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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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?
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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 >_<)
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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.
Had a weird thing happen the past couple of days. This is on a bone stock HTC Inspire. I get a star in the notification area. When I expand the notification it says 'Your phone is running too slow' or something similar. When I click on it, it takes me to speeddroid.com or somewhere similar. I closed the browser before it could go any further. I looked at the apps and nothing seems out of place. Any thoughts?
NotSoSimple said:
Had a weird thing happen the past couple of days. This is on a bone stock HTC Inspire. I get a star in the notification area. When I expand the notification it says 'Your phone is running too slow' or something similar. When I click on it, it takes me to speeddroid.com or somewhere similar. I closed the browser before it could go any further. I looked at the apps and nothing seems out of place. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you've got an app that's sending ads to your notification bar if you google it you should find some ways to get rid of it
Sent through the power of Cthulhu!
Lovely. The spyware cleaners have migrated from pc's to android phones.
Check your running services also, if you haven't already. If nothing looks out of place in apps, it's probably hiding in services, which probably still could be traced back to some app you've installed.
There's nothing built-in to a bone-stock phone that would do that.
NotSoSimple said:
Had a weird thing happen the past couple of days. This is on a bone stock HTC Inspire. I get a star in the notification area. When I expand the notification it says 'Your phone is running too slow' or something similar. When I click on it, it takes me to speeddroid.com or somewhere similar. I closed the browser before it could go any further. I looked at the apps and nothing seems out of place. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've got malware son
I know that this is malware. Also it is my wifes phone She has had it a week and she has already managed to jack it up. Ive had my Atrix since launch and have had no problems.
I will check the processes and see if I notice anything. She thinks the only adverse thing was accidentally clicking adds in Words with Friends. Tried a couple Anitvirus/Spyware apps from the market but everything said the phone was clean.
Also in her pictures, it downloaded some ads for vodka, and has some buttons for a UI... Very odd.
Edit: AirPush was able to tell me what was sending crap out. Pentris (Not Quite Tetris) was the app. I took a look and sure enough in the market it states it pushes out an ad a day. I showed my wife, told her she needs to read about the apps a bit more. So word to the wise, read about the app before you install!
NotSoSimple said:
I know that this is malware. Also it is my wifes phone She has had it a week and she has already managed to jack it up. Ive had my Atrix since launch and have had no problems.
I will check the processes and see if I notice anything. She thinks the only adverse thing was accidentally clicking adds in Words with Friends. Tried a couple Anitvirus/Spyware apps from the market but everything said the phone was clean.
Also in her pictures, it downloaded some ads for vodka, and has some buttons for a UI... Very odd.
Edit: AirPush was able to tell me what was sending crap out. Pentris (Not Quite Tetris) was the app. I took a look and sure enough in the market it states it pushes out an ad a day. I showed my wife, told her she needs to read about the apps a bit more. So word to the wise, read about the app before you install!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AirPush worked fine I have no more problems with Your phone is running slow. Thanks man
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
NotSoSimple said:
I know that this is malware. Also it is my wifes phone She has had it a week and she has already managed to jack it up. Ive had my Atrix since launch and have had no problems.
Edit: AirPush was able to tell me what was sending crap out. Pentris (Not Quite Tetris) was the app. I took a look and sure enough in the market it states it pushes out an ad a day. I showed my wife, told her she needs to read about the apps a bit more. So word to the wise, read about the app before you install!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found with computers and phones alike, that sites/apps/services that are targeted toward women and people in demographics less likely to be tech savvy are riddled with malware. My wife spends 15 minutes on the computer looking for recipes or knitting patterns and the thing is on fire, gasping it's last breath, while I spend huge amounts of time doing things of a highly technical, sometimes questionably legal nature with nary a problem. I guess it's because people who know what they're doing are unlikely to install something "because the internet told me to," so the jerks who make that stuff don't waste their time on our sites. So, all that to say, I try to pay attention to what she's doing. It saves me a ton of time down the road.
stonewallmike said:
I have found with computers and phones alike, that sites/apps/services that are targeted toward women and people in demographics less likely to be tech savvy are riddled with malware. My wife spends 15 minutes on the computer looking for recipes or knitting patterns and the thing is on fire, gasping it's last breath, while I spend huge amounts of time doing things of a highly technical, sometimes questionably legal nature with nary a problem. I guess it's because people who know what they're doing are unlikely to install something "because the internet told me to," so the jerks who make that stuff don't waste their time on our sites. So, all that to say, I try to pay attention to what she's doing. It saves me a ton of time down the road.
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+1*100! ten characters...
NotSoSimple said:
Had a weird thing happen the past couple of days. This is on a bone stock HTC Inspire. I get a star in the notification area. When I expand the notification it says 'Your phone is running too slow' or something similar. When I click on it, it takes me to speeddroid.com or somewhere similar. I closed the browser before it could go any further. I looked at the apps and nothing seems out of place. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same prob with my phone...
Figured that an app named QR Reader by DrHu was the culprit for my issue
How i figured?
I guess i was just lucky... i clicked the notification, as soon as i clicked it i saw the app name on the taskbar... and i unstalled it! fixed!
seriously, the new market sucks. I have spent the last week and a half getting update notifications for the same apps that already have the update in question installed, And I update it just keeps sending me the same updatei just installed. any way to fix this? also I hate how least the new is compared to the old one. google readily needs to test their products better before release.
on top of that, and I hate to rant here, but with the lawsuits going on right now, you would think google would know better than to steal the windows phone7 interface. I mean, its shop obvious its like they aren't trying.
The old format was cleaner and easier to navigate on a phone. I think the new market seems to be designed for tablet users... In its current state, it's almost embarrassing.
Personally, I think the market should be customized for different devices to offer the best shopping experience. It would be more effort, but Google certainly has the funds and manpower to handle it.
He inability to disable update notifacations is another minus. Apps like My Account and My Device feature "updated" versions that lock a pop up ad on your screen. In landscape mode, it makes up most of the viewing area. No sane individual would want that "update". The market shouldn't conspire with developers to ram updates down the customers' throats.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using XDA App
So I have a Skytex Primer Pocket, little 4.3" thing running Android 2.2. No market, no official Google apps, and, above all, no mention of it anywhere except for brief reviews. So I'm looking into rooting it, or just getting the Market onto it (and maybe the Gmail app). It comes with GetJar, which, as I've just learned, is a ****ty alternative app store full of spam and ads. I'm also learning that if you wanna have a half way decent experience you NEED the Market, which this doesn't have. I've had very little experience with Android (never owned an Android device before this), so please bear with me if I say or said something stupid. What would yall smart people suggest?
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
oops! sorry
I just got a pocket primer for my three year old to play with (navigates my EVO 4G better than my wife). In it's stock form he can play videos and basic angry birds but even he will get frustrated if I can't get the same apps on that thing as the rest of his family has,......and he beats me.
haha wow i'd given up on this thread. I've actually pretty much given up on my device entirely and use it almost exclusively as an mp3 player. The browser doesn't open anymore (it displays a message stating that it crashed whenever I open it), the wifi doesn't turn on and it's just a ****ing piece of ****.
thefinn93 said:
haha wow i'd given up on this thread. I've actually pretty much given up on my device entirely and use it almost exclusively as an mp3 player. The browser doesn't open anymore (it displays a message stating that it crashed whenever I open it), the wifi doesn't turn on and it's just a ****ing piece of ****.
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Click to collapse
The problems you are having can most likely be resolved by hitting the reset button, as I have had to do once or twice. Also, if you wanted it to have all the things you mentioned, why did you buy this device? The ad states pretty clearly that the apps market that this device uses is Getjar. And, once again, you get what you pay for. BTW, there are many apps on the Amazon Apps Market that work just fine.
You can also download 1 Mobile Market as a good alternative, much better than Getjar...
warneso said:
The problems you are having can most likely be resolved by hitting the reset button, as I have had to do once or twice. Also, if you wanted it to have all the things you mentioned, why did you buy this device? The ad states pretty clearly that the apps market that this device uses is Getjar. And, once again, you get what you pay for. BTW, there are many apps on the Amazon Apps Market that work just fine.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I had mine given to me and wasn't really sure what to expect, but wasn't terribly impressed. It makes an OK media player. And yes, I ended up resetting it and getting the browser back.
As for 1 Mobile Market, good to know, will try it. Thanks. For everyone who has it: is it "pre rooted"? like, when you connect with ADB do you get a root shell, or do i have a weird one?
hmmm I wonder if SlideMe market would work as well, I think all skytex devices come with root already its one of there monkiers, I just wish the dev community would pick a couple up and throw ROM's at em cheap devices that work well as gifts but have crappy stock roms
right now my daughter is using one as mp3 player and using amazon market on it but she calls me everyday and I have to tell her reset, Im just going to start answering the phone, "reset it"
I have tried myself with the Gapps and i managed to install them by installing the market vending. Youtube doesnt work, and by that I mean that the video doesnt play. Which I cant understand because mobile youtube can play just fine. Plus from what I can remember it disables its own lockscreen and the home button ceases to work and a factory reset is the only answer. Defiantly a unique situation and ridiculous as well. How does all that happen from just installing the market? A clusterf**k of BS is all I can say about it. These low grade tablets are mostly hopeless to get properly suited with G apps so Im at a loss for anything else to do.
so im making the switch from ios to android. ive had ios since the iphone came out but made the switch to android a few years back with an htc vivid but the back plate got too hot to hold so i traded it in for a galaxy s2 and after about 6mons of ownership, i dropped it on carpet and it turned off and wouldnt turn back on. after that, i switched back to ios. so i had a bad first experience with android. i just ordered the opo and plan on rooting it day one. i always jailbroke my iphones and wanted widgets and weather on my lockscreen but the options ios users have are crap and drain the battery. im a big fan of street fighter 4 volt on ios and will be sad that i cant play online anymore, but im sure ill find another game on android that i love too.
im coming from an iphone 6 (not the 6 plus) and i felt like the screen was too big, but the more i thought about it, i think apple just didnt handle the larger screen sizes very well. they put all the buttons at the top of the screen. on android a lot of the buttons are at the bottom. this was annoying in apps like mail. i switched to mercury browser on ios and made it the default web browser, so ill likely do the same on android but i want to try out a few and see. the ones i know of are... mercury, dolphin, and k9 (i think thats what its called). mail apps i honestly have no clue what you guys use but i heard the stock mail app that is on cm is pretty good. i use 3 gmails, an icloud, and an outlook, so id need something that can manage all 5
im excited to learn about android and what all it has to offer and i hope eventually ill be able to help the next new guy like myself
randrewm97 said:
so im making the switch from ios to android. ive had ios since the iphone came out but made the switch to android a few years back with an htc vivid but the back plate got too hot to hold so i traded it in for a galaxy s2 and after about 6mons of ownership, i dropped it on carpet and it turned off and wouldnt turn back on. after that, i switched back to ios. so i had a bad first experience with android. i just ordered the opo and plan on rooting it day one. i always jailbroke my iphones and wanted widgets and weather on my lockscreen but the options ios users have are crap and drain the battery. im a big fan of street fighter 4 volt on ios and will be sad that i cant play online anymore, but im sure ill find another game on android that i love too.
im coming from an iphone 6 (not the 6 plus) and i felt like the screen was too big, but the more i thought about it, i think apple just didnt handle the larger screen sizes very well. they put all the buttons at the top of the screen. on android a lot of the buttons are at the bottom. this was annoying in apps like mail. i switched to mercury browser on ios and made it the default web browser, so ill likely do the same on android but i want to try out a few and see. the ones i know of are... mercury, dolphin, and k9 (i think thats what its called). mail apps i honestly have no clue what you guys use but i heard the stock mail app that is on cm is pretty good. i use 3 gmails, an icloud, and an outlook, so id need something that can manage all 5
im excited to learn about android and what all it has to offer and i hope eventually ill be able to help the next new guy like myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome back to Android. The first thing you need to do when you get your phone is unlock your bootloader, do this before you really start using it because doing so wipes all user data. Even if you don't want to flash ROMs having an unlocked bootloader is essential because you need it unlocked to flash stock images, and flashing stock images is what will get you out of trouble if something ever goes wrong with your device. I've written a very detailed and easy to understand guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2839471
You might be tempted to use a toolkit to do things for you, but I'd advise you not to because they bypass some very crucial learning. And anyway, a toolkit really isn't needed for this device, it's very easy to work with. So check out my guide and feel free to ask any questions if any arise.
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android base
The android is based off Linux. So everything is open source. Anything broken can be repaired. Take time to read and study. Learn all you can, and use a second phone for development. Remember.. Always make a backup...Always have redundant copies
Cheers, and enjoy.