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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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
OK, I had fully decided to sit this one out. All week, I've been reading and watching reviews. Though I had a preorder at Radio Shack, I read the reports on launch day and decided to stay home and call in to cancel. I was one of the nay-sayers.
But yesterday, I was shopping next to the Sprint Store, and decided to go in to see it... and I was hooked. Went to Radio Shack, and the girl there saved me the last Evo 3D anyway, knowing I'd come in after all. How funny.
My reaction after having it for awhile? I truly love my OG Evo, but this device is much better in very noticeable ways:
1. The first thing I noticed is a small thing, but the haptic feedback is DRAMATICALLY better. Tighter and more subtle, just as it should be. Haven't heard this in any of the reviews, but I really like it. Makes the whole phone feel better for me, because I'm a fan of the feedback, especially with the keyboard.
2. This think is insanely fast and smooth. No lag, and it feels almost like it can read my mind going somewhere before I think about it.
3. Not a Sense fan, but I like the effects and speed of this. I could see myself staying with Sense if devs are able to improve on it. See gripes below on what I don't like.
4. Camera isn't as bad as I expected. It may even be significantly improved. The app definitely is. Low light stills are better. Video is improved but still awful, and the sound is not improved at all.
5. The 3D? I actually love it. It's fun... really a nice feature. But I can see that you have to have good eyesight and some patience for it. My wife took one look and wanted nothing more of it. Reminds me of the old Viewmaster images, and I was a big fan. Brings back a bit of my childhood. Good app idea is for Viewmaster to revive all its old collections and make them available for download. How cool would that be? Sign me up!
6. As a phone, I love that the speaker is loud enough, and call quality doesn't sound any worse. Not sure it's improved, though.
OK, now for some gripes:
1. Though I generally like the size and weight, the new screen actually feels much smaller. It's narrower, of course, which in combination with the higher resolution makes everything smaller in portrait view. I'm not sure the screen is brighter and better than the Evo as some have said... seems somewhat duller by comparison.
2. My biggest gripe is that the capacitive buttons are TOO FREAKING BRIGHT, and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix that. And they never shut off. Devs need to fix this or give us ways to adjust to taste.
3. The 3D in movies is much harder to see and notice. The movies have tended to make 3D effect more subtle, and therefore it's difficult to see dramatic effect on this smaller screen. That's both good and bad, I guess. Don't imagine I'll be investing in 3D movies on this, but who knows?
4. Small things... a little harder to hold (or maybe I'm not used to it yet), the speaker isn't as good or as loud and there seems to be a bit of vibration.
5. Sense 3.0, though fun and slick, feels confining and incomplete to me. I miss some of the customization I had in CM7, but would love to keep the lockscreen and weather effects. Somebody explain to me the function of that stupid carousel. First time, "whee!" but after just dumb. This phone desperately needs root and the devs to add things that are missing (customizable buttons on the notification bar, GB wink-out effects, custom rosie, etc.).
In conclusion, I expected to hate it, or not like it enough to try it. That was dead wrong. Is it enough for me to keep it? Well, some key improvements are missing for me, like a significantly improved camera (I'm a photographer, and very picky about this). Sure, I have better cameras, but this one is with me all the time. I'd like to remove the SD card without removing the battery.
I'm loving the 3D, but can see how some non-nerds would lose patience with it quickly. I'm guessing that we'll see a service for ordering 3D prints in the future and other sample 3D photos (c'mon, Viewmaster!), and that will be fun.
Bottom line is that it HAS to get root in the next 30 days, or it goes back for sure. I've seen too many improvements on the Evo with custom ROMs, and I've made my phone new again so many times over. Gotta have that. And just think what the devs could do with this phone.
Nice review! Interesting perspective.
Yeah... No clue about the carousel.. it spins to fast to be useful... I love mine too!
The buttons definitely are to bright... They need to dim with the screen.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
I was leary of a launch day buy but I'm really glad I got it.
I really didn't care about 3d but I must admit I'm liking it.
Have to have root though.
Forgot to add.. I hate the app drawer, I want to fling it.
The charge port needs to be on right side.
The bright capacitive buttons where starting to get on my nerves as well. You can turn them off with the "screen filter" app from the market. The its primary feature is to dim the screen, but you can keep the screen at 100% and still disable the buttons' backlight.
Speaking of lights...why the hell would HTC take away my flashlight and give me a mirror? I used that HTC Flashlight all the time! Sure as heck don't need to be looking at my ugly self all the time, lol. I know I can download one, but just saying.
davec1234 said:
The charge port needs to be on right side.
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Click to collapse
You know, I think I like the port where it is. Nice place for my thumb to go. The narrower phone is making holding and thumb typing much more difficult in portrait mode... That's another gripe for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
-Apollo- said:
Speaking of lights...why the hell would HTC take away my flashlight and give me a mirror? I used that HTC Flashlight all the time! Sure as heck don't need to be looking at my ugly self all the time, lol. I know I can download one, but just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I look way uglier on that mirror. Development will add that back when we get root. Until then, the Switchpro widget works for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Cubfan99 said:
Video is improved but still awful, and the sound is not improved at all.
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Click to collapse
I'm still on the fence, but I do shoot video with my phone enough (hey, it's always with me) to have this turn me off. I've dealt with the Evo 4G's terrible (and I mean, TERRIBLE!) audio on videos because it's overall a great phone, but I was hoping the next generation would have fixed the problem. Poop.
First thing I noticed was the haptic feedback as well. I told the BB employee that it felt like the Droid X and he said that a few other people had told him that, too.
I didn't notice how bright the capacitive buttons were, so I guess it doesn't bother me.
I hate the app drawer as well! I don't like the "pages." I feel that pages could've been implemented better (um, horizontally maybe?)
As much as I thought I'd be keeping 3d off permanently I've actually had a lot of fun messing around with it.
One other small thing that bugs me is how the clock widget always seems to have to catch up when you go back to the home page from something else. It's frozen on the time it was when you were looking at it last and quickly flips to update. It's minor, and won't matter too much because I plan on not using the sense clock widget anyway.
Cubfan99 said:
And I look way uglier on that mirror. Development will add that back when we get root. Until then, the Switchpro widget works for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, no doubt! Thanks man, I'll give it a shot.
Flashlight is not lost guys, a member has already posted the apk in the themes and apps section... But here is one that I have... Install like any apk,
http://db.tt/btJ1IwC
Bussin Caps from my 3D shooter
The carousel would make more sense if it took you to the home screen every time you flicked it. You can use that instead of the home button.
Why I would use the carousel to bring me back to the same page I am on makes no sense to me.....
Thanks for the review OP, i think you were head-on with your points.
I do think tho, the narrowness of this device allows me to put a case on it and actually prefer its larger width, i loved that in the OG Evo.
As for the Carousel, kinda lame that once you flick it and it starts spinning, you can't put your finger on it and choose which screen to go to, it always recovers to the screen you flicked from.
Cubfan99 said:
You know, I think I like the port where it is. Nice place for my thumb to go. The narrower phone is making holding and thumb typing much more difficult in portrait mode... That's another gripe for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm right handed, talking while charging blows plus it stresses the port.
Just extract the flashlight apk from a sense rom in the EVO 4g dev section, it works fine on our phones.
Also I kinda like the narrower size, it fits better in my hand and pocket. I was ready for a new phone and I don't regret picking this one up at all.
phatmanxxl said:
Just extract the flashlight apk from a sense rom in the EVO 4g dev section, it works fine.
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Click to collapse
What a good idea. I'll try that.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
ktrotter11 said:
Flashlight is not lost guys, a member has already posted the apk in the themes and apps section... But here is one that I have... Install like any apk,
http://db.tt/btJ1IwC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dang... that's even easier. Thanks!!
mine goes back today.
i am tired of waiting for HTC and Sprint to release a phone that has been properly tested and functional.
ringers and notifications too low even at full volume
camera switch on my phone jiggle (cheap feeling)
occasional screen freeze
lower than desired photo quality
and of course...
locked bootloader
i have no intention of waiting for HTC to get off their asses. i know all the top devs are working hard and its appreciated, but my money will be spent on a different device
^
It's been a struggle for me from day one to like Xperia S after using Arc for a very long time. Performance wise there are no issues with S.
Out the box it did have the WOW factor. My friend got white and I went with black and I personally liked white and I wish I ordered it.
Why I want to get back to Arc?
1. I don't know how much longer it takes me to get it but those capacitive buttons need to be pressed couple of times for me. Especially the back button. I don't know if it's because I am a lefty. But even other buttons, I seem to have to try second, third time and it only gets worse in total darkness.
2. The design doesn't look as nice as in pictures. Feels like an HTC phone. It only looks cool on the back side.
3. The USB flap is a joke and it definitely won't last long for me.
4. The bottom bezel is just too wide as I expected.
5. Front camera doesn't look well designed. You can see metal petals around it making it look like a rushed design.
6. Just too thick after enjoying the sleek curvy Arc.
7. Wish ICS around the corner I think Sony rushed this product which is mostly designed for Android 2.3.7. There is no need for those Capacitive buttons when I don't find they need spot on touch. It's like hitting a bull-eyes for me with back button.
Some Pros
1. Camera responsiveness is amazing.
2. Sleep SE UI which I love and can be had on Arc as well.
3. Transparent strip is super cool design idea. I might actually consider Xperia P after I read user reviews.
Give it a 2nd thought
Aren't u being a little bit harsh on the device
U may be right with some things about the design but it doesn't make it horrible to ditch it that soon...
- the capacitive buttons could be handled by doing a slide motion on it and that gives a dynamic more comfortable move and would be a lot easier for u than righties
- the design is more than awesome, yes not like the arc but it's really neat and every model has to be different than the other, that's life, and so what it's like htc (amazing devices)
- the flap is useful for making the device more sleek and avoiding dirt which ruins most devices in the future, and it is durable and not that fragile as u think, it will last don't worry
- the bottom bezel is nothing of any concern, i advice u not to look at the bottom!
- u may be right about the front camera but not that obvious and could be tolerated
- the thick design makes it more sturdy and well fitted design to hold in hand!
- ICS is not so far away from now, and being it not present out the box is to make u appreciate the device more well in every aspect after the upgrade!!
IMO, enjoy this magnificent phone and look at its bright side and the many more pros of this master piece!!
sevoflurane said:
Aren't u being a little bit harsh on the device
U may be right with some things about the design but it doesn't make it horrible to ditch it that soon...
- the capacitive buttons could be handled by doing a slide motion on it and that gives a dynamic more comfortable move and would be a lot easier for u than righties
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this tip. The slide seems to nail it now .
I believe you are right about the design issues though. So much so that am now in a quandry over my imminent upgrade.................
kitsVA said:
It's been a struggle for me from day one to like Xperia S after using Arc for a very long time. Performance wise there are no issues with S.
Out the box it did have the WOW factor. My friend got white and I went with black and I personally liked white and I wish I ordered it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for feeling that way(I wanted to sound like a Sony rep which I am not )
Why I want to get back to Arc?
1. I don't know how much longer it takes me to get it but those capacitive buttons need to be pressed couple of times for me. Especially the back button. I don't know if it's because I am a lefty. But even other buttons, I seem to have to try second, third time and it only gets worse in total darkness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine were OK from the begining and then I used the slide trick and made it much better.
2. The design doesn't look as nice as in pictures. Feels like an HTC phone. It only looks cool on the back side.
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I got the white one and it looks nicer than video and no where close to HTC. This is much more solid that the arc and it looks nice in front (maybe since I have the white one I can see the contrast of black screen with white bezel).
3. The USB flap is a joke and it definitely won't last long for me.
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I agree, and thats why I liked Xperia P but I didn't like Xperia arc usb either, just the big hole that it was like a misplaced design.
4. The bottom bezel is just too wide as I expected.
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isn't it as wide as upper part of the phone? If you are saying it is long then its because of that transparent part and whatever is inside that bottom. I wish they could do something about it but one issue I had with arc was that bezel is very low and I would hit stuff on screen all the time for no reason. Not to give credit to long bezel on Xperia S. maybe little bit shorter than this.
5. Front camera doesn't look well designed. You can see metal petals around it making it look like a rushed design.
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I could be less visible, maybe they wanted to show off that their phone has a front facing camera in marketing ads before release..
6. Just too thick after enjoying the sleek curvy Arc.
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Agree.
7. Wish ICS around the corner I think Sony rushed this product which is mostly designed for Android 2.3.7. There is no need for those Capacitive buttons when I don't find they need spot on touch. It's like hitting a bull-eyes for me with back button.
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I would rather to illuminate the buttons on screen and only use the capacitive buttons instead to give more room to screen itself.
ICS should be around corner (beginning of April)
Some Pros
1. Camera responsiveness is amazing.
2. Sleep SE UI which I love and can be had on Arc as well.
3. Transparent strip is super cool design idea. I might actually consider Xperia P after I read user reviews.
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All those + I am with you for Xperia P. I wish Xperia P had a little bit bigger screen and I wouldn't mind other stuff.
Happy to have Xperia S in white.
Thanks for your review.
Noticed the button response when looking at it in store. Right handed and found it a little unresponsive to my touch. Design is super cool though. Just wish they had waited and released shipped with ics. Looks promising, worries me the amount of them that have been damaged by people, just dropping a small height.
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
Nimche said:
This is much more solid that the arc and it looks nice in front (maybe since I have the white one I can see the contrast of black screen with white bezel).
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Build quality is way better than Arc. I just played with my friends white Xperia S again and the bottom bezel doesn't feel long mainly because of the white bezel contrasting from the black screen/glass part of the phone. Looks like I might actually sell black and get back on white. I did this same crap with my Arc. Rushed for Silver from Japan and sold to only get the darker one
All those + I am with you for Xperia P. I wish Xperia P had a little bit bigger screen and I wouldn't mind other stuff.
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After using Arc for so long and now S and with Galaxy Nexus for few weeks, 4" sounds tiny these days . I hate cases but I might just consider one for S. Few more weeks with the phone and I believe the sensitivity of the buttons will probably get better due to Muscle Memory
I have just got my xps it is great no issues at all
Everything is perfect I dont know why people are unhappy dont they know what they want out of the handset I do I am a powrr user this phone is the best out there and it is sony u cant go wrong people
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
So go back then.
I don't know why you feel you should like this phone, taste is subjective. If you don't like it, send it back and stick with the Arc or buy something else.
Don't know where you are or how your bought the device but in the EU the distance selling regulations allow for return within 7 days (apart from damage/misuse obviously) even if you just change your mind. Assuming you ordered online, just do that.
Many of you are having the problem where the back, home or menu buttons are insensitive and don't respond very well.
After some tests and confirmations, it is believed to be what is called 'hard capacitive buttons'.
What does hard capacitive mean? It means you have to press with a bit more force like the galaxy nexus.
Reason for hard capacitive buttons?
To prevent accidental pressing of them, thus requiring to use a bit more pressure. I makes sense now doesn't it?
please feel free to test and confirm for your own confirmations, hope this closes all the cases regarding the capacitive buttons issue!
royalbloodvi said:
Many of you are having the problem where the back, home or menu buttons are insensitive and don't respond very well.
After some tests and confirmations, it is believed to be what is called 'hard capacitive buttons'.
What does hard capacitive mean? It means you have to press with a bit more force like the galaxy nexus.
Reason for hard capacitive buttons?
To prevent accidental pressing of them, thus requiring to use a bit more pressure. I makes sense now doesn't it?
please feel free to test and confirm for your own confirmations, hope this closes all the cases regarding the capacitive buttons issue!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true story!
royalbloodvi said:
Many of you are having the problem where the back, home or menu buttons are insensitive and don't respond very well.
After some tests and confirmations, it is believed to be what is called 'hard capacitive buttons'.
What does hard capacitive mean? It means you have to press with a bit more force like the galaxy nexus.
Reason for hard capacitive buttons?
To prevent accidental pressing of them, thus requiring to use a bit more pressure. I makes sense now doesn't it?
please feel free to test and confirm for your own confirmations, hope this closes all the cases regarding the capacitive buttons issue!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, just to let you know people will have their issues regarding this problems forever. I have gone though two Xperia S and quality of buttons differ in one another. But either way never had to push too hard to activate it. Has been pretty good but this clarify things for people with questions again.
Thanks
I tried this method and i still couldn't get it all the time. The sliding worked better but why should it be that way? As an SE fan from W910, i wanted to love it but couldn't mainly for this reason.
I think overtime time people can get it right but SE did screw it up. Just like iPhone antenna issue there is way to not let it bother you. But there are just too many design flaws with this phone for my liking.
Sent from my LT15a using xda premium
sliding my finger over the capacitive buttons works 100% of the time, so I prefer this method.
also this doesn't require a "hard press" I can just lightly slide my finger and it will register.
ssj_jaypee said:
sliding my finger over the capacitive buttons works 100% of the time, so I prefer this method.
also this doesn't require a "hard press" I can just lightly slide my finger and it will register.
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+1 that
Nimche said:
Well, just to let you know people will have their issues regarding this problems forever. I have gone though two Xperia S and quality of buttons differ in one another. But either way never had to push too hard to activate it. Has been pretty good but this clarify things for people with questions again.
Thanks
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Noticed the difference myself going through the second Xperia experience...
Both phones are a bit different but the pressure used is the same.
Only the size of the capacitive buttons is different :-/
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
I wasn't aware there was a pressure activation?
I always swipe from the transparent bar up, works 100% no "pressure" or unresponsive problems at all. I use it just as swiping in an app
I don't consider this an -issue- its more of a learning curve .
I'm not convinced by this. I can activate them with an extremely light touch (I just tested this) but only if I do a slight swiping action.
Even a touch as light as I can use on the screen works on the buttons as long as I am in the right place.
A hard press probably just spreads your finger pad out more so you get the right area more easily
Within minutes of getting my XS I naturally started using the slide technique. Can't see an issue with the buttons myself. I get the occasional miss but nothing that causes an issue.
agree with slide on them . It works perfectly
The totally active space is above the dots ,between screen and dots .
I'm with slide since I got the phone. Works better.
I've had my XS for 2 weeks now and from day 1 I didn't have problems using the capacitive buttons. I miss occasionally but that happened also with other devices.
no the buttons has an issue,when you press softly it work sometimes sometimes dont same swiping and pressing hard so no one please try to fool your self here it just doesnt work like others do
cihanleanne said:
no the buttons has an issue,when you press softly it work sometimes sometimes dont same swiping and pressing hard so no one please try to fool your self here it just doesnt work like others do
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Ok you are right,you feel happy now
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
gm007 said:
Ok you are right,you feel happy now
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
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its not about hapiness its about paying something and not working properly. we have to find a workaround device paying a lot money
cihanleanne said:
its not about hapiness its about paying something and not working properly. we have to find a workaround device paying a lot money
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Believe me if you use your phone for 2-3 weeks you will get used to it.
Now I don't miss any button.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
Hy, the 3 sensitives buttons don't work if you slide your finger down ( screen to led bar ), but if you slide up ( led bar to the screen ) he respond immediatly.
If you come by the screen, you did to go up when you arrived on the level of the sensitives buttons.
If you just slide down buttons stay inactive.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
My first day was annoying and frustrating, but
after 24-48 hours of use I never missed a hit again.
You get used to it pretty fast once you find the "g spot" and your brain learns to automate the task.
(hint: side dots upper medial, home dot slighty up)
Now it's piece of cake
3Shirts said:
I'm not convinced by this. I can activate them with an extremely light touch (I just tested this) but only if I do a slight swiping action.
Even a touch as light as I can use on the screen works on the buttons as long as I am in the right place.
A hard press probably just spreads your finger pad out more so you get the right area more easily
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I agree, i'm not sure about the pressure difference it might be possible, but i can also activate it with a light touch. And hard pressing results in touching with more surface, just like you said.
It also looks like the sensitive part is just a little above the dot.
The buttons do not always work, and we should not have to swipe.
Did Sony mention these buttons somewhere? manybe in the manual? lol
Maybe it is a problem just like the yellow screen is, but no one knows
I've been seeing my taps show up as swipes on my touchscreen. Would you guys mind downloading touchscreen test, setting the zoom to 0%, and tapping around like you're typing on your keyboard? On my other phones all the taps show up as dots, but on a few of the Pixel 6 devices I've tried, like 20% of the time they are show up as small swipes.
link to the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.rallwell.siriuth.touchscreentest
see the small swipes happening here: https://gfycat.com/agreeablepertinentarachnid
The app hasn't been updated in nearly a year, maybe that could be an issue. But I don't have any touchscreen issues so perhaps someone else can help more.
bobby janow said:
The app hasn't been updated in nearly a year, maybe that could be an issue. But I don't have any touchscreen issues so perhaps someone else can help more.
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The app not being updated isn't an issue. I think most people don't think they have issues with the touchscreen, but it just may not be very apparent to them. That's why I wanted people to just try it and report back. It's definitely super janky on every P6 I've tried, even the ones in store, making me think its widespread.
Mg213 said:
I've been seeing my taps show up as swipes on my touchscreen. Would you guys mind downloading touchscreen test, setting the zoom to 0%, and tapping around like you're typing on your keyboard? On my other phones all the taps show up as dots, but on a few of the Pixel 6 devices I've tried, like 20% of the time they are show up as small swipes.
link to the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.rallwell.siriuth.touchscreentest
see the small swipes happening here: https://gfycat.com/agreeablepertinentarachnid
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I've noticed that as well and always thought I was just ... doing it wrong lol. Sometimes a simple tap will bring down QS or my side launcher. Sometimes a tap does nothing at all and I have to tap an icon or widget 2-3 times before the Pixel agrees to do whatever it is that tap was supposed to do.
Then again I do use an "unsupported" tempered glass screen protector, so I'm inclined to think that's the reason.
I have also seen this and am not sure if the problem is due to the screen protector that i use (not one of the officially approved ones) or the software being still a little buggy or both in combination. It happens rarely enough to not bother me much.
So I loaded the app, got my magnifier out, and tried it. I have fat fingers and it seemed to go alright. If I touched it for too long there was a tiny swipe but then I corrected my touches and almost all were dots. Itsy bitsy swipes now and again but nothing that was super obvious as a flaw. I see a ton of little dots, where are your dots?
bobby janow said:
So I loaded the app, got my magnifier out, and tried it. I have fat fingers and it seemed to go alright. If I touched it for too long there was a tiny swipe but then I corrected my touches and almost all were dots. Itsy bitsy swipes now and again but nothing that was super obvious as a flaw. I see a ton of little dots, where are your dots?
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It just depends on the size of the itsy bitsy swipes that show up. For example mine are attached. I feel that these are too big and cause issue with the with tapping sometimes.
And actually I feel it's even worse when tapping with my index finger.
Seems good to me, I mean I got some micro swipes but I'm sure that because I swipe my finger a tiny bit.
You can't even see the dots on my 3 XL with 0 to 100 but zero swipes registered.
(I had made a post before where I didn't follow instructions so I edited all of it out and did it right).
Sure seems like a hardware issue to me.
EtherealRemnant said:
You can't even see the dots on my 3 XL with 0 to 100 but zero swipes registered.
(I had made a post before where I didn't follow instructions so I edited all of it out and did it right).
Sure seems like a hardware issue to me.
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thanks, it'd be good to see what other pixel 6 users see
Now that you say it, I'm pretty sure I'm experiencing the same, that would be why sometimes I have the feeling my commands are not registered. I don't know if it's software or hardware, I believe it could be easily fixed with software (a bit like a palm rejection feature, to ignore tiny slides)
I had similar experience. Once noticed my mind started exaggerating it I believe. Because I also have the same challenges with touch on my Galaxy S10 work phone. For me at least I think it's me not the P6. Will certainly try the app on both phones this weekend.
I have a completely different issue that I was suspecting for some time now. Taps don't register on the lower corners of the screen. I have to squeeze it to register. Swiping though at the same areas is working fine.
derausgewanderte said:
I had similar experience. Once noticed my mind started exaggerating it I believe. Because I also have the same challenges with touch on my Galaxy S10 work phone. For me at least I think it's me not the P6. Will certainly try the app on both phones this weekend.
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I mean, from your signature, it looks like you've gone through alot of phones. How could it be you, not the P6 if you've never experienced this before on anything other than your S10?
Mg213 said:
I mean, from your signature, it looks like you've gone through alot of phones. How could it be you, not the P6 if you've never experienced this before on anything other than your S10?
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I only have the P6 for a couple of months. The only other phone I currently have and rarely use is the S10 and I can only make a comparison to that. Or in other words, this might have been there all along and I never paid attention to it.
arvylas said:
I have a completely different issue that I was suspecting for some time now. Taps don't register on the lower corners of the screen. I have to squeeze it to register. Swiping though at the same areas is working fine.
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Yeah now that you mention it my lower corners don't respond either
Mg213 said:
Yeah now that you mention it my lower corners don't respond either
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I haven't had a phone since the P3 that responds on the lower corners all the time. I've learned to live with it since it's really not all that bad and it's not always. I mean this is a mass produced phone and I'm sure all devices have little quirks like this. It's not a lunar landing module that needs nano second response it's just a phone. I find that if I obsess over the small stuff I won't enjoy the device and I really don't want to do that. That being said, I do understand what you're going after and your upset. I'm just not there.
bobby janow said:
I haven't had a phone since the P3 that responds on the lower corners all the time. I've learned to live with it since it's really not all that bad and it's not always. I mean this is a mass produced phone and I'm sure all devices have little quirks like this. It's not a lunar landing module that needs nano second response it's just a phone. I find that if I obsess over the small stuff I won't enjoy the device and I really don't want to do that. That being said, I do understand what you're going after and your upset. I'm just not there.
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For sure. The device is fast but it feels like a step backward from all my previous phones in terms of usability since I find I often have to tap things twice or doesn't respond to touch the way I expect it to. To me this is completely unexpected. I guess most people just don't notice these issues and so if that's the case, it's never going to be fixed. I just want Google to do right but I give up. Moving on to Samsung or iphone now.
Thanks for providing the info all, I was thinking of downgrading from a Pixel 6 pro to the 6. Although the screen on the 6 pro is curve I have the exact same issue. Never experienced this on my past pixels.