My HTC Aria was stolen last night, so I'm in the market for a new phone. I was pretty happy with the Aria, but I'm checking out some other options to see if I want to stick with it or not. The Captivate is on my list to check out..
1) Is the Captivate currently rootable with the latest stock ROM?
2) The Captivate comes with Swype, correct?
3) What are the big issues/annoyances with the Captivate (if any)?
Thanks!
ShinerDraft said:
My HTC Aria was stolen last night, so I'm in the market for a new phone. I was pretty happy with the Aria, but I'm checking out some other options to see if I want to stick with it or not. The Captivate is on my list to check out..
1) Is the Captivate currently rootable with the latest stock ROM?
2) The Captivate comes with Swype, correct?
3) What are the big issues/annoyances with the Captivate (if any)?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes
2. You can install swype on it (duno if it comes with it)
3. Only annoying thing is no front camera
Now, as for the cappy, the really interesting thing is that there is alot of custom ROMs (both 2.2 and 2.3 based) which improves both your phone's perfomance and experience
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. some older builds can have a random shut down issue, and some have a gps that isn't very accurate, both issues are known and will get you a replacement from att if you have them.
If you like the underpowered aria the captivate will feel like a muscle car after driving a camry.
Also a quick read through of the stickies, and then maybe a search, probably would've answered these questions.
I looked at a few of the stickies, but the big question (whether it can still be rooted or if the 2.2 update from AT&T has blocked rooting) isn't really evident in them. Kinda hard to find a post that makes this clear..
Anyway, I was comparing between the Inspire, Captivate, and Atrix. I went to an AT&T store during lunch and ruled out the Inspire because it's too big.
I'm leaning towards the Captivate. The Atrix has more pizzaz, but as I see it, it would cost about $200 above what I can sell my replacement Aria for. My contract expires next summer, and I might be changing carriers then, so I'd only get a year's use out of the Atrix before I'll be upgrading to something else anyway.
ShinerDraft said:
I looked at a few of the stickies, but the big question (whether it can still be rooted or if the 2.2 update from AT&T has blocked rooting) isn't really evident in them. Kinda hard to find a post that makes this clear..
Anyway, I was comparing between the Inspire, Captivate, and Atrix. I went to an AT&T store during lunch and ruled out the Inspire because it's too big.
I'm leaning towards the Captivate. The Atrix has more pizzaz, but as I see it, it would cost about $200 above what I can sell my replacement Aria for. My contract expires next summer, and I might be changing carriers then, so I'd only get a year's use out of the Atrix before I'll be upgrading to something else anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the captivate can be very easely rooted using superoneclick for both 2.1 and 2.2.
And I believe the atrix has locked bootloaders, making it a ***** and a half to even root...
Ok, well I was leaning towards the Captivate, but the GPS issues have me spooked.
I went through the "GPS performance" sticky, and GPS related posts on the first 15 pages, and I couldn't find any clear solution (software, or certain builds) for the GPS issue. The only "fix" seems to be warranty replacement, which won't be available to me since I'll have to buy second hand.
Did I miss something?
There is a few gps fixes floating around the dev section.
I never use gps so I couldn't tell you how effective they are personally but from what i hear they work well.
ShinerDraft said:
Ok, well I was leaning towards the Captivate, but the GPS issues has me spooked.
I went through the "GPS performance" sticky, and GPS related posts on the first 15 pages, and I couldn't find any clear solution (software, or certain builds) for the GPS issue. The only "fix" seems to be warranty replacement, which won't be available to me since I'll have to buy second hand.
Did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS on stock is really not good. It has to do with the case design being as thin as it is.
However, the phone is amazing how easy it is to root and to install custom ROMs. As stated above, there are a couple of GPS fixes that can help and a lot of the ROMs have them added. One is at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=957164 and the other is at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=959671.
Using these have really helped with GPS for me and I have had great success keeping a lock and being accurate.
ShinerDraft said:
Ok, well I was leaning towards the Captivate, but the GPS issues has me spooked.
I went through the "GPS performance" sticky, and GPS related posts on the first 15 pages, and I couldn't find any clear solution (software, or certain builds) for the GPS issue. The only "fix" seems to be warranty replacement, which won't be available to me since I'll have to buy second hand.
Did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so I had horrable gps but got gingerbread flashed and now it is spot on and better than my fiance's slow as the hills aria
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
ShinerDraft said:
Ok, well I was leaning towards the Captivate, but the GPS issues has me spooked.
I went through the "GPS performance" sticky, and GPS related posts on the first 15 pages, and I couldn't find any clear solution (software, or certain builds) for the GPS issue. The only "fix" seems to be warranty replacement, which won't be available to me since I'll have to buy second hand.
Did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I had bad gps but with gingerbread it is spot on (better than fiance's aria)
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
leezrd said:
so I had horrable gps but got gingerbread flashed and now it is spot on and better than my fiance's slow as the hills aria
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the threads I've read, the success of various ROM's, software fixes and phone builds is totally inconsistent. I haven't found anything where more than one or two people say "yes, this worked for me...".. I would think that if there was a fix that worked consistently, it would be in one of the stickies, no? Again, did I miss something in one of those threads?
I agree with the others. The GPS isn't much of an issue really. If it's bad, use the fixes. If not, you're good. Other than that, the phone is great. The dev support for the cappy is great, you won't be disappointed.
I would suggest to maybe wait for the Infuse 4G, with it's super amoled plus goodness and faster processor, but if the inspire is too big, then the 4.5 inch screen on the infuse is even bigger. However, with how thin these new phones are, I think you would be surprised to find that you don't really notice the extra size, as my captivate is less noticable in my pocket than my iphone 3g was, because even though the size is bigger, the thin captivate doesn't bulge out in my pocket nearly as much. Also, pretty much any phone is going to seem big compared to your aria, but extra screen real estate is definitely a huge plus.
The GPS will never be perfect, but the phone is amazing as long as you get into flashing.
By the time your contract is up, there actually might be even something better on the horizon. From my guess, with the samsung galaxy s 2 coming there, there are going to be updated samsung galaxy s phones on all carriers. The captivate 2, the epic 2, etc. So just be on the look out.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App
The other nice feature the Captivate has is 16GB of internal memory before you add a microSD card. The other Galaxy S phones like Verizon's and Sprint's don't have that internal memory.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
Tarima said:
The GPS will never be perfect, but the phone is amazing as long as you get into flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My GPS on perception 2b2 (gingerbread) is more accurate then my wife gps and it is with google navigation so it will be perfect when you ditch froyo
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
I'm running the Mosaic ROM, it's based on Gingerbread 2.3.3 and my phone basically works perfect. The GPS locks 10-20 seconds, it's more accurate then it's ever been. I had Google Navigation running for 2 hours the other day and it was spot on the entire trip. It showed me right on the road, not off in a field, when I'd pass a road it'd show it on the GPS. I was pretty amazed. No random shutdowns, no weird home buttons freaking out, no other weird ****.
I was wanting to see about having my dad get a Galaxy S II and then swap them. But after how awesome my captivate is running I don't really want to let it go now.
GPS since using TeamPhoenix roms has been great.
Usually 16ft accuracy and good tracking.
Related
Planning to get the n1 since I can't stand the winmo interface anymore, its taking to much of my time to get everything working everday, planning to do my first switch to android and thinking about getting the n1 or the desire. Interested to know if theres anything I need to know about the n1 that is a put off. Stuff that annoys users on a day to day basis. I mean no offense to n1 users, just trying to get some info.
Thanks
Cpt.Curry said:
Planning to get the n1 since I can't stand the winmo interface anymore, its taking to much of my time to get everything working everday, planning to do my first switch to android and thinking about getting the n1 or the desire. Interested to know if theres anything I need to know about the n1 that is a put off. Stuff that annoys users on a day to day basis. I mean no offense to n1 users, just trying to get some info.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
watch for screen burn-in
that's all.
I have a nexus one, but I recommend that you buy a htc incredible
or wait until the htc incredible evo
Got my N1 since Jan and still lovin it to this day. Only thing I think you'd miss from the switch is the screen size of the HD2. Incredible probably would have a closer feel to the HD2 since it runs sense ui (stock). But you can also have sense on a rooted N1 and a lot more tweaks.
The Nexus is sexier than the Incredible, will get updates sooner than any android phones atm and has more dev support if you decide to root. Only reason why I would probably get the Incredible is coz of the carrier (Verizon) and not the device.
i just talked the girl i've been hanging out with into getting the incredible, but only because she wanted to stay with verizon. i've played with it. i prefer the nexus, personally. i think the nexus one looks better, and it definitely has better dev support, if you wanted to tweak it (unlock the bootloader and root it, then put on custom ROMs).
however, if i was going to be with verizon, i'd take the incredible, for sure.
only thing i don't like about the N1 is the crap coverage i get, but that's a network issue with TMO, not any fault of the phone.
Well i think he has t-mobile since he has the htc hd2 well i switched over just about a week ago from the htc hd2 to the nexus the htc hd2 lags and to slow its beautiful in looks but thats about it.. Once u use it its horrible the nexus one does both it looks AMAZING and it's supER fastt.. Once hacked EVEN FASTER.. and froyo 2.2 is just amazingly fast mine is rooted and stuff already because ive used android before ive had it since the g1 android so yeahh but you should def do the switch =]
Yeah... Froyo with JIT and Flash, although its a work in progress. I couldn't ask for more, perfect phone for me at least.
xSunny said:
Well i think he has t-mobile since he has the htc hd2 well i switched over just about a week ago from the htc hd2 to the nexus the htc hd2 lags and to slow its beautiful in looks but thats about it.. Once u use it its horrible the nexus one does both it looks AMAZING and it's supER fastt.. Once hacked EVEN FASTER.. and froyo 2.2 is just amazingly fast mine is rooted and stuff already because ive used android before ive had it since the g1 android so yeahh but you should def do the switch =]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you hold the phone at the bottom, the signal strength drops dramatically.
The multitouch sensor flips axes when your fingers get close. No problems for pinch/zoom but bad for games that rely on multitouch. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuB0VvkmwA
It's difficult to see the screen in bright daylight unless screen brightness is all the way up.
The soft buttons are difficult to hit until you get used to them (the touch points are higher than the labels).
I think that's all of the issues...
If any of these would be huge problems for you, get an Incredible or an EVO 4G. However, the N1 has the strongest developer/hacking following currently, and is sure to get any updates from Google first and long before any other phone (as has been the case with Android "FroYo" 2.2.) And of course, the look is personal preference; I think the N1 looks the best of any current Android phone with the Incredible/Evo being very plain and lacking style.
Anyway, Nexus One, Incredible, Evo 4G: the absolute best three Android phones across all four carriers in the US. You absolutely can't go wrong.
-----
[Edit]: Just saw you said N1 or Desire, so you must be in Europe.
In which case,
A) N1 trumps the Desire. Paul OBrien said it best:
http://twitter.com/PaulOBrien/status/14976167156
@ScootAUFC It's superior by the nature of its unlocked state and the fact it gets updates quickest of any Android phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B) Please search next time! There have been dozens of N1 vs Desire topics in the past week alone:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690661
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=691467
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6043779#post6043779
Cpt.Curry said:
Planning to get the n1 since I can't stand the winmo interface anymore, its taking to much of my time to get everything working everday, planning to do my first switch to android and thinking about getting the n1 or the desire. Interested to know if theres anything I need to know about the n1 that is a put off. Stuff that annoys users on a day to day basis. I mean no offense to n1 users, just trying to get some info.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the EVO 4G instead unless you're outside the US, in which case get the Incredible.
No reason to buy the N1 now that it is no longer the top Android phone. With the EVO 4G you aren't losing anything, and only gaining.
EDIT: After reading a couple of the other posts, maybe the N1 would work out better due to faster updates and unlocked nature of phone at ship.
No I dont have the T-mobile hd2 I have the normal one the T8585, and I live in Australia so incredible is out the question. Or else I would've seriously thought of it, it definitely looks incredible I mean 8.1mp and 4.3 inch screen damn thats good.
nexus5894 said:
watch for screen burn-in
that's all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is screen burn-in really an issue?
Paul22000 said:
If you hold the phone at the bottom, the signal strength drops dramatically.
The multitouch sensor flips axes when your fingers get close. No problems for pinch/zoom but bad for games that rely on multitouch. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuB0VvkmwA
It's difficult to see the screen in bright daylight unless screen brightness is all the way up.
The soft buttons are difficult to hit until you get used to them (the touch points are higher than the labels).
I think that's all of the issues...
If any of these would be huge problems for you, get an Incredible or an EVO 4G. However, the N1 has the strongest developer/hacking following currently, and is sure to get any updates from Google first and long before any other phone (as has been the case with Android "FroYo" 2.2.) And of course, the look is personal preference; I think the N1 looks the best of any current Android phone with the Incredible/Evo being very plain and lacking style.
Anyway, Nexus One, Incredible, Evo 4G: the absolute best three Android phones across all four carriers in the US. You absolutely can't go wrong.
-----
[Edit]: Just saw you said N1 or Desire, so you must be in Europe.
In which case,
A) N1 trumps the Desire. Paul OBrien said it best:
B) Please search next time! There have been dozens of N1 vs Desire topics in the past week alone:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690661
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=691467
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6043779#post6043779
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for all your input, but the problems thats you've listed are they a day to day issue for n1 customers. I mean would you be annoyed by it everyday. Does the desire have similar issues. I probably don't know where to get the incredible from and it would also probably be way over my price range.
Thanks a lot
Thinking of selling this one before the price drops more.
But what would be a good replacement ?
I was thinking just the same, I'm planning on getting a SGS 2 when it comes out.
Other nice options are the Nexus S, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G..
also thinking of the SGS 2 but might be too costly for me and is there a release date yet ?
Drooling:
Samsung Infuse 4G http://www.anandtech.com/show/4096/samsung-infuse-4g-announced
LG Optimus 2X http://www.anandtech.com/show/4089/lgs-optimus-2x-worlds-first-tegra-2-smartphone
HTC Inspire 4G http://www.anandtech.com/show/4095/htc-inspire-4g-and-new-htc-sense-announced
Motorola ATRIX 4G, with notebook chassis addon http://www.anandtech.com/show/4092/motorolas-atrix-4g-tegra-2-smartphone-netbook-in-one
I thought that the Atrix is the highest end phone on the market now...
***EDIT*** Just saw the post above. Infuse, 2xx whoa....
You could always wait and get an iphone 5
utsmaster18 said:
I thought that the Atrix is the highest end phone on the market now...
***EDIT*** Just saw the post above. Infuse, 2xx whoa....
You could always wait and get an iphone 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Infuse is still using a single core.... (1.2ghz hummingbird iirc)
Swyped from my captivating awesomeness with darky's rom
I switch from milestone to i9000, if you wanna out of trouble, stay away from moto
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
DummyPLUG said:
I switch from milestone to i9000, if you wanna out of trouble, stay away from moto
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This, unless they give us unlocked bootloaders
Swyped from my captivating awesomeness with darky's rom
quite true, but the fact is the offical firmware full of bugs and moto never fix it, this is true for MS1,MS2,DEFY at least. I don't mind the bootload is locked if the firmware is stable anyway.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
yeah definitely not gonna get a moto
Sell it if you really want the latest device. If you're just selling it because its going to lose value I wouldn't bother because that next latest device is going to lose value just as quick.
I'm happy with my Galaxy S. I will sell it when it apps start requiring more advanced hardware.. but I think that's a while off.
I wouldn't, considering the cost, trade it for anything on the market right now.
The Atrix has its own bugs, multi-touch wonky and HSUPA AWOL, and little hope of fixes with locked bootloader (and if any it will be on 'carrier time' of months). Also it's pentile and I'm not going down that road again.
Inspire? Yawwn..single-core snapdragon hardly an upgrade.
Other dual-core out is LG Optimus 2x. Don't know, maybe LG can deliver here (ie. unlocked bootloader and quality subsysems) but 800x480 LCD is likely going to seem plain after SAMOLED...
To me its SGS2 or bust, it will be interesting to see when it comes out if Samsung has learned some lessons from SGS1.
The key will be minimizing flaws. Accurate GPS. Snappy performance (apparently movinand more to blame for this than RFS so RFS isn't the death knell). No other big screw-ups. (I won't say battery life because although they can make some headway here, there will somehow always be people who can kill it in 12 hours with 'moderate' usage. I could only kill my SGS in a day when I played for hours on end.)
If it is really amazing, I'd grab it and keep the SGS as a backup. Otherwise I have no issue holding on until next spring/summer.
The Galaxy S phones (or all top tier phones right now) won't be obsolete or get to the point where we are complaining about speed until the end of this year, if thhat.
It also mainly depends on what you're going to be doing on the phone. If you do a lot of browsing, twitter, fb, YouTube and video watching, you should t hhave to upgrade till the end of this year at the earliest.
However as dual core phones become more popular (latter end of the year) more and more applications will be developed for a faster, more powerful phone.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
msolus said:
Sell it if you really want the latest device. If you're just selling it because its going to lose value I wouldn't bother because that next latest device is going to lose value just as quick.
I'm happy with my Galaxy S. I will sell it when it apps start requiring more advanced hardware.. but I think that's a while off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Technology will never stop. When you'll buy SGS2 there will be SGS3, 4.... on the way. Never look at what others have or what's coming in the market. If you're satisfied with your device and its not giving you any troubles then it is just a waste of time & money to look for another thing. Why bother when you even don't need something better? SGS i9000 is almost a perfect smart phone. Be happy with it
Ah i would only Sell My Galaxy S if i need to buy S2 and only if i really have to use NFC..But being in INDIA i think it will be ages b4 NFC comes here . So No point selling .
My other suggestion would be HTC Desire S(just love the sense ui+this one has FF camera)..
msolus said:
Sell it if you really want the latest device. If you're just selling it because its going to lose value I wouldn't bother because that next latest device is going to lose value just as quick.
I'm happy with my Galaxy S. I will sell it when it apps start requiring more advanced hardware.. but I think that's a while off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
i'm thinking of keeping the i9000 because the SGS 2 it's not that advanced yes the 1 gig of ram looks good and that huge super screen but the gpu is not that big deal it's just slightly better than the i9000 an the same with the Optimus 2x even with that Tegra gpu THX to our awesome developers the galaxy s is twice as good then the stock ones i'll only replace it if i break the screen or something like that
LONG LIVE THE --- I9000 ---
i think end of 2011 middle 2012 phones will have this "Kal-El" AKA SUPERMAN GPU ( hahahahah)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPN3hHI9y-E&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkFWv3cFWEA
Currently i am nearly happy with my SGS after replacing original kernel with speedmod k13c, using ext4 lagfix, replacing homescreen with GO Launcher EX, adding GPS Aids to get better GPS fix. Only miss HID Bluetooth support.
Removed nearly all pre-installed software, Samsung is not good at software development i think. The screen is awesome (use Samsung monitors for years as well).
I hope for a perfect combination of features in a phone 2012 - the super phone will never be super for long
Cheers
Alex
I have a four year old Blackberry Storm. I like the phone but it will not tether to my NC so I can use the phones internet.
Now I am looking for a new phone.
4G is not a required but it would be nice.
Suggestions?
Please tell us who your carrier is.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA App
Sorry, That would be a big help....
Verizon
The Samsung Galaxy S II
is rather sexy.
But there are alot of great choices out there.
4G would be a good choice in general. Tether it to your Nook and you can easily stream all the media you want to your Nook and enjoy media on the 7" screen.
The Galaxy S II is coming to Version in July
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/08/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-said-to-be-verizon-bound-in-july/
Edit:
Oops, read the article closer, I guess Galaxy S II in July is not confirmed. read the update at the bottom of the article. Sorry.
Definitely...
The 3 best verizon phones out there are the:
Thunderbolt (HTC) Good speeds, android 2.3.4 with gingeritis (a rom) root, sense 3.0 on that rom, but bad battery life. 4G though.
Droid Incredible 2 (HTC) I believe its Froyo, but sense 2.1 on stock rom with good battery. 3g though.
Droid CHarge (Samsung) Bad UI, bad manufacture. Android is OK with the customizations. But 4G + Extremely good battery + tethering = awesome time with the Nook
Good battery life is a lot higher than streaming video. I almost never use my phone for this.
My phone is primarily for work. Email, phone, data.
I am a Submarine Combat Systems Electronic/Computer Engineer and I upload ton of Word/Excel files, PDF ect along with technical manuals and cheat sheets that I have developed myself to aid with any repairs that I have to do, in any part of the world. Having world phone coverage is NOT an issue. But the issue with that, is up until now 99% of all phone screens were too damn small.
The NC has fixed that issue.
I use Documents to Go on the Storm and now have it on the NC along with a bunch of other apps. I want to start to use my NC for email and such in conjunction with my new phone. Sometimes I get new schematics, PDF's etc emailed to me when I am out on some boat.
My long term goal is to make the phone and NC one integrated system. Transmitter/receiver on my belt, and NC in my hands.
Does this help?
Oh, rooting my new phone will have to be a must....
Thanks to all who have already responded.
ikingblack said:
The 3 best verizon phones out there are the:
Thunderbolt (HTC) Good speeds, android 2.3.4 with gingeritis (a rom) root, sense 3.0 on that rom, but bad battery life. 4G though.
Droid Incredible 2 (HTC) I believe its Froyo, but sense 2.1 on stock rom with good battery. 3g though.
Droid CHarge (Samsung) Bad UI, bad manufacture. Android is OK with the customizations. But 4G + Extremely good battery + tethering = awesome time with the Nook
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bad manufacturer? how so?
From the verizon porfolio, i would wait for more LTE phones to roll out. There is really nothing attractive coming out from them.
ph00ny said:
bad manufacturer? how so?
From the verizon porfolio, i would wait for more LTE phones to roll out. There is really nothing attractive coming out from them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never owned one, but the general consensus on this and most every other forum seems to be that Samsung is the worst manufacturer by a very large margin. I have heard various reasons why such as a horrible UI, bad build quality and extremely slow updates to current models. Having never owned one I can't confirm any of this but the XDA community as a whole seems to feel that Samsung phones are not a wise choice and I've learned never argue with them so I went HTC
Edit: Also do keep in mind that many newer phones are expected to have locked bootloaders. This means no custom ROMS or possibly no rooting... and that means that if you want tethering you will have to buy Verizons tethering plan. So, if you are wanting to do the free tethering provided by rooting your phone then you will want to make sure that whichever phone you buy can in fact be rooted! And in the case of many newer phones coming out this summer, that is very much in doubt I'm sad to say. But then again all these rumors may be just sky-is-falling panicky behavior by us newbs, the Chefs may be able to root and flash boot-locked phones in a month flat for all we know!
robertroland said:
I have never owned one, but the general consensus on this and most every other forum seems to be that Samsung is the worst manufacturer by a very large margin. I have heard various reasons why such as a horrible UI, bad build quality and extremely slow updates to current models. Having never owned one I can't confirm any of this but the XDA community as a whole seems to feel that Samsung phones are not a wise choice and I've learned never argue with them so I went HTC
Edit: Also do keep in mind that many newer phones are expected to have locked bootloaders. This means no custom ROMS or possibly no rooting... and that means that if you want tethering you will have to buy Verizons tethering plan. So, if you are wanting to do the free tethering provided by rooting your phone then you will want to make sure that whichever phone you buy can in fact be rooted! And in the case of many newer phones coming out this summer, that is very much in doubt I'm sad to say. But then again all these rumors may be just sky-is-falling panicky behavior by us newbs, the Chefs may be able to root and flash boot-locked phones in a month flat for all we know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Outside of the whole brand bias, general consensus including professional reviews are usually favorable for samsung's high end phones.
They did have some issues just like every other manufacturer and it may have seemed worse partially based on the fact that they had the single largest successful line up out of all the android handsets last year
Btw, galaxy s2 came with unlocked bootloader and received at least two updates since early may and 2.3.4 is supposedly under way. As for the carrier delayed roms, there is a real issue there when two identical devices on two different carriers ended up getting the froyo updates months apart.
Btw samsung released the gingerbread update before anyone else.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
ph00ny said:
Outside of the whole brand bias, general consensus including professional reviews are usually favorable for samsung's high end phones.
They did have some issues just like every other manufacturer and it may have seemed worse partially based on the fact that they had the single largest successful line up out of all the android handsets last year
Btw, galaxy s2 came with unlocked bootloader and received at least two updates since early may and 2.3.4 is supposedly under way. As for the carrier delayed roms, there is a real issue there when two identical devices on two different carriers ended up getting the froyo updates months apart.
Btw samsung released the gingerbread update before anyone else.
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They also just sent free Samsung Galaxy S II's to many of the Cyanogenmod developers. Also, it seems that the trend NOW is that the manufacturers will be unlocking their bootloaders. (samsung has never locked theirs if I remember correctly)
Well that is good news. Maybe they are trying to buy their way back onto the XDA peoples good graces Hey as long as they have learned from their mistakes and are building quality phones now, nothing wrong with that! And I have no doubt that no matter what they buy the Devs, it won't get them any good press here that they don't deserve. Like I mentioned I never bought one. I've just heard hundreds of people posting about how "bad" they were for one reason or another. But I'm always glad to see another Android manufacturer step up their game, it's good for the community as a whole!
I have the Droid X and it play well with my NC using Wireless Tether.
I picked up a LG Revolution. Seems ok, but battery life is not great. Better than the Thunderbolt but still not great.
Using wireless tether on the phone, I was able to get my NC to the internet using Wi-Fi. Attempted Bluetooth tethering but that was a no go.
Thank to all for the recommendations.
my samsung galaxy s gt-i9000m is a fantastic bit of hardware that had lots of software issues that made out seem as though it was bad hardware. I found software fixes for everything that was wrong, e.g., microphone distortion, gps failure to lock, etc. & now it is a perfect device. Maybe HTC is better out of the box, but if you are a tweaker the galaxy is rewarding.
iolinux333 said:
my samsung galaxy s gt-i9000m is a fantastic bit of hardware that had lots of software issues that made out seem as though it was bad hardware. I found software fixes for everything that was wrong, e.g., microphone distortion, gps failure to lock, etc. & now it is a perfect device. Maybe HTC is better out of the box, but if you are a tweaker the galaxy is rewarding.
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+1
10chars
Thunderbolt, Droid Charge are the best options. If 4G is not a must, the Droid X2 has a dual core.
They all will do what you want. Just different styles which is up to your personal tastes.
I have now had htc samsung and moto phones (all Android) and there are pros and cons. Just go to a store and see what feels best when you hold it.
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt with Das Bamf 2.0
There really is no "best android" phone IMO. There are different needs for different reasons and people. You mention that you want to make them work seamlessly, blue tooth or tethering both will work. As long as the phone is rootable and a selection is there for apps to work together from phone to NC, then the simple answer is with phone do you prefer? I always make sure my phones have a battery that can be removed..screen is easy on eyes and I have a good feel for it. Currently using my EVO which is sprint for both my nook, transformer and when also my netbook. I might upgrade to the 3d and even thought about samsung galaxy 2..from what a friend of mine told me who has a samsung...flash CM in it becuase of the update issues..he is TMobile..
4g
Well
i use evo 4g with cm7 latest nightly to tether to my nc... it compliment each other....
Donny
I owned a galaxy s on tmo before. I liked it a lot. Very light, great screen, decent power. No build issues other than flaky GPS (vibrant version only?) Hard to brick for those who flash a lot. Problem with file system early on(due to proprietary fs), solved by roms. I actually unlocked it and still switch to it from my inspire4g. No locked bootloader.
But really, any android (that is unlocked bootloader) will work... its all about preferences.
Sent from my Apple IIe
hololight said:
Sent from my Apple IIe
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Do you really still have a IIe? (yea, right) That would be awesome. I had two of them at one time...
I figure many of us are facing the same dilemma here...
Like many of you, the Captivate was my first Android phone. Being an AT&T customer, it was my (our) only choice back in the summer of 2010 and I (we) jumped on it and, besides some ocassional frustrations, haven't looked back since (other than "GPS-Gate", I've (we've) been extremely happy with the "Cappy").
In March I'll (we'll) be eligible for an upgrade with AT&T and I'm (we're) starting to wrestle with the question of what to do next...
Should I (we) stay loyal to AT&T and see what phones they have available/will soon be availble? The SGSII (Skyrocket) looks good, but there's bound to be something new available in a couple of months.
Or, should I (we) jump ship to another carrier (Verizon, T-Mo, Sprint) and have an even better selection of phones to choose from?
So, do any of you have any suggestions or advice? What are you going to do when your contract is up with AT&T? Is Verizon, T-Mobile, or "insert-carrier-name-here" a better carrier to be with (pricing, selection, service, coverage, etc.) than AT&T? Anyone have any experience with the other carriers you could share? Or, is it best to sit tight until after February and see what new phones are on the horizon (SGSIII, something else)???
Ultimately, the plan is to do something within the next 3 to 6 months...just not sure what the right move would be.
I (we) thank you for your comments/thoughts/advice/other!
I keep hoping for the Galaxy Nexus, but its not looking too promising. Of whats coming out as of now what I like the best, and what I find the most intriguing is the Sony Xperia Ion. 1.6 dual-core, 12MP camera, 4.7 inch "Bravia HD" LED backlit LCD. Build quality is supposedly worlds ahead of current Xperias. Its the new phone to usher in a new era of "Sony" phones, no more "sony ericsson". Oh and its playstation certified too, and this will blow your mind, a DEDICATED CAMERA BUTTON! I really don't get how manufacturers are so forgetful to include this one useful button.
Hope that helps. there is one downside to this phone however. Its running gingerbread. I was really hoping to see some newer ICS phones with no buttons at CES, but sadly they were all gingerbread. I don't get this really. Its like if HP released a whole line of laptops with Vista on them! Honestly we all know now after 2 years don't buy an android phone with an outdated version of the OS that promises an "upgrade" because you'll be waiting a while, in fact by the time you get your update, it'll be outdated itsself. Me personally I know next I'd like to get a phone I can leave stock and be happy with it, so I'd prefer to have something with ICS pre-installed on it. But as for the Xperia Ion, its still a bit before its released from my understanding, and the one they had at CES was pre-production and actually had ericsson branding on it, so maybe they'll update it before it launches.
I'm looking at that galaxy note personally. Its rumored to be released on Feb 18 here in the states, I'm probably going to wait for mobile congress convention that happens late in Feb because quite a few new phones should be released.
As for carriers I think they are all pretty much the same. Sprint won't have unlimited once they go lte so it will be just like att and Verizon and such
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LOL no offense but I gotta ask it, why does anyone want such a gigantic phone that won't fit comfortably in your pocket?
SGS III FTW.... Wait for that!
MWC 2012 is near, wait for it. I won't go 2year contract this time.
As for me, if a phone has Mms, Phone and GPS, it's enough.But the GPS of Captivate in china is not promising. It can only be accurate to 10m in China. So i also wanna change a phone in several months. My first Android phone is Milestone.Its GPS is excellent. So i may choose Motorola. But as we all know, the screen is worse. It's not cool. I also feel puzzled.
Well being 6'4 makes the note not that big and it will fit just fine in any pants that I wear.
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I have the exact same problem but even worse, I am eligible right now! I have to stay on AT&T because it is what my company uses. My cappy is actually running really nice right now on Saurom KK4 so I can hold on if I must. A couple people at work have the Skyrocket and it is nice but I am very hesitant to get a Touchwiz phone on AT&T again as the update delays are ridiculous. I also have a Xoom which is a GED and nice to have vanilla ICS already. I would love a Nexus but don't see that out will ever come to this carrier. At this point I am waiting to see what the Skyrocket HD looks like. I can't wait for the GS3 because even if it will be announced soon we all know how long it will take to come here. I work with someone with an imported Note and it is really nice but a little too big considering I also have a tablet. I just don't get exited about any other phones but I really want a new gadget. Quite the dilemma...
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
I've been converted
Waiting for Lumia 900. I've been converted and promised my kids the Captivate so I don't have to buy them an ipod.
After getting somewhat burned by the Captivate, is anyone hesitant to get another Samsung phone? Also, if you're waiting for the SGS3, are you concerned at all about getting it right after launch without letting it get "tested" in the marketplace first? I mean, we know what it felt like to be early-adopters with the Captivate and having the accompanying headaches that came as a result... Not sure I'm in a hurry to be in that position again (actually, I just got the Asus Transformer Prime and I'm now having a new set of GPS issues)...
Also, I suppose we'll have to just wait and see, but has anyone heard rumors of any Samsung-killers being announced next month?
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I am waiting for a 4" 300 ppi non-pentile phone.
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My contract is up in March as well. SGS2 is nice, but when I get it, it'll already be several months old so I'm going to try looking forward and perhaps waiting. We'll see when March comes around. I've been happy with my Captivate but I'd really like a phone where GPS worked and something I'd be happy with just root and not have to resort to other ROMs to be satisfied with.
flash SGS ICS RC. Gps works amazing now.
TRusselo said:
flash SGS ICS RC. Gps works amazing now.
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Are you talking any ics build or a specific rom
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fiveoneooo said:
Are you talking any ics build or a specific rom
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I don't know which ROM he's referring to specifically, but I'm on TeamHacksung's ICS (Build 15). The GPS locks on sooo quickly and is fairly accurate to boot. It's definitely breathed new life into my Cap and it'll make it easier to wait until March for a new phone.
As for the OP's question, I will say that I'm not sure, but these seem to be my options so far:
Galaxy Note: It's nice spec-wise, but I'm going to have to play with it in person to see if I can handle a 5.3" phone. No phallic jokes please
Galaxy Nexus: I know we don't have a release date, but there is always the (expensive) option of buying the international version. After getting burned by Samsung/AT&T's incredibly delayed updates, I'm finding I really want a stock Google experience, especially with ICS out now. There are always the amazing devs to turn to, but it can be a frustrating experience sometimes.
ASUS PadFone: A phone that also plugs into a tablet form factor? YES, please! Unfortunately, no release date or carrier announcement, but I would jump on this in a second.
SGS 2 or Skyrocket: While these are "old" tech, they're still really nice dual core phones. I think the jump from single to dual will be a lot more noticeable than dual to quad in terms of experience. Plus they should be even cheaper by the time I upgrade and the dev support (for the SGS2, at least) is awesome.
Jump to another carrier: unfortunately, AT&T gives the best company discount for me, so jumping carriers isn't really an option, but you never know.
Other phone: I'll probably end up researching other phones, but I've been partial to Samsung just because they do make great phones. But I won't rule out something amazing coming from Sony/HTC/Asus in the next few months.
So in short, I have no idea!
After a year and a half with the original cappy, I've moved on to the Captivate Glide because I like physical keyboards. I am considering the Note depending on what I hear when its released, but I also plan to wait for the SGS III before making a decision on my next phone.
I have one of the first build Cappy's and I've LOVED every min of owning it. I know the time is coming soon for me too. I'll be staying with AT&T, I've been really happy with the service here in Seattle. There are 3 devices that have my eye. The Sony Ion, The SGSIII, and the Nexus Prime. All of which have some amazing specs.
In my opinion, Samsung had some issues with the GPS, and, (IMHO) had some bad timing on the software releases. Honestly that didn't really affect me much, I ran custom ROM's from the moment they were released, and regardless of which device I choose, I'll do the same with it. I've run Froyo/GB and now ICS as soon as the dev's did their magic. And will ALWAYS do the same whichever device I choose. Actually, I just might choose a device the stands to get amazing dev response just for the longevity
---------- Post added at 05:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------
gattman said:
After a year and a half with the original cappy, I've moved on to the Captivate Glide because I like physical keyboards. I am considering the Note depending on what I hear when its released, but I also plan to wait for the SGS III before making a decision on my next phone.
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I hear the Note is scheduled for release Feb 18 to AT&T
I personally think the Galaxy Note would be heavenly . I don't use my cappy as a phone but more as a pmp (personal media player) and think a 5" pmp would be heaven.
Sent from Monster Droid
isn't the skyrocket hd a rebadged nexus.
the specs look the same.
Hi all!
I've been an S3 user for a little over 1.5 years; been a native of the Sprint forums (although my Sprint S3 is flashed to Page Plus).
Now that VZW has made their prepaid plan a lot more competitive and included LTE, I'm planning on making the jump, and thinking of picking up an G2 in the process.
I've loved my S3 - I run a rooted stock 4.4.2 rom, debloated all the samsung & sprint crap via titanium, and a custom kernel that's been tweaked to work well with my phone - and it functions perfectly - still fast, great battery life for a ~2 year old phone, etc. Been around android for some time now (first phone was the OG incredible), so am perfectly comfortable tweaking and such, however I don't want to spend too much time doing so.
I'm reading about the G2 and curious if it's worth the upgrade. I've heard several people online (mainly on the vzw forums) complain about the verizon 4.4.2 update causing issues with the phone. If I root, debloat, and run a quality custom kernel, am I likely to have issues? Is this even possible?
I've been looking at the S4 too, but it appears verizon has locked down the phone so much it's not worth it. Also there appear to be a ton of issues with their kitkat update.
I only use my phone for web browsing, calendaring email, texting, and talking - no gaming. I'm mainly looking forward to having the nicer screen and camera, and the likely possibility of a few more Android updates (which the S3 is unlikely to get). Honestly I'd love to have the next Nexus or something that runs closer to stock, but don't have the luxury to wait around for that phone (and I want to stay on vzw's network).
I've been doing some reading around your forum and am just curious as to your thoughts on the jump S3 -> vzw G2. Pros & cons?
Thanks much,
-Dirk
dirkdigles said:
Hi all!
I've been an S3 user for a little over 1.5 years; been a native of the Sprint forums (although my Sprint S3 is flashed to Page Plus).
Now that VZW has made their prepaid plan a lot more competitive and included LTE, I'm planning on making the jump, and thinking of picking up an G2 in the process.
I've loved my S3 - I run a rooted stock 4.4.2 rom, debloated all the samsung & sprint crap via titanium, and a custom kernel that's been tweaked to work well with my phone - and it functions perfectly - still fast, great battery life for a ~2 year old phone, etc. Been around android for some time now (first phone was the OG incredible), so am perfectly comfortable tweaking and such, however I don't want to spend too much time doing so.
I'm reading about the G2 and curious if it's worth the upgrade. I've heard several people online (mainly on the vzw forums) complain about the verizon 4.4.2 update causing issues with the phone. If I root, debloat, and run a quality custom kernel, am I likely to have issues? Is this even possible?
I've been looking at the S4 too, but it appears verizon has locked down the phone so much it's not worth it. Also there appear to be a ton of issues with their kitkat update.
I only use my phone for web browsing, calendaring email, texting, and talking - no gaming. I'm mainly looking forward to having the nicer screen and camera, and the likely possibility of a few more Android updates (which the S3 is unlikely to get). Honestly I'd love to have the next Nexus or something that runs closer to stock, but don't have the luxury to wait around for that phone (and I want to stay on vzw's network).
I've been doing some reading around your forum and am just curious as to your thoughts on the jump S3 -> vzw G2. Pros & cons?
Thanks much,
-Dirk
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I've read people having issues after the update as well, but I've had none. Came from a Sammy phone as well, and well, I'm not going back. Absolutely LOVE this phone. Super fast, amazing screen, and excellent battery.
I'm running stock kitkat, debloated, with Simple kernel and have zero complaints. There are two kernels that steal the show (imo): Simple (for those who just want a custom kernel that doesn't need tinkering with) and dorimanx (which has all the options you could ask for).
Should you switch? H*ll ya you should. But that's just my opinion. You won't be disappointed.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
njstein said:
I've read people having issues after the update as well, but I've had none. Came from a Sammy phone as well, and well, I'm not going back. Absolutely LOVE this phone. Super fast, amazing screen, and excellent battery.
I'm running stock kitkat, debloated, with Simple kernel and have zero complaints. There are two kernels that steal the show (imo): Simple (for those who just want a custom kernel that doesn't need tinkering with) and dorimanx (which has all the options you could ask for).
Should you switch? H*ll ya you should. But that's just my opinion. You won't be disappointed.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Thanks! I read some reports of overheating with the 4.4.2 update, and also GPS issues; I take it you haven't had any of those running a custom kernel / setup?
Otherwise this phone is sounding pretty good.
dirkdigles said:
Thanks! I read some reports of overheating with the 4.4.2 update, and also GPS issues; I take it you haven't had any of those running a custom kernel / setup?
Otherwise this phone is sounding pretty good.
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GPS seems to be phone specific. I haven't had GPS issues with stock or custom kernel.
The heating thing is a bit trickier. Both kernels have overheating throttle, which does protect the phone. The only time I feel heat is playing Sonic (yes, sonic the hedgehog, I had a genesis back in the day, what can I say), so if you don't game you won't experience it. If I'm not playing, zero heat. Since you're not a custom rom guy, don't have to worry about it there either.
The other issue that seems to be common is a dead spot where the sim card is all the way across the phone. I've never had it (nor has my wife) because I think it has to do with heat (don't quote me on that).
So that's my general idea when it comes to this phone. I really believe you'll be happy you switched.
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njstein said:
GPS seems to be phone specific. I haven't had GPS issues with stock or custom kernel.
The heating thing is a bit trickier. Both kernels have overheating throttle, which does protect the phone. The only time I feel heat is playing Sonic (yes, sonic the hedgehog, I had a genesis back in the day, what can I say), so if you don't game you won't experience it. If I'm not playing, zero heat. Since you're not a custom rom guy, don't have to worry about it there either.
The other issue that seems to be common is a dead spot where the sim card is all the way across the phone. I've never had it (nor has my wife) because I think it has to do with heat (don't quote me on that).
So that's my general idea when it comes to this phone. I really believe you'll be happy you switched.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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No shame! I used to play sonic all the time back in the day (had a genesis as well).
Yeah, there's a chance I'll install a custom rom but I generally like things clean and neat (debloated of course) so would likely just stick with stock + a custom kernel.
What do you mean by dead spot? On the touch screen?
dirkdigles said:
No shame! I used to play sonic all the time back in the day (had a genesis as well).
Yeah, there's a chance I'll install a custom rom but I generally like things clean and neat (debloated of course) so would likely just stick with stock + a custom kernel.
What do you mean by dead spot? On the touch screen?
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Correct. But there doesn't seem to be a real correlation with anything (at least what I've read). Some just suspect heat is the culprit.
The dead spot goes clear across. Warranty it if it happens. But it seems fairly rare.
All the "issues" are hardware related, so a warranty takes care of it. Like any phone, there's always something. But if you're like me and treat the phone like a baby (handle with care) you shouldn't have a single issue.
I did the custom rom thing on my old phone but got tired of things not quite being right. Personally, I feel lg did an excellent job on the stock stuff. De-bloat and all is just fine!
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njstein said:
Correct. But there doesn't seem to be a real correlation with anything (at least what I've read). Some just suspect heat is the culprit.
The dead spot goes clear across. Warranty it if it happens. But it seems fairly rare.
All the "issues" are hardware related, so a warranty takes care of it. Like any phone, there's always something. But if you're like me and treat the phone like a baby (handle with care) you shouldn't have a single issue.
I did the custom rom thing on my old phone but got tired of things not quite being right. Personally, I feel lg did an excellent job on the stock stuff. De-bloat and all is just fine!
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Dead spots on the screen which is part of the screen is bad...Plus there is an ongoing issue of the dreaded black lines. I have yet have any issues with the g2 and i traded my s5 for it. Yes I did a trade from a s5 to the g2. Its the best phone in my book still out on market. it was funny the sale rep looked at me funny and just wanted to laugh and say why. He claims its the best phone but I dont think so. the g2 looks great all around, fast as heck, and is flashable.
I went from s3 to g2 you can totally tell the difference in power.I havhad the black lines issue after flashing but return to stock and sent to replacement and has been fin ever since.but I had the option of upgrading to g3 or st and after using the g2 over the s3 I'm on board with LG I used to only own Samsung's since the fascinate but after using them and playing with them I think LG does good what I need it to do Samsung has been doing the gimmicky stuff lately and it's kinda made me meh about them.and I think having the Qhd screen is trying to future proof me so when I upgrade in another 2 years I'll still be happy and not dreading not having it
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