I'm probably the last person to learn this. Very disappointed. Wish Samsung would have kept that. Guess I will have to pass on this phone. It is a shame since I was convinced it was the perfect upgrade for me until now.
Unfortunately you were. It was divulged a long time ago
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Found I never used it, I use the sony app that connects to wifi and then controls my sony bravia . . .its bit of a shame but I'd take losing that for a bigger battery and sd slot
To each their own but it's funny imo how people could pass up on a phone cause they won't be able to turn on/off their TV with their phones. Guess it's very tiring and troublesome picking up the TV controller to do that.
daLareid said:
To each their own but it's funny imo how people could pass up on a phone cause they won't be able to turn on/off their TV with their phones. Guess it's very tiring and troublesome picking up the TV controller to do that.
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Click to collapse
My main problem with the TV controller is the children routinely lose it, so instead of spending time looking under the furniture and in other rooms I could always just use my phone. Not denying laziness,just not entirely the case in this instance!
markwebb said:
Unfortunately you were. It was divulged a long time ago
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh well better late than after I bought the wretched thing!
Never used it, waste of space.
PracticallyGeek said:
Found I never used it, I use the sony app that connects to wifi and then controls my sony bravia . . .its bit of a shame but I'd take losing that for a bigger battery and sd slot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know! I was so happy to hear of the SD slot and water resistance coming back. It just makes me wonder why they add a couple good features back in at the expense of another. Geez you can't always get what you want I guess.
DesignGrits said:
Never used it, waste of space.
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Click to collapse
I envy you mate, now I wish I had not grown so fond of it. Well maybe the s8 edge will have it.
Just get a Logitech harmony hub.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
spankmatic22 said:
My main problem with the TV controller is the children routinely lose it, so instead of spending time looking under the furniture and in other rooms I could always just use my phone. Not denying laziness,just not entirely the case in this instance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! That is the reason the IR blaster is so useful. I suspect many of the people who don't find it useful, don't have young children. Anyway a Logitech Harmony Hub is a good replacement for the IR blaster.
I have young children... There are more ways to fix it other than an ir blaster... Grounding them from the TV if they lose the remote worked for me, very quickly too.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
I never could get used to using a flat slate of glass to control the TV, I can use a remote eyes free, can't do that with my phone.
Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
smh
I was using my LG G2's IR blaster about once or twice a month, when I was too lazy to pick up the remote from 2-3 meters away from my home desk. The best use for it was at the gym when I could switch the TVs to my preferred news channel during the pre-elections
No phone is without compromises but it seems the S7 Edge has the fewest. I'll gladly switch my G2 for it
there are little small 3.5mm headphone jack like devices that add the ir hardware to your phone, some work well some don't, just search on ebay and aliexpress, Kickstarter etc, but yeah i agree with others that the core issue is not the lack of ir but the lack of proper remote controller usage from the kids
Not a deal breaker for me, gonna happily give it up going from my Note 3 to the S7E, nice upgrade for me, although my Note 3 is still tried and true, snappy and running fine.
However, FYI, not just for TVs, IR was also useful with the Beep'nGo app to store my grocery loyalty cards where many cashier scanners don't work with bar codes, but do work with the IR blaster. Countless cashiers were always amazed when they grabbed my phone to hand enter the loyalty number and I told them "I have a special phone, just scan it" and it worked.
spankmatic22 said:
My main problem with the TV controller is the children routinely lose it, so instead of spending time looking under the furniture and in other rooms I could always just use my phone. Not denying laziness,just not entirely the case in this instance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand, that's why I said to each their own since we all have different approaches and from what you're saying I do understand how bothersome that can be, I genuinely hate sitting in my bed under the sheets and losing the remote. But I believe passing on a phone like S7E because of a missing IR blaster isn't a great of a move, mostly because chances of flagship phones being released with an IR blaster are less likely to happen in the future so you would have to stick with either an old phone or a medium performance phone that still happens to be released with an IR blaster, but who knows maybe Samsung will bring it back again.
daLareid said:
I understand, that's why I said to each their own since we all have different approaches and from what you're saying I do understand how bothersome that can be, I genuinely hate sitting in my bed under the sheets and losing the remote. But I believe passing on a phone like S7E because of a missing IR blaster isn't a great of a move, mostly because chances of flagship phones being released with an IR blaster are less likely to happen in the future so you would have to stick with either an old phone or a medium performance phone that still happens to be released with an IR blaster, but who knows maybe Samsung will bring it back again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I see your point. I still want an S7 edge, just was a little disappointed. Sure looks like a great phone.
DesignGrits said:
Never used it, waste of space.
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Click to collapse
while it was a waste of space in your opinion there are several, like me who utilized it to the fullest. I still ordered the s7 edge but will have to transition to my note 10.1 2014 tablet to use now for ir blaster. I purchased the best remote app out there and have all kinds of macros set up for convenience. Below are just three that I have set up.
TV ON - turn on tv, dish hopper, audio amp.
TV Off - turn off tv, dish hopper, audio amp.
Kid- turn on tv, dish hopper, audio amp and change to disney.
I also have six different entertainment systems set up on this so I never have to look for a remote when I go into a different room.
Example. Kid passes out watching Frozen because that is about the only way I can get her to sleep. Instead of waking her while looking for remote I peek my phone in and turn off her tv and blu ray player.. Problem Solved..
They do serve a purpose and I was very upset when they took it off the s6+ and didn't bring it back... Especially when they are so cheap of an addon.
Related
so the liveview is $25 on amazon, the second gen sony smartwatch is $94, and the pebble is $150. I have preordered the pebble, but have yet to pay. I wanted to ask if the liveview is worth it in comparison, for the price being so cheap..i may just buy it to try it out since its so cheap. i have an htc one s with android 4.2, also does liveview have push notifications?.... any suggestions..thanks
When a Google search brings up the suggestion "Sony Liveview don't bother", you know you'll be wasting your money.
Those Amazon reviews paint a very negative picture.
See what kind of reviews the Pebble gets and decide from there. You'll likely get what you pay for.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 2
got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.
willfck4beer said:
got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i ended up getting it for $27 off amazon with expedient shipping. so i should get it soon and im hoping it works well with my htc one s...and for that cheap why not...much better than spending $150 on a pebble that ill get in like 6 months
i got my liveview, and id say its worth the money...it does what it says it does, though it sometimes disconnects...im glad i bought this and didnt spend 150 on a pebble, since its kinda of a gimmick... i mean its basically a pager on your wrist, but 27$ for it, i cant complain
For $20-30, it is a steal. Unfortunately they don't ship to my country, otherwiser I would have ordered an extra one as well.
I saw the Pebble, and frankly, I miss a two quite important functions from it that the liveview has: volume up and down as a music remote. Yeah, most likely someone will figure out how to add them to the 3-button-only interface (long press track skip would be ok) but till then, I'll go with my Liveview. Even if the connection is still not rock solid. Yeah, it is much, MUCH better than it was, but still not 100% if you are skipping music tracks left and right.
Another thing to watch out for: the frames are extremely fragile. Yes, even the metal clip-on frame. My wristwatch frame has a holding clip broken off (so it is useless as the LV falls out of it quite easily) and the clip-on is broken at the microUSB connector part. I actually had to attach the LV with a piece of masking tape to the frame so it won't fall out. I'm thinking of supergluing it there.
i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares
It all depends on what you want to do with it, for me I wanted to use it as a cycling computer that worked with my phone using the my tracks app which worked perfectly so I love it for that and it only cost me $25. If you buy it just for the hell of it and don'd really know what is available for it then you might hate it, also I haven't encountered any issues with it disconnecting with my phone as others have had but it can be difficult to set up at first.
auda said:
i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I just got my liveview so far so good I bought one when it first cam out switch to an HTC amaze and it didn't work at all so I got rid of it, switched to a samsung note 2 and since I rarely had a problem with my old nexus s and t959 I figured it was worth getting it over the pebble I synced it about 2 hours ago and no disconnects and everything seems to be working fine
Sent from my SGH-T889V on the WIND network
Mine frequently disconnects, and I also had issues with the clip not holding, so I was a little disappointed. That being said, I only paid $22 for it, so I can't be too upset. I only need it to be able to discreetly check text messages at work, so it serves its purpose.
Sent from my HTC Flyer using xda app-developers app
Hello,
I was in a position like you at one point here's my take on it:
I considered the Liveview when it came out, but the reviews were horrible. Personally felt it looked a bit cheap for a wach... I saw the price drop, but since I can't get the US deals, I gave up on that one.
I then saw the pebble, but missed the kickstart. Noticing that the shipping date was so far away (and the price of $150 seemed too high), I looked elsewhere.
I found a nice balance with the Sony Smartwatch. It's cheaper than the pebble, and the general reviews are better than the previous liveview. I also like how they bundle the 20mm watch strap adapter so you can make it look better with other straps. This is what I ended up getting and I'm quite happy since all I really need was for my notifications to show up on my watch (free app for that!). Cost me about $100 AUD, but I've seen it cheaper in US sites.
just purchased one last night and i should be getting it on saturday. will post my thoughts on it. not expecting too much for $22 but im still excited!
I kickstarted the Pebble. I had another Android smartwatch on preorder until I realized the Pebble is the only waterproof one. I dreaded the thought of washing my hands wrong, or getting caught in the rain and ruining my $300 watch. The $115 Pebble seemed like a no brainer, all things considered.
With that said, the Pebble SDK still isn't public yet, so there's currently a severe lack of functionality. The Pebble has piqued my interest in smarter watches though, so I've been keeping my eyes peeled for better alternatives.
I think the year of the smartwatch is coming soon. Especially if the rumors of an Apple iWatch are true.
Have mine for a half year now. I use it almost every day. It's pretty useful if you are listening to music via your phone in car and want to skip a song etc. . Also the Camera Watch function is pretty funny
i can only speak about the liveview since i have not bought a smartwatch yet.
as you can see within this thread and on openliveview.com, custom firmware developement and a liveware manager replacement is in developement.
the custom liveware manager replacement you can find here, has all the functionality the liveware manager has, except plugin support (wich is currently in developement)
besides, it has a notification implementation that is pretty similar to how custommessagenotifier works.
the firmware is yet not for daily usage since it does not put the watch into deepsleep yet and has no bluetooth support yet.
a big minus would be that you need to kindoff break your wristband holder to charge the liveview.
overall i'd say, the liveview is currently extremely customizable since the custom manager and the custom firmware are opensource.
to the smartwatch:
it has bluetooth 4 instead of 1.1 (liveview) wich makes the bluetooth battery drain pretty small and it could theoretically even be ported to iphone.
the screen is the same except it has multi touch instead of 4 tap keys.
it has more internal storage than the liveview so a custom firmware would be more awesome on it.
overall i'd say, its better than the liveview but unless we devs get our hands onto it, there will mostly not be a custom manager / rom soon, so you will need to stick to connection issues and sony's creepy try to write software.
It seems a good idea this new project.
Since 2 years, the LiveView is not on my wrist but on my desk.
Liveview is so worth it considering the price.
Sent from my GT-I9100
I got mine for $15. I can't even find a cheap wristwatch at walmart for that much. The Liveview is a watch, but has some added functions which are pretty cool. Worth every penny of my $15.
Been planning on buying this for my Samsung Galaxy Nexus running on Jellybean 4.2.2 just wanted to ask if anyone can tell me if this watch is compatible on my device and android version. Just recently got ahold of bluetooth headset (Nokia BH-503) can this watch has capability to override handsfree and music controls of bluetooth headsets.
Now that I think of it, can I pair to devices on a phone at once? Asking because here in my country this costs 30$.
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How shallow are you people...
They should hand these out at the park - save my eyes :laugh:
vulcanvillalta said:
As a Vulcan, I don't see the point of tanning, aside from fulfilling your human need for vitamin D. Tan lines are no indication of a man's character.
The usefulness of this watch clearly compromises the curiously vogue impression of the importance of attractiveness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The importance of attraction is different to people in this day and age, for some people, they feel a lot better mentally when they know they're looking good.
Don't Think It Is Possible
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this would be possible. With the moving parts and displays on the watch, it would be impossible for it to be tan through. But it is a great idea!
I too think that is a good idea.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
Rather look pasty white than have skin damage, in the worst case skin cancer is not very attractive.
Incognitum said:
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason your logic isn't working is because you assume that people would still carry a second device. Not everybody wants a powerful device because not everybody plays games, or surfs the internet or other things that require a larger screen.
Another question similar to the one you are asking is, why would people buy a tablet when their phone can already do everything and more than it can do.
If there was a choice between a pocket phone with an optional wrist device, or a wrist phone with an optional reading device, a lot of people would go for the smaller, highly mobile wrist phone.
It wouldn't interfere with mobility and it would be readily available.
Something else that may be bogus, but would probably factor into some people's decisions is that it would distance the RF source from reproductive organs.
Ziago said:
Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will it really be affected? i mean all the gears are out there... and there are to be worn and designed most of the time and probably under scorching sun?
I also thought this seemed like a good idea, Android on your wrist. So I bought a cheap one to see.
I got one from Chinavasion(can't posts links yet obviously). The one I got was the "3G Android Watch Phone 'FineWatch' - MTK6577 Dual Core 1GHz CPU, 2 Inch IPS Screen, 4GB ROM, 8GB Additional Memory" because it seemed to have be biggest screen and the best hardware of the no-name ones.
But the android version is horrible on the device, and I kinda wanna install a new one. Watch can't log on to my google account, due to it not understanding the 2-step vertification procedure. And it has no Google play, browser doesn't show any images when browing play.google.com etc. All-in-all horrible, is there a way to fix this by installing a more normal version of Android? Like without bricking it or using the old version?
Can someone point me in the right direction to make this watch the best I ever wore?
I'm pretty disappointed the IR Blaster has been taken out in the S7... I was using the IR Blaster with peel on my Note Edge pretty consistently and it was a real treat to have. if we were sitting on the dining table and I wanted to lower the TV (or change channel) it was convenient to have. I also loved peel and the ability it provided me with on choosing things I want to watch.
it will be missed... I'm curious what you guys think about them taking it out? Did you use it?
I did use it, mostly in work as we have a screen with our call stats that has to be manually turned on so it was easier for me to use my phone to switch it on. However, I'm not too bothered about it missing, it's not hard to walk over to the TV.
My TV's at home can be controlled with a Wifi remote so not much of an issue.
thrAlready a thread for this don't think we need another
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/how-to/s7-edge-ir-blaster-t3330910
Thread reopened as a poll rather than a sammy bashing thread for removing IR blaster
no. not disappointed at all. who the hell uses their phone to control their tv??? my uhd tv remote is ten times better than anything samsung can put on my phone.
No, I don't even have a TV.
The only time I used the IR blaster was when I was traveling in China and some hotel rooms have broken AC remotes.
I voted neutral. I see it as a potentially handy feature, but have never once used it on older phones. I have a Logitech Harmony remote for my tv/ps4 etc, so I just use that. I see some merit in the ability to use a phone, but for me I just couldn't be bothered and was happy with my current solution.
I do think it's a bit of a shame it went though, but ah well.
The only time I ever used it(or tried to) on my S6 was when we went skiing in the Alps last month. The tv in the apartment didn't have a remote so I smugly thought I'll show up my brother in law with his iPhone 6s Plus. Couldn't get the f*cking thing working as none of the codes would work on the Samsung tv they had. Needless to say I wanted to burn my phone there and then. So no, won't miss it at all!
My last phone had one, and other than to play with it when I first got the phone, I never used it. But I realize some people really like it, so I answered neutral.
At the risk of sounding like a mom, I'm not upset, just disappointed. haha
I used it for my tv/receiver when i got the lazies and didn't want to reach across the sofa
In certain instances it came in handy trying to set up some rokus that had no remote and wifi was not set up yet.
Also i'm a hobby photographer and ir blaster worked awesome with my canon.
I didn't realize this device didn't have it while all my phone's for the last 4-5 years have. Having kids who always lose the remote or at work when we can't find a remote in a teachers classroom (I'm an IT Tech for a school district) it was convenient to use my phone to get the job done.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Yes I am disappointed. I guess Samsung will bring it back on the S8 series
nope, never used it.. but I can see why people are that was using it.
I'm glad they removed it! I'm sick of smart asses playing around with the TVs from their phones at bars and restaurants.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Really dissapointed cause used it for not only TV but also air condition, satelite, audio system and its worked well plus TV program with my favorites. Pity the feature is missing, IR blaster is so cheap so I don't get why Samsung removed it.
I had really liked it. very usefull for me
Not particularly. I only used it to prank my friends with TV Be Gone, so it's not a big loss.
Really upset, Used htc M8 before and the IR blaster was fun to switch TV, Media devices and all, but unfortunately S7 Edge has skipped the same. This is what the companies do... Skip some features in sequels so that people keep interest in upcoming models and don't loose interest in the previous one too.
For example S6 edge has a IR blaster but no memory card slot nor is it water resistant; whereas S7 edge omits the IR blaster and have the other 2 features.
Samsung is playing tricky game.....
Learn from LG!
I didn't have IR in any of my phones for the last ten years. So, i am neutral.
Nope.
A lot of fuss being made over nothing.
FM radio dissapeared years ago, I missed it a lot but not many folk gave sh it.
So it's horses for courses.
I'll miss hijacking the TV's in pub.
Sent from my Samsung Edge 7
Hi everyone i want to ask if there is a possibility of adding IR feature to Samsung S8 coming in 2017.
IR Blaster is very useful feature of android, i normally use this with my Canon 6D Dslr and secondary for TVs in hotels bars or conference rooms where staff hide the remote controls.
if it is not possible i will have to change to LG
i have sent an email to Samsung headoffice in Korea and also i wrote to president of South Korea Park Geun-hye. I requested her to have a look at Samsung's policy of adding/removing features from Samsung. I also requested her to force Samsung in adding Dual-sim to its flag ship phones, Samsung already have this feature in low end phones just need an extra bay in flag ship phones.
I just hope we will get back IR-blaster in upcoming Galaxy S8.
deleted
One person will not influence whether Samsung adds back the IR blaster..
Good luck, but I highly doubt they'll re-add the feature. They probably determined not enough people were using it to make it worthwhile
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
Devhux said:
One person will not influence whether Samsung adds back the IR blaster..
Good luck, but I highly doubt they'll re-add the feature. They probably determined not enough people were using it to make it worthwhile
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree it's a useful feature to have. Certainly more so than a heart rate Monitor!
I think manufacturers will increasingly leave it out, unfortunately in order to spec the latest and greatest ueber processors which no-one fully utilises anyhow.
I owned the s6 and s6 edge ....probably only used the feature once....I gave the s6 edge to my wife and she's never used it the feature (don't even think she knows it's there. I own the s7 now and really never miss the IR blaster feature...again this is just my input!
Sent from my SM-G930F using XDA-Developers mobile app
sheaky said:
Hi everyone i want to ask if there is a possibility of adding IR feature to Samsung S8 coming in 2017.
IR Blaster is very useful feature of android, i normally use this with my Canon 6D Dslr and secondary for TVs in hotels bars or conference rooms where staff hide the remote controls.
if it is not possible i will have to change to LG
i have sent an email to Samsung headoffice in Korea and also i wrote to president of South Korea Park Geun-hye. I requested her to have a look at Samsung's policy of adding/removing features from Samsung. I also requested her to force Samsung in adding Dual-sim to its flag ship phones, Samsung already have this feature in low end phones just need an extra bay in flag ship phones.
I just hope we will get back IR-blaster in upcoming Galaxy S8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sammy won't release it for sure I think
Contacting them is of no use at all. They will not even bother
I own s5 and IR blaster works beautifully
It would be really nice if Sammy releases IR blaster in S8. If they release it I would go for it
If not I will stick to s5
It was a feature
I would love to see the S8 made of materials meant to withstand a drop or 2, also the IR blaster was a nice feature. Why they can't make the phone as it was before just faster and smarter?
The features we all liked, removable battery, SD Card, IR blaster and waterproof was all achieved on the S5. "Premium feel" is for hipsters since 99% of the people puts a cover on their smartphones... so where is the premium feel? Making the S6 back of glass and repeat it on the S7 was the stupidest thing they did. They actually downgraded to the Iphone4 quality which everyone knew was a flawed design. The only people that criticized the impact plastic that the Sammy phones where made of where the ones that did not have one, I loved the fact that I have to only worry about the phone falling on its screen.
They learned about not taking out the SD card, I hope they learn about the rest after losing a lot of clients to LG, which still makes smartphones the smart way. Even do I love Samsung I feel very aggravated with their changes (not all of them, but most of them).
I want the IR blaster back!
On my S5 i ditched every remote i had to use my all-in-one phone remote Then when i got my S7 edge i installed my IR app, copied the remotes config over and *#[email protected], no IR blaster! I now have six remotes around my room and they always disappear. My phone never went missing like they do.
Im kinda hoping they bring IR back since they are meant be ditching the headphone port. Although my car has bluetooth for phone calls but not for music streaming so how how do i plug in my aux lead to my phone after the port goes? :/ Headphone ports are still needed. I dont want to pay 100 quid to replace something i already have! We arent Apple!!
*crosses fingers for IR and headphone to exist in S8
well offtopic but eventually i will sell my s7 some day... but i cant say the same for my note4
I want it back again too. and is not impossible, since Samsung give us back removable storage and water proofing.
lekou said:
well offtopic but eventually i will sell my s7 some day... but i cant say the same for my note4
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I wanted keep my S5 as an all in one remote but i accidently toasted it when i set it up for BOINC. My IR went with it
I have recently set up an RPi for home automation (LEDs around my room and cooling fans for my PS). This has a web frontend so i might make a web remote and add an IR blaster to my RPi instead!
I wanted an S6 until I found out about the non-removable battery and the lack of an mSD slot. Then I wanted an S7 until I found out about the lack of the IR blaster. I'm not sure why they think making their phones shinier makes them better.
My S5 is a great phone. I use the IR blaster all the time with AnyMote, and it's not a feature I'm willing to give up. I'd definitely give up Samsung first. MicroSD slots are mandatory. IR Blasters, for me, also mandatory.
Well, technically S8 have a lot of IR stuff...proximity sensor, iris scanner, hertbeat sensor, face scanner(and almost all of them are in the front, so theoretically this can increase the frequency a lot if done right)...but i havent seen anyone make use of them to make an ir blaster unfortunately...
darkar25 said:
Well, technically S8 have a lot of IR stuff...proximity sensor, iris scanner, hertbeat sensor, face scanner(and almost all of them are in the front, so theoretically this can increase the frequency a lot if done right)...but i havent seen anyone make use of them to make an ir blaster unfortunately...
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To control them in any way that you suggest would require the drivers for them to be rewritten. They were never designed to be used in the way you want so the existing drivers won't provide the functionality for the software to control them in that way. They will be proprietary devices too so the task of reverse engineering it would take considerable time. Thats why no-one has bothered because there's too much effort and too little reward.
Is it just me or is this missing feature disappointing to anyone else?
tkoreaper said:
Is it just me or is this missing feature disappointing to anyone else?
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Hmm, tbh I don't use Bluetooth and if I did it would usually be within the range such as car Bluetooth or connect to a speaker. I guess it is a shame they couldn't have put the latest tech in it but it's nothing I'm too concerned with. It having no 3.5mm jack is more concerning but if it has excellent battery then perhaps I won't need to listen to music and charge it so often.
Bluetooth 5.0 is only any good if you are connecting to accessories with 5.0 as well, otherwise it will only be as good as the lowest version of Bluetooth that you are connecting to. But right now I struggle to find any accessories with 5.0. Still would have been nice for future proofing, but I won't lose any sleep over it.
aliHTCDHD said:
Hmm, tbh I don't use Bluetooth and if I did it would usually be within the range such as car Bluetooth or connect to a speaker. I guess it is a shame they couldn't have put the latest tech in it but it's nothing I'm too concerned with. It having no 3.5mm jack is more concerning but if it has excellent battery then perhaps I won't need to listen to music and charge it so often.
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Well there are a lot of benefits to Bluetooth 5 over version 4.2 such as twice the data transfer speed, 4x the range (yes, FOUR... That's 800 feet), enough bandwidth to support two devices at one time, and it'll also help facilitate additional location-based functionality. As for the missing 3.5mm jack HTC has said that an adapter will be sent with the device along with some USB-C headphones that people are claiming to be really good.
shineyads said:
Bluetooth 5.0 is only any good if you are connecting to accessories with 5.0 as well, otherwise it will only be as good as the lowest version of Bluetooth that you are connecting to. But right now I struggle to find any accessories with 5.0. Still would have been nice for future proofing, but I won't lose any sleep over it.
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The other devices need to be 5.0 to take advantage of the new speed and range, yes, but not everything else.
tkoreaper said:
The other devices need to be 5.0 to take advantage of the new speed and range, yes, but not everything else.
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What is it that you want bluetooth 5 for over, say, 4.2?
tkoreaper said:
Well there are a lot of benefits to Bluetooth 5 over version 4.2 such as twice the data transfer speed, 4x the range (yes, FOUR... That's 800 feet), enough bandwidth to support two devices at one time, and it'll also help facilitate additional location-based functionality. As for the missing 3.5mm jack HTC has said that an adapter will be sent with the device along with some USB-C headphones that people are claiming to be really good.
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That's a big improvement for sure which I was aware of but not the exact figures. The issue of lacking 5.0 really depends on how individuals use their Bluetooth, I never use it so I'm fine. I'm aware of the 3.5 adaptor, I was just saying in my previous post that hopefully the battery will last long enough to listen to music when intended before battery is low. If battery does become low and the USB type c is being used for the headphones than that's a big issue that will definitely be more concerning than not having Bluetooth 5.0. It would be great if they could make an adaptor with a 3.5mm port and charging port next to it, this would solve any battery concerns while listening to music.
shineyads said:
What is it that you want bluetooth 5 for over, say, 4.2?
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I like everything that it offers, but mostly the ability to be connected to two bluetooth devices at once and the increased bandwidth is nothing but good news for audiophiles like myself considering bluetooth has been pretty crappy in terms of quality.
aliHTCDHD said:
That's a big improvement for sure which I was aware of but not the exact figures. The issue of lacking 5.0 really depends on how individuals use their Bluetooth, I never use it so I'm fine. I'm aware of the 3.5 adaptor, I was just saying in my previous post that hopefully the battery will last long enough to listen to music when intended before battery is low. If battery does become low and the USB type c is being used for the headphones than that's a big issue that will definitely be more concerning than not having Bluetooth 5.0. It would be great if they could make an adaptor with a 3.5mm port and charging port next to it, this would solve any battery concerns while listening to music.
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Well, I currently have the HTC 10 that also has a 3,000mAh battery and I have no problem getting a full day's use out of it. The U11 can only get better with the more efficient 835 SoC.
tkoreaper said:
Well, I currently have the HTC 10 that also has a 3,000mAh battery and I have no problem getting a full day's use out of it. The U11 can only get better with the more efficient 835 SoC.
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That's great to hear. I'm looking forward to my two year upgrade as my contract ends. I'm overall very impressed with the phone. I have the m9 in case my signature does not mention it. From the reviews, it has the best audio, performance, camera, microphones and should have a good battery endurance.
What about yourself, are you thinking of upgrading to this device and in what's situations do you use Bluetooth?
aliHTCDHD said:
That's great to hear. I'm looking forward to my two year upgrade as my contract ends. I'm overall very impressed with the phone. I have the m9 in case my signature does not mention it. From the reviews, it has the best audio, performance, camera, microphones and should have a good battery endurance.
What about yourself, are you thinking of upgrading to this device and in what's situations do you use Bluetooth?
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It's kinda a no-brainer considering I'd get it at $300 off. They sent me an email with a code to take $50 off and with their upgrade program they'll give me $250 for my HTC 10. They will give you money for your M9 as well, but it would likely only be about $100-150. However, I 'm still contemplating on whether I should wait or not because I like the Solar Red color, but it's not currently available for purchase and chances are that in a month or two they may offer $100 off.
tkoreaper said:
I like everything that it offers, but mostly the ability to be connected to two bluetooth devices at once and the increased bandwidth is nothing but good news for audiophiles like myself considering bluetooth has been pretty crappy in terms of quality.
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To be fair, if you're an audiophile then you should be going wired as the quality will still be superior to BT5. Won't you need to have cans with BT5 to get the full benefit of going wireless?
I'll be making use of the in-box 3.5mm adaptor with amp, but I'll also try out the in-box earbuds as they sound quite interesting (no pun intended).
shineyads said:
To be fair, if you're an audiophile then you should be going wired as the quality will still be superior to BT5. Won't you need to have cans with BT5 to get the full benefit of going wireless?
I'll be making use of the in-box 3.5mm adaptor with amp, but I'll also try out the in-box earbuds as they sound quite interesting (no pun intended).
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I understand, but I think Bluetooth 5's capabilities may be enough to push it into the audiophile range and we'll start seeing much better headphones as a result... I guess the real new feature of the the 5.0 standard is the dramatic increase in range. Can you imagine leaving your phone in the car and running around a track with your headphones on, not needing to carry the phone with you?
tkoreaper said:
It's kinda a no-brainer considering I'd get it at $300 off. They sent me an email with a code to take $50 off and with their upgrade program they'll give me $250 for my HTC 10. They will give you money for your M9 as well, but it would likely only be about $100-150. However, I 'm still contemplating on whether I should wait or not because I like the Solar Red color, but it's not currently available for purchase and chances are that in a month or two they may offer $100 off.
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Lucky you , I'm in UK so will have to check with HTC UK whether they have any deal. I'll be wanting to see them in person before purchasing, the colours are rather unique. I'm feeling kinda excited tbh. I can't wait to try the speakers, camera and performance. Hopefully it's a huge improvement over the m9.
tkoreaper said:
I understand, but I think Bluetooth 5's capabilities may be enough to push it into the audiophile range and we'll start seeing much better headphones as a result... I guess the real new feature of the the 5.0 standard is the dramatic increase in range. Can you imagine leaving your phone in the car and running around a track with your headphones on, not needing to carry the phone with you?
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Not really - what if you want to change playlist or send a message to someone? Lol
I agree though, BT5 does have some great benefits but until we see some accessories with BT5 in them then 4.2 does me fine. I reckon it'll probably take a year for BT5 to be more widespread... at which time it'll be time to upgrade to the HTC U12 anyway! Lol
shineyads said:
Not really - what if you want to change playlist or send a message to someone? Lol
I agree though, BT5 does have some great benefits but until we see some accessories with BT5 in them then 4.2 does me fine. I reckon it'll probably take a year for BT5 to be more widespread... at which time it'll be time to upgrade to the HTC U12 anyway! Lol
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Depends on your phones... with all the personal assistants on the phone and the ability already to change tracks or give verbal commands over bluetooth I don't see how that would be difficult to achieve.
tkoreaper said:
Depends on your phones... with all the personal assistants on the phone and the ability already to change tracks or give verbal commands over bluetooth I don't see how that would be difficult to achieve.
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True, but I'm so breathless running round a track that no assistant would make out what I'm trying to say! I also prefer checking my running stats on my phone as you get more detail than on something like a SmartWatch.
I guess it all depends on how you use BT and what you need it for, but I'm happy enough with 4.2 for now. I mainly want it to show metadata for tracks I'm streaming through my car audio... Something my last 2 Samsung's haven't been able to do when every other phone can!
shineyads said:
True, but I'm so breathless running round a track that no assistant would make out what I'm trying to say! I also prefer checking my running stats on my phone as you get more detail than on something like a SmartWatch.
I guess it all depends on how you use BT and what you need it for, but I'm happy enough with 4.2 for now. I mainly want it to show metadata for tracks I'm streaming through my car audio... Something my last 2 Samsung's haven't been able to do when every other phone can!
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The future is here... there's really no limit. Just because you have no display to look at that doesn't mean you have absolutely no way to get that information by other means. I wouldn't underestimate the capabilities of Google Assistant and Alexa.
tkoreaper said:
The future is here... there's really no limit. Just because you have no display to look at that doesn't mean you have absolutely no way to get that information by other means. I wouldn't underestimate the capabilities of Google Assistant and Alexa.
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OK, so how does GA take my SpO2 levels on my S7 Edge if the phone is in the car? It can't even trigger that if I have the phone in my hand - there is absolutely no way it can do it! It also can't tell me what my different splits are or what route I took or how it compared to my last run... and that's if I use Google Fit, which I don't! There's very little 3rd party app integration at the moment for various reasons - assistant software is very much in its infancy and will need a long time to mature.
There will always be limits and the future, by definition, is never here.
I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one - it sounds like it may meet your needs, but it's a long way from meeting mine.
shineyads said:
OK, so how does GA take my SpO2 levels on my S7 Edge if the phone is in the car? It can't even trigger that if I have the phone in my hand - there is absolutely no way it can do it! It also can't tell me what my different splits are or what route I took or how it compared to my last run... and that's if I use Google Fit, which I don't! There's very little 3rd party app integration at the moment for various reasons - assistant software is very much in its infancy and will need a long time to mature.
There will always be limits and the future, by definition, is never here.
I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one - it sounds like it may meet your needs, but it's a long way from meeting mine.
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I'd argue that Alexa is further along, at least when it comes to 3rd party integration. You're also forgetting that with BT 5 you can connect to two devices so you could also wear something with your Sp02 levels if that's really important to you. I think at this point, you're just really grasping at anything to justify BT 5 not being a true upgrade to 4.2