Android phone flaws

Forums › Android › Android phone flaws

wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#64627 19-Jul-2010 11:44

I've been thinking of upgrading to an Android and have been looking at the Desire and the Galaxy S.

From the comments on the forum it looks like I've got a choice between:

Desire - Great phone let down by problems with touch screen and inability to see the screen in sunlight; likely to released by Vodafone NZ shortly (perhaps)

Galaxy S - great phone with excellent screen, but laggy and, according to recent posts, it sounds like the camera is not so good

So I'm now looking at two very good, but ultimately flawed phones! I don't really want to spend $1000 (give or take) on a phone that annoys me every time I use it.

Is it just too early in the Android hardware life cycle to jump on board right now?

1 | 2 | 3

329 posts

Ultimate Geek

#353329 19-Jul-2010 12:11

The lag in the Galaxy is fixed in a recent leaked firmware update (JG5), though this isn't an official release yet. I would expect it to be sorted out properly in the Froyo release. The camera seems fine to me, although it's a shame they didn't include a flash.

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#353330 19-Jul-2010 12:14

wendonside: I've been thinking of upgrading to an Android and have been looking at the Desire
and the Galaxy S.

From the comments on the forum it looks like I've got a choice between:

Desire - Great phone let down by problems with touch screen and inability to see the screen in sunlight; likely to released by Vodafone NZ shortly (perhaps)

Galaxy S - great phone with excellent screen, but laggy and, according to recent posts, it sounds like the camera is not so good

So I'm now looking at two very good, but ultimately flawed phones! I don't really want to spend $1000 (give or take) on a phone that annoys me every time I use it.

Is it just too early in the Android hardware life cycle to jump on board right now?

Galaxy S - depends, some show lag, others don't, the fix is to root it, or 2.2 which is apparently being released next month and will give it a large speed increase

Hmmm, depends what you mean by Camera? It's got higher reviews and better HD recording than the iPhone 4 HD recording, but in the end, phone cameras are just little cmos cameras, so you can't really expect amazing quality. People have been saying the X10 camera @ 8MP takes crappy shots, but if you think about it, it might do, putting that many MP into such a small sensor, it just doesn't make sense :S
Which reviews were they? It's hard to tell, all reviews seem to be different

I wouldn't say too early at all, Android has been around since 2005 in it's current google form(when Google bought Android and started modifying it. 2.1 and 2.2 are very good releases imo, do more than you'd ever need for a phone :). If you do however think it's too early, maybe a Galaxy Spica Lite would be more ideal? $392, does most things you'd need and has 2.1 as standard with the possibility of 2.2. Great upgrade phone and a welcome starter into the Android world

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#353332 19-Jul-2010 12:14

What email, contacts system are you using? Is it Exchange-based or Google Apps based?

wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#353336 19-Jul-2010 12:22

Thanks for the feedback.

In answer to your questions:

1) Camera review was on this forum earlier today (on the ongoing Galaxy S discussion)

2) Email system is Exchange-based

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#353343 19-Jul-2010 12:32

That's all good, I'll take a few snaps with my Galaxy today and a few with a 3GS I have lying round to compare :) hopefully just after lunch when I have a less busy schedule :)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#353350 19-Jul-2010 12:48

wendonside: 2) Email system is Exchange-based

Unless you have the latest and greatest OS don't do it then. Either get a Windows Mobile or iPhone.

wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#353355 19-Jul-2010 12:56

I haven't seen anything about incompatibility between Android and Exchange. Is it a sync problem, or something else?

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#353357 19-Jul-2010 13:03

In old versions you have to rely on third party software - Touchdown, Moxier, Roadsync, and they all have problems.

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek

#353364 19-Jul-2010 13:24

freitasm: In old versions you have to rely on third party software - Touchdown, Moxier, Roadsync, and they all have problems.

Exchange support on the Galaxy S (2.1) using the Samsung mail client has quite decent exchange support, including single inbox with GMail and other POP mail accounts if you wish. Seems to handle folders well, syncs calendar and contacts no issue, what problems do you mean?

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees

dpw

843 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#353367 19-Jul-2010 13:25

freitasm: In old versions you have to rely on third party software - Touchdown, Moxier, Roadsync, and they all have problems.

Damn! Something weird just happend when I was replying - somehow it posted the reply without allowing me to modify the content first! And it did it twice! I was using IE7 btw...

I was meaning to say I am using HTC Mail for my Exchange account, and Google Mail for my Google-hosted domain addresses. So far so good - the only hitch I have found is the lack of Global Addressbook syncing.

Android user, software developer, a semi-typical (not a gamer) geek, and a Bernese Mountain Dog nut!

http://savitarbernese.com | https://nz.linkedin.com/in/danywu

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#353371 19-Jul-2010 13:28

Posted this other thread before, but here we go, again:

Touchdown: syncs Inbox and folders... But good luck actually getting it to work as intended. For example if you delete a message from the Inbox using Outlook it might remain in your handset. Or archive the message from Inbox to a local PST and see how it remains on the handset, instead of being deleted.

Moxier: email client sometimes does hyperlink URLs, sometimes not.

Roadsync: doesn't sync folders.

All of those sync to their own Contacts database. Which means you have to manually transfer the contacts to the handset's own contacts database - double memory space required there. And it's a manual process. And if you receive a call from a new number you have to manually add to their own Contacts database to sync to the Exchange server.

Also they each use their own email clients. Which also mean if you have different accounts you have to use different email programs.

Sorry but it should just "work" as in sync once, be available everywhere.

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek

#353386 19-Jul-2010 13:42

freitasm: Posted this other thread before, but here we go, again:

Touchdown: syncs Inbox and folders... But good luck actually getting it to work as intended. For example if you delete a message from the Inbox using Outlook it might remain in your handset. Or archive the message from Inbox to a local PST and see how it remains on the handset, instead of being deleted.

Moxier: email client sometimes does hyperlink URLs, sometimes not.

Roadsync: doesn't sync folders.

All of those sync to their own Contacts database. Which means you have to manually transfer the contacts to the handset's own contacts database - double memory space required there. And it's a manual process. And if you receive a call from a new number you have to manually add to their own Contacts database to sync to the Exchange server.

Also they each use their own email clients. Which also mean if you have different accounts you have to use different email programs.

Sorry but it should just "work" as in sync once, be available everywhere.

Fair enough. Just for the record, seeing as the Samsung Galaxy S was referenced byt the OP, it does not appear to suffer from any of these problems. Also Roadsync, while it does not do folders well (if at all) does integrate the contacts with the phone contacts seemlessly, in my experience.

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#353388 19-Jul-2010 13:47

Reading the topic subject "Android phone flaws" and the OP asks about HTC and Samsung...

My point is that I don't want to have to go through different Android handset models to find the ones that work, and the ones that don't.

That's the User Experience (UX) part that is lacking in the platform. At least Windows Mobile works consistently, and the same with the iPhone. I really don't want to get an iPhone, and Windows Mobile works well with Exchange - shame I don't trust Windows Phone 7 will be a great thing (might be wrong, but time will tell).

And I am really trying to like Android. Tried a few handsets but as I said it's not viable for a normal user to go around testing every single device to find one that "woks".

The way I see it, the smartphone segment is really lacking at the moment.

wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#353389 19-Jul-2010 13:47

freitasm:

Unless you have the latest and greatest OS don't do it then. Either get a Windows Mobile or iPhone.

So, just to clarify, when you say "latest and greatest OS" do you mean Windows, Android or Exchange Server? Or something else entirely?

wendonside

22 posts

Geek

#353395 19-Jul-2010 13:55

freitasm: Reading the topic subject "Android phone flaws" and the OP asks about HTC and Samsung...

My point is that I don't want to have to go through different Android handset models to find the ones that work, and the ones that don't.

That's the User Experience (UX) part that is lacking in the platform. At least Windows Mobile works consistently, and the same with the iPhone. I really don't want to get an iPhone, and Windows Mobile works well with Exchange - shame I don't trust Windows Phone 7 will be a great thing (might be wrong, but time will tell).

And I am really trying to like Android. Tried a few handsets but as I said it's not viable for a normal user to go around testing every single device to find one that "woks".

The way I see it, the smartphone segment is really lacking at the moment.

I am now reaching the same conclusion. Which is unfortunate as I am also really trying to like Android. Back to the drawing board ...

Thanks for all the comments, though. Very helpful.

1 | 2 | 3