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Hey l've got a dilemma
So I got a captivate in July and I LOVE it. But recently it had some service issues and ATT sent me a Focus.
Got the Captivate replaced so now I have two high end phones that are pretty much exactly the same but run different OSs.
I know the answer should be whatever OS you like best, but the problem is that I like things from both.
WP7 is really fun to use and all but it reminds me of my pre-jailbroken iPhone. And Android is awesome (froyo) and all but it doesn't have a very good music service...
Lets get some input!
You do know that you can still use itunes on your computer and sync it to your captivate right?
the focus will prolly get froyo ported before us galaxy S users officially get it.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
V DidDy 210 said:
Hey l've got a dilemma
So I got a captivate in July and I LOVE it. But recently it had some service issues and ATT sent me a Focus.
Got the Captivate replaced so now I have two high end phones that are pretty much exactly the same but run different OSs.
I know the answer should be whatever OS you like best, but the problem is that I like things from both.
WP7 is really fun to use and all but it reminds me of my pre-jailbroken iPhone. And Android is awesome (froyo) and all but it doesn't have a very good music service...
Lets get some input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering I just went through this myself..
I had an iPhone 3G - recently came off of contract, decided to try the Captivate, WP7 came out - and I was dealing with the well-known problems/issues with that phone (GPS / Random shutdowns).
Since I'm still in my 30-day window - I decided to take the Captivate back and try the WP7. As you've noted - this is really a personal preference with regards to the phone/OS overall.
Personally - I believe WP7 is *close* to the same overall functionality as Android - though, currently, Android has a much more extensive library of applications, etc. (along with the awesome dev support here).
For me, however, it came down to what works "out of the box" as advertised by the phone/manufacturer.
On the Captivate - the GPS worked around 70-80% of the time. The Google Navigation application worked wonderfully - *when* it worked. However, the main problem is - the GPS *doesn't* work consistently. Add to that - when the Captivate started to randomly shutdown and forced several missed calls (I didn't shut the phone down - it just randomly shut down.. WTF?), it became a deal breaker for me.
I've just came back from a business trip with the Focus and, overall, the phone does exactly what it advertises to do: First and foremost - phone calls/functionality are excellent. Second, GPS works out of the box - with (from what I can tell) 98-100% accuracy (immediate startup no waiting - directions are spot on - phone tracks with you easily without any discrepancies). Third, no random shutdowns/dropped calls (yet) - and I've had both phones about an equivalent amount of time now (about 8-10 days each).
Regarding Music: Zune Integration and Music playing via the Focus, though slightly different from the iPhone, IMHO, exceed iTunes/Coverflow of the iPhone. it's a great music player - that automatically downloads relevant information/material regarding the artists/albums you have loaded in your collection/library. I've never really liked iTunes - and Zune's software seems much easier / more integrated to use.
Finally, the Focus, the more that you use it, actually appears to tailor itself to you, the owner, via the pictures / information you enter and setup on the phone. The "people" hub shows random snapshots of all of your contacts. The Pictures hub is extremely well done, immersing your content into the overall look and feel of the OS the more you use it.
Granted - you can extend tweak the Captivate/Android interface much more to your liking, etc. - however - I found the overall experience of the WP7 to be more "personal" the more I used it. I'll also add that I'm much more comfortable with the WP7 interface after using it a week than with the Captivate (both using TouchWiz as well as LauncherPro). It's hard to quantify, but I find WP7 to be easier to quickly pick up, do what I need to do, find the information I need to get, and then quickly put the phone away. I feel like I'm NOT fighting the WP7 interface as much as I did with the Captivate.
This became even more clear during the business trip with my colleague (who has an HTC android phone) where we were comparing notes/basic functionality/tasks between the 2 devices constantly during the entire trip. A prime example: he had to use 2 different applications (google maps, where) to find information out about a restaurant we were attempting to find in the area - whereas everything I needed to find out about the restaurant (directions, website, phone number, reviews) was quickly pulled up in a single bing map search. Overall, any time we "raced" to find the information we needed - the majority of the time I won these little races - primarily - I feel - due to the inherent/"simplistic" nature of the redesigned interface in WP7.
Overall - it really boils down to how you use the phone and what you expect of it. For me it boiled down to if I was comfortable "hacking" the phone (Captivate) in order to get the true (expected) functionality out of it (and subsequently violating TOS in the process), as well as waiting on a potential fix to the GPS/Shutdown issues to show up with Froyo 2.2 (assuming I wait for the official release instead of using one of the 2.2 ROMs here) - or - was I more comfortable with going with WP7 - with everything working as advertised out of the box, along with, again, a proposed future update of additional functionality to be added early next year (i.e. Copy/Paste (not a big deal for me), Turn-By-Turn Navigation (would be extremely nice if this is, in fact, included in the next WP7 update), etc.)
As it stands - I have another 10-12 days left to make my decision (or just return back to my iPhone and wait for awhile). I'm hoping the Froyo 2.2 update will be pushed to Captivate over the next few days (I keep hearing 11/15) in order to get further information. As it stands now - I'm heavily leaning towards keeping the Focus/WP7 unless Froyo 2.2 shows up and reports come in that it corrects the 2 deal breakers (for me that is). If that does happen - I'll have a harder decision to make - otherwise - unless something goes horribly wrong with the Focus - I'll probably be keeping it for the long term.
newter55 said:
You do know that you can still use itunes on your computer and sync it to your captivate right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the issue. If you use zune on WP7 you'll know exactly what i'm talking about how its better. I've had a napster to go subscription for ages and it was nice to have that sync with my captivate, but the amount of relevant and fun information afforded to me through the zune + marketplace is truly awesome.
that being said, I'm really big on a filesystem that I can see and manipulate, something the focus doesn't have. Being able to use flash is another HUGE bonus (I updated to froyo about a month ago)
It's annoying because I want to pick and choose different aspects of both. I mean the "metro" UI looks fantastic! but the lack of a settings button drives me absolutely crazy. Office integration is REALLY well done. but widgets and a "desktop" is really nice. Netflix is a nice touch for WP7, but SNES and NES emulators are awesome on Android.
I literally could rifle off this list for hours and the more I use both (i've been switching every other day) the more things I find. I see myself saying "oh man! I can't live without that feature!" all the time only to not have it on the other and then realize that the other has a feature I really like.
it's really tough decision because apart from the flash the two phones are exactly alike.
so there aren't merits to which phone hardware is better either! Though the focus' design is slightly higher end to me though i REALLY like the captivates metal backplate....See what I mean!?!?!
I was simply pointing out that the music issue is....not an issue. For me modding was number one and att has best service in my area so the captivate was a no brainer but I understand that not everyone has the same desires and expectations.
Also, gmaps now, finally integrates places into maps. I have bing for android but have not used the maps in that yet. As for gps, well I agree, though I have been llucky as mine actually works....but I know it is a sore subject for many who have been played by issues with it
So how did you manage to get AT&T to send you a Focus in exchange for a Captivate? I might take a similar deal if it were put on the table
newter55 said:
For me modding was number one and att has best service in my area so the captivate was a no brainer but I understand that not everyone has the same desires and expectations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed - I've gone down the route of modding/hacking phones in the past - and, while it's "neat" and "cool" that you can actually affect the look and feel of the Captivate - I guess I've gotten past that a bit now.. in that I'm really just looking for a good, solid, well-working phone out-of-the box - without out any additional effort. That being said - both Android and WP7 have excellent interfaces (although the Captivate is trying to copy the iPhone more than taking the UI in a unique/different route ala HTC Sense - IMHO) - it boils down to a preference on the user. Considering the fact that I'm actually trying to move AWAY from the iPhone UI look/feel - that also explains why I'm, personally, more apt to prefer the WP7 interface...
newter55 said:
Also, gmaps now, finally integrates places into maps. I have bing for android but have not used the maps in that yet. As for gps, well I agree, though I have been llucky as mine actually works....but I know it is a sore subject for many who have been played by issues with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes - and we compared GMaps results side-by-side with Bing Maps results. It's hard to explain, but (even my colleague with his Android agreed) - the WP7 device (with Bing) has a much more integrated, fine-tuned results output - making it much easier to get to the data you're ultimately looking for.
On the GPS side - yes - I missed the T-b-T routing (and I seriously hope it comes to WP7 in the near future as "promised") that Google Navigation offers. However, I had hoped (and thought for awhile) that my Captivate wouldn't have the same known hardware issues documented on this forum. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. I travel quite a bit during the year, and, even though the iPhone didn't have T-b-T navigation - it always got me where I needed. Captivate didn't meet this need at all (it was REALLY bad at times) - and the WP7 device offers a very similar experience comparable to the iPhone as it stands today.
Looks like there's conflicting reports regarding the 2.2 update (i.e. Europe or U.S.) abound - we'll see if it's pushed today and, if so, if the update *truly* corrects the known issues. I have my doubts though considering various reports from the prior leaked 2.2 builds indicated no improvement.
ScottyNuttz said:
So how did you manage to get AT&T to send you a Focus in exchange for a Captivate? I might take a similar deal if it were put on the table
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering the exact same thing haha ... my 30 day window expired about 3 months ago ... I was holding out for WP7 but got so damn sick of my iPhone that I leapt into android's loving arms. I love it but boy that new WP7 of a "girl next door" sure is lookin sexy.
ScottyNuttz said:
So how did you manage to get AT&T to send you a Focus in exchange for a Captivate? I might take a similar deal if it were put on the table
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tanneji said:
I was wondering the exact same thing haha ... my 30 day window expired about 3 months ago ... I was holding out for WP7 but got so damn sick of my iPhone that I leapt into android's loving arms. I love it but boy that new WP7 of a "girl next door" sure is lookin sexy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't get it in exchange...they sent me a focus and I still have the captivate.
Here's my story...My father has been an ATT customer for some 15-16 years now (since cellularone/bell mobility days) I had an iPhone 3G since 08 (was strictly winmo before that) and was waiting for the streak to come out for att so i could upgrade. got the captivate instead.
BEFORE ALL THAT, my iPhone around June of this year started to just not get service at my house or the surrounding area (I live at college now so it isn't an issue but when I go home it is) But my parents and sister get perfect 5 bar 3G.
I called and complained to ATT and they relented and sent me a backflip as a courtesy (no contract. free). the backflip is a terrible phone, but it somewhat worked in my house and needless to say I was counting the days till the captivate came out.
July 18th I get the captivate and plan on keeping it for a long time. In November, I begin to have that same dropped service issue (now i've switched phones AND sim cards, put my sim in my fams phones no service. put their sims in my phones, full service etc.) There is literally something messed up in my line. So I called ATT to tell them the deal and they sent me the focus if I extended my contract, considering how i did only a few months ago I had no issue doing it for 3 more months.
Moral of the story, If you are a loyal customer and have a big bill (all four of our lines have the 30$ unlimited data) cellular providers will bend over backwards for you.
I'm not proud of this btw. but its frustrating when the one thing a phone is supposed to do, just doesn't work.
Now the focus DOES get service at my home, and the new sim is working pretty good in the captivate (not full service, but manageable) so the debate continues
Hey friends,
whats up? How you like Android? Is it fulfilling all of your need? Have fun
Being someone that moved from Palm to the Android, I am fully satisfied! The only thing that I missed from palm is the ability to record my phone calls. But this is not Android OS issue it is hardware issue. So I am a happy Android(HTC Desire) user!
Of course! Everything I need in one homescreen, custom ROMs, plus it beats the hell out of an iPhone!
Most of my needs...
..and for the others we have women
Completely satisfied... Anything it didn't do straight out of the box was easy and painless to add. Having been a BB and iPhone user before, I can safely say Android is by far the best for me.
Although... It doesn't make my coffee in the morning and run me a bath when I finish work, so I've been forced to get married to cover these missing functions...
It has far surpassed my needs!
Even satisfied needs I didn't know I had!
Only drawback I can point to with switching over is there needs to be a way to get out of the cloud if you don't want to have your head, contacts and Calendar in those clouds.
And the lack of Sync with PC for Outlook built in is a major inconvenience.
(I have found some 3rd party functionality here none of it perfect yet)
I used to use my WinMo phone like it was intended, mostly as a communications device and for a wireless hotspot. Sometimes a MP3 player and rarely to get web pages or manuals for the devices I use in my work (Broadcast Video Engineer)
Now on android I have dish pointer that lets me know what satellites I can hit through the camera, I have better web to read and get Manuals where I can zoom much quicker and precisely than I could before.
It automatically will update all the programs I have gotten from the marketplace keeping itself up to date.
And the resposiveness of the hardware (1.2 Ghz) is just a pure pleasure!
It allows me to set the machine up in a sense like format (different tabs for different functions) and the widget is everything WinMo Today plugs SHOULD have been.
I am all for brand loyalty and I understand it is hard to leave a house that you spent so much of your life in but I can't ever imagine wanting to go back or onto the very simplistic and uncustomizable WinPho7.
Android isn't perfect but it sure is a lot better than the other OS' I have seen.
Coming from IOS it doesnt seem as smooth or polished but it has been able to do everything I need...
^^
+1...android has lots of customizations..great features but it isnt just as smooth as my iphone was.
drafunt said:
Being someone that moved from Palm to the Android, I am fully satisfied! The only thing that I missed from palm is the ability to record my phone calls. But this is not Android OS issue it is hardware issue. So I am a happy Android(HTC Desire) user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an app in the market called call rocorder...i m using it currenty with my evo...and it works great...it uses the phones mic to record and the recorded conversations are clearly audible.
You can try it for your phone.
OnlyFone.com said:
Hey friends,
whats up? How you like Android? Is it fulfilling all of your need? Have fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing is miss from my iphone is the ability to listen to podcasts at 2x speed. I know there are some apps out there that have a solution for this but they dont work on my Streak.
I would say i'm very Satisfied with android coming from a iPhone was a big upgrade to me. I like the freedom that we have and can customize pretty much everything. But I will admit that the only things I missed from having a iPhone is the music player and some of the apps were pretty sweet.
Very much!
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
DPLOY said:
Coming from IOS it doesnt seem as smooth or polished but it has been able to do everything I need...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it depends on your phone and ROM. I use a Galaxy S, and Doc's ROM (fully customized from the kitchen), and my phone literally couldn't be faster. I click something and usually it's done before I lift my finger. Except for 3G (which is pathetic in Australia).
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Absolutely! I used an iPhone for a year before switching to Android. A couple months ago, I decided to sell my iPhone so I booted it up to clear everything out, and couldn't figure out how to do anything! Simple actions, like turning on wifi, and finding an app, are multi-step processes there. Android is awesome, simply put.
Android has not failed me so far, not in regards to software. Apps are great, software gets better every update, account syncing makes adding contacts so much easier... I could go on.
That said, I've had my truly great experiences with the software only after I rooted my device, shortly after HTC pushed out their 2.1 Sense ROM for it. Since then, I've used a variety of amazing ROMs, both 2.2 and 2.3, which are much more representative of what Android is capable of when truly optimised to a specific device. I've used Symbian and iOS, but I don't think I'll be looking back from Android any time soon.
Yep! I find it can do everything I want and really fast, plus more. I must say there are some really handy apps out there.
One area which I think could improve is GPS software, I'm talking about offline map GPS software. I use CoPilot and while it's the best I've seen so far on Android, iGO8 on my i900 WinMo is much much better.
Great for multitasking, smooth, very customizable. I love android and will never switch to another os
Sent from my SilverBullet "RootedHTCDesireZ"
Works great for me, I can't get away from my phone. I just wish service was better, but that's another story.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Android is the best upgrading i ever did, switching from my dumb nokia n97..
The only thing degrading rite now is the android market.. Slowly, day by day, the android market has turned into itunes app market.. Lot's of crap apps rather than really useful apps.. Seriously, what's up with fart apps, stupid bikini puzzle, pointless sexy girl wallpaper apps?? We don't need million stupid apps that cluttering the market.. That is one of the reasons i stop myself from buying an iphone4..
No offense..
it is more than full filing my needs . I do everything with it fun, work, multimedia etc.
Far from satisfied.
Navigation isn't as good as on WM
Keyboard sucks, had to get swype
Can't make calls using phone numbers emailed to me
Email client is soooooo basic, only good thing about it is the ability to connect to 2 exchange servers
Browsing the web is a PITA, go to zoom in, accidently hit a link instead which is too small to read (hence the need to zoom in) and then have to go back and do it again. Also there are many pages/links which it can't handle using default browser/firefox/opera
So many apps, so few decent ones
Hi everyone. I have a 4 year old who keeps taking my phone and my kids (his older brother and sister) ipod touches. He uses them to play games and go on youtube. I've been looking online for a cheap tablet for him to have and on craigslist there are a few for sale in my area for anywhere from $75-$100. I want to know if anyone has any experience with these cheaper android tabs. There's one by Sylvania and some others that just say ePad.
Does anyone have any experience with these and if so, do you think it will be ok for a 4 year old? Keep in mind, it doesn't have to be anything special. Just something that can play youtube and games like angry birds.
Any information is appreciated.
Sent from my MB860
Well you'd probably be best googling the models and seeing if they are real. I had a friend who got a fake off ebay. They work alright. Not great for myself. But if they are a proper tablet I don't see you having any problem as long as its not a scam haha
Sent from my Galaxy S running Galnet's MIUI v2.2 @ 1.3ghz!
Hmm just had a quick Google of the sylviana branded tablet you mentioned and from what I read it seems to function alright. Some are having problems but seems to be functional haha. Sorry if its what you already know
Sent from my Galaxy S running Galnet's MIUI v2.2 @ 1.3ghz!
A scam on craigslist? Never.
Being serious though, I did do some searching on google and with the information I got it figured it would be better to come ask the experts. I really dont care about the software that's installed on these tabs as long as they can be rooted and/or have access to the android market. Its just more important to me that they run decently. They are not very expensive but it's still money and I would like to know what I'm getting into.
Sent from my MB860
Hey,
I was recently setting up a home network for a co-worker and she "paid" me by giving me a White 7" Pandigital Novel "eReader". Its android based and from what I can tell it can be rooted and used as a low cost alternative to an Android tablet. They sell for as low as $100. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with my own since I just got a HTC Inspire 4G...
Guess I can try and hack it. I can let you know how well it takes being rooted.
Please do let me know. I would really appreciate it.
Sent from my MB860
Hey,
Sorry for the delay but I got a little busy with school. I was able to sit down for a bit with the White Pan digital Novel and I must say I was impressed. Due to the extremely low cost and decent spec of this machine it has gotten a lot of love from developers. Its extremely easy to flash ROM's for root access (just place .ZIP on SDCARD, remove internal SD, boot to recovery, and flash it). The guys over at Slatedroid even put Cyanogenmod 6.x on it.
I tested a number of ROM's but most had weird issues. The Slatedriod Cyanogenmod 6.x ROM actually only ran crisp (for now) in landscape mode. Its a bit too weak to play games from Android Market and that's assuming the the ROM you choose has a working Market (most don't by default). They used a mod called the non-ugly hack to fix this I think. Another issue with a lot of these ROM's involved the wifi going into a infinite loop, repeatedly turning itself on and off. Despite the fact that I love Cyanogenmon on my Optimus V, I had to find another full time ROM.
That's when I stumbled across an Eclair-based ROM ported from teh popular Cruz Reader. It was awesome. Smooth in all view modes and even video ran great on the thing. I haven't attempted to OC the device yet, but I would assume it would only make it better. This ROM is rooted of course, and had a working Android Market (and Cruz Market) installed from the start. With this ROM the device becomes a comparable tablet, far exceeding the value placed on its tag. Just use regular apps to manage the power usage and overclock it with Set CPU or something and you'll have quite a machine for $50 something .
A big downside is that for an "eReader" the battery life was horrid, a little better than an android phone (and that's even with the stock ROM). You are going to have to hack this thing to get any decent performance out of it as the stock ROM is laggy. The rooting worked for fixing a lot of these issues.
Em still a bit unfamiliar with the rules on posting links to other forums here, so I wont. Let me know if you have any questions on need the links and we'll set up some sort of arrangement.
Thanks for that info. Gives me a lot to consider. I may end up getting one of those units.
Sent from my MB860
Makes me want to check one out too
Sent from my PG86100-EVO3D-using Tapatalk
Gentlemen, time to retire the old Thunderbolt. Looking into the 8X and Droid DNA. I have watched and read a ton of vids and reviews on the 8x and DNA, now its time for the experts to lend thier opinion.
I will not be rooting or whatever we call it on the windows platform. thats a condition of the new phone. I have rooted or unlocked all prior phones, including my old Imagio, but the wife is accurate when she said they never work as good as when you left them alone. So with that, need un-unlocked opinions.
Storage - I use the phone mostly for music, some pictures for facebook and MMS, how bad is 16 (actually 11!?) with 7 skydrive? How many songs (or hours). Dont ask me to compare what I have space wise on my 32G SD card, my music is scattered from one file to the next, and the card is full of apk's and zips.
Overall performance - Really, this is where you guys can offer me true expertise. What do you personally think of the 8X compared to your old phone, especially if you came from a TB or android based OS?
iPhone factor - So I really like to brag about how my phones rock well beyond what my sheeps iPhone---I mean wife's iPhone can do. Can I truly have my tag say 'The iPhone killer!'
Thanks in advance guys! Everyone here at XDA just rocks the mobile world!
Come on guys, anyone got any opinion? Really would hate to reduce my choice to the DNA because I didn't get any feedback. Your opinions really matter, and would like to go into the store with a real good idea on the choice.
Let me know what you all think! Thanks again guys and gals!
Hey there,
Ive been running wp7 and its successors on my hd2 for some time (well over a year), as well as trying android and the dreaded ibone.
What i would say about wp8 and the 8x is this: It is completely different to droid & iOS. Both those os's are completely app dependant therefore data & memory hungry.
WP8 is different, if you are a facebook/twitter/linkedin bod (like me) these are fully integrated in to the os, hit 'people' tab and 'boom' all there in one screen - no app involved (in fact i hardly ever use the official fb/twit apps).
The os is smooth as butter, it was even on wp7 in the early days. WP8 is much better, the next generation, its fast, stable makes you smile in its natural and instinctive 'user-bility'.
What i would also say, is that you cannot fully appreciate a wp device whilst playing with it in a shop for 10 minutes. If you can, borrow one for a week and live with it - get it set up for YOU.........windows phone is for YOU. You will either love it or hate it, but i promise you an experience - Yes im a windows bod, have been since the days of wm5 - be different and own something that can only get better (just look at the low level of development from the ibone 4 to the 5 - point made)
Just my 2 cents of course - it is purely subjective.
Thanks Timmymarsh! I would love to borrow one, but doubt that will happen. Maybe I can get Verizon to go with a 15 day trial period or something.
I have a friend who works at MS, and he gets all the latest and greatest, and just loves his phone. Doubt he can get one for me ;(
Thanks for the information, it really helps to hear honest opinions!
I too have had rooted androids and jailbroken iPhones, but this phone has completely changed my outlook on things. While it has a few things I'd like different, I don't have any desire to change or alter it. Its fast, smooth, and didn't leave me with buyer's remorse immediately afterwards
Sent from my HTC 8x using Board Express
SuFuS01dier said:
I too have had rooted androids and jailbroken iPhones, but this phone has completely changed my outlook on things. While it has a few things I'd like different, I don't have any desire to change or alter it. Its fast, smooth, and didn't leave me with buyer's remorse immediately afterwards
Sent from my HTC 8x using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How easy is its initial set up? I mean getting the screen to show the way you want, and setting up say outlook for contacts and emails? and can you tell me how that skydrive works? Does it play the music from there, or just downloads what I need?
Also, the xbox portion of the phone, if you xbox, how does it integrate and does it expand the xbox or more informational?
sooo easy to set up its painful, beats droid out the ground re contacts etc. I have an outlook account, gmail, msn, facebook, twitter & 3 other email accounts. So easy to link all your contacts so they appear in one contact page. Once you done it, its backed up for the next time - new device or hard rest
Mate, be different and get one, all new devices have their quircks, inc google and apple, but having said that, you wont be disappointed.
As for drop box, someone else will have to comment there as i dont know, i just sync the music i immediately want on my device so sant comment
timmymarsh said:
sooo easy to set up its painful, beats droid out the ground re contacts etc. I have an outlook account, gmail, msn, facebook, twitter & 3 other email accounts. So easy to link all your contacts so they appear in one contact page. Once you done it, its backed up for the next time - new device or hard rest
Mate, be different and get one, all new devices have their quircks, inc google and apple, but having said that, you wont be disappointed.
As for drop box, someone else will have to comment there as i dont know, i just sync the music i immediately want on my device so sant comment
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again Timmy. I just watched a ton of vids where they demonstrated the 8X against android and apple, and I am really liking the idea of the live tiles, the different way the screen provides information, and the speed at which he was able to do stuff. Even counting he is paid to be that fast, its still impresive especially since he shows them how it works.
I am a minimilistic fan, and use SSLauncher with nothing but texts for my 'icons', but surprising, I find the boxes refreshing. I was leaning more towards the DNA, but ever since I started to get responses here, I think I am going to seriously check out the 8X.
not putting you off the 8x, its a great device, but try the nokia 920 in the shop too.
timmymarsh said:
not putting you off the 8x, its a great device, but try the nokia 920 in the shop too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, last rumor mill had it showing up around August, that came and went. So now they are saying end of this year (like in 18 days) or next year. If it doesn't come soon, then it wont happen for me.
jerrya said:
How easy is its initial set up? I mean getting the screen to show the way you want, and setting up say outlook for contacts and emails? and can you tell me how that skydrive works? Does it play the music from there, or just downloads what I need?
Also, the xbox portion of the phone, if you xbox, how does it integrate and does it expand the xbox or more informational?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure how SkyDrive works as I haven't used it yet. The Xbox support was a high point for me since it does so much that other phones can't or don't. Setting up your home screen is as easy as any I suppose. Simple but not boring
Sent from my HTC 8x using Board Express
decision made
Hey guys, want to thank all of you for helping, voicing your opinions, etc. I have made my decision.
Watched a 6+ part video on each area of the 8X and then learning about WPDemo.com, decided to go back to Microsoft. Looking forward to getting the new phone. Guess only question now is, what color?
Thanks again everyone! I even found several apps that are both WM and android. So I only loose a few (turn by turn hurts a little though!)
Any idea when thats going to be corrected? I refuse to pay Veri$on any more money then they are already getting!
Thanks again everyone!
Let me start off by saying that I am not trying to troll at all I am just generally curious. I for one have had a galaxy nexus, and I loved it (minus the battery life) and also been through a galaxy s 3 and 4. Off the bat the 3 and 4 both have a butt load of features that I always missed when I would flash stock android roms and it always seemed like the camera software was far better than anything a stock android device can get. I do get that stock android devices get updates directly from google and I also get that the skins take up a lot more space but besides those reasons is that alone what makes stock android far better than anything else? I hear people complain about the tw skins or sense skins about how it looks so ugly but isnt a simple fix for this is to just add another launcher like apex? Anyways this is just my personal opinion on the matter and I just wanted to see other peoples inputs. Like I said im not trolling but I just want to see what everyone else thinks.
blackguy101 said:
Let me start off by saying that I am not trying to troll at all I am just generally curious. I for one have had a galaxy nexus, and I loved it (minus the battery life) and also been through a galaxy s 3 and 4. Off the bat the 3 and 4 both have a butt load of features that I always missed when I would flash stock android roms and it always seemed like the camera software was far better than anything a stock android device can get. I do get that stock android devices get updates directly from google and I also get that the skins take up a lot more space but besides those reasons is that alone what makes stock android far better than anything else? I hear people complain about the tw skins or sense skins about how it looks so ugly but isnt a simple fix for this is to just add another launcher like apex? Anyways this is just my personal opinion on the matter and I just wanted to see other peoples inputs. Like I said im not trolling but I just want to see what everyone else thinks.
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It's a combination of factors, IMO. There are some folks who are Android "purists" who like the hardware, but want just the stock version of Android better than anything an OEM adds onto it. Kind of like stripping down a car to keep the engine and the body shape, but tuning it to run the way you like it. Most of the people here at least want to have the ability to remove any apps or parts of the "skin" (like Touchwiz) that they don't want or use and want them gone so that they're not taking up system resources. On the SGS4, for instance, there's been allot of blow back at Samsung because they've crammed so much software for their bells and whistles that the 16GB model has almost half it's system memory (the area where applications, games, Google Play Music or movies, etc.... have to reside) that there's hardly any room to include a new launcher and most of the Apps you might want to run. The expandable storage is nice for pictures, videos, or MP3s you already own and want to store, but it's not usable by applications.
In short, if it's my phone I want total control over what is and what isn't on it no matter what Samsung and AT&T want to cram down my throat. Samsung's Camera software is something I'd probably like to keep, but the silly air gestures and "touchless scrolling" I could care less about. Not to mention the load of programs AT&T also drops on there which I never use and am perfectly happy to see gone also.
If you're happy with your phone the way you currently have it, then no one else's opinion should matter as to how you should have it set up. But there's a wide variety of what people do and don't want on their phones and if they want Vanilla AOSP or CM or modified Touchwiz and they're willing to trade off some Stock features to get what they want, this is one of the places people come to do that. As long as someone accepts the responsibility that they may brick their phone and void the warranty by playing with the software, then they should have the freedom to do whatever they want with it.
As of today, is it possible to install stock Android on the current Samsun Galaxy S4 (mine is from Canada Fido).
Funny thing is, I wish google didn't install their bloat onto the gs4. If there's already a stock music app why preinstall google music. Same with all their other bloat. Not needed like chrome. They should of made google software optional. Keep samsungs in since it is their product.
I honestly think that stock Android is pretty overrated. I've had the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 and they were both pretty terrible. What makes Android so awesome are the different tweaks and software that the makers use. Sure, the simplicity of stock is fine, but that's about it. For example, the TW SG4 will have IR support, a better camera app, etc. You loose a lot of functionality with going stock.
What I really want to see is some fusion rom with the stock Android mixed with all the TW goodies, like the gestures, camera app, etc.
j510 said:
Funny thing is, I wish google didn't install their bloat onto the gs4. If there's already a stock music app why preinstall google music. Same with all their other bloat. Not needed like chrome. They should of made google software optional. Keep samsungs in since it is their product.
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Because, manufaturers have to keep a crlertain amount of stock android included in their phones...as in a certain percentage of software with no touchwiz...so that is likely why they left some of the stock google apps in
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
j510 said:
Funny thing is, I wish google didn't install their bloat onto the gs4. If there's already a stock music app why preinstall google music. Same with all their other bloat. Not needed like chrome. They should of made google software optional. Keep samsungs in since it is their product.
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The hardware might be Samsung's product, but Android is Google's product.
Manufacturers don't have to keep anything. They use stock android as the basis. The pieces you mention like ir blaster use drivers outside of stock android. If devs had these drivers then we would have stock android with goodies. Stock is good because source code is available for all of it. That means it can be heavily customized. Touch wiz is Samsung's and they will not release the source.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
First off, it is all preference--no phone, OS is perfect for everyone.
I have been flashing roms heavily for over 3 years. Mostly HTC like the Nexus One and One S.
I found things I liked in both Sense and AOSP. I did like theming status bar items, color, look etc. Most of the flashing was to get newer versions of Sense and Android. I was running 4.2.2 on One S long before it was on hardly any phones.
It did seem no matter what custom rom you ran, you lost something you liked from another one. There were always minor issues with wifi, audio, reboots etc for many people. Some roms just didn't play well with some phones. So, lots of soft bricks and frustration. I was lucky there.
This is the first phone I have owned that I have no interest in flashing custom roms. I can't believe i even like and don't want to change the wallpaper. I usually always made my own semi-gloss black. But, the colors are so vibrant and icons stand out extremely well on S4. Would like to get rid of balloon on lockscreen. But, no one stares at their lockscreen.
With all the trolls and nay-sayers on the forum, both mine and my son's S4's run perfect. No lags and all the "gimicks" work as advertised. I find myself using them more and more. Wouldn't want to give them up now. S-Voice is perfect and Air View I really like. Don't use the scroll though. S-Memo is an essential for me now. A carry over from Note 2. I even like the stock calendar which I hated when just testing the Note 1 and 2 awhile back. Love being able to create and move calendar events by voice. Don't use GMail calendar anymore other than my work one is tied to it. Camera is great too.
I could see rooting for Nandroids and Titanium though.
This is a great phone regardless of what others say. But, each to there own--
Oh yeah--love Blocking Mode--an imitation of Quiet Hours on Android--couldn't live without it
And I don't know about Touch Whiz. But, whatever it is suppose to be it works great on S4
The "quirky" Air Gestures work fine too. Palm for Screenshots is a little tough to work out though
There is so much on this phone it will take me 6 months to learn and remember to use all of it--
Every time there's a new nexus coming out I have to get it. I enjoy it for about a month then it bores me to death and I go back to a Samsung, HTC or LG phone. I much prefer the UI overlays over stock. Not that stock is bad or anything, it runs super smooth but it is just boring. Hopefully KLP will bring some visual changes as well.
It's like driving a Chevelle Super Sport (SS) 454, which I did. Compared to a 2013 fully technical (GPS/Audio etc) loaded Mercedes or equivalent. The Chevelle had all the power you could ever want. But, in the end that is all it had. Now you have all the bells and whistles on these cars like the S4 has fun features.
I came from the Galaxy Nexus to the GS4 1337.
What I hate the most is the duplication of functions! That drives me insane. Google already has a contacts app, so why do I need a fugly AT&T contacts app? Why do I need a AT&T navigation app AND GMaps? Why do I need a Google calendar, AT&T calendar, Samsung calendar all on the same phone?? Just setting up the phone from scratch infuriates me... skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip
and my favorite... TWO APP STORES! That was jaw dropping. It's a constant assault to your intelligence trying to automate everything in the worst way possible. It's like Samsung apps are at war with Google Apps and everyone is at war with AT&T apps.
The very first possible second I could load CM10.1 on this phone, I did.
While I was waiting on the unlocked bootloader, I did play around with the S Health, WatchON, and the camera/video, and I did enjoy them and miss them from my CM 10.1 experience, but even that couldn't make up for the garbage installed on this phone from the factory.
it's funny on everyone's experience. i found no problem setting my homescreens up and just ignored apps i didn't want. at this point don't even know they are in app drawer.
I bought Nexus 4 after already had Galaxy s3 for a while. Even though Nexus 4 is fantastic device, I thought its too vanilla for me. Even though compared to S3, there was not much feature differences. I don't think I will ever get Pure Nexus phone again..may be tablet will be fine. The other thing is I sometimes get into a phase where I want to use AOSP rom so I flash CM10.1 or AOKP. But as soon i get bored back to TW rom. Can't do that with Nexus devices...
The only thing i want from Stock is the AOSP messaging app. The quick reply from the notification drop down and pop up is awesome.
mr_blanket said:
I came from the Galaxy Nexus to the GS4 1337.
What I hate the most is the duplication of functions! That drives me insane. Google already has a contacts app, so why do I need a fugly AT&T contacts app? Why do I need a AT&T navigation app AND GMaps? Why do I need a Google calendar, AT&T calendar, Samsung calendar all on the same phone?? Just setting up the phone from scratch infuriates me... skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip
and my favorite... TWO APP STORES! That was jaw dropping. It's a constant assault to your intelligence trying to automate everything in the worst way possible. It's like Samsung apps are at war with Google Apps and everyone is at war with AT&T apps.
The very first possible second I could load CM10.1 on this phone, I did.
While I was waiting on the unlocked bootloader, I did play around with the S Health, WatchON, and the camera/video, and I did enjoy them and miss them from my CM 10.1 experience, but even that couldn't make up for the garbage installed on this phone from the factory.
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God forbid they give you a choice of which app to use. Having a choice is one of the main factors that make people choose android over ios.
PuffinNugz said:
God forbid they give you a choice of which app to use. Having a choice is one of the main factors that make people choose android over ios.
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Agreed, but not allowing the complete uninstall of a duplicated app goes against the fundamental philosophies of android.
This goes for both Google, Apple, Windows or any other OS. What I want is the most basic OS possible and add apps as I see fit from the app store. I do not want anything forced on my device. The closest you can get to that nirvana is an AOSP ROM or Nexus.
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Pure Android will mainly attract the developers as it is a great base to work from. Most average people will chose Sense or TW or any of the other Android distros (as that is more correct them calling them skins) due to the features. Most of those features can't be utilized by Devs unless they pay for the SDK like Samsung is doing now with them for the sensors in the S4. Only big companies are gonna be able to afford to pay what Samsung wants for the SDK to develop with.
Wayne Tech Nexus
WA_Bob said:
On the SGS4, for instance, there's been allot of blow back at Samsung because they've crammed so much software for their bells and whistles that the 16GB model has almost half it's system memory (the area where applications, games, Google Play Music or movies, etc.... have to reside) that there's hardly any room to include a new launcher and most of the Apps you might want to run.
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Click to collapse
This is a gross overexaggeration of the storage situation on the SGS4.
The only way I can think of that you can fill the ~9.7gb of internal storage with app data is if you're downloading every high resolution, high graphic intensive game available for the platform. If that's your case, then you're absolutely right. While admittedly not a high number, I have over 68 apps(most of which I use on a near daily basis) installed on my phone with the highest occupying 64.93mb. Most apps range from 10-30mb. At 64.93mb, I can have ~152.97 of those sized apps on my phone before running into storage capacity issues.
I like the rest of your post though.
One of the reasons I got the S4 and gave my iPhone 5 to the wife was mostly the software features Samsung added. I really do like the voice control for the camera and music apps, and I find some of the air gestures pretty good too. Going with a "Nexus" experience S4, I'd lose the very features I got the phone for.
zelendel said:
Pure Android will mainly attract the developers as it is a great base to work from. Most average people will chose Sense or TW or any of the other Android distros (as that is more correct them calling them skins) due to the features. Most of those features can't be utilized by Devs unless they pay for the SDK like Samsung is doing now with them for the sensors in the S4. Only big companies are gonna be able to afford to pay what Samsung wants for the SDK to develop with.
Wayne Tech Nexus
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wow.... there is a name I haven't seen for a long time... Did you get get an S4?