Database Develop

[[Cupcake]] General musings...few gripes...some questions...

A few days ago I updated to JF's 1.5. I installed the radio update first, wiped, installed 1.5, wiped again (sounds gross I know), and now I'm ready to roll. Overall it's VERY snappy, VERY stable, and I'm highly pleased with it's feature set. However, there are a few lingering questions.
Feel free to add your own to this list-- this post is intended to be a campfire discussion about Cupcake (of sorts). As always, if I posted in the wrong place...mods do your thing.
What I do like:
-The improved integration across the apps (messaging, Gtalk, Dialer, etc). I like that when you're signed into Gtalk, you can see which of your contacts are signed in as well from the contact list, the messaging app....this is very handy. Also the menu's have been cleaned up VERY well, and it's just generally more pleasing to navigate. It feels way less clunky than RC33.
Good job Google.
-The Browser. I'm noticing a big speed increase over the last version of Chrome-lite.
Not much else to say, I just felt like that should be mentioned.
-Bluetooth pairing. I noticed that when I paired my BT headset, I didn't have to enter a key this time.
Very nice.
-Live folders kick ass. I see a lot of potential here.
-Overall speed of Cupcake, the transitions and so forth. The menus flow nicely from one screen to the next, and the new transitions add to the whizbang factor that Android will need to gain more mainstream appeal. Enabling 'Fancy transitions' in Spare Parts is good for wowing your friends too.
Show em...then ask them if their iPhone can do that
Now onto the gripes:
-What happened to the Undelivered messages functions in SMS? Meaning, if a message fails to send, while we do get a prompt saying so, we dont have a way to resend the message (past retyping it). I don't know if it will attempt to resend after a certain period of time on it's own, but I don't think so. I've let undelivered messages sit for hours...and they never resend.
-No auto rotate on the home screen. I don't know if this is something JF chose to leave out of his build, or if this is just the way Cupcake is...but that seems kinda weird from a usability standpoint. If I'm using an app in landscape mode, and hit the home button...why would I want it to rotate back to portrait?
...Just to open the app again, and have it rotate back to landscape?
-I'll wait before T-Mo releases the RC version of Cupcake before submitting this as a feature request but I noticed that all phone numbers, addresses & such in the browser are not clickable. Meaning if a run a search for a business...and the phone number shows in the results field, I can't always click on it to dial. This was the one thing I always loved about the Blackberry browser (though Chrome kicks it's ass in every other regard).
...Your thoughts?

just to say i have not had the issue with clicking on phonenumbers on webapages.

rigamrts said:
just to say i have not had the issue with clicking on phonenumbers on webapages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have and its even more frustrating with phone numbers in emails. maybe its set to pick up US number formats and not UK. i'm not sure.

thefunkygibbon said:
i have and its even more frustrating with phone numbers in emails. maybe its set to pick up US number formats and not UK. i'm not sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me see if I can explain this properly...
I run a google search for say, "Pizza Hut Baltimore." In the list of results, I can click the phone number to dial for the top result only. If one of the results further down has a number in the description field, I cannot click it. Nor the address for that matter. Now if I click the link of the result, and go to the page...I can then click the number, address etc.
To me personally this is not a HUGE deal. In fact I considered it as normal since I noticed that same thing in RC33.

Overall, it's what i wanted. I will say that having the home screen autorotate might be a bit of a battery drain. It seemed to when i had it running on rooted rc33. Whenever i turned it off there was a noticeable improvement in battery life. I'm just saying.

The home screen didn't auto-rotate in the adp 1.5 build either. That's just how it is.
Messages not being sent:
Long click the message that didn't send, press edit, then send again.

No 'Home' button in the browser now. I've been clicking space + menu for awhile now but not having it makes one handed navigation slightly more difficult.

For SMS that are unsent, it will show an envelope with an exclamaition point to the right of it correct? Well what you can do it tap on that icon and it will put it back into the text field. that way you can just tap send again without retyping it.

the.snks said:
No 'Home' button in the browser now. I've been clicking space + menu for awhile now but not having it makes one handed navigation slightly more difficult.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a HUGE gripe of mine as well.
I wish there was an easy html or xml file that we could edit and change every one of those buttons. The GO button is a waste of space too since you basically can just type any url and hit enter and there you go. That GO could nicely be replaced with HOME.

Just to update this thread:
-Several apps I have installed show as no updates being available (in the Market). As a workaround, I have to select the app, then click 'View more applications' and then the update shows. Very annoying...
-WiFi perfomance is very flaky. I routinely have to toggle it on/off a few times before it picks up an IP. This happens at multiple locations, across different brand routers, so it has to be the phone.
I do not have anything special going on aside from running JF's v1.51. No apps2sd, themes...none of that, and I did wipe before and after installing the update.
....but I think the majority of these problems are cause by the recent radio update. If you search around...the issues are well documented.

[Q] Galaxy S5 vs Iphone 5s thoughts.

Hi,
I have been an IOS user for quite a while, with brief excursions into Android land usually without much success. I am trying hard this time because I actually prefer a lot of things about Android (specifically the S5) ... less restrictive, removable battery, storage etc..
However some of the things I really struggle with and wonder if anybody has any answers before are listed below !
Lock screen preview of mail and txt's , I have downloaded an app called NILS but it seems to be such a hack and is not very seamless, anybody else have a better suggestions?
Bluetooth, when I get in my car , the phone starts playing the last thing i was listening to , that's fine & is similar to the iPhone, however the iPhone knows the difference between a call and music and if I turn the car off and get out , it switches off the music (but does not hang up calls). The S5 just carries on playing whatever i was listening to. I cannot find any way of changing this behaviour (any ideas ?).
Quick access to search, with the iPhone you swipe from the top and type the first couple of letters of an app to run it , sometimes this is really useful. The closest i have found is to go into the pull down notification bar and click sfinder... yeuch , any better ideas?
Memory and CPU usage, the phone gets quite laggy and I cannot find a specific reason ... other than having to installs NILS and the call blocking app (see below). I have installed task killer now , not sure if this is the correct approach.
Do not disturb mode, (blocking) , well its crap on the S5 compared to the Iphone. None of the functionality that i am used to such as letting repeated calls through and setting specific schedules is available. I have downloaded an app called do not disturb which does most of this stuff but i am sure this is also contributing to lag and memory usage. Also annoyingly it does not return the phone to the state it was in before it activated do not disturb. What do i mean by this ? I am the kind of person that has my phone on silent 99% of the time with vibrate, when do not disturb is active i want all vibrations and screen alters disabled (it does this) , but when coming out of do not disturb it switches the phone to full sounds on.
I am trying not to be down, there is a lot to like with this phone and if I could resolve some of the above I would be much happier with it.
Hope to hear some of your suggestions.

Acdisplay for lockscreen. Used it on on RAZR Maxx but not yet on my s5
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Free mobile app

zero66 said:
Acdisplay for lockscreen. Used it on on RAZR Maxx but not yet on my s5
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I will try that.

Download Apex launcher or any other launchers for lag problem, put in mind that Android uses more ram and cpu processing than IOS, that's why they keep on increasing ram, also turn off as much bloatware (apps came with phone) as possible, another very useful tip is to turn of your phone every day for few mins like your computer this will clear ram.
Welcome to the future

Don't use task killers. They don't help. Android will automatically kill off apps when it needs to. Task killers will kill off apps that will be autostarted again and this becomes a loop leading to lag and battery drain.

Hellscythe said:
Don't use task killers. They don't help. Android will automatically kill off apps when it needs to. Task killers will kill off apps that will be autostarted again and this becomes a loop leading to lag and battery drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh thanks for this , I will try that.

Lockscreen preview of text and mails is already in touchwiz you just have to switch it on so it will show you the preview via settings.
For quick access to applications long press on the home button will bring you google now and from there you can open your apps easily.

noideaforusername said:
Lockscreen preview of text and mails is already in touchwiz you just have to switch it on so it will show you the preview via settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes for the messaging app, however I use a third party app for email, (nine), this does not seem to support this. Anyway my use case is that when my phone is lying on the desk and mails / sms etc come in , I would like it to wake up briefly and display a preview so that I can decide to ignore it or continue on with whatever it is that i was doing. NILs does this quite well, but seems like a bit of a hack.
noideaforusername said:
For quick access to applications long press on the home button will bring you google now and from there you can open your apps easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This works fairly well.

mah123 said:
Hi,
I have been an IOS user for quite a while, with brief excursions into Android land usually without much success. I am trying hard this time because I actually prefer a lot of things about Android (specifically the S5) ... less restrictive, removable battery, storage etc..
However some of the things I really struggle with and wonder if anybody has any answers before are listed below !
Lock screen preview of mail and txt's , I have downloaded an app called NILS but it seems to be such a hack and is not very seamless, anybody else have a better suggestions?
Bluetooth, when I get in my car , the phone starts playing the last thing i was listening to , that's fine & is similar to the iPhone, however the iPhone knows the difference between a call and music and if I turn the car off and get out , it switches off the music (but does not hang up calls). The S5 just carries on playing whatever i was listening to. I cannot find any way of changing this behaviour (any ideas ?).
Quick access to search, with the iPhone you swipe from the top and type the first couple of letters of an app to run it , sometimes this is really useful. The closest i have found is to go into the pull down notification bar and click sfinder... yeuch , any better ideas?
Memory and CPU usage, the phone gets quite laggy and I cannot find a specific reason ... other than having to installs NILS and the call blocking app (see below). I have installed task killer now , not sure if this is the correct approach.
Do not disturb mode, (blocking) , well its crap on the S5 compared to the Iphone. None of the functionality that i am used to such as letting repeated calls through and setting specific schedules is available. I have downloaded an app called do not disturb which does most of this stuff but i am sure this is also contributing to lag and memory usage. Also annoyingly it does not return the phone to the state it was in before it activated do not disturb. What do i mean by this ? I am the kind of person that has my phone on silent 99% of the time with vibrate, when do not disturb is active i want all vibrations and screen alters disabled (it does this) , but when coming out of do not disturb it switches the phone to full sounds on.
I am trying not to be down, there is a lot to like with this phone and if I could resolve some of the above I would be much happier with it.
Hope to hear some of your suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally if it were me I would try another company. I have a 5s and tried the s5. The s5 is just not a good example of what android is. Hardware to software the s5 is not done very well at all. Good luck with your choice.
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

thegrants82 said:
Personally if it were me I would try another company. I have a 5s and tried the s5. The s5 is just not a good example of what android is. Hardware to software the s5 is not done very well at all. Good luck with your choice.
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely disagree. I love my S5 and the HW integration.
But each to their own.

mah123 said:
Yes for the messaging app, however I use a third party app for email, (nine), this does not seem to support this. Anyway my use case is that when my phone is lying on the desk and mails / sms etc come in , I would like it to wake up briefly and display a preview so that I can decide to ignore it or continue on with whatever it is that i was doing. NILs does this quite well, but seems like a bit of a hack.
This works fairly well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install Push Bullet and be amazed. It mirrors any notifications on your phone onto your PC via chrome. That way you don't been to look at the phone. I work at a desk all day and can leave the phone where ever and always know if I have an SMS, call, email or anything else. Don't forget Google now also works with Chrome.

thegrants82 said:
Personally if it were me I would try another company. I have a 5s and tried the s5. The s5 is just not a good example of what android is. Hardware to software the s5 is not done very well at all. Good luck with your choice.
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree a bit with your response. And that's why I am also checking out the Xperia Z1 Compact. Once you go from the Galaxy S5 to the Z1C you will notice a huge difference in speed for opening and closing apps. I am even using Nova launcher, google calendar and avoiding any TouchWiz apps, but still the lag is disappointing.

mah123 said:
Memory and CPU usage, the phone gets quite laggy and I cannot find a specific reason ... other than having to installs NILS and the call blocking app (see below). I have installed task killer now , not sure if this is the correct approach.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For lags, you should try to put off the opening of S voice with the home button, because when you press it, it wait for second press for opening s voice app... or not. My S5 is really smooth now, hope this gonna help you.

HitMile said:
For lags, you should try to put off the opening of S voice with the home button, because when you press it, it wait for second press for opening s voice app... or not. My S5 is really smooth now, hope this gonna help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this , yes I did this , made a difference.

@mah123 First step, do whatever you can to separate yourself from Apple products, for good this time. Just messin, but I'll continue on:
I see that you have a lot of little details you don't like about the S5/Android. Luckily, you're on the Android platform, where you can tweak just about anything you want. For what you're interested in you'll want to have a look at Tasker, the mighty automation app from Play Store. It's $3.49 but if you don't want to pay that just download the apk from Google search. Just make sure to get it from XDA or one of the apk blogs. With Tasker you can fix your bluetooth issue by detecting when bluetooth is detected and then use command pause music. Tasker should help you fix all your other issues as well. For email the easiest fix is to use a special color on your notification LED or specific vibrate pattern to know when you have email. You can also show an overlay using a "scene" (Tasker's definition of a popup or app window) on top of the lockscreen. Handy :thumbup: But if you need help using Tasker you can do a lot of things: there are plenty of guides all over the Internet, you can google search your problem with the word "tasker" at the end, you can PM me (yes, I'm friendly), you can ask a question over at the Tasker Noob thread here on XDA (I also monitor this thread and I will answer your questions there). Welcome to Android and have fun!
--
Say thanks if I was of help!
Sent from my SCH-I605 using XDA Free mobile app

aarongillion63 said:
@mah123 First step, do whatever you can to separate yourself from Apple products, for good this time. Just messin, but I'll continue on:
I see that you have a lot of little details you don't like about the S5/Android. Luckily, you're on the Android platform, where you can tweak just about anything you want. For what you're interested in you'll want to have a look at Tasker, the mighty automation app from Play Store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.
Fantastic thanks !

I own both phones. In the last few years I have owned the latest Samsung and Apple flagships (iPhone 4 and Galaxy S2, iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5S and Galaxy S5).
Both platforms are great and they have their cons and pros.
I am an iOS Developer. I have my name in both Cydia tweaks and App Store. To be honest I felt in love with iOS when I used it for the first time. I like Android, but not as much as iOS yet.
I find the quality of iOS blows Android out of the water. Third app quality is much better on iOS than on Android, based on what I have seen. In terms of software in general, I think iOS is much better. It may be restrictive, but nothing that can't be beaten with jailbreak. Android's big plus is freedom and yes, I like customizing my phone.
In terms of hardware Samsung blows Apple out of the water. I love the camera and that it is Water Resistant. Design wise the iPhone looks prettier, but personally I don't care about those aesthetics.
The one thing I absolutely hate about most Android phones are the hardware buttons. When I type in landscape I keep hitting the sensitive buttons accidentally, many times this result in losing a wall of text I just typed (my palm hits the back button accidentally all the time). I wish these could be disabled when typing or that they could be replaced with software buttons.
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app

There are many things that iOS does 'better' than android, or at least, its a mix of what people of become accustomed too and some are just better. So, when people do make the switch to android, or indeed WP etc, it can be an uphill struggle as those things that are 'better' are maybe less intuitive over on the android side.
However, you have to look at the bigger picture. Android is far far more customisable, even as stock. With the addition of TouchWiz and Sense etc, they bring a lot of features that in themselves are 'better' than iOS.
There are many people that go the other way (Android to iOS) and struggle with some of its inability to control and customise.
What I'm saying is.... give it time, and do not judge android on its lacking in one or two areas, try and look at it from a bigger perspective.
**When I say 'better'... I mean its what each individual sees as better, I'm not saying that it is**

aarongillion63 said:
For what you're interested in you'll want to have a look at Tasker, the mighty automation app from Play Store. It's $3.49 but if you don't want to pay that just download the apk from Google search. [ / QUOTE ]
Tasker is an excellent program. It should be paid for and not stolen.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

This is a very good discussion. I find that generally programmers favor Android because of it's similar OS structure to a PC (I'm talking about the coding behind it all and C/Java), and common consumers and Apple computer owners favor iOS. This is a generalization and personal opinion. I know there is the outlier of Apple programmers, I've tried to get into it myself, but my problem I've ran into is that Objective C is overly complicated, just to accomplish simple things. Anyway, even if you don't develop apps, you may favor Android as a coder thanks to Tasker. I've found myself addicted to Tasker as far as tweaking/programming goes, without the need to use Android SDK. Then, you can still export Tasker projects to apks if you want. Tasker can make a good visual-sdk app creation tool.
iresq said:
Tasker is an excellent program. It should be paid for and not stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Free mobile app

Received mine today, some negative points so far....

Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
* Cradle/dock VERY awkward to attach.
* Does nots seem to have the cool "bypass phone lockscreen if watch is attached" feature which was demo'd in I/O.
* Doesn't seem to be a way to open apps or do anything on the watch if you are not in a position to talk. (other than the list of "example" searches you can see if you don't talk to the watch quick enough.
* I don't seem to be getting vibration notifications
* doesn't seem to be a way of using your own photos for the photos watch face
* doesn't seem to be a way of editing the call reject text messages
* strap is very awkward to put on and for the heart rate monitor you need to have it on pretty tight which is tricky to do one handed with the kind of clasp it has.
* **the movement to wake the watch is a bit hit or miss. it doesnt seem to be just a matter of flicking the wrist or moving up to face.** (this is beginning to be a problem. it is pretty random if it wants to wake up from movement or not. cant work out if it dependant on which watchface or not). i reallllllllllly don't want to have to touch the watch to see notifications etc.
* to even entertain viewing it outside, you have to manually crank the brightness up to max else it is pretty much unreadable. and thats in the UK sunshine!!!
other than that, it seems to be a nice watch.

i feel like i just wasted 180 quid
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

thefunkygibbon said:
Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
* Cradle/dock VERY awkward to attach.
* Does nots seem to have the cool "bypass phone lockscreen if watch is attached" feature which was demo'd in I/O.
* Doesn't seem to be a way to open apps or do anything on the watch if you are not in a position to talk. (other than the list of "example" searches you can see if you don't talk to the watch quick enough.
* I don't seem to be getting vibration notifications
* doesn't seem to be a way of using your own photos for the photos watch face
* doesn't seem to be a way of editing the call reject text messages
* strap is very awkward to put on and for the heart rate monitor you need to have it on pretty tight which is tricky to do one handed with the kind of clasp it has.
* **the movement to wake the watch is a bit hit or miss. it doesnt seem to be just a matter of flicking the wrist or moving up to face.** (this is beginning to be a problem. it is pretty random if it wants to wake up from movement or not. cant work out if it dependant on which watchface or not). i reallllllllllly don't want to have to touch the watch to see notifications etc.
* to even entertain viewing it outside, you have to manually crank the brightness up to max else it is pretty much unreadable. and thats in the UK sunshine!!!
other than that, it seems to be a nice watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lockscreeen unlock feature relies on Android L, not the watch.
The strap is replaceable. I have 2 Silicone ones from Amazon ready to go.
And this is Google Now on your wrist. Yes it's first generation and has plenty to improve upon. But it's essentially meant to be Google Now on your wrist.
Just be happy you got yours! Haha. I'm refreshing the UPS page like a mad man (had it delivered to work.... But I received the day off. Hahaha)
STILL way way better than that Tiezen BS Samsung tried out... Be positive!!

(Keep in mind I have a gear 1 and love it)
Yep, cradle is annoying
Vibrate is very slight I hardly ever notice it
All apps need to support wear before they can be interacted with (contacts, emails, messages etc if using a non google product)
Strap clasp doesn't feel very secure
love how light it is
has google now integration which so far has been hit and miss 70/30
always on face is cool (except still emits light in dark rooms)

Alix8821 said:
The lockscreeen unlock feature relies on Android L, not the watch.
The strap is replaceable. I have 2 Silicone ones from Amazon ready to go.
And this is Google Now on your wrist. Yes it's first generation and has plenty to improve upon. But it's essentially meant to be Google Now on your wrist.
Just be happy you got yours! Haha. I'm refreshing the UPS page like a mad man (had it delivered to work.... But I received the day off. Hahaha)
STILL way way better than that Tiezen BS Samsung tried out... Be positive!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i had a feeling it might be a L feature. although its a bit annoying as i had the same feature with my Pebble using an app called Pebble Locker which basically bypassed the requirement for entering a pin etc if the watch was connected to the phone. So its defintely possible without L. hopefully someone will make a quick little app to do that
I will be ordering a metal braclet style strap sometime soon, like i had on my pebble. much more comfortable.

Brendo said:
(Keep in mind I have a gear 1 and love it)
Yep, cradle is annoying
Vibrate is very slight I hardly ever notice it
All apps need to support wear before they can be interacted with (contacts, emails, messages etc if using a non google product)
Strap clasp doesn't feel very secure
love how light it is
has google now integration which so far has been hit and miss 70/30
always on face is cool (except still emits light in dark rooms)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah the vibrate is VERY slight. it took me a while to realize it was doing it. I hope they add an option to change the intensity of the vibration as I'm pretty sure it is capable of a more stronger vibe.

thefunkygibbon said:
yeah i had a feeling it might be a L feature. although its a bit annoying as i had the same feature with my Pebble using an app called Pebble Locker which basically bypassed the requirement for entering a pin etc if the watch was connected to the phone. So its defintely possible without L. hopefully someone will make a quick little app to do that
I will be ordering a metal braclet style strap sometime soon, like i had on my pebble. much more comfortable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. App will be out soon. I already have 5 exclusive Wear apps ready & waiting. Hahha.
I wish they gave us the nicer strap from Gear 2. Not this BS from Gear Fit... Oh well.
This is a starter watch... Moto 360 & after will only get better & better. As will the software. LOVE that Google is keeping control.

Coming from Gear Neo; initial observations:
1. Watch has more metal and feels more premium
2. Watch strap is larger, will accommodate larger wrists but the clasp is junk compared to the neos.
3. OS is a little overwhelming right now, which I actually think is good. After 30 minutes, I am still cant do much- Iam not concerned with "watch cant do" xxx yet.
4. I have had 2 OS updates in the first hr.
5. Gear Manager seems to be a little more straight forward than Wear Manager but it is too new to make a final call on that
6. Watch is fast! "Okay google, what is the capital of NY?" is recognized and answered immediately.
7. Interface is smooth as silk

I use skiplock to bypass the lock screen. Works with WiFi networks and Bluetooth devices
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

thefunkygibbon said:
Ok sorry to sound a percy pessimist but here are some little gripes so far.. I'm totally understanding that its still early days yet and software may well be improved over time and also I may well be being dim and not knowing where some settings are etc. If so then please by all means let me know!
Here's my opinions after receiving the watch today. See if you have the same thoughts, thefunkygibbon:
I was quite pleased that it is not really big
the set up process was easy enough but took quite a while - I think mainy due to downlaoding a firmware udate
there's quite a learning curve in using this new OS
the watch is a bit useless at the moment because it is constantly disconnecting so it is just a simple watch - I need to find out how to correct this
I noticed the battery on my phone goes down fast when the watch is connected.
It really sucks that there is no auto brightness
the notifications work really well and look great with the picture backgrounds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You can start apps without voice by going to the Google voice prompt then swiping all the way down to Start...

Archon810 said:
You can start apps without voice by going to the Google voice prompt then swiping all the way down to Start...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feels to me like we are missing a launcher. Voice control is great, but there are times it just won't work and the method above is cumbersome.

Any other negative points? I want to buy a gear live soon...but I rather hear the reviews first. I'm guessing the problems listed all here are going to be on the LG G watch and the Moto 360 since most of the complaints seem to be Android wear related.

Be careful w attaching or taking off charging cradle. Reports show breaking off or breaking piece off phone. Thought mine coming in today but, scheduled for tomorrow.
Ian B

Just a couple quick notes:
- I noticed that I can somewhat bypass the lockscreen. I'm currently on 4.4.4. (S4 - KangaKat) When I have the watch open the app on my phone or perform an action on the phone, I can simply press the home button (or side power button) and I do not have to swipe my pattern.
- Vibration notifications SHOULD be working. There were two system updates that were done when I first connected the watch. Perhaps that's the issue?
- I am able to see that I have a notification without turning on the watch. When I swipe it up, I get more details, which I can then swipe away, so that the next notification with show on the screen. I think this is just a matter of managing the notifications and making sure that you are top of them. Swiping them away & handling them as they come in.
- Yes, outside sucks. Today is pure sunlight, I was having trouble seeing it with a setting of 3. I was able to view it better when I put my hand over it. Not much different from trying to look at portions of my phone's screen in the outdoors with a similar brightness.
All in all, I'm pretty satisfied and I understand that this is first gen. I am hoping that through some proper feedback to google / developers, we start to see some software updates & applications developed that further the watch's capabilities. For now, though the notifications are great....although I wish I could not have it send work emails to the watch. The thing vibrates non-stop.

ElPajaro14 said:
Just a couple quick notes:
- I noticed that I can somewhat bypass the lockscreen. I'm currently on 4.4.4. (S4 - KangaKat) When I have the watch open the app on my phone or perform an action on the phone, I can simply press the home button (or side power button) and I do not have to swipe my pattern.
- Vibration notifications SHOULD be working. There were two system updates that were done when I first connected the watch. Perhaps that's the issue?
- I am able to see that I have a notification without turning on the watch. When I swipe it up, I get more details, which I can then swipe away, so that the next notification with show on the screen. I think this is just a matter of managing the notifications and making sure that you are top of them. Swiping them away & handling them as they come in.
- Yes, outside sucks. Today is pure sunlight, I was having trouble seeing it with a setting of 3. I was able to view it better when I put my hand over it. Not much different from trying to look at portions of my phone's screen in the outdoors with a similar brightness.
All in all, I'm pretty satisfied and I understand that this is first gen. I am hoping that through some proper feedback to google / developers, we start to see some software updates & applications developed that further the watch's capabilities. For now, though the notifications are great....although I wish I could not have it send work emails to the watch. The thing vibrates non-stop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can't you blacklist apps? or do you use the same app for work and personal email?

adiliyo said:
can't you blacklist apps? or do you use the same app for work and personal email?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not seen yet that you can blacklist apps. Since it uses native notifications, the only way I can see to prevent this would be to disable email notifications altogether Not something I want to do. I will either just have to have the notification sit there and disappear as I check my emails / dismiss the notification. Hopefully, there are some changes in the future on this.

ElPajaro14 said:
I have not seen yet that you can blacklist apps. Since it uses native notifications, the only way I can see to prevent this would be to disable email notifications altogether Not something I want to do. I will either just have to have the notification sit there and disappear as I check my emails / dismiss the notification. Hopefully, there are some changes in the future on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought i read somewhere you could blacklist apps though the wear manager app
here you go #7 on that list
http://www.androidcentral.com/first...e-today-here-are-10-more-things-you-need-know

I'm the wear manager you can blacklist apps.

adiliyo said:
i thought i read somewhere you could blacklist apps though the wear manager app
here you go #7 on that list
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct. I missed that completely. I have muted my email application, let's hope tomorrow is a little more quiet. Thanks for pointing that out!

Screen Off Memo Question

Once you've saved a screen memo (like a shopping list in my case - I saved it by accident by inserting the s-pen), can you still get it back on your screen off memo? Now when I take my s-pen out with the screen off, I get a blank memo. I really wish there was a way to get it back to the screen off memo so I could use it while shopping without using much battery or opening my phone. Thoughts?

you can pin it clicking pin icon, recall later double clicking the pin, but if your main concern is battery, well the phone is running, screen is on regardless if it's full on or in screen off memo mode and background apps are running, so not much of a difference. You're better off picking up dark theme and dark wallpapers and have lower battery usage screen off or not. If you want to be really scientific about it, download program to monitor and record battery usage, write on paper what time what mode your phone was and what was battery drain exactly and compare. Personally, I think there are much more effective ways to save battery, like above mentioned dark theme or manually killing unused apps.
YDMV

pete4k said:
you can pin it clicking pin icon, recall later double clicking the pin, but if your main concern is battery, well the phone is running, screen is on regardless if it's full on or in screen off memo mode and background apps are running, so not much of a difference. You're better off picking up dark theme and dark wallpapers and have lower battery usage screen off or not. If you want to be really scientific about it, download program to monitor and record battery usage, write on paper what time what mode your phone was and what was battery drain exactly and compare. Personally, I think there are much more effective ways to save battery, like above mentioned dark theme or manually killing unused apps.
YDMV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But once it's been saved and it's only found in your Samsung notes, can you still pin it? I don't see the option.
A black screen would certainly be way less battery than the white one, but really it's about convenience. I can not even unlock my screen and still get to my grocery list versus having to unlock it. Small thing I know, but it is definitely more convenient when pinned.

Sorry, I don't know if and how you can pin already saved note to AOD display.

pete4k said:
Sorry, I don't know if and how you can pin already saved note to AOD display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like you can't.
That's annoying. It's as if you can't put your s-pen away for fear of the auto save.

I think the original idea was to have a way to make quick hand note, like writing somebody's phone number you just met on the street, or quick memo at the meeting and I used it in such a way many times, nothing more. You can pin saved note to the home screen and reach it there easily, after opening the phone. One reason your idea may never be implemented could be security, you never know what important info people could have there and having that info so visible may be against current trend of securing things. You may use it for nothing more than shopping list, but for example I used it to write complicated passwords to bank accounts and computer networks etc.
Also, it seems screen off memo is Samsung Note series exclusive feature, so it may be trial and error for them to figure what exactly people want and do with it. Taking away Action memo and it's advanced features, which was available on older Notes and no more suggests to me they still trying to figure it out.

pete4k said:
I think the original idea was to have a way to make quick hand note, like writing somebody's phone number you just met on the street, or quick memo at the meeting and I used it in such a way many times, nothing more. You can pin saved note to the home screen and reach it there easily, after opening the phone. One reason your idea may never be implemented could be security, you never know what important info people could have there and having that info so visible may be against current trend of securing things. You may use it for nothing more than shopping list, but for example I used it to write complicated passwords to bank accounts and computer networks etc.
Also, it seems screen off memo is Samsung Note series exclusive feature, so it may be trial and error for them to figure what exactly people want and do with it. Taking away Action memo and it's advanced features, which was available on older Notes and no more suggests to me they still trying to figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, in general.
I saw people suggesting in reviews that it could be used as a grocery list and I liked the idea. I saw one review showing someone using it at the store actually. Maybe it was staged.

Things I don't like so far

In order from most annoying:
Cannot whitelist k9 mail (and other things) from power saving (this is a deal breaker, I'm taking it back)
Long press to select text instead of double click (vanilla android allows both) (almost a deal breaker)
Media volume cannot be increased without acknowledging warning when BT connected
Can’t disable bixby button without samsung account
No root (needed to run webserver on 80 and change iptables)
Fingerprint sensor hard to find, hard to touch (compared to nexus 6p)
Default phone app sucks and can’t be changed
-Notifications for blocked numbers calling
-Hard to block numbers
-Hard to add recent calls to contacts (uses wrong account or something)
Volume buttons hard to find, on wrong side of phone
Samsung sms app is ugly and horrible (replaceable)
Samsung calendar app does not allow multiple default reminders (replaceable)
Lock screen time is on multiple lines with no way to change it

Thats nice. Enjoy.

swooperstar said:
bleh bleh bleh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is the question? Wrong forum, maybe you should tell someone who cares?

Um, what phone is this, half the things you complain about can be done by the note 8, so must be another phone. Maybe he got the wrong forum...
Sent from my Galaxy Note8 using XDA Labs

Incorrect, but whatever. Pixel2 XL coming next week to replace this samsuck. This site used to be more help less fanboy.

...more help less fan boy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not about fanboys, you didn't ask for any help, just listed complaints. No one cares about personal complaints.

lol once again the user is the problem not the device... you can do all of those things either with an app from the play store or with root. maybe stick to something more simple? try iOS.
Not sure how moving to another Android device will help you. :laugh:

Being that the OP has a total of 9, count them 9 posts and is a junior member, I'm guessing he's referring to the old days on the site when we were more help and less fanbois

Mr.Ash.Man said:
lol once again the user is the problem not the device... you can do all of those things either with an app from the play store or with root. maybe stick to something more simple? try iOS.
Not sure how moving to another Android device will help you. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is already using IOS!
Ryland

Now we know from authoritative source that volume button is on the wrong side all those years, imagine that.

There are ways to adjust pretty much all of these points. Some are android specific - assume you are new to Android??
Did you even review the phone/play with it before spending on something you have chosen to dislike? To be fair you've come to a forum where 99.9999% of people are note enthusiasts so you will be whacked with a great big stick with a post like this :silly:

Ok how do you whitelist from power saving in a way that actually works? The settings interface for that is much different than stock android and doesn't actually let stuff run all the time like it does on my 6p. k9 always says syncing disabled (and works fine on 6p with stock nougat or oreo).
How do you get double-tap to select a word in text? Works by default in stock android.
After asking twice before to confirm increase volume while BT connected, it didn't ask this last time I increased it. I guess it is magically ok now.
How do you disable bixby button without creating a samsung account? There is an app that used to work using accessibility but no longer works in latest update.
How do you get root? The rooting page itself says "2.Enable OEM Unlock from developer option (Currently no workaround for those who doesn't have this option)" and I don't have this option.
How do you change the phone app? I tried downloading and installing one from apkmirror and got an error when installing.
How do you prevent notifications when blocked callers call?
How do you get normal time on the lock screen? Not the always on screen.

swooperstar said:
Ok how do you whitelist from power saving in a way that actually works? The settings interface for that is much different than stock android and doesn't actually let stuff run all the time like it does on my 6p. k9 always says syncing disabled (and works fine on 6p with stock nougat or oreo).
How do you get double-tap to select a word in text? Works by default in stock android.
After asking twice before to confirm increase volume while BT connected, it didn't ask this last time I increased it. I guess it is magically ok now.
How do you disable bixby button without creating a samsung account? There is an app that used to work using accessibility but no longer works in latest update.
How do you get root? The rooting page itself says "2.Enable OEM Unlock from developer option (Currently no workaround for those who doesn't have this option)" and I don't have this option.
How do you change the phone app? I tried downloading and installing one from apkmirror and got an error when installing.
How do you prevent notifications when blocked callers call?
How do you get normal time on the lock screen? Not the always on screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A respectful suggestion if I may.
Your first post was..... confrontational? Not the way to have your teething problems answered or supported.
Many of us, in all forum's, experience teething problems. I suggest you ask questions preferably one at a time so a peer can offer you some advice.
I have yet to ask for help here and not receive it. You will find there are some amazingly smart guys and gals here who will help IF you ask a palatable question. I am afraid what you have done is cause bad feeling and that's not the way to get help with your problems. Just food for thought. :good:
Ryland

I agree with the fingerprint sensor placement, for me being left handed, I have ot align it perfectly for it to work. Luckily the iris scanner is fast.
One issue I am coming across is my phone would random reboot and some settings would be changed to stock. For example, the font size would be change to default instead of everything tiny. My quick shortcuts layouts are stock and I have to re-login into some apps.
It happened about 3 times since i got the phone the first week of September. Hopefully I'm not alone. Sucks if I am though...lol

There is no help for those issues. That is why there is no response, and why the phone is going back. I am surprised anyone can stand the samsung interface and that is why it might sound confrontational. The apps that samsung replaces default apps with are really awful.

swooperstar said:
There is no help for those issues. That is why there is no response, and why the phone is going back. I am surprised anyone can stand the samsung interface and that is why it might sound confrontational. The apps that samsung replaces default apps with are really awful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only issue or possibly even an advantage is Samsung is edging it's own ecosystem in more and more. , basically it encourages one to buy another Sammy device and stay on board with them.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

UberPishy said:
Where is the question? Wrong forum, maybe you should tell someone who cares?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I care. Thanks to the original poster for critical analysis.
Anybody can fan-boy and circlejerk, that takes no skill.
It takes skill to spot issues and courage to speak out on them.
Every phones has its issues, these do not make Note 8 useless, but buyers can more easily decide if it is for them, when they know its particular failings.

vasra said:
I care. Thanks to the original poster for critical analysis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So which of the OP's claims do you really care about, because most are false, many are non issues for the majority and a few are valid. But the point remains that they were posted in the wrong forum.

vasra said:
I care. Thanks to the original poster for critical analysis.
Anybody can fan-boy and circlejerk, that takes no skill.
It takes skill to spot issues and courage to speak out on them.
Every phones has its issues, these do not make Note 8 useless, but buyers can more easily decide if it is for them, when they know its particular failings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a critical assessment...it's a misleading one.

A few observations.
The volume button on the left side is the more ergonomic position and also makes it less likely you will drop the phone while changing volume making it an objectively better placement. The fingerprint scanner? Yeah, it's poor ergonomics at best and your complaint there is well justified.
Root is something you knew going in you wouldn't have, if it mattered you should have bought something else. I do agree in general that the trend toward taking root access from us is one I hate. That's why I bought an international version and rooted it.
The Samsung calendar app is less well featured than the stock app but it uses no resources when not used and you can always use the google app or one of the several better than stock google calendar apps on the play store. You don't get to complain about not having an app you can put on you phone in seconds which isn't even close to the best app of its kind anyways. I BTW didn't use the stock app on my 6P, didn't meet my needs.Samsung's stock SMS app is awful, IMO someone should be fired there because it falls below even a minimum level of functionality. But then while Googles does manage to get to at least a minimally functional feature set it isn't much better and both are a long way from what can be had in seconds for free that work better than either on the market. You don't get to complain about this one either though, the stock google app is a few clicks away and a few seconds will give that stock google experience if that is your preference.
Same number of clicks with Samsung to add a recent callers to contacts. Hard to do so is dismissed.
Hard to copy because you have to long press instead of double tap? Seriously? lol That's a fairly lame complaint without even taking into consideration the S-pen which opens up a whole world of options that you don't have on the 6P, one of which is using the S-Pen in the first place.
I like the default dialer and it has features which Google's does not. Regardless it can be changed as well as which dialer is the default, where did you get the idea you couldn't change dialers?
I don't have the media volume warning with my phone unless I'm on headphones, not sure why you do?
The Bixby button can be disabled, it can be disabled without signing into Samsung. Just an FYI, it can also be slaved to another function. All without root.
You can white list any app from power saver, just takes a few clicks, assuming of course you know which clicks. You have in an oblique way a real gripe here, Samsung's menus are getting better but they are still too bloated. The search menu function is your friend in pursing hard to find settings.
Who uses lock screens in this day an age? You've get bio-metrics and AOD, leaving the lock screen as an artifact of what was once the best we could do but isn't anymore. Think of it this way, I'm a pathetic old man and I've been able to understand that lockscreens are now just an extra step. Your complaint in this regard reminds me of my friends who cant handle new tech and are still trying to hang on to their flip phone.
At this point you probably think I'm busting your balls a little bit and you're right. On the other hand your complaints are largely groundless. The only real objective gripe you have is the fingerprint sensor location. Your assessment of the volume button location is subjective, not objective, and objectively is incorrect. Your complaints about the stock apps can be applied to google apps in the same way and most of which I changed on my 6P just as I have here. The impression I get is that the main problem you have is you need to learn how to shop better. There is no reason to buy a phone that does not have root if you know you want root. There is no reason to buy a phone well known for it's rather overbearing GUI and menu bloat if you know you are going to hate it. Why do that to yourself?