I am thinking of getting hold of one these phones as a cheaper alternative to my tmobile upgrade options. It will allow me to make substantial savings by reducing my tarid.
At the moment I am on tmobile and have a vario2 so I realise I am going to notice a huge difference but I was hoping for some advice as to what I can expect.
My main use for my device is to have regular email and internet access. It doesn't need to be great - just reliable and in my pocket. It doesn't need to be 3g as long as it is good enough to cope with.
Can I have your views on this one. Do you like the phone you have if you have it.
I have had a good search but cant find much in the way of opinions.
Browsing the web on a non-touch screen device is definitely a step down from PocketPC experience. That said, Opera mini and PocketIE work on it. The phone has EDGE, no 3G or Wifi. That is going to make browsing a lot more like the 56k days than you might like. That said, the nice thing about htis phone is that you don't need a geeky holster to carry it around. It fits in your pocket, and its probably thinner and smaller than your wallet.
Do you find you can browse the internet without too much trouble. I do realise it isn't going to be the same as a big screen and a stylus and a qwerty keyboard.
Wifi doesn't bother me because I have an unlimited data tarif so I never use it - even in the house - there isn't any real point.
I wish there was something decent available to buy out there that didn't cost the earth.
To renew my contract and to get a touch plus will cost me £27 per month (more than I pay now - £25.49). TO renew my contract with no phone will be £15 a month. I need the tarif I am on as its the bees knees BUT I need to replace my VarioII as it no longer syncs at all and other bits and bobs are failing now too
I really like my StrTrk. It's a great size, and with WM6 now realy functional. It's main limitations (for me) are lack of WiFi, inability to read SDHC cards and no 3G. Having said that, there isn't another phone currently on the market tempting me to switch. I'll take the convenience of the StrTrk over these nice-to-have features for some time to come.
I use push email all the time as I travel a lot for work. xT9 input works well for short replies. Browsing is OK for an emergency, but it isn't great. Pocket IE in the WM6 builds is much more functional than it was on WM5. The screen resolution is actually the same as a Pocket PC (320x240) but obviously the screen is much smaller. Also, as mentioned EDGE is as fast as it gets.
There is a thread under the General Smartphone forum called something like "Smartphone Web Browsing Bible" or somesuch. Definitiely worth a read if browsing is one of your main cirteria.
Good luck and let us know how you go.
I love it. I'd love it more with Wifi, but not having it hasn't been a big deal.
I'm just surprised it hasn't been more popular.
Thanks for that - I will ahve a good look at the guide.
The wifi won't bother me because I dont use mine now. I also mainly use my Vario2 for mail so that sounds ok but I would like to be able to use the net as well.
How long do pages take to load with edge on the phone. Its hard to guess because newer systems and older technologies sometimes do the same as older systems and newer technologoes.
Just have in mind low battery life, especially when making a lot of calls and low ringtone volume. Other than that its great!
I charge my vario2 overnight every night. Would it be worse than this?
Just won a touch on ebay so I will see how I manage speed wise. If its hugely worse than my current phone I will sell it and try for a touch plus.
mobilecat said:
How long do pages take to load with edge on the phone. Its hard to guess because newer systems and older technologies sometimes do the same as older systems and newer technologoes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just switch your Vario2 down to GSM and find out for yourself.
I could do that (if I knew how) but I wasn't sure if the phone itself being faster which it probably is because it is a newer breed may affect the speed anyway if you know what I mean.
How do I switch down by the way?
Related
Having read a lot of posts... both potentially apropos and perhaps diverse... from this August company of Ameo sages and mages, I have been moved to write to you to ask if there is something you can advise with respect to WM6 on our Ameo.
We have two such similar devices, both in T-Moble livery... with the nice leather book binding and the peculiarly useful pen pointer.
One arrived well-used with HTC Windoze mobile 2.21.405.2 on it, and the accompanying larger sized HTC home module, apparently of that period.
The other arrived practically new and boxed, with Windoze Mobile 2.35.110.4 on it, and the HTC Home characteristically implemented in the task bar area.
Being housebound disabled, the Tom Tom which came with it is virtually useles to me as well... so if anyone is desperately seeking one then we might arrange something.
The new unit came in and came up from cold. Not having a method whereby you can stop the branding process, as we do on our XDAIIs units, we were forced to permit that to continue... which was our first surprise. However that seems to bring in some benefits... in the shape of Opera and Tru-Flo... as well as a bit of T-Mobile dross too.
The HTC unit functions pretty well as far as I can see, and takes more or less everything you can give it to try. And it also starts on keyboard contact too.
The T-Mobile does not, and also needs to be re-set fairly often.
Too often for my money.
The HTC unit is unlocked as far as I know. The T-Mobile is awaiting a Pay-As-You-Go Card from me, and the use of the unlock code, which was obtained for us by the person who sold it to us.
The real tell for us (as mere users rather than mavens) was oddly enough, not with a performance tool kit or with any kind of enhancer, but with Hidden Expedition Titanic... of all things.
It works fine on HTC, but appears to glitch on the sound on the T-Mobile, and then hangs. Other similar softwares appear to do the same immediately after install, and then sometimes seem to operate as they should after a re-set. Astraware Solitaire WE and Robo, to name but two.
Going on from there, we got hold of Syberia. As big a test as you might want for this type of device I thought. That works pretty well again on the HTC, but inexplicably stalls on the T-Mobile far too frequently... necessitating a re-set. It is my impression that it does so if run from a previously closed session involving more or less any other task or purpose but can sometimes function adequately from a warm boot. (There are occasions with this unit when I'd like to implement the old MSDOS computer users saw... and give it a warm boot... AND also a HOT Wellie.)
Again, it is only my impression, but it seems that if I run Pocket Mechanic Ram Reclaimer on this unit, and then run Syberia, we seem to get a longer run without a freeze... sometimes to where I have to close in the normal course of events.
The same sort of thing... system hangs... happens now I have tried it... in Word. Especially when using Transcriber.
I have to say that I had perhaps unreasonably high hopes of that, having had a Toshiba Portege Tablet for a while now also, and having been quite surprised at how good the Tablet version of Windoze is at handwriting recognition on that. Most unlike Microshaft...
Then I thought that problems we had (and still do occasionally, albeit not requiring a re-set however) with the Tosh might be similar on the Ameo.
On the Tosh, as it arrived, we found the startup to be inundated with little Toshiba software modules... many of which were uneccessary. We improved boot times no end by taking a lot of them out... although live processing sometimes still has slow periods.
Notwithstanding however I tried to look at the Ameo in the same way.
In the startup there are around a half dozen files, aside from the obvious... Magic Button and X-Scalar that are there due to my efforts. And there seems to be little or no information as to what these are, or what they actually do... or more importantly... if they can be safely left out.
I've no doubt, from my reading here, that a simple answer from you all would be to install the unlocker and the forthcoming cooked ROM.
End of problem... perhaps.
However I tend to be a little more conservative (or timid perhaps?) with this concept... also noting those poor folks who have "bricked" their units too.
We have had excellent service from our XDAIIs units over the years, and they have been good companions when we needed them, as well as just phones. They are still operating with WM2002SE and still most software that I "find" seems to work on them... including the Ameo-Glitching Hidden Expedition Titanic I might add.
This week the chap next-door-but-one also got an Ameo... having seen ours and liked it.
His came out of the box with WM5 on it... possibly old stock?
However it set me thinking again and this has finally moved me to ask the assembled wise old Ameo-ers... if perhaps we would be as well reverting our new Ameo to WM5 too... for the time being at least... or if we might be better employed seeking something like the HTC version on our HTC unit?
Or perhaps some other solution presents itself to you from my description?
I'd like to get the new unit starting from keyboard connect also, if anyone has the fix.
The HTC unit came with a restore CD with WM5 on it... and not the HTC version which is presently installed on it's ROM. So I cannot just mirror it to the new unit.
There must be a concensus surely?
The units are manufactured similarly, by the same processes, and using basically the same internals.
We need a windoze version for these which settles down and does what it is supposed to with most of the software that is available.
At the present moment I have "ancient-egyptian" XDAIIs, which seriously outperform at least one new Ameo... in most respects... and that can't be right.
QF
Ameo
XDAIIs
HP Jornada 720
Atari Portfolio
Cliff Notes version? In 5 sentences or less, what are you asking?
Cliff Notes?? Who he??
I want the second to run as well as the first... and I'd like to know why it doesn't.
QF
techntrek said:
Cliff Notes version? In 5 sentences or less, what are you asking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
quinbus_flestrin said:
Cliff Notes?? Who he??
I want the second to run as well as the first... and I'd like to know why it doesn't.
QF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I feel you have lots of time to write on here. therefore you must have time to read about these threads before you try to mirror anything. If you do not understand fully you may brick your ameo.
To unlock the CID: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=315831
Read the above thread fully
upgrade the radio: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=372904&highlight=radio
Upgrade to AP3 DUAL Rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=346221
Both of your devices need to be unlocked if you want to upgrade another rom other than original ones. If you do not understand clearly please do not do any changes and read everything about athena.
Good luck
Microshaft Windoze,that's great.
Hello everyone,
just got my brand new shiny Streak. And man its something. Basically, everything I ever wanted from and now looking back at all the phones I had and other phones on the market I can`t keep wondering why in gods name would someone buy something else other than a 5" phone. 4-4.3" is good but 5" is just perfect.
So I made this upgrade from an Xperia X1 and never do I want to see WinMo in my life. But right now I have an ... android rush lol. Lots of info, apps, games. Its like an overload to try and understand everything and get use to everything. In a good way.
My first issue was with the car charger. Dell charges a lot as you already know. But I found an universal car charger for 7 pounds, that outputs 5V and 1A and i`m using the data cable to charge the phone in my car. No need for a holder just yet.
The pouch is good, but definately needs a proper case as its getting annoying sometimes to take it out all the time.
Got a few questions, regarding apps and games and such, if anyone here has more experience with android than me...
1. I`m planning to buy this (http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield...es-screen-protectors-covers-skins-shields.php) . Will it affect the screen brightness in any way ?
2. Currently using GoNews as my newsreader but I`m looking for a good working one that also has to option to search a website for RSS feed. The one i`m using at the moment gives me the option to import from a file or input the whole adress manually.
3. Gaming wise, I dont mind paying for games. And the ones i`d pay for would be a good RPG and an RTS. Currently thinking about buying ZENONIA, but I can`t seem to find any RTS games out there (StarCraft, Age of Empires, Command and Conquer). Not those games, but they are examples of gameplay i`m looking for.
4. Also looking for a game that works on Streak similar to Worms world party. Could have tanks or other things, but should work lol. Tried something Armored Lite or whatevr the name was but the graphics war very buggy and made gaming pretty impossible.
5. Dialer. Can it be changed ?
6. Email client. BEfore getting the phone, i was reading reviews and stuff. People said the email client sucked. At first I thought it was ok but god I was wrong. Can`t do anything besides reading the email. Could anyone recommend a better email client ?
7. How do I make it stop turning the display on and off while on a phonecall ?
8. What benefits would I have if I root it ? Not an android expert and not sure if I should give it a try or not.
9. 3g or Wi-Fi videochat. Are there any apps that do this ?
10. Last but not least hehe Navigation. Basically I think its great and considering I spend A LOT of time in my car and using a TomTom, I was thinking of replacing my satnav with my Streak. BUT, is the navigation software dependent on internet connection and gps ? As far as I saw, if my internet connection drops the navigation looses the map or something. Is there any android navigation app that is GPS only. Giving the 16 GB memory, I don`t mind downloading maps and such.
Thanks
I may not be able to answer all your questions, but i will do my best
1) No, it shouldn't affect the brightness much (maybe slightly). I've never owned an invisible shield, but i've heard very good things about them. The 'feel' of the screen will change, however.
2) Not sure, sorry
3) There are not that many good android games out there at the moment (not that look good on the streak at least). I'm not a big gamer though, so i can't really answer this question well
4) as above
5) Of course! there are numerous 3rd party diallers out there. Or, you can pull the dialler application from your phone and change the images if you want (requires root)
6) There's a nice e-mail client in the market called K9. It works perfectly.
7) The display only turns itself off when the sensor is covered (when you hold the phone to your ear), i believe that otherwise the screen stays active. If it does not, you can always change the 'screen time-out' in settings to 'Never Timeout'.
8) Rooting allows you to modify the system files. This means, like mentioned above, you can pull applications from your phone and modify the images. This means you can create and apply themes. You can also overclock your phones processor (not been done yet on this phone i don't think). There are countless other things you can do. Here's a good list- http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Why_Root
9) There aren't many video call apps, but if you search 'Movicha' in the market place there is an app called 'Live Mobile Video Chat' which apparently does the job. (no idea if it works on the streak though)
10) Good question, never really thought about this before. I've found a good (and more importantly, free!) app though, called 'TrekBuddy'. You download the maps prior to your journey and then it allows offline navigation. Not sure how well it works, but it's the best i can do!
Hope this helps!
Thanks a lot. Still reading tons of android forums and websites.
If you're uk then copilot is the best android compatible sat nav app
fards said:
If you're uk then copilot is the best android compatible sat nav app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that is true and if you know where to look there is a not so legal one out there
I have the Invisible Shield and it works like a charm. No brightness effects at all. The only thing is that the shield for the back left and right is not cut very well, but the front ones and battery cover is great.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
fards said:
If you're uk then copilot is the best android compatible sat nav app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed. copilot is very good, it almost pains me to say that considering how god awful it preformed on my G1 but on the streak its fantastic. little extra power goes along way
I'm sitting here in bed recovering from a minor surgical procedure (seriously minor, so don't get distracted) and decided to spend some quality time with the TrueSmart in conjunction with my Sony Xperia Z1s. Like many of you, I waited 6+ months for my device (apologies to those *still* waiting - I feel your pain). What I'm *not* certain of, is how many people here were looking at the TrueSmart as a serious training watch. For me, that was as or *more* important than the propeller-head functions of being a real Android device. There *were* some things related to safety and long-range excursions (such as traveling out of range of cell towers and running a BT-connected satellite communication device) but that was more of the nice-to-have variety, as I do that kind of adventure travel once or twice per year. My main use case is regular weekly training on the bike, in the gym and in the pool. The TrueSmart seemed perfectly suited to this, while being an "all-day wearer" and much more versatile than task-specific training watches.
Then it happened - you all know the drama around the IPx7 rating. Omate went from showing demo videos of Laurent stepping out of the pool with his device and later posting that the watch is "IP67+" - indicating higher resiliency versus the standard -- to abandoning the water resistant aspect of the device completely. This is more than an academic/marketing issue for me. This is a major design goal failure in my view, and it's pretty much a deal-breaker for my central use case for this device. So it is with some trepidation that I put any more effort into this device than it takes to update the firmware and post it for sale on eBay/Amazon/whatever.
What kept me interested? ...the work of Lokifish Mars, Daniel Ortiz, Kurt Huwig, Dee's Troy, Cyril Preiss and others... including some serious discussion in this forum about improving the water resistance of the device. That's all pretty heartening stuff. But at the end of the day it comes down to how it's suited to *my* use - even if the goals change, so I set about to put both Lokifish's and Dee's ROMs on my TrueSmart and try them out. I started with Runkeeper and Ride with GPS, and found both to be beyond acceptable - nearly exceptional. I had brought my bike into my bedroom before my surgery (set up on a trainer from my days when I was recovering from knee surgery last year) and was already beginning to fit the TS onto the handlebars in a way that I could use the camera "facing forward" with Ride with GPS - to be able to grab snapshots as I go along my route. Pretty. Freaking. Cool. I expected the Runkeeper app to look/perform well - but RWGPS was a pleasant surprise. And even though the screen is small, it's much brighter/more readable than the screen of my Sony Zperia Z1s in daylight. This encourages me greatly.
Then I started to look into Cyril Preiss's "SWApps" suite, and things got REALLY interesting. I grok the concept of a companion device versus a standalone device that plays well with others at arm's length. I've done quite a bit of work in mobile tech, and even have an inkling of how things work "on the metal". Both approaches have their uses, but I always thought of *my* use case as being in the standalone-without-a-SIM variety, since I was generally looking for capture of training data with occasional Wi-Fi tethering/sync of that data back to the web apps. So the "tell me why my pocket is buzzing" aspect of companion usage never really felt that compelling to me. That has somewhat to do with the fact that unless I'm expecting contact I just let chatter go to voice mail/inbox/whatever and clear it later. With all of that said, Cyril seems to have done something I never thought anyone would bother to do - split the difference between the two functional core cases for wearables, and perhaps create a super-set of those roles while doing so in a fairly elegant manner. It makes a really strong case for the TrueSmart - at least in *my* mind. Because of this, I started to seriously re-think my purpose for the TS, from focusing on it as a glorified training watch to something that really covered many more bases.
Enter Sony.
[cue Taiko drums]
When I made the switch from the iPhone 4S, it was to the Sony Xperia Z. I really liked it. In fact I *loved* it. One of the things I really enjoyed about the device (other than it was a fairly well-executed Android platform) was the water-resistance that allowed me to keep it by the edge of the pool. "Why?" you ask? Good question. Right now I swim with a Polar FT1 armband and coded HRM strap (their GymLink protocol transmits/receives at 5kHz which goes through water). Every few laps I pause to take a picture of the FT1. Later I go through the images and record the timing/heart rate measurements to create a graph of my performance. Yup - OLD SCHOOL DATA COLLECTION. It actually took a bit of work to get the phone to STAY THE F*CK ON and leave the device running, so I could just pick it up, take a snap and get back to paddling. But yeah - I'm nerdy about data like that. Some people collect baseball cards. Whatever. So I upgraded to the Z1s essentially for Android 4.3 and BTLE. This allowed me to capture cycling data from the cadence meter by Topeak (Panobike - highly recommended) and HRM data while in the gym using the Polar HR7 (also highly recommended). Awesome, right? Well, I'm getting tired of spending more time processing the data from my swims that the actual amount of time I spend in the pool (this is partly because I'm really not that strong of a swimmer yet, but I digress). So I really, really want to be able to get seamless data into *a* device that can just record/correlate the data and I can get on with my day. Is that too much to ask?
Evidently so... but I'll stay with the Sony saga for a bit longer.
So I'm working with Lokifish's ROM, connected to the Z1s via Wi-Fi tethering. SWApps is cool - like - really cool. I'm beginning to think this is going to work... until it doesn't. Bear in mind, I don't know what the Z1s "thinks" is data as in "oh, you need the Internet through me? Let me get that for you..." versus device-to-device chatter via Wi-Fi that doesn't require outside connection - but the Z1s seems to think that it can shut down its HotSpot tethering functionality completely when it thinks there's no traffic for ten minutes. I mean, I get it - this is a strategy to save the battery, but when you turn that 'feature' off you run head-long into a battery drain issue. I happen to believe this is lazy/sloppy programming in T-mobile's Wi-Fi management stack, but that's based more on my experience with T-mobile than knowledge of the Sony Xperia line.
And to be honest I'd like to have the watch *just run* for a few days in this mode when needed. I don't mind heavy (or nearly complete) drain of the device while it's doing data capture during training. But when it's just a watch - why turn it into a focus/distraction by burning down the power source so far you're spending more time plugging and unplugging it from the charger than clearing notifications? So, what to do? Why, try Bluetooth tethering of course. Seems logical, right? Run the watch in "airplaine" mode, so so need for (relatively) battery-draining Wi-Fi, and the bandwidth limitations of Bluetooth is not so much of an issue in this case. This is device comms, not Netflix, right? So, easy-peazy-lemon-squeezy I put Dees_Troy's BT ROM on the device and set about to tether it to my Z1s...
"What's that? I can't do that? But I just read on a web page that all I have to do is go to the HotSpot management page and enable the Bluetooth tethering option, right? I'm sorry, what? As of Android 4.3 Sony has disabled Bluetooth tethering for anything but their own devices?"
Seriously. This is "classic" Sony, and by that I mean the Sony *I* knew when I first started working for them back in 2003. The Sony *I* knew refused to put a product they owned (Sonic Foundry's Vegas, probably the best video editor on the Windows platform) in lieu of a product they did *not* own (Pinnacle software, a company that doesn't exist any more - which tells you all you need to know). This is the same Sony that told Steve Jobs to go screw himself when he suggested they might do well to put his OS on Sony machines (doh!). This is the same Sony that decided to create a horribly designed music service years after iTunes, when they had multiple chances to jump in before Jobs created the market - and now that application/platform doesn't exist any more (which again is all you really need to know about that). I could go on - BUT - when I took a look at the Xperia line, I saw a Sony mobile device group that was interested in participating in open-source, showed an inclination to respond positively to notes from outside developers, and generally was more open and participatory in nature. I thought "well, they must have finally grown up"...
Then today I see the same old Sony, closing down their features to only be available on other Sony products. (cue the sad trombone) What I guess happened, and I'm pretty certain of this, is that some empty-shirt exec saw the spike in sales of the Xperia phone line, and then saw that the tablet sales were flat and said "Hmmm, I bet if we do 'tighter integration' with our phones and tablets that we'd sell more to our phone users" and promptly ordered the lock-down of BT tethering on their phones. I'm not a conspiracy nut - I've actually been in meetings where Sony execs have intentionally knee-capped their own products in order to look like they're "doing something" without actually doing anything. Adding by taking away is the kind of failure at basic math that only a huge company like Sony can manage for so many years. I'm sure that same person is being considered for CEO of the company some day.
Believe it or not, it even gets better, or worse depending on your perspective. I'm pulling Dee's ROM and the connection keeps failing. Mind you, I tether via WiFi through my phone because I get really solid 4GLTE data rates to/from the device because I'm basically line-of-site with the tower nearest me. That, and the other 'dedicated' Internet services are pretty weak, and it's a no-brainer for most situations. However the ROM download is at 143MB and I look down at my phone to see the "SONY" logo on the front screen - it was restarting. I picked up the device and it was hot, and I mean HOT. Not so much that I needed to drop it but enough that I wondered if I had placed it somewhere it had picked up ambient heat from an outside source. Nope. This is all Sony's doing. So I try a few more times, each with progressively more aggressive temperature management. I put the phone in the freezer for a minute (yup, you read that right) and then brought it back out, set up the HotSpot and started to download the ROM again. And again the Z1s reset itself (with no warning) as the ROM got to about 180MB. Damn.
I put my hand under the Z1s and found that a spot above the NFC chip on he back panel as just as hot as it was before. The rest of the phone felt cool as a cucumber. So I did the freezer again, this time for a few minutes - and brought with it a gel pack that had been sitting behind a pack of ice cubes since I recovered from my knee surgery. I used that as a 'pillow' for the Z1s, and started the process once more. And the phone failed yet again, with little or no residual heat near the NFC chip. So now I'm starting to get really frustrated - because this is a major hardware issue that's not related to the environment. I've done file up/downloads before with fairly sizable assets - video and audio files for projects (my latest was the "Incredibly Fit" video series for FerrignoFIT - you can find demos on YouTube and Vimeo) and this *never* happened to me before. And then it dawned on me - I was using Wi-Fi both directions. On my large studio computer I always connect via USB tether, because that machine is never online unless I'm moving a file (or doing an update, etc). I thought to myself "nah - this can't be true" so I connected the phone to the laptop via USB without chilling it down, set everything up and started the the file download once again.
BOOM! Downloaded it without a hitch.
So here we have what I consider to be a major design flaw - one device making one connection to the Internet and moving a file a few hundred MB in size - causing the device to restart without warning. The mobile hotspot functionality is supposed to handle up to ten devices. I have a hard time believing that either Sony and/or T-Mobile didn't test this to the point of seeing that failure that occurs early and often. It's kind of astonishing, really. I can understand a fledgling company like OMate dropping the ball (to a point) but two large companies like Sony and T-Mobile missing something like this? What's the point of T-Mobile holding back updates for six months if their device/infrastructure is going to crash their devices at the first sign of solid throughput? Sony made a bad design choice, and T-Mobile was lazy and stupid for allowing it on the market with such fragile capability. But at least the Z1s actually water-proof.
I don't want to look like I'm giving OMate a pass on their other failures with the TrueSmart. It's easy to point to their most glaring failure - to live up to their specs, as they spent a great deal of time prancing around about how design is more than a department. Well, I have news for Laurent Le Pen, supply chain is more than making sure the paperwork is signed. Maybe some of the glaring deficiencies in the casing/hardware will get sorted, but you still have to deal with Mediatek. That failure is probably the most problematic for me when looking at Omate. Given that Laurant Le Pen's background is supposed to be in supply chain, his failure to properly evaluate and actively manage a partner is a cardinal sin. There may have been Herculean efforts to correct that, but the results have left everyone wanting - especially those here who have thrown so much "good money after bad" in trying to compensate for those failures. Maybe this isn't the end of that story and they pull a rabbit out of a hat with this device. Maybe it all gets corrected with the *next* TrueSmart, whatever that might be. But one thing I know for sure, I'll never put money in one of these projects again, and Kickstarter/Indiegogo can thank Laurent Le pen for that. They're welcome to "fail forward" as much as they can afford, but it won't be with any more of my money.
As for whether I'll continue to manage the failure of the TrueSmart with my time, that remains to be seen. I see a LOT of talent here - and see certain folks pulling back while others are still pouring it on. I wish I could be more optimistic. But even with that, I may keep the TrueSmart and continue to use it as a high-consumption Wi-Fi tethered device, and who knows - maybe I'll throw a SIM in it and leverage more of the SWApps features. If the aftermarket waterproofing effort comes to fruition I may actually get back to my core use case. But then again, as I've said nearly every place I've decided to enter the conversation, I'm much more likely to just go to the real pros in this arena - Polar or Garmin, and just make the move to a wearable that won't remind me of its status as an unwelcome distraction.
The one thing I'm *certainly* going to do is take this Z1s back to T-Mobile and get either an HTC One M8 or Samsung S5. That's one failure that can be handled with relative ease.
Quick update - just replaced the Z1s with an HTC One M8 and it is a freakishly nice device. Thank you, Sony.
So - another update: I decided to reverse course and hold on to the TrueSmart. I've added a SIM and picked up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 that T-Mobile was pimping out. I know they've got me by the nads on data plan, but that's the cost of doing business.
Aside from the garden-variety uses, I'll be taking Cyril Preiss' "SWApps Link" through its paces. I'll still end up with a V800 when they come out, but I'll have to find a way to manage multiple wrist-worn devices. Maybe I should have been born with more arms like Lokifish. ?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
After messing around since christmas day trying to use my Gear S as a standalone to use for running i have finally given up and are putting up for sale . The fact that the GPS is super fast one day then no luck the next day just doesnt work for me . After the latest firmware which seemed to fix it , it now after a few days worse ? I have tested and tested everything / rebooted / turned things off that may confuse it but still no joy . I wanted to use one simple function that when working " was superb " but standing around in the cold waiting upto 40 mins for a fix is nuts . My old method of getting first fix then making sure battery never dies doesnt always work now ? Lastly i would like to thank those who have kindly offered help on this journey vis this forum . Ebay here i come
Sorry to hear that man... I recently bought Gear S hoping to have standalone device but most of all for my all day fitness/laziness tracker. I have run just once so far with it and finding GPS fix wasn't that bad... maybe a minute of stretching and I was good to go.
Have you tried (probably you did.. silly question) reset gear in settings? Like a... reflash?
Actually, now I remember, before I went run i left Gear S on the window with GPS on just to catch position - I always did it with my previous running device - 5 y/o nokia
I have mate . Re-set a hundred times . Kept watch unaltered etc and still good and appaling days . Tried a 1000 combinations and gave up . I was happy when i bought to lose functions but it is not consistent enough for running . Best of luck !
stick with it
sorry to hear that - I've struggled with mine for a couple of weeks also, wasted $200AUS buying an incompatible Samsung phone (my stupidity), re-entered my contacts and diary events 2/3 times after having to do a hard reset / re-pairing, have been underwhelmed & frustrated by the Samsung / Galaxy / Gear ecosystem (and the quality of their phones) but I still think this is the best device in it's class
have look at LPX Studios on youtube etc
I hope Samsung, the developers and the phone providers will address some of the problems (from what I've read, best not hold your breath)
I've decided to adopt a wait and see approach - this device almost satisfies my personal use case need (phone calls & texts on my wrist - plus cool extra functions like fitness essential email replies etc) decoupled from always-on temptations to check social media notifications, personal, work & junk emails etc, & to reduce the personal & financial costs of data consumption
I've not experienced "it just doesn't bloody work" - but I understand your frustrations.
I'm like "it's really great but yes it is a bit sh!te". I don't want to learn or be locked into yet another ecosystem but imho the Gear S has been worth a degree of patience / perseverance
in your use case fitness scenario (forgive me if i misread) I think the device does a half-decent job which is probably enough good enough. Why would you need GPS? Apologies if I've confused you with someone else whose UCS was to be able to send discrete messages to friends and family during meetings - but again thats the joy of a smart watch over a smartphone - one can't tap away so one won't tap away
If I can buy an apple watch with a simcard, and a macbook air with a simcard then i'm in, but I don't think thats going to happen. (I think i read some of the newer iPads in some locations have some kind of universal Sim but I don't want an iPad - I need a laptop & a phone and see the obvious use case for a watch phone - current minimal number of devices 3 .... ideal number 1 - the laptop workhorse - (I wear a wristwatch anyway) So I can check emails & notifications later at home or back at work tomorrow if I really need to - the untethered device is retro liberation from contemporary distraction
What I'd really like would be an old school Toshiba Toughbook (the one with a handle and strap), dual sim card slots, 2 massive hot-swappable hard drives & batteries and a Toshiba Smart Watch (with a sim) - I think they had something like that (without the watch) .... so your briefcase is your computer and your phone is your watch - versus say having get out your iPhone iPad & everything else at the airport or simply going for a coffee (but then I'd still have to go back to Windows and relearn that in its latest iteration)
vinceremos
Hi . I need the GPS to track and moniter my runs . I dont have a phone paired with this and as i said . When it works its spot on but usually it just doesnt pick a GPS fix unless i wait upto 30 mins . This applies to wherever i am ? Since i started this thread the bloody thing is now working ? Still selling it . Having to try again and again is madness
GPS is very handy when running. If it wouldn't work I would be &*:angel:*&
My medieval Nokia works with endomondo + gps so why newest toy which is worth x20 more (seriously) wouldn't?
Even if I wouldn't need it, for it's price it must work - I payed for it! And its also what Samsung promised.
Although, the thing is that... it works for everyone else. So maybe you have a defective one? Warranty? :good:
Its a South Korean one from Ebay . I actually believe its not technically defective . Other users reported dodgy GPS for serious runners . I did contact Samsung UK service and they are not interested in non European models . I really think for runners its simply not upto the job . However i could be wrong .......
I just got my gear s last week and I agree the gps sucks. I love everything else it does but to botch gps on a fitness tracker is a real stumble on their part.
Sorry to hear your bad experience, I've had mine with my note 4 and everything has been good for me. After the latest update I did completely uninstall and reinstall and it's been pretty awesome with good battery.
Hi . So are you saying when not paired and working standalone that your GPS works fine when running ?
Thanks
I agree the GPS takes forever on the S Health app to connect. I'm not giving mine up tho because I'm a bit of a Samsung fanboy and love all their products.
Have anyone tried to run without GPS on? It should count steps as a run + more less give you a distance.
I bought the Gear S for the same reason: I wanted something with GPS to track my runs, plus a Sim card slot so I don't have to run with my phone any more, and BT, so I can listen to audio over my LG Tone Plus.
(I actually also needed something with a camera and full Android, so I can put some apps I use for running on it., which is why I ended up buying a Galaxy Gear and flashing Null on it.)
I agree that the Gear S GPS does not always work and I am really mad standing around in the freezing snow waiting for the signal to lock.
On my last few runs, I had to run without GPS because no amount of waiting made a difference. On one run, the signal came on but only after 30 mins or so. It's really infuriating, but, as someone else said, there no competition in this space.
I have been thinking about trying my luck with an Android Chinese watch-phone from aliexpress, but who knows if the battery on any of those would last me through a run with GPS, phone, mobile data and BT on.
Anyhow, Tim, if you find something better, it would be great of you could post here. It sounds like we have the same use case for it.
eclipse05x said:
Have anyone tried to run without GPS on? It should count steps as a run + more less give you a distance.
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Yah it still gives you distance and time ran without the GPS.
Nike plus
Guys, have you tried to run with Nike Plus app? Is it better with GPS in this app in comparison with S? How is synchro after finish the run then right to Nike plus server- any problems? Can someone compare GPS accuracy between Garmin Fenix and Gear S? I' m on the edge of decision wheter to go with Gear S. I need it primary for running and standalone SIM activities as my private phone.
Thanks!
Dan
aeon101 said:
Guys, have you tried to run with Nike Plus app? Is it better with GPS in this app in comparison with S? How is synchro after finish the run then right to Nike plus server- any problems? Can someone compare GPS accuracy between Garmin Fenix and Gear S? I' m on the edge of decision wheter to go with Gear S. I need it primary for running and standalone SIM activities as my private phone.
Thanks!
Dan
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Someone over on Android Central compared it with the Fenix and other trackers. Here's the post. Since I don't use Nike+ (I don't want to have to sign up for yet another service I will forget my password for), I only ever track with S Health.
Many thanks Xendula, very useful!
xendula said:
I bought the Gear S for the same reason: I wanted something with GPS to track my runs, plus a Sim card slot so I don't have to run with my phone any more, and BT, so I can listen to audio over my LG Tone Plus.
(I actually also needed something with a camera and full Android, so I can put some apps I use for running on it., which is why I ended up buying a Galaxy Gear and flashing Null on it.)
I agree that the Gear S GPS does not always work and I am really mad standing around in the freezing snow waiting for the signal to lock.
On my last few runs, I had to run without GPS because no amount of waiting made a difference. On one run, the signal came on but only after 30 mins or so. It's really infuriating, but, as someone else said, there no competition in this space.
I have been thinking about trying my luck with an Android Chinese watch-phone from aliexpress, but who knows if the battery on any of those would last me through a run with GPS, phone, mobile data and BT on.
Anyhow, Tim, if you find something better, it would be great of you could post here. It sounds like we have the same use case for it.
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Click to collapse
Hi Xendula . Since yesterday i tried a few more attempts / tests and the reallity is this watch is ****e ( sorry Samsung Fans ) but i'm gutted . As of 20.00 pm UK time today it is on Ebay . Personally after messing around since Christmas day i cannot wait to see it go . Hopefully get a good price ? Nice talking to you guys . All the very best for the future
Tim
UK
i believe that children are the future
today i was accosted by a dozen eagle-eyed little kids (ages maybe 5-10) walking home from school (them not me) "hey mister is that thing a phone?"
I'm like "yes its a phone and a watch - let me show you the sad cat watch-face .... but you still need another samsung phone back at home, its a bit buggy, i'm told the charging cradle will break anytime soon, i don't understand the android / samsung / galaxy / tizen / gear S ecosystem, but I am a bit jaundiced by Apple, think this thing has potential and am persevering with it blah blah blah"
They were like "whatever dude - that thing is seriously cool!"
I related this little vignette to my work colleagues
" yeah see I've been telling you for the last two weeks but this is the proof - you can't fool kids - put your iPhone 6 on ebay and get one of these"
"Well you shouldn't go flashing it around - next thing one of them kids will be breaking into your house to steal it"
I'm like I wasn't flashing it around i was walking down the street just wearing it . Like any of my new six year old Galaxy S fanboys/fangirls are going to turn into cat burglers, break into my house and prize it from my wrist while I'm asleep?
I already told them "it can check how much exercise I've done, and I can wear it in bed to make sure I'm getting enough sleep - yeah like a fitbit but a phone & a watch too "
until Apple or Motorola or Sony or whoever put a sim in their smart watch I'm keeping mine
ideally i think more laptops should come with a sim card slot too
I''m disappointed i still need a proper phone to make the Gear S work, but would in practice still need one anyway for tethering the laptop when not at home. I'm no expert but would not a simcard in the laptop offer big battery and big ariel advantages compared to phone tethering ? (no i don't want to carry round or have a dongle sticking out - that's the point)
Several astute reviewers have commented positively on the back-to-the-future retro simplicity of the smartwatch concept as implemented by the Samsung Gear S (whilst highlighting problems in the current execution of that - as also clearly highlighted on these forums & elsewhere) Whatever
"after a few days I was really liking the freedom of not checking my emails & notifications every 5 minutes"
Imagine the freedom of a smartwatch connected (if necessary) to your laptop or whatever other larger device - phablet, iPad or whatever you use for work or pleasure. That's like two devices not 3 or more (smartphone, work phone, tablet, kindle, laptop etc) - in fact actually only one extra thing to carry if / when you need to because the phone is like already on your wrist.
Advantages
• Less economically zero-sum consumer consumption
The guy on the production line gets nothing. I pay several hundred dollars for the device, it jumps out of my pocket and i pay another guy in a mall $150 to fix the screen. Am i contributing to some kind of trickle-down / trickle-up dissipation or redistribution of wealth?
maybe locally to the screen-fixer and his family.
There is (but wasn't always) built in obsolescence in technology but designed to break technology is a really big con that is not (like indeed BIO) an inevitable or essential feature of capitalism & global trade.
To use an obvious example & pertinent example
I think I can understand Mr Steve Jobs drive & achievement in coming back (I'll show them [email protected]) and making Apple the biggest company in the world - but at what price?
Wage slaves in Asia committing suicide in Hi-tech sweat shops.
Drive down margins like everyone else, create the most expensive have-to-have consumer devices ever, choose form over function, lock people into an ecosystem originally justified by quality and consistency considerations now simply a lock-in. Make things designed to break.
Ok he was an ex-hippy not a socialist - he couldn't change the world but might have eventually leveraged his personal power and that of his company maybe a little more e.g.
"I believe our products are great and worth the money - they are not produced in sweatshops in Asia. The suicide rate amongst our subcontracted workers is no higher than the local average and we insist the wages are substantially better. We are not Nike (or whoever) we are Apple."
Sorry the iPhone and iPad screens shatter so easily - that wasn't the case with my first iPhone iteration.
I've spoken to my good friends Sir Bob Geldof, Bill Gates , Sir Elton John, Sir Bruce Springsteen and Bonio from U2 and have decided to create a legacy of value and enduring social change not shiny expensive useless f*cking toys
From Bill Nelson's Red Noise
The posters on your wall mark every fashion's rise and fall
Why try to keep the past alive
And though I know the time is almost 1984
It feels like 1965
from Michael Wincott playing Rene in the the 1996 film Basquiat
when you first see a new picture, you don't want to miss the boat. You have to be very careful because you may be staring at Van Gogh's ear.
• er less confusion
• less drowning in a sea of devices, chargers, wires, peripherals etc
Do samsung make laptops?
Alan
Remote Western Australia
all of the above did really happen today
Hey, I run with this nearly every morning. It's perfect.
I pull the sim card out of my Galaxy S5 and pop it in my gear S.
The NIKE ap does a good job tracking the gps.
And if something bad happens on my run I can call someone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
For lack of a better place to put this, I decided the Android Q/A was probably best. Anyway I'll get straight to the point. I'm attempting to create an HMD using an old Android phone. The problem is, even on a local network, all of the possible Remote Desktop apps seem to have unbearable lag. I cannot fix my network. I'm using Powerline Adapters. I put a WiFi router directly in the room I want to use the phone as an HMD and I've got a direct connection to the main router via Powerline on my PC. It's really as good as it's going to get. And yet I have noticeable lag even just moving my mouse around. So I don't really want suggestions on how to get wireless working better.
What I really want is a true one to one display. Almost like the phone is acting as a secondary monitor to my PC. So whatever my PC is displaying, my android shows with zero lag. That means directly connecting the device I'd imagine. The problem is, EVERY single possible way of wording this in my research seems to provide the exact opposite results of what I'm looking for. Google loves doing that to me. I say "Use Android as PC Monitor" and I get "How to display your Android on your PC monitor". That's just one example of the many different ways I got those same exact results.
So anyway, I would appreciate any direction someone could give me to figure this out. Thanks.
As an update, I just wanted to say I've found two apps that seem to do what I want, but they seem a little iffy. The first Twomon USB - USB Monitor, claims it does precisely what I want. However, the reviews are mixed with some saying it doesn't work. I'd rather not spend almost $10 on something iffy. I'd rather read things like "It connected with no problems and there's NO LAG."
Then the other one is ExtDisplay extend via Wifi/USB. This time it has a free version ExtDisplay Extend PC Display, but I hesitate to try it because of it doesn't have good reviews. I guess I'll try it and come back to this, but I just figured I'd give a little more details on what I'm looking for. These apps claim to be exactly what I'm looking for. Just don't seem to deliver.
How did it go ?
SelfDestructPro said:
As an update, I just wanted to say I've found two apps that seem to do what I want, but they seem a little iffy. The first Twomon USB - USB Monitor, claims it does precisely what I want. However, the reviews are mixed with some saying it doesn't work. I'd rather not spend almost $10 on something iffy. I'd rather read things like "It connected with no problems and there's NO LAG."
Then the other one is ExtDisplay extend via Wifi/USB. This time it has a free version ExtDisplay Extend PC Display, but I hesitate to try it because of it doesn't have good reviews. I guess I'll try it and come back to this, but I just figured I'd give a little more details on what I'm looking for. These apps claim to be exactly what I'm looking for. Just don't seem to deliver.
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Click to collapse
How did it go ?
Eliospeed said:
How did it go ?
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I ended up switching over to a program I'm sure all have heard by now. Trinus Gyre. Well now it's called TrinusVR. At any rate, it worked very well for a while, but my android phone's display is terrible. Trying to play anything is extremely pixelated to the point that I can't read text. I have however been looking out for a program with the same functionality for my iPhone because it has a much higher resolution. I did find one called KinoConsole. It works great and while currently I will use it from time to time for movies, I still can't really use it for gaming because again, text isn't easy to read. At this point I'm just holding out for a professional headset that won't break the bank. I kinda have my heart set on PlaystationVR because of the specs, but still don't know how much they're going to try to sell this thing for.
But, if you're still set on using an Android device, definitely try out TrinusVR. It's worth the money especially if you have a decent resolution.