So far I love it. One of the first things I did was download Google Now launcher, as I was coming from a Nexus 6 and had the Nexus 5 before that, and the Nexus 4 before that. So yeah, I was really used to stock(ish) Android. I can deal with most of the software changes I'm dealt with, it's no big deal to change the way I used to do things. Sometimes I think purist Android users can be over the top, but that's like anything else in life.
It's fast as hell once I turned off animations like I always do. WIFI reception seems average, and so does the network. I love the thinness of it. (remember I came from a Nexus 6 which is wide as %$#@) It feels like it was made for my hand.
I'm obviously not going in order here, but even the unboxing experience was very nice. Very neatly packaged in a slick white box that screamed quality. And they included all of the necessary accessories to have a nice first impression. They included a USB-C to Micro USB converter for those that need it, a plastic screen protector, a clear case, a quick charge wall unit, and an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain. Nice. Sometimes it's the little things that really matter, and you can tell a company actually cares about its customers. Anker is one of the best when it comes to customer relations. Keep that in mind when buying cables or chargers.
After watching some of the Youtube reviews of this phone, (after I bought it) I was a little worried if I had made a mistake. After getting it and using it for a while, all of those concerns are negated. It's just fine, and a hell of a deal (I got it for $329 from Newegg). Even me being a long time Rommer and rooter, I don't feel the need to Rom. (that may change) Google Launcher works great, so I'm happy.
There's a bunch of tweaks I have to do yet, but so far it's been nice. I have no issues whatsoever. It's just a good solid phone for what you pay. $329 is actually a good price at this point. And even cheaper if you don't mind gently used. Thumbs up on this phone.
Thank you for your review. In particular I did not realize that in the box there is "an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain" until reading your review! . I would miss this practical tool, thinking that it was an useless piece of rubber.
dnlilas said:
Thank you for your review. In particular I did not realize that in the box there is "an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain" until reading your review! . I would miss this practical tool, thinking that it was an useless piece of rubber.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was trying to be semi-sarcastic.
I had much the same experience with mine, loving it at first, and also coming from a Nexus 6. I'm planning on selling mine now though as I've been unable to unlock the bootloader to get root and custom recovery. The stock software isn't bad compared to some, but compared to the freedom you have with the Nexus 6, being stuck on stock unrooted kinda sucks.
It's been kind of a pain trying to sell it again not at a significant loss though, so I'm thinking about trying to give it another go and unlock the bootloader. I was running into the problem of not being able to mount the SD Card in recovery to flash the B20 firmare.
It really is a great phone hardware wise. I absolutely love the bright, vibrant screen and the speakers are great. Plus I like the look of the phone overall. If I could just get the software I wanted on it I could live happily ever after, lol.
wolfen69 said:
So far I love it. One of the first things I did was download Google Now launcher, as I was coming from a Nexus 6 and had the Nexus 5 before that, and the Nexus 4 before that. So yeah, I was really used to stock(ish) Android. I can deal with most of the software changes I'm dealt with, it's no big deal to change the way I used to do things. Sometimes I think purist Android users can be over the top, but that's like anything else in life.
It's fast as hell once I turned off animations like I always do. WIFI reception seems average, and so does the network. I love the thinness of it. (remember I came from a Nexus 6 which is wide as %$#@) It feels like it was made for my hand.
I'm obviously not going in order here, but even the unboxing experience was very nice. Very neatly packaged in a slick white box that screamed quality. And they included all of the necessary accessories to have a nice first impression. They included a USB-C to Micro USB converter for those that need it, a plastic screen protector, a clear case, a quick charge wall unit, and an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain. Nice. Sometimes it's the little things that really matter, and you can tell a company actually cares about its customers. Anker is one of the best when it comes to customer relations. Keep that in mind when buying cables or chargers.
After watching some of the Youtube reviews of this phone, (after I bought it) I was a little worried if I had made a mistake. After getting it and using it for a while, all of those concerns are negated. It's just fine, and a hell of a deal (I got it for $329 from Newegg). Even me being a long time Rommer and rooter, I don't feel the need to Rom. (that may change) Google Launcher works great, so I'm happy.
There's a bunch of tweaks I have to do yet, but so far it's been nice. I have no issues whatsoever. It's just a good solid phone for what you pay. $329 is actually a good price at this point. And even cheaper if you don't mind gently used. Thumbs up on this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to go on the write up here. I went with a used one via Swappa, waiting for it to come in and I checked around with some XDA knowledge before hand. And they said it was a good device. I look forward to getting, although these days I dont have much time in "mod'ing / flashing" but I also had a N6P, which sold that via Swappa.
Thanks again for your thoughts here. :good:
Prozart said:
I was running into the problem of not being able to mount the SD Card in recovery to flash the B20 firmare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for totally off-topic, but I have no idea what you mean with flashing the B20 firmware. If it's the same process as the A2017G just using axon7tool (axon7toolkit might do it too, and probably easier) works. After you have TWRP you can spam the SD card option under Mount and it'll mount itself eventually. Or use the USB cable via MTP on TWRP. but again, what B20 firmware?
I don't know if I'll be able to help you, I just read most guides for the A2017G. Try axon7toolkit since it supposedly works for all 3 versions and can unlock your BL.
And the review, I honestly don't know what kind of mind control ZTE uses on the stock ROM, but I'm constantly going back to it after trying other ROMs. It works nicely if you don't count the things they break on every update, but hey, it gives a little of thrill to the whole situation (Will they fix Google Play? Will they even bother to fix exFAT? What about mobile data?)
What about the SIM tool? It is pretty awesome xd
Exfat is fixed in the new update b04 now u can use SD card upto 256gb.
Related
I just got a new Tab 10.1 for Christmas (actually got it the 23rd) and I have to say I am a bit disappointed with it.
I am on vacation for three weeks so I have been on the tab pretty much constantly since the 23rd trying to personalize it and get it working as I believe it should.
Now don't misinterpret my post here, I'm not bashing it, I love everything Android, I'm just trying to understand what others are experiencing and maybe learn what I can do to make mine better.... I've read and read on this forum and already done several tips, tricks and other things that I would have assumed would have improved the device but so far it's still the same.
My biggest disappointment is video..... My phone plays everything I go watch with no lag or trouble... but This Tab will only play You-Tube videos.
If I go to a website it either tells me I need a plug-in (which is already installed)
or it does nothing and just gives me a black box where the video would be...
I've tried a bunch of different browsers: FireFox, Opera, Dolphin, even the built in android browser and they all do it.
I've reinstalled flash several times and updated it and still I only have video in You tube.
I have the hardest time getting apps to D/L from the market...I keep getting a no connection pop up. I'm using several other devices at the same time and they dont drop connection constantly so it gotta be something with the Tab itself.
Another thing that is kinda bugging me is all the lag in the screen and with the keyboard.... Everything moves kinda choppy or just is very slow to respond.
I did manage to D/L another keyboard which seems to be better.
I thought if I rooted it and got the bloatware off it would improve it but I can't see any improvement overall and it is disappointing...
So guys, what am I doing wrong with this thing? I'd love to be able to use it to watch news, play music and reply to the text and emails I get on my cell with the larger interface but I can't see that happening with how she's running at the present.
My cell does all of the above flawlessly running Cyanogen 7 on 2.3.7 so I'm wondering if I just need to get away from the stock rom or something...I've done everything else I can think of.
What do you all think, Thanks
Hey I bought a 4g version yesterday BNIB for 350 cnd off kijiji to replace my hp touchpad running cyanogenmod 7. It is no where near half the machine my hp was its already back on kijiji looking for trades maybe a asus... im on official 3.2 and it lags like crazy, fc's all the time and ive had to hard restart twice. no ports excepts the proprietary, terrible speaker placement and sound (compared to my hp **** even my sgs2) + barely no dev for the 4g version I dont understand why anyone would want this thing. feel free to flame this post but give facts to back it.
I actually used to love this device but now that i just look at it...its pretty bad build quality and software...the software can be taken care of but COME ON SAMSUNG...USE METAL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
ezcats said:
I actually used to love this device but now that i just look at it...its pretty bad build quality and software...the software can be taken care of but COME ON SAMSUNG...USE METAL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently you haven't read anything about the transformer prime's wireless and gps problems....
slack04 said:
Apparently you haven't read anything about the transformer prime's wireless and gps problems....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they fixed the wifi right?...yeah i know gps is screwed up.
samsung is a pretty smart company..they can figure it out...i have faith..one day...they will use metal
I only have the Wi-Fi version and I payed $175 Cnd for it from a friend and I'm more then happy with it , never had problems with it playing videos on stock but I did find the sensitivity on stock was pretty bad but since I switched to task's rom it's much better there's an app to I believe to help with this issue I'm not sure of the name of it though. I've never ran into that browser plug in problem either.
As far as metal, really use metal? Personally I like the plastic it's lighter and I use the Pyroskins 360 case and never see the back of the case anyway, awesome case btw for the price. Overall for what I paid for this tab it's awesome but if I had to pay retail $499 Cdn for it my opinion may have been different.
Samdroid_G_S said:
I only have the Wi-Fi version and I payed $175 Cnd for it from a friend and I'm more then happy with it , never had problems with it playing videos on stock but I did find the sensitivity on stock was pretty bad but since I switched to task's rom it's much better there's an app to I believe to help with this issue I'm not sure of the name of it though. I've never ran into that browser plug in problem either.
As far as metal, really use metal? Personally I like the plastic it's lighter and I use the Pyroskins 360 case and never see the back of the case anyway, awesome case btw for the price. Overall for what I paid for this tab it's awesome but if I had to pay retail $499 Cdn for it my opinion may have been different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for that price i would be perfectly happy!!
just $500 for poor quality?
BTW when i say metal...i just mean not flimsy plastic.
ezcats said:
for that price i would be perfectly happy!!
just $500 for poor quality?
BTW when i say metal...i just mean not flimsy plastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea but Samsung is notorious for using thin plastic, Original Galaxy S phone, Galaxy S II ext all plastic.
I understand the plastic is not hard as a rock , its thin , its light and really is just good for keeping the dust out, protection is very minimal. Once it's in a case you add another layer of plastic on the back for protection anyway and you can no longer see what its made of and the case doubles as a stand , win win and problem solved.
I'm not sure why Samsung never uses an all aluminum case , could be cost, patent problems or could be heat issues, the tab does tend to get pretty warm sometimes I find in the upper left hand corner area and if your using metal that heat could spread.
I have the Verizon LTE version and can't live without it. Simply love this thing despite the issues people describe. On 3.2 with pershoots kernel, v6 supercharger and zipalign scripts lag is acceptable in ADW launcher. Its not iPad smooth but good enough for me as I wait for ice cream sandwich on this thing.
As for videos l love it, the screen is phenomenal. I don't do video streams in browsers much but instead download TV shows from eztv and watch them or I encode my bluray rips to 720p specific to this tab and play them on it. Only streams I watch regularly outside of YouTube are revision 3 shows which play fine for me in their app.
I'm satisfied with build quality on it, once its in my pyroskin 360 the nonmetal back is irrelevant to me. The tablet did show the oil slick problem early on but I just changed case and handling habits and they never returned.
What I love most is doing circles around my wifes ipad2 away from home when she is on 3g and I'm on LTE.
I understand peoples frustrations even if I don't share them. I knew what I was getting into though and where I wanted to go from the start (cm9) so I'm just enjoying the ride along the way.
jessepatty said:
I just got a new Tab 10.1 for Christmas (actually got it the 23rd) and I have to say I am a bit disappointed with it.
I am on vacation for three weeks so I have been on the tab pretty much constantly since the 23rd trying to personalize it and get it working as I believe it should.
Now don't misinterpret my post here, I'm not bashing it, I love everything Android, I'm just trying to understand what others are experiencing and maybe learn what I can do to make mine better.... I've read and read on this forum and already done several tips, tricks and other things that I would have assumed would have improved the device but so far it's still the same.
My biggest disappointment is video..... My phone plays everything I go watch with no lag or trouble... but This Tab will only play You-Tube videos.
If I go to a website it either tells me I need a plug-in (which is already installed)
or it does nothing and just gives me a black box where the video would be...
I've tried a bunch of different browsers: FireFox, Opera, Dolphin, even the built in android browser and they all do it.
I've reinstalled flash several times and updated it and still I only have video in You tube.
I have the hardest time getting apps to D/L from the market...I keep getting a no connection pop up. I'm using several other devices at the same time and they dont drop connection constantly so it gotta be something with the Tab itself.
Another thing that is kinda bugging me is all the lag in the screen and with the keyboard.... Everything moves kinda choppy or just is very slow to respond.
I did manage to D/L another keyboard which seems to be better.
I thought if I rooted it and got the bloatware off it would improve it but I can't see any improvement overall and it is disappointing...
So guys, what am I doing wrong with this thing? I'd love to be able to use it to watch news, play music and reply to the text and emails I get on my cell with the larger interface but I can't see that happening with how she's running at the present.
My cell does all of the above flawlessly running Cyanogen 7 on 2.3.7 so I'm wondering if I just need to get away from the stock rom or something...I've done everything else I can think of.
What do you all think, Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird... I use a stock 4g version (with adw ex) and I don't have any of your problem
---------- Post added at 09:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 AM ----------
Samdroid_G_S said:
Yea but Samsung is notorious for using thin plastic, Original Galaxy S phone, Galaxy S II ext all plastic.
I understand the plastic is not hard as a rock , its thin , its light and really is just good for keeping the dust out, protection is very minimal. Once it's in a case you add another layer of plastic on the back for protection anyway and you can no longer see what its made of and the case doubles as a stand , win win and problem solved.
I'm not sure why Samsung never uses an all aluminum case , could be cost, patent problems or could be heat issues, the tab does tend to get pretty warm sometimes I find in the upper left hand corner area and if your using metal that heat could spread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Oh my god, plastic is crap"
"Why Samsung can't use aluminium like Apple ?"
"Plastic feels cheap"
...
It's just about feeling, however in the reality :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw
I bought 2 of the 16gb wifi models for christmas for my wife and i and at first was completly upset and disappointed . When i opened mine it had the newtonring issue right out of the box and gave it a few days to see if it would go away but to no avail ... My wife was to use hers for buisness use and at first wouldent do what she wanted it to so was worthless .
This is my first experince with android and a samsung mobile (always had ios devices )product but after all the reading ,reviews i did i went with these tabs because everything was on the up till we started using them.
Any way got my tab replaced with a new one and since installed task 10 on both ,overclocked mine now they meet our needs and pretty happy with the purchase. With out being able to do this i would of returned both and went a different direction .
After much deliberation I finally returned my DNA today, but not for the reasons many of you might suspect. I have unlimited data, and I'm a power user and run off pure 4g all day. I didnt care about the sd card since I rely on google music/netflix/youtube/PlayOn for all my entertainment. Coming from the thunderbolt the DNA's battery life was a breath of fresh air. I would keep the DNA mounted in a tablet stand next to my desk all day running at full bright, surfing constantly. During lunch I'd watch a solid hour of netflix. I stream slacker to and from work. I always keep gps/bluetooth on and have multiple sync services running such as gmail, twitter, etc. By the time I get home my phone usually has 25% life, and thats without any charging. This is a huge win for me since the thunderbolt requires constant charging.
However the problems for me were the lack of kickstand (i dont like cellphone cases and keep mine naked at all times), and the lack of car docking ability. I kept forgetting to bring my tablet stand with me during lunch and I'd have to watch movies with the damn thing flat on the table. Without Qi car docks I have to stick my phone in the cupholder, where I can only see about half of the screen and have to let it bounce and bang around while I drive.
Finally there was the lack of openness. Verizon really boned us on the locked bootloader, and it seems like all the rooting material out there has about a 50% chance of bricking your device, not a risk I'm willing to take. So I fired my TB back up and felt right at home. Ad-blocking, wifi tether, customized quick settings, and a safe s-off method. I was at home again. The DNA was a great phone, but it wasnt enough of a TB killer to warrant the upgrade. The TB is still fine in my books and I plan to get some more good life out of it. I must say I got REALLY addicted to using the LG wireless charging pad, so I decided to buy a couple of OEM thunderbolt docks for my home/office desks so that I can quickly dock/undock in a similar fashion to the LG pad. Plus my phone will now charge in kickstand mode
......waiting for SGS4 now hehehe..
50% Chance? I'm wondering where in the world you came up with that info. Seems to me you are just uncomfortable with what is involved to unlock. And that's the reason you returned it.
Or we could go with the car/cup holder theory and docking..... but that's more of a simple fix......
If you know how to use adb and the sdk-tools, which you should if you plan to do any kind of modding, then you should have no problem unlocking the bootloader. That's the only concern that might have been worth returning it for. Otherwise its a great phone.
Understandable. U need to enjoy what u purchased. U don't like it, u return it. I wouldn't keep something I don't like either. I did the same thing with the Droid Eris and got the Google Nexus instead.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
If you skim through the unlocking threads there are numerous complaints about people bricking their devices. I dont know what their experience levels are, but this is far above the norm for any new device. Seems to me the dev's released their tools a little too prematurely. I'm sure it will get better in time, to the point of a one-click which is what everyone always wants. But I paid full retail for this device, and there's no way I was risking a brick because my computer hiccup'd during an adb push or because I hit a wrong button and rebooted twice or some other cardinal sin and be completely screwed. I'm all for flashing the hell out of my phones so long as there's a failsafe. But bricking? I dont think so. Like I said, it just needs time to mature.
The car dock stuff is very true however. I hate ugly gaudy clunky looking universal mounts, with their 3 or more brackets required to grip the phone. Plus the dna has that difficult to remove rubber cover on the port that I'm sure will fall off from repeated use. In the morning before going to work I dont have time to manhandle a car mount. I want to just pop the phone in and go, like I could with my TB mount. But with no sign of Qi car chargers on the horizon, and the actual written specs for the designs only released in october, it could be quite some time before we see them, if at all. I'm sure there's like 0 demand for Qi car chargers at the moment so it's a tough sell to bring to market.
I probably wont be looking at any phones at all for a very long time, even the SGS4 that I hinted at, because I'm sure they'll all suffer the same shortcomings. No OEM docks and no Qi car chargers.
RunNgun42 said:
If you skim through the unlocking threads there are numerous complaints about people bricking their devices. I dont know what their experience levels are, but this is far above the norm for any new device. Seems to me the dev's released their tools a little too prematurely. I'm sure it will get better in time, to the point of a one-click which is what everyone always wants. But I paid full retail for this device, and there's no way I was risking a brick because my computer hiccup'd during an adb push or because I hit a wrong button and rebooted twice or some other cardinal sin and be completely screwed. I'm all for flashing the hell out of my phones so long as there's a failsafe. But bricking? I dont think so. Like I said, it just needs time to mature.
The car dock stuff is very true however. I hate ugly gaudy clunky looking universal mounts, with their 3 or more brackets required to grip the phone. Plus the dna has that difficult to remove rubber cover on the port that I'm sure will fall off from repeated use. In the morning before going to work I dont have time to manhandle a car mount. I want to just pop the phone in and go, like I could with my TB mount. But with no sign of Qi car chargers on the horizon, and the actual written specs for the designs only released in october, it could be quite some time before we see them, if at all. I'm sure there's like 0 demand for Qi car chargers at the moment so it's a tough sell to bring to market.
I probably wont be looking at any phones at all for a very long time, even the SGS4 that I hinted at, because I'm sure they'll all suffer the same shortcomings. No OEM docks and no Qi car chargers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in no way trying to change your mind, as I just came from a Rezound with a dock at work, at home, and car mount/dock and I definitely enjoyed them.
However in the wireless charging thread in the accessories section, there was a post by a iBOLT guy stating that they were working on a Qi car mount/dock. Just a heads up. :thumbup:
Here's a link to his post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=34620722
Sent from my HTC Droid DNA
I'm sorry, I can't help myself, but the DNA isn't a TB killer? Are you kidding?
LOL, EVERY high-end phone that has come out since the TB was a TB killer.
(....my $.02 and, of course YMMV)
rfarrah said:
I'm sorry, I can't help myself, but the DNA isn't a TB killer? Are you kidding?
LOL, EVERY high-end phone that has come out since the TB was a TB killer.
(....my $.02 and, of course YMMV)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with the OP. I had a TB (with extended battery), and I preferred using it over the S3, MAXX HD, and DNA. None of those phones were worthy of an upgrade to the TB, IMO.
geoff5093 said:
I completely agree with the OP. I had a TB (with extended battery), and I preferred using it over the S3, MAXX HD, and DNA. None of those phones were worthy of an upgrade to the TB, IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh... Why are you still here then?
Idk why these threads are made but hey why not okay the not worth the upgrade from the tb made me laugh so hard my gf hit me cause I woke her .. gpu ,cpu screen reactiveness I mean it blows most phones away wait no all phones next to the nexus 4 in most areas DNA was better or ties even rendering a much higher resolution . Unless you wait for the s4 by your standard why get a glass on glass device u need to handle with kid gloves .... But the rooting method isn't there a one click now , s off I'm sure will come but if u absolutely need to flash now u can get the 8 gig no expadable mem or wait the 6-8 weeks in the play store for the 16 gig :banghead:
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda premium
Bye!
RunNgun42 said:
After much deliberation I finally returned my DNA today, but not for the reasons many of you might suspect. I have unlimited data, and I'm a power user and run off pure 4g all day. I didnt care about the sd card since I rely on google music/netflix/youtube/PlayOn for all my entertainment. Coming from the thunderbolt the DNA's battery life was a breath of fresh air. I would keep the DNA mounted in a tablet stand next to my desk all day running at full bright, surfing constantly. During lunch I'd watch a solid hour of netflix. I stream slacker to and from work. I always keep gps/bluetooth on and have multiple sync services running such as gmail, twitter, etc. By the time I get home my phone usually has 25% life, and thats without any charging. This is a huge win for me since the thunderbolt requires constant charging.
However the problems for me were the lack of kickstand (i dont like cellphone cases and keep mine naked at all times), and the lack of car docking ability. I kept forgetting to bring my tablet stand with me during lunch and I'd have to watch movies with the damn thing flat on the table. Without Qi car docks I have to stick my phone in the cupholder, where I can only see about half of the screen and have to let it bounce and bang around while I drive.
Finally there was the lack of openness. Verizon really boned us on the locked bootloader, and it seems like all the rooting material out there has about a 50% chance of bricking your device, not a risk I'm willing to take. So I fired my TB back up and felt right at home. Ad-blocking, wifi tether, customized quick settings, and a safe s-off method. I was at home again. The DNA was a great phone, but it wasnt enough of a TB killer to warrant the upgrade. The TB is still fine in my books and I plan to get some more good life out of it. I must say I got REALLY addicted to using the LG wireless charging pad, so I decided to buy a couple of OEM thunderbolt docks for my home/office desks so that I can quickly dock/undock in a similar fashion to the LG pad. Plus my phone will now charge in kickstand mode
......waiting for SGS4 now hehehe..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're gonna do what you're gonna do, and it's important to be happy with your device. But seriously, these are really stupid reasons for returning a device. Lack of a kickstand? Seriously? Prop it up against a book like everyone else does. Or get a case with a kickstand. Or use a cassette tape box. Or just hold it up yourself. There are many exceedingly easy solutions to this problem that don't make you look like the laziest person on the planet. Car docks are coming; you can't expect a brand new device only offered on one carrier to have a plethora of third-party support right out of the gate.
There is most certainly not a 50% chance of bricking your device. There's an 100% chance of bricking it if you do something stupid. If you follow directions, your risk is very slim. And again, the device has been out for less than a month. Stop being so damn impatient and let the devs work. The fact that we already have some roms trickling out is quite impressive in my book. They'll have a foolproof method out before you know it.
Honestly, after seeing thread after thread about how "awful" the battery supposedly is and how the lack of an SD slot is "inexcusable" (despite the fact that Google and Apple have omitted this for years now), this thread is sort of refreshing - it's nice having new, even less legitimate complaints to pick apart.
anti09 said:
You're gonna do what you're gonna do, and it's important to be happy with your device. But seriously, these are really stupid reasons for returning a device. Lack of a kickstand? Seriously? Prop it up against a book like everyone else does. Or get a case with a kickstand. Or use a cassette tape box. Or just hold it up yourself. There are many exceedingly easy solutions to this problem that don't make you look like the laziest person on the planet. Car docks are coming; you can't expect a brand new device only offered on one carrier to have a plethora of third-party support right out of the gate.
There is most certainly not a 50% chance of bricking your device. There's an 100% chance of bricking it if you do something stupid. If you follow directions, your risk is very slim. And again, the device has been out for less than a month. Stop being so damn impatient and let the devs work. The fact that we already have some roms trickling out is quite impressive in my book. They'll have a foolproof method out before you know it.
Honestly, after seeing thread after thread about how "awful" the battery supposedly is and how the lack of an SD slot is "inexcusable" (despite the fact that Google and Apple have omitted this for years now), this thread is sort of refreshing - it's nice having new, even less legitimate complaints to pick apart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
angry much? Much rather have someone return a device that doesn't make them happy, than to sit on here everyday and complain about a device's perceived shortcomings.
And my wife still rocks the Tbolt and has no problems with it. It works for her (at least until spring when its upgrade time).
RunNgun42 said:
After much deliberation I finally returned my DNA today, but not for the reasons many of you might suspect. I have unlimited data, and I'm a power user and run off pure 4g all day. I didnt care about the sd card since I rely on google music/netflix/youtube/PlayOn for all my entertainment. Coming from the thunderbolt the DNA's battery life was a breath of fresh air. I would keep the DNA mounted in a tablet stand next to my desk all day running at full bright, surfing constantly. During lunch I'd watch a solid hour of netflix. I stream slacker to and from work. I always keep gps/bluetooth on and have multiple sync services running such as gmail, twitter, etc. By the time I get home my phone usually has 25% life, and thats without any charging. This is a huge win for me since the thunderbolt requires constant charging.
However the problems for me were the lack of kickstand (i dont like cellphone cases and keep mine naked at all times), and the lack of car docking ability. I kept forgetting to bring my tablet stand with me during lunch and I'd have to watch movies with the damn thing flat on the table. Without Qi car docks I have to stick my phone in the cupholder, where I can only see about half of the screen and have to let it bounce and bang around while I drive.
Finally there was the lack of openness. Verizon really boned us on the locked bootloader, and it seems like all the rooting material out there has about a 50% chance of bricking your device, not a risk I'm willing to take. So I fired my TB back up and felt right at home. Ad-blocking, wifi tether, customized quick settings, and a safe s-off method. I was at home again. The DNA was a great phone, but it wasnt enough of a TB killer to warrant the upgrade. The TB is still fine in my books and I plan to get some more good life out of it. I must say I got REALLY addicted to using the LG wireless charging pad, so I decided to buy a couple of OEM thunderbolt docks for my home/office desks so that I can quickly dock/undock in a similar fashion to the LG pad. Plus my phone will now charge in kickstand mode
......waiting for SGS4 now hehehe..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While everyone is entitled to their opinions I have to disagree. I came from a Thunderbolt as well. While I do miss the kickstand, the Thunderbolt is a single core battery hog that has no official support beyond Gingerbread. The Liquid ICS was great but had a lot of bugs that will never get fixed. Data drops, garbled text, blank webpages... I couldn't ever go back from this quad-core Jelly Bean beast.
I'll agree that the difficulty of getting s-off on this phone is a major bummer right now, but I can live with it. Rooting it isn't really risky or that difficult. In fact, it's easier to root the DNA that it was my Thunderbolt what I first did it. I'm confident the great devs on here will crack it in time.
Threads like these make me wish one click root/unlocks were never released. Having to actually understand what you are doing will weed out the real power users from the ones who think they need to root because they can't live in a locked down environment.
I don't know why we are all trying to point out things that the OP listed as flawed, it's his $$ and his decision.
drumz0rz said:
While everyone is entitled to their opinions I have to disagree. I came from a Thunderbolt as well. While I do miss the kickstand, the Thunderbolt is a single core battery hog that has no official support beyond Gingerbread. The Liquid ICS was great but had a lot of bugs that will never get fixed. Data drops, garbled text, blank webpages... I couldn't ever go back from this quad-core Jelly Bean beast.
I'll agree that the difficulty of getting s-off on this phone is a major bummer right now, but I can live with it. Rooting it isn't really risky or that difficult. In fact, it's easier to root the DNA that it was my Thunderbolt what I first did it. I'm confident the great devs on here will crack it in time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too came from the Thunderbolt and your right the DNA is a OMG upgrade. And yes I miss the kickstand.
The OP can return his/her phone for whatever reasons he or she deems reasonable. I hope your next phone is the phone of your dreams. Would I return my DNA for the same reasons? Not a chance in heaven or hades. My old phone was a Samsung Captivate on AT&T. My new DNA takes my old Captivate in the back beats it up beyond all repair. The DNA is a MAJOR upgrade. Its not a prefect phone, but man is it awesome.
this thread is about as useless as my nipples
RunNgun42 said:
If you skim through the unlocking threads there are numerous complaints about people bricking their devices. I dont know what their experience levels are, but this is far above the norm for any new device. Seems to me the dev's released their tools a little too prematurely. I'm sure it will get better in time, to the point of a one-click which is what everyone always wants. But I paid full retail for this device, and there's no way I was risking a brick because my computer hiccup'd during an adb push or because I hit a wrong button and rebooted twice or some other cardinal sin and be completely screwed. I'm all for flashing the hell out of my phones so long as there's a failsafe. But bricking? I dont think so. Like I said, it just needs time to mature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This part is not opion, and I think you're wayyy off the mark. If you think the DNA has more bricked device threads, you are very confused my friend. My S3 has full unlock capability, yet has many many many many many more brick threads than you guys do. Every device I have owned had more than the DNA.
All devices will have multitudes of brick threads, and many many more. People are lazy, want one-clicks, don't wanna understand what they're doing, and brick their devices. Its a fact of nature. Not "far from the norm" at all.
Its his personal opinion jeez, let him breath. We all spend money for retarded reasons on newer phones so we can break them in a sense. If the guy is specific on where hos money is being thrown he has every bit of entitlement to do so. Is the post necessary? No but if everyone had an issue with it they should just not post and bring it back to the top. If you have something to add then do so respectfully. Were all grown ups here, c'mon guys.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda premium
This is, without doubt, the most failed product I've ever bought. I have bought many unnecessary and failed products, and painfully regretted them all, but none as much as the Prime. I bought it because all the hype around it lead me to believe it would be a good tablet. How deceived I was. Poor wifi connection, no working gps without external dongle, slowdown to almost freeze when installing something from Google Play, etc.
Many times have I wanted to throw it in a brick wall, but it cost 750 dollars and it would pain me even more to lose all that instantly. I can't sell it because no one wants it now when the bootloader's unlocked (meaning no support etc, from already useless Asus) and I don't live in the US so I can't ebay it. I should have just waited until the 32GB 3G Nexus 7, or a Nexus 10, but instead I foolishly bought this sad piece of metal. I have to admit I found a lot more usability in it after upgrading to JB and I was ecstatic for a moment, well, until I installed an app from the Play Store..
So that's it, basically. I'm stuck with a pathetic piece of metal and it's no value in selling it and not worth the energy. I smacked Hairy Bean in it but it's just polishing a turd, really..
Theshawty said:
This is, without doubt, the most failed product I've ever bought. I have bought many unnecessary and failed products, and painfully regretted them all, but none as much as the Prime. I bought it because all the hype around it lead me to believe it would be a good tablet. How deceived I was. Poor wifi connection, no working gps without external dongle, slowdown to almost freeze when installing something from Google Play, etc.
Many times have I wanted to throw it in a brick wall, but it cost 750 dollars and it would pain me even more to lose all that instantly. I can't sell it because no one wants it now when the bootloader's unlocked (meaning no support etc, from already useless Asus) and I don't live in the US so I can't ebay it. I should have just waited until the 32GB 3G Nexus 7, or a Nexus 10, but instead I foolishly bought this sad piece of metal. I have to admit I found a lot more usability in it after upgrading to JB and I was ecstatic for a moment, well, until I installed an app from the Play Store..
So that's it, basically. I'm stuck with a pathetic piece of metal and it's no value in selling it and not worth the energy. I smacked Hairy Bean in it but it's just polishing a turd, really..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are using hb1.51 with a clemsyn overclocked kernel and still have play store lag?
agreed. Owell, you live and you learn, screw asus.
Yes, I have lag everywhere. When browsing Play, when installing apps, etc. The ONLY reason (read: ONLY) I'm keeping this disgraceful excuse of a tablet is because it would pain me even more to lose all that money.
Theshawty said:
Yes, I have lag everywhere. When browsing Play, when installing apps, etc. The ONLY reason (read: ONLY) I'm keeping this disgraceful excuse of a tablet is because it would pain me even more to lose all that money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am only asking based on an honest interest in the problem. There should be no lag in any of those areas using the rom kernel combination I mentioned earlier. Your post otherwise should have come at the end of one of the many complaint threads.
Theshawty said:
This is, without doubt, the most failed product I've ever bought. I have bought many unnecessary and failed products, and painfully regretted them all, but none as much as the Prime. I bought it because all the hype around it lead me to believe it would be a good tablet. How deceived I was. Poor wifi connection, no working gps without external dongle, slowdown to almost freeze when installing something from Google Play, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And... what exactly do you expect to accomplish by complaining about it here? Should we all pass the hat so that we can fund a replacement for you?
With all of its warts, why on earth didn't you return it when you had the chance? All of your gripes are problems that you should have seen from the start. Why did you hang on to it? Did you think it'd get better.
Look, Asus has horrible post-sale support. For that reason alone, I'll never buy another Asus product.
Pretty sure you can still sell it. Part out the dock and you might get $250-300 for both. Which would put you almost $100 within a Nexus10.
Seeing these woot offs and deals for this tablet fly at $200-250 means a lot of people understand the value of a $200 10" tablet. Most of them are probably like me looking to unlock and load up a different ROM anyway. Give it a shot on ebay or CList and get something you really want.
Androwook 1.51 absolutely flies with this thing on mine, sorry to hear you have issues. Got a 32GB preowned one for $200 few weeks ago and besides the wifi drain it's what I expected out of $200. Definitely not $500+ tablet though
whycali said:
I am only asking based on an honest interest in the problem. There should be no lag in any of those areas using the rom kernel combination I mentioned earlier. Your post otherwise should have come at the end of one of the many complaint threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pfft.. Like a kernel can magically solve a ****ty io performance because of crappy nand memory.
Jgrimoldy said:
And... what exactly do you expect to accomplish by complaining about it here? Should we all pass the hat so that we can fund a replacement for you?
With all of its warts, why on earth didn't you return it when you had the chance? All of your gripes are problems that you should have seen from the start. Why did you hang on to it? Did you think it'd get better.
Look, Asus has horrible post-sale support. For that reason alone, I'll never buy another Asus product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because when I first got it I foolishly thought it was a software issue hence why I unlocked the bootloader and flashed another rom.
Mikey-Z said:
Pretty sure you can still sell it. Part out the dock and you might get $250-300 for both. Which would put you almost $100 within a Nexus10.
Seeing these woot offs and deals for this tablet fly at $200-250 means a lot of people understand the value of a $200 10" tablet. Most of them are probably like me looking to unlock and load up a different ROM anyway. Give it a shot on ebay or CList and get something you really want.
Androwook 1.51 absolutely flies with this thing on mine, sorry to hear you have issues. Got a 32GB preowned one for $200 few weeks ago and besides the wifi drain it's what I expected out of $200. Definitely not $500+ tablet though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only have the tab and not the dock. Who the hell wants it now? I tried selling it but since the b/l is unlocked not a single soul was interested. That, or the fact that the prime is goddamn useless.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Theshawty said:
This is, without doubt, the most failed product I've ever bought. I have bought many unnecessary and failed products, and painfully regretted them all, but none as much as the Prime. I bought it because all the hype around it lead me to believe it would be a good tablet. How deceived I was. Poor wifi connection, no working gps without external dongle, slowdown to almost freeze when installing something from Google Play, etc.
Many times have I wanted to throw it in a brick wall, but it cost 750 dollars and it would pain me even more to lose all that instantly. I can't sell it because no one wants it now when the bootloader's unlocked (meaning no support etc, from already useless Asus) and I don't live in the US so I can't ebay it. I should have just waited until the 32GB 3G Nexus 7, or a Nexus 10, but instead I foolishly bought this sad piece of metal. I have to admit I found a lot more usability in it after upgrading to JB and I was ecstatic for a moment, well, until I installed an app from the Play Store..
So that's it, basically. I'm stuck with a pathetic piece of metal and it's no value in selling it and not worth the energy. I smacked Hairy Bean in it but it's just polishing a turd, really..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel your pain. Here's my story to add to the mix:
My daughter got a TF201 for Christmas last year.. but it didn't arrive until sometime in January 2012 due to availability. We've had a long, hard journey with Asus over the past 11 months and it has apparently come to the point where Asus is saying it is what it is and I'm saying it's a defective product.
Apparently, my only recourse is to take Asus to small claims court.. and I have no idea if that would be productive or not.
The original TF201 with keyboard was received in Jan. 2012... it was updated to ICS and the audio quit working. No sound, no mic, no nothing. Dear Daughter doesn't want to give up her new device so it takes a month or so before she'll save everything and let me return it for repair. Also, at some point we realize the GPS is not working so we get the dongle (which never worked or fixed the GPS problem).
The repair takes care of the audio problem (new motherboard). However, less than 90 days later we get the rear camera green line issue. Again, DD doesn't want to let it go right away, but eventually saves her stuff and off it goes. The camera issue is resolved and we get it back in a reasonable time frame.. 2 or 3 weeks.
Less than 90 days later, the rear camera craps out again. This time I tell Asus it's time to pony up to the plate and just get us a new unit off the line, and not some refurb. We send in the original unit and this time get back a different unit... a refurb.
Right off the bat, it randomly reboots and does weird stuff. Plus, the wifi range is much shorter than the original unit. Asus has us do a factory data reset (which takes time since DD has again loaded her pics and music... so it has to be saved off again). Eventually, we do the FDR and the reboots dramatically improve, but are not completely eliminated. However, wifi range still sucks and of course, the GPS doesn't work.
Now Asus tells us the wifi and GPS fix is to use the dongle (which we can't even find now). But you can't use the dongle when the keyboard is docked... which is how the TF201 is used 99% of the time. So how it that a fix? And I'm being told by Asus CS that the reboot may be when the device needs to update itself. Really? Without asking first? I don't think so.
Asus refuses to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Personally? I'm done with Asus. I've been buying their motherboards, media drives, and laptops for years. But they have found a way to royally pi$$ off a (former) loyal customer.
I'm considering my options at this point.
I hope you guys have better luck with your Asus devices than we have had. DD wishes now she'd gone with the iPad instead. I have to agree.
This story (like all the others before) has touched my heart and I fully sympathize. I am so inconceivably sorry you bought this tablet. I wish there was something I could personally do for you. If there's anything, and I mean anything I can do to ease your pain, please just say.
David
roccodaone said:
This story (like all the others before) has touched my heart and I fully sympathize. I am so inconceivably sorry you bought this tablet. I wish there was something I could personally do for you. If there's anything, and I mean anything I can do to ease your pain, please just say.
David
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah David. You are too kind. No, really.
If I possessed the slightest knowledge and interest of messing with the insides of electrical hardware, I would open this tab and de-solder the nand chip and solder on a fully working one that would play nicely with the rest of the internals, and I would change the metal backing for a better one that doesn't kill off the wifi and gps signals.
But, it would probably be more worth it to buy a nexus 7 3GB 3G (although, made by ASUS :/), but there's one slight issue. Money.
At least your Prime could be unlocked. I might be stuck with lack of root forever.
..
I dont know I still love my prime+dock. It does all i need it to. Yeah there is the occasional stutter when i update an app - but this is certainly not the end of the world for me^^ The screen is awesome and there is nothing better for pdf viewing/annotation and note taking at university... Still makes every ipad/laptop user jaelous.
SD card takes all the series/movies it needs to and battery life is very good. Since JB i'm fully satisfied with what i expect from a tablet. Still got my root without that it would look different i guess. Of course this is a personal view but for me - this tablet is completely fine and worth the money i spent on it.
We got enough whining threads...
Closed.
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
How is the build quality?
Does it feel solid in the hand, or cheap?
Is the back textured or smooth? (please say textured I'm so tired of smooth finger print magnets)
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
I had planned on upgrading from my Mytouch 4G I've got running on Simple. All the JB roms I throw at it have issues, and it's just really starting too feel like a dated phone and I'm tired of messing with it and want something rather inexpensive yet has decent features. I feel like with the $200 price tag, and it being off contract this might be the new hot phone people jump on. Could be wrong tho. Thoughts?
pixelbat said:
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
How is the build quality?
Does it feel solid in the hand, or cheap?
Is the back textured or smooth? (please say textured I'm so tired of smooth finger print magnets)
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
I had planned on upgrading from my Mytouch 4G I've got running on Simple. All the JB roms I throw at it have issues, and it's just really starting too feel like a dated phone and I'm tired of messing with it and want something rather inexpensive yet has decent features. I feel like with the $200 price tag, and it being off contract this might be the new hot phone people jump on. Could be wrong tho. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can feel one at a T-Mobile store. It's a decent, light weight, and the back is textured.
alienkid said:
You can feel one at a T-Mobile store. It's a decent, light weight, and the back is textured.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I broke down and bought one tonight. I went to the Tmo store first, their display model didn't offer much to be desired. It was a dummy unit, and it was all beat to hell and didn't even feel nice at all. Decided to go to Best Buy and see if they had one on display, nope. Oh well, took the plunge anyhow (not like I couldn't return it ). Glad I did. The phone really does feel nice. Back is nicely textured which I like. Phone is on the light side, which is something I'm sure I'll get used too. Build quality is decent.
pixelbat said:
I broke down and bought one tonight. I went to the Tmo store first, their display model didn't offer much to be desired. It was a dummy unit, and it was all beat to hell and didn't even feel nice at all. Decided to go to Best Buy and see if they had one on display, nope. Oh well, took the plunge anyhow (not like I couldn't return it ). Glad I did. The phone really does feel nice. Back is nicely textured which I like. Phone is on the light side, which is something I'm sure I'll get used too. Build quality is decent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is awesome!
kevev said:
Battery life is awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
currently sitting at 3 and a half days at 67% charge, albiet with fairly light use compared to most people (almost no calls, light wifi use, and checking my email a couple dozen times a day).
pixelbat said:
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have it working on Simple Mobile. You know that Simple Mobile uses T-mobile cell towers so all Simple Mobile sim cards will work on all Tmobile phones. All you have to do is pop the sim card in and it works.
However, this phone uses a micro sim card. What I did was I had to cut my Simple Mobile sim card with a scissor so it would fit into this phone. Since this is a prepaid T-mobile, there is a T-mobile micro sim card that come in the box with the phone. So what I did was uses the T-mobile micro sim as a reference and then cut my Simple Mobile sim card. Just got to be careful and cut a small piece off at a time and measure it against the real micro sim card.
Or you can go to a cell phone kiosk at the mall and they will cut your sim into a micro sim card.
I'll be looking for something to bridge the gap between my phone and desktop when I sell my laptop for about $550, and I see them going for that much brand new and unlocked on Amazon. Don't want to spend more than $300, otherwise I feel I might as well keep my laptop and save myself the hassle. The exception would be the upcoming Acer 8" Windows tablet because it'd be a full version of Windows that's very portable and with good battery life for about $400.
Anyway, hardware-wise it looks spectacular - rear camera that's actually worthwhile, great speakers (including a subwoofer), feels good to hold, has accurate pen input available, includes data capabilities (which I believe would also work on T-Mobile LTE), etc. Only thing that sucks is that it's stuck on Honeycomb, at least for now. Which, honestly, I don't really mind it being stuck on Honeycomb, if it works and is good hardware-wise - I'm kinda past the mentality of "needing" the newest version of Android on my device.
Is there anything wrong with it, or anything to consider when buying it? I know there's also the Asus Memo Pad 10" for only $30 more with newest Android and a faster processor, but I'm wondering specifically about the Jetstream for Sense, the build quality, and data capabilities.
its great for the first 5 minutes.
then the lag begins..honeycomb is slowing this thing alot.
if can wait, do so. there's a developer working on a better kernel, one that should put all those issues away. can't tell how long it'll take, because its already been around 3 months. wait a month more and see if something changed..
guru_shastri said:
its great for the first 5 minutes.
then the lag begins..honeycomb is slowing this thing alot.
if can wait, do so. there's a developer working on a better kernel, one that should put all those issues away. can't tell how long it'll take, because its already been around 3 months. wait a month more and see if something changed..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do none of the current ROMs alleviate these lag issues? Just wondering.
Hardly.
Honeycomb isn't fit to work with dual core, only with a proper kernel the device will work properly
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Oh yeah !!!! worth every penny of it, my other friend is thinking hard how to get rid of his NEW Tab_2 10.1" to get this one, Sense is so much better Touchwiz.
I have given mine to my sis, without a Jetstream now, ohhhhh it's so hard without it now..... today went to another shop to buy it, but new stock was late arriving, I left. May be go again tomorrow or Friday.
So I bit the bullet and bought one last night...I don't know if I was extremely unlucky, but the one I bought labeled as new was clearly not:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HNVPUK/
I bought it from Masterdeals with express shipping, got it today...right off the bat, the seal was clearly broken and covered with another smaller seal. I didn't get a startup/tutorial screen on boot, or even the default homescreen layout, and I'm 100% sure I've never seen an Android device that had the "Unknown Sources" checkbox ticked by default. And to make matters worse, it came preloaded with what I'm pretty sure are two adware/spam/etc. apps installed to system (AIRPUSH EULA and FREE APPS - the former of which doesn't even appear in the app drawer and starts itself in the background).
Thankfully I'm able to get a refund for the shipping too, but it looks like I'm going to have to restrict myself to buying a legitimately used one off eBay if I want one.
I see, take it easy, you'll get what you want next round.