Android phones: Tips, tricks?

[sdbardwick]

Decent what?

I pre-ordered a Fire, and after a month of intermittent use, I can see the appeal for some people. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I'll wait for a slightly larger screen and greatly increased resolution; video playback is fine, but IMO the screen is too constrained for web browsing or reading.

 

[Mercutio]

I started point #7 twice and then carriage returned and forgot about it. No big deal. That thought became point #8.

I legitimately prefer a 7" screen and the paperback-sized form factor to overlarge and heavy 9"+ screens. I emailed myself a few .epub files and they read just fine.

 

[Santilli]

OK:
Cool phone. Works with Skype, even though they charge for data. Free Wifi calling.
Everything is WAY faster then the Nokia. Bluetooth connection is very fast, and head phones work great. Sound is far louder, head phones work better. Don't have to play everything at full vol.

Put some flac files on the phone, playing with andLess no problems.

Sounds really good.

Using Opera Mini and Firefox for browsing.

 

[MaxBurn]

Merc, did you do the update on the fire yet? I think they fixed some of the lag issues on the home screen and page turn with that BUT I heard they blocked sideloading apps/CM7 by breaking root. Not sure on that but you might want to check into that before hitting update.

 

[Striker]

Favorite Android apps? Best music player?
Best web browser?
Others you like?

LauncherPro, Skype, Dolphin Browser HD, Beautiful Widgets, Dropbox, Swiftkey X, Titanium Backup Pro, Voice, Widget Locker, Wireless Tether v. 2.0.7, Y5 - Battery Saver, Weatherbug Elite.

I just use the default music player on the phone. I'm not as picky as some of you. Honestly I don't use the phone to play music much at all.
I prefer Dolphin Browser HD as my browser but there are many who prefer Opera Mobile or Opera Mini.
The browser is something you're probably going to have to try them and decide which one you like.

 

[Striker]

They broke root but there's already another one out there.

 

[MaxBurn]

Cool, didn't know they did that already. That was fast.

 

[Mercutio]

I really like Amazon's market on my Evo. It seems to have more interesting stuff than the official app store and the free app a day is genuinely appreciated. On my Kindle Fire, I'm aggravated to no end by the poor search function and weirdly limited selection of applications. I rooted and side-loaded Gmail, Gtalk, Picasa and some of the other official Google tools, but I'm still disappointed by the home screen interface and how different the user experience is on a Kindle Fire vs. everything else. I don't really think the Fire is slow, but the more I use it, the more I hate the Home screen and lack of persistent navigation buttons. I can definitely see a huge problem with "Huh. Well that's the way it works on every OTHER Android device."-conversations between techie/support people and folks who have Kindle Fire.

I really think it's worth the extra $30 to find a refurbished 7" Galaxy.

 

[LunarMist]

My Android phone sucks battery like crazy. Is that normal?

 

[Mercutio]

Kind of.

Mine can go about 2 days without charging if I don't mess with it very much. Leaving on all the radios hurts it a lot, but most people know to shut them off. In my observation, the people who have the biggest problems with battery life are people who do the most SMSing, Gaming and Emailing on their phones. The conclusion I've come to is that spending a lot of time touching and typing probably drains the battery faster than anything else.

If you know how, you can root your phone and underclock it to improve battery life. Most people don't need dual core 1.5GHz CPUs to send pictures of their junk or update facebook with pictures of their junk.

 

[LunarMist]

I have been on the Web and using it frequently. After about 14 hours power is down to 30%. I just wondered if that is normal and it appears to be the case.

 

[ddrueding]

Yup, that is pretty normal. It is basically a computer, and using it like one will drain the battery like any laptop.

 

[Mercutio]

I've personally witnessed my ex's girlfriend kill the battery on a fully charged Evo 3D in under two hours, just from non-stop SMSing.

 

[LunarMist]

The one I have is a S^MSUNG, but it is only 2D though.

I'm surprised that the CPU does not slow down when the load decreases. It is crazy that the CPU is actually running faster than the one in my small notebook. However, the battery is 9x smaller.

 

[Mercutio]

The power consumption on whatever form of ARM CPU is in your phone is probably only a ninth of what's in your notebook, too.

 

[LunarMist]

Yes, and I can feel the heat after 10-15 minutes of using the internet.

 

[timwhit]

LM, what phone model do you have?

 

[LunarMist]

It says Samsung T989.

 

[timwhit]

It's a Samsung Galaxy S II.

 

[Howell]

I'm wondering if it doesn't have more to do with the screen being lit for the 2 solid hours than the typing. I have my phone set to max at only 50% brightness and it auto-dims when not in use.

 

[MaxBurn]

The screen is a big one for sure but if you are doing something like a lot of web browsing that actually hits the processor fairly hard too. That and games like sims or gta3 are the quickest way I have found to drain a battery.

 

[Mercutio]

I'm wondering if it doesn't have more to do with the screen being lit for the 2 solid hours than the typing. I have my phone set to max at only 50% brightness and it auto-dims when not in use.

I keep my brightness at a modest setting, but I frequently use my phone for inappropriate-for-workplace web browsing, to look at ebooks or product manuals and to read email. My phone lasts all day with my normal level and type of use.

BUT if I type out a long email or start playing even a very simple game, my battery life drops off a cliff. Plants Vs. Zombies makes my phone battery drop off a cliff, but even a much less intensive game like Gem Spinner has nearly the same impact.

I've really had zero problems with battery life on my Evo. I run out of juice maybe once a quarter and I might see the 15% battery warning once a month. I just plug it in and charge it before I go to bed and it's always fine throughout the day.

 

[Santilli]

I've been trying all kinds of solutions. Kind of a Catch 22: Get a mobile phone that does the things I want, then turn them all off because the battery won't last long enough.

I took the phone out yesterday at 7AM. Did two Varsity basketball games from 9-12 am. Turned the phone on, and missed an important message that I was supposed to drive directly to Oracle Arena(Oakland Col. Golden State Warriors NBA, play there) to ref some CYO players, 7th grade, at 2 PM. Made that.

We got picked up to play at half-time of the Warriors-Knicks game. So, I was stuck in Oakland from 4 PM to 6PM, a time I wanted to use my phone. I did, surfing and a bit of texting. Needless to say, I wanted to take a few pictures at 7:30 PM, or later, when we had a full arena. Would have liked to take pictures of some of the Warriors girls, since they were in the hallway, available for photo ops. At 6 pm, even though the phone had 30% of a charge or so, it was too low to use the camera.

So, I have the best camera cell phone on the market. But, when I want to use it, I can't, since the system shuts it off. Same with the flash light.

I looked for hours today to try and find a solution. After reading a bunch of forums, blogs, etc. I came to the conclusion that if I want to use the phone for the stuff it will do,
play music, use the camera, text, internet browse, mail, etc. no real solution presented itself, but one:

A Mugen Power 3600mAh Extended Battery for T-Mobile HTC Mytouch 4G Slide with Battery Door Back Door Khaki HLI-PG59100XL 1 $ 98.95
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.co...e-htc-mytouch-4g-slide-with-battery-door.html
It's going to make the phone thicker, but, at least I'll be able to use the thing, without worrying about the battery life, or carrying a charger constantly.
With the most careful battery watching, the phone will last around 6-8 hours, and loose camera function after about 6.

Also researched rooting, and, with this phone, not much point right now, and, more important, I couldn't really find an easy way to root to the version on the phone,
Gingerbread 2.3.4 and HTC Sense version 3.0.

I would like an easy way to root to 4.03 of Ice Cream Sandwich, but, that hasn't been done, that I could find, yet, for my phone.

 

[ddrueding]

The solution I settled on is to have a charger at home (next to the bed and next to the computer), at the office, and in the car. It would be better if my phone supported an induction charging system of some kind, but it works fine for me.

 

[Santilli]

LM:
ALL of the dual core processor phones seem to have one, common complaint, poor battery life. Your's is no different.

Simply put, ALL of the cell phones that are put out right now have a battery that is incapable of supplying the phone for all but the basic functions, for a long period of time.
Even yours, with the premium, best battery that I can find that fits in that form factor,
Rechargeable 1850 mAh lithium-ion battery(this is the largest battery I've seen in looking at all the different SuperSmart Phones. The one in my phone is 1520 mA)
and that's what is in your phone, people still complain battery life is inadequate.

It's simple, the designs have outstripped the battery capability, to fit in a thin form factor, or, they just haven't designed the phones with the battery capacity as a concern, which I find strange. I think people are buying the phones, despite the poor battery capacity/design, as you did, and your stuck with it.
The only real solution I can find is buying a expensive battery, new back and thicker form, but, I'll at least be happy and able to use the phone, and not have the nagging concern that when I really need the phone, the damn battery is dead.

 

[Santilli]

I already do that. Problem is the car charger. If I plug it in, and, run it, uses a different adapter then the Radar Detector. The phone is relatively easy, since it's a USB cable, to a USB male, that has two ports for USB. Also need to run the GPS once and awhile off the same thing.

 

[BingBangBop]

Separate the two functions. Buy a non-smart phone maximized for battery life and use it as your phone and clip it on your belt where a big battery and thin form factor doesn't matter. Then separately buy a smart phone for data usage and expect it to run out of power occasionally.

 

[Santilli]

Can't have two phones, unless I swap the SIM card for the two functions. Not worth it.

It's the problems that arise that make the Android phone worth having. Being able to instantly check my Calendar, and email, while driving is vital to the business I do. I also like the notes for a to do list.

 

[LunarMist]

One of the most annoying things about the S^MSUNG phone is that I can't find a good case for it. The Blackberry had a nice case that the phone slid into smoothly and could be removed from easily as well. Now the "cases" for the new phones are mere shells that offer zero frontr protection and cannot be easily removed to swap out the battery. I see a few cheapie leather cases on the web, but apparently they are generally poor fitting and not really designed per phone model.

 

[LunarMist]

It's the problems that arise that make the Android phone worth having. Being able to instantly check my Calendar, and email, while driving is vital to the business I do. I also like the notes for a to do list.

I thought that operation of the phone or similar device while driving was unlawful in CA and most other states. Does your employer force you into a position where it is vital to the business? What did people in your shoes do 5-10 years ago, or is it a new or heavily changed profession that was much different then?

 

[ddrueding]

The good durable cases are made by OtterBox.

 

[LunarMist]

The good durable cases are made by OtterBox.

Nope, they have only shells and not for the phone model I use. I understand the Galactic S II is already obsolete since December.

 

[ddrueding]

I thought that operation of the phone or similar device while driving was unlawful in CA and most other states. Does your employer force you into a position where it is vital to the business? What did people in your shoes do 5-10 years ago, or is it a new or heavily changed profession that was much different then?

Operation of phones in CA is legal so long as you aren't handling the phone. Steering wheel controls and voice recognition are still legal, as is looking at the phone if it is mounted to the car in some way.

 

[timwhit]

Operation of phones in CA is legal so long as you aren't handling the phone. Steering wheel controls and voice recognition are still legal, as is looking at the phone if it is mounted to the car in some way.

That doesn't mean it's smart. I personally never use my phone when driving.

 

[ddrueding]

Using a phone is like talking to a passenger. You (and the person you are talking to) need to understand that driving takes priority. This is easier when they are sitting next to you due to the non-verbal queues, but possible with a phone as well. If getting into a tricky situation (traffic, onramps, etc) just stop talking or hang up and sort it out later. They will understand.

I feel this is related somehow to the priorities younger people place on the digital person on their phone over the physical person trying to communicate with them. Multi-tasking is possible, but priorities need to be re-aligned.

 

[Santilli]

Mainly for emergencies. You show up at a gym in Napa, and no one's there to play the game.
First need to check the assigning website to make sure you got the facts straight, then call the assignor and inform him of the situation. Doesn't happen often but it does happen.

Partner fails to show, have to check, call the partner, a number you might need once a year, and it's easy to get off the assigning website. Pretty much saves work.

Enter pay amount and mileage in the calendar for taxes.

etc. I set the phone on an album, put the headset on, and drive. I DRIVE when I'm driving. If I'm going to use the phone, I pull over, unless it's an incoming or outgoing call I can easily dial, using the Blue Tooth headset.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

Nope, they have only shells and not for the phone model I use. I understand the Galactic S II is already obsolete since December.

The S III will likely be announced in January, though product won't ship for a while after that. There's talk of 2.5GHz.

 

[BingBangBop]

Can't have two phones, unless I swap the SIM card for the two functions. Not worth it.

Why? The two phones can have different phone numbers the smart data phone never gets called and you don't call others on it so it will never interface at the phone number level. If necessary, you can pick a phone phone that can send and receive text messages that isn't "smart" so that they don't associate to your smart phone. To all intensive purposes the outside world thinks the phone phone is the only phone you have but you still have access to all the apps, Email, web access on the smart phone. The only potential issue that I see is making sure that your calendar and email address are not specifically ID'd to your smart phone's phone number but rather to a common independent application like Google. So why do they have to share a SIMM card?

 

[Santilli]

I asked Tmobile, and should check again, if you can have two phones, same number. They said no.
I agree with your approach, but, I'm waiting for Republic to get going, and offer me a number.
IIRC, the phone they offer is a single core, gets decent battery mileage, and, I could always add the big battery option. That would give me a fully functional, long time smart phone, for 300 bucks, and 20 bucks a month, with unlimited, everything, as long as I mainly use it at home.

I just don't like having to even think about conserving battery useage as part of using a smart phone.

As for the rest, until it's worth rooting the 4G slide, I suspect T Mobile has garbage in the phone that identifies the phone to them.

The part that's bugging me is you maybe right. I have another tmobile card, and my old Nokia. Only thing is, using the music app, I still ran though battery on the Nokia.

I think the bigger battery is a better solution.

 

[BingBangBop]

Pay attention -- I'm saying they don't have to have the same phone number. Just don't ever use the data phone as a phone, just use it for data purposes and no one will ever know that they are two different phones. Just buy a dedicated phone phone (with texting capability) and then consider the data phone as a tablet or a notebook with no actual phone capability which connects to the internet via cell service and/or WiFi and sync's your calendar and Email to an external Google account. If you want you can even get a wireless device that plugs into a notebook, so you can't even be tempted to try to use the data device as a phone. No one will ever know that they are two separate devices with two different phone numbers.

If necessary you can even pick to different carriers. One optimized for phone use and the other optimized for data use. Just note that that may be more expensive than something like a family plan on a single carrier.