Should we still buy this phone? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey guys,
I was planning on getting the SGSII (I just sold my SGS for this, actually) but after lurking around here a bit I'm now a bit weary of going ahead with the purchase.
Between battery drain issues, screen issues, Wi-Fi issues, heat issues, and now approx. 3-4 different versions of the SGSII (which makes me scared of ROM incompatibility between the different models) I guess I just need to ask... is this phone actually worth getting, or will I get shafted by a new, fixed version that will come out in a couple of months?
Your opinion?

No if you cannot differentiate between a few users with problems and the majority with no problem . Dont buy you will only go looking for problems .
My phone and many others have .
One No battery problem
Two No yellow screen problem
Three No other screen issues
Four No WiFi issues
Five No heat issues
Six No problems with rom incompatibility only an idiot will install the wrong rom .
jje

JJEgan Is Right..
I have brought my mobile even after knowing problem.After getting it I have started searching for what is new not for a Problem...
Only problem for me is Screen will become hot while charging but not soooo Much hot just very little other than that Great Mobile..
It will be nice if they release NFC in this not by releasing new model like the rumors saying I9101 etc ..This is One of the Best Mobiles till Now.Many people know about the problem Few People having but still they are buying ..Many shops are out of stock...I will say GET IT

I have to mostly agree with jje, except for 1 point. ALL SGS2s have the discolouration issue, but you have to specifically set up your phone in a particular manner (that no-one actually uses) and go looking for the issue in order to even vaguely comprehend what the "problem" actually is. Seriously, when you do see it you realise that the problem lies in the people whining about it, not the phone.
Unless you're unlucky enough to just get a dud phone, get it and you won't regret it. Best phone I've ever had, and that's after nearly 2 years with a HD2 and every ROM under the sun.

Duly noted. My main concern is not software issues which can and will be sorted out either by Samsung or the Android community, my main concern is with hardware issues (screen, battery, etc) which obviously can not be fixed by the community.

soulicro said:
Duly noted. My main concern is not software issues which can and will be sorted out either by Samsung or the Android community, my main concern is with hardware issues (screen, battery, etc) which obviously can not be fixed by the community.
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Click to collapse
Personally, I don't have any hardware issues.
I get a full day of battery out of my phone, and that's using it as a smartphone (browsing; notifications such as facebook, twitter and news updates; wordfeud etc.) If I turn off all data and use it as a phone and SMS device only then I get about 2.5 days.
As for the screen, I have 0 complaints about it. It's seriously the best screen I've ever seen on a mobile device. I particularly love having mostly black backgrounds. Not only does it increase battery life, it looks bloody lovely!
Please bear in mind that most people only post threads when they have problems. It makes it sound like everyone is complaining, but they're not. If we had a real count of how many users are on this site, compared to how many are having real problems then you'd see it's actually only a small percentage, and you're gonna get that with any piece of tech.

I am not a rich guy but i gambled knowing all the problems i have been reading... So far it is just a great phone... It is a phone that make you gamble
Yet to find a problem. Battery works for a day (if this is a problem for you)...

I keep upgrading whenever a new phone comes out - SGS2 is THE fastest phone I've had with the BEST battery life.
With other phones, HTC Desire, Hero, etc I've had issues that I've had to counter by installing custom ROM's & acting as a guinie pig for the dev's but with this one - I'm on the stock ROM with no updates - it's rock solid and absolutely no issues.
I wouldn't think twice in recommending this phone.

my 2 cents...
to be honest i really love the phone. it has some annoyances but i really do like it. it's blazin' fast, i love android, and even the look and feel of the phone...
now, the only thing is: i only get about half a day of juice (recharge at night and once again in the afternoon and to be honest i just have no clue how people are getting those numbers like 20h+ of moderate use (well i guess it depends on how you dfine moderate use)... i have 0 widgets (4 widgets (stock calenda, stock powermanagement, google search and the beautiful weather thing with clock))...and main thing i do is: whats app, music, some browsing, emails (set to check only once an hour) and of course make calls... but i believe that it has to do with a bug somewhere. i freezed the wifi-sharing thingy and tried everything i've read so far to conserve battery. eventhough i have the screen set to about 10-30% brightness or auto brightness, it not very spurprised, is always around 60% or more and the android os and system use quite a lot...
but all that said, i still love the phone and i'm glad i bought it!

It's definitely a VFM. And frankly I dont have any WiFi problem. Battery it's okay too. And unless you focus at that screen with a digital camera you won't even notice the Yellowish tint. I am frankly very happy with mine.
Regards.
Sent from GT-I9100

The phone has been ordered
Thanks all for your input!

+1
People with issues tend to post more. Those are the threads with 1000post not the positive threads that might reach 50post.
JJEgan said:
No if you cannot differentiate between a few users with problems and the majority with no problem . Dont buy you will only go looking for problems .
My phone and many others have .
One No battery problem
Two No yellow screen problem
Three No other screen issues
Four No WiFi issues
Five No heat issues
Six No problems with rom incompatibility only an idiot will install the wrong rom .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Related

[Q] Any major problems with this phone?

I have an SGS1 now. Considering upgrading due to unfixable lag with it. Is the SGS2 free from major problems?
Experience may vary .. but for me, after 1 week (coming from HD2), it's a dream phone. Biggest problem seems to be battery life. My is comparable to HD2, but some people have considerate problems with it.
Battery life (fixable - there are some rogue processes that eat it up), banding (16bit color instead of 24bit - fixable, driver issue).
phone gets very hot when gaming, radio is a bit f***ed in that sometimes you cannot get the internet to work when going from wireless to 3g (workaround is to toggle flight mode, bit annoying to be honest). some are experiencing a yellowish left side of the screen, though i personally do not have that problem.
all in all it's a good phone with a few quirks, but comparing to sgs1, (had it previously as well) i must say that it is quite a leap in the right direction.
speaking of lag on sgs1, have you updated to 2.3.3? i gave the phone to my mom and installed 2.3.3 and the lag is almost gone to be honest.
My Wifi signal seems week ?
andrej.marinic said:
phone gets very hot when gaming, radio is a bit f***ed in that sometimes you cannot get the internet to work when going from wireless to 3g (workaround is to toggle flight mode, bit annoying to be honest). some are experiencing a yellowish left side of the screen, though i personally do not have that problem.
all in all it's a good phone with a few quirks, but comparing to sgs1, (had it previously as well) i must say that it is quite a leap in the right direction.
speaking of lag on sgs1, have you updated to 2.3.3? i gave the phone to my mom and installed 2.3.3 and the lag is almost gone to be honest.
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Click to collapse
Have 2.3.3. but lag returns after a while...
OP, go visit a few forums for phones that have recently been released. The new question isn't "are there any major problems?", but "which major problems should I investigate?" I would challenge any existing SGS2 user to point out a dual-core phone that has fewer issues. You'll find "different" issues, but not "fewer." For now, for me, there's no phone currently out that I'd replace the SGS2 with.
And OP, the direct answer to your question is find the threads on display banding, Wi-FI performance, GPS, 2/3/4G radio, audio, camera, and battery life and if, based on your needs, you're OK with what's been discussed you should be fine.
OP, just read across this board and see! No need for a new thread.
Had it for a few days. My wifi works fine, no light leaking out of the sides, battery life is normal for an Android smartphone. I don't notice any banding (and I'm not going to go looking for it).
Coming from a Nexus One it's a massive upgrade. Couldn't be happier with it (aside from the loudspeaker quality, iPhone 4 is better in this regard).
By all means take the plunge. It's the best phone currently on the market.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I have to keep resetting my internet connection (Go into Airplane mode, and out) as it seems to get stuck when switching from H(SDPA?) to 3G...
I'd say it's a major... but only effects a few people, it seems.
Cralis said:
I have to keep resetting my internet connection (Go into Airplane mode, and out) as it seems to get stuck when switching from H(SDPA?) to 3G...
I'd say it's a major... but only effects a few people, it seems.
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Click to collapse
Which network are you using? It could be an issue on the provider's end! I am on Telstra NextG and find that the issue occurs only in certain areas. I believe it is very tower-dependant as I can go into areas where it flips between 3G and HSPDA+ many many times without fail and then I can get into an area which I assume have not been upgraded and I will end up with the phone stuck in one of the two modes and not be able to transfer data.
I really want this phone when it comes to Canada. The issues seem either minor or limited to small percentage of units. No different than the SGS1 or any piece of technology for that matter. Defective units do make it out the door, that is why there are warranty and return periods.
As to the issue some of you guys are having with loss of data signal, the SGS1 had an issue while on Eclair where when you were in a no signal area the phone would totally freeze and you would have to reboot. It's been fixed since Froyo along with many other bugs.
Enjoy your phone, I hope to join ya'll in the not too distant future.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
I am assuming the connectivity issue people are having is with the "up arrow" constantly lit up but not the down arrow. This problem I have seen in every single android handset I have used (G1, Optimus T, SGS1, and of course, the SGS2). The only common denominator is that I have used all of them while on T-Mobile USA's network. It almost always happens when I am in areas with spotty reception, or in other words, instances when I lose signal, momentarily.
However, that isn't the biggest issue for me. I bought the SGS2 to play the Gameloft games I bought on my SGS1, and I can tell you right now that this is the biggest shock to me when I did get my SGS2: none of my Gameloft games work (Asphalt 6, MC2, NOVA2, Eternal Legacy). Although I am finding out more and more about why this is the case now, this was not something I saw coming in the research I've done leading up to my purchase of this phone. 2D games seem to work fine, but if you intend to play 3D games on this phone, I suggest running some searches here with the the name of a game-in-question to see if there are any threads already about its compatibility with the SGS2.
That being said, I do not regret buying this phone one bit. It is hands down the smoothest Android experience I have ever had. I cannot slow this phone down even when I tried, and I am a very heavy user--I can drain my Vibrant's battery in under 3 hours, with di.fm playing while I use feedly and the browser while talking on beejive. This phone can handle that with no slowdown, and last much longer than my Vibrant to boot. I've actually gotten through a full workday with this usage pattern, on a single charge. This is the first phone to last me through an entire day. Even my iPhone needed charging mid-day.
Sleepycat3 said:
Which network are you using? It could be an issue on the provider's end! I am on Telstra NextG and find that the issue occurs only in certain areas.
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I have just ported to Telstra, from Three ... and the whole train trip home has been perfect. On 3, I had to restart 3 or 4 times.
So, yeah, seem Telstra is OK.
borchgrevink said:
I have an SGS1 now. Considering upgrading due to unfixable lag with it. Is the SGS2 free from major problems?
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Click to collapse
SGS1 does not lag with almost any recent roms. Major problem for me is that it dont have voodoo sound. A MAJOR problem that lol
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jay_993 said:
SGS1 does not lag with almost any recent roms. Major problem for me is that it dont have voodoo sound. A MAJOR problem that lol
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Hehe, well mine lags on every rom I've tried.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Galaxy s2
That was the biggest pile of junk i had ever owned. In 5 months the charging port quit working. In 8 months power botten failed. So then, all the phone would do is boot over and over. Completly usless.

Dissapointed in SGS2

Well after the WOW effect wore off my phone, i am starting to HATE the flaws.
I bought this phone outright for a hefty $600 and hoping i did not waste my money switching over from blackberry.
MY problems
Bluetooth disconnects every 15 minutes, plus sounds like garbage, i did some reading on this and its a common problem yet appears to not be addressed yet? i am using a Jawbone Icon by the way and its dual connected to my work BB
Data(HSPDA) randomly disconnects at least once every 2 days and requires me to pull the battery to get it back going.
Battery drain is beyond crazy, i cant get 5 hours out of the phone with moderate use.
This thing heats up like crazy!!!
I know the last two things are software related, and people say upgrade to KG2, well my phone had 2.3.3 and KG2 and this is what it shipped with, so what should i go to?
Or can i just solve all of these issue by rooting the phone? if so, i will go that route.
Thanks.
Dustin
if you want to go that way(rooting,FLashing Roms)
Think twice, the SGS2 has a binary counter that counts how many times you flashed unofficial software on the phone,
if you brick it or something happens, screen breaks etc, you might ran into some problems @ samsung if they check the counter
you can reset it yourself by buying a JIG, google it!
I've had no issues with my bluetooth headset (logitech freepluse). i'd guess it doesnt like being dual connected
I've had no issues with losing my data connection (i did on galaxy s though). how strong is your signal before you lose it?
as for the battery drain, make sure you're exiting your apps + all the usual other stuff (turn off sync, wifi, bt, set to autobrightness). 2.3.3 does have the drainage issue for some people. i'm on villainrom 2.3.4 and have no drainage issues
rooting won't help you out.
HSDPA disconnects? if you have H always on that means you are either downloading or uploading something most of the time, H only turns on when there is data being pulled or sent, you should see the 3G icon MOST of the time, if you are streaming music/video then you'll see the H kicking in.
I have a Jawbone Cruiser and have no issues whatsoever I have 2 devices paired to it but only 1 at a time, A2DP works flawless and it even sounds better than the original Galaxy S.
duggyb said:
Well after the WOW effect wore off my phone, i am starting to HATE the flaws.
I bought this phone outright for a hefty $600 and hoping i did not waste my money switching over from blackberry.
MY problems
Bluetooth disconnects every 15 minutes, plus sounds like garbage, i did some reading on this and its a common problem yet appears to not be addressed yet? i am using a Jawbone Icon by the way and its dual connected to my work BB
I get zero disconnect .
Data(HSPDA) randomly disconnects at least once every 2 days and requires me to pull the battery to get it back going.
never happened yet on many roms .
This thing heats up like crazy!!!
Warm but not overhot .
I know the last two things are software related, and people say upgrade to KG2, well my phone had 2.3.3 and KG2 and this is what it shipped with, so what should i go to?
KH3 latest stock firmware on this forum .
Or can i just solve all of these issue by rooting the phone? if so, i will go that route.
Rooting has nothing to do with battery problems all it does if give user a lower level access to the OS .
Hundreds of battery problem posts with tips methods etc but for me the starter has to be ,
better battery stats .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179809
Find what apps are draining the battery .
jje
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Click to collapse
Dear me another Apple fanboy on here
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duggyb said:
Or can i just solve all of these issue by rooting the phone? if so, i will go that route.
Thanks.
Dustin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting will not solve these issues, but I can maybe enable you to start solving it.
However, before you start messing with kernels and firmwares I would really try to find out if some of the problems might be hardware related or not. If so, you could use your warranty to get a new one or get it fixed. Once you start messing with custom software you're never sure if they will grant you the warranty or not.
jonny68 said:
Dear me another Apple fanboy on here
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not sure where you get that from? i actually hate apple and take that post as quite an insult, one and only thing i ever owned from them was a ipod way back, and it got stolen 2 mths after i bought it and i never replaced it.
that aside, i came from a Blackberry Curve 8330, although it sucked, it did have good bluetooth connectivity,decent battery life, and did not heat up, keep in mind it was a CDMA phone.
so i know i have some changes to expect with a new network, but it appears lots of these have been fixed by people and i am just trying to understand the software and device, KG2 KY this,etc is all new to me, so i have been reading lots but find it confusing since its so vast.
needless to say it will be kind of disappointing if i cant connect 2 devices to my jawbone icon at the same time and work flawless, as this is huge for me.
Also i NEVER see 3G data show up on my phone, its always the H with up and down arrows, should i see 3G? im up in Canada(Saskatchewan to be exact)
It appears i should update from KG2, yet KIES shows no update, i have not dove into Odin to try that out, maybe i should?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Dustin
jonny68 said:
Dear me another Apple fanboy on here :rolleyes
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To be scrupulously fair, the OP confesses to having come from Blackberry.
He is therefore not the spawn of Satan, merely just a second cousin of a minor demon...
Gustopher said:
To be scrupulously fair, the OP confesses to having come from Blackberry.
He is therefore not the spawn of Satan, merely just a second cousin of a minor demon...
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Click to collapse
fair enough Blackberry not quite as bad unless your planning on rioting in your town or city
ill do my best
lool! some of these guys on here are too funny. ok how the f*** are u only getting 5 hours? i get 14-16hrs moderate use . i really would suggest rooting your phone. it really helps! i mean with the overheating problem i have under volted and under clocked my cpu and my phone doesnt heat up no more! woooop! lol. funny that my 3g and bluetooth is perfectly fine. oh and rooting is very very easy now and odin is quality and... simple . as im typing this im flashing another rom, lol. flashaholic . its a really good phone and ive had many many phones.
so now i have mixed reviews? should i root or not.
i really just want to solve my issues!
i installed Battery Stats but have no idea how to screenshot?
duggyb said:
so now i have mixed reviews? should i root or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting doesn't solve anything, just gives you access to hidden files. You need to flash a newer rom(kh3 or kh5) and hope it fixes those issues.
I agree with the above poster, I've been using android since inception and I don't believe in rooting a phone to mask the issues you are having, upgrade the software, there are many roms to choose from, get the device running well before you think about rooting.
People are giving new android users the impression that rooting is the answer for phone issues, it is not.
Rooting is for advanced users who want the extra access to explore the power of android.
Sent from my GT-I9100
I don't understand why everyone seems to be pushing the USB JIG, it's like there are people making and selling them here or something.
@BrokenPixel, H or H+ doesn't drop to 3G as fast, if your Telco doesn't support Fast Dormancy, or you have Fast Dormancy disabled.
I like Blackberries, it is lacking as a end-user smartphone, however for companies, I still like the privacy with point to point encryption. Android does not have that unless you purchase a 3rd party application which means both parties have to have it as well. Again, it really depends on what you are using the phone for. I still recommend using the right tools for the right job.
@Gustopher, calling Blackberries a "second cousin of a minor demon..." is like calling a screwdriver the bane of our existence, or a hammer "the killer of thumbs..."
peachpuff is correct, instead of rooting your phone, perhaps you should try changing the modem to something else instead, try KH3, KG6, KF4, KE4. Perhaps in the mentioned order. It really covers most regions, since we don't know where you are at!
LiFE1688 said:
I don't understand why everyone seems to be pushing the USB JIG, it's like there are people making and selling them here or something.
@BrokenPixel, H or H+ doesn't drop to 3G as fast, if your Telco doesn't support Fast Dormancy, or you have Fast Dormancy disabled.
I like Blackberries, it is lacking as a end-user smartphone, however for companies, I still like the privacy with point to point encryption. Android does not have that unless you purchase a 3rd party application which means both parties have to have it as well. Again, it really depends on what you are using the phone for. I still recommend using the right tools for the right job.
@Gustopher, calling Blackberries a "second cousin of a minor demon..." is like calling a screwdriver the bane of our existence, or a hammer "the killer of thumbs..."
peachpuff is correct, instead of rooting your phone, perhaps you should try changing the modem to something else instead, try KH3, KG6, KF4, KE4. Perhaps in the mentioned order. It really covers most regions, since we don't know where you are at!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for actually being informative.
I am in Canada by the way(Saskatchewan) and i am running on the Sasktel network(Bell essentially)
I always thought i had to root in order to install something different then KG2?
i am not sure what my network supports, but i have NEVER seen 3g since the day i bought it.
i have turned off some of the recommended things to save battery life, it seems to be helping, we will see what i get
If your problems are related to your settings, flashing newer firmware (KG5 for example, works fine with me) will only really help if you do a complete wipe/factory reset. See the guides for that.
That would be done best by rooting with CF-root, going into CWM-recovery, doing a backup there, do all "wipes", reboot straight into download mode and flash the fresh firmware via Odin. The guides are all there.
Just make sure to play with some settings like gsm/wcdma in your network settings first.
5hrs use?
Your blackberry gave much better battery?
Sorry, but your talking absolute ****e!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
chrisjcks said:
5hrs use?
Your blackberry gave much better battery?
Sorry, but your talking absolute ****e!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you never heard of BB's? He came from a Curve..basically a glorified pager. He could probably go 3 days on that thing with a single charge. Kind of like going from a Commodore 64 to a high end laptop.
One thing I haven't heard mentioned about rooting is the fact with root you can install Titanium Backup..and with the Pro version..freeze apps (instead of deleting) which allows you to fiddle with perhaps some rogue apps that are draining your battery.
As usual with most Androids..make sure you don't have FB or Twitter syncing crazily (and if you're running multiple tweet or FB programs..be sure they aren't syncing as well). I'm not familiar with Touchwiz..but if they have their own "social networking" apps that you don't use (and you use the actual apps themselves instead) be sure to check those and make sure they arent sync'ing either (and better yet freeze them with TiBu).
chrisjcks said:
5hrs use?
Your blackberry gave much better battery?
Sorry, but your talking absolute ****e!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i am lying to your face in order to get you to help me fix my phone.....:facepalm
A. i get FIVE HOURS with moderate use on my current I9100
B. i ad a BB curve 8330 i would get 14-16 hours moderate use.
so no, i am not talking "****e"

Same phone, same hardware - opposite results, why!!??

I am trying to understand this phenomena.. I realize this is more of a philosophical topic than a technical topic, but its something I think about ever day when I read the forums and try to help people with stuff.
To start, my good friend, and my wife have rezounds. To be fair, my wife could care less about the ROM she is running, but, I like to keep her updated. My friend and I go back and forth about what rom is better, he likes Rrez rom, I like Cleanrom, but we flash back and forth.
Out of the 3 of us, We have never had any of the problems that I see other people having. Why?
We all (you guys too) have the same phones, we flash the same software, how is it that Joe gets 24 hours of battery life, flawlessly smooth performance, crystal clear reception.. while John gets an overheating battery, stuttering performance, unusable signal and 4 hours of battery life?
I continue to read posts from people complaining that this rom sucks or that rom sucks..
So.. is it the PERSON, the PHONE or...
maybe not all rezounds are the same inside, and maybe some software does not work with some versions of the phone. That seems pretty ridiculous though.
When I flash mine and my wife's phone, i usually "race" them to see who's is fastest (ya.. its stupid i know). But from the first power down, to wiping to flashing the rom. i press the buttons at the exact same time, and both phones complete the process at the exact same time, boot up in the exact same time..
you get the idea.
just to see if there are any differences, I did a clean flash of clean rom 4.1 on both phones, and let them sit with the screens on, full brightness for 1 hour. they BOTH drained to 83%.
These phones were purchased 3 months apart, and one from VZW and the other from Amazon.
my buddy has never had any of these problems either (his wife has a rezound, but she wont let him flash it)
none of us have had problems, why?
I am not trying to discount anyone's problems, obviously if your phone is overheating, its not something you are making up.. but why is it that YOUR phone heats up, yet mine doesn't
This is a real question, and I think it deserves some sort of analysis. A real answer could go a long way to helping people who are having problems others are not.
Case in point, people are complaining that the radios in the new leak suck. They are getting crappy reception and they regret updating.
i LOVE the new radios!!! i get AWESOME reception!!.
Right now im sitting at 17 hours with 30% left and I tethered my laptop at school for 3 hours while doing homework at school.
A few days ago, I let the battery die (didnt charge it overnight) and it charged over 60% in 30 min, it was awesome lol
60% in 30 minutes? on the new ICS firmware? it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to go up from 14% to 70% today...
jayochs said:
60% in 30 minutes? on the new ICS firmware? it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to go up from 14% to 70% today...
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Click to collapse
trust me, I was just as surprised as you, I was sitting in lecture and it shut off on me. I went to study and plugged it in with the HTC charger and the supplied cable (i love that cable) while I read over some material, 30 min later I unplugged it and it was at 62%, I almost fell over lol
im on 4.1 with stock kernel. I flash my phone so much that I dont have **** installed on it (battery saver wise or whatever). It just a normal phone. I dont OC it, I dont run apps that close programs..just stock build
I've wondered the same thing. I'm somewhere in the middle here. I have some heat problems (can't charge and use a lot of mobile network, heavy games push me to 120-ish), my battery life kinda sucks (it's great, as long as I don't use it... but I get like 2 hrs screen on time). Overall though, it's not a terrible situation, and I still dig the phone.
But stories of 24 hour battery life and never seeing temps above 90 sound like tall tales to me.
I think some of it is that we all have our own interpretation of "moderate" use. I'd imagine some people think two hours of screen time is moderate use (a few facebook checks, some phone calls, and some email over the course of a day). To me it's extremely light... I'm at an hour+ by 10AM most days, 2 by the end of work, then I run with gps, play a game or two in the evening, and you get the idea.
I can't speak for those who have radio/ reception problems... but I've become pretty convinced that the other two main "issues" are mostly due to perception.
I think some of this may be location... if you are in an area where reception is spotty, your phone works harder to gain a connection, gets hotter doing it and uses more battery power.
I went from last Thursday to Monday morning with zero WiFi and the phone was using more power than my normal use, but the connection was solid, speeds were solid as well. I normally use WiFi most of the day because if I am at home or at work, I have a good solid WiFi signal and the phone uses less power (for me at least). My test over the weekend was a good test for me showing that while 4G was solid, if I have WiFi available I save battery power using it.
In general, I have rarely had issues with any phone that I use. Never had to replace one or return it for defects or any other reason. I am good to my equipment though, my Dinc still looks brand new and I got it pre-launch.
It's about 20% phone problems and 80% problems with the people. A good majority of people who flash and then complain are those who don't know what the heck they're doing. In the case of the new firmware, many didn't follow the directions to a T. They got a bad flash or a bad download. Then there are those who flash a new ROM and don't take the time to read everything before doing so. These are the 80% that are essentially complete morons. They do idiotic things that just can't be explained. These are the types of people who should either not be flashing ROMs or who should be using iPhones. In my opinion, if you don't read everything and then complain about something not working correctly, it's your fault.
That being said, there are phones that just suck straight from the factory. Some people who really know what they're doing have these phones and get bad results when running the new firmware and different ROMs. There are plenty of these people on here that have these issues. I feel bad for these people. I certainly don't feel bad for the other 80% who go into a thread and complain that the ROM sucks or something when it's completely their fault.
EDIT: And yes, much of the battery drain and temp problems can be blamed on location for those who have phones that just can't seem to grab a 4g signal for too long. I live in an area where my 4g is solid 99% of the time, so I have no issues. I was in an area about 2 hours south of where I live the other day, though, that had crap 4g signal. My phone definitely drained pretty quickly that day and did get a bit hot.
These are all good points. and actually I never considered location before,
And i thin you are right on with the perception. There has to be a way to standardize some of the stuff to rule out perception. So when people say "man i get crappy battery" We can say "well did you run the (insert standardized battery test) test? what was the result?"
say the test was something like leaving the screen on for 2 hours, starting with a full charge and in airplane mode to rule out reception. Theoretically, all phones with the same ROM and kernel should drain the same amount ..
It is also common for people to see a new mod/rom etc.. and rush to try it out without doing any prep for how they will recover if it doesn't work, how to go back, ramifications of the changes they make... checking first to see if others had problems with it first... etc.
krelvinaz said:
It is also common for people to see a new mod/rom etc.. and rush to try it out without doing any prep for how they will recover if it doesn't work, how to go back, ramifications of the changes they make... checking first to see if others had problems with it first... etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. The "80%" problem in my post. People don't read. It's a shame.
WasabiWa83 said:
Exactly. The "80%" problem in my post. People don't read. It's a shame.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, Rom devs should put in a system where new people are required to read the entire "read me" file along with flash instructions, and then answer a 20 question test and score at least 90% on it. Then, and ONLY then do they get the DL link After 10 or so times of doing this, the requirement would be lifted.
this idea makes me laugh..
Serinety said:
lol, Rom devs should put in a system where new people are required to read the entire "read me" file along with flash instructions, and then answer a 20 question test and score at least 90% on it. Then, and ONLY then do they get the DL link After 10 or so times of doing this, the requirement would be lifted.
this idea makes me laugh..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't make you laugh... it's a great idea!
Serinety said:
lol, Rom devs should put in a system where new people are required to read the entire "read me" file along with flash instructions, and then answer a 20 question test and score at least 90% on it. Then, and ONLY then do they get the DL link After 10 or so times of doing this, the requirement would be lifted.
this idea makes me laugh..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha that's actually a really good idea lol I would change it to 95% or higher, though.
i know for a fact i'm not blaming it on the rom, or not reading right, or not flashing the firmware right.
i did everything right, and i'm 150% positive of that. thing is, when a rom runs great for the first 4 days or so, then out of nowehre i'm going from 18 hours of battery to 5 hours of battery, clearly there's an issue SOMEWHERE.
i'd love to blame it on verizon trying to push 4g here, but i run on wifi most of the time, so i don't think that's it.
jayochs said:
i know for a fact i'm not blaming it on the rom, or not reading right, or not flashing the firmware right.
i did everything right, and i'm 150% positive of that. thing is, when a rom runs great for the first 4 days or so, then out of nowehre i'm going from 18 hours of battery to 5 hours of battery, clearly there's an issue SOMEWHERE.
i'd love to blame it on verizon trying to push 4g here, but i run on wifi most of the time, so i don't think that's it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read your posts in the threads. I meant to put that in my post that you weren't one of the 80% I was talking about. I think yours is a case of the other 20%. Or it could be something to do with the firmware going all bonkers on you.
WasabiWa83 said:
I've read your posts in the threads. I meant to put that in my post that you weren't one of the 80% I was talking about. I think yours is a case of the other 20%. Or it could be something to do with the firmware going all bonkers on you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
by the way, your sig is aweomse.
And yes, **** does happen sometime. but its usually clear from the way the post is written that the person was clueless.
posts usually start like this
"I tried searching but didnt find the answer...."
and then they ask how to flash the rom, or something else that has been covered 1000 times (you have to UPGRADE TO NEW LEAK FIRST)
yeah man, i really hope it's not! everything went smoothly...well, almost smoothly, i was one of the few where the phone froze on the white HTC screeen, and i did a batt pull, and when it rebooted, it began the second step of installation..but i have yet to have any force closes or anything. maybe i'm subconsciously using my phone more? i really don't think so. screen on time should pretty much help judge that, and it's not showing anything out of the ordinary...and better battery stats isn't showing any crazy up time..my awake time is like 39%..i mean, maybe the 4g issue is it? idk..like i said, i run wifi often, so that means mobile networks OFF...
then again, i'm running just 3g tonight ot see if 4g comes on again, and 3g keeps turning off, and switching to 1x..like, constantly...so they MUST still be doing something down here..
Serinety said:
by the way, your sig is aweomse.
And yes, **** does happen sometime. but its usually clear from the way the post is written that the person was clueless.
posts usually start like this
"I tried searching but didnt find the answer...."
and then they ask how to flash the rom, or something else that has been covered 1000 times (you have to UPGRADE TO NEW LEAK FIRST)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahahaha, that's a dead giveaway that they didn't really look lol.
And thanks If you click on my sig it'll take you to my thread to look at others I've done lately
jayochs said:
yeah man, i really hope it's not! everything went smoothly...well, almost smoothly, i was one of the few where the phone froze on the white HTC screeen, and i did a batt pull, and when it rebooted, it began the second step of installation..but i have yet to have any force closes or anything. maybe i'm subconsciously using my phone more? i really don't think so. screen on time should pretty much help judge that, and it's not showing anything out of the ordinary...and better battery stats isn't showing any crazy up time..my awake time is like 39%..i mean, maybe the 4g issue is it? idk..like i said, i run wifi often, so that means mobile networks OFF...
then again, i'm running just 3g tonight ot see if 4g comes on again, and 3g keeps turning off, and switching to 1x..like, constantly...so they MUST still be doing something down here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got stuck also. Scared the hell out of me. But mine seems to have gone through the RUU perfectly and I've been getting insane battery life lately. Like at least a day every cycle on a stock 3.8v. It really could be a case of bad timing with the new firmware and Vzw updating 4g in your area that could be killing your battery. I hope you figure it out soon, though. That would be driving me insane.
you're running the RUU? i'm running joel's Bamf. works pretty well; i like ICS better, in general
jayochs said:
you're running the RUU? i'm running joel's Bamf. works pretty well; i like ICS better, in general
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I meant I ran the leaked RUU and firmware and that's where I got stuck for a minute. But I'm on BAMF right now. I always run the latest BAMF.

[Q] Upgrading Phone Soon what to get

I know that this is probably the most commonly asked question and that i should read what you, the community recommended to the others, but i feel that this is a very controversial topic and one that does go out of date.
So I own the HTC Droid Incredible. I have had it rooted since day one and have been running the stock rom happily on it. Now i want to say i have loved this phone and i love the android software on it and can't imagine switching to anything else. However i got a few problems with it that i wish to be resolved in my upgrade.
First issue, out of date software being pushed out that wipes my phone. This seems to be a common problem people have, and in my house we own 2 of these phones so and both had it happen to them 1 rooted 1 not, where HTC would push out a update that wouldn't update half the time, and the other half the time would simply do a factory reset on the phone without updating. I also have had issues with the software not allowing anymore notifications or messages to be received due to it thinking it doesn't have enough application data despite having a gb of space for that free.
I also have had issues with the battery life on this phone. I am not a person who uses the phone excessively, though if i could i would, but even so checking the internet 5 or so times, and sending a handful of text messages seems to wipe the battery before noon. I am then forced to recharge it to make it through the day. Depending on my location to outlets i am sometimes forced to use my cellphone merely for calls or the potential of calls, as i do not have the battery by 3 O'clock to do anything more then receive or make 1 more 10 minute phonecall.
So these issues are the ones i have had and wish to be rectified in my new phone. Now i got to say the things i love about it: It's size. I Do not need a giant screen, and for the most part dislike them as they sit awkwardly in my pocket. Its performance is very good, though sometimes seems a little sluggish but only rarely. And its feeling in my hand. Perfect size and weight that it just feels natural their.
Now im not saying i wouldn't want a bigger phone but it would have to be way better bang for the size for it to be worthwhile for me.
When it is all said and done i want a phone that will have very little software glitches, great battery life, 8 hours of usage time would be great, and something that can run HD games and watch Netflix movies with no problem.
*Edit*
Forgot to add i am on Verizon Wireless and that the update is a couple months away so feel free to tell me to wait till the new version is out to get it.
I highly recommend the samsung galaxy s2 (skyrocket, lte....etc.....doesnt matter). I have a galaxy note which is pretty much the same as a skyrocket but bigger and the battery life is really good, performance is good, and screen quality is good. Even the galaxy nexus is really good since it is vanilla android which helps on battery life as well as OTA updates or you can download updates and install them yourself.
I have had an HTC evo 3d before and would not buy again due to battery life. I also gave my wife my galaxy nexus which even she likes. My galaxy note runs well stock or rooted and rom'd. get other opinions too but this phone might be the only phone i keep for a while.
Another thought is to wait for the galaxy s3 to come out early summer. it might just be better.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

Elephone S8 [Rom]-Eragon

So i got my s8 a few days ago (yay) and noticed some of its horrendous issues within an hour of usage, so i started looking around for fixes and stumbled upon Eragon (Rom) and have been attempting to get that on to my phone with no luck. I have little to no experience messing around with phones. I followed the guide per Skeleton1911 and can't even get the Vcom driver's working properly. Pretty frustrated and confused at this point and decided to reach out for help/advice. Or any possible alternatives.
What issues are you experiencing that you hope will be solved by this ROM?
I only ask because it might be a hardware issue and therefore a sign to return the phone for a replacement from your vendor while that's still an option.
map002 said:
What issues are you experiencing that you hope will be solved by this ROM?
I only ask because it might be a hardware issue and therefore a sign to return the phone for a replacement from your vendor while that's still an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4g connectivity seems to be pretty bad/unstable. Battery life is pretty meh. Most if not all of the issue with this phone is pretty much fixed by the Eragon rom hence why I'm trying so hard to get it installed.
the 4g connectivity along with the battery life a very lack luster, which are some of the fixes that come with Eragon.
OK, fair enough. I do understand battery life is improved under Eragon, and OS RAM usage is reduced.
I just read 'horrendous issues' and wondered what that meant exactly, as I've found the battery life on stock to be reasonably OK. The only 'horrendous' issues, in my experience, are the camera and the GPS, neither of which are changed or improved on Eragon. But we all have our personal measurements for such things.
map002 said:
OK, fair enough. I do understand battery life is improved under Eragon, and OS RAM usage is reduced.
I just read 'horrendous issues' and wondered what that meant exactly, as I've found the battery life on stock to be reasonably OK. The only 'horrendous' issues, in my experience, are the camera and the GPS, neither of which are changed or improved on Eragon. But we all have our personal measurements for such things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't confirm battery improvement with eragon rom. After a few weeks I had a massive battery drain of about 15% per hour without any heavy usage. The phone was in my pocket with wifi and bluetooth active. I didn't install any new apps and I already I flashed cache and dalvik. The only thing that helped was getting back to stock. Now battery is back to normal and I don't experience any major differences in performance, multitasking or ram usage.
A good example of just how different people's experiences can be, depending on their usage patterns and which set of apps they have installed. Thanks for sharing your experience, Steve.
map002 said:
A good example of just how different people's experiences can be, depending on their usage patterns and which set of apps they have installed. Thanks for sharing your experience, Steve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems a matter of luck if you get a full working s8 or not. Maybe there are different builds, depending on where ist was made.
I am using gps from the first day without any problems, no matter if on stock or eragon rom. My s8 just gets warm when playing games but not hot. I think the perfomance is good (no matter which rom) but I would have expected a much higher antutu score from a deca-core chipset and 4gb ram. The battery performance is not better or worse (on stock rom) compared to my earlier smartphones like the oneplus one. I expected the lack of support from the elephone company just as it is, so I am not disappopinted at this point.
I think it's also worth keeping in mind that people are more likely to post when something goes wrong than when something goes as expected, so folks with a defective item are more likely to post complaints than someone who's phone just works.
That being said, I do expect quality control at a third-tier device manufacturer will not be as good as at one of the major players.
And yeah, the big battery is just there to provide adequate battery life despite the huge screen. In my usage, even with the brightness turned down, the screen accounts for 75% of my battery usage on average.
It's a great screen for a cheap phone like this, but it is a trade-off. No such thing as a free lunch.
Finally! Some people are talking sense here and not just complaining about their devices.
For me, I think it's pointless to compare this phone with flagship devices. You can't just say that "on my one plus/galaxy..." because you paid better bucks for those so they got to be damn better!
I have not got any complaints on my device because as I have read on another post here, "You sound set your expectations".
When you bought this, you have a certain use case and if the phone fulfills that, then the phone has already served its purpose.
Please don't expect our units to be top notch as the price won't allow that.
What kind of 4G issue was resolved by this ROM?
Scoundral said:
the 4g connectivity along with the battery life a very lack luster, which are some of the fixes that come with Eragon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you explain what kind of 4G issues it resolves
After doing some research I found out that the ROM will NOT fix network issues.
Re Oreo
For what it is worth, from the Elephone forum today.
ashish replied at 2018-2-17 03:58 AM
"Plz update the android as almost every compay providing android oreo update but elephone s8 still ha ...
got this on Facebook .
(we do our best to release an oreo update for the S8 as fast as possible. Did you know, that our biggest competitor, that charges 3-4x the price of our S8, just canceled their release of Android 8.0 for their newest device? Google the news Why? Because their update was rushed and released way to early, causing a lot of trouble to many users. Do you want that to happen? We don't. That's why our update will only be released when it's done and can deliver a flawless experience to ALL users of the S8. Therefore we kindly ask for your patience. Have a nice day, your ELEPHONE Team)"
It is true many of the big players have pulled or cancelled their Oreo updates in the last few weeks. Be nice if Ele would try another 7.x update with another attempt to fix the camera though.
I suspect that their dev team has its hands full trying to get everything they got wrong on 7.x right on 8. And I doubt they have the resources to have two teams working on S8 firmware development.
Just my edjumakated guess, mind you. ?
map002 said:
the camera and the GPS, neither of which are changed or improved on Eragon. But we all have our personal measurements for such things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so it's normal thing that GPS do't work and camera makes meh photos?
Also, is there an option that phone screen will turn on for a while when I'm receiving a notification? I know there is something like that in android but I couldn't find it. Sorry It's my first android phone and I just feel lost
I did not say the GPS did not work. If your GPS does not work at all, you should return your phone to the shop where you bought it. It's defective.
What I did say is that the GPS isn't great, as is par for the course on Mediatek based phones. If you need great GPS, this is not the phone for you.
Spend more money and buy something better, maybe with a Qualcomm chipset. Or buy a used last-gen flagship phone with good GPS performance.
As for the camera, it's crappy. All the reviews I've seen have pointed out the focus hunting. It's sub par and mostly a problem with the software.
That being said, yes, sub par cameras on cheap Chinese third tier OEM phones do tend to be sub par in one way or another. This one's just notably bad at the moment. Maybe always, if they don't eventually release another firmware for it.
And if this is your first Android phone, I can understand the confusion. Especally if you're coming from fruit phones, where everything just works on pretty much all of them.
This is a terrible first phone for most people. This is a pretty bad device for a novice, it's more of a hobbyist phone. But XDA is a place for that kind of crowd, so my comments were framed accordingly.
I really like it, but I knew what I was buying. I don't use the camera and only make occasional use of the GPS. And I make heavy use of the screen for watching videos and I am not a fan of 18:9. The S8 is a big win for me there.
You probably would have been better served, in this price range, by a Motorola phone, to be honest. If you're still within your exchange window, I would recommend swapping it for something more mainstream.
Best of luck!
matizo said:
... is there an option that phone screen will turn on for a while when I'm receiving a notification? I know there is something like that in android but I couldn't find it. Sorry It's my first android phone and I just feel lost
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.nullgrad.glimpse
Install this and the screen will wake for notifications. You can also disable individual apps, like I did with Spotify, to prevent the screen from waking when listening to music on my Mac.
PRGS3 said:
Install this and the screen will wake for notifications. You can also disable individual apps, like I did with Spotify, to prevent the screen from waking when listening to music on my Mac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you
map002 said:
And if this is your first Android phone, I can understand the confusion. Especally if you're coming from fruit phones, where everything just works on pretty much all of them.
Best of luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not even from apple family. I'm one of old guard of Windows phone, and everyday I'm more and more surprised that android won this competition.
I have no chance for fully refund, since I already own it few months, but I see I need to contact a seller. But I think they'll reject it because I dropped it once, and I have beautiful spider web at back -.- (It's not very sturdy). I think I need to revive my lumia for gps usage.
New to elephone s8 but not new to Chinese smart phones. I was hoping this ROM fixed some issues but hasn't thus far. Phone constantly drops signal to point where i can't receive or make calls. Still trying to figure out if that is due to phone not support on my network or not. Which is odd cause at times phone is fine, flying speed full coverage others its the complete opposite. One other bug I was hoping it fixed was screen being unresponsive. Like i try to swipe up to unlock or use fingerprint but it just vibrates to acknowledge I touched it and does nothing. I am looking for work around before i get fed up and sell it or something. I really love the feel of phone physically and how software works when its working.

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