From iPhone for 4+ years to LG OG - AT&T LG Optimus G

Hello all,
Long term lurker, decided to finally register and just give a few points about my experience for those that are still on the fence about the LG Optimus G.
I personally love this phone, I've had the iPhone for a while moving from the 3g to 3gs to the 4 and handled the 4s plenty (wifes phone) and the iPhone 5 did not impress me much. I won't go into what I felt was lacking in the iPhone but mention my hesitation(s) on coming to android and specifically this phone.
The biggest reason I was hesitant was that the phone came with ICS with a "planned upgrade" in the future. This is a not an issue IMO- if you are thinking of coming from iPhone to android ICS is more than sufficient and you will be more than happy with it. The phone is very snappy and smooth, no hesitation. If you want Jelly bean just to have Jelly bean you can either be patient with it (like i will be) or root your phone so I really think both parties can be satisfied with this issue. The ICS issue is definitely a non issue for me after playing with the phone and seeing how snappy it is.
The screen is great, I get compliments all the time but sunlight visibility is an issue (it's an issue with the iPhone as well) so that is just something to think about if you are out in the sun a lot etc.It's a minor issues for me but can be a bigger problem for others. Going to the issue where it gives the error regarding its inability to brighten any further due to temperature it rarely happens for me-even when it does most of the time it goes to 87% which is still pretty bright. It is a little annoying sometimes that while on the phone you see it dim as the brightness level lowers automatically without you wanting it too. It is what it is.
LTE is great (my fastest speed in Atl area was 57 download 21 upload!!!), my average speeds have been about 20 download 13 upload. I also love google maps and its navigation feature where it literally is a GPS-even better IMO as it shows a picture of your destination on your phone as you arrive (from google street view-it even shows my home as i pull up if i select to give me directions to my place), I thought that was pretty neat and very handy when you head to a restaurant or a friends home etc you haven't been to.
I knew an issue going in would be accessories, and it sucks that many waited for the Otter box to come out but it only fits Sprint. I went ahead and purchased the body glove from the ATT store and I'm pretty happy with it. Thank God I haven't "tested" its protection yet but it seems like it would do well from a fall.
Battery life was pretty bad at first and took time to adjust, especially coming from an iPhone. After numerous full charge and discharge cycles (about 5 days worth) the battery life greatly improved! I use my phone a lot, mainly texting (minimum 40 outgoing texts a day i'd say), maybe 30 minutes of phone calls a day and a lot of browsing/checking my email and it lasts a whole day. I keep my phone on the quad core setting (i rarely go to "eco mode") and its highest brightest setting with gps on and sync feature off and by midnight my phone would be around 35-40%.
I was on gsmarena, phone arena etc religiously seeing if I should pull the trigger on this phone as I was eligible for an upgrade and wanted to get a phone that would last 2 years. I thought about waiting till the next samsung flagship phone comes but that would have been at least 6 months I believe and with ATT it seems I can get an upgrade every 18 or so months so I feel it is best for me to upgrade my line ASAP whenever possible. Bestbuy had the phone at 99 bucks thanksgiving week and that was when I pulled the trigger.
Overall I'm very very happy with my phone :good: and my first android experience on a phone (i have a tablet)
For those that are hesitant like i was, you will not be disappointed.
A side note for those that may be able to answer two questions for me: can I put my contacts facebook profile pic as their pic in my contacts? I have everything synced to "on" from my sync settings on my system settings to my contacts to facebook saying to sync but it only loads a couple to my contacts (about 5%)
Also for group messages I send out, can I receive texts in that same group message I sent?

Welcome to Android. Enjoy
Sent from my LG-E970 using xda app-developers app

Search the play store for an app called "haxsync." It'll do what you want regarding contact pictures.
As for group messages, I don't use those so I cannot comment.

DeathmonkeyGTX said:
First off, questions go in the Q/A section. However, since this is your first post I'll answer your question anyway, but please use the Q/A section for any other questions you might have.
Search the play store for an app called "haxsync." It'll do what you want regarding contact pictures.
As for group messages, I don't use those so I cannot comment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol what... He wrote a very long general post and tagged two small questions to the end. This isn't a question thread is perfectly acceptable where it he posted it.
That said uninstall Facebook clear contact data. Give Google a couple minutes to do is thing after manually syncing. Then reinstall Facebook manually create the account in accounts and sync and then sync it and your contact pictures should update just fine.

To answer your question about group text messages (a la iPhone,) the stock Android Messages app doesn't do that. However, Go SMS Pro or Handcent are two SMS/MMS replacement apps and work great. I use Go SMS Pro and there's an option to enable the group texting/MMSing.
That's one great example of the power of Android... Don't like a stock app? Replace it!
A

whiteguypl said:
Lol what... He wrote a very long general post and tagged two small questions to the end. This isn't a question thread is perfectly acceptable where it he posted it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I was thinking the exact same thing.
Sent from my LG-E970 using xda premium

lol tough crowd! Didn't think bout putting the questions in Q n A at the time. Post was meant to be geared towards those still thinking bout the LG. Thanks to those that answered.
Cheers
Sent from my LG-E970 using xda app-developers app

Related

Chronicle of my new TP

Well, GOTTA LOVE THIS!
so i just spent about an hour and a half typing in a complete breakdown of everything i noticed about a new TP i had been deliberating on opening due to days of reading posts about the negatives and lo and behold I decide to open it and type a HUGE report about everything that I have noticed through the few hours i've had it working and i decided to yeah post it even adding "now watch as it deletes this whole thing" so i decide to CTRL+A and copy...
DONT DO THAT! apparantly it ONLY copies the outlying information not in this box where i'm typing now and when i tried to submit it, it says i'm not logged in... well i tried logging in and ctrl V and bam it gives me the top portion of the thread page FML first MAJOR issue with the damn tab is a PEBCAK but w/e we only learn from mistakes sometimes. i will be posting a long thread about the things that i've come across with this device for any people out there who are on the fence regarding this new TP with the current serial number in the champagne style.
sadly i'd covered GPS, WIFI, the docking station issues, serial number location, installed version of AOS, and about 6 other topics that my bloodpressure currently will not let me remember bleh.
so since this thread is for anyone with any questions on a C10KAS model with the champagne style keyboard please feel free to ask below. i will be typing up a new post and saving it on my asus laptop when i get time again later and try to cover all the topics i did in the original post.
This device has NOT been upgraded past the installed 3.2.1 and wont until all queries have been addressed so as to help the majority of the users and possible future users come to decissions before irreversible changes have occurred.
sorry to sound flaming a bit but man am i ticked that i actually TRIED to save the darn thing and it still backfired, but se la vie and such is my lot in life. now i'll try to post this and hopefully find that it works
Trying Again...
Running by the [Guide] by Danny-B- i'm going to open this thread for the community to have the opportunity to ask away about the new TP i decided to finally open after watching it sit ever so quietly on my home-office desk.
Light Bleed
I noticed a very small amount of light bleed, barely any that would concern anyone really, thankfully i'd say functionally it's on par with what it should be.
Dead Pixels
None noticeable on moderate searching.
Serial Number -found?
Yep, it has the serial number registered so that's a plus.
GPS Reception
Nope. I used the QR code to get GPS Test and it shows a working compass and tilt sensor but all the readouts stayed zeroes for the 25 minutes i left it to run. I only have "Use GPS Satellites" ticked off in the location menu to test this, but also have to take into account that the test was performed indoors due to the fact that it's been snowing and raining all day so that in itself could be why the GPS function didnt work... Will retest when the weather is clear and i can get a good sky view.
*edit* crystal clear day today, not a cloud in the sky, not a gram of gps connection. i really dont need this but at least i know that the gps definitely doesn't work.
Wifi Reception
MIFI located up to 60 feet from device, since device will be in my pocket most of the time, the device should have no problems finding the signal as it's going to be only a foot or two from the tablet. Didn't notice any lag or lapse in the connectivity, it still worked Words With Friends as far as i can tell and that's the only program i will have installed aside from the QR Droid program for the testing of these issues. I did notice that the wifi signal was good but the quality of the rendering of youtube left me hoping for more, but the weather can play a huge role in this so i'm not too concerned and i can try this out moreso on a day when there's less inclement weather.
Dock/Keyboard Connection
Have to mention that the dock i purchased prior to getting the TP and i was very lucky to have gotten matching (both champagne models) as i wasnt sure what kind of tab was coming in the mail seeing as how they were pretty much recalled from every store i'd visited.
On my first attempt i was a little wary seeing as how the keyboard didnt seem to like the champ model so as i opened the box i was thinking this can still be a partial deal-breaker so we'll see.
Try #1 it pressed in and i heard a ding from the machine. no cursor opened i use the touch screen to open up the notepad and i can type, all the buttons and numbers worked but no cursor... curses! I undocked it.
Try #2 it pressed in and i gave it a little bit more oomph to see if that would help and i heard a satisfying "click" the cursor appeared it worked and i tried typing all buttons functioned properly.
Try #3 same thing, little oomph, click, cursor. so for this one, the matching champ models function properly when i give it a little extra push in until i hear a slight click.
Gyroscope
Up, Down, Left, Right, B A Start... anyway, all the directions worked and it grades in the GPS Test program down to a 2-4 degree reading so i'm fairly certain i will not have any issues with this part of the device.
Battery Conditioning
I charged it for the 8 hours, then plugged in the keyboard during the testing phase and left it plugged in until the keyboard battery read full. I have yet to test the quality of the battery life with and without the keyboard but I will keep you informed if this seems to be an issue as opposed to a non-issue
*update* well the dock is the primary source of the energy as it's supposed to be and it's been in full use browsing this forum and posting for 3 hours and it has gone down by only 25% ... i currently am HIGHLY impressed with the battery life.
Haptic Feedback
I got a mallard. Yes, i was thinking how could this thing sound like a duck but lo and behold the first time i turned it on i heard an audible "quack" to put it bluntly. I dont see this bothering me in the long run unless the vibration against the case's rear housing causes an issue with other parts, though the only time that i've noticed any haptic vibration is when powering it on. I dont notice any when typing on the screen or making selections so that may be switched off in the settings, i honestly havent played with any of the settings yet since i have only tried getting through the [GUIDE] piece by piece trying out things.
Firmware Updates
I will not be updating this until any questions members have, have died out. I wanted to create this thread so that everyone has the chance to ask questions about the Champagne model out of the box that runs 3.2.1. I do plan on updating to ICS in the near future but I also wanted people to get an idea of what this unit did straight-away. This model's serial is the C10KAS and came from Texas through an Office Depot "gmill" warehouse... an "other than the normal" warehouse per the store manager... who i had to finesse to get her to really try to locate one of these guys fyi.
Summary
I feel that i touched on a few more notes when i originally typed in this thread, but for the life of me i can't remember anything else to put in here.
The tablet is very responsive, Words with Friends gets a slight lag from time to time, but i'm not too worried about any gaming issues since this will be a work-related device and gaming is just a bonus if done at all.
I did notice that there is a minor lag when typing here in this box on the tab but i think that is to be expected as i noticed similar on my RAZR MAXX, Galaxy Nexus, and 4s.
Please, feel free to ask any questions or make any comments regarding this post. I want it to be as informative as possible to any people who have questions about a new TP before they are pretty much impossible to get.
interesting new development with internet
ok so here's a strange new development i've just noticed...
ANY link i click on, even to get to a new page of threads or to click reply...
ALL of them suddenly switched from opening within the original tab and moving on to the new page to now opening a separate tab on their own. i haven't done anything new with the tab, this all started just while accessing these forums on their own. i've tried a long press on them and select OPEN instead of OPEN IN NEW TAB, but everything keeps opening in new tabs, now i'm full of tabs on my screen.
any ideas on this one? strange how it would just stop working the way it was and start working this way all on it's own while just browsing this site. idk, i'm open to any suggestions.
*update* after clearing the cache and cookies it seems to have fixed this issue. nothing opens in new tabs now... im guessing it can only store so much before it forces you to new tab everything. just an fyi to everyone
Must.... try... to... resist.... ....Too .....STRONG.....!!!!
Well at least I have to say there it is now a posted answer for everyone asking how the new primes are running they are running the same. I have the C10k******* and its running about the same if not worse than my old Gray model, that was sent back about a month ago, because of the same issues. They aint going to get any better until Asucks fixes them, bottom line. Yeah there might be some that run perfect but you are the "Lucky Few" believe that. Us guys with the "this don't work models, were just screwed". well not actually I'm sending mine back and trying again. Or you can or deal with that issue that your prime has.
Mine has slight light bleed and poor WiFi, should I keep it? Still debating I got 14 days. But like I said in another post these will probably be easy refurbs to pick up soon. Asus probably has a full warehouse full of returned units, I believe my last unit I bought brand new sealed in box was a returned unit, I don't believe they are allowed to do this but I think they do in MY opinion. I don't think they are going to let a tablet that looks brand spanking new with just a WiFi issue sit there. lose $100-200 selling it as refurbished.
I believe they are boxing them back out and selling them as new. You wouldn't be able to tell, would you? All they got to do is clean it up real nice restore it put in new box, shrink wrap it again and, there are 100 brand new ones shipping to Best Buy as new. Then maybe they will get lucky and the person really doesn't know much about it, when they get it and they like it some much, it looks stunning, they can get a good signal in their bedroom, so they keep it. I'm telling you they are doing shady ****. Look at how they are treating us, a big F-U.
I know people who are giving it right back to them buying every model they find at the store if it doesn't work PERFECT. They are taking it back I know people that are on model 6 or 7 at least 5 or 6 people.
Where are all their refurbs selling at? I bet their return pile looks like a junkyard, That aint even funny for real. Asucks used to be a good company. They don't hold up to their standards anymore.
ASUS
JUST IN CASE SOMEONE FROM ASUCKS COMES BY, I IMAGINE THEY DO, WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TABLET.
I THINK SOMEONE LIKE TEGRA OR GOOGLE ANDROID SHOULD BE ON THEIR ASS FOR THIS, REALLY TEGRA SHOULD BE MAD AS HELL.
JUST FIX THE PRIMES DO WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, ITS THE BEST OPTION. IF NOT YOUR JUNKYARD IS GOING TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND DON'T BE SELLING ME SOMEONE ELSE'S USED SH*T, AS BRAND NEW.
drvsbsm said:
ASUS
JUST IN CASE SOMEONE FROM ASUCKS COMES BY, I IMAGINE THEY DO, WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TABLET.
I THINK SOMEONE LIKE TEGRA OR GOOGLE ANDROID SHOULD BE ON THEIR ASS FOR THIS, REALLY TEGRA SHOULD BE MAD AS HELL.
JUST FIX THE PRIMES DO WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, ITS THE BEST OPTION. IF NOT YOUR JUNKYARD IS GOING TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND DON'T BE SELLING ME SOMEONE ELSE'S USED SH*T, AS BRAND NEW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm, it's nVidia (or tegra as you seem to want to call them) that are providing the code that is f#cking up the Prime. Just thought you should know.

sony smartwatch when?

i have 2 questions
when the sony smartwatch is going to release ?
Do you thing that the smartwatch would be good? with XS
marcoplo said:
i have 2 questions
when the sony smartwatch is going to release ?
Do you thing that the smartwatch would be good? with XS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I saw Expansys US says April 11th. It maybe earlier elsewhere...SOURCE
2) I think it should work with Xperia S without issues.
not sure if its good but been told ive been allocated a free one when i preordered my xperia s with phones4u.
Not received it yet.
digiflip said:
not sure if its good but been told ive been allocated a free one when i preordered my xperia s with phones4u.
Not received it yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When did you order your phone? Mine was ordered around 6pm on the 20th Feb. When did you get the allocation email? I was really hoping to get one, that's what swayed me to Phones4U...
Thanks, Daniel
il check my emails be a sec
I think i order around 3pm on 20th feb
yeh i got my order for xperia s at 15:30pm
---------- Post added at 09:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 PM ----------
I got this email on the 24th feb
Congratulations! You've successfully pre-ordered your brand new Xperia S from Sony and you've also got yourself an abosutely free Sony SmartWatch!
What happens next?
Your Xperia S order has been processed and we've allocated a brand new phone to you
As soon as your Xperia S is in our warehouse, we'll post it out to you via Royal Mail Special Delivery
Expected delivery date is currently Tuesday 13 March. If there are any changes to this date, we'll be in touch via email to let you know as soon as we know
Please note that your Sony SmartWatch will be delivered after you've received your new phone. We'll send further details nearer the time about when you can expect to recieve it.
We'll also send you an email when your phone is dispatched, so you know to make sure you're available to take the delivery
In the meantime, sit back and relax knowing that you've done the smart thing in pre-ordering with us. We'll stay in touch with you until your phone is dispatched with the latest Xperia S from Sony news and advice about how to get the most out of your brand new phone as soon as it arrives.
Thanks again for placing your order with Phones 4u.
ps I got my xperia s on the 9th March
Thanks for the reply, seems I was a little too late! I also received my Xperia S on the 9th. Oh well, guess that's more money I have to spend...
I don't understand how, but I just received my SmartWatch (MN2) from MobileFun in the UK. Nobody has stock and MobileFun still say they don't have a confirmed release date...yet here I have one this morning delivered. I think what may have happened is that stores were given single units to display prior to the main release, and as MobileFun is an Internet retailer, they just passed it as normal stock! It was sealed and had never been used before.
Now I am not using it with a Sony phone. I have an HTC Evo 3D. Although it is working, I have hit 2 issues already
1) This phone is listed as compatible, but the email notifier does NOT work with HTC phones. All other apps, like text, calendar, call log, music player, weather , facebook and twitter do work fine.
2) If the bluetooth connection is interrupted for any reason, such as moving out of range, sometimes it does not resume correctly and the watch ends up in an infinite loop trying to reconnect to the phone. I have to kill the processes on the phone to reset this.
It installed a firmware update when I first installed the Liveware and Smartwatch application on the phone, so I am sure there will be further improvements for things like this in due course.
It says it includes a USB charger on some websites. It does not. It just includes a unique type of USB cable that you have to plug-in to a generic charger or computer.
The touchscreen works quite well, but the image is not that bright and there is a yellowyness to the colours. Swipe up to move to widgets, swipe down to move to app icons, swipe across to move between pages, and use two fingers to go back up a level! There is no speaker in the Smartwatch but it does vibrate. The screen resolution is adequate but limited.
jonstatt said:
2) If the bluetooth connection is interrupted for any reason, such as moving out of range, sometimes it does not resume correctly and the watch ends up in an infinite loop trying to reconnect to the phone. I have to kill the processes on the phone to reset this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for reporting. Great to see your micro review with key issues listed. Now, about the bluetooth, I just have to say I'm flabbergasted. Sony Corp. have had A COUPLE OF YEARS to get this right since the LiveView and they still manage to screw it up. I'm sorry, but it just isn't acceptable.
jonstatt said:
It installed a firmware update when I first installed the Liveware and Smartwatch application on the phone, so I am sure there will be further improvements for things like this in due course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure, at all. The LiveView received few and poor updates. Further improvements - well they cannot even get the basic functionality right so they shouldn't release it. I do hope you have a non-release version. This is appalling.
jonstatt said:
The touchscreen works quite well, but the image is not that bright and there is a yellowyness to the colours. Swipe up to move to widgets, swipe down to move to app icons, swipe across to move between pages, and use two fingers to go back up a level! There is no speaker in the Smartwatch but it does vibrate. The screen resolution is adequate but limited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the vibration alert is key. Shame they haven't got the Bluetooth right, though. I would have got a Motorola MotoACTV. At least they do upgrade the software every few weeks, BUT it lacks that one crucial factor the vibration alert.
Still hoping Sony will correct things before release.
On sonymobile sweden homepage the smartwatch is listed as "New" now, before is was listed as "coming soon", i think it was today they change that.
Sorry for my bad english.
Guys is it that bad
or are you so demanding
I was hoping to have fun with some accessories for Xps.
But now i very concern about it IS IT WORTH's IT since i dont want to put my money on the mud
Cheer up
seem's that sony wont get any more profit from me !!! Too bad SONY
I also got mine from mobilefun. Works well except for email notifications with LTE galaxy note. I get a device not supported message. It does reboot a couple of times but auto reconnects.
Battery life is good so far, I am pleasantly surprised. It also looks good.
It is quite good. It just isn't super reliable yet with those odd disconnections. The more apps you add in the more it does those random reconnects. The hardest test is the viewfinder app which really stresses the Bluetooth connection. The mail app will only work with Sony phones. Just have to hope someone develops an htc one. Battery life really is good.
I preordered mine and it should arrive 5th of April here in Germany. Since I have learned that BT-issues may be caused either by the gadget and the phone itself I give it a try.
But as an old Sony-victim (MBW 100, MBW 150, both dead short after the 2-years-warranty), I will return it immediately for refund when BT does not work properly.
Give you a report as soon as I have my hands on it.
arrived a bit ago
mine arrived last friday,
I'm semi impressed, but to be honest I don't think they should have called it a "Smartwatch" i think Smart Remote, or Extended Display would have been more correct.
1. if it doesn't get a BT connection to a phone it will not do anything,
2. if it looses the link ( phone with dead battery, turn off bluetooth to save that last bit of battery you have left ) it has a fit and will loose time eventually flash's the time then goes to a connection type screen like when you first got it.
3. VERY FEW USEFUL APPS, yes new events, and social network apps are working but aren't really over the top, the ViewFinder app sadly wasn't even done by sony yet in the original Live View the same feature app existed made by sony. what gives? there are only a handful off useful things for apps and gmail notifier isn't one of them. it just says if you have a mail and how many unread , doesn't tell you anything more. so really it's a bit of a letdown.
All in all i'm fine with it, and i put up with it, but I see why now some of the standalone android watch's are more expensive. can't say IMWATCH would be any different but i suspect it would be as it has storage on it suggesting you can load a few things and run it without the bluetooth but if you wanted updated info then it would need to re-link to the phone. this would be much more attractive then what sony did. so hopefully they'll catch on and at least allow you to keep TIME and maybe an onscreen setting as to 1 bluetooth on/off to save battery and just use as a watch sometimes, ( maybe an app? ) and have it not go into dead mode. fair enough if you power it off it loses everything and will require linking to the phone. Also MULTI DEVICE WOULD BE NICE, i have more then one android device that can run the software thusly if i want to take my Galaxy Note one day, my HTC SENSATION XE another, or my p920 another day, i should be able to choose which one i want to use with the phone that day and not have to keep re-pairing it. just maybe they can limit it to one connection at a time bt remember maybe up to 4 paired devices ( or at least 2 )
( meh why rant here as Sony never reads here mosta the time anyway )
Received my free Smartwatch from Phones 4 U today. Not had chance to play with it yet to give a review but thought I would mention as it would seem the accessories are now becoming generally available.
where are you guys buying these in the uk? Cant find any retailers
He's got one, and he's made a little video on it.
You can do some great things with the watch, seems cool. Hopefully when more apps start to pour through it will get even better
I just receive mine this morning.
A gift from thephonehouse with my Xperia S
Some basic apps from sony works perfectly.
But other apps (japanese most of them) working as they want...
Like an app : it command your camera and you can see in your watch live images. This apps launch your camera or not
A workaround to enable email notification on non-Sony phones with the new SmartWatch - note requires knowledge of Tasker.
posted on augmentedtraffic dot wordpress dot com (post is titles Sony Smart Watch Observations)
(I cannot provide link since I haven't posted enough here).
Someone can give me one?

Nokia Lumia 920 - review and why I returned it.

I bought the 920 on weds..just returned today. The first one the shop had was DoA but the guy gave me another meant for another customer.The phone is top notch quality albeit on the heavier side. Camera placement in the center is not ideal and the phone could slip out of your hands..but its built like a tank. Screen is excellent and call quality is clear . Despite the weight it feels really good...better than the iphone 5 which i also have and night and day against any samsung phone (i had note 2 as well). Now the bad news.
Windows 8 mobile sucks!!! It took me an hour to setup my windows live or is it hotmail account. When I first setup it thought I was a child and gave me the round around telling me to check with family controls etc. Also I needed to put my credit card details etc just to access the app store. This process was also confusing since it redirected to the awful internet explorer mobile on the phone where the fonts were so small I couldnt see damn thing. Resizing the web page was cumbersome at best. I tried a few times...and i was so frustrated i felt like throwing the phone against the wall. In the end I did a hard reset and after more mucking around and searching on forums I got it working. But it was like pulling teeth.
Once I got my account setup..you cant change it unless you do a hard reset. So you are basically locked to that account. So if you have one older MS live account and a newer one , you wont be able to switch. This is the most retarded thing out. On android and iOs you can have many accounts as you want. I have a US, UK account which I like to use.
Anyway the first thing I did was go to the app store to download essentials such as Whatsapp , skype etc since nowadays we dont really talk anymore on the phone but message.Skype was ok and it has a special interface coz MS owns it. Whatsapp was a disaster, First time it took forever to load my contacts then say i had no contacts. 2nd time i got it to work but no video uploads. the interface is not as easy as on ios or droid. This is by no means MS fault but they should have checked to see if it works on newer phones. But I guess theres the rub. MS win 8 mobile has such a low user base, developers treat updates with the lowest priority. The app store has hotch potch skeleton app selection. You wont find spotify there but Nokia Music fills the gap albeit a poor substitute. I use my phone as music player first and foremost so music lovers will be disappointed. The MS sync tool with itunes is very bad. Playlists and songs werent copied and album art missing.
The microsoft email client is not as good as ios . You can change fonts and html messaged dont look as clean. I dont take many pics so didnt really try out the camera. But even when i turned flash off the flash was still on for some reason. The lens placement in the center of the phone meant that you would take shots of your fingers instead. Since the phone is heavy it was hard to just hold the bottom half to take pics. They should put the lens on the top left/right.
Surfing was an ok experience..windows wouldnt auto resize so most of the time you would get really small fonts.
Movies were good as display is excellent.. For some reason it also just shutdown completely last night (with 70% battery) and it took a soft reset to get it going again. The live tiles system is different and people who are tired of ios or droid may find this unique but the novelty factor wears off since not all tiles are live. The UI is smooth and there was no lag. Also little things like no batt percentage and some youtube videos wouldnt play (vevo) as it recognized win8 as mobile device. This works on ios and droid.
Bottom line...it wasnt a keeper since there are so many bugs to iron out.
Pros
beautiful high quality constructed phone. better than iphone5, htc/samsung note2 s3 etc
good yellow color
good UI..smooth
Cons
Win 8 mobile- THE BIGGEST reason why i returned it.
Camera placement
Apps (im not a heavy app user but the basic ones dont even work properly)
Slightly heavy to hold
It may be good for ppl who take a lot of photos since the camera is supposed to be the best on any phone..apart from that..would advise you to stay away until the win8 bugs are sorted.
PS i think Nokia/MS is desperate so they restricted supply to make it look as if the phone is hot and to get the buzz going. I really wanted to like it but couldnt get past the crap win 8 mobile. If the phone had droid or ios then it would be.. Also I think MS is padding the user reviews to make people buy it...
I set up my mail and main account in less than 5 minutes on my 920. It synced perfectly and pulled down all my contacts, calendar, and photo.
Music syncing wasn't quite as smooth, but I got it working. I do agree about having only one main account and not being able to change it seems stupid.
As for apps, they are coming, but I have noticed some developers putting out subpar WP8 apps while their iOS and Android are fine. I blame the developers for that crap. It's inexcusable.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express
Hmm that's funny...
I have an adriod tablet... gmail account and credit card needed for the marketplace... hmm Sounds like an iPhone where an Apple id is required to use the iCrap. Same issue there. Now, I do have one customer that has a Blackberr..... uh nope just switched to a 920. Just saying, your first point has me wondering where else it is any different. The comparison to iOS, eh... one thing I don't have an issue wit on the phone is text size and reading all that, but you do realize you can change that in the settings!!!! This was a change over WP7. Yes there are some subpar apps, but that's what sets WP apart so much of the phone will do what you need 10 apps to do on iOS and Andriod. I can do most of what you do faster on any other platform. However, this is all a preference argument and I personally don't have an app hard on. I had to help a customer settle in coming from her iPhone, but we set up her outlook to use her Micosoft accout for her contacts and calander. She is all setup like if she had excange server at home without changing her other email address. There is a learning curve with any switch... you made one when you bought your first iPhone. You are not buying a new iPhone, it is a new platform.
iujona said:
Windows 8 mobile sucks!!! It took me an hour to setup my windows live or is it hotmail account. When I first setup it thought I was a child and gave me the round around telling me to check with family controls etc. Also I needed to put my credit card details etc just to access the app store. This process was also confusing since it redirected to the awful internet explorer mobile on the phone where the fonts were so small I couldnt see damn thing. Resizing the web page was cumbersome at best. I tried a few times...and i was so frustrated i felt like throwing the phone against the wall. In the end I did a hard reset and after more mucking around and searching on forums I got it working. But it was like pulling teeth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry you had such a hard time setting an account. In my case, it look me less than 2 mins. It would have been much easier for you to create an account on your computer and then just sign-in with your phone. Wish WP8 provided a "hint" like this to those who are completely new to this ecosystem.
Montastic said:
I'm sorry you had such a hard time setting an account. In my case, it look me less than 2 mins. It would have been much easier for you to create an account on your computer and then just sign-in with your phone. Wish WP8 provided a "hint" like this to those who are completely new to this ecosystem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree.. iCrap forces you to do it that way... the device does not even power on without initially hooking it up and setting it up with iTunes on a computer. I think Micrsoft could recomend it on that first setup screen. If you already have an MS account you don't need to go to the computer at all.... so at least with WP8 you can skip that step and have everything setup before you get home. Just when you thought that would be a feature!
OP, I feel your pain. I like my Nokia 920, but am starting to get cold feet because of the apps. One example, I drive a Toyota it uses ENTUNE, there is no app and possibly will never be fully compatible. ALso things like HBO GO and such. I dont use them much on a phone anyway, but I still miss it. And as my cable company adds Video Apps, they take forever to get to Android, how long until they even acknowledge WP8?? My Son is a college athlete, whats the odds his schools app will have a WP8 version? Again, I do like the phone, if I didnt also use a 7" Galaxy Tab, I probably would have returned it. However, the new Galaxy Note 2 is tempting me to switch phones again...
While the setup on mine was easy, I'll be returning it today for one big reason...the camera. Granted, I knew going in that they camera has problems in daylight shots, but I figured I'd give it a try in the real world and see how my results turned out. Honestly, even worse than I expected. I also have the SIII and this thing can't hold a candle to it's camera. Maybe Nokia fixes it with a software update, but what if they don't? I'd rather return it and wait and see rather than keep it, go beyond my return window, and be stuck with such a crappy camera that never gets fixed.
He's a comparison shot I did this morning. The 920 picture looks like it's been run through some sort of cartoon editing software. Look at the tree on the right with the dead leaves still on it compared to the shot from the SIII. Insanity.
920:
[tIMG]http://i.imgur.com/peJcI.jpg[/ItMG]
SIII:
[tIMG]http://i.imgur.com/Q4gUU.jpg[/tIMG]
The colors are alright, but there's absolutely NO clarity. Just awful. So, for now, while I love the phone in every other regard, I'll be returning it and waiting to see if the camera gets fixed.
set up hotmail, gmail, and facebook in seconds, downloaded my contacts from google having migrated from bustedrobot, besides the lack of apps (as its has been repeated their coming) wipes the floor with bustedrobot and i-crap and anything from RIM. easily the best phone ive owned in years
KentuckyHouse said:
While the setup on mine was easy, I'll be returning it today for one big reason...the camera. Granted, I knew going in that they camera has problems in daylight shots, but I figured I'd give it a try in the real world and see how my results turned out. Honestly, even worse than I expected. I also have the SIII and this thing can't hold a candle to it's camera. Maybe Nokia fixes it with a software update, but what if they don't? I'd rather return it and wait and see rather than keep it, go beyond my return window, and be stuck with such a crappy camera that never gets fixed.
He's a comparison shot I did this morning. The 920 picture looks like it's been run through some sort of cartoon editing software. Look at the tree on the right with the dead leaves still on it compared to the shot from the SIII. Insanity.
920:
[tIMG]http://i.imgur.com/peJcI.jpg[/ItMG]
SIII:
[tIMG]http://i.imgur.com/Q4gUU.jpg[/tIMG]
The colors are alright, but there's absolutely NO clarity. Just awful. So, for now, while I love the phone in every other regard, I'll be returning it and waiting to see if the camera gets fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have seen a couple of those shots show up, but the majority of shots put the SIII to shame. Go indors and take some shots without the flash (turn it off) And yes the Lumia 900 had some simular issues and yep that got an update right away. The cam went from lackluster to pretty damn good. The pictures consistantly came out better than my transforer prime tablet which had a decent camera.
dgmhunt said:
set up hotmail, gmail, and facebook in seconds, downloaded my contacts from google having migrated from bustedrobot, besides the lack of apps (as its has been repeated their coming) wipes the floor with bustedrobot and i-crap and anything from RIM. easily the best phone ive owned in years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Hmm, I set mine up in the store while waiting for the receipt to be printed. But I did already have a .live account. I didn't have to input a credit card because if I buy anything I just add it to my ATT bill. Very unlike my iPad where Apple insists I have a CC on file.
As for locking you into one specific account, well, that's no different from Apple. I can't change my Apple ID either.
And apps? Well, I find that the OS does just about anything I need without specific apps. Whereas I find IOS not much more than a glorified 'app launcher'.
Don't get me wrong. I love my iPad. But I expect something more and different from my phone. I expect my phone to simplify my life and frankly I find this OS does that. I was a 'flashacholic' when I had previous windows phones so I really considered a new Android phone. But frankly WP8 is a dream to use.
OP, sorry you had such a hard time. I had the same hard time the first times tried to set up my first iPad. This comes from being familiar with an OS. Other OSs feel 'wrong'. The 920 isn't for everyone, nor is WinPhone 8, nor is IOS or even Android.
Ain't choice great!
awagner said:
Yeah, I have seen a couple of those shots show up, but the majority of shots put the SIII to shame. Go indors and take some shots without the flash (turn it off) And yes the Lumia 900 had some simular issues and yep that got an update right away. The cam went from lackluster to pretty damn good. The pictures consistantly came out better than my transforer prime tablet which had a decent camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing... I don't shoot indoor shots often. The camera is something I use in my job and those are outdoor shots. Great phone, but the camera software needs some work.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Agreed, and far, FAR beyond iPhone, which I ran with for over 2 years.
As for setting up the Microsoft account, I don't see how anyone could have a problem with it. More importantly, if you know you have to set one up...do it on your PC, not your phone. That's just common sense, or so I'd guess.
Windows Phone 8 is, hands down, the best mobile OS I've ever used, and I've used them all.
dgmhunt said:
set up hotmail, gmail, and facebook in seconds, downloaded my contacts from google having migrated from bustedrobot, besides the lack of apps (as its has been repeated their coming) wipes the floor with bustedrobot and i-crap and anything from RIM. easily the best phone ive owned in years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
KentuckyHouse said:
That's the thing... I don't shoot indoor shots often. The camera is something I use in my job and those are outdoor shots. Great phone, but the camera software needs some work.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is the case, the Lumia has the most potential. The limitations are on the way the phone is processing the pictures (software) not a limitation on hardware. Hardware you can't change, software you can. Every phone today gets tweeked with after it's initial release. The 920 will be no different. The stabilization works, the low light performance works... Give them a chance to update and if it still doesn't perform... something better will be out there or coming out.
awagner said:
If that is the case, the Lumia has the most potential. The limitations are on the way the phone is processing the pictures (software) not a limitation on hardware. Hardware you can't change, software you can. Every phone today gets tweeked with after it's initial release. The 920 will be no different. The stabilization works, the low light performance works... Give them a chance to update and if it still doesn't perform... something better will be out there or coming out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I absolutely agree the Lumia has tons of potential. And I'm sure they'll put out an update to the software to fix the camera. That's why I returned mine to wait until they do. I can promise you, once they fix it and the reviews start pouring in that the camera is good to go, I'll be picking another one up. Other than the camera software, this phone is amazing.
But even when i turned flash off the flash was still on for some reason. The lens placement in the center of the phone meant that you would take shots of your fingers instead. Since the phone is heavy it was hard to just hold the bottom half to take pics. They should put the lens on the top left/right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Youre dont mean the focus-assist lighting? You know, the light that makes your camera able to focus on things it might normally be too dark for it to focus on? Cause thats not flash.
I never take a picture of my fingers. Also, pressing on the screen to take a photo could help you out if you feel its too heavy to hold while using the manual button.
Personally the WP8 experience is on par with the experience I had on my SGS3 with android 4.1.
I like the homescreen far more than on Android, and the way social and email is integrated with the native apps like messaging, contacts, etcetera.
I dont like IE10 as much as Chrome, but thats MOSTLY because of how IE10 handles doubletap to zoom and textwrapping plus certain messageboards. Why no mobile browser besides the microB-browser has had swirlzooming is beyond me.
All in all, the 920 is better for me than the SGS3, and Id choose it over SGS3 any day of the week.
iujona said:
I bought the 920 on weds..just returned today. The first one the shop had was DoA but the guy gave me another meant for another customer.The phone is top notch quality albeit on the heavier side. Camera placement in the center is not ideal and the phone could slip out of your hands..but its built like a tank. Screen is excellent and call quality is clear . Despite the weight it feels really good...better than the iphone 5 which i also have and night and day against any samsung phone (i had note 2 as well). Now the bad news.
Windows 8 mobile sucks!!! It took me an hour to setup my windows live or is it hotmail account. When I first setup it thought I was a child and gave me the round around telling me to check with family controls etc. Also I needed to put my credit card details etc just to access the app store. This process was also confusing since it redirected to the awful internet explorer mobile on the phone where the fonts were so small I couldnt see damn thing. Resizing the web page was cumbersome at best. I tried a few times...and i was so frustrated i felt like throwing the phone against the wall. In the end I did a hard reset and after more mucking around and searching on forums I got it working. But it was like pulling teeth.
Once I got my account setup..you cant change it unless you do a hard reset. So you are basically locked to that account. So if you have one older MS live account and a newer one , you wont be able to switch. This is the most retarded thing out. On android and iOs you can have many accounts as you want. I have a US, UK account which I like to use.
Anyway the first thing I did was go to the app store to download essentials such as Whatsapp , skype etc since nowadays we dont really talk anymore on the phone but message.Skype was ok and it has a special interface coz MS owns it. Whatsapp was a disaster, First time it took forever to load my contacts then say i had no contacts. 2nd time i got it to work but no video uploads. the interface is not as easy as on ios or droid. This is by no means MS fault but they should have checked to see if it works on newer phones. But I guess theres the rub. MS win 8 mobile has such a low user base, developers treat updates with the lowest priority. The app store has hotch potch skeleton app selection. You wont find spotify there but Nokia Music fills the gap albeit a poor substitute. I use my phone as music player first and foremost so music lovers will be disappointed. The MS sync tool with itunes is very bad. Playlists and songs werent copied and album art missing.
The microsoft email client is not as good as ios . You can change fonts and html messaged dont look as clean. I dont take many pics so didnt really try out the camera. But even when i turned flash off the flash was still on for some reason. The lens placement in the center of the phone meant that you would take shots of your fingers instead. Since the phone is heavy it was hard to just hold the bottom half to take pics. They should put the lens on the top left/right.
Surfing was an ok experience..windows wouldnt auto resize so most of the time you would get really small fonts.
Movies were good as display is excellent.. For some reason it also just shutdown completely last night (with 70% battery) and it took a soft reset to get it going again. The live tiles system is different and people who are tired of ios or droid may find this unique but the novelty factor wears off since not all tiles are live. The UI is smooth and there was no lag. Also little things like no batt percentage and some youtube videos wouldnt play (vevo) as it recognized win8 as mobile device. This works on ios and droid.
Bottom line...it wasnt a keeper since there are so many bugs to iron out.
Pros
beautiful high quality constructed phone. better than iphone5, htc/samsung note2 s3 etc
good yellow color
good UI..smooth
Cons
Win 8 mobile- THE BIGGEST reason why i returned it.
Camera placement
Apps (im not a heavy app user but the basic ones dont even work properly)
Slightly heavy to hold
It may be good for ppl who take a lot of photos since the camera is supposed to be the best on any phone..apart from that..would advise you to stay away until the win8 bugs are sorted.
PS i think Nokia/MS is desperate so they restricted supply to make it look as if the phone is hot and to get the buzz going. I really wanted to like it but couldnt get past the crap win 8 mobile. If the phone had droid or ios then it would be.. Also I think MS is padding the user reviews to make people buy it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a Lumia 920 yesterday for my wife (not a technically savvy person at all!) Once she had her bearings (about 5 minutes navigating around) it took her less than 5 minutes to set up all her e-mails. There was no need to give any credit card information, and the camera is really good in low lights... compared it to my S2. Daylight shots are a little washed out, but READ! a camera firmware patch is coming soon. Tech specs on the camera are really good, and so is the screen... these two and the solid constructions are the reason i opted for this phone. Pretty sure others would agree.
And in conclusion, if it took you over an hour to set up email, it's a good thing you returned this phone. I would highly recommend staying miles away from Android or Windows devices; a Leap-frog or an Apple product would work best for you.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=47B06B5E8305F272!19290&authkey=!AFZNcFylbWuptfI
I read a post about how amazing Night mode was. So I played around with the scenes Close Ups, Cloudy, and Night Mode. So often, that stuff is just a gimmick, not on this phone!
I returned my Lumia 900 cause it was hard for me to transition from Android and it was lacking. I gave the 920 and WP8 another chance and never looked backed. It's restricted compared to how you have so much customization you can do on Android, but the 920 is far from being some kind of wash out. The stabilization of the camera is one of the best I've seen. I've take shots compared to my HTC One X and the stability feature is awesome.
Personally I love a heavy set phone. Gives me the feel of sturdiness. I've always liked heavier phone.
The screen in day light is simply the best thing I have ever seen. The way the color tones adjust to bright light is incredible. Even with the top down on my car I can see the screen crystal clear.
The speaker on this thing is SUPER loud. Louder than my Nexus 7. The EQ on this thing absolutely smashes anything my One X Beats Audio could dish out. It's even better than any EQ feature on Android 3rd party apps like Power Amp. When I adjust the EQ it adjust.
It took me minutes to set up my Live, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo, NetZero, and Hotmail Account. The integration is very nice in how it works together.
I have my quarrels with WP8, but it's super stable and nicely integrated with apps optimized for it's ecosystem.
IMHO WP8 is at the point of what Froyo was for Android. One of those landmark version that will get this OS out in the wild.
Sorry to hear you not like it, I can understand as I been there with the 900, but I can't justify it with the 920. The apps will come, the stability will come, the updates to software will come.
I've actually had the worse upgrade of JB on my Nexus 7 when they fixed the bugs of forgetting to December in the calendar. And to be quite frank my 920 process faster than my One X with the same processor and my Nexus 7. I'll never stop using Android, but I'll never say WP8 sucks. There's no way.
I agree with OP regarding the email client; 1 account is not enought. For the rest i can only say that i setup my phone in 5 minutes with no problems at all. Using my 920 since 2 weeks, coming from an iphone4 and no regrets at all.

One week with the Gear S...observations

Hi,
I had been awaiting the Gear S arrival forever...I almost gave up on it with the lack of information and when the Asus was supposed to come out the very same day, I was very uncertain which was the watch for me. In the end, the Gear S was available from T-Mobile (my carrier) and the Asus was nowhere to be found at BestBuy, so I bought the GearS.
It has been a long time since I have looked forward to getting any kind of new IT device. I had been looking into smart watches for a few months and this is my first one, here my first thoughts and impressions:
Size/Attention Getter:
It is big. I am female, 5'6" but I don't think it is too big. Other people may disagree, but it is just super-cool, techie looking.
It is not great with every outfit, though. I can already imagine there may be times I would prefer a different looking one. T-Mobile had only the black bands at the time, perhaps different bands in the future ay make a difference.
Watch faces:
Nowhere in their pre-launch advertising did I see a hint that the watch faces don't stay as is to save battery power. I liked the stock watch faces it came with (the dark blue and white one) and when I realized those are not on display all the time, I was disappointed. Now I have gotten used to it. Picking a watch face means you need to like its "alter ego" in power savings mode too, because you may end up seeing it more than the regular one. Fortunately, the white stock face has a nice alter ego, so I am ok with it now. Initially was a bit of a let down, though.
Apps:
I had no pre-conceived idea as to which is better, Android Wear of Tizen. Heard there were fewer apps in Tizen, but then, how many would I realistically run using my watch anyway? Well, I still don't know if waiting for the Asus would have been the smarter choice, but the first time I looked into the Gear S appstore, I was really disappointed. One particular bit in the Asus pre-launch movie was the ability to control presentations with your watch. How cool does that sound? Well, nothing like that in the Tizen App store. Later, they all of a sudden showed up, but for some very strange reason, initially there were very few. Again, bit of a let down at first that got better at the end of the week when I took another look. Still hoping more useful things will show up in there eventually.
Notifications:
I have to admit, the advertising worked like a charm on me, I never paid enough attention to details. E.g. facebook "notifications" vs. a "facebook app". After the initial "how awesome is this" feeling, a few days later I became a bit annoyed when I could see someone had posted something, but I could not see what.
Battery life:
It lasts me throughout the day. What more can I expect? I charge my phones (personal Note 3 and work Blackberry) every night, now I just add the Gear S to my evening ritual. One thing to make note of: I worked all day and then had to take a red-eye to the east coast. Even though I put the GearS in Airplane mode, I should have just turned it off altogether, 11hours on a plane, what was I thinking?
S Health:
Love the tracking of steps. I am not a runner, but it feels good to know I actually walk a lot more than I thought I did - after all, I don't take my phone with me just to walk into the kitchen, the garage or the back yard every time...
The Sleep Monitor is a bit more of a gimmick, IMHO. To clarify: the watch does not know if you are asleep or awake, it only knows you pushed a button confirming you are going to sleep now and when you pushed a button confirming you are awake now. In between it measures your movement. It kept me pretty much awake the first night with the display coming on and off every now and then...Since I have to charge it at night, I no longer use the sleep monitor.
S-Health does not sync with the S-Health app on my phone, but I never noticed it. I use S-Health more for monitoring the "moment" and do not look back over time...so it works for me.
Music Player:
no bad...but I sat on the beach the other day and could not hear it at all over the sound of the waves. Not a huge problem, since the waves are nice too...and the watch was never intended to replace a real sound system. I don't actually use it much on a day to day basis.
**** Tracey effect:
Walking my dogs and talking into my watch is awkward. Driving while talking on the watch is awesome! Forgot my hands-free device at home? No problem with the watch! I have a VW Diesel which can be a bit noisy inside and I could hear and be heard well.
Figuring out all needed settings:
The watch is a complicated device. There are so many different settings and ways one may use it, that I think many are having problems. I read all the issues other people had and was able to resolve mine with the help of this forum and others. I have both watch and phone on one carrier, have one of the recommended phones, so it was only a matter of time and preferences to get it set up. Here are a few that made a difference to me:
Getting all texts, calls all the time, regardless if sent to phone or watch: Here in the US, we do not have multi-Sim cards, so my watch has a different phone number than my phone. If I send a text from my watch while not connected to my phone, I know the person I sent this to will simply hit reply. If I reconnect via BT to my phone, it is important to have the setting for mobile networks set to always on. Otherwise you won't receive their response until you disconnect from BT later...
Call forwarding when connected remotely (not via BT) That one bugged me the most, it just did not seem to work. Turned out to be user error (isn't it almost always and I had accidently added my phone # and not the watch # in the Gear manager app on the phone as to where to enable call forwarding to.
For now, these are the things I have played with. I downloaded "Find my Car" (should be super helpful next time I park in a gigantic airport or Costco parking lot), Opera Mini, Yelp and a presentation aid "PreGear", but have not yet tried any of them out, since I have been traveling for work and was super busy. I will take a closer look at them later when I have more time.
What bugs me and has me still looking at the Asus Zen Watch
I am still bummed out over the facebook notifications. I have no idea if Android Wear works any differently and you can actually see what people posted, but I will take a closer look at that one when I see it for the first time.
My phone has a lock pattern. Many times if you want to see something on the Gear S, but can't, it will give you the option of "Show on device". Well, but it won't unlock my phone for me. Pain in the neck. I could have sworn I saw it can unlock your phone, but that may have been for a different smart watch.
Schedule: would be nice if I could figure out how to add anything to it, have not been able to yet. So for now, I have not a single appointment anywhere to be shown. Would be nice if true. There are other calendars one can download from the Gear App store, but I have not had enough time to look into which will work for me.
When getting onto an airplane I now have another device that I have to remember to put into airplane mode (2 phones, 1 iPad, 1 Kindle and now my watch! I don't mind too much, but if this list gets much longer, I will need to request advance boarding for the additional time it takes to do so lol
The band sometimes gets a bit uncomfortable when it is very warm outside.
It is a large, geeky device, while most of the time I think this is great, there will be others when I may prefer something more elegant.
I wished I could get my work emails on it but this may fall into the category "be careful what you wish for". We use Blackberries still but are moving to iPhones next year. There are no apps that allow me to connect to the BB Enterprise server. Even if they existed, chances are my work would not permit it anyway for security reasons...and why would I want to see 200+ emails on my wrist anyway, most of them containing attachments I would not be able to open...
That's it, sorry for the length, but perhaps someone can make a more informed buying decision, rather than the deeply emotional "I have to have it NOW" one I made! I probably would have still purchased it that day, but I would have saved myself the letdown factor when it simply did not do all the things I took for granted...
Thank you for your help. I'm trying to decide between the two myself
just a few things
bennie joe said:
What bugs me and has me still looking at the Asus Zen Watch
I am still bummed out over the facebook notifications. I have no idea if Android Wear works any differently and you can actually see what people posted, but I will take a closer look at that one when I see it for the first time.
My phone has a lock pattern. Many times if you want to see something on the Gear S, but can't, it will give you the option of "Show on device". Well, but it won't unlock my phone for me. Pain in the neck. I could have sworn I saw it can unlock your phone, but that may have been for a different smart watch.
Schedule: would be nice if I could figure out how to add anything to it, have not been able to yet. So for now, I have not a single appointment anywhere to be shown. Would be nice if true. There are other calendars one can download from the Gear App store, but I have not had enough time to look into which will work for me.
When getting onto an airplane I now have another device that I have to remember to put into airplane mode (2 phones, 1 iPad, 1 Kindle and now my watch! I don't mind too much, but if this list gets much longer, I will need to request advance boarding for the additional time it takes to do so lol
The band sometimes gets a bit uncomfortable when it is very warm outside.
It is a large, geeky device, while most of the time I think this is great, there will be others when I may prefer something more elegant.
I wished I could get my work emails on it but this may fall into the category "be careful what you wish for". We use Blackberries still but are moving to iPhones next year. There are no apps that allow me to connect to the BB Enterprise server. Even if they existed, chances are my work would not permit it anyway for security reasons...and why would I want to see 200+ emails on my wrist anyway, most of them containing attachments I would not be able to open...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very thorough. Just a few things.
Facebook [Notifications]: I've been playing around with the Tizen for Wearables SDK (software development kit). The Gear S and Gear devices employ something called Rich Notifications. What has to happen in order for Facebook to be able to provide more detailed information and interactivity for notifications that are pushed to the Gear S, is that Facebook (and the rest) need to update their app with the ability to work with Rich Notifications. The same goes for each and every other Android app developer/company. But ... whether they do that is up to them. If they don't see any value in it (if none of their users are asking for it, but are instead blaming Samsung--not saying you are at all), then they won't do it.
Lock pattern: There is a setting in Gear Manager on your phone that allows it. Open Gear Manager, scroll to the bottom and choose Settings. Scroll half-way down to Auto Lock and check the box.
Schedule: This is one of the Gear S's shortcomings. We used to be able to "add an event" using S-Voice on other Gear devices, but for some reason we can't with the Gear S. I can see all of the events on my calendar, but only because I use S-Planner. If you aren't using S-Planner, then your calendar won't "sync" with what's on the Gear S. The same goes for texts, email, and some other things. If you aren't using the TouchWiz (stock Samsung apps on the phone), then it won't play so nice with the Gear S. Same thing goes for using Samsung calendar and text messaging while owning and using an Android Wear device. Google has closed down what can be used fully with Android Wear, to their proprietary apps. The rest have limited functionality and display the same "Send to Phone" message to do anything interactive. That may change for both Samsung and Google, since they are starting to open up and release their SDKs, but while Samsung is opening up, Google is starting to tighten up.
Email: I think Samsung is working out the kinks with the Email situation ... but it could be a moment. The email app on the device isn't quite a stand-alone email application. When you add email accounts (e.g., corporate Exchange, which is what I do) through Gear Manager, for example, it also adds it to your phone ... so it's a bit of a challenge. The problem I have is that with it, I can't reply to or compose new email messages, though others with newer phones like the S5 and Note 4 can. There's a combination of Galaxy device model version, Android version, and Stock Email app version that causes variance in the available features when it comes to email. And it's aggravating. But we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I didn't use use Android Wear for long, but while I did I found it to be too much like having Google Now on my wrist, and not enough of it being an actual extension of my phone or a productivity device. I don't know if that makes any sense ... But I did sell it after a few weeks of use because I found it to be of minimal use. Your mileage will certainly vary, but if you have the opportunity you should try to play around with an Android Wear device. You may be surprised. I won't say whether that will be positively or negatively ... but do try to check it out.
Thanks!
So how do you suggest users let e.g. Facebook know to change their ways? Any particular venue that might be more effective?
Thanks for the info on the lock pattern, I will check that out!
Have you tried Facebook in Opera Mini?
You can read and respond to Facebook messages in there.
bennie joe said:
Thanks!
So how do you suggest users let e.g. Facebook know to change their ways? Any particular venue that might be more effective?
Thanks for the info on the lock pattern, I will check that out!
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Twitter and official FaceBook support. Maybe the Gear S communities on FaceBook too. I don't use it so I really don't know! Also try hitting up Samsung Support on FaceBook.
Great post by the way. It will definitely be useful to some people who are on the fence.
New app "encouragement"
Thanks again for the suggestion of contacting the apps which I currently like on my android device. Oddly enough, it did not occur to me to contact them, since I figured why would they listen to me? But there is power in numbers!
I have reached out to 2 of my favorite apps, my fitness pal and facebook and will send more in the future as I miss using them on the Gear S.
Here is what I did:
For facebook:
On your profile page on my samsung Note 3 on the very bottom you have the option of reporting a problem. Then it breaks it down to 3 options: general feedback, Something isn't working and abusive content.
I chose something isn't working, because on my Gear s, it isn't I figured, general feedback receives a lot less attention than a reported problem...
My fitness pal:
Under help is a section FAQs/Feedback where you can send them emails. Done!
I encourage everybody to do the same with their favorite apps.. There is power in numbers and only if we reach out can our voice be heard! If developers do not know how many people are out there wanting to use their app on a specific platform, why would they bother spending time and resources on it! As long as everybody keeps the message positive and points out they already purchased the Gear S, they should listen and can actually measure demand ...
Yes, I just started using it last night, not a bad interim solution. Thanks for the tip!

Who likes the gear s

I am planing on getting a gear s but I have hear nothing but bad things about does anybody hear like the device and if so what are the pros and cons you have found of this device is it woth get it g or should I wait for the next gen gear to come out
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jolly_roger_hook said:
I am planing on getting a gear s but I have hear nothing but bad things about does anybody hear like the device and if so what are the pros and cons you have found of this device is it woth get it g or should I wait for the next gen gear to come out
Sent From The EDGE
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Haters gonna hate. Thats the only way to look at it. Its a cool piece of hardware but theres haters for everything. Hell you tell people the battery will last 2-3 days and they scream bloody murder, "oh it sucks, thats horrible!". Then you tell them the Apple iWatch battery will only last 8 hours and they are all like " oh well thats probably ok" (I dont actually know what the iWatch battery is like). I did just go on a little rant here. It should give you some insight into why people talk bad about it.
Thanks I'll check that out
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cipherswitch said:
Haters gonna hate. Thats the only way to look at it. Its a cool piece of hardware but theres haters for everything. Hell you tell people the battery will last 2-3 days and they scream bloody murder, "oh it sucks, thats horrible!". Then you tell them the Apple iWatch battery will only last 8 hours and they are all like " oh well thats probably ok" (I dont actually know what the iWatch battery is like). I did just go on a little rant here. It should give you some insight into why people talk bad about it.
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Click to collapse
Thanks I'll check that out
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Love mine. Yes charge it daily. Do i really need to not sure but rather it last than run out half wau through. Disnt have apps i wanted. So wrote my own. So now it pretty much does everything i want. I quite often leave my phone at home if popping to shops etc. Has step counter and sleep log. The apps i have downloaded are quite cool but dont use them often.
The two i wrote. Access cctv and view from watch. Control domoticz home automation from watch. Yup lazy can turn lights on and off from bed and couch. The tizen ide for programming is not too bad.
Anyways to sum up i love it
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I just got mine yesterday and so far I like it. I had the original Gear 1 and a Moto 360. I will say that the Moto 360 seemed to work better with Google stuff such as Hangouts, but it was far more limited as a device compared to the Gear S. I loaded the Gear Notification Extender, and now I can reply to both Gmail and Hangouts using the Gear S, very nice!
I do like the option of using something like the Opera Mini Browser to view Gmail and such. And I can't wait to try it out this spring while cycling, it would be nice to leave my phone at home or in the car when riding my bike.
Hope this helps.
its a fantastic piece of kit
to be fair i've struggled with it a bit understanding the settings and permutations but the functionality seems to be improving day by day.
the choice of useful apps isn't massive but that hasn't been a problem for me personally,
I'm not a great fan of the interface on my related S4 smartphone but i can live with that
the liberation of just having the watch (ok with your compatible samsung plugged in or turned on somewhere else) is the main attraction for me
i dont understand the haters especially those deriding the battery life, the appearance (it looks great on your wrist in real life), the concept ( i don't think i need one why would anybody else?) or the need to have a samsung phone to go with it ( I'm not charmed by that either that but Samsung are no worse than others in that regard and there are I guess technical reasons why it has to pair with something short of being a brick on your wrist) at least with the Gear S that pairing can be at a distance or indeed you can just use it as a phone on its own
some people have posted here and on android central that they have returned the watch but most actual users who see the use case for them, have checked out the limitations, have persevered or been patient with some of the glitches and understand why its the best in its class
i see your a "senior member" so apologies for showing granny how to suck eggs - apart from that buy it - or hang on a little longer to see if there really is a Gear S 2 coming soon!
alanshortt said:
its a fantastic piece of kit
to be fair i've struggled with it a bit understanding the settings and permutations but the functionality seems to be improving day by day.
the choice of useful apps isn't massive but that hasn't been a problem for me personally,
I'm not a great fan of the interface on my related S4 smartphone but i can live with that
the liberation of just having the watch (ok with your compatible samsung plugged in or turned on somewhere else) is the main attraction for me
i dont understand the haters especially those deriding the battery life, the appearance (it looks great on your wrist in real life), the concept ( i don't think i need one why would anybody else?) or the need to have a samsung phone to go with it ( I'm not charmed by that either that but Samsung are no worse than others in that regard and there are I guess technical reasons why it has to pair with something short of being a brick on your wrist) at least with the Gear S that pairing can be at a distance or indeed you can just use it as a phone on its own
some people have posted here and on android central that they have returned the watch but most actual users who see the use case for them, have checked out the limitations, have persevered or been patient with some of the glitches and understand why its the best in its class
i see your a "senior member" so apologies for showing granny how to suck eggs - apart from that buy it - or hang on a little longer to see if there really is a Gear S 2 coming soon!
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Click to collapse
chrisreese said:
I just got mine yesterday and so far I like it. I had the original Gear 1 and a Moto 360. I will say that the Moto 360 seemed to work better with Google stuff such as Hangouts, but it was far more limited as a device compared to the Gear S. I loaded the Gear Notification Extender, and now I can reply to both Gmail and Hangouts using the Gear S, very nice!
I do like the option of using something like the Opera Mini Browser to view Gmail and such. And I can't wait to try it out this spring while cycling, it would be nice to leave my phone at home or in the car when riding my bike.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dagaz said:
Love mine. Yes charge it daily. Do i really need to not sure but rather it last than run out half wau through. Disnt have apps i wanted. So wrote my own. So now it pretty much does everything i want. I quite often leave my phone at home if popping to shops etc. Has step counter and sleep log. The apps i have downloaded are quite cool but dont use them often.
The two i wrote. Access cctv and view from watch. Control domoticz home automation from watch. Yup lazy can turn lights on and off from bed and couch. The tizen ide for programming is not too bad.
Anyways to sum up i love it
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Thanks for all the replies very helpful now I just have to decide if I want to get the vzw version with its own number or wait for T-mobile to get them in Stock so I can have root
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jolly_roger_hook said:
Thanks for all the replies very helpful now I just have to decide if I want to get the vzw version(as its my service provider) with its own number or wait for T-mobile to get them in Stock so I can have root
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Click to collapse
Sent From The EDGE
I would get one that can be rooted. Mine may go back because of the lockdown.
What type of lights are you turning on and off? And what brand camera? I didn't see your apps on gear store
Thats because i wrote the apps for myself.
My home lights via domoticz
Accessing a cctv server system to view live images.
Might adapt them for the store at some stage but presently just because i wanted them.
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I have the WEMO light switches and wished there was an app for it on my watch. And I have foscam cameras, not necessary for a watch but I thought it would be cool.
kieso said:
I have the WEMO light switches and wished there was an app for it on my watch. And I have foscam cameras, not necessary for a watch but I thought it would be cool.
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No apps maybe, but you can go to the website for your Foscam using the Opera browser on the watch. Cheers!

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