[Q] Samsung Dart nearly unuseable - General Questions and Answers

this phone is just so unstable, and sensitive. you get anywhere near the hardware buttons and they detect a touch, the keyboard damn near wont, and when you do get every thing working right it will have a full on freakout opening and closing Google search and flashing the keyboard a 1000 times a second.
and on top of all this it takes a screen shot every time you touch the phone
I don't know WTF is wrong with this thing, but i cant wait to get the cash up to get any other t-mobile smartphone
unless someone has some grand idea on how to get it to act right

thenumber5 said:
this phone is just so unstable, and sensitive. you get anywhere near the hardware buttons and they detect a touch, the keyboard damn near wont, and when you do get every thing working right it will have a full on freakout opening and closing Google search and flashing the keyboard a 1000 times a second.
and on top of all this it takes a screen shot every time you touch the phone
I don't know WTF is wrong with this thing, but i cant wait to get the cash up to get any other t-mobile smartphone
unless someone has some grand idea on how to get it to act right
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were you i'd get the sidekick 4G, it's close to the dart's price and has much better performance and isn't as buggy as the dart. The problems you have could be from lag or just the software is bad. Or you can save up and get a phone with a dual-core, which may not be for your needs. If you like samsung go with the sidekick instead. The buttons at the bottom are touch ones so they have to be sensitive so that they will be responsive, the screen is a bit small so you're likely to hit it very often at the bottom area. The phone has touchwiz and that doesn't work good on underpowered devices at all, and touchwiz itself is bad, unless it's the version on the Galaxy S2.

ya i planing to get the sidekick 4G next time i get some cash up

thenumber5 said:
ya i planing to get the sidekick 4G next time i get some cash up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a really nice device, the keyboard is really nice too. I had owned one prior to my Mytouch 4G, but mines broke so they replaced it with the mytouch instead. You should look up a review on youtube to though so you atleast have an idea of what it's like.

hmmm.....
i had no idea the dart was so bad...GOOD THING I HAZ A SENSATION!!!!

It works perfectly with some tweaking
I rooted this phone. Removed the bloatware and Swype. Set LauncherPro as the default homescreen and used no label 5 icon rows and columns. Also the 3D app drawer. No special effects. Runs beautifully with this setup. It even runs Netflix! Woot! Be sure to use a TaskManager to kill apps. I use Advanced Task Manager by InfoLife. Good luck!

You can get rid of all of the T-mobile crap by using the Canadian rom for the Dart. It is a very clean rom. The stock roms and tools are at: http://www.madteam.co/forum/development-70/(archive)-stock-roms-and-tools/
They also have CyanogenMod being ported to the Dart at the same link above, but it has some work left. If you are going to sim/network unlock do that before switching as it has to be done on the stock rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1335548

the custom rom has make this phone very fast

Related

Problems with the Vibrant / Nexus 1 vs. Vibrant

I had a couple of Nexus...and they are everything they say, that we all know they are
Sure some say hummingbirds are better, 4" is more, but you always have Froyo and you will always have the newer updates
I ask this cause of the probs I am experiencing with the Vibrant in another thread.
Black screens, comes back on, sits still, Launcher locked, then it does the vibrate thing in your hand ten times....Occasionally I have to restart
Is there a cause to this?
Should I do a factory Reset?
Could this be caused by using the Green Taskiller? should I use another? None?
Bottom line: if this is normal with everyone, would I regret going back to the Nexus One . I would have to pay more now from an online store AND I am leary about support
Thanks
Fix is in the galaxy s section
Thanks
I will look for it. I am not here to be spoon fed...
but if I can't find it I'll be back....if that's ok
I was just opening up email on the phone also, took 20 seconds..made me even miss my Blackberry 9700
Will it help with that
Again, thanks.. Heading out now, but will look and if I can't find, I will let you know if you are able to help
ERic
by the way, you were quick...thanks a lot

Leaving Windows thinking ATT Captivate

After 6+ years with a Windows Smart Phone (1st MPX220) I see the platform is dead and I have to go elsewhere. I am thinking of going to the Captivate. I like the new BB also but I am not sure if I want a crack berry. I think the Captivate will be more fun to have in the long run.
The cheapest I can find the phone with a 2 extention and keeping my old plan is Best Buy for $149 plus a $30 one time credit to my account.
I am wondering how to get I get all my texts and info from my old phone to my new phone. I have used PPCPIMbackup when doing firmware updates to my phone to back up all my info. Does this work with Captivate also? I am not sure because of the different OS.
I have never had a phone with out a keypad. This will be new for me. I wish I could have a phone with one. I see having a nice slim phone will also be nice. I think the keyless pads is how all phones exept for BB will be very soon.
Does anyone have any good tips or information before I go over to this phone? I know going from a Windows phone to this is going to be very different.
Thanks,
Swype makes everything all good.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'm using the xda app so can't see your sig, what phone are you coming from? I've used winmo for about 2 yrs and love this phone. Not sure how to copy things over, seen alot of posts with problems. Best I've seen is manually enter em in google and sync that way. I just used my sim card. Didn't have a bunch of special contact info to copy.
From a phone on an app
I am coming form the Samsung Epix.
Anyone know if the PPCPIMbackup software will work on getting my old texts to my new phone?
veener79 said:
I am coming form the Samsung Epix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also migrated from the Epix... you will not be sorry. With regard to your question about transfering texts, generally anything is possible in Android, and a quick google search confirms this:
http://www.google.com/search?q=transfer+texts+from+windows+mobile+to+android&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=
veener79 said:
I am coming form the Samsung Epix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gave up on my Epix. Were you one of the lucky ones?
The Captivate is a wonderful phone, if you don't mind waiting for a GPS fix.
My own experience: I was concerned about the lack of a physical keyboard, but found that swype makes things easy. However, I am more frustrated that I expected at the lack of really good business applications in android (I am waiting for Pocket Informant android, specifically). Also, if you use Outlook, you may have some frustration with syncing.
There is certainly no android phone to compare on ATT.
Thank you for the link. Looking over this site the only issues I see is with GPS on this phone. Is that about correct? Also it looks like it will get the 2.2 upgrade?
Kanzeon said:
I gave up on my Epix. Were you one of the lucky ones?
The Captivate is a wonderful phone, if you don't mind waiting for a GPS fix.
My own experience: I was concerned about the lack of a physical keyboard, but found that swype makes things easy. However, I am more frustrated that I expected at the lack of really good business applications in android (I am waiting for Pocket Informant android, specifically). Also, if you use Outlook, you may have some frustration with syncing.
There is certainly no android phone to compare on ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After ATT sent me my 4th or 5th phone I was doing better because it did not have the ID1 update. I kept on using firmware updates from this site to make the phone better. After the 6.5 update came out and the phone still was not right I gave up. GPS is still a issue but not like ID1. My texts and e-mail keep on crashing on it. I have not been able to update my hotmail via Live for over a week. Every time I close out of my texts it locks ups for about 20sec to a minute or two. I have finaly given up. Now my battery is only lasting about 2 days on standby. After about 1 hour long call I go though about 40% battery. I am just happy I can start doing a upgrade now.
I just hope the GPS fix comes soon for this new phone.
veener79 said:
Thank you for the link. Looking over this site the only issues I see is with GPS on this phone. Is that about correct? Also it looks like it will get the 2.2 upgrade?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, GPS is not fully functional at this point, but it appears that Samsung is working on correcting the problem. 2.2 is in the works, but no word yet on when it will be released for the Captivate... best estimates seem to shoot for 1-2 months from now.
The gps works well for me with the update. It just takes longer than what I was used to wth the iphone. I get a solid lock in 30 seconds.
k2snowboards88 said:
The gps works well for me with the update. It just takes longer than what I was used to wth the iphone. I get a solid lock in 30 seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me, *for some*, GPS is not fully functional.
For the most part the captivate is great. Just needs a little bit of tweaking here and there. Gps is pretty much b0rked at the moment. Til Samsung gives us an actual fix. Or we find one. Gps can lock somtimes but it will jump around a lot or lose the fix. Navigation wont work for the most part. Aside from that the phone captivate is a great choice.
OK so the GPS sounds about as good as my epix right now. I can not even get a GPS signal in the car unless I have it on the dash with nothing blocking it. If all it takes is 30 seconds to lock on I will be set. That is better then the Epix. What is up with Samsung and the GPS.
veener79 said:
...What is up with Samsung and the GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody knows for sure. Some speculate it is hardware and won't be fixed. Most of us feel it is software. It supposedly works for some people, but those that can't get it to work are dubious that the ones that work are just not hitting the right circumstances for it to fail. It actually seems to be accurate a high percentage of the time, but when it is off, it is waaaaayyyyy off. Sometimes only for a few seconds. Very inconsistent.
Samsung has indicated it will be fixed in September. Not much time left for them on that commitment.
If they don't make it by then, there will be lots of whining and griping. I'll be doing that in my mind, but plan to refrain from doing so in the forum The GPS problem is probably the single largest issue that has caused a lot of threads, and several contentious posts.
It is a great phone. Hopefully the GPS issue will have true resolution very soon.
I switched from a moto Q. To a samsung jack, used a epix for a bit as well. Got this phone a few weeks ago and have not regretted it for a second. Android and win mobile 6.5 are not even close enough to compare.
Also swype beats out any virtual or physical keypad I have ever used.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'd SERIOUSLY wait 2 months until the Windows Phone 7 devices are out. I was at MSFT this week and got to play with a dev model for a few minutes, it does seem pretty nice. It will all really depend on what apps are available.
[email protected] said:
I'd SERIOUSLY wait 2 months until the Windows Phone 7 devices are out. I was at MSFT this week and got to play with a dev model for a few minutes, it does seem pretty nice. It will all really depend on what apps are available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My impression, personally, was that windows mobile seemed like it was as locked down as the iphone, but without all of the iphone's features and polish. In short, It seemed like the worst of both worlds. The only thing I that it has going for itself is the nice looking homescreens. That is just my initial impression though and I hope I'm wrong.
You can see my list of phones in my SIG and I know my thing when it comes to HTC and WinMo.... all those phones in that list, were me trying to find a device that ran...well.... the way my Captivate does. Even with fat thumbs I can still type on the software keyboard... I go back to my TP2 and I actually type slower. I just cant type without looking at the keyboard, one thing a software keyboard will never accomplish.
Ive been following WinMo for years, and I can tell you, this makes me never want to go back, even for WP7.
ewingr said:
Nobody knows for sure. Some speculate it is hardware and won't be fixed. Most of us feel it is software. It supposedly works for some people, but those that can't get it to work are dubious that the ones that work are just not hitting the right circumstances for it to fail. It actually seems to be accurate a high percentage of the time, but when it is off, it is waaaaayyyyy off. Sometimes only for a few seconds. Very inconsistent.
Samsung has indicated it will be fixed in September. Not much time left for them on that commitment.
If they don't make it by then, there will be lots of whining and griping. I'll be doing that in my mind, but plan to refrain from doing so in the forum The GPS problem is probably the single largest issue that has caused a lot of threads, and several contentious posts.
It is a great phone. Hopefully the GPS issue will have true resolution very soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I got the phone on the way home.
I am likeing it a lot all ready. I used Travel for the GPS app. That thing worked great. I hope maybe I got a good one. Before I did anything on the phone I did the software update. I am going to play with it for a little and see what else if great. I do love the voice activated things. That is great.
veener79 said:
Ok I got the phone on the way home.
I am likeing it a lot all ready. I used Travel for the GPS app. That thing worked great. I hope maybe I got a good one. Before I did anything on the phone I did the software update. I am going to play with it for a little and see what else if great. I do love the voice activated things. That is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from a HTC Tilt, which had HORRIBLE GPS. I was able to get a great Froyo ROM in it and had a ton of time to play with it before I got the Captivate. The learning curve is very low for basic operation. It'll take a bit of research to get the rooting/sideloading etc down. Most everyone here is fantastic at helping out and I've gotten some excellent advice from people on how to mod my Captivate. Coming from a WinMo phone to this one, I HIGHLY doubt you'll be disappointed

Buy Captivate now or wait!?

Hi,
I need some help to decide.
Should I buy this phone now or wait for later this year, or even maybe 2011(witch is to long time waiting).
Currently I own a Xperia X10(tired of this phone, no software update, captivate has way better screen) on Tmobile, and moving to ATT would be good I think.
Plan difference is not so big besides the cap limit on internet.
Please help, I will sell my Xperia X10, to have money ready for a new phone.
Thanks.
nj777 said:
Hi,
I need some help to decide.
Should I buy this phone now or wait for later this year, or even maybe 2011(witch is to long time waiting).
Currently I own a Xperia X10(tired of this phone, no software update, captivate has way better screen) on Tmobile, and moving to ATT would be good I think.
Plan difference is not so big besides the cap limit on internet.
Please help, I will sell my Xperia X10, to have money ready for a new phone.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well honestly it is really up to you. I don't think the community should decide for you. Would the possibility of having a non working GPS bother you? Would the possibility of having a phone that randomly shut down bother you? ( then you'd have to deal with AT&T warranty and such ) Those are some examples of problems that you should consider about. Samsung is known for having ****ty customer service and lack of updates. You see, the latest OTA update that we received were supposed to fix GPS problems... but it didn't... so... * shrug *
Don't get me wrong, I love my phone. It's just that samsung frustrates me at times because of their incompetence.
How about...would I if I were you...
I don't have the Xperia..but did have the Hero..and they are fairly close..
I look at it like this..as much as I loved my Hero with CM6 over clocked to 768mhz and all the themes and goodies...I wouldn't go back. I don't depend on my gps in my telephone to make my life easier..If you do..then you might want to wait..but..know this..You can copy Walmart's info from the web for the Captivate and go into a ATT store and walk out with one for $59.00.
As too the random shut downs..I'm running bare bones stock...I've had my phone on solid since last Thursday and have loaded and played 5 HD movies on it..talked for about 200 hours and sent about 30 text messages..and not one blip/fc/shutdown or anything else..Also..I told the sales lady I wanted one where it would do the 3 button recovery..She Googled it to see what I was talking about and said ok..no problem..Mine worked first time..but had to open the 7th box to get one that did for the wife.Both of ours works great..and the GPS isn't real bad..I lock on to about 8-10 sats under 10 seconds with mine..the wifes is about the same..
If it were me..Hell yes..I love this phone..
Mac
The leaked froyo sure is nice though. I haven't had any random shut down issues unless I let the phone stay on the charger to long and then it will only shut down when its sitting without being used.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Um, not to be a hater here but....
This was the only high end android device that ATT had. All the other phone s the carrier offers besides the Aria is a joke.
I feel very lucky that XDA and Design Gears is around or I would have a completely useless device. No way would I recommend this phone to John Q Public.
There are too many awesome devices out that work. Sure the screen is awesome and its fast as hell. But it is laden with bugs and took folks in this community to get it to run.
Couple that with Samsung's track record? I would recommend getting another device. Most likely an HTC.
Of course with all that being said... I love my phone and wouldn't trade it for any other on the market today...... Until the next shiny new device comes out.
With my phone using Cognition, because it just runs better.
avgjoegeek said:
Um, not to be a hater here but....
This was the only high end android device that ATT had. All the other phone s the carrier offers besides the Aria is a joke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you meaning to tell me that the Moto Backflip is not a quality phone?! /sarcasm
Thanks for all your sugesstions,
A reply to second post: I am not looking for someone to pic a phone for me, I was trying to get information if there is a better choice comparable to Captivate and better than Xperia. And I didn't find any better device at this time or any confirmed device that would be available later. Sorry if I didn't express myself clearly.
As for Gps issue I know, trouth to be told I don't really use it so no big deal there, as for restarts and lag Captivate is not the only one doing that, my X10 does it to, I noticed it based on ever root or updates, mostly I think it's from incompatible software And hardware, even my Windows and Mac does that. My wife's IPhone 3GS does that too when using it too much and having to many apps xD.
So, are there any shortlly upcoming devices I should know? My google research didn't get far, maybe there is anyone with more information about it.
Thank you, I appreciet all your opinions
better but comparable to captivate, hmmm the g2 from t-mobile. thats about it. no other phone has the 3d procesing of a galaxy s. but some are faster at other things. the g2 is very fast across the board.
snapdragon htc phones have bad battery life, the aria has too small of a battery. i had one it had alot of features but the screen was too small and no battery life, its basically a hero with android 2.1. so other than the g2 that leaves motorola phones that are only on verizon and have less performance than the g2.
i like the captivate but i think i would also like a g2.
nj777 said:
Hi,
I need some help to decide.
Should I buy this phone now or wait for later this year, or even maybe 2011(witch is to long time waiting).
Currently I own a Xperia X10(tired of this phone, no software update, captivate has way better screen) on Tmobile, and moving to ATT would be good I think.
Plan difference is not so big besides the cap limit on internet.
Please help, I will sell my Xperia X10, to have money ready for a new phone.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would and did and don't have an ounce of regret. I have learned so much in the past few weeks which is empowering when it comes to choosing and flashing ROMS. My expectations from a $500 device that does so much is very low so I am rarely disappointed.
My GPS works to around 30 meters. Good enough. The Music player is phenomenal even through the stock buds.(and I normally use Westone 3s and ETY 4s) I have never seen such a customizable device and fool proof as well IF you take the time to really understand and follow directions
Read the later parts of long threads so you don't get into the middle error area where issues are resolved. Don't be afraid to ask questions after you look for an answer. It is a very friendly forum. Very few "self appointed forum cops"
I would not wait. get the JH6 and begin playing with ROMS and recovery. When the official 2.2 comes out you won't be afraid to burn a better cooked Cognition ROM of it later.
There will be bugs...There are always bugs......
i say get it, i went from the fuze to the captivate and im never looking back, couldnt be happier
If I were you, I will wait probably... X10 is a great device, but i dont know if they are going to release update... I will stick with X10, and change to a better phone next year... samsung is too ****ty, dont get ur hand with them if u can... also, dont even try to get att, they are ****ty too...
if u want, sell ur X10 and buy a vibrant...
im with att because they are the only carrier with rollover... and i have captivate because its the best android on att
Foxy Roxy said:
Well honestly it is really up to you. I don't think the community should decide for you. Would the possibility of having a non working GPS bother you? Would the possibility of having a phone that randomly shut down bother you? ( then you'd have to deal with AT&T warranty and such ) Those are some examples of problems that you should consider about. Samsung is known for having ****ty customer service and lack of updates. You see, the latest OTA update that we received were supposed to fix GPS problems... but it didn't... so... * shrug *
Don't get me wrong, I love my phone. It's just that samsung frustrates me at times because of their incompetence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tHe OTA update BRICK my phone, and att/samsung are blaming each other... they sucks...
Mac11700 said:
How about...would I if I were you...
I don't have the Xperia..but did have the Hero..and they are fairly close..
I look at it like this..as much as I loved my Hero with CM6 over clocked to 768mhz and all the themes and goodies...I wouldn't go back. I don't depend on my gps in my telephone to make my life easier..If you do..then you might want to wait..but..know this..You can copy Walmart's info from the web for the Captivate and go into a ATT store and walk out with one for $59.00.
As too the random shut downs..I'm running bare bones stock...I've had my phone on solid since last Thursday and have loaded and played 5 HD movies on it..talked for about 200 hours and sent about 30 text messages..and not one blip/fc/shutdown or anything else..Also..I told the sales lady I wanted one where it would do the 3 button recovery..She Googled it to see what I was talking about and said ok..no problem..Mine worked first time..but had to open the 7th box to get one that did for the wife.Both of ours works great..and the GPS isn't real bad..I lock on to about 8-10 sats under 10 seconds with mine..the wifes is about the same..
If it were me..Hell yes..I love this phone..
Mac
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you mind to share your gps configuration?
I am one of the few or possibly not so few people who did not really have any problems with my Captivate on the android 2.1 release, and actually the 2.2 recently leaked os either.
One thing people do not appear to keep in mind that these phone are closer to a PC now than ever before with pound for pound nearly the same power house operating systems on them. With such a customizable OS on a phone like Droid its bound to have some kinks as I think alot can agree on this, most operating systems do.
That said, its not unheard of for there to be lots of updates, firmware fixes etc, and the numbers in this forum who are posting may not seem to be all that many people when you consider that there are probably far more Captivate owners out there with no issues whatsoever.
What I am saying is that this phone may have some kinks for the people posting in here but it clearly is not every captivate owner having a problem. You can go to any other forums from other sites, and even manufacturers and read hundreds of posts about nearly every phone made with problems.
Do not let the people here steer you one way or the other, but heed the notices regarding possible issues. All the reviews for this phone are not that bad at all, and there are alternative phones, but keep in mind that any galaxy s phone will most likely have the same OS and some of the same kinks. All are samsung so.
imo this is a pretty damn decent phone, it is better than my iPhone 3gs was and I am glad I dont have that pos anymore.
The GPS on my phone is pretty fast to get a signal, it was on 2.1 and 2.2 android, but I do find it to be a tad bit sensitive. Gotta leave in stationary in the open the first lock, after that it appears to maintain pretty well, and i have put it through its paces, average for me in my location for a lock on is roughly 10-45 seconds depending on occlusion.
The phones default power saving scheme to be appears to be very aggressive.
My 2 cents
If I were you, I would keep the X10. I just left my ATT Touch Pro and upgraded to a Captivate. At first i was really excited about it. The screen size, brightness, slim form-factor of the phone were awesome. A week later I am looking at the phone going is this really that much better than my Touch Pro?
All I ever used my phone for were to make calls, emails, texts and spreadsheets. Doing the same on the Captivate was better in some area's and worse in the other. Exchange support is no where near where windows phones, but that is to be expected.
I don't have any GPS issues, random shutdowns or reboots or anything, the phone just works great. Yet I still have a little remorse.
Also when the 2.2 update does come out for this, expect this to be the last update they ever make. I have had a few Samsung phones and they NEVER release a lot of updates, very few actually.
jev3gs said:
Exchange support is no where near where windows phones, but that is to be expected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imagine that.
To the op,
I bought the Captivate, it's not a Cappy, as my first smartphone. I have no regrets what so ever. I must also be outside the norm because I understand that it's a phone first, GPS is a luxury. It works fine for my tastes as well.
If you like to tinker, then you can't go wrong. There is a lot of support and great support at that here.
i would wait. i'm on my 3rd captivate due to either build quality issues, or gps that never fixes. i must just have the worst luck ever to have 3 phones with non working gps i guess. and for those that say its a luxury, yes to a degree it is. but you cant use poynt, places, weather apps, all sorts of things if the gps isnt working right. forget foursquare, twitter locations, geo tagging photos, etc. i depend on my phone for work, and gps is critical to me as my phone replaced my stand alone tomtom unit. and yes i know that its a phone not a dedicated gps, but i never had issues with gps with my iphone 3gs, i left that phone for other reasons however. i like the android os, like the form factor of the captivate, and really like some aspects of the touchwiz interface. but in comparison to some of the other android phones, we really dont have it all that good on ATT. no flash, no led notifications, the capcacitve buttons dont stay on very long at all, and a real lack of accessories for the device in general.
i know that you can root and use custom roms and such, but i just want my phone to work as is. 200 dollars up front plus the cost of the phone over the contract time is a lot of money to spend on a device that i have to void the warranty on in order to get it to do half of what its supposed to. i would wait and try a different phone. problem is i dont think att is too worried about getting any other android phones right now. I would almost get the aria over the captivate at this point. i wish we had a good top line android phone from motorola, or htc to compete with the captivate at this point.
Anytime you buy a product and it has a feature, you expect it to work. To say it is a phone and has GPS but it doesn't work is alright is BS. That is like buying a car and when you take it home the radio doesn't work, the wipers don't work and the dealer tells you to live with it. I don't buy that one bit.
If MFG's can't make something work in a phone when they make it, they better just leave it out then.
I will say though that i have not had any issues with my Captivate.... especially since now I am not running the ESPN widget anymore. Man that always slowed down my phone like crazy!
eclypse3demons said:
I am one of the few or possibly not so few people who did not really have any problems with my Captivate on the android 2.1 release, and actually the 2.2 recently leaked os either.
One thing people do not appear to keep in mind that these phone are closer to a PC now than ever before with pound for pound nearly the same power house operating systems on them. With such a customizable OS on a phone like Droid its bound to have some kinks as I think alot can agree on this, most operating systems do.
That said, its not unheard of for there to be lots of updates, firmware fixes etc, and the numbers in this forum who are posting may not seem to be all that many people when you consider that there are probably far more Captivate owners out there with no issues whatsoever.
What I am saying is that this phone may have some kinks for the people posting in here but it clearly is not every captivate owner having a problem. You can go to any other forums from other sites, and even manufacturers and read hundreds of posts about nearly every phone made with problems.
Do not let the people here steer you one way or the other, but heed the notices regarding possible issues. All the reviews for this phone are not that bad at all, and there are alternative phones, but keep in mind that any galaxy s phone will most likely have the same OS and some of the same kinks. All are samsung so.
imo this is a pretty damn decent phone, it is better than my iPhone 3gs was and I am glad I dont have that pos anymore.
The GPS on my phone is pretty fast to get a signal, it was on 2.1 and 2.2 android, but I do find it to be a tad bit sensitive. Gotta leave in stationary in the open the first lock, after that it appears to maintain pretty well, and i have put it through its paces, average for me in my location for a lock on is roughly 10-45 seconds depending on occlusion.
The phones default power saving scheme to be appears to be very aggressive.
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Click to collapse
No you are one of the VERY VERY few....5 million sold. The "issues" people are having are directly related to their expectations. I bought two..One to experiment with and one to use while giving my wife the N97. Once I realized they were both ok and I could not brick it I loaded froyo on both , gave her one and retired the N97......
I don't expect a $500 device to lock on to GPS within a minute with 10 feet of accuracy....a few minutes and 100 feet is ok and it EXCEEDS those expectations for me....at the end of the day it WILL get you home. I made some settings adjustments and dialed it in as best I could get it. I am confident Samsung will "fix" things that are broke.
I did not expect this phone to deliver the quality of natural lighting pics and videos it does.....bat my expectations.
There is no area where this phone did not at least meet my expectations.
But then again I took what the open device gave me.......did some leading and learning and MADE it what I WANT....not what ATT or Samsung wants. At least they gave me the choice to so, JB an Apple is a joke compared to what can be done with this OS. Been there done that..
My Nokia N97 cost the same and was 1/2 the device this is.....The iPhone is a toy compared to this OS and what can be done with it.
The people who are having issues usually are not following the directions SPECIFICALLY to do things. I know because I too have been guilty of missing a step here and there and panicking LOL
The carrier is fine...T Mobile's 3G is faster...Sprint 4G is faster...Verizon is Apple's sister in control freaky......The iPhone on Verizon will be a lock down on lock down But for those who want to press and play iPhone is perfect....fast and easy.
ATT is not the best nor the worst..they are what they are. You either stay wth them or leave...Simple choice. They give some and take some...
jev3gs said:
Anytime you buy a product and it has a feature, you expect it to work. To say it is a phone and has GPS but it doesn't work is alright is BS. That is like buying a car and when you take it home the radio doesn't work, the wipers don't work and the dealer tells you to live with it. I don't buy that one bit.
If MFG's can't make something work in a phone when they make it, they better just leave it out then.
I will say though that i have not had any issues with my Captivate.... especially since now I am not running the ESPN widget anymore. Man that always slowed down my phone like crazy!
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Click to collapse
Just saying it has "GPS" does not entitle it to be a good a GPS as a standalone! LOL It requires a phone to eventually lock on a satellite and get you to a destination. Which this phone does. I have Garmins in my cars. They SHOULD and do get immediate locks and tracking is perfect. They cost almost what this phone does. They don;t take video,pics, make calls...on and on.....
Some phones may have a real issue. But most of them have working hardware and SW is fixing many as well, It is just that people are fixing them themselves.....while waiting for an official fix. I fine very few posts where GPS does not work at all. More of people having to wait too long for a lock. That issue depends on so many factors it's silly to compare. Another brand may have a better GPS implimentation but be poor in other areas....
You choose a device based on it's STREGNTHS based on YOUR NEEDS...If you want a great camera you buy a Nokia N8, If you want geat GPS you buy a G2 or another camera with such.
It's not like this issues has been "hidden" I knew about it reading threads before I bought the phone but I also knew I could live without the GPS...and in all likelihood (as always) it would not be as bad as people claim......
It wasn't perfect..but it is not as bad as people claim either. It is exactly the same on both my Cappys.....when both are set the same and on the same ROM.
My two cents, get it now while you can still unlock it.
The 2.2 update will remove the file that gives you the codes for sim unlocking.
jev3gs said:
Anytime you buy a product and it has a feature, you expect it to work. To say it is a phone and has GPS but it doesn't work is alright is BS. That is like buying a car and when you take it home the radio doesn't work, the wipers don't work and the dealer tells you to live with it. I don't buy that one bit.
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Click to collapse
Agreed. It may not be "broken" but the quality is definitely "sub-par" IMO.
To the OP. If you can live without having quality GPS performance and willing to spend a few hours with ATT warranty department if Samsung releases a phone with a fix (if it is hardware) then I say get it now. That's my current plan. But I've never had much trouble with AT&T's warranty department.
Despite the GPS issues, the Captivate is still my favorite Android phone. One the few I've even liked.

[Q] thinkin

ok im thint bad of king about switching to the g2x form my vibe and i was wondering is it really that bad of a phone. i keep reading all of these complaints and im wondering should i make the jump
Don't listen to what other people say. The phone is great, as long as it doesn't shutdown by itself. Screen bleed isn't as bad as people say. It's not noticeable with normal use... Only on a black background with Maximum Brightness, and in a dark room. It's blazing fast. Update baseband makes GPS lock instantly. Screen looks AMAZING. Build quality is really good as well. Don't forget that it runs stock Android... So development on this phone is great. Install any rooted 2.3.3 OTA ROM, or CyanogenMod 7.1 Nightly, and you're good to go.
omg thanks for yur input
As always, test one out in the store if you can. You might get a slightly different experience at home, though.
Just like there's plenty of phones with some problems, there's plenty of working ones as well.
G2toVibrant2.2 said:
omg thanks for yur input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, no problem.
FatalityBoyZahy said:
Don't listen to what other people say. The phone is great, as long as it doesn't shutdown by itself. Screen bleed isn't as bad as people say. It's not noticeable with normal use... Only on a black background with Maximum Brightness, and in a dark room. It's blazing fast. Update baseband makes GPS lock instantly. Screen looks AMAZING. Build quality is really good as well. Don't forget that it runs stock Android... So development on this phone is great. Install any rooted 2.3.3 OTA ROM, or CyanogenMod 7.1 Nightly, and you're good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this statement says a lot. To say a phone is great when it's not malfunctioning says a lot about the phone. If I were the OP I would not take that as a vote of confidence. That being said, OP don't buy the G2X, it's fine I suppose if you're someone unfortunate to have already purchased it and can't get out of it, but I would hardly suggest jumping on board with it at this juncture. My advice is to just be patient and wait for the Hercules or Nexus Prime. The G2X is an unstable phone that reboots itself and freezes randomly. Why jump onto a sinking ship? There are better options just over the horizon, wait for those.
mysterioustko said:
I think this statement says a lot. To say a phone is great when it's not malfunctioning says a lot about the phone. If I were the OP I would not take that as a vote of confidence. That being said, OP don't buy the G2X, it's fine I suppose if you're someone unfortunate to have already purchased it and can't get out of it, but I would hardly suggest jumping on board with it at this juncture. My advice is to just be patient and wait for the Hercules or Nexus Prime. The G2X is an unstable phone that reboots itself and freezes randomly. Why jump onto a sinking ship? There are better options just over the horizon, wait for those.
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Click to collapse
I don't have any of those problems....
JaiaV said:
I don't have any of those problems....
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Click to collapse
Neither do I. The only problems I have are a useless FFC, glitchy A2DP, and an uncertain future.
Still... someone who comes here asking for advice and reassurance before purchasing a G2x is well served by strong words of caution. This is the unfortunate truth.
Awesome phone. I've gotten good ones and bad ones... In my experience there were more good then bad..once you get a good one, then in my opinion everything else sucks (that's available now in us.).
Don't listen to others saying no. I sold a vibrant for this and couldn't be happier. Even having gotten a bad few, I still love this device..
Just imagine every g2x line all the good ones.. I think it would be hard to beat.
smashpunks said:
Awesome phone. I've gotten good ones and bad ones... In my experience there were more good then bad..once you get a good one, then in my opinion everything else sucks (that's available now in us.).
Don't listen to others saying no. I sold a vibrant for this and couldn't be happier. Even having gotten a bad few, I still love this device..
Just imagine every g2x line all the good ones.. I think it would be hard to beat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the OP will have to buy a phone based on chance...?
Honestly, I've exchanged my phone once already (the only reason my first one went back is because I thought it had a faulty GPS...turns out they all do!) and I really don't want to be bothered calling T-Mobile every two days until I'm on my nth replacement to get one that actually works.
To the OP, honestly I think ever phone will have its own problems so you just gotta look at the forums to see which ones you can live with.
People's biggest complains with this phone is that:
It restarts randomly (FroYo and Gingerbread).
Has a screen bleed (although better in GB).
The GPS doesn't function the way it should (mostly people complaining from a bad lock on, I personally can't get it to stay locked on for an extended period of time, with RunKeeper it looks like I'm a drunk and spiking up to mountains and running over lakes).
EDIT: And the most annoying thing that happens to me since the GB update: slow downs into oblivion. The phone will become unusable at random times for a good 10 minutes, or until a battery pull (because I'm not able to shut it down since it is unresponsive)
Then there are some that don't experience any of this...
I say take everything people say with a grain of salt. Obviously people make rash comments that stem from their emotional instability. That being said. I recently purchased the G2x, after hearing a lot of complaining about it. YOu must realize, one is much more likely to go out of his way to make known a complaint, than a praise. Human nature I suppose.
The G2x I got, 2.3.3 July baseband, is flawless. It is an amazing phone. No restarts, no bleed, instant GPS lock.
Im not stating that there are bad phones out there, and I empathize with those that may have recieved a few, but let the first impressions go, and realize that they are not ALL bad.
Dude this phone is beast I had mind since launch and it works great everyday, u will be very happy, to the people still having trouble with there phones take it back get a new one and if its past the 14 days send it to LG u have a year
aquaitious said:
So the OP will have to buy a phone based on chance...?
Honestly, I've exchanged my phone once already (the only reason my first one went back is because I thought it had a faulty GPS...turns out they all do!) and I really don't want to be bothered calling T-Mobile every two days until I'm on my nth replacement to get one that actually works.
To the OP, honestly I think ever phone will have its own problems so you just gotta look at the forums to see which ones you can live with.
People's biggest complains with this phone is that:
It restarts randomly (FroYo and Gingerbread).
Has a screen bleed (although better in GB).
The GPS doesn't function the way it should (mostly people complaining from a bad lock on, I personally can't get it to stay locked on for an extended period of time, with RunKeeper it looks like I'm a drunk and spiking up to mountains and running over lakes).
EDIT: And the most annoying thing that happens to me since the GB update: slow downs into oblivion. The phone will become unusable at random times for a good 10 minutes, or until a battery pull (because I'm not able to shut it down since it is unresponsive)
Then there are some that don't experience any of this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bud u need a new phone man, slow? This phone is still super fast after not rebooting for 3 days and GPS is almost instant everytime man
From what I've noticed this phone will give you what yuu put in to it. Like a car. To me with a lil tweaking n upgrades its better n faster than my girls nexus s. And im still on the old baseband.....feel like I bought a charger sxt n put a srt8 engine in it....the only complain I gave is my 4g....I use so much data that im always getting slowed down...like I said just like a car...llz
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Avoid it.
I dont see how someone can suggest buying a phone that with a few exchanges you might end up with a good one. That makes no sense. My G1 out the box worked, my Mytouch out the box worked, my Nexus One out the box worked, my mytouch 4g out the box worked, hell my HD2 running Android works better than my G2X, and yes, I have tried several.
Dont get me wrong as I must say WHEN my G2X is running right its balls to the walls fast. I think its probably the fastest Android phone available...as long as I dont need GPS or the phone hasnt shut its self off (if I could be so lucky as to have mine reboot) its not bad, not bad at all. Unfortunately I need my GPS, I am a truck driver and rely on my GPS.
I think honestly its an issue with dual cores right now, I would wait for a bit like others have said and pick up something a bit later. Perhaps even wait for ICS since I believe that will be more optimized for dual and quads.
Its your gamble. If you dont mind possibly sending it back, trying out another one with the clear understanding that its a crap shoot at best if its going to work or not go for it. Me personally? I would not buy it again knowing what I know now and what I have been through with this phone.
Ducter said:
Avoid it.
I dont see how someone can suggest buying a phone that with a few exchanges you might end up with a good one. That makes no sense. My G1 out the box worked, my Mytouch out the box worked, my Nexus One out the box worked, my mytouch 4g out the box worked, hell my HD2 running Android works better than my G2X, and yes, I have tried several.
Dont get me wrong as I must say WHEN my G2X is running right its balls to the walls fast. I think its probably the fastest Android phone available...as long as I dont need GPS or the phone hasnt shut its self off (if I could be so lucky as to have mine reboot) its not bad, not bad at all. Unfortunately I need my GPS, I am a truck driver and rely on my GPS.
I think honestly its an issue with dual cores right now, I would wait for a bit like others have said and pick up something a bit later. Perhaps even wait for ICS since I believe that will be more optimized for dual and quads.
Its your gamble. If you dont mind possibly sending it back, trying out another one with the clear understanding that its a crap shoot at best if its going to work or not go for it. Me personally? I would not buy it again knowing what I know now and what I have been through with this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with this. The people in this thread that are urging the OP to go out and get this phone are not being realistic. Some people don't want to keep swapping phones until they get one that doesn't malfunction. Sure the G2X is a great phone WHEN IT WORKS. The problem is those times when it IS NOT working. For people who are locked into their phone and can't leave this may be tolerable. For people who don't mind having to hack their phone for it to have any semblance of reliability may be tolerable. However, for many people that is unacceptable. I think it's best that the OP at least be made aware of the reality of the situation (the state of the G2X and other phones coming soon) and let him make his decision. My opinion is that it doesn't make sense to jump on board with a phone that may potentially have to swap and swap over and over...a phone that even T-Mobile doesn't really want to offer support for anymore. To me it makes more sense to wait since there are better devices coming out in the near future.
If you're going to leave it stock then you may have issues. If you're planning to mod it and flash alternative roms then you're going to love the phone. The hardware is amazing. LG/T-Mobile's version of the android software is buggy.
G2X CM7
phburks said:
If you're going to leave it stock then you may have issues. If you're planning to mod it and flash alternative roms then you're going to love the phone. The hardware is amazing. LG/T-Mobile's version of the android software is buggy.
G2X CM7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said is correct, stock form doesn't make the hardware justice. I have a vibrant and got my wife the g2x. The first one we got we returned due to random restarts and signal loss. Second one worked ok but returned and cancelled contract because Costco had it for half the price with accessories included. Now my wife hates me tinkering with her phones which I love to do. But after so much complaints from her about not receiving or able to make calls and phone slowing down I convinced her to let me install a custom rom. I installed eagleblood 1.05 and she hasn't complained once anymore and after setting it up and going back to my vibrant which I also run a custom rom and kernel, made my vibe seem to move slow as a turtle. And the screen just looked so much more vibrant as well. It also felt much more "comfortable" , "sturdy" in my hand than my vibrant. Bottom line is if you are lucky enough to get one that doesn't have hardware problems and you are willing to install custom roms on it, then go for it otherwise I would suggest you stick with your vibrant.
Sent from xda app on vibrant running trigger 3.3 beta2 with BALI 1.8.7 kernel
I am not even going to read all the posts but all I will say is this. Forget the G2x and get another device, preferably the Sensation.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA Premium App
In my opinion, one in 3 or 4 of the original phones are good. I've ended up with one of the good ones after 5 tries.
As Sarni sez', this phone is a beast. Does everything I ask of it. Love the full page internet with Dolphin hd. I sold my Sensation and never looked back.
Now LG.......they just stink period.
But my G2X is awesome, everything works. I'm still on Froyo and rooted, I don't want the update.

Turning sour on my S4

I have had the S4 for almost a year, and at the moment I am not sure if I would want to buy a S5.
Like the screen, the size, the weight, quality of build, and everything except for the home button, that was an unnecessary concession to the Apple fanboys.
What is turning me off is the fact that I am stuck with the TW roms. Usually, 9 months into a new phone I would start looking around for custom Roms and I would get another year of happy ownership out of my phone.
Stuck with TW, I am getting annoyed with the overbearing software.
I dislike is that every time the phone screen turns off, I need to swipe to unlock it after hitting the power button. Really like the feature where I could set a delay time there.
Also, I dislike the dialer. Too many screens to wade through. Ending a call always leaves me wondering why I ended up on the screen I am at.
And then this World Clock, for some reason I am looking at the screen of the World Clock way too many times. During phone calls, and also at other times.
Then, bluetooth voice dialing with Google Search is a complete downgrade from what it used to be. Samsung S-voice is no better. Pretty much unusable the way it is. So, now I am wading through screens to make phone calls, while driving. I guess the coders used to implement functionality like that are all kids and they never make phone calls.
Then the mess with upgrades, almost a Gig to download is a major inconvenience on our slow DSL connection. I think it probably downloaded 4 GB of interrupted files, each time it started again. End up driving 30 minutes to find an AT&T support center and let them do it.
Samsung Health has become more annoying than ever with the 50% progress message.
Every time there is an update, AT&T messes with the tethering security, spend too much time trying to figure out how to 'fix' that.
Just a general feeling of unhappiness, my apologies for the rant.
I have not looked at other phones, so I don't know if I can do better with another brand.
Amen. ..........
via S4 @ XDA Premium 4
wavemaster00 said:
everything except for the home button, that was an unnecessary concession to the Apple fanboys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never owned a single Apple product and I wont buy an Android phone without a home button.
I stopped reading after that, just sell your phone and get another brand, you have plenty of options.
I'm thinking htc m8 for you, but not so sure about that ultra pixel camera. It sounds better in theory than it actually is. What's nice about that phone is they added sd cards. What's not so nice is no removable battery, I guess if you want a removable battery, Samsung is your only option now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I flashed GE on my ATT S4 about 7 months ago and couldn't be happier. It got rid of all the TW and Samsung junk, battery is great and it flies. I was thinking about upgrading but I'll hold on to this phone for a while longer, no complaints.
Relayers said:
I never owned a single Apple product and I wont buy an Android phone without a home button.
I stopped reading after that, just sell your phone and get another brand, you have plenty of options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant the physical home button, as opposed to the two other buttons.
Sledutah said:
I flashed GE on my ATT S4 about 7 months ago and couldn't be happier. It got rid of all the TW and Samsung junk, battery is great and it flies. I was thinking about upgrading but I'll hold on to this phone for a while longer, no complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is GE an option for me now that I am on mk2?
Does tethering work?
wavemaster00 said:
Is GE an option for me now that I am on mk2?
Does tethering work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. Here is a list of ROMs that you can use with mk2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2616221
I don't see any GE ROMs. I've had good luck with shoman roms (TW) in the past.
You have to use a touchwiz ROM with mk2. The boot loader is locked down like Alcatraz. It pisses me of so much. It's gross like the phone has an std or something. Don't buy an s5. It's hardware is not an improvement and it's likely to have a similar bootloader.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Please use the off topic thread for this discussion...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2433789

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