Phone Cases that improve signal and bluetooth connectivity? - Google Pixel Questions & Answers

Is there such a thing for the Google pixel??? I currently have a case made by Ghostek and it's a nice enough case but I feel like it interferes with the phone's connectivity somewhat and my google pixel heats up much faster while the case is on it.
On top of that no matter what I do case or no, whenever I put my phone in my pocket while using a wireless headset the audio breaks up frequently, especially when my hand is in the same pocket as my phone (I get paranoid that it might fall out of my pocket because incidents like that have happened in the past to other devices and small gadgets I might carry with me) as soon as my hand touches the phone while it's in my pocket the audio completely goes off even though I have my Bluetooth still connected to the headset. I Have a few different headsets, they're all Sony brand and I ONLY have this issue with the google pixel. I have a Moto X Pure as a backup device if my Pixel ever gets lost or whatever and it's rooted with a custom ROM and THAT has a perfect Bluetooth connection under almost every condition I can come up with while the pixel can not. Does anyone else have this issue? If there is a solution to this issue please tell me, if there is a case I can buy that not only protects the phone BUT improves connectivity for wireless headsets and Bluetooth devices as a whole that would be a double bonus for me.

Is there any case for any phone that actually improves reception? With out actually being hooked up to the antenna, any material put in the case would either help block, or at best not block as much right? Either it would absorb radio waves and act like a Faraday cage, or it would just not block... Probably nothing can be done to actually improve?
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Maybe a Bumper case would be better than a regular case...

Related

Bluetooth earpices

Anybody got good or bad things to say about the Jabra 250 earpiece at all please? Does it need software and if so what, where cost???
Thanks
Pete
Easily available in the UK thanks
It shouldnt need software, its a bluetooth device so should work out of the box, however you will not get many of the features with the current bluetooth stack on xda 2.
I guess you mean the currentbluetooth software on the XDa. Can you advise is there any way to upgrade it and if so what are the benefits?
I have a Jabra with my XDA II and it's excellent.
In windy conditions it can be make it difficult for you to be heard. Otherwise it's great.
Allways bonds without trouble and calls are handed over every time.
I hated it. Worked fine, just hated how it fit, the comfort (lack of), and how the buttons work. I tried a whole bunch of headsets, and liked the HS820 most.
I've posted alot of pro and cons abt the Jabra....
Just to add to some of the cons:
1. If you are the type that uses hair gel, oil, perfume or something like that, be prepared as the metalic gray colour might discolor and come off.
2. Be extra careful when handling the Jabra....mine broke...if you noticed there is a screw that attaches the black body with the top one. If you bend the area there might be chances that the screw mounting might break.
I have it and I love it.
However if you wish to use it outside the slightest bit of wind makes you totaly impossible to hear. So for use in the car or inside it rocks but with wind it s**
Its great.
Only problem I've had with it is the grey part of the case has cracked but that due to where I used to wear it. Doesn;t affect the operation in any way.
I actually find it really comfortable to wear and often have it on all day. I do find in windy conditions not only am I difficult to hear but I also find it difficult to hear properly even with the volume turned right up.
But then again, I suspect none of the headsets will tackle the problem of wind noise.
Only fault I can say is the lack of mute but I think thats due to the profile and not the headset.
Bluetooth earpeices or Headsets
I had a Jabra I could get to grips with it, but many people say its fine. Thats why back in June this year I sourced my own from China...
Since I posted this note below, back before the melt down, I have had a lot of interest and buyers for an Item which I use every day all day. I've had great reports back too.
I now have a website so if you want info you can go there are feel free to contact me direct.. These will be the best spec, fully loaded with goodies and very cheap at £34.98 delivered.. 12 month warranty and 14 day moneyback if you don't like it of any reason... no questions asked..
HTTP://www.blue-tooth-headsets.co.uk
****************Here was my first mailing.....****************
Hi Everyone
BT headsets have been a thorn in my side for sometime now... I have had problems with Bluetooth headsets and my XDA II, I spent loads of money on all the top models and found something quirky for me with each of them, too bulky, poor talk time, ear hook interferes when wering glasses, car chargers or uSB chargers are extra, no mute, voice dail or auto reconnect facility. My list went on....
Well if you want something doing right or for free, do it youreself, as we say in Yorkshire England...... So that's what I have done.
I researched manufacturers in China able to produce a light weight (16mgs), small (54mm long 12mm thick 20mm wide) product with talk time of 6 hours and a standby of over a week! The earpeice doesn't need a ear hook, it auto-reconnects, it voice dials and mutes. You can pair it with your XDA and 7 other handsets if you really want. It works with all V1.1 compliant mobiles on either headset or handsfree modes.
Better yet it comes with a car charger, wall charger and USB charger in a gift box. Other goodies include 3 interchangeable ear cups, an ear hook if you want to use it and 12 month warrenty....
I have had one on trail for 2 months, while I negotiate with them to release it outside of Asia ( as it is very new product and only on general realese over there 1 month ago). Well they have sucummed and obtained the all important FCC & CE approval and they have agreed to ship a limited supply to the UK..... only 500 in total available in 2 styles, ten colourways..
What does it cost..... well that is the best bit.. something this good I thought it would be eighty quid but I have got them down to £35 ($63) plus P&P. If anyone is interested I can give you more details and piccies....
BT headset
Are you going to offer a wall charger for the US?
I have the Plantronics M2500, actually got it for the crappy a** Ipaq h6315 and of course wasn't stable enough to use at all. But it works perfectly with the Qtek 2020. The microsoft stack may stink but it is much more usable than the Widcomm Version for PPCPE
I have the sony ericsson hbh-65 and I think it is a very good earpiece, clear audio, good volume range, very small and light and it works.
Jabra 200 and XDA2?
Hi, I just bought the Jabra 200 and I'm having serious problems getting it to work with my XDA2. The pairing/ bonding seems to be fine!? There just doesn't seem to be any way of actually switching on the bond?
i.e. Jabra 200 continues to blink every 3 secs (standby mode). Can't get the 2 devices to work as they should?
Any suggestions? Bought my XDA in Asia (ROM 1.66.00WWE, Radio:1.08.00)
Thanks,
Jam
This may be a silly question but have you enabled bluetooth headset mode on today screen? Also I assume you answered yes to the question "this device supports headet mode, do you wish to enable"
another silly question....
For some reason i "deleted" Bluetooth mode enabling from today screen.... How can i put it back ???
I tried Settings/today..... but it doesn't appear anywhere. Can't remember this damn shortcut....
can you remind me ?
BT, PDA, PC
I want to buy a Jabra headset for my i-mate (Himalaya), but I also want to use it with Skype on my PC (basically as a headset/mike combo). Does anyone know if this is possible?
I have a Jabra BT250. Actually I have had two. The first one overheated and crapped out on me while I left it to charge overnight. The second one the microphone stopped working. :x
My overall impression of the headset was when it works, it works well, but I had pretty poor luck. My wife definitely made fun of me when I wore it. It also can be somewhat slow to answer or transfer from headset to handset. Overall on a scale of 1-10 I give it a 6.5.
:idea: FYI, one of the things that I did do that fixed the wind issue when I used it outside was to take one of the foam covers off of an old Jabra EarBoom that was broken, and slipped it over the mic part of the BT250. It kept the wind noise down a LOT more. I am sure you can find the foam covers cheap just about anywhere. (Radio Shack comes to mind). Just a suggestion.
I want to buy a Jabra headset for my i-mate (Himalaya), but I also want to use it with Skype on my PC (basically as a headset/mike combo). Does anyone know if this is possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible, but it very much depends on the BlueTooth stack on the PC - I have an MSI BT USB dongle which didn't work at all, and a generic, no-name BT USB dongle with the WidComm 1.3(ish) stack that works fine.
Bluetooth Headset
I just bought a mint used Sony Ericsson HBH-65 off e-bay and I'm very impressed with it. The bonding went smoothly, it holds a bond, doesn't drop calls and is very clear. I've used Jabra headsets in the past and compared to the SE they are cumbersome. The thing I miss the most is voice dialling, surely the whole point behind BT headsets, unless the XDA is in a cradle where you can still access the 'phone keypad (isn't that still a driving offence as you're touching your'phone???).

HTC Diamond FM Transmitter / Car Holder

Hi All,
I just bought this item from ebay. Very happy with the quality of product but the only problem i'm having is that if i try and call somebody while it is in the holder i can hear the person through car radio fine but the phone mic does not work... Is there away around this?
Picture 1
ray_tindall said:
Hi All,
I just bought this item from ebay. Very happy with the quality of product but the only problem i'm having is that if i try and call somebody while it is in the holder i can hear the person through car radio fine but the phone mic does not work... Is there away around this?
Picture 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi All,
Before the site went down someone had asked if it had an external mic.. which is does not. The only thing i can think of if somebody would be kind enough to help me out so everytime i plug the Diamond into the car kit i run a program which changes the registry to allow mic to be enabled while in cradle. As i do not have those skills was wondering if somebody could help me out. Willing to donate to anyone that help me.
Regards
Ray
So that thingy you got there acts like a headset?
I guess it's possible to find the registrykey for enabling phone mic while headset is active...
yes that is right...... all it does is just transfer the sound via FM transmitter to radio in car. all i need help with registry keys. a program like diamond tweak would be cool where you could just enable and disable.
i am also interested about this product. Could you please tell me if the car charger charges the phone's battery or the transmitter's (if it has one)?And a second one:can i use the transmitter without the charger connected?
Can you link to the seller you bought this from? I'm looking for the exact same thing. Also interested in getting the phone mic working while in headset mode.
silex said:
Can you link to the seller you bought this from? I'm looking for the exact same thing. Also interested in getting the phone mic working while in headset mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
co-sign. Link please. I'm interested in buying possibly.
here you can find one, ill order mine today to I think
http://cgi.ebay.nl/For-HTC-Diamond-...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30
here you can find one, ill order mine today to I think
http://cgi.ebay.nl/For-HTC-Diamond-...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30
The charger that comes with it doesn't look like it'll work with the Diamond, based off of these pictures (non-usb). And does any1 know of an American/English site I could buy it from?
I've just ordered one. I expect it doesn't just power the FM transmitter but also the Diamond. I am hoping to get around the microphone issue by using bluepower to enable my bluetooth connection when it is charging and then using a bluetooth headset. I don't really want to use this FM transmitter/charger as a hands free device, but just keep using my bluetooth headset instead.
I will report back it this all works when I get it!
Ok, the thing finally arrived.... After 20 minutes of playing around with it, it is already broken.... Here's the story:
It arrived with no instructions (not that any are needed) and appeared to be of poor quality manufacture. Not like the Brodit one which I intended to replace with it.
My Diamond didn't slide in very well at all. It took a lot of fiddling to get the male charger into the female diamond mini USB. They weren't lined up very well. I expect that as the Diamond is far superior in quality, it is not the Diamond that is at fault but the charger/transmitter.
Once connected, the music quality was very good at times. I compared this to my ipod (which is connected directly to the car arial) by playing the same song on both. The music quality from the Diamond was actually better, so the FM transmitter was working well indeed.
However, there are intermittent "noises". I don't really know how to describe these as it was not typical interference, but kind of basey crackling. This was very intermittent though and this could be caused by being tested in London where there are hardly any frequencies free. I contined my test on various frequencies even when not moving the car and this noise was there on all of them....
I think this would have been enough to make this device annoying enough to be binned in itself.
A third attempt at inserting my Diamond in the cradle was much easier. Well, that's what I thought.... The male USB in the FM transmitter had actually broken now. It had slid back into it's casing. The only way to retrieve it would be to break the damn thing open. Enough was enough. I had finished my experimenting with this thing.
To make matters worse, the thick film on the home/back/talk/end part of my Diamond is now peeling off. I assume my struggling to get it in this FM transmitter cradle had snagged it. That's a real bugger because I guess that as it has now started to peel off, it will continue to snag on everything and eventually tear off completely. I'm not sure how this will affect it's functionality, but it certainly won't help. I expect the capacitive sensor in sensor scroll will no longer work once it has peeled off fully..... Probably time for a Diamond 2!!!
To conclude, my advice is not to buy this product as it (1) may harm your Diamond; (2) waste £20odd; and (3) cause frustration with the "noise".
The good points with this though, if you do decide to go ahead, are that you can use a bluetooth headset (with Bluepower). So if a phone call should come in whilst you are listening to music, you can simply take the call through the bluetooth headset and the music is automatically turned off. The microphone on the headset is used....
mitsi said:
Ok, the thing finally arrived.... After 20 minutes of playing around with it, it is already broken.... Here's the story:
It arrived with no instructions (not that any are needed) and appeared to be of poor quality manufacture. Not like the Brodit one which I intended to replace with it.
My Diamond didn't slide in very well at all. It took a lot of fiddling to get the male charger into the female diamond mini USB. They weren't lined up very well. I expect that as the Diamond is far superior in quality, it is not the Diamond that is at fault but the charger/transmitter.
Once connected, the music quality was very good at times. I compared this to my ipod (which is connected directly to the car arial) by playing the same song on both. The music quality from the Diamond was actually better, so the FM transmitter was working well indeed.
However, there are intermittent "noises". I don't really know how to describe these as it was not typical interference, but kind of basey crackling. This was very intermittent though and this could be caused by being tested in London where there are hardly any frequencies free. I contined my test on various frequencies even when not moving the car and this noise was there on all of them....
I think this would have been enough to make this device annoying enough to be binned in itself.
A third attempt at inserting my Diamond in the cradle was much easier. Well, that's what I thought.... The male USB in the FM transmitter had actually broken now. It had slid back into it's casing. The only way to retrieve it would be to break the damn thing open. Enough was enough. I had finished my experimenting with this thing.
To make matters worse, the thick film on the home/back/talk/end part of my Diamond is now peeling off. I assume my struggling to get it in this FM transmitter cradle had snagged it. That's a real bugger because I guess that as it has now started to peel off, it will continue to snag on everything and eventually tear off completely. I'm not sure how this will affect it's functionality, but it certainly won't help. I expect the capacitive sensor in sensor scroll will no longer work once it has peeled off fully..... Probably time for a Diamond 2!!!
To conclude, my advice is not to buy this product as it (1) may harm your Diamond; (2) waste £20odd; and (3) cause frustration with the "noise".
The good points with this though, if you do decide to go ahead, are that you can use a bluetooth headset (with Bluepower). So if a phone call should come in whilst you are listening to music, you can simply take the call through the bluetooth headset and the music is automatically turned off. The microphone on the headset is used....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Looking man, preciate that review. I think i'm just gonna stick with a simple cassette adaptor to play music through the car. That way you don't have to worry about the static noise.
That's unfortuante that it's not the best build quality. How snug is the fit? I have a Sprint Touch Diamond so I might have to get the Touch Pro version to ensure it fits, but it might not be snug enough. More importantly, I'd rather get the phone's mic working with it and just activate the mic when in handsfree mode.
I live in Australia and on the first moderately hot day the whole thing pretty much fell apart, turns out they have used cheap hot glue to join every piece.
First the pole going into the suction cap fell out while i was driving, so i repaired it with decent glue. Then, later the mirco USB plug sticking out of the base disappeared inside, and after i pulled the holder apart i found it was also held there with the same crappy glue.
Anyway i would not recommend buying this car kit but if anyone could work out how to enable the microphone it would be much appreciated

Exercise/Running Accessories

Don't know if anyone else out there is using their phone as an all purpose exercise device, but I figured I'd share my setup in case anyone else was interested.
I'm using a Tune Belt AB83 to hold the phone/secure it to my arm. I purchased mine from Amazon, here. I know they also sell in some stores, just none in my area.
I don't use any sort of protective case on my phone, and the Tune Belt holds the phone securely without making it impossible to remove. You can easily press any of the buttons or manipulate the screen while it's in the Tune Belt. There are also larger models that might hold the phone inside a case - the AB85 might be the one to look into for that purpose. I found the Tune Belt folks very responsive to my questions, though, so may be best to just call/e-mail them and ask.
Since I also use the phone to track calorie burn/heart rate/etc, I also have a Polar WearLink+ Bluetooth Transmitter - it paired with the phone with no problems and the app I used (Endomondo Pro) was able to detect my heart rate, again, no problem.
I plan to use a set of Philips ActionFit Stereo Bluetooth Headset on order, but they haven't arrived yet - the sweat proof quality was the big draw for me there, particularly since I have shorted out headphones in the past. In the meanwhile I'm using an old pair of headphones that I don't mind ruining.
So what about you? Are you using this device to aid in your exercising? Got any accessories you'd like to recommend?
I completely agree with this. I got the TuneBelt just before XMAS, and it works like a dream.
I personally use the Runkeeper app. I like it since i have used it before. The interface is simple and the audio cues are awesome. You can set them for time and or distance and you can customize what it tells you. Time, average pace, average speed, distance, etc. And it also works with heart rate monitors but i don't have one so i haven't been able to test that feature out. Other than that i use my Skullcandy Smokin' Buds. Definitely not sweat proof but they have a warranty and were cheap so i am not worried.
I like the bluetooth headset, but either I'm not turning it off properly or it can't hold a charge worth a lick. More often than not I'm using an older set of wired headphones that are most definitely less convenient (not to mention a bit more dangerous - I've damn near unintentionally ripped them out of my ears several times).
I've got Runkeeper on the phone as well, just never used it.
Did recently pick up Impetus Interval Timer and really like the way it works (countdowns and such) and that it can be heard over music. Seems pretty customizable for a free app, which is always a plus in my book!
I thought about the wearlink with bluetooth. I prolly should have but I just bought the Polar FT7 instead. Nothing special but it works. I might have to look into your set up as well. I have Endomondo installed. And strap and transmitter aren't too much.
Toughmudder.com Wisconsin Sept 8th!! That's what I'm training for atm.
Team: Mississippi Mud Militia

IStream Bluetooth Audio Receiver

So I know this isn't specific to the Note 4, but thought I'd share... feel free to remove if not appropriate. Thanks!
http://aluratek.com/istream-universal-bluetooth-audio-receiver
I actually ran across this thing while making copies at Kinkos. LOL!
I didn't buy it there though... they were charging way to much for it. I ended up picking it up from the local Best Buy for $25.
Anyway, I like how small the thing is. It works great. I put a velcro sticky dot on the back side of it and then one on the dash near the AUX port (headphone jack) to mount and it's quite minimal and unobtrusive.
I've not used it super extensively yet so can't speak to battery live though the package claims 12 hours. I can say that it paired without issue to the Note and worked perfectly. Quite a nice little device for those of us with older car stereos that don't have built in bluetooth.
On the downside, it does not work for calls or anything like that. Calls can come though just fine, but the bluetooth cuts off and you have to use the phone in normal mode. Bluetooth comes back on and music resumes once the call is ended. Would have been nice if it pumped the call through the car speakers too, but oh well.
Anyway, just a quick review. Ask questions if you have them. Thanks!

[Review] Choetech VR headset

I was sent a Choetech VR headset to review, I'd never tried Google cardboard or any other VR apps before but I've got to say I'm impressed. Here's a copy of my review:
My first try of VR and all I can say is wow.
The quality of these glasses is very good for there low price, they come in a well presented box with easy to follow instructions.
The device I'm using with them right now is my nexus 6p, the device only just fits but that was what I expected as the 6p is one of the largest smartphones out there and hardly any VR headsets are compatible. The fit is snug but secure using the headsets spring clip, you have to make sure to put the buttons on the side of the phone at the bottom of the headset to avoid the phone turning itself off, a problem I've had with many car mounts due to the poor placement of the buttons by Huawei.
One the device is securely fitted you can adjust the lens placement using the provided dials which is something not many other headsets offer.
The headset is very comfy and I'm able to wear if for long periods of time.
I tried this with numerous apps and even though some other reviews said that lack of a physical button was a problem on this device I found I didn't need one and if needed a Bluetooth mouse could be used to help navigate.
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone considering a VR headset.
Hope this review helped someone else.
faybarn said:
I was sent a Choetech VR headset to review, I'd never tried Google cardboard or any other VR apps before but I've got to say I'm impressed. Here's a copy of my review:
My first try of VR and all I can say is wow.
The quality of these glasses is very good for there low price, they come in a well presented box with easy to follow instructions.
The device I'm using with them right now is my nexus 6p, the device only just fits but that was what I expected as the 6p is one of the largest smartphones out there and hardly any VR headsets are compatible. The fit is snug but secure using the headsets spring clip, you have to make sure to put the buttons on the side of the phone at the bottom of the headset to avoid the phone turning itself off, a problem I've had with many car mounts due to the poor placement of the buttons by Huawei.
One the device is securely fitted you can adjust the lens placement using the provided dials which is something not many other headsets offer.
The headset is very comfy and I'm able to wear if for long periods of time.
I tried this with numerous apps and even though some other reviews said that lack of a physical button was a problem on this device I found I didn't need one and if needed a Bluetooth mouse could be used to help navigate.
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone considering a VR headset.
Hope this review helped someone else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My V20 is slightly larger than my 6p. You say that it barely fit...... Have you tried the V20?
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Sorry no I don't know anyone with a V20 I could try either
Just to give you an idea how tight it is I had to remove my case so my 6p would fit.
Same headset
This same headset is sold in India by Irusu . Its called Irusu Monster. Exactly same product (ie. ripoff).
faybarn said:
I was sent a Choetech VR headset to review, I'd never tried Google cardboard or any other VR apps before but I've got to say I'm impressed. Here's a copy of my review:
My first try of VR and all I can say is wow.
The quality of these glasses is very good for there low price, they come in a well presented box with easy to follow instructions.
The device I'm using with them right now is my nexus 6p, the device only just fits but that was what I expected as the 6p is one of the largest smartphones out there and hardly any VR headsets are compatible. The fit is snug but secure using the headsets spring clip, you have to make sure to put the buttons on the side of the phone at the bottom of the headset to avoid the phone turning itself off, a problem I've had with many car mounts due to the poor placement of the buttons by Huawei.
One the device is securely fitted you can adjust the lens placement using the provided dials which is something not many other headsets offer.
The headset is very comfy and I'm able to wear if for long periods of time.
I tried this with numerous apps and even though some other reviews said that lack of a physical button was a problem on this device I found I didn't need one and if needed a Bluetooth mouse could be used to help navigate.
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone considering a VR headset.
Hope this review helped someone else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes,it's really helpful! thank you!:good:

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