every phone to the same extent. Like the iPhone 4 with the Sensation, your skin comes into direct contact with the antenna (or at least the cover which houses it) which causes MORE attenuation then say the G2X.
In the G2X the antenna is inside the phone and then there's a battery cover between it and your hands so your skin/hands NEVER touch the antenna. With the Sensation your fingers touch the antenna (exact issue as iPhone 4) so it will cause a disruption to your signal greater than the G2X.
Even if I cover my G2X completely with a deathgrip I don't see anything close to the results that gsmarena video shows. Not saying this is a dealbreaker but don't fool yourself to say this isn't a possible problem depending on how you hold your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Sensation death grip is supposedly only for WiFi and Bluetooth (the two holes near the camera). Every report I've seen indicates the cell radio is not impacted...at least that is my understanding.
Well now it's a deathgrip thread. Wack.
Great review.
Gotta say I did like the sensation. It's a tad heavier then the g2x and I really liked that.
I only got to play with one for a minute but I loved the screen. I think it's got a really nice screen.
I did notice lag. The app drawer did have a slight delay before it would open.
Not a the fade out effect it does. Also the weather app was nice. Really like that.
But my g2x is faster.
Really that's all. The g2x is just as nice feeling.
Now the kicker.
I would just use adw ex on either phone. And I love the speed of the g2x.
Either phone would make me happy. But until I get gingerbread on my g2x is can't give an honest opinion.
Because my g2x is faster on 2.2. Has no issues but screen bleed. That never bothers me
So when 2.3 drops.
I was actually looking at the evo 3d now.
I may have to check it out.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
mobilehavoc said:
Have you tried the death grip on this? Supposedly covering the back of the phone with your palm kills all the radio signals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think even if the death grip exists, the vast majority of superphone owners use a protective case, so that should really never be a major issue.
To the OP.... thanks a BUNCH for your real world comparison! That's exactly the kind of info I needed. I'll still be within my exchange window when the Sensation hits T-Mo stores on the 15th and I'm still undecided if I want to return my G2X. The screen size and resolution of the Sensation is very appealing to me
I don't know, I'm hearing that there are quite a few problems with the Sensation. A buddy of mine got one yesterday and his is locking up and randomly rebooting on him. He's had problems with the GPS locking on and also says the audio leaves a lot to be desired.
Also, if you go to the Sensation forum here on XDA you can see that people are reporting various problems. One that concerns me is several people are reporting that dust particles are getting in behind their screens. That's not cool at all...
bluemoon737 said:
The Sensation death grip is supposedly only for WiFi and Bluetooth (the two holes near the camera). Every report I've seen indicates the cell radio is not impacted...at least that is my understanding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a direct comparison against the SGS2. The phone signal is effected but not to the degree Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are. You'll need to use Google Translate.
http://www.nordichardware.se/testla...tungviktare-med-hoeg-upploesning.html?start=8
mysterioustko said:
The one gripe that I do have with the Sensation is that for some reason it doesn't seem to support bluetooth voice dialing natively.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's your definition of "natively?" From the Bluetooth headset without an intermediate app like Google Voice?
BarryH_GEG said:
What's your definition of "natively?" From the Bluetooth headset without an intermediate app like Google Voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean without the need for a 3rd party app (such as Vlingo).
mysterioustko said:
I mean without the need for a 3rd party app (such as Vlingo).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still don't understand. So, you push the connectivity button on your headset, what do you want to happen?
BarryH_GEG said:
I still don't understand. So, you push the connectivity button on your headset, what do you want to happen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically what I expect it to do is go into the bluetooth voice dialing prompt (like it does on the G2X). I don't really want to have to use Vlingo.
hows the wifi calling
Im good with my G2X I need a Gyroscope for future gaming and 1 gig rom wont cut it and I hate quadrant on the snapdragon but sensation is a great device but so many hardware woes no Gyroscope people keep not pointing out witch is on the iPhone 4 and galaxy s 2 and LG 2X only.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
mysterioustko said:
Basically what I expect it to do is go into the bluetooth voice dialing prompt (like it does on the G2X). I don't really want to have to use Vlingo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone posted the fix. That's why I didn't understand what you were trying to do. Kind of stupid on HTC's part.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1117912
Having left T-mo with a MT4G to go to *SpRent with the EVO4G and now back with the Mo I was looking for a HTC-ish device. The G2x was the common ground I decided on. I still own 2 Evo4g's (hustler plug) and have been waiting for this Sensation of a deal for T-Mo. Your review seems legit and non biased. Would like to hear what happens within a month of usage though.
"Y a month?" because within in that time, to me, you will have done what ever type of testing (unknowingly) there is to do with the device repeatedly in the many environments you frequent. And been able to post its abilities against the G2x under any and all situations you normally face.
See you in the Future
kdog808 said:
hows the wifi calling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only used the wifi calling a few times so far, but I will say it's been stable.
In other news: I've noticed that the bluetooth signal strength is not as strong as on the G2X. With my G2X I could put the phone on the charger and go upstairs or go outside and get as far as the driveway. With the Sensation I get about half the range that I was getting with the G2X.