Related
Ohhh, you brave souls... haha
I was in the o2 shop this lunch having a play with their live unit (well, except it had no SIM or web connectivity. for this type of phone that's pretty limiting!)
some questions i was unable to get help with, i am hoping you have more experience of, before i consider the device further:
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
4. browser/app zooming. the device doesnt have multi-touch (plenty covered on this, and other forums!) but, the iPhone has other methods of navigating around the browser and apps. i.e. double tapping a block of text, which i would consider a single fingered gesture. as the test unit i was playing had no web connectivity i couldnt test it out - can someone comment?
here's hoping for advantageous answers
jingo_man
1. use Handcent SMS , can make it look 100% like iPhone sms
jingo_man said:
...............
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
...............................
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
4. browser/app zooming. the device doesnt have multi-touch (plenty covered on this, and other forums!) but, the iPhone has other methods of navigating around the browser and apps. i.e. double tapping a block of text, which i would consider a single fingered gesture. as the test unit i was playing had no web connectivity i couldnt test it out - can someone comment?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Well, probably the handcent sms thingy, never tried it tho.
or you could go into contacts and find the contact there. When you go there the sms messages are listed in a simmular way as on the iPhone.
You on the right hand side
and you friend on the left..
3. I have just used the Cloud sync method to be honest, haven't really bothered to do it in any other way. But there is probably a way to do it.
4. The zooming is no problem to be honest, the double-tap to zoom thing works good enough. So I have to say that I kinda like it Even tho the multi-touch zoom was handy every now and then..
1. handcent works fine on this phone, and has customisable colours and themes.
2. can't comment on mac, but it is APPARENTLY possible to sync with itunes for the PC through iTunes Agent. I know this won't help you but it might help someone else reading this later.
3. cloud seems to be the way forward, and it works great on the x10. when you first plug it in to the usb though you get the option to install some sony ericsson syncing software, which is the same as i used for my c902 to transfer all my contacts to gmail for this phone. it is pretty simple to use.
4. the default zoom on the android is nice to use. browsers like dolphin (available from the market) come with their own zoom, but i disabled this cos the x10 seems to handle it nicely natively.
hope that helps
1. handsent sms. hmmmm... that does look more along the lines that i was thinking for layout/design. but i'm guessing this wont play nice with the timescape app, which seems pretty central.
i thought i went into the individual contact at one point, and it had the same appearance as when displayed under the general. i may make a return visit to the store to check that out...
i dont think i would mind using separately bought apps, but 1 of the biggest selling points seems to be the timescape so not sure i'd want to miss out on using it. though might change once i have used it for a while...
2. here's hoping eventually a mac user stumbles across this thread and is in a giving mood about their experience.
3. cloud syncing. suppose i can get onboard. not a massive issue not to rely on desktop software. i guess this means no-one really sync's it with a desktop then?]
4. glad of the double-tap zoom, atleast thats something. and its generally how i start to zoom on iPhone (in the browser) but how does this work in other apps? i.e. google maps cant double tap, as there's no "frame border" to sync the tap too...
this could a deal breaker for me, for this product. not a massive app user, but love web browsing on these devices when out-and-about. fine control offered by pinch/zoom far more refined and easier to use than the clunky zoom button, which just didnt seem to refresh fast enough to make it smooth...
maybe wont get onboard with all these bits until i consistently use the device, but not paying best part of £500 to find out!
please continue with more insights if you got 'em
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
hi, Mac user here. Yes it mounts like a USB-HDD, and turns off in the phone. So you can transfere files, and then just unmount it. Transfered 7 GB of musik files, no problem.
jingo_man said:
1. handsent sms. hmmmm... that does look more along the lines that i was thinking for layout/design. but i'm guessing this wont play nice with the timescape app, which seems pretty central.
i thought i went into the individual contact at one point, and it had the same appearance as when displayed under the general. i may make a return visit to the store to check that out...
i dont think i would mind using separately bought apps, but 1 of the biggest selling points seems to be the timescape so not sure i'd want to miss out on using it. though might change once i have used it for a while...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even with that installed, the other messaging app still runs. handsent simply becomes the default. this means that when you load up timescape, it pulls in the messages from the standard messages app and works like a charm.
its a shame we cant just use the screen under the contact to send a message, that looks pretty good. click onto a contact, and scoll along at the bottom, past call log, onto messaging. that is a sweet screen.
jingo_man said:
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Salling Media Sync for iTunes sync http://www.salling.com/MediaSync/Mac/
Adress book and iCal has support for google sync, just enable it in the prefs and then everything syncs from google.
Just enter your gmail details.
the web browser on this thing is amazing really. renedering is smooth and pages launch instantly. i am very impressed with the web browser and with the added extra of using dolphin you be on to a winner. web browser on this is better than my N1
you mean like this...?
jingo_man said:
Ohhh, you brave souls... haha
I was in the o2 shop this lunch having a play with their live unit (well, except it had no SIM or web connectivity. for this type of phone that's pretty limiting!)
some questions i was unable to get help with, i am hoping you have more experience of, before i consider the device further:
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
.....
here's hoping for advantageous answers
jingo_man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know about all the other questions, but did you mean something this? (Oh, crap! Where is my image? Ok, no image, dont know how to get one into this post)
I mean from it you see exactly who is on which side of the conversation
Hi all,
I am from India and while I was in Bangalore I picked this little android phone. I was in a dilemma which phone to pick, my budget was not too good for any 1gig - android phone so I had to pick this one (backflip from moto or wildfire from HTC was my other options -).
From the very first day that first thing I noticed that I am not that satisfied with the phone apart from the fact it's an android( which I needed badly) and (look of the phone -). I felt no one has used/ experienced / tested this phone before releasing. It's like a B-grade hindi movie, you like the title and then you like nothing.
Even they did not pay a little attention to make icons in a same pattern, games are horrible, I cannot access the market or any other app/widgets with manual configured apns (vodafone, india)--- its like worse dream of my life. I myself hate copy paste but I think people from sony (graphics as well as the developers) need to know this copy paste funda. I was very angry and posted all these in "Update on updates" as MINI PRO USER (may be now lost as around 2000 comments are there).
I don't how come they marketed this one with horrible calling feature, when I try to call or receive the call, the screen goes and needs unlock to find somewhere in the screen a tiny rectangle (if u use any other launcher, opps u even can't find it). Then messaging, in my life this is the first phone which takes ages to show the letter when u use the soft keyboard.
And how come they can make they make "CA gold rush" or something like that with a **** like icon? It's unbelievable, no tester with sony ? or HE is non sense.
Anyway I know I can easily download lots of apk's from here and there (as android market does not work) and make things better. But when is it desirable to purchase a Nike shoe and very first day then go to other painter to do some painting???
I really don't get enough time for doing stuff like changing icons or changing colors of the framework-res.apk. then also I had to spend 2 days to find icons like iphone (please iphone hater don't be angry, we all know the pattern of iphone icons are really good and almost every phone-maker tries to make something like that) or some good png icons and put then all the apk's that came with this and other apps that I needed. Now the phone looks like a phone. But I don't know when SONY will come up with a update that will make this a real phone (at least when I will be able to use the GPRS, Market etc and will be able to pick a incoming with minimum effort, those "SOFTWARE GUYS" made a slider with incoming phone that's like picking a needle huh.......b e a u tiful )
phone is nice and fast... works good. i got adw launcher and i rooted it so i could uninstall alot of pre-installed junk...
its fast, smooth im happy with it.
I know, my phone is also rooted and I changed all the icons through out, and using a launcher customized for me (I made a simple launcher for me) some time. I know we can do a lot of things in android that is one the reason I looked for android device, not WM phone. But my point was when someone is selling (marketing) some product, they should test it thoroughly. Why should the users take the pressure to find a decent launcher or call app??
I really like the phone but:
1- SE support SUCKS.
2- Upgrade to Android 2.1 delayed (Sucks)
3- No news about upgrade to android 2.2 (double sucks).
4- Turn on/off problems :
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/3671?tstart=30
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/5957
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/6260?tstart=0
If the phone would work as it should, and the SE updates where in date, it should be one of the best phones for me.
My biggest disappointment, coming from WM, is the Android app market...
Yes: ,000's of android apps, but very few well-developed ones. My X1 is a bit like a Swiss Army Knife (without accelerometer, fast CPU etc etc), but the applications out there are plenty, and well designed. Also the WM apps are pretty expensive, comparatively but at least they exist.
The X10 Mini Pro itself, I'm OK with it. A lot of the minor flaws can be remedied by small apps like the SMS Handcent, adding a launcher, that sort of thing...
Biggest issue for me is the Android-wide problem of not being able to modify font size at system level. What were these guys thinking of?
Seems I have a bigger problem with Android, than with the X10 Mini Pro
I'm very pleased with my little "tamagochi" aka X10 mini
The point is i'm coming from a HTC Hero, and I loved it a lot, but the last time sometimes it got frozen i don't know why. I gave a X10 mini to my girlfriend and i got very impressed about the phone and finally I decided to get another one for me, so she and I have the same mobile.
First of all I have to say that the mobile is REALLY fast. Faster than my Hero on a 2.1 android version. Sony Ericsson has done a very good job about that even it running 1.6 android version. The kernel is very light, but for that reason some things doesn't work (i.e. tethering via root).
Good things: fast, very light, small, excellent camera (even better than other high models), excelent touch response
Bad things: BATTERY! (the worst), Android 1.6 and some stuff like launcher (aaaargh), the contact list, Timescape (I hate it) and the facebook links
For me the display isn't a bad thing cuz if not, it wasn't a small phone, and i like the small phones.
Some stuff inside is bad, but you can change perfectly. I mean the awful keyboard... that's very easy to fix with a keyboard from the market. I'm very happy with "Smart Keyboard pro". Nothing to say about the SE launcher... is totally a CRAP, you have to change it inmediately! "ADW Launcher" for 1.6 (on market) is really really good, once installed it, your phone is a true android mobile . Other stuff i didn't like was the SMS app from SE, so I changed it by "ChompSMS" and it works excellent on my X10 mini.
Other point is that some apps don't appear in the market because of the screen resolution. Anyway, I got most of them via Apktor (Aptoide), and they work perfect... I don't remember now what were them.
I want the update to 2.1 ASAP cuz I hope that SE improves the facebook links to the contacts (they said that in their blog) and also to install some apps that need android 2.0 or above, like Whatsapp and new google stuff.
So that's all, I'm very happy with it !!!
Just loving it !!!
It has got style and design features are so good that it is very easy to communicate with just one hand. It's a basic smart phone, great for the basic user. Internet, music, calls, text, chat, e-mail and apps to pay your bills.
The 5MP camera on the X10 mini performed admirably. It was quick to focus even in low light with very low shutterlag for a camera phone. The flash worked quite well for low light portrait shots. Images showed good colors and satisfactory details.
I just love this phone and really can't think a day without it.
Hope to read good reviews from respected community members about this phone......
Regards
Don Zone
My x10 mini is the best phone i've ever had. I have it since about 3 months now. It does everything I need and is very loveable. I have access to app market with no problem. I use the 3g connection as the much as the wifi, use the gps for driving (with google nav).
At first I thought the battery life was awful, but after uncharging completely and recharging fully 3 or 4 times, now I have 2 days of life. The only problems I have for now is not being able to copy text from sms, and cant find a descent azerty keyboard. I am please to know we will get 2.1 by the end of this month so I didn't take the time to fully customise the start screen with a launcher.
My old phones : htc 9100, touch diamond, htc snap.
Sent from my E10i using XDA App
For the SMS try ChompSMS, it's much better than the native app from SE, you can copy texts and much more, also you can write in landscape, with the original app you can't.
For the keyboard, try smart keyboard pro, I like it a lot, it has a very good algoritm and it can learn words you usually use, etc.
Both of them are in Apktor (Aptoide) for free. I think they are a MUST.
darfito said:
For the SMS try ChompSMS, it's much better than the native app from SE, you can copy texts and much more, also you can write in landscape, with the original app you can't.
For the keyboard, try smart keyboard pro, I like it a lot, it has a very good algoritm and it can learn words you usually use, etc.
Both of them are in Apktor (Aptoide) for free. I think they are a MUST.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
smart keyboard pro Hmm is not free it's a paid app
Hey I'm also from India..I Just love my "little fella"..battery is a big problem though
Take a look to Apktor or Aptoide app on google, I can't say anything else... hehe
I'M also from India.
Now I'm having xperia mini pro.
My dad having xperia x10.
Before this I had HTC tattoo.
I sold HTC tattoo because there is no 2.1 rom with camera working.
Xperia have official update.
Very nice and small size phone.
Nice hardware for that cost.
Really happy with phone.
Waiting for update......
Sent from my U20i using XDA App
I have had the x10 mini for a week and generally I like it. Its compact and lightweight and has many features.
There is a few annoying things that I dont like.
- Low resolution which doesnt look good.
- Cant have homescreen in landscape mode like the pro (this is very annoying)
- When inputting messages in landscape mode it can be quite unresponsive on occasions.
- The back cover of the phone feels very cheap and creaky.
- Battery life needs to be improved.
- Screen is a smudge magnet and is plastic not glass?
X10 Mini is perfect small phone with lots of features
Background data question
Hi,
I'm planning to buy the Mini Pro but I'm worried about battery life issue.. How does the background data and synchronisation system work on Android? If I want an e-mail and some other apps to be automatically synchronised e.g. once in an hour, does it require data connection to be switched on all the time? If I disable background data from the settings, are all the apps able to turn it on when needed (when it's time fo sync)? Just like it works on Symbian devices.. Only 3G connection will be used in my case, not WiFi..
And how about GPS, do I have to manually turn it on before I launch Google Maps? Or does the Maps turn the GPS on automatically when needed?
I HATE mini apps on my Galaxy Tab 10.1...
That feature alone is enough to make me want to return the device.
Seriously? Why would Samsung want to decide for me my what apps I want at my finger tips? Then not only that, they use their own cheesy versions of available apps. I have already found the solutions I want to use through my Android phone. I want to carry over the same apps to the tab so that my experience is a little less fragmented.
The "mini apps" constantly get in the way. I'm brushing against the bottom bar causing the apps to pop up... none of which I ever use, completely unintentionally. Annoying! If I could only decide what apps showed up!
Total pain in the REAR!
Then Samsung loads on a bunch of unnecessary software. I HATE having 5 apps that do exactly the same thing on my device... The abundance of music players is asinine. Having three book programs (none of which you can remove) is stoopid.
Why can't you get a piece of hardware without the software all screwed up by the vendor these days?
Why is root necessary every time I put my hands on an Android device to make it useful?
Why can't I purchase an Android product with a Google backed Vanilla version of the current OS installed?
Why?
Why?
Why?
I'm so pissed that this $600 tablet requires an additional 15 dollars in apps and a good 6-12 (or more) hours of set-up time and research to get it properly rooted and operating the way I like it.
Sorry... that made me feel so much better.
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
I HATE mini apps on my Galaxy Tab 10.1... do YOU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may have opened the mini apps tray 3-4 times unintentionally (in the 10 weeks I have the tablet) and I use the "calculator" mini app quite regularly. So no, they don't bother me but I wouldn't miss them if they were gone either.
SGPMan said:
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Them there are fighting words...
I enjoy tinkering as well. I have loved customizing my original Incredible and now Incredible 2. They have an excellent following with a lot of very reputable ROM "artists". However, their original UI wasn't that bad to start with. And with the CM nighties, my phone is near perfect.
With the Galaxy Tab 10.1, my initial experience (3 days) I have found it to be laggy and glitchy, which I was shocked about. I want this tab to work for me, but it seems that I'm trying awful hard to make this work. I think it's the fact that my phone is setup so well and runs so well... I figured the tablet would be so much better. I set my expectations high, only to be disappointed so far.
I have rooted and removed a bunch of unnecessary apps, but haven't figured out how to remove that dam mini app bar. As far as custom ROM's go... I haven't loaded any since I am still trying to figure which has the best reputation for stability and speed.
I am trying to figure out something, other wise by Thursday this thing is headed back to Best Buy. Sad thing is... I don't want an apple device, but if that's what is comes to, then I will retire my Android phone as well to keep everything streamlined. Sucks!
gokpog said:
I may have opened the mini apps tray 3-4 times unintentionally (in the 10 weeks I have the tablet) and I use the "calculator" mini app quite regularly. So no, they don't bother me but I wouldn't miss them if they were gone either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Real Calc regularly, a donate (paid) app which can handle higher level math functions. I wish I could just substitute it in place of the basic Samsung/Android version.
Agree with you, mini-apps are boring me every time i wanna play a fullscreen game, like "fruit ninja thd"... This "rolling dock" is not a great feature.
SGPMan said:
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the reason most of us choose Android is that we aren't forced into "one man's vision" and have the ability to choose for ourself. The mini-app bar forces us into one company's vision. I have to agree with the OP about this.
We should at least have the ability to turn it off.
Meh...it's there, it's unobtrusive, and at least my experience with it is that I really have to try to get it to come up when I want it. Have never accidentally brought it up. Sometimes the calc and the memo pad are useful.
Can't see why people hate it so much.
MMcCraryNJ said:
Meh...it's there, it's unobtrusive, and at least my experience with it is that I really have to try to get it to come up when I want it. Have never accidentally brought it up. Sometimes the calc and the memo pad are useful.
Can't see why people hate it so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So...
Try a vs party on "Fruit Ninja THD", you'll see ^^
Just hide the status bar with this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1265397
problem solved!!!
I actually don't mind having mini app tray. I use task manager, calculater and memo pad for taking notes from web regularly. The only thing I don't like is accidentally hitting the screenshot button. But I totally agree with the original post. An option to turn it off would be nice.
Personally I like them. Two of them I use on a daily basis. Most of the others occasionally.
JHeal77 said:
As far as custom ROM's go... I haven't loaded any since I am still trying to figure which has the best reputation for stability and speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Task360/Phantom "In Paris"
v.2 works great for me, but v.4 is coming "soon"(tm)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1284355
Really not a massive fan of them being there tbh, but I don't accidentally press the button (not like the screenshot one...grr!) and I don't use the apps in it. I just ignore it and get on my way.
If there was an option of getting rid of it though, I would.
I found this thread while searching for a way to at least configure this menu bar... unfortunately it looks like the whole thing is embedded in the ROM and the only way to hide it is to patch the ROM and/or completely replace it (thanks for the links in the thread).
I fully agree with the OP on a lot of his rant. This is an awesome peice of hardware that comes out of the box with some insanely bad software. I'm still deciding on what launcher to replace the stock version with, but so far both Go and Launcher Pro are tons faster, more configurable, and better looking than the laggy default version that doesn't even let you use the full display.
The status bar menu is kind of a nice idea, but the execution is terrible. If I could configure what apps and quick commands I wanted on the menu and easily hide it, it would be a great feature.
But as it is, the choices of what to put there seem really bizarre. I can't for the life of me figure out why "screen shot" was deemed important enough for most users to justify space on an "always on" menu. I have to routinely go delete unwanted screenshots taken by accidentally brushing that menu option.
The choices of what to put on the quick launch app menu are even worse. Holding the "home" button on the main menu for a couple seconds pops up the task manager so why do I need a whole other button dedicated to pulling up this app? The world clock is just plain terrible compared to other clock apps. The calander is alright, but there are better widgets out there that serve the purpose better than a quick launch menu. The memo and calculator are again terrible and need to be replaced by 3rd party apps so you should be able to replace them on this menu too. The music player is the only one of the apps that serves my purposes, but again there are better 3rd party apps and you should be able to configure what is on a system wide quick launch bar.
From the perspective of an average consumer the out-of-box experience is fairly poor due to the OEM software rather than the hardware or system software. It should be easy for a user to fix this with simple market based apps and configuration options rather than having to apply warantee voiding ROM patches and rooting the OS. Allowing OEM's to "lock" bad software is a really bad policy. If an OEM wants me to use their software, they should develop or license best in class versions of those apps rather than locking the software on the system and forcing me to root the system to get rid of poor quality software.
You can disable all of these functions with some XML editing if it really annoys you that much
I'd happily do all these changes for you for a little donation of just a couple of quid
Try one of the sweet new cm9 kangs, I'm on the 7500 version. So much better then tw honeycomb.
I Agree!!
hate it so much, but now on overcome rom,
its at least slightly less annoying. just ever so SLIGHTLY.
at least in this rom, a swipe upward wont activate it.
wont disturb me during fruit ninja.
but still sometimes press it when i wana press spacebar.
stupid piece of crap tray.
the motorola xoom already has ICS.
samsung will be the slowest tab to get it cos of this touch widz.
Sometimes i feel sorry for samsung.
i have a hunch there is some kind of conspiracy goin on at the back,
where google force manufacturers to implement their own skin. (why else would samsung waste effort to make rubbish that people dont want?)
and google can sell their overprice nexus device to make money.
just imagine, if samsung can sell or upgrade the galaxy S2 and note with the pure and stock vanilla android, and upgrade them to ICS without touch widz, would anyone buy galaxy nexus?
nexus has lausy hardware. last gen GPU and horrible camera. (not due to the 5MP, but generally a weak camera compare to S2 and note)
Luv'em why we have android
Pop up windows that are independent of screen, getting closer to desktop experience. I would like to swap some out but overall, (calc, note, calendar, calculator, & music player) work great. Allow true multitasking.
I just installed OverSkreen which gives me a windowed web browser on top of screen. I really like them.
I am on an ICS KANG version by Mabalito
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1461240
With this ROM, I don't have a bottom row of mini apps.
I am using GO Launcher EX HD
http://golauncher.goforandroid.com/2012/03/go-launcher-hd-v1-0-beta/
With the launcher, I able to hide the bottom bar whenever I want.
This is awesome when I watch video and play games
So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
Hi,
I haven't tried it yet (using Sipdroid + GV + pbxes.com, currently), but here's a link for Talkatone.com and Android:
http://www.talkatone.com/android-preview.html
Jim
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
xxBrun0xx said:
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
No, I haven't noticed any lag using Sipdroid+GV+pbxes.com on my SGP5. The only thing I've found is that I think it won't go into speakerphone mode on the SGP5. Works fine holding the SGP5 up to your ear, like a "real" phone .
I haven't tried it with the earbuds (suppose to have a mic on them already) or with a Bluetooth headset yet.
FYI, I downloaded the talkatone APK. It installed ok on my SGP5, and at first I couldn't call out. But I changed the compression to "none WIFI" and I think it worked ok after that.
However, whenever I pressed the "Speakerphone" icon, the talkatone app would FC, so it looks like they have some work to do (I know it's an "alpha"). I've uninstalled it from my SGP5 for now, since Sipdroid seems to work ok, plus the talkatone app puts up a ton of ads while it's running (like a new ad every couple of seconds?).
Later,
Jim
I find GrooveIP works pretty good, but will try Talkatone, thanks! Texting GV for sure.
edit: Trying Talkatone, not nearly as good UI as GrooveIP (no access to Google favorites, no contact pix), does seem to make calls fine. Speakerphone crashes app. Sticking with GrooveIP for now, until they officially release this thing.
I had Boat Mini as my browser for a year on my phone, but jus switched to Dolphin HD on my 5.0, very nice, especially the RSS section (Webzine). I have now eliminated Pulse because of it.
I really like the built in calendar, use Smooth Calendar Widget with it.
Don't listen to music a lot, but find Google Music nice (use it on my PC at home and work). For off-line I use Cubed, very nice UI and widgets, here'sthe link, it's hard to search for: http://www.appbrain.com/app/³/org.abrantix.rockon.rockonnggl
FX File EXplorer is great unrooted, but since I have File Expert on my phone, I'm using it on my 5.0, love this theme:http://www.appbrain.com/app/file-expert-dream-bubble-theme/com.geek.filexpert.theme7 My ONLY issue with it is it does allow reverse sorting (by date ends up newest last, which sux), but favorites pretty much solved that.
+1 Swype.
Like Any.DO for lists/google tasks sync.
Like Jango for radio/streaming favorites.
Like BMW and PowerTudor for pinpointing power issues.
Like this for weather (only beacuse it was a free Amazon app).
Like this for screenshots (at least for the 1st 14).
Like this for putting different pictures on screens.
And GO Launcher, Dropbox, Quickpic, and K9 are all better than stock.
My favorite game: http://www.appbrain.com/app/super-stickman-golf/com.noodlecake.ssg
xxBrun0xx said:
So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally use Google Voice for texting, and Firefox for browsing. The new release is pretty slick.
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
My Groove settings:
Audio settings: Echo nothing, Speaker "0", MG -6
Troubleshooting: KSO check, AP check, SV check, HiPerfWifiLock check
All others not checked or default. I don't talk much, but it seems to work. There is a number you can call that repeats back what you say so you can keep testing different settings: 909-390-0003
Mrktmind said:
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're willing to give up the cloud-acceleration try Opera Mobile instead of Mini: it has good compatibility and Flash support, while still being pretty fast, so it doesn't lose any features from the default browser, making it an excellent alternative.
Thanks tcat. I'll try those setting tomorrow.
With regards to which browser I know that the Dolphin browser was very popular but was found to be tracking your surfing and phoning home - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1319529&page=31
In the above thread the Boat Browser seems to be the only privacy safe browser on Android. I am trying the Firefox browser right now.
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
edited out reply
Can i use GrooveIP in Europe for free?or is calling only for USA numbers free?
Sent from my Samsung Toaster via XDA - If i helped ,click the Thanks button
Is there an app for international calling? From outside US or Canada to outside.
I did the opposite, went from an Optimus-V to the Player5.0, and use my V only about once per month. Now there are rumors that HTC 3D is coming to VM, if so I'll buy it. I don't like carrying 2 devices, and having data 24/7 is a big plus. I do have wifi at home and work, so the Galaxy is really all I need. GrooveIP works for me 90% of the time (since I get no cell signal at home, it's a must). But the 4.3" screen of the HTC at a much higher resolution will cause me to get rid of this wonderful Player to help pay for the HTC.... my grandfathered $25 unlimited is a deal that's hard to get rid of.
xxBrun0xx said:
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@tcat007 Another solution that might help would be to try either Wifi Ruler or WiFi Jumper apps. These apps make your YP-G70 auto-connect to the nearest best wifi signal without any interaction just like a cell phone auto connects to the nearest cell tower.
Haven't tried them extensively yet but I'm thinking they will help bridge the gap between wifi phone and cell phone.
gVoice works best for me. no setup to do
After trying all the apps in this thread, I've found SIPdroid+pbxes works best for me. Audio delay is the smallest out of all of them, even though the interface isn't as pretty.
Thanks
Thanks for the recap
Obviously im excited for Android N. I havent tried any of the preview versions. But I am pretty excited for the new notification system and the split screen and picture in picture.
Im pretty excited for the 2 new messing apps. Allo and Duo. I REALLY REALLY hope "Allo" is Googles answer to iMessage in that i can send files (of any kind), high res photos, GIFs, typing notifications, and read conformations. I thought Hangouts was gonna be Googles answer to iMessage but its a sad mess. From the demo though im not very optimistic. And the new features like drawing on your photos and the whisper shout seems pretty dumb. This will make Googles 4th messaging app (all of which are still current) Im not sure why Google just cant make ONE awesome messaging app. Its almost like they have 4 different messaging teams working at google making 4 different products instead of one team
Duo also looks pretty cool and will allow me to uninstall Hangouts as video calls were the only reason i still left it on my phone.
Android Auto on any android device. This is really cool to me since I took my car stereo out and and mounted a Nexus 7 2013 LTE in its place. Currently i have a mix of apps like Tasker to take care of all the "car stuff" but if i can run the entire Android Auto interface that would be awesome.
Android Wear 2.0 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me run Spotify with out my phone having my watch connected to WiFi. And i hope the first gen watches like my Moto 360 1st gen dont get left behind with this update.
Google Home Hub (i think is what its called) Basically the Amazon Echo competition thing. This seems cool I dont know if ill get one. It depends on the price. If i can have it connect to my Belkin WeMo devices and if it has support to connect to the Logitech Harmony Hub theni might get one.
I dont really care about VR at this time and dont really see it going "mainstream" at this point.
Insta Apps seems cool but i dont really see installing an app to be a burden. This feature would be cooler on Chrome OS i think.
What are you guys most excited for and why?