Screen tearing issue inevitable? - Pebble

I am currently wearing my 4th OG Pebble.
4th.
I have had the screen tearing issue come up on every one, and every one was faithfully replaced by Pebble, which is nice. My first three I wore in the shower and in the pool, per the various ads I saw where people showered and swam with it, and my wife was like dude, quit wearing it in the water. So my latest warranty replacement has never been wet. The last two days, I've had the screen thing again.
Again.
I can't afford a Pebble Time at the moment, or I would go that direction in the hopes that they figured it out.
I know that there is a solution involving taking the watch apart and placing a small plastic shim inside; has anyone done this successfully, did it work, how difficult is it REALLY, and what kind/size shim did you use?
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

OMG! I hate this problem. Happens on mine all the time. I had a friend tell me it doesn't happen if you use the stock watchfaces. I've notice it actually does happen more on certain watchfaces for some reason. I've never tried the repair trick. Switching watchfaces HAS helped a bit though. Which makes me think, is it really a software issue?

I don't know about inevitable, but given that the reason is a hardware connector, that's probably likely. Water has nothing to do with it at all. All four of the Pebbles we own with the old style connector have been wet numerous times with no harm.
I can't speak for everyone's use but my wife and I have 1 OG Pebble and 3 Pebble Steels between us.
I only use the OG Pebble for working out and I turn it off between workouts. It has never had a screen tearing issue. It's the screwback later model of the OG.
My wife's Brushed Silver Pebble Steel, which was pre-ordered on announcement day, has never had a screen tearing issue.
My original Matte Black Pebble Steel, ordered on announcement day as well, did have the screen tearing issue and Pebble quickly RMA'd it and told me to keep it as well as the new one. The warranty replacement (I was actually a couple of months out of warranty) has never had the screen tearing issue.
Since it was already broken/spare I did attempt the business card shim fix on my original Matte Black and it has worked beautifully. Since my brother wanted to see if he would use a smartwatch, I lent the repaired one to him to wear during his paramedic clinicals and he hasn't seen any screen tearing at all while exposing it to God knows what. It was an extremely easy fix. I followed this youtube tutorial https://youtu.be/c-3pfh-bx_w and it was spot on.
If you have the screwback version of the OG Pebble then the fix is pretty straightforward. If you have the glued together version then you're probably better off buying another one if you want to keep using Pebble.
If any of our other three watches did start having screen tearing I feel 100% confident the shim fix would correct the issue entirely.

Worked like a charm! Thanks,
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

arizonaomnia said:
Worked like a charm! Thanks,
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
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Glad that worked for you. Pebble has always been great at RMAing my messed up Pebbles. I too had the 4th one start to go so I emailed them. They said they'd replace it but I inquired about testing a beta with new hardware or seeing if there was something else they could do. I also asked for a phone number to speak to someone about it. They replied that they do not have a phone system and there are no betas of the OG Pebble but did offer me a Pebble Time. I took their offer even though I liked the OG Pebble firmware. Its worth a try if you are still having troubles down the road. Good luck.

danbest82 said:
Glad that worked for you. Pebble has always been great at RMAing my messed up Pebbles. I too had the 4th one start to go so I emailed them. They said they'd replace it but I inquired about testing a beta with new hardware or seeing if there was something else they could do. I also asked for a phone number to speak to someone about it. They replied that they do not have a phone system and there are no betas of the OG Pebble but did offer me a Pebble Time. I took their offer even though I liked the OG Pebble firmware. Its worth a try if you are still having troubles down the road. Good luck.
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Thanks. Unfortunately, my Pebble (which is my third) was rejected by them recently as being out of warranty.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I'll just re-iterate that they took back my used Pebble Steel (RMA) and sent me brand new one and it hasn't torn yet. So, great support and us early folk have that tearing a possibility at any time
Side note-I can't get it to pair with my vs985 any more (kinda makes it useless). It's likely something with the new CM13-based ROM AND my phone (same Rom - OctM pairs fine with my Nexus 7). I'm now seeing the LE radio and the standard from the Pebble and CM13 doesn't like to pair with the regular. I'm going to do some searching today to see if there's a fix.

Pebbles!
FWIW, my Kickstarter Edition Pebble is still holding up just fine after daily use for close to two years now (I got it used). That said, a Pebble Steel I was recently working on from 2015 did have the issue. Seems like they got it right at first and then forgot how.
jimbob_sf said:
I'll just re-iterate that they took back my used Pebble Steel (RMA) and sent me brand new one and it hasn't torn yet. So, great support and us early folk have that tearing a possibility at any time
Side note-I can't get it to pair with my vs985 any more (kinda makes it useless). It's likely something with the new CM13-based ROM AND my phone (same Rom - OctM pairs fine with my Nexus 7). I'm now seeing the LE radio and the standard from the Pebble and CM13 doesn't like to pair with the regular. I'm going to do some searching today to see if there's a fix.
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Cyanogenmod Roms used to have issues with being finicky when it comes to Bluetooth, so that kind of behavior wouldn't necessarily surprise me.

I didn't think it was the Pebble. Thanks for noting it for others!
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using XDA Labs

My OG Pebble Steel has been running fine for about nearly a year now, screen tearing started showing up but been super minimal....

Related

Camera button peeling off

From what I heard, this is a common issue for both Droid and Milestone. Mine has started recently, though it's later than I thought, but looking at it is kind of annoying.
Mine is out of warranty, so Moto is gonna charge me extra $25 for entry fee, not worth it I'd say. I tried searching, but did not find any decent fix for this issue.
What's your experience on this? Did you manage to restore the coating, or customize it with some DIY works?
Two of my friends also had this issue.
Mine's still unaffected - god knows why.
But I don't know if it's reasonable to try to fix it on your own.
You'd have to remove the button from the case in order to repaint it neatly - but disassembling the Milestone is semi-destructive and will cause you more trouble than benefit (afaics on the 'How to disassemble' videos)
Yes, I have seen that video on YouTube, horrifying at first sight.
I'm also surprised that mine is not affected until this moment. But come what may, I have to either deal or live with it now.
I'm thinking bout just using a fine brush and paint over the button without removing it
Sent from my Milestone using XDA App

I'm on my 9th Droid 3 replacement...

Thought I'd share my story with you all in hopes that some of you may have had similar problems I've had with the Droid 3, perhaps in an effort to give me hope that one day I'll receive one that isn't shot to hell in some way shape or form.
1.) Brand-new, upgraded from the Droid 2 around the first week of August. This one lasted about a month before the slider just gave out and became so loose that it would open up by itself if I held the phone horizontally. No case was used on it prior, so I'm not sure what caused this. Never dropped it either (I baby the hell out of my phones).
2.) Replacement came in, no big deal. Attempted to slide it open right out of the box. Guess what? Wouldn't budge. Literally jammed shut. Sent it back the same day.
3.) Boot-looping from hell and 3G drop all the time in places where I should have full reception (i.e., my house). 5.6.890 was not released at this time.
4.) - 7.) Every single one had a completely jacked up sliding mechanism that would either squeek, crack, scratch, jam, or completely tear apart the left plastic portion next to the keyboard within just 5-10 slides. Unacceptable. 1 or 2 of these (lost count) also loved to boot-loop for no apparent reason. Mind you, I tried every trick in the book. Tried never installing ANY apps, tried replacing the extended battery with the stock one, tried replacing the SD-card with a different one, and hard-resetted several times. To no avail.
8.) Replacement #8. 5.6.890 is released, no more boot-looping it seems, but this one has a vibrating mechanism from hell. Whenever it would vibrate, it would sound like electricity. Haptic feedback on it felt like voltage. Unacceptable.
9.) Just received replacement #9 today. This <MAY> be a stupid thing to complain about, but wherever I press on the phone, the damn thing squeeks like it's falling apart. Press the home button ever so slightly...*squeek.* Press the back button...*rattle*. Wipe the phone down with a cloth...*rattle rattle crackle crackle squeek squeek squeeeeeeeeek*. No matter how little pressure I use, it squeeks as if its falling apart. The sliding mechanism, however, feels solid and amazing on this one. Clicks and holds tight, but OH MY GOD IS SQUEEKS AND RATTLES SO MUCH. Never had/heard this problem on the other 8 replacements.
Someone shoot me =/
Also, none of these problems arose post-root nor did I root any of the ones I owned. I have rooted my brothers and I'm currently using his to text out new ROMs and such....but it's freaking annoying. I want my own to play with and flash.
Does anyone else have weird problems? I may be a little OCD when it comes to stuff like this, but I sure as hell didn't pay 230 dollars for a boot-looping/voltage vibrating/3g dropping/SQUEEKING phone.
...does anyone else's "squeek" or "rattle" when the press down on the bottom-right or top-right corners of the phone when it's closed?
I have 2 DROID 3 have not had any issues with them. Have had them for 12 weeks now still solid
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium
Also on 9th Droid 3
number 10 is in the mail ...Some thing happen with these phones before we got them that all i can say i keep having screen issues with every one it like a screen on speed wiggling pixels and gives me a headache i finally got the perfect droid 3 then my phone started boot looping .... so they are sending me another one i hope this one has the perfect screen and docent boot loop ... i also go the one were it was lose like some one drop it and had a light coming threw the screen when it was off ...... weried luck ....luckly a new phone is right around the corner
Man, sounds like you got stuck getting all the bad batch phones = / I'm really rough on my phone, and I've had none of these problems. Hopefully you can get a good one, cuz this phone is quite fantastic once rooted and rom'd. The only complaint I've ever had was the weak stock battery life, but even that isn't that bad since I've modded it.
sent from my MONSTERDroid3 from the XDA app
Yea that's what I'm thinking...I just got a really bad batch. I want to finally be able to keep just one and ROM it ASAP. Ughhhh
ajhallx said:
number 10 is in the mail ...Some thing happen with these phones before we got them that all i can say i keep having screen issues with every one it like a screen on speed wiggling pixels and gives me a headache i finally got the perfect droid 3 then my phone started boot looping .... so they are sending me another one i hope this one has the perfect screen and docent boot loop ... i also go the one were it was lose like some one drop it and had a light coming threw the screen when it was off ...... weried luck ....luckly a new phone is right around the corner
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You've replaced it just as many times as well huh? That's crazy.
the same thing happened with my droid x they all sucked they acutely had to send me a brand new one still in the box ....to fix the issues i was having ... lets just say thank God Verizon not selling cars there 100 point inspection test dosent work very well .. every time i call vzw they insure me it was put to the test i say well some one must of been blind because there is a light shining throw the screen when i just put the battery in it lol
Well I'm on the 6th, satisfied with this one so far. Most of them had the vibrate problem you mentioned. Some had light bleeding out of the screen near the softkeys. One the screen would randomly get distorted, almost like the top half of the screen was twisted and flipped around. And yes I do hear some squeaking on this one it's the back cover for mine anyway, taking it on and off too many times I assume.
Yea I'm not too sure about this 100-point inspection they keep referring to. How the hell do they miss something like what you mentioned...or an insanely squeeky/loose screen? Or even a 100% jammed screen that won't slide up? 100-point my ass.
Also, just to clarify...I absolutely love the Droid 3; I just want one that isn't jacked up. Even if they offered me a brand-new Bionic or something, I'd refuse. I love the D3, I just want one that isn't insanely jacked.
eww245 said:
Well I'm on the 6th, satisfied with this one so far. Most of them had the vibrate problem you mentioned. Some had light bleeding out of the screen near the softkeys. One the screen would randomly get distorted, almost like the top half of the screen was twisted and flipped around. And yes I do hear some squeaking on this one it's the back cover for mine anyway, taking it on and off too many times I assume.
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Oh yea, I forgot to mention that I've had the light-bleeding around the softkeys as well (specifically the last one I got, number 8). It was only on the bottom-right portion. Very noticeable and very annoying.
its sad becuse the razr looks nice but seems how i have had so many issues with droid x to droid x2 to droid 3 i think i am all out of spending my money on them but there attenna design is by far the best .... oh i am so torn ... i just miss 2 years ago having my droid in my hands .. life was good back then ...
I'm on my second, no issues at all.. After a 3rd replacement I would have *****ed to the point where they were sending me a new phone not a refurbished.
wootizzle said:
I'm on my second, no issues at all.. After a 3rd replacement I would have *****ed to the point where they were sending me a new phone not a refurbished.
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I did, after the 6th. I got a supervisor and she was a real B-word. I tore her apart and she refused to send me a new one. Don't think they ever would, because I was on the phone with her for about 15 minutes and she refused.
believe me i have but they just changed there policy you can keep getting as many refurbish phones. it used to be after 5 they would try to get you into something else ... well lets see the offered me the charge and tunderbolt i exsplaned to them that the only comparable device to this dorid 3 is the bionic and they wont offer that .. i am not going to down grade a dul core with the crap of last year test market no thank you ...
Wow, you must have the luck of an Irish to receive this many defective phones consecutively.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk
I'm on my second...first one had a lotta dust under the screen
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium
first one and ive dropped it so many times (ruggedized case *lol*) and i havent had any 'manufacturer' problems
Defect Looping?
My D3 has had no real problems other than what is common to a new phone (mostly software related) and occasional operator error. I cannot calculate the statistical probability against randomly receiving nine consecutive bad phones. Either someone has targeted you to receive all the junk ones or you live somewhere with frequent over-the-top EMPs (or maybe hell). With similar experiences with the other phones as well, you must be living under some kind of curse!
pgzerwer said:
My D3 has had no real problems other than what is common to a new phone (mostly software related) and occasional operator error. I cannot calculate the statistical probability against randomly receiving nine consecutive bad phones. Either someone has targeted you to receive all the junk ones or you live somewhere with frequent over-the-top EMPs (or maybe hell). With similar experiences with the other phones as well, you must be living under some kind of curse!
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Lmao. Well, considering they are all pre-owned "like new" devices...there is the probability that they were returned for the same reasons I'm returning them.
I get yet another one in the mail tomorrow...
Create a sob story and they send you a different phone. Its how i went from the droid x to the droid 3 without having an upgrade :] keep complaingin on the phone and say you want a different more reliable device thats in the same range. Then say something about the bionic {or differen phone} and they will give up and give it to you for free. just have to pay for a battery

so about my screen...

So pretty much I ordered my nexus 7 right when it was announced, and due to a shipping error Google wanted another 8 weeks to get it to me from release so I canceled my order. Being the impatient idiot that I am I went and bought a new one off eBay. I am aware of the screen separation issue and it seems that it is affecting my unit on the left side of the screen. It annoys me a bit but I'll live. But my question is will the screen separation slowly get worse and spread? I haven't found a very clear answer.
I would say yes. Mine was 100% fine when I got it, 11 days ago and now has lift and creaking. Seems not as responsive. Sounds like bad first batch
mario24601 said:
I would say yes. Mine was 100% fine when I got it, 11 days ago and now has lift and creaking. Seems not as responsive. Sounds like bad first batch
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Hmm I really hope that isn't the case with mine because I don't think I'll be able to get Google to replace it because I bought it from eBay. I haven't noticed much of change with mine from day one, but it'd be nice to hear responses from a few other people so I know how screwed I am hahahaha
And I bet you paid 2x the price with no warranty so it can't be fixed now
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
All N7s are under warranty. The hardware has a 1yr warranty. Google will fix it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
YoungAceAtlanta said:
And I bet you paid 2x the price with no warranty so it can't be fixed now
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Actually I paid the same price you would pay with tax, thanks for being constructive douche
player911 said:
All N7s are under warranty. The hardware has a 1yr warranty. Google will fix it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Thank you. I'm just not sure if its worth replacing at this time because of how back ordered the tablets are. I'm on vacation so I don't have the ability to talk to google right now I just hope the screen doesn't fall apart on me.
mossontree said:
Thank you. I'm just not sure if its worth replacing at this time because of how back ordered the tablets are. I'm on vacation so I don't have the ability to talk to google right now I just hope the screen doesn't fall apart on me.
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I got 2 defective N7's....returned them. My plan is to wait until the 2nd "batch" with no defects. Maybe in few months, I will try again.
You should probably return and do what I (and many others), are doing. Wait.
My thinking was, I paid $275 for this, and its defective. Did I come looking for a perfect tablet? Yes. Not a defective one. Its really your call, but I can tell you the problem won't get any better.
Cheers
Mine was just noticeable on day one, within days the screen was visibly moving just by handling the tablet.
So there is every chance it will get worse so I would say get it replaced.
By the same token, there is every chance a replacement will have the same problem and just as much chance that you will get a perfect unit that develops a fault later on.
Suppose it's down to what yo are prepared to put up with.
Personally, if it turned out every unit in the world had a problem I would live with it and just try to find a fix but knowing that there ARE perfeclt good units out there makes it harder to live with.
I'm planning on getting a warranty from squaretrade for the tablet. Mine is fine but just in case something develops down the line I like to have peace of mind
Eh. $40 for a $200 device seems a little much.
kinda off topic but
my screen started something very strange today..
it has these little lines about 1/2 inch long running up and down it at random locations. It looks kinda like some type of render tearing. When you twist the tablet from side to side they kinda glow then go away. They look off shades of the colors being produced by those pixels.. I just noticed this thread and thought i would post here instead of starting another Thread.. Hope you do not mind.
Its so faint i cant get a picture of it at all. Sorry about this.. My question is has anyone ever seen anything like this.. It reminds me of the grid if code on matrix but its not that bad . its always at the same position until you power off then they are right back but different / random locations. They are not lined up in any way except it runs same directing. vertically
.
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Screen tearing/banding, folks?

I've been noticing a lot of screen tearing on my Pebble lately, where the watch will fail to refresh multiple horizontal rows on the display or spaz out. The device becomes unreadable, but cycling a bunch of watch faces eventually fixes the problem.
It's frustrating, and I know I can return my device for warranty, but as a Kickstarter holder I do kind of want to keep my unit as a "screw you" to people who didn't believe in the viability of the Pebble project. I have seen plenty of reports of this around the web, but curious as to whether or not anyone here is seeing the same.
(before inevitable posts, yes I've tried reflashing firmware and resetting. Sadness abounded)
I haven't experienced that it I have a kickstarter version and it works fine.
Sent from my ME301T using Tapatalk
ou2mame said:
I haven't experienced that it I have a kickstarter version and it works fine.
Sent from my ME301T using Tapatalk
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What production batch, if I might ask? Mine was in the initial black batch.
I don't know i bought it used a while ago on Craigslist.
Sent from my ME301T using Tapatalk
That happened to me twice. I reset to factory defaults, turned watch off, turned back on after 3 minutes. That fixed it both times and hasn't happened in 3 months now. However, I have a feeling it'll come back. How many apps do you have installed?
iPhone 5S, LG G2, Razr Mini, Nokia 928, Blackberry Q10
quangtran1 said:
That happened to me twice. I reset to factory defaults, turned watch off, turned back on after 3 minutes. That fixed it both times and hasn't happened in 3 months now. However, I have a feeling it'll come back. How many apps do you have installed?
iPhone 5S, LG G2, Razr Mini, Nokia 928, Blackberry Q10
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One. Heh, I run pretty simple nowadays that I've stopped using Tasker for a spell. Last firmware release eased the issue up a few days, but it's back again intermittently. Ah, well.

Gear VR Innovator Edition (Note 4) $150 in stock @ Amazon

Many of you guys know that the newer Gear VR Consumer Edition apparently doesn't fit the Note 4. So I was searching for the older Innovator Edition for my Note 4, but all of the prices were jacked up to ridiculous amounts on Amazon and Ebay and it was sold out at Best Buy. And then I happened across a seller with certified refurbished Innovator Editions for both the Note 4 and S6 on Amazon for $150 with Prime shipping.
http://amzn.com/B018UHFZXQ
It looks like the 'certified refurbished' is a program from Amazon and it does come with a 90 day warranty.
I also made a Slickdeals post http://goo.gl/XuoyEm because I think there will be plenty of people who will be using their Note 4 for a while and want to experience VR.
Impossible to get one in or to Canada. Scammers on eBay and Amazon.ca selling for upwards of $500.
Just ordered one, to be delivered Thursday. Will let you know how it looks. Hopefully works with Sac23's Note 5 Ported ROM, otherwise it'll be time to do some flashin'!
ThaiM said:
Impossible to get one in or to Canada. Scammers on eBay and Amazon.ca selling for upwards of $500.
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Yeah, that's why I was so happy to find a certified refub one from a reputable seller. Unfortunately, it didn't come with the microSD card, but the seller has been good about sending one out to me. As soon as I get it, I'll report back.
kennysp said:
Just ordered one, to be delivered Thursday. Will let you know how it looks. Hopefully works with Sac23's Note 5 Ported ROM, otherwise it'll be time to do some flashin'!
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Thanks, I will do the same.
Techngro said:
Yeah, that's why I was so happy to find a certified refub one from a reputable seller. Unfortunately, it didn't come with the microSD card, but the seller has been good about sending one out to me. As soon as I get it, I'll report back.
Thanks, I will do the same.
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Well, got the Gear VR (1 day early, thanks Amazon!) in a plain white box, and looks almost new to me. The only thing that I might question is whether or not it was used, as the foam surround looks like it may have been worn before.
Overall, no scratches, came with the headgear, back strap, top strap, faceplate cover, extra foam surround, and instruction manual, all in the big black carry case. It did not include the microsd card that is found in the retail version. The headgear did have the protective plastic covering on it as if it were new, but the one that should be on the back strap didn't, and neither did the top piece nor the faceplate cover.
Overall, it's a pretty solid buy, especially since you can download the oculus software from Sandman here. Now, I can't vouch for how well it works yet, since: A. I just unboxed it, and B: I'm running Sac23 Note 5 Ported V2 .1 10/2 http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-sac23-note-5-ported-v1-9-23-t3208932Rom right now, which doesn't seem to support Gear VR. I'm currently installing [ROM] [N910PVPS4COK1] [100% Stock, Root, Odexed&Deodexed, No KNOX/Itson] [12/15/2015]http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-t3271966 to get that functionality back, and will update once I have done so.
It's not the deal that the new users get with the $99 Gear VR, but compared to the $299 this guy was, I'm pretty happy.
kennysp said:
Well, got the Gear VR (1 day early, thanks Amazon!) in a plain white box, and looks almost new to me. The only thing that I might question is whether or not it was used, as the foam surround looks like it may have been worn before.
Overall, no scratches, came with the headgear, back strap, top strap, faceplate cover, extra foam surround, and instruction manual, all in the big black carry case. It did not include the microsd card that is found in the retail version. The headgear did have the protective plastic covering on it as if it were new, but the one that should be on the back strap didn't, and neither did the top piece nor the faceplate cover.
Overall, it's a pretty solid buy, especially since you can download the oculus software from Sandman here. Now, I can't vouch for how well it works yet, since: A. I just unboxed it, and B: I'm running Sac23 Note 5 Ported V2 .1 10/2 http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-sac23-note-5-ported-v1-9-23-t3208932Rom right now, which doesn't seem to support Gear VR. I'm currently installing [ROM] [N910PVPS4COK1] [100% Stock, Root, Odexed&Deodexed, No KNOX/Itson] [12/15/2015]http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-sprint/development/rom-t3271966 to get that functionality back, and will update once I have done so.
It's not the deal that the new users get with the $99 Gear VR, but compared to the $299 this guy was, I'm pretty happy.
Click to expand...
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Thanks for the update. When you get it set up, let us know if everything works.
Techngro said:
Thanks for the update. When you get it set up, let us know if everything works.
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So far, everything checks out. It isn't quite as smooth as when I tried it on my phone while running kitkat...though that may be because I was impatient and did a dirty flash lol (I know, tsk tsk, shame on me, my phone will blow up, yadda yadda yadda. I was impatient! I'll do a clean install in the next few days to update the performance of Gear VR with a properly done flash).
Video player, Netflix, and photos all work well, though slightly laggy (again, dirty flash), and I noticed that the focus wheel isn't quite as smooth as it should be, though I finally got it dialed in.
For those of you that never tried the Gear VR, it does have a fair amount of pixelation, however after watching a movie for a bit you really don't notice it as much. The touchpad, back button, and volume controls all work as they should.
The phone does overheat while using this. I've had a fan directed at my phone while watching movies, and that seemed to help. There are tutorials and write ups on mods you can do, from heatsinks applied directly to the battery, to attaching mini pc-fans to the back of the phone powered by small usb battery packs hooked on the strap by the temple, to plug in fans. I even read about a guy that stuck one of those cold gel eyepatches that women wear between the phone and the faceplate cover to cool down the phone. Whatever you do, know that heat is an issue while using this for playing videos. I haven't tried any of the games yet, but I imagine that it'd get worse with that.
The lenses on the Gear VR are adequate. Things are relatively sharp in the center, but you do get chroma aberrations on the corners of your field of view (purple fringing on areas of contrast, i.e. the edge of the screen will be slightly out of focus from the corner of your eye, and you'll see a purple hue along it). Not a huge issue, as you're most likely concentrating on the center of your viewing area, and shifting your head towards anything you want to look at, but it's there. I've also noticed that you have to have the headset on just right to have everything in focus top to bottom, left to right. If it is slightly off, then you'll notice that certain areas are not in focus.
Despite all this, it's a great piece of tech. It does transport you from wherever you are to another place, be it a theater, virtual VR tour, Iron Man's lab, etc. It is good enough to allow you to suspend disbelief, and engage in an immersive experience. Occasionally, it will bring you back to reality, sometimes in a jarring fashion, but overall, it does the job pretty well. I've even found myself reaching out my hands to try and touch something, only to remember that it's virtual, and usually laugh at myself afterwards.
All I know is I hope that Samsung continues with it's Gear VR line, and that when my upgrade is due in November, I'll get a new piece of tech that'll surpass what this one can do, primarily the pixelation, overheating, and the quality of the lenses.
My buddy got the Note 5, and just received his Gear VR for his phone. I'll try to snag it soon to give it a try, and I'll let y'all know the differences.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.
kennysp said:
So far, everything checks out. It isn't quite as smooth as when I tried it on my phone while running kitkat...though that may be because I was impatient and did a dirty flash lol (I know, tsk tsk, shame on me, my phone will blow up, yadda yadda yadda. I was impatient! I'll do a clean install in the next few days to update the performance of Gear VR with a properly done flash).
Video player, Netflix, and photos all work well, though slightly laggy (again, dirty flash), and I noticed that the focus wheel isn't quite as smooth as it should be, though I finally got it dialed in.
For those of you that never tried the Gear VR, it does have a fair amount of pixelation, however after watching a movie for a bit you really don't notice it as much. The touchpad, back button, and volume controls all work as they should.
The phone does overheat while using this. I've had a fan directed at my phone while watching movies, and that seemed to help. There are tutorials and write ups on mods you can do, from heatsinks applied directly to the battery, to attaching mini pc-fans to the back of the phone powered by small usb battery packs hooked on the strap by the temple, to plug in fans. I even read about a guy that stuck one of those cold gel eyepatches that women wear between the phone and the faceplate cover to cool down the phone. Whatever you do, know that heat is an issue while using this for playing videos. I haven't tried any of the games yet, but I imagine that it'd get worse with that.
The lenses on the Gear VR are adequate. Things are relatively sharp in the center, but you do get chroma aberrations on the corners of your field of view (purple fringing on areas of contrast, i.e. the edge of the screen will be slightly out of focus from the corner of your eye, and you'll see a purple hue along it). Not a huge issue, as you're most likely concentrating on the center of your viewing area, and shifting your head towards anything you want to look at, but it's there. I've also noticed that you have to have the headset on just right to have everything in focus top to bottom, left to right. If it is slightly off, then you'll notice that certain areas are not in focus.
Despite all this, it's a great piece of tech. It does transport you from wherever you are to another place, be it a theater, virtual VR tour, Iron Man's lab, etc. It is good enough to allow you to suspend disbelief, and engage in an immersive experience. Occasionally, it will bring you back to reality, sometimes in a jarring fashion, but overall, it does the job pretty well. I've even found myself reaching out my hands to try and touch something, only to remember that it's virtual, and usually laugh at myself afterwards.
All I know is I hope that Samsung continues with it's Gear VR line, and that when my upgrade is due in November, I'll get a new piece of tech that'll surpass what this one can do, primarily the pixelation, overheating, and the quality of the lenses.
My buddy got the Note 5, and just received his Gear VR for his phone. I'll try to snag it soon to give it a try, and I'll let y'all know the differences.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. I got the microsd card today and popped it in my phone, but the touchpad still isn't working. What firmware are you on? I upgraded to the latest 5.1.1 (DOK2), but it's stock. I don't know if that could be the issue or if the Gear VR itself is just defective.
Techngro said:
Thanks for the update. I got the microsd card today and popped it in my phone, but the touchpad still isn't working. What firmware are you on? I upgraded to the latest 5.1.1 (DOK2), but it's stock. I don't know if that could be the issue or if the Gear VR itself is just defective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on latest as well. If the touchpad isn't working, that's probably a hardware issue with the Gear VR itself. Do you know anybody else with a Note 4 that they can try on your Gear VR? Also, make sure that the micro-usb connection is seated correctly. Sometimes on mine it doesn't push in all the way, and i just lightly press the phone in to make sure it's a firm connection.
kennysp said:
I'm on latest as well. If the touchpad isn't working, that's probably a hardware issue with the Gear VR itself. Do you know anybody else with a Note 4 that they can try on your Gear VR? Also, make sure that the micro-usb connection is seated correctly. Sometimes on mine it doesn't push in all the way, and i just lightly press the phone in to make sure it's a firm connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've been fiddling with it to make sure everything is seated properly. I'm pretty sure it's a hardware issue now. I contacted Samsung, but their customer service is so bad right now. I was almost finished with the RMA process, but their system was down and they couldn't find my serial number. Then while I was waiting for the system to work again, the call got disconnected on their end. They said they would call me back if that happened and took my number, but after 15 minutes of waiting, I called back and had to do the same process again with a different rep. And the system was still down, so she said she would call me back within 24 hours. That was Friday. No call yet.
I have contacted Samsung customer service before, but I don't remember it being that bad.
Anyway, I will call back tomorrow and try to get the RMA finished. If not, I'll have to send it back for a refund. It's sad because I was really excited about the Gear VR.
Bought one thru Amazon last week
After numerous tries to talk with someone in marketing at Samsung and being unwilling to even pay the $199, found the $150 refurbished on Amazon. The one I got appears to be new, all protective stickers in place and not a mark on it. The only thing "missing" was the SD card but not needed as the software install required at first use put everything that is on the card on my phone. So far so good.
Now looking to find the best solution to use Cardboard in addition to Oculus. Anyone?
rgh said:
After numerous tries to talk with someone in marketing at Samsung and being unwilling to even pay the $199, found the $150 refurbished on Amazon. The one I got appears to be new, all protective stickers in place and not a mark on it. The only thing "missing" was the SD card but not needed as the software install required at first use put everything that is on the card on my phone. So far so good.
Now looking to find the best solution to use Cardboard in addition to Oculus. Anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I have had such a continued bad experience with Samsung customer service that I have decided to return the Gear VR. I was super excited about it, but at this point it's not worth the aggravation. Three calls, an email, and 6 days and still I can't get them to set up a simple RMA and send me a shipping label despite them telling me everytime that they'll get it done.
Darn Samsung.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
Got one for Xmas. Fun but overheats.
$99 consumer is back in stock now... just a simple mod to each corner and should work fine on N4. So back this goes to be refurbished again!
Telemachus said:
Got one for Xmas. Fun but overheats.
$99 consumer is back in stock now... just a simple mod to each corner and should work fine on N4. So back this goes to be refurbished again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I (and probably a bunch of other people as well) would really appreciate it if, when you make the mods to your Consumer Edition, you'd come back and post pics and instructions on how you did it.
Techngro said:
I (and probably a bunch of other people as well) would really appreciate it if, when you make the mods to your Consumer Edition, you'd come back and post pics and instructions on how you did it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mobile-vr/gear-vr/99-gear-vr-note-4-t3255739
Telemachus said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mobile-vr/gear-vr/99-gear-vr-note-4-t3255739
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I was in that thread earlier but didn't know someone had made a post about modding the Consumer Edition.
As posted before.. If you your comfortable Modding, it's now possible to use the New Samsung Gear VR on Note 4.. works great
Cheaper / Better and easier to get
My firmware/model info in signature
The new Gear VR can be made to work with Note 4.. FYI

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