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New Hero owner here... using it 3 weeks. LOVE the phone, love the 7 pages, love the widgets, love the screen, love SenseUI, HATE the capacitive screen.
Coming form windows mobile for past 5 years, i am expending at least 5x more time and energy to navigate or browse due to this "feature".
I am certain this has been hashed out here before, but I will settle for a short answer, even one that has a laundry list if you like.
All I ask is that you please tell me it has something to add other than MULTI-TOUCH. I could care less about pinch-zoom. Initially when seen on first i-phones it had a wow factor. But very soon on WM, with OperaMini, Netfront, Skyfire, Iris and other browsers, pinch-to-zoom was rendered irrelevant, as all of these browsers provided way more efficient way to zoom in, out, and frame the area of the screen you want to look at. One tap, or two taps, or grab a square positioner (netfront) and tap.
Regardless of marketing, not only were these solutions fantastic, I alos didn't feel any sense of loss.
Now that I HAVE multi-touch on Hero, it's way beyond "yawn". It's more like, "what in the world is the advantage here. all I see is that a capacitive screen is far inferior to a resistive screen for easily 25 reasons. I listed them elsewhere on an XDA "general" forum. Typing: worse. accurate hitting a target: worse, but not just worse, horrible. Tap-hold context menus, require twice as long to press in order to instruct the OS you're indeed pressing for the purpose of holding, vs pressing just to try to make contact. Takes twice the tap impact to activate GO and other action buttons.
So I am dying to hear what is the advantage I have been given on this fantastic $500 USD phone I bought?
2nd question: I am currently using the device straight out the box, with just maybe 25-50 aps or widgets form android marketplace -- which has been fantastically smooth user experience, with perfect degrees of feedback on what access each app will give to the phone etc... very reassuring.
Has the truly amazing world of XDA-devs made some of my major usability complaints above go away, or lessen (after rooting the phone and using a custom ROM)?
Sign me: Baffled and Dismayed in San Francisco
Are there no replies here because this has been previously beaten to death? If so, wold someone please point me to the best thread discussion on this subject matter?
Thank you.
personally, i love a capacitive screen for typing.. as long as you can hit the buttons. For me i have no problem in the horizontal view, but they shouldnt have used a "qwerty" keyboard in the horizontal view, i despise it aha.
for the browsers multi touch, personally i just think its kinda cool, but as you say not very productive.
so really to me, i just love the feeling of capacitive touch screens...when they work of course!
and i know that companies "try" to put capacitive screens on as much as possible (because the iphone and ipod touch are so popular) but you can only really have it on bigger screens. The hero has pretty much the "bare minimum" screen size, and thats why we have some problems!
sorry i didnt really answer your question, just my thoughts but i guess the advantage is (was ment to be) that iphone touch screen experience, but capacitive screens work much better when the buttons have space between them (on bigger screens!)
THis was very helpful thank you. I know what you mean that the glassy smoothness is elegant and competes, I guess, with the look & feel of the Apple handheld devices. But also you seem to be answering my question, which is really the essentiual thing wanted to know:
Apparently there is ZERO added-value that capacitive brings over resistive screen than pinch-zoom... and that glossy glass feeling.
Is this correct, though? Can it really be that the primary reason for running Android on a capacitive screen is its sexiness factor in comparing to glossy look of the iphone?
I know there MUST be threads galore at XDA regarding the value of stylus for rapid composing, and more rapidly scrolling thru a long list on contacts, going into something like 2x or 5x speed flashing through the letters of the alphabet, then slowing down to land on desired contact...
The HTC Leo thread addressed this quite a bit, with both groans and raves for that WM device...
xsirhc6x said:
personally, i love a capacitive screen for typing.. as long as you can hit the buttons. For me i have no problem in the horizontal view, but they shouldnt have used a "qwerty" keyboard in the horizontal view, i despise it aha.
for the browsers multi touch, personally i just think its kinda cool, but as you say not very productive.
so really to me, i just love the feeling of capacitive touch screens...when they work of course!
and i know that companies "try" to put capacitive screens on as much as possible (because the iphone and ipod touch are so popular) but you can only really have it on bigger screens. The hero has pretty much the "bare minimum" screen size, and thats why we have some problems!
sorry i didnt really answer your question, just my thoughts but i guess the advantage is (was ment to be) that iphone touch screen experience, but capacitive screens work much better when the buttons have space between them (on bigger screens!)
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well i used apple as more of an example but i dont think i was very clear before sorry!
Although the screen is glossy and well glass, but i ment that alot of people like having that "touch" not "tap" feel. like how with capacitive you can barely touch the screen and it responds whereas resistive you have to push on the screen. so this makes companies want to use capacitive so there putting it on alot of the bigger touch screen phones
quicksite said:
Coming form windows mobile for past 5 years, i am expending at least 5x more time and energy to navigate or browse due to this "feature"
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well here is your problem. and I know exactly how you feel, having some PDA and SE P1 also with resistive touch. you'll have to get used to it, there is no other way. it looks similar, like, it's a touchscreen! but difference in technology makes it hard to shift your way of using it
same thing as forgetting clickable keyboards where you can feel edge of each key and you KNOW exactly what you have pressed... and believe me, when you get that feeling with almost microscopic P1 keyboard, first few weeks of brand new high tech on-screen typing makes you smash that phone into wall next to you... but it gets better with time
This is the correct answer. Most people prefer the touch feel of capacitive compared to the press needed for resistive screens.
xsirhc6x said:
well i used apple as more of an example but i dont think i was very clear before sorry!
Although the screen is glossy and well glass, but i ment that alot of people like having that "touch" not "tap" feel. like how with capacitive you can barely touch the screen and it responds whereas resistive you have to push on the screen. so this makes companies want to use capacitive so there putting it on alot of the bigger touch screen phones
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I moved from an Omnia i900 (WM, resistive screen) to the HTC Hero (Android, capacitive screen) and I am really enjoying the sensitivity of the Hero's screen. Everything is activated with a feather-light touch which really adds to the experience of using a touchscreen device.
On the Omnia, when I tried to halt a scrolling list with my finger, more often than not, I would end up choosing an item instead of stopping the scolling. This got irritating enough that I ended up using the scroll bars most of the time. On the Hero, the scrolling list amazingly stops when my finger makes contact without any unintended item selection. This probably has to do with the sensitivity of the capacitive screen but whatever it is, it works brilliantly.
The only time when I miss the resistive screen is if I need to accurately touch points on the screen due to poorly designed software but this can generally be avoided. Copy and paste could potentially have been a pain with a capacitive screen but the Hero has a trackball which gets the job done quite well.
I agree that multi-touch is nice to have but not critical. It is the sensitivity of the capacitive screen that really makes my day !
IMHO the capacitive screen is one of the best parts of my Hero (the other is not having to use clunky Windows Mobile anymore). It makes it so much more user friendly - and that attribute is what has made the iphone the best seller it is.
It is so much easier to scroll through my emails, texts, contacts, apps etc without accidently clicking on one and opening. And the same applies when scrolling between screens. In my last phone (HTC Touch Diamond) I was forever opening apps and windows I did not mean to when trying to scroll up down or sideways.
And scrolling long lists (I have over 200 contacts) is so easy. Just flick and let it run and then stop it with a finger. Try that on a non-capacitive screen and you are likely to open something you did not mean to open.
And, admittedly after a bit of practice, I have found the QERTY keyboard is no problem at all. It is almost as easy to use with my finger as my TD was with a stylus. And it is even easier when you are in landscape mode.
Still, each to his/her own. If, after giving it some time to get used to, you still don't like it I am sure there are plenty of alternatives out there - it always amazes me the number of different high-end phones HTC makes.
Resistive touch screen: You have to press harder to make it work better (Rinzai school)
Capacitive touch screen: You have to touch lighter to make it work better (Soto school)
Volker1 said:
Resistive touch screen: You have to press harder to make it work better (Rinzai school)
Capacitive touch screen: You have to touch lighter to make it work better (Soto school)
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Well somehow you faked me out with your zen-like branch differentiations. I clicked on Soto school first --- and I thought, therefore, that when I clicked on Rinzai, it would communicate more aggressive, harder. But it didn't!
Thus, i don't understand your analogy other than making it up in my head, with the meaning being:
Expend less energy and force, grasshopper, and all will be revealed.
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Since the day of my posting this topic, I am starting to feel a shift by gentler tapping. In some cases, yes, I am seeing a difference in better responsiveness.
But I have to admit that this is not always the case. Leading to:
Dac0908:
well here is your problem. and I know exactly how you feel, having some PDA and SE P1 also with resistive touch. you'll have to get used to it, there is no other way.
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I am starting to get it. Quick illustration: My sim card (my old one from t-mobile wing) happens to be going bad, I just discovered. So I had to swap it out from my HERO back to my WING just to see if I could make a phone call. I had not used the WING (resistive) for a while.
I immediately started making mistakes in the opposite direction. I wasn't pushing hard enough now, and was not activating my selection. So, young grasshopper may be getting the Zen of Capacitive Touch!
it looks similar, like, it's a touchscreen! but difference in technology makes it hard to shift your way of using it. same thing as forgetting clickable keyboards where you can feel edge of each key and you KNOW exactly what you have pressed... and believe me, when you get that feeling with almost microscopic P1 keyboard, first few weeks of brand new high tech on-screen typing makes you smash that phone into wall next to you... but it gets better with time
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I get your point exactly... So, sounds like the people in this forum who have had their HEROs for longer time... must think I am just whining! ha hah
Here are my conclusions thus far:
(a) lighter touch IS helping select more easily.
(b) I began to do as others have said on the soft keyboard-- aim your finger just a nudge above the keys. (because the point of tangency between finger and screen is quite a bit below the tip of the fingernail) (** me thinks they should provide a settings option called "Offset finger touch?" -- and I could select that to in fact shift all the target zones of the on-screen keys slightly below the way they display on-screen, thereby improving accuracy dramatically.)
(c) even with "getting used to" adjustments, the accuracy on the portrait-layout keyboard is still lower on those left edge and right edge keys... And thus I am finding that landscape keyboard is almost becoming required for me (and i have thin fingers!)
(d) On the WM resistive screen, I found that, when using handwriting via stylus, the system really did LEARN to compensate for the style of handwriting of an individual by going thru the alphabet to select the path of drawing each letter that best matches how I write... it absolutely improved handwriting recognition) (AND MAY AS WELL SAY: I miss that the most of all things: I loved being able to jot notes down with stylus and handwriting. I used that daily... SO I miss it)
Similarly, there is an OFFSET ANGLE adjustment on the WM input screen controls, which absolutely made a huge difference: I the natural positioning of a hand and fingers in resting mode on a flat object (a screen) has one's index finger aiming on an angle inward. Thus, the angle adjustment was a smart user interface setting, that I would guess WM came up with over time, as better recognition of this issue surfaced.
(e) I can't expect to use my capacitive screen phone in the lazy ways I used my WM phone with resistive: ie, laying down in bed and tapping out a message to send. When I try to do that with Hero, the angles of finger-contact with the screen are "off" from a standing or sitting alignment of where you hold the device and how you strike the keys. Trying to tap out a note using portrait mode, while laying in bed, and holding phone to its side (or any other awkward position) = probably 10% success rate of hitting the correct keys... Mostly due to that distance-factor between the tip of the finger -- the sight-targeting cross-hairs used for decades in pressing most things that need pressing -- and the underside of the finger, which makes the contact point lower than the tip by a somewhat predictable distance.
I still think there are some ways to go where various compensation settings could nail those issues and bring touch accuracy to much higher percentage, especially in those situations of at what angle you're holding the device in one hand, and tapping with the other hand, is "off", like laying in bed.
(f) Accelerometer: again, when laying in bed (lazy mode), the auto portrait-landscape shifting almost never occurs and i have to hold the phone parallel to the ground and flick it in order to get the layout adjustment, then continue at whatever angle it is I am holding the phone.
(g) WISHLIST #2: (after handwriting/ capacitive stylus is brought to market by HTC, etc) .. is: COntext-sensitive accelerometer.. such that it works in almost any hand-held 3d location, and a 90 degree shift = a shift layout command.
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Okay, these are my responses from a Human Factors Interface Design professional background.
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Maybe I will have to talk to "Charles", the guy in my nieghborhood in San Francisco, who just happens to be the designer of the original G1 for Google, both in form factor and user interface of android...
San Francisco can be pretty interesting in that way.. you never know who you'll bump into, just like in L.A. with movie stars!
kenkaw said:
I am really enjoying the sensitivity of the Hero's screen. Everything is activated with a feather-light touch which really adds to the experience of using a touchscreen device....On the Hero, the scrolling list amazingly stops when my finger makes contact without any unintended item selection. This probably has to do with the sensitivity of the capacitive screen but whatever it is, it works brilliantly.
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I am starting to feel this now, too. So I am shifting mental gears in my head.
Copy and paste could potentially have been a pain with a capacitive screen but the Hero has a trackball which gets the job done quite well.
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This is actually where I have the most problems.... way more than touching the screen, which I am becoming accustomed to, and now seeing what p[eople are saying about feathertouch responsiveness.
I have not been able to find any settings for trackball responsiveness, the kind you'd find on any laptop for the touchpad or mouse rate of movement -- from super fast to super slow. IS there such an adjustment?
I want to love the trackball, and I am getting better at it. But to me, this is almost just the opposite of featherweight touch on screen. My finger "wants" a more "sticky" or locked-on connection to the trackball, so i can control it better with micro-movements. For me, right now, it is so slippery as to super-slide way out of range, and shifting fields on form data entry, and , when I am using it on a slider bar such as for volume control or color mixing (chnaging color of a background), it's sensitivity is way too wild for even a light touch attempt to control it
QUESTION: I am not yet using any rooted rom from XDA... I am still experiencing the Hero out of the box. So, are there any added control settings that people at XDA have figured out and added to the custom ROMS?
thank you
I agree that multi-touch is nice to have but not critical. It is the sensitivity of the capacitive screen that really makes my day ![/QUOTE]
peterc10 said:
And scrolling long lists (I have over 200 contacts) is so easy. Just flick and let it run and then stop it with a finger.
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I a starting to feel this now. I was flicking too hard initially -- as part of my learning curve. I am now getting the hang of it and am getting the kind of control you speak of. nice!
it always amazes me the number of different high-end phones HTC makes.
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No ****. what an amazing company... and why I like how XDA-developers built up around HTC... This is a serious question: Is HTC a good stock buy? They seem like moreso than ever, with their new branding and direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns (at least in the USA, big time), ready to leap out as a huge brand in the way Samsung shot up from obscurity many years ago, into a top-5 leading brand of electrionics.
So like the title states, my tab gets pretty warm on the back left rather quickly. Anyone else have this happen to them? Hopefully I don't have a faulty unit! Thanks for your responses in advance.
mines does also, but nothing unbearable.
same - not bad but def warm
I have mine in a folio type sleeve and I haven't really noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Mine does the same. I noticed you guys posted this earlier in the year. Have you noticed any major issues coming from this problem?
Nothing here. It's just the processor, but I've been OC'd since the second day with no issuess
Sent from your mothers house.
Its normal
Same here -- nothing to worry about. Gets warm under normal or heavy utilization on the top-left backside.
Congratulations, your tab is working normally!
I used to post this issue once already. This is causing from Manufactor. If compare to ipad2, ipad2 maitain very well on processor. I played wid my fren's ipad2, it is not warm as our tab. Shame on u samsung
joseph168 said:
I used to post this issue once already. This is causing from Manufactor. If compare to ipad2, ipad2 maitain very well on processor. I played wid my fren's ipad2, it is not warm as our tab. Shame on u samsung
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*sigh*, shame on them indeed. I wanted a ipad like experience without getting a stinking ipad.
Not to be a **** or anything, but why didn't you just get the iPad then? I got the Tab because I didn't want an I pad lie experience - I wanted to be able to customize my tablet, not have to use iTunes for the simplest task, see flash animations etc. Some heat on the back of the unit is not a deal breaker.
rcy1 said:
Not to be a **** or anything, but why didn't you just get the iPad then? I got the Tab because I didn't want an I pad lie experience - I wanted to be able to customize my tablet, not have to use iTunes for the simplest task, see flash animations etc. Some heat on the back of the unit is not a deal breaker.
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I knew I should have specified what I meant. lol When I say Ipad like experience. I mean a device that simply WORKS and WORKS well. Everything is smooth, no lag issues, no slowness. I'm not a fan of apple at all. However I do understand and realize that they make great products. I would rather have a Hp Touchpad than purchase an Ipad. Thats how much I don't prefer apple products. But, I can't deny how seamless and smooth an ipad runs. Understand now?
---------- Post added at 08:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 AM ----------
I don't really care about the heat on the back. My problem is the panning on the home screen and how theres significant lag and it seems to stutter to pan to the next home screen. I did a factory reset and still have the same issue. I see that many many others have the same problem as well.
OK..I see what you mean. I can put up with a few quirks rather than be locked into using the Ipad only how Apple forces me to.
When it comes to switching screens, I find that tapping the left and right sides of the screen makes the screens switch faster than swiping. When I swipe left or right it seems laggy. Anyone else find this?
rcy1 said:
When it comes to switching screens, I find that tapping the left and right sides of the screen makes the screens switch faster than swiping. When I swipe left or right it seems laggy. Anyone else find this?
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I have also noticed this.
Sent from my GT-P7510
rcy1 said:
OK..I see what you mean. I can put up with a few quirks rather than be locked into using the Ipad only how Apple forces me to.
When it comes to switching screens, I find that tapping the left and right sides of the screen makes the screens switch faster than swiping. When I swipe left or right it seems laggy. Anyone else find this?
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never tried this before, but trying it now and it does work. Its smooth and fast. To bad it doesn't pan like this with swipping.
Yeah, it's weird how it's faster one way but not the other. Wonder why. I prefer the screen tap over the swipe anyway.
well - i got the same problem... sigh...
Ditch the crappy stock launcher and replace with "ADWLauncher EX". Laggy UI launcher solved, smooth as iPad even. But when inside apps, well the launcher doesn't control that, so the lag is back
Back on topic, yes mine too gets warm when CPU utilization continuously high for some period of time.
same case with me
it gets heated up.....not that much...i feel its normal....
I just got my Radar in the mail today and I have to say, my first impressions are very good. I'm coming from Android so when I saw the kind of dated specs for this phone, I was a little hesitant. But just like the all the reviews say, this phone is buttery smooth with plenty of power. You can't judge this phone against Android cause it's two different OS's. Windows doesn't need the horsepower that Android needs and the software integration with the hardware is tight and beautiful.
Love the hardware as well. Coming from a Galaxy S, I was happy with the performance but the phone was just too cheap and plasticy for me to ever REALLY love it's looks. The weight and unibody construction on this phone is awesome and I love it.
The unremovable battery might have been a deal breaker for me with a high end Android phone as I had an extra battery for my Galaxy S. But all the reviews said this phone gets well over a day of with moderate use so I'm not sweating that anymore.
NO LIKE::: There's not much I don't like and it's gonna take me a little longer than a few hours to get used to this phone. However, there is one thing about this OS that is bothering me. Font size!! Lets start with the browser....No setting in the browser to make the webpage larger like in android. And when you try to zoom in, the text doesn't re-flow. Also, font size in the people section like in your twitter feed is small as well. I don't have the best eyes but they're already starting to hurt. This complaint is pretty minor but in a way, it's major as well. If you get tired of using certain features on your phone cause it makes your eyes hurt, then that's kinda of a problem.
Overall though, love this phone and I'm happy with the purchase.
Oh and one more thing to add. The call quality isn't very good at all.
The text reflows if you double tap. It's by design.
sala91 said:
The text reflows if you double tap. It's by design.
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Yes but only a little bit. The text still isn't large enough for me to comfortably read, at least for a long time. I'm talking about pinching and zooming as close as you want and the words re-wrap to fit the screen like in Android, so you don't have to scroll back and forth. Other than that, I'm happy with the browser. I think it's a smoother experience on WP7.
And honestly, my complaint above about small font throughout the OS is starting to get to me even more. The things I do most on a phone are taking in info, like browsing my favorite sites, Twitter, Facebook, and RSS. And all these processes hurt my eyes after a while. Example, look at the Facebook app. The font is small cause the top of the screen is taken up by FACEBOOK and then the tittle of the page like MOST RECENT. I actually love the facebook app, it's just the small font I hate. I wish I had a bigger phone cause I think it would be Ok if it was a 4.3 inch screen or so.
In the end, I hate to say it cause I love this OS but I think i'm gonna sell this phone. I'll just have to wait until a bigger phone comes out or Microsoft makes it an option to make the font bigger everywhere. It sucks cause this OS is so much more beautiful and cohesive than anything else. I'm a big fan, but my eyes aren't letting me enjoy the experience. I hope to be back to WP7 soon.
seanp666 htc titan has a very big screen. try that.
sala91 said:
seanp666 htc titan has a very big screen. try that.
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text wouldnt be any better oneit since the pexel density is so low.. reviewers said they had to zoom in to see most stuff on browser clear, a shame =/
stratax i dissagree. to me titan is so big i dont zoom anything there
sala91 said:
stratax i dissagree. to me titan is so big i dont zoom anything there
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Thats weird, couple reviews i saw said it was pixelated when you looked closely and text wasnt that clear
stratax said:
Thats weird, couple reviews i saw said it was pixelated when you looked closely and text wasnt that clear
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For reference, it has a higher PPI than an iPhone 3GS. So...
jeremyshaw said:
For reference, it has a higher PPI than an iPhone 3GS. So...
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and that screen was tiny haha. here is what everyone is saying.
"The HTC Titan is quite large thanks to its 4.7-inch display. We were slightly disappointed to find that the resolution for this LCD is standard WVGA–480 x 800 pixels. This means the dots per inch (dpi) specification will be quite low, and users may be able to make out individual pixels in some situations, which can be unpleasant when reading text. However, it should make viewing videos a joy, especially when sharing the screen with friends."
I would love to check out the phone myself. but dont have $600 to put into one lol.
even if you can see things fine.. why would they put qHD on the sensation and then 720p display on the rezound, etc. but not the titan when it has a even BIGGER screen? that just confuses me xD maybe it has something to do with WP7.
i just got one radar for my wife.... i like the size and the aluminium body.. the camera is good, and takes panorama shots as well..
smoother then my HD7...
I'm coming from the hd7 also. And I find the size of the radar and its screen to be to annoying. Font size is an issue for me as well. The plus? WiFi tethering.
So, is the tethering free? It was so easy to activate and use, but I don't want any surprise charges.
AdamBlue said:
So, is the tethering free? It was so easy to activate and use, but I don't want any surprise charges.
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Depends entirely on your carrier.
Sent from my Radar 4G using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Brooose said:
Sent from my Radar 4G using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
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sweet
/10char
drewmaloy said:
I'm coming from the hd7 also. And I find the size of the radar and its screen to be to annoying. Font size is an issue for me as well. The plus? WiFi tethering.
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and the camera. The camera is orders of magnitude better than the HD7's.
stratax said:
and that screen was tiny haha. here is what everyone is saying.
"The HTC Titan is quite large thanks to its 4.7-inch display. We were slightly disappointed to find that the resolution for this LCD is standard WVGA–480 x 800 pixels. This means the dots per inch (dpi) specification will be quite low, and users may be able to make out individual pixels in some situations, which can be unpleasant when reading text. However, it should make viewing videos a joy, especially when sharing the screen with friends."
I would love to check out the phone myself. but dont have $600 to put into one lol.
even if you can see things fine.. why would they put qHD on the sensation and then 720p display on the rezound, etc. but not the titan when it has a even BIGGER screen? that just confuses me xD maybe it has something to do with WP7.
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Every negative comment I have heard about the Titan's screen is from people who don't actually own it or have used it and are just speculating. I'll search for more reviews (since I plan to buy the Titan Friday) and see if I can find anything else out.
here are my first impressions of this nice device (in german)
But I've got a question by the way? Is it normal that the alphabetical jumplist in apps menu is missing?
No. That should be there...odd.
According to :
http://www.reddit.com/r/wp7/comments/l9cet/quick_question_about_icon_in_app_jump_list/
You get the letters in the app list when you have more than 45 applications.
My Galaxy Nexus died in a horrible freak accident, and SquareTrade ended up sending me a wad of cash to find another phone. Logically, I wanted to take the S3 for a test drive because it's the newest, hottest kid on the block (and I missed not having a MicroSD card).
I picked up my T-Mobile S3 in store today for the full retail price, and walked out excited as I always am to have a new toy in hand. Now, beware, I'm going to say some negative things about this phone, but that is because I want you guys to tell re-assure me that I'll learn to love it, or they'll get fixed etc because I really want to like this phone.
First off, the good things over my dead GNex:
Speed: Holy cow, that Krait CPU is blindingly fast. I knew the GNex was never a rocketship, but I wasn't aware of how slow it was until I played with the S3. Things run like butter, and JB(4.1) is only going to make that more amazing.
Camera: Yeah, the GNex camera sucks. This isn't as amazing as I hoped it would be, but it is nice to have something that instantly looks like crap.
Screen: It is a sweet screen, but I'm not sure if it is better than the GNex. If it is, I don't really see it (and can't compare side by side) and is still in amazing screen.
Now, the things I don't like:
SMS: WHY THE **** does my SCREEN turn on EVERY TIME an SMS comes in??? WHERE IS THE SETTING TO KILL THAT?!
Lockscreen: The "barely touch" to unlock is a joke. (Yes, I know you can replace it)
The body: Man, that blue looks pretty, but holy balls is that phone a pain to hold on to in 90 degree heat. What's the point of making a gorgeous phone that you have to keep in a case?
Build quality: It honestly doesn't feel as "solid" as the gnex, but has anyone had any quality issues with theirs yet?
Bloatware: I thought the Sensation was bad when I bought it, but this phone has so many apps that I never want to use, it's not even funny. I spent the first half hour going through and disabling applications.
Signal Quality: I drive a certain stretch of road that is hell on connections. I've had HTC's, Samsungs, etc drop out. It's just a great place to test radios and phones... Well, this one? Drops as much as the old HTC G2 did, if not more. Absolutely impossible to keep a signal. Now, thinking it was a bad signal day, I popped my micro SIM in an adapter and back into my HD2 and drove the road again... This time? No issue.
Home button: Really? A hard to press, narrow button for the most used button on the phone? I worry about dropping the phone, as it is so light, I have to hold it tightly with one hand to press the button.
So I know this may seem petty, but I'm really hoping you guys can convince me one way or another. Sure, this phone will always be faster than my GNex, but a GNex is half the price, and for me, in many ways feels like a better phone.
Thanks
Another thing I've notice, the screen can't figure out if it wants to be dim or bright. It'll sit there and go from one extreme to the other over a minutes time. Never in the middle.
Is it sounding like I have a defective unit?
I also had a Nexus Prime and I would of kept it if it had an sd card slot and WAY better camera & that's where the S3 comes in. Sure it has bloat and touchwiz isn't the best but AOSP is on its way & with it, improvements. As for build quality, I like it better than the nexus. Signal wise I was have at least 3 bars so I'm happy. I do agree though that the unit gets quite hot sometimes, but overall I love this device
Higher the processor speed the hotter it runs. You could limit the processor speed but you lose the blazing speed.. but I also lose the blazing heat. LOL.
As for the build quality its not bad. It doesn't feel like it'll break when I try to bend the unit. The gorilla glass is pretty strong but its not shatter proof. Don't drop it! Already seen a few shattered screens.
The software issues are just that.. all just software which is easy to change either by using replacement programs like handcent SMS or rooting then replacing the rom or disabling and removing the bloat. All that should matter is the hardware and if you're happy with the performance, look, feel, battery life, and reception.
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
Yes please but on a screen protector. Dont trust the gorilla glass its bad. they should just take gorilla glass out of the specs for the phone. it doesnt work. i dont care how many youtube videos you watch that says it does.... it doesnt
curtiscr87 said:
Yes please but on a screen protector. Dont trust the gorilla glass its bad. they should just take gorilla glass out of the specs for the phone. it doesnt work. i dont care how many youtube videos you watch that says it does.... it doesnt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had issues with scratches on my Gorilla glass, even on my tablet which gets abused in the shop while I'm working on things. Then again, my HD2 never got a scratch either.
franknozly said:
Higher the processor speed the hotter it runs. You could limit the processor speed but you lose the blazing speed.. but I also lose the blazing heat. LOL.
As for the build quality its not bad. It doesn't feel like it'll break when I try to bend the unit. The gorilla glass is pretty strong but its not shatter proof. Don't drop it! Already seen a few shattered screens.
The software issues are just that.. all just software which is easy to change either by using replacement programs like handcent SMS or rooting then replacing the rom or disabling and removing the bloat. All that should matter is the hardware and if you're happy with the performance, look, feel, battery life, and reception.
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So Handcent can fix the screen on issue? GoSMS so far hasn't been any help.
AttachedSilver said:
I also had a Nexus Prime and I would of kept it if it had an sd card slot and WAY better camera & that's where the S3 comes in. Sure it has bloat and touchwiz isn't the best but AOSP is on its way & with it, improvements. As for build quality, I like it better than the nexus. Signal wise I was have at least 3 bars so I'm happy. I do agree though that the unit gets quite hot sometimes, but overall I love this device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You nailed it, the camera and the MicroSD slot are the two most compelling things about this phone for me.
arthurbrownleeiv said:
I've never had issues with scratches on my Gorilla glass, even on my tablet which gets abused in the shop while I'm working on things. Then again, my HD2 never got a scratch either.
So Handcent can fix the screen on issue? GoSMS so far hasn't been any help.
You nailed it, the camera and the MicroSD slot are the two most compelling things about this phone for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes handcent fixes that screen on issue if you disable popup notifications. That's the kind of notification that shows a dialog box with a quick reply option.
If disabled then the screen doesn't turn on and the SMS stays in the notification area.
Infact you can enable the pop-up notification but choose to disable screen on for pop-ups. That works too.
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
arthurbrownleeiv said:
Another thing I've notice, the screen can't figure out if it wants to be dim or bright. It'll sit there and go from one extreme to the other over a minutes time. Never in the middle.
Is it sounding like I have a defective unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you don't have the eye/face detection turned on? My screen does that at work (I have mine set on) and even though I'm not directly stairing at it, it picks up my eyes (I have my phone placed below my monitor). Sometimes it bugs me enough just to turn the thing face down.
or maybe it can be the autolight sensor.
:shrug
There's a setting in gosms to turn off the "screen turning on with an sms" option
My major concern is with the home button. What on earth were they thinking?
I'm a firm believer that AOSP on this phone will make it a true winner with the on-screen navigation buttons enabled and the capacitive and physical ones disabled. Maybe we could repurpose the big ol physical one to do something else in the future.
Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
franknozly said:
Yes handcent fixes that screen on issue if you disable popup notifications. That's the kind of notification that shows a dialog box with a quick reply option.
If disabled then the screen doesn't turn on and the SMS stays in the notification area.
Infact you can enable the pop-up notification but choose to disable screen on for pop-ups. That works too.
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll download that one and give it a whirl.
rosedog said:
Are you sure you don't have the eye/face detection turned on? My screen does that at work (I have mine set on) and even though I'm not directly stairing at it, it picks up my eyes (I have my phone placed below my monitor). Sometimes it bugs me enough just to turn the thing face down.
or maybe it can be the autolight sensor.
:shrug
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I turned off a lot of the gesture/motion things right out of the box, as some just didn't seem natural at all. I could never get the whole unlocking motion one to work either. That was annoying for a bit.
Bluerai said:
There's a setting in gosms to turn off the "screen turning on with an sms" option
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll check again, but I'm not finding it.
Div033 said:
My major concern is with the home button. What on earth were they thinking?
I'm a firm believer that AOSP on this phone will make it a true winner with the on-screen navigation buttons enabled and the capacitive and physical ones disabled. Maybe we could repurpose the big ol physical one to do something else in the future.
Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sad thing is, as much as I'd love to have on screen buttons like the Gnex, then we're stuck with that long chin being nonfunctional. I guess it wouldn't be bad if the back and menu button never lit up and were completely disabled. Possible use the home button as a shutter button then? Who knows.
It really does blow my mind how they did a physical button for the home button of all things.
I enjoyed a physical home button on my previous phones. To each his/her own?
Cappurnikus said:
I enjoyed a physical home button on my previous phones. To each his/her own?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved the ones on the HD2. However, they weren't as difficult to press, and the phone was a lot heavier. It made it so when you pushed them, the phone didn't want to flip out of your hand. The SGS3 is so smooth and lightweight, I don't even try to hit the home button one handed anymore.
Cappurnikus said:
I enjoyed a physical home button on my previous phones. To each his/her own?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I have a trackpad on the g2 I use it to turn the phone on so I love the home button on the s3 since a lot of times I leave the phone on the desk or table during lectures and stuff and its just convenient to turn the phone on that way but like some said its hard to press without fearing of it falling out of ur hand due to the large size and thinness
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda app-developers app
My home button is very easy to press and it never feels like it'll fall out of my hand while holding it with only one.
thetony said:
My home button is very easy to press and it never feels like it'll fall out of my hand while holding it with only one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you have smaller thumbs? For me, I have a big wide thumb, and I have to press with enough force to make my thumb "go into the recessed" area to completely depress the button.
I would like for us to share tips on how to make using this larger device easier, especially one handed...
I will edit this post as people make suggestions. I just ask that you keep them in a list form (or otherwise organized manor) to make it easy for me to copy/paste into this post.
Ditched the stock launcher for Nova Launcher... (or other custom launcher)
Add a row and column of icons so the vast real estate of this phone can be much better utilized. How can this help with one handed use? Well now that you have more icons, closer together.. you can put them along one side of the phone to get at them more easily if you wish.
If the launcher offers gestures... set up a couple gestures. When not in an app, have a "down" gesture to open the notification panel. Prevents having to reach up and drag your thumb down to get at the panel. HUGE help!
Set up a "up" gesture to open the most recent apps list. Another shortcut allowing to reach less with the thumb.
You can set up all kinds of gestures.. use them to your one handed advantage!
We can also discuss the Note II overall/in general if you want. The pitfalls and perks... maybe even the Pro/cons of other potential high end devices that some may be interested in if they find the Note II just too large.
Why did I start this thread?
Well to get some tips for myself... and to allowed them to be shared. Plus I am very much on the fence with this device. I never really wanted a large phone. I thought my Galaxy Nexus was a little too big, but at least I was able to do most things one handed without feeling like my grip on the device was only poor at best. But my fiance wanted the Note II and wants us to have the same phone. (because if she has issues, usually after rooting and flashing custom ROMs, I know how to fix them most times, and I keep up with updates to ROMs and news better for my own device)
I love just about everything about this phone... The quad core really makes this phone run smooth, and the screen is the first AMOLED that I actually like, and the battery life is great, even if it didn't have a huge battery... but the size is proving difficult to adjust to. I went from a 3.7 inch MT4G to a Rezound with much less trouble.
So now I am looking at alternatives to the Note II and I see slim options. (on Verizon anyway)
The Droid DNA: Very nice screen... S4 Pro CPU thermal issues and battery life issues... and Sense... ugh Sense... I learned quickly when I switched to Verizon that Sense is a pain to get rid of, due to not being able to directly compile RIL from source like GSM. Not that I mind Sense as an overlay, its reasonably responsive... it just kills battery life compared to stock Android. Plus I just prefer AOSP based.
Droid Razr M: I would say it is about as close to the perfect sized phone there could be. (for me at least) Plenty of useful screen for a phone without the bulk... But the Pentile screen... ew... AMOLED has enough issues with colors being wrong or whites getting yellowed at lower brightness... don't make it worse with Pentile! The resolution may not be "high end" 720p or better, but qHD isn't bad on a phone. With pentile the graininess makes my eyes bleed. Its only dual core, but its still a decent CPU... but its dual core... A problem most other Android devices share right now.
Droid Razr HD (and Maxx): Pentile... once again... Even with the HD display, I still see it... I seen it on my GNex as well. (If you haven't noticed, I don't like Pentile displays)
The only viable Non-Android options...
HTC 8X: Very nice size and handy feeling phone... Windows Phone 8... its not as customizable as Android but not as limiting as iOS... and the interface is pretty slick. The aesthetics are a little odd, but the OS is fluid and smooth... The jury is still out on battery life... it has no built in turn by turn navigation, and the options to get it are limited in the market right now. The whole market is limited ATM... Some things do not feel as refined as they could be (like the keyboard) So it could be like an exciting beginning like Android was back in the day, or I could be spoiled by Android's current refinement level and be wholly annoyed... Dual core, but not limiting on a Windows phone really, it runs very smooth as I said. Its the little things that add up to me not really liking the phone, like navigation and keyboard I mentioned earlier.
iPhone 5: (hiss spit) The dreaded iPhone! Despite the general dislike of iPhones by Android users, it is a competent device... limiting... but competent. My multitasking is limited anyway, so that may not prove an issue... its the lack of customizing that gets me... Its is a really good size though... the 4 inch screen works well for one handed use, like the very similarly overall sized Razr M and its 4.3 inch screen. Compared to the prior iPhones, the size is an improvement... I just find the iPhone (mostly iOS it runs on) boring, very bland and boring. (the physical device itself is nice though) The only real benefit to switching to the iPhone 5 would be that if I chose to sell it in a few months because an Android device came along I really like on Verizon, I can sell it to someone wanting to upgrade but still in contract, and make enough to almost pay for the new phone.
So... there it is... the options as i see them. Feel free to comment and share your tips on using the Note II.
Seems to me that you've already decided to get a different phone rather than give this one a chance.
I have large hands so I dont have any trouble.
/sent from my Gnote2 using tapacrap\
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile. I just came from a gnex..at first I thought my gnex was big...then I got an extended battery for grip and the phone was perfect...now ive given my wife the 4.2.1 gnex and got the note 2 for myself...well seidio hasnt come out with a convert extended case or battery yet so I can agree that the phone is cumbersome to hold and I dare not hold it upto my ear like a brick lol. Blue tooth only. But I am adjusting I've had the phone for four days lol. If any thing there needs to be a case with finger perches smack dab in the back middle of the phone so you can grip it and still articulate your thumb acroas the screen one handed without the phone being pushed all the way up in your palm
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
Battery life on DNA is fine...I had it for 2weeks.
I have normal sized hands I would say I don't really have any issues when I'm not texting I hold the phone in the middle so I can reach the whole device and I use the one hand keyboard for texting so that's not a big deal
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
If I had given up on it... I would have already taken it back... I was at the Verizon store today returning the flip cover as I didn't care for it. Asked about the proccess to swap devices... didn't.
To be honest... the limited number of good options available, and the thought of "possibly" getting an iPhone made me physically ill... Ugh nausea over a phone... something is wrong with me.
Deckoz2302 said:
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is AMOLED with Pentile... Anandtech confirms Gnex pentile (plus I can see the pixels... as I have very good eyes)
Dude, get a flygrip and call it a day
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
sleevasteve said:
Dude, get a flygrip and call it a day
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting... but I think I would dislike it overall. It sticks to the back of the phone and looks cumbersome. Anything that I have to manipulate to make it work will not be useful when I am stuffed under an instrument panel of an airplane. LOL
I think as your post illustrates, there are just so many different phones for different use situations now. There's no reason to try to force one to be everything to everyone (yourself). It's a big phone. No one can make it seem like it's not, that's it's feature if you will. It's a notepad and a powerful mobile computing platform. It stands in for anyone who wants a multi use device to bridge the gap between a tablet/pc/phone.
I went from the iPhone to a much larger S3 and I never looked back. It was way larger, but I adjusted such that I couldn't look at a smaller screen and feel comfortable. It was large enough where I imagined using a phone just a bit larger that would take away some of that time I was wishing I had my tablet with me for reading and writing. Amazingly, that device exists and it looks like a larger version of the best phone I ever used, the S3. Hooray.
My point is this, think only of how you use the phone or how you want to use it. If comfort in the hand is primary, don't buy the Note 2. It's an amazing phone, but all those phones you listed are good. You have the option to break it down however you like. I considered the DNA for the beautiful screen, but I want expandable storage and battery, I wanted the option of the stylus. If it were about fitting in my pocket or hand most of all, I would never have left the S3.
Yeah, other than size its got the features I wanted. I am hoping I can adapt... if anyone has some tips to help that along. I also have a TPU case coming in the mail sometime that may add some texture and keep the phone from feeling too slick.
The screen is very important to me... the quality anyway. If the screen is poor, then I am unhappy with the phone. Which is why I eliminated many options, including the SIII.
here is an unboxing/preview of the flygrip.
http://www.examiner.com/article/unboxing-flygrip-kickstand-and-one-handed-phone-grip
Looks great, works great.
In and out of pocket isn't an issue.
Deckoz2302 said:
Gnex is an amoled screen not pen tile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GNEX is an Super Amoled screen that uses pentile technology.
First.. the Nexus DOES use a Pentile display. That has been beaten to death in various forums.
Second.. Flygrip? Really? I looked at their website and to me that thing is aweful. I do NOT want some big bulky thing protruding off the back of my phone. What is the purpose of it? To "hang" the phone off your fingers? Is this because you don't have a strong enough grip to hold the phone while manipulating it? Just seems very big and clunky to me.. and a nightmare to use with pants pockets.
I bought the standard shell case at Verizion that comes with a little fold out kick stand. If you are worried about the phone falling out of your hand and want the "hanging" thing that the flygrip offers, I verified that you can extend the kickstand on my verizon case and then slid a finger in the triangular gap.. so the weight is supported and the grip feels secure. Works pretty good! Not bad for a $15 case.
As for my Note 2. I'm a big guy (6'8") so this phone is PERFECT for me, proportionally speaking.
My wife has the Rezound (4.3" display).. it was funny to test our phones by putting it in our palm and reaching across with our thumbs. Her thumb extended past the edge of the screen a fraction of an inch farther than me.. so really, my GIANT note is really no bigger than her Rezound, when in the hand.
It's a big phone. Period.
I have done a few things to help when it comes to one handed use. There aren't many frustrations for me, but one of them is getting at the notifications, via the pull down menu.
I ditched the stock Sense launcher for Nova Launcher.. MUCH more customizable.
In Nova, I added a row and column of icons so the vast real estate of this phone can be much better utilized. How can this help with one handed use? Well now that you have more icons, closer together.. you can put them along one side of the phone to get at them more easily if you wish.
In Nova, I set up a couple gestures. When not in an app, I have an "down" gesture to open the notification panel. That right there solved my biggest frustration.. having to reach up and drag my thumb down to get at the panel. HUGE help!
The other gesture I set up was a "up" gesture to open the most recent apps list. Another shortcut allowing me to reach less with the thumb.
With Nova Launcher, you can set up all kinds of gestures.. use them to your one handed advantage!
I think having a case is a huge help. I don't really like the glossy back that Sammy chose for the phone. I highly suggest a case that has a soft or rubbery feel. I can't stand silicone cases as they stick in my pockets.. but most of the hard shell type cases the phone snaps into seem great. There are some really low profile cases out there that add almost no bulk.
I also, sadly, ditched the stock keyboard for swift key. I LOOVVVEEED the stock keyboard at first with the dedicated number row. But seriously.. no autocorrect?? WTF? I need that. so I went to swift key and have really enjoyed it so far.
That's about all I have for now..
After 5 days with this phone you couldn't pry it from my average size hands!
Sent from my rooted SGH-1605
Some good suggestions Gnome.
Not sure if they will solve all my issues, but they may help some.
I don't normally have to use this device one handed... but what advice can I give? Use Nova Launcher and Swipepad.
Nova gives you many one handed and two handed gestures. This helps a lot for the hard to reach areas like notifications.
Swipepad gives you 12 shortcuts (and an add on you can buy for more) to any app you want as well as shortcuts with the swipe of your finger from whatever edge of the screen you would like. I set it on the mid right edge and swipe in with my thumb and tada!
Hope this helps!
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
I prefer having things larger across the screen, but there are one hand settings that make the dialer, stock keyboard, etc stay to one side that you choose. If your thumb can't make it all the way over, turn this on.
Typing in landscape with both thumbs is MUCH faster anyways though. Two fingers is going to be faster than one.
Even with one handed mode it can be difficult.
I am getting better at it, but still not sure.
A case that has a good grippiness to it or a ridge/groove in the middle would allow some grip when using one handed where your hand can't wrap around the phone.
gnome_sayin said:
Is this because you don't have a strong enough grip to hold the phone while manipulating it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not about strength at all. My fingers are stupid short and if I'm holding the phone securely in my palm, I can just BARELY reach the middle of this beast. I almost got a flygrip but, like you, I opted for the rubberized case from Verizon with the kickstand, and I have found that to be a perfectly viable, AND FLAT when not in use, flygrip alternative.
I hold my phone with other my 4 fingers, not my palm. This is more comfortable and just as secure.